Author Spotlight - Jillian Chantel talks about her favorite authors

My favorite writers are an eclectic grouping. Kind of. There's an underlying theme but it may be hard to fathom at first glance. There are four writers that are on my must-buy list. Most of them have been favorites for a very long time- most dating back to the 1980s.

My absolute first love favorite is Martha Grimes. She has been writing her series of mysteries named after British Pubs since the 1980s. Her hero and his best friend are solid, nice guys that I'd love to share a pint with at any pub on Earth. Their lives are peppered with lots of quirky, oddball characters that are so endearing, it's criminal. These mysteries are interesting and fun.

My second favorite writer is Dean Koontz. Back in the early days, he was much more about horror, but he was also always about good overcoming evil. As he's gotten older, he's toned down the gore but he's ramped up the evil. His antagonists are extremely clever and downright satanic. But there's always a message of faith and hope in his books. That makes me want to read them to watch the protagonist outwit the force of evil. And it doesn't hurt that Dean is a master of witty dialogue. His characters always face their trials with good humor.

Thirdly, I love to read John Sanford. He has a couple of series going and they are excellent. These stories are more gritty and edgy. The main characters are in law enforcement and solve complicated crimes all while bantering with each other.

The last author I have on my must-buy list is Harlan Coben. I've been reading him since his first release and he gets better and better with each book. And, again, witty repartee between his characters.

So, the thing that ties these authors together in my mind is their wit and great dialogue. It doesn't hurt that they have elements of crime in the stories as well. These are also big draws for me.