Let’s start with some of my favorite authors, first in the historic genre.

James Clavell was probably my first exposure to historic and cultural fiction.  What a master storyteller!  His books still captivate me.  He took me places I’d never been, introduced me to cultures I didn’t think I cared about, with characters as large and vast as the wide world of his creation.  I still mourn his untimely death, and the stories that went untold to the grave. 

Dune and the sequels by Frank Herbert are still my favorites in the fantasy/sci fi genre. 

Years later I discovered Jean Auel and her fantastic Earth Children Series.  When  I first read Clan of the Cave Bear it was so sad, and Ayla seemed so like my own young daughter I stopped. Luckily I returned and the next three books were already out in paperback, so I read them two, three, four as fast as my dyslexic brain could.  Then came the waiting process for Shelters of Stone. 

My husband introduced me to Diana Gabaldon, and thus began another love affair with a series of books that catapulted my husband and I into the Scottish Highlands of 1743 and beyond. 

I love the scope, texture and descriptive details of these mammoth series; the way the characters touch me and inspire me with their stories.  These are the types of books I most enjoy (reading or writing—not that I put myself in their league yet!)

I am also a Potterite; my whole family loves Harry Potter, and the books have become a family gathering point and kept us awake and engaged on many a long road trip.  JK Rowling has touched the world with her fantasy world of magic and muggles.