Debi Graham-Leard

Here is a list of authors I admire. And not just mysteries!

Sue Grafton… such a sad loss of a terrific writer. I am going back into her alphabet series and re-listening to her stories.

Hallie Ephron… a New England resident, Hallie has published several mysteries. Her novel “Never Tell a Lie” has been made into a movie by LifeTime TV. They renamed it “And Baby Will Fall’, airing June 4, 2011 at 7PM. Over the past year, I have met Hallie at several workshops and conventions, plus she was one of three authors who spear-headed a weekend writers group last September. Her critique of my first novel in our private session was most helpful, and put me on the right track to begin my story in the right spot!  Here’s the link the her website if you want to know more: http://hallieephron.com/

Nora Roberts… this is a lady who is driven to write! I cannot begin to imagine having that many stories in my head, but she manages to make each one unique with deep characterization and interesting plot twists.  I especially enjoy her trilogies, because I’m never quite ready to let go of her characters when I finish the first book! My sister Jerri and I met Nora in February, 2010, during her booksigning event at her bookstore “Turn The Page”  in western Maryland. Here’s her link if you want to delve into Nora’s world.  http://noraroberts.com/

Kristen Hannah… if you enjoy heart-wrenching stories, this is the lady to read. I’ve read many of her novels, including “Firefly Lane” and “Angel Falls” and I just finished “Mystic Lake”, her first novel which was re-released with an altered ending. http://www.kristinhannah.com/content/index.php

Caroline Hart… although I’ve read Carolyn’s stories over the years, the one I enjoyed most was called “Ghost in Trouble”. I was listening to this particular story as a book-on-tape at the same time that I attended the 2010 Crime Bake. Caroline’s spectral sleuth Bailey Ruth is a delightful ghost who comes back to earth to solve mysteries. Caroline’s story in combination with an interesting conversation with Lisa M. at the convention provided me with the spark of an idea for my own novel that has provided much satisfaction to me. http://www.carolynhart.com/

Diane Setterfield… I was so fortunate to stumble upon Diane’e novel called “The Thirteenth Tale” in the book-on-tape section of my local library. The story was narrated by two women, both with delightful British accents. I’ve been told by friends who have read the book–vs. listened–that the beginning is a bit slow and difficult to maneuver. What a difference a good recording makes! When I finished listening to the last word, I rushed onto Diane’s website to find out what else she had written, but was disappointed to see that this is her only novel to date. Hopefully, she is working on another one that is equally fascinating!

Audrey Niffenegger… I first became aware of Audry when I listened to her second novel called “Her Fearful Symmetry”, a riveting tale of two sets of twins. When I googled her, I then realized that she’s the author of “The Time Travelers Wife”. I had certainly heard about that novel, but had not read it. Just today, I obtained a copy from my library for reading, and will also order the movie version from NetFlix.