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I have been challenged to list my favorite authors.  This is a major undertaking because there are so many to choose from, but here it is and in no particular order!

1. Joel C. Rosenberg-  The author of the Last Jihad series.  These books are based on end times prophecy from the book of Ezekiel.  Rosenberg is a Messianic Jew whose books are prophetic.  His first book in this series, Last Jihad, was completed approximately 9 mos. prior to 9/11 and tells the story of Islamic Jihadists' assassination attempt on the President of the United States by flying an airplane into a major American city.  As you read further in the series you will begin to see other things that have come to pass, written well before they actually happened.  The best thing about these books, though, is that no matter how eerie or frightening the beginning or middle are, the end is GLORIOUS!!!!

2. Tedd Dekker-  Very weird but his books are awesome!  Heavens Wager, When Heaven Weeps, Thunder of Heaven, and The Martyr's Song should be read together but can stand individually.  It is a riveting insight into the real problems that plague our society and how these are played out in the unseen world.

3. Nicholas Sparks-  Need I say more?

4. Charles Martin-  New writer who is not under a christian label but his books have Christianity flowing throughout them. Chasing Fireflies, Wrapped in Rain, Maggie, When Crickets Cry, and The Dead Don't Dance all rival Nicholas Sparks' novels.  I get so involved in these books that my mood can change according to the events in the stories.

5. Francine Rivers-  Everything she writes is so detail oriented that I feel like I have been transported to that time and place.  I  highly recommend  Marta's Legacy series (plan to read book 2 soon and may become my favorite), Lineage of Grace series, Mark of the Lion Series (probably my favorite so far), Atonement Child, The Scarlett Thread, and Redeeming Love(didn't really love this one, but I think I am the only one on the earth who doesn't love it).  If you love historical christian fiction, Francine Rivers has mastered it!

6. Karen Kingsbury-  This is not heavy reading but it is beautifully written Christian Fiction!   I love to lose myself in the lives of her characters.  A friend told me once that she almost stood up to add one of the characters to her Sunday School class' prayer list!  The Baxter's (Redemption, First Born, and Sunrise Series) seem like part of my family.  Even though I get tired of reading about the same people I would be the first in line to buy a new Baxter Book.  I also enjoyed  her 9/11 series, Lost Love series, and Cody Gunner series, not to mention a handful of her stand alone titles.  If you are looking for an easy, relax by the ocean read then Karen is the way to go!

7. Randy Alcorn- Safely Home  is probably one of the most eye opening and thought provoking books I have ever read.  Randy describes the horrendous persecution of Christians and the church in present day China.  He also gives one of the most frightening and real descriptions of hell when describing Mao Tung's life in hell.  This is a must read for everyone!!!

8. Andy Andrews-  Just recently discovered him and WOW!  The Noticer and Island of Saints are fabulous and I can't wait to read more by him!

9. Jennifer Erin Valent- She is also new and very talented!  Fireflies in December  is a story set in the rural south during the 1930's and deals with the fallout a family receives for taking in a young black girl after her family is killed in a fire.  The follow-up to Fireflies in December is Cottonwood Whispers and will not disappoint!

10. Ron Hall and Denver Moore- What Difference Do It Make? should be required reading.  Shows that anything is possible with God.

11. Ayn Rand- Atlas Shrugged is one of the most difficult reads I have ever undertaken.  The author is a Russian philosopher and the founder of Objectivism.  Many Christians feel that this is one of the most dangerous books to read because it seems to be very anti-christian......but it is anti-communism/socialism.  Atlas Shrugged clearly depicts the consequences of a society that embraces socialist ideals.  I have heard the argument that Ayn's main character, John Galt, parallels Christ in many ways.  I have never attempted to research that in the book on my own but I hope to one day be smart enough to do so.

12. Jan Karon- I love to read books that are structured like soap operas.  The characters stay the same and I get to watch their lives unfold and develop.  The Mitford Series is a story of an Episcopal Priest and his beloved town of Mitford.  Jan is a master at character and plot development making her books timeless classics.

13. Patricia Cornwell-  Again I love books in a series and the Kay Scarpetta novels definitely fit the bill.  However, if you are squeamish or easily frightened these books are not for you.

14. John Grisham-  Really, who doesn't love Grisham?

15. The Bible-  written by my Heavenly Father.  This is one book that will never be replaced or fall out of favor.  This book is vital to my happiness and provides me with the plan and purpose for my life.  This is one book that I re-read daily and will continue to do so for the rest of my days.

So this is a list of SOME of my favorite authors.  I love many of the classics that I read in elementary (Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner and Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingles Wilder), middle, high school ( The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte- sorry couldn't help myself), and college but I choose to highlight some of the more recent authors I have had the privilege of reading.  I hope others will pick up some of these wonderful pieces of literature and HAPPY READING!