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!!

Celebrating Words! Words Matter Week!!

Go to the website to download your own poster.
Looking toward the heart of the city

They stopped plowing and this is the street.

Many people in the country have had a lot of snow this week. We had over a foot here in White Plains. Last night during the full force of the snowstorm my daughter took these pictures from our window in the hotel. I posted them on Facebook too, so you might have seen them:) I thought they were so good I decided to post them.

Anyone who listened to Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages yesterday heard one of the best shows ever!!! I was privileged to have as my guests all six members of the "creative collective" of children's picture book authors who are participating in the month long celebration of Women's History Month by doing readings, panel discussions and exhibiting their art work in three bookstores and a gallery/restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. They are: Melanie Hope Greenberg, Selina Alko, Miriam Cohen, Aileen Leijten, Pat Cummings, and Meghan McCarthy. For more information you can read my Examiner.com article about this. So the interviews were so great and I wanted to continue speaking with these amazing authors for more time. I invited them all to be guest authors on this blog and I hope to be bringing them all here eventually.

The first author to visit the blog will be Melanie Hope Greenberg, the leader of the group, who has published Mermaids on Parade, which uses the annual Mermaid parade in Brooklyn. They march down to the ocean and overlays a fictional story in a child's point of view. Melanie will be here to talk about her career and the Women's History Month event. Anyone who missed the show can go to Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages.

On the same show I interviewed Samuel King, who has written a story that will soon be on Amazon. It is called "The First Angry 'Man' " and is written in the point of view of a sentient being or a hologram. Besides this story, Sam has written a novel, novellas and a screenplay. His writing is clear and for science fiction this story doesn't require you to learn too many things. One of the problems I have with almost all science fiction is learning about the new worlds that they create. It was bad enough with Harry Potter, but some of these stories give you characters with almost unpronounceable names and worlds that have too many details. With Sam's story you basically have two locales.:) It's easy to keep track of everything and all the characters. I'll remind you when his story is available for download.

Just when I thought that there has been a week for everything comes one for words.:) I was invited by one of my friends to become a fan of Words Matter Week and of course I never say no to a friend.:) So I went to the website and found this awesome poster that you see here. I love the Mark Twain quote too. As a writer, words usage is part of my everyday life so I am publicizing it here.

Words Matter Week is from Monday, March 1st through Sunday, March 7th. This event is sponsored by the National Association of Independent Authors and Editors and is done during the first full week of March. There are events by librarians and teachers as well as anyone who wishes to participate. There are blog challenges during the week, which will be announced on the website. But this week has a higher purpose. If you donate $2.50 you are giving one book to a child through First Book. So if you are interested in helping to further the reading of a disadvantaged child please think about donating to this worthy cause.

Tomorrow we will officially move into our new apartment!!!! We have been going over, at least my daughters and I, and hanging out there. I did my radio show there yesterday. But my husband has NEVER been there since we signed the lease. He doesn't know what it looks like with our stuff in there. Also, the place smells of ozone. I'd rather that than smoke - believe me! It will be interesting to see his expression when he sees it tomorrow. I can't wait to unpack everything including my Betty Boop collection. I have no idea where they will go since my daughter says it will be tacky to put them into the china cabinet in the living room. I might have to go get a new cabinet with glass doors to display them in my bedroom. But where will I put it?:) But that is another discussion.:)

My apologies to all of my blog friends. Usually I feature at least a blog a month, but because of my situation I have hardly done any blogs. So I hope to remedy that by featuring at least one of my favorite blogs a week. I appreciate all of my followers who have had to put up with my sporadic posts. The long "velvet nightmare" is almost over. I can't wait for my life to go back to a relatively normal situation.:)