Throughout my life, specific authors have inspired me. Here’s my list of major author influences that I credit for my early development as a writer.
Terry Brooks:
Introduced me to the world of fantasy when I was thirteen. I can still remember how I felt when I finished the last page of Sword of Shannara. I brimmed with hope. Warmth that spread through me. A desire sparked deep inside of me that would eventually evolve into my life-long passion of creating new worlds for readers.
Robert Jordan:
Showed me how vast worlds could be. That there were no limits to the imagination. That perseverance spread across decades.
Joseph Campbell:
Taught me the wonder of the human archetypal mind. How it resonates throughout our subconscious. How myth is a universal symbol for the same basic desires and thoughts.
Marion Zimmer Bradley:
Taught me that women had a place in fantasy with her female-centric stories in an era of the fantasy boy’s club.
Ann Rice:
For seductive indulgence.
Rob Tapert & Joss Whedon:
Because women (Xena Warrior Princess & Buffy the Vampire Slayer) really can kick serious behind.
Only great minds can afford a simple style.