Shiloh Walker, author, blogger, commenter, and one of our favorite people, gives us her list of fellow authors everyone should read… 

12 Authors that everybody should read… in my humble opinion

1. Me.  ;-)  Hey, I’m lazy with promo, so I figure I’ll just get this little bit in and then I can call myself done with promo for a few days.  Weeks.

2. Lynn Viehl/S.L. Viehl, a.k.a. Paperback Writer. Anybody that knows me isn’t going to be surprised to see this one.  I love this woman’s writing.  Plain and simple.  No matter what the name, I love her stuff.  She writes vamps under Lynn Viehl, the Stardoc books (sci fi) under S.L. Viehl and had some romantic suspenses out under Jessica Hall/Gena Hale.  She’s not using the last two pseudonyms any more… sniffle.  Sob.  But she is just an excellent writer.

3. Nora Roberts.  Hard as it is for me to believe, there are some romance lovers out there that haven’t read her.  I adore Nora Roberts.  Specifically the Irish Jewels trilogy, the Chesapeake Bay series and the Donovans.

4. J.D. Robb. Yeah, I know Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb are the same person.  But the writing styles aren’t exactly the same.  Some people that love the NR books don’t like J.D. Robb.  Some that like J.D. Robb don’t like the NR books.  Futuristic romantic suspense, killer H&H, love them.

5. Shelby Reed.  For those who aren’t sure they’d like erotic romance, Shelby is a great way to start.  She doesn’t write as burn the pages sexy as some other erotic romance authors, but she does write steamy.  She writes some of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read, bar none.

6. Joey Hill.  She is to the BDSM genre what Shelby Reed is to the erotic romance genre.  Beautiful stories that can take you places you aren’t sure you want to go, but once you get on the ride, you can’t get off.  But be warned… she isn’t for the faint of heart.

7. Bettie Sharpe.  Right now, Bettie doesn’t have any books out to buy.  Her first book is coming out from Samhain in January.  But yes… she’s on my list.  Why?  Because of Ember.  If Ember is any indication of Bettie’s writing, then I’m a fan for life.

8. Lora Leigh.  Hot stuff.  Be warned.  I love her.

9. Mercedes Lackey.  Fantasy.  Some romantic subplots and I do believe she has some fantasy romances out with Luna, but I mostly love her Valdemar books.  Addicted to the Valdemar books.  And Diana Tregard.

10. Patricia Briggs.  She writes fantasy and urban fantasy, but I’ve only read the urban stuff.  Her Mercedes Thompson books are urban fantasy with some romantic undertones.  Killing stories.  Love them.

11. Marilyn Pappano.  I haven’t read all of her books, actually, I think I’ve only read a couple, but one of them is one of my favorite books, ever.  Passion isn’t in print any more which is a shame.  Because it’s an excellent book.

12.  Holly Lisle.  Fantasy and romantic suspense.  I haven’t read all of her fantasy stuff, but she’s a great fantasy writer.  However, she blew me away with her romantic suspense, I See You.

Who’s on your “must read” author list?