What writers make your heart sing?

This is the base

Last week I wrote about Words Matter Week. I had hoped to take part in every blog challenge, but my real life interrupted. More about that later. What follows is the blog challenge:

Writers are people who take isolated words and craft them into memorable phrases, stories, poems and plays. Who are the writers who make your heart sing? What is the magic ingredient?

The joy of reading for me comes from having read authors who do make my heart sing. You know you are reading a memorable piece when you can't predict the ending and the author has used words that bring images to your mind. You start reading the story and suddenly you are transported and no longer realize you are reading. I have been so mesmerized by a story that I have spent hours in one place reading. I have forsaken creature comforts to finish a story that is gripping me. Why does this happen? What will cause a reader to do this?

For me it's the writing. The author catches me practically from the beginning, but if I am not captured by the story it is the writing and the descriptions that will keep me reading. I have read two or three chapters sometimes without getting that spark, but if the writing is clear and to the point at some point I will be glued to the pages. These are my favorite writers and while I'm reading one of these books I will find any excuse to pick up the book and read.:) Only a few authors have elicited this kind of behavior in me. However, if it is not a story by one of my favorite authors, if the story makes sense to me and the characters are believable I might have that response.

My taste in reading is fairly eclectic. Lately I have gotten into science fiction and urban fantasy. But my favorite novels are usually ones with several different characters whose stories run parallel until they meet and then their intertwining creates a situation that moves to the climax of the novel. However, I like suspense too and if it is done right I might even read a mystery. As a YA author I read a great deal of YA novels. Occasionally I find one that I can't put down or that intrigues me so much I am unable to stop reading it.

Here are the authors in no particular order whose words make my heart sing: Stephen King, Barbara Kingsolver, John Irving, Jim Butcher, Kate DiCamillo, Paula Danziger, Mark Twain, Jane Austin, Louisa May Alcott, Carolyn Keene, Avi, Richard Peck, J.K. Rowling, E.L.Konigsburg, Lois Lowry, Anne M. Martin, Francine Pascal, Cynthia Rylant, Jerry Spinelli, George Simenon, Nora Roberts.

At one time in my life each of these authors has written something that has gripped me so much I couldn't stop reading. It's hard to say what was the magic ingredient that did that for me, but it was probably well written books with believable characters and situations that kept me on edge until the end. You will also notice that this group is composed of both adult and YA authors. Now who are the authors whose writing makes your heart sing? Why not take the blog challenge and become part of Words Matter Week, like I just did? Also, please leave a comment and let me know your favorites and why.

Now for a totally different topic - my continuing saga to try to get settled after the fire damaged my home and we had to move. Here is one more f---ed up chapter in that saga. Our marble table was damaged by the smoke removal people when the guys moved it without padding over stone steps and damaged the top by taking a 3 inch chunk of marble off of it. We are now in our new apartment and the table top is in the middle of our living room!! We have come to a standstill in unpacking, because we can't move the table and have no table at all! To their credit the ServPro people are going to absorb the cost of the table, but they need to remove it.

It makes me sad because we have had this table for almost 30 years and they no longer make this size table in travertine marble, like the one we have. I have put the pictures of the damaged table here so you can see what a beautiful piece this is. But my husband is ready to move on and get a new wooden table to replace it. I can't wait until my life goes back to normal. Oh, wait, what is normal?

Thank y0u to any new readers and of course, thanks to the readers who continue to follow my crazy meanderings. Seriously, this blog has kept me relatively sane.:) I appreciate all the great comments you have given to me. They have helped me so much!!