The Hardest Decision For A Reader: Name Your Top 3 Authors

The other day on Twitter - before I got sidetracked with updating and tweaking my blog design - I asked if you could only name 3 authors as your favorites who would they be.

Now, think about it. This isn't about a favorite book or best book you've read lately, but what authors do you really just enjoy their entire body of work. Now, obviously some books you'll love more than others but what 3 authors would be like the TRIFECTA OF READING for you?

Since I'm a romance blog most the the answers from my followers were romance authors. The most common comment was "How in the world to narrow it only to 3?"

I thought I would share the responses I got on Twitter and even let you know the top 3 most mentioned authors to see how they stack up against your own list.

See someone here whose work you've never read? Well get on it because apparently they write good stuff! Don't see your fav here? Then tell me who you would add to the list!

Top 3 Most Mentioned:

1. Nora Roberts
2. Lisa Kleypas
3. TIE - Victoria Dahl & Julia Quinn

Other Authors Mentioned as FAVS:

Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Kristan Higgans
Maya Banks
Kresley Cole
Rachel Gibson
Elosia James
Lauren Dane
J.D Robb
Loretta Chase
Jennifer Cruise
LaVyrle Spencer
Shiloh Walker
Roxanne St. Claire
Lora Leigh
Elizabeth Hoyt
J.R Ward
Karen Marie Moning
Sandra Brown
Karen Robards
Lynsay Sands
Barbara Michaels
Lisa Gardner
Karen Rose
Nalini Singh
Linda Howard
Meg Cabot
Annie Solomon
Laura Griffin
Aleksandr Voinov
Carole Matthews
Milly Johnson
Patrick Gayle
Elizabeth Arthurs
Jim Butcher
Suzanne Enoch
JK Rowling
Shelly Laurenston
Mary Calmes
Stephanie Laurens
Charles de Lint
Felicity Heaton
Christina Dodd
Nina Kiriki Hoffman
J.K. Beck
Judith McNaught
Jet Mykles

Who would you add to this list? If you could name only 3 authors as your all-time fav who would it be. Sorry - no more than 3 - someone has to crack the whip!

Oh, and if you were wondering mine I went with Dahl/Kleypas/Higgans. But wanted to add Cruise/SEP/Johanna Lindsey/Gibson. :) I'm not a very good whip cracker!

I've Been MIA...At RWA!

So the craziness that is The Romance Writers of America National Conference snuck up on me fast and I didn't get a chance to pre-write some posts for while I was gone. So sorry, but being a stand-alone blogger can get overwhelming!


This was my very first RWA Conference and I had no idea what to expect or how open people would be to my being there as a blogger. I shouldn't have worried one bit - it was a blast from start to finish and I'm still recovering.


The best part of the event was meeting all the wonderful authors, editors and agents who love the romance industry and it was amazing to see the support and appreciation shared between all the attendees. For instance, I was waiting in line to get a book authorgraphed by none other than Lisa Kleypas when I realized that the lovely woman assisting her looked very familiar. This woman was unpackign books, handing them to Lisa to sign and also counting those last of us in line to make sure there were enough books for everyone. It came to me all of a sudden - this was author Christina Dodd! I had thought this was a publicist or editorial assistant helping Lisa out, but instead I learned that Christina and Lisa are very good friends and obviously very supportive of each other.


Saying that to Christina on twitter, she says that she just wanted Lisa to hurry up so they could go to lunch but I was there and thought it was obvious she was having fun helping Lisa out. :)


So if you know me, then you know I would totally dork out on a few fav authors. I did not disappoint! Upon seeing Victoria Dahl, I suddenly had no control over my mouth. I just kept talking and talking and talking. I have no idea what I even said. I do know it couldn't have been anything intelligent! Poor Victoria!


I also totally lost it - but this time at least my craziness was coherant - on meeting Vicki Lewis Thompson. She's an all-time favorite of mine and I just had to tell her so. At least she seemed very excited and happy to meet a reader who loves her books - she said I made her day. I hope so!


I can't talk about RWA and not mention all the other awesome bloggers I met. Wendy the Super Librarian rocks the house. Seriously. We met at a dinner put on for bloggers by Carina Press - more on that later in a special post - and I just wanted to talk to her about books for hours. If you aren't familiar with her blog (which I'm sure you totally are, but just in case) go check it out here.


Some of the other fantastic book bloggers I meat were Aztec Lady (such a lovely woman!) the awesome ladies from All About Romance, KristieJ from Ramblings on Romance, PJ from The Romance Dish. There were so many others, but it would be impossible to list them all!

I'll have more to say about my time at RWA in the coming days, including news on upcoming books that caught my eye, more about Carina Press and all they have in store for readers and more details on what's happening with your favorite authors.

So readers, have you ever made a fool of yourself in front of one of your favorite writers? Or did you manage to keep your cool? We want to hear about your own author sightings!

Happy Reading!

Book Releases You Shouldn’t Miss

There were a slew of great books that released the first week of January and I didn’t want to not mention them on the site. You’ll see reviews for many of these coming up soon, but I can tell you know that a few of these rocked my world. Although there were tons more releases, these are the ones I have read and can say you should check out!

Book Review: Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl

Book Review: Start Me Up
By: Victoria Dahl
HQN Books
5 Heart Review

Lori Love is yearning for something more

Lori had always planned to get out of tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado, but when her late dad left her his beloved auto body shop, she'd stayed. Now, according to her crazy best friend, Molly, what Lori needs is some excitement, in the form of hot, no-strings-attached sex...and lots of it.

Quinn Jennings has buildings on the brain – not love and romance. A serious architect, he's delighted to discover that Lori is willing to skip dating protocols and head straight for the sheets. And aided by the steamy books on Lori's bedside table, he's busy indulging both of their wildest fantasies. But when life in Tumble Creek takes a dangerous turn for Lori, Quinn's protective instincts kick in.

Suddenly he cares. More than either of them expected...

Ok, here's my review in a nutshell: BUY THIS BOOK! Then, buy Victoria's entire backlist and be first in line for every new release.

I'm beyond excited to have read my first book by Victoria! She's a fantastic writer who combines quick whit, strong female characters, sexy as hell love scenes, and an overall interesting plot into a fantastic read. Authors like Victoria are why I love to read and why I created Cheeky Reads in the first place. She gets readers like me and what we want. It's like she read my mind before writing Start Me Up!

Many Authors talk of writing the book of their heart, but I'd like to suggest that there is also the book of the reader's heart. Start Me Up might not seem like a contender since it's not weepy, dramatic chick-lit, but it’s very, very close to being my perfect book.

Maybe it's because I identify completely with Lori. Seriously, I think I AM Lori. From living in a small town and the desire to escape that town and travel the world, to being the caretaker of a handicapped parent and dealing with their passing, I am very like Lori. The list goes on and on as to how much of myself I saw in Lori. Oh, how I hope I can live up to Lori's wit and um...well we won't discuss the “other” side of Lori I'll never be able to live up to!

Victoria's books are the epitome of Cheeky Reads and she deserves her own special designation. I formally announce that Victoria Dahl will be known forever more here at Cheeky Reads as “Cheeky V!”

Long may Cheeky V write!

(TIP: Victoria released a new historical romance recently titled One Week As Lovers. So...Umm...maybe you should...you know...check that out!)