What do writers read? Bestsellers reveal all!

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In my continuing quest to blow your minds, I again present three very different authors whose answers to the same questions may surprise you.

Sydney Landon is a New York Times bestseller-listed author of romances, including the Danvers series; David C. Cassidy’s books, including Velvet Rain and Fosgate’s Game, defy categorization but might be called “speculative fiction” (but isn’t all fiction, by definition, speculative? Isn’t fiction a form of speculation?). And Patricia Sands is the award-winning author of The Bridge Club and The Promise of Provence.

Name three characteristics of books that you like.

Sydney Landon: Humorous dialogue, a strong introduction and a realistic plot.

David C. Cassidy: For me, a story has to have depth and feeling. It’s got to have characters I love, and those I love to hate. Above all, it’s got to be real. When you strip away all the obviously impossible stuff, the story has to hit me with reality at some point. The danger, the struggle — it has to be something I can feel. The best stories do that. Avatar would be just another sci-fi adventure without the deep-rooted threat to the indigenous people of Pandora — the threat to their core beliefs. For me, that’s gold, and James Cameron is a master at this kind of storytelling.

Patricia Sands:

• A compelling style that immediately engages.
• Strong imagery that draws me into the emotion of the scene, setting or location.
• Creativity that captures the imagination.

What makes you keep reading a book?

Patricia Sands

Patricia Sands: All of the above (answer #1), plus a good plot and well-developed characters.

Sydney Landon: Connecting with the characters. Otherwise, I lose interest and have a hard time finishing.

David C. Cassidy: The characters. Whether they’re larger than life or just the guy selling hot dogs on the street, I’m always observing characters in books and movies. I watch. I listen. I learn. The best books have all those little nuances in the characters that make me want to follow them to the bitter end.

What are some books that you weren't able to put down until you finished them?

David C. Cassidy: Abarat by Clive Barker; The Thief of Always by Clive Barker; In Cold Blood by Truman Capote; Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom; Salem’s Lot by Stephen King.

Sydney Landon:  Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James; The Faces of Evil series by Debra Webb.

Patricia Sands: There are few books that I begin and don't finish.

Do you consciously try to emulate these books? If so, what form does that take: plot, structure, characters, settings, author's voice and word choice?

Patricia Sands: No, not consciously. However, I know that the more I read, the more I become aware of incorporating the traits I admire of other writers into my own style.

Sydney Landon: No. I believe every author has a certain style and that generally comes through no matter what. 

David C. Cassidy: It might be the sincerest form of flattery, but I don’t consciously do it. I would say most authors don’t, but I would also say that unconsciously, we probably do. It’s natural to emulate those we admire. I’m a photographer, and the only way I became the creative photographer that I am was by studying photographs of the photographers I admire. That didn’t mean I went out and copied their style. It meant that I learned new ways of thinking — new ways of looking at the same subject. Some of my biggest influences in writing have come from three very different authors: Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Mitch Albom — and I’m probably a hybrid of all three to some degree. I’ve studied their work and a lot of other authors from different genres, and have tried to incorporate their techniques in all facets of my writing. Not by copying strict rules or things that they’ve done, but rather their way of thinking or looking at the world and the characters who inhabit them in different and unique ways.

Do you try to avoid any of the techniques or conventions followed by your favorite writers?

David C. Cassidy: For me, each story has a different feel to it—the writing has a different feel to it. I just write it. I don’t worry if someone sees or doesn’t see similar techniques used by other authors. You can’t shackle yourself by saying, “Oh crap, King did this like this.” Why? Because at one point, King probably said, “Oh crap, Poe did this like this.” And Poe probably said, “Damn that Shakespeare. He took all the good stuff.”

Patricia Sands: No. Many of my favourite writers have decidedly different styles than mine. I believe it is important for each of us to find our own unique voice and hone that craft.

Sydney Landon: Not at all.  I never know where a story will take me and what means I'll use to get there.  I've probably tried them all.

What rules of writing do you intentionally break?

Sydney Landon: Grammar. Sometimes the rules say it's wrong, but it sounds so right!

Patricia Sands: None intentionally and probably several unintentionally.

What rules of writing do you intentionally break?

David C. Cassidy: Every last one. Even speling and grammer if I have to. Seriously, I do uphold one rule: There are no rules. I don’t get the whole “don’t do this, don’t do that” mentality with writing. I cross genre boundaries in stories—does it lessen the whole? Not for me. It adds to it. A great story is like a great photograph—the best photographs tell the story exactly as it needs to be told.

Thanks very much, all!

Sydney Landon lives in Greenville, South Carolina and has spent the last twenty-five years working in accounting. Sydney met her own prince charming in 2000 and received the most romantic proposal on a pier in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, thus creating her eternal love for the city. The fact that her future husband was a fellow computer geek completely sealed the deal for her. She credits him with keeping her calm and rational while also understanding her need for a new pair of shoes every other week. They have two children who keep life interesting and borderline insane, but never boring. The idea of the Danvers’ Series popped into her head and refused to go away. She started writing the first story never imagining that it would ever be finished. Three months later it turned into her first book, Weekends Required. Within a few months, it had quickly made the best-seller list on Amazon, and went on to make the New York Times Best Seller List.  Barely taking a breath between books, Sydney followed up with the second book in the series, Not Planning on You. Within the first month, this book also became a best-seller. The third book in the series, Fall For Me was released in February 2013 and became a New York Times Best Seller.  The fourth book in the series, Fighting For You releases in paperback in February 2014.  Sydney is currently working on the fifth book in the Danvers’ Series. When she isn’t writing, Sydney enjoys reading, swimming and being a mini-van driving, soccer mom.

Sydney is a member of BestSelling Reads. Visit her website.

Author, photographer and half-decent juggler David C. Cassidy spends his writing life creating dark and touching stories where Bad Things Happen To Good People.

Raised by wolves, he grew up with a love of nature, music, science, and history, with thrillers and horror novels feeding the dark side of his seriously disturbed imagination. He talks to his characters, talks often, and most times they listen. But the real fun starts when they tell him to take a hike, and they Open That Door anyway. Idiots.

David lives in Ontario, Canada. From Mozart to Vivaldi, classic jazz to classic rock, he feels naked without his iPod. Suffering from MAD (Multiple Activity Disorder), he divides his time between writing and blogging, photography and photoshop, reading and rollerblading. An avid amateur astronomer, he loves the night sky, chasing the stars with his telescope. Sometimes he eats.

David is a member of Independent Authors International. Visit his website.

Patricia Sands lives in Toronto, Canada most of the time, Florida some of the time, and the south of France whenever possible. With a happily blended family of seven adult children and, at last count, six grandchildren, life is full and time is short. Beginning with her first Kodak Brownie camera at the age of six, she has told stories all of her life through photography. She is the author of the award-winning novel, The Bridge Club and her most recent release, The Promise of Provence. The latter is an Amazon best-seller that was also featured on the Movers & Shakers Digital list.  Thanks to reader demand, a sequel to The Promise of Provence in in the works! Put your feet up and be carried away to the south of France in this delightful novel.  Her stories celebrate the rewarding friendships of women and examine the challenges life often throws in our paths. Becoming a published author at this stage of her life was not on her agenda but she knows now she will never stop writing.

Patricia is a member of BestSelling Reads. Visit Patricia's

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What do great writers like to read?

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What makes a good read? Is it characterization, plot, style? A unique idea, or the rules of your favourite genre?

I’ve asked some of the best independent authors I know what they like to read — what makes a good read for them. Today, here are the first three to answer: 

• RS Guthrie, author of the Bobby Mac paranormal-thriller series and the James Pruett mystery series
• Karen Wodke, author of James Willlis Makes a Million and half of the Wodke Hawkinson writing duo, authors of Betrayed, Zeke, Sue, Tangerine and other books
• Scott Morgan, author of Stories My Evil Twin Made Up, Character Development from the Inside Out, and How to Be a Whiny Beeyotch: 71 Writing Excuses Meet the Back of My Hand

Name three characteristics of books that you like. What makes you keep reading a book? 

RS Guthrie: I personally love great, literary writing and deep characters. Of course, like everyone, my initial buy many times depends on the cover, or especially the first part of chapter one sampling. I usually know by one to three paragraphs in whether I will like the book. Actually, that's a pretty good indicator of the books I won't like. You can never know for sure about liking/loving a book until it ends; sometimes writers give up two-thirds of the way through and that's a HUGE disappointment you can't see coming.

Rob Guthrie

Karen Wodke: Three characteristics of books I like: 

• being drawn into the story right from the start

• when a story is handled in a unique way or deals with unusual material

• when a book is so well-written, it takes me away.

Scott Morgan: Good books need a strong storyteller's voice; to be true  to its internal universe; and to take chances. I don't want to read the same thing someone else wrote, I want to read a new idea, new way of seeing, new world.

What are some books that you weren't able to put down until you finished them? 

RS Guthrie: The last book I read I could not put down was Jonathan Lethem's Motherless Brooklyn. I can never put any of his books down. Gun, With Occasional Music rocked my world! Dissident Gardens is just out and I have not read it yet.

Karen Wodke: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn; The Mothers by Vardis Fisher (about the doomed Donner party crossing); Evening News by Marly Swick; The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien; Life-Size by Jenefer Schute.

What other books have these characteristics?

RS Guthrie: Anything by James lee Burke. In fact, he's the master of melding both elements (literary style with great characters). All of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series (21 books). Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, If I Die In A Combat Zone, and Going After Cacciato.

Karen Wodke: The books I mentioned are very different in style from each other. What they have in common is a compelling story. It would be impossible to list all the other books that share this characteristic. I like Dean Koontz, JA Konrath, earlier Stephen King, earlier James Patterson, Wally Lamb, Robert Heinlein, and a number of indie authors. The books I most enjoy reading share the following characteristics: interesting plot, descriptions that are appropriate to the story, a unique style of writing, and a steady pace.

Scott Morgan: All good books have these characteristics (a strong storyteller's voice; true  to its internal universe; and to take chances). Best examples for me are (fiction) Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg and (nonfiction) The Trouble with Tom by Paul Collins.

Scott Morgan

Do you consciously try to emulate these books? 

RS Guthrie: When I first read James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series, I knew I had found my voice. Until then I kept flip-flopping between a more literary style versus deep, engaging characters and a lot of great dialogue (something you don't find in "literary" books). Burke showed me that the two can not only coexist but enhance each other and make for a compelling read. Primarily that affects my characters, dialogue, and definitely word choice. You need to be sparsely descriptive. Yes, describe the surrounding stage so the reader can smell it, see it, feel it, but don't take thirteen pages to do so. And dialogue, for me, is key. Good, engaging dialogue is the best way I know to show your character rather than tell him/her to the reader.

Karen Wodke: I don’t think I consciously try to emulate any other book. That said, a good book inspires me to work on improving particular elements in my own writing. For instance, reading Gillian Flynn has made me want to come up with

Karen Wodke

better similes and metaphors; she’s brilliant at both. She also has a very distinctive voice. A skill I admire in Stephen King is the ease with which he tells a story. Opening one of his books is like settling into a favorite chair. I admire the way Koontz pulls a reader in from the first page. And some thriller authors write such clean, tight plots; I can’t help but be impressed. There are important things to be learned from any well-written book.

You know what they say: easy reading is damn hard writing.

Scott Morgan: I try to emulate the writers more so than the books. writers like Brian Hodge always come up with incredible ways to tell stories that are not limited to single books. If I'm borrowing from books, it's usually inn how the writer constructs his/her universe with as little detail as possible. Great writers can put you in their heads but let you keep your own eyes.

Merry Christmas, readers! Best of the season to you all. And happy Kwanzaa, best of the Zarathosht Diso, as well as belated happy Yule, Bodhi Day and Hannukah.

Those who've ready this blog know my inclusive attitude toward holiday greetings: we should all celebrate all of them. (More holidays, more food, more festivities — who can argue with that?) And I will not be offended if anyone wishes me a Happy Eid, Passover or Makar Sankranti.

You may not know this, but I'm French-Canadian. One French-Canadian tradition — so traditional that my family wasn't doing it anymore by the time I was born — is exchanging presents on Christmas Eve. 

My seasonal gift to all of you is a story about Christmas, set in the long-ago time of 1991 — when cell phones were rarities, gasoline was 40 cents a litre and times were no simpler, no easier than they are today. 

Below is a sample of the story. The full text is in the tab, "Christmas 1991" at the top of the page.

Enjoy!

 

My Christmas Story for 1991

 

By Scott Bury

Snow spun, spiraled, swirled downward, slowly covering the lawns and avenues, the roofs and pathways of a suburb. In the morning, commuters would curse as they dug their cars out of the drifts and banks, brushed it off their hoods and headlights, then clutch their steering wheels white-knuckled as they slid to work.

But tonight, tonight all was quiet. All the houses were dark. All except one — one window was lit, the curtains flung aside, the light streaming out, illuminating the falling snow as it flickered past the window pane.

Through the window could be seen the head of one man, hard at work: leaning forward, shoulders and back bent over a slanted table. The head was handsome, seen in profile, if tending toward the corpulent. The forward tilt pushed out the beginnings of a double chin. The hair was dark, the nose long and straight, the mouth full and sensitive. 

His name was Andrew, and he was a draftsman. His job was to make an architect’s drawings and an engineer’s proofs into final drawings for the construction crews. Andrew was good at his job, and knew it.

Around him was the darkness and stillness of a sleeping house. If he had listened, had paid attention to the world around him at that moment, he would have heard the small sounds of the night: the intermittent click and hum of the furnace, the rattling of the windows in the winter wind, the rustling from the bed in the room next door as his wife, Lana, turned over, the faint sighing of his five-year-old daughter, Marla, in the other bedroom.

But Andrew was concentrating. He had a deadline to meet on this project, a complete set of plans for a power building at a factory. It was still a week away, counting the day whose morning he was working through, but there was a lot of work to do yet.