Maggie Thom – The Footsteps I Follow: Authors I Admire

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The Footsteps I Follow: Authors I Admire

by Maggie Thom

Authors are people I have admired my whole life. They were able to take me on a journey that I was never quite sure where that was going to be. But I knew it would take me somewhere different. I loved the anticipation of finding a good author and devouring all that they had written and then waiting for them to produce the next book.

Having been a reader all my life, the list of authors I admire is very long. I have read many but there are some that really stand out for me.

One of the first authors to really grab my attention was Stephen R. Donaldson, author of The Thomas Covenant Trilogy. It is a science fiction/fantasy book where the main character is not your usual run of the mill, strong dynamic character. He is kind of dark, pathetic, doesn’t believe in himself, has lost everything in his life because of his constant negativity and yet he is so believable that you root for him. You want him to wake up and realize what he has. This series pulled me into a whole other world that was so well described and clear to me I felt like I was there.

Another author I really admire is Robert Ludlum. He introduced me to espionage/thriller/suspense type books. I have read all of his books and absolutely love how he weaves a story. He introduced me to the idea of having the book written from more than one or two points of view. At the beginning of his stories, you get to meet a number of people, which make you wonder how they are all connected and what role they’re going to play throughout the book. He ties it all up nicely by the end.

Sandra Brown is an all time favorite of mine. She separated her books from the others because they didn’t really fall into any one genre. Her books are full of suspense, mystery, murder and romance. I love the kind of stories she creates. I like to write similar stories that include all of these elements.

Ann McCaffrey wrote incredible science fiction novels about dragons that were different and exciting and adventurous. I like how she wove her stories and how believable they were. The setting and the characters were so well done that I could clearly see where it took place and felt like I could reach out and touch one of her majestic dragons.

From each of these authors and many others, I have not only been taken on an amazing journey but I’ve learned many things about weaving a good story. Every author I’ve ever read has influenced me in some way.

Who are you favorite authors? And what do you like about their writing? Their stories?