Connie is here today to share her favourite 15 authors. Welcome, Connie!
Who are my Friday Fifteen? The authors who impacted my writing and my life? And how? Here’s my list (in no particular order) …1. Jane Austen
I always loved her sense of irony, and her feel for the contradictions in human nature. She often had characters who believed things about themselves that were the opposite of the truth, and the most marvelous ways to portray this.2. George MacDonald
I loved his varied depictions of what a Christian looks like. Some tidy and stoic. Others messy and creative. Some loud and engaging. Others quiet and contemplative. Some living by the whisper of the Holy Spirit, and others delving into The Word before making a move. And yet each worked, in their own ways, to live biblically as best they could. 3. Charles Dickens
His rich, layered and textured characters!!!4. Georgette Heyer
Like Dickens, she wrote colorful characters, but it was her humor that grabbed me, and the way she could write intimacy between romantic leads where they didn’t even touch each other.5. Numbers Five through Eight
These would have to be my critique partners, June Foster, Mildred Colvin, Gail Pallotta, and Vanessa Riley. These are the ladies who took my amateurish scrawling, each using their particular giftings, and turned it into interesting prose.9. Denise Hunter
I love the intense way I get to know her characters thoughts and how this drives everything they do.10. Ronie Kendig
Action pacing!!! She writes action in the speed it takes place. When I read it, I want to hold my seat, catch my breath, and still my heart.11. Jenny B. Jones
Jenny has a number of books that deal with serious issues, and yet she inserts just the right amount of humor to make it palatable and not so heavy. 12. MaryLu Tyndall
I was a fan of MaryLu’s before she “went indie,” but I’m an even bigger fan now. It’s amazing how much better a story can be when an author is unleashed to write her heart. Her Christian pirate adventures get better with every story. She has also been very generous to me with her author and character interviews on my group blog, InfiniteCharacters.com. Whenever I want to show anyone what a great character interview looks like, I send them a link to one of hers.
13. C.S. Lewis
There are so many little things that have helped me understand God and His plan for us, not to mention how Satan attempts to thwart it (ie. Screwtape Letters). One of my favorite concepts of his is from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. I can’t remember the exact line, but it is how he described Aslan as scary (he’s a lion, I tell you), but good. What a fantastic picture of God. He has the power to incinerate us at a word, and yet He chooses to sacrifice His very flesh to save us, instead.14. J.R.R. Tolkien
There are so many wonderful metaphors in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, but my favorite concept is how the small Hobbit, Frodo, is chosen for the great task of carrying the ring. Why? Because he is the ONLY one humble enough not to be destroyed by it. And yet, still, the journey leaves him wounded. Such depth in that story.15. Holy Spirit (Paul)
Of course, as a Christian, I am thoroughly changed by all the Words of God’s holy book, inspired by His Holy Spirit, penned by His empty vessels. At the same time, if I had to choose the words that resonate with me the most it would have to be Paul’s writings on The Body of Christ. I don’t think this is because they are more important than any of His other writings. I think it’s because this is the theme the Holy Spirit has called ME to write about, reminding people that not only were we made different from each other, but we were meant to function differently—complementary to each other—as different parts of a whole. That’s what I try to write into my stories. Different gifts, used together for His glory.About Connie
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Thanks for having me on today!!! It was fun drumming up this list. I fear, however, I read a ton and if you ask me to do it again next week, the list might look a little different! God has created a number of wonderful, inspiring authors!!!
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