What Author Hooked You on Reading?
What was the first romance novel you ever read? I grew up reading, Little House on the Prairie, Little Women, Jo’s Boys and Nancy Drew. In high school, I went to the library and became hooked on Victoria Holt and loved gothic’s. Then after high school, my first romance was The Wolf and The Dove by Kathleen Woodweiss. Then I read the Flame and the Flower and I was hooked forever.
I look back at these books and wonder what about them drew me in. I realize for me, I like the way both the hero and heroine, didn’t want to fall in love, yet were so attracted to one another they couldn’t resist. It was a fight to almost the last page as to whether or not they would be together forever.
At that time, Kathleen Woodweiss was my favorite author, and when a book of hers came out, I couldn’t get it fast enough. Other authors I read were Rosemary Rogers, Danielle Steel, Lavyrle Spencer and Johanna Lindsey. 
Today, I love Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Rachel Gibson and Wendy Wax. Recently I read Julie James, Practice Makes Perfect and again it was that familiar, two people fighting their attraction until almost the last page. It’s the kind of book, you keep turning the page to see what’s going to happen next. I crave those kinds of stories.
Yes, my reading tastes have changed over the years, just like the kind of stories I want to write has changed. I want to be entertained, I want to laugh, I want to see two people fight the odds and fall madly in love with one another. I’m not into dark books, and when I finish a story, I want to sigh and feel sad it’s over. 
For years, I feared that reading books would be replaced by video games, television and movies. But then along came the Harry Potter books and people fell in love with reading again. Then Stephanie Meyers hooked the next generation with Vampire stories. When the love of reading appears it’s going to disappear, it seems a new author comes on the scene and delights all of us with a new story. And I’m thankful this happens.
Now the eBook revolution is here and instead of thinking that this is a dreadful thing, I think technology has found another way to hook the next generation and save a few trees. I sat in the spa the other day with a young girl who was reading from her Kindle, and I couldn’t help but smile. Then the next week, I stepped onto the elevator at work and there was a young woman reading her kindle while on the elevator. God, I love these kinds of readers. My faith that reading was dying has been restored.
So tell me, what author made you fall in love with reading? With romance?
My first thick, romance book was The Flame and The Flower. I remember feeling so proud when I finished because I hadn’t been much of a reader before that. The book was so big in my mind but more than that, I was hooked on romance. Thank you Kathleen Woodiwiss!
mauback55 at gmail dot com
Melanie,
Kathleen Woodiwiss was an amazing writer. Loved her stories and was always looking for the next one. Thanks for stopping by.
I first fell in LOVE with reading when I read “I Know Why a Caged Bird Signs” by Maya Angelou. I was drawn into the story for it’s poetic sense and historic reference. That was the beginning of an never end for me.
Mayas,
She is a fantastic writer. I’ve only read one of her books, but I enjoyed it tremendously. I’ve just never stopped to read her again. Thanks for coming by.
Wow! So many! I read all the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books plus a ton of others in elementary school. Stephen King is probably the one who grabbed me and forced me into reading, haha! As for Romance…my first one was Rosemary Rogers, Sweet Savage Love. Wow…what an introduction to Romance Novels! I have read the rest in the series plus a few others of hers, before turning to The Calder series by Janet Dailey. I love Nora Roberts and all of the Plotting Princesses books I have read so far! I am currently reading one of yours at the moment. Betrayed! It is really good so far. Oh and I read The Little House on the Prairie books, too! So many books, so many genre’s! If it has words, I will probably read it, haha!
Cathy,
Thank you for reading one of my books. I really appreciate that. I love the hero in that book. He’s a little honorary, but then all my heros are. I loved Stephen King’s book The Stand. That’s my favorite by him, though the one about the little girl lost in the woods about sent me over the edge. Very good. Rosemary Rogers, Sweet Savage Love, I read it, but boy oh boy she liked to push the boundaries in romance. Loved the Calder Series by Janet Daily and read just about all of hers until her issues with Nora Roberts. Some of Nora’s I enjoy and some I don’t. But all of these women left such legacies in the romance genre. Thanks for coming by today. I always enjoy talking about books and this for me is what the blog is all about. Talking books and romance.
Hi, Sylvia: A turning point book for me was Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier. Then I moved to romances by Emilie Loring, romantic mysteries by Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney. And the mystery writer who made me want to write was Dick Francis.
Vicki,
I LOVED Rebecca and in fact when life slows down I’m going to read that book again. I read some of Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney, but I enjoyed Victoria Holt more. You’ve talked about Dick Francis before and how he was such an influence to you. I’ve never read him and some day…I’m going to. Thanks for coming by.
I don’t remember any particular author that turned me into reading. I’ve always loved to read all my life. My Mom is an avid reader and she read to me until I was old enough to read. Both of us love to read and are avid readers. Our taste in reading are different, but that’s okay.
There wasn’t one particular author for me. I have loved books and reading for as long as I can remember! I, too, am glad that the love of reading hasn’t disappeared and that generations seems to fall in love with reading again and again!
Britney,
Me and you both. I am so glad to see authors reignite the love of reading in especially young children. Books are treasures.
There wasn’t one author, I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on. My mother was a reading addict and so am I – I’m happy to say I’ve passed that trait on to my kids. 🙂
I did read and reread all the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, the Chronicles of Narnia, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden, and the Great Brain series by John D Fitzgerald. I am forever grateful to JK Rowling, Rick Riordan, and other authors for rekindling the love of reading in today’s kids. 😀
I’ve always been a reader. As a very young child I loved animal stories like Black Beauty and Misty. Some of my first books reading on my own were the Trixie Belden mystery series. Then the Emilie Loring romance books. Romance has always been my first choice. I always have to have a number of books lined up ready to read so there’s a new one to start as soon as I finish one. I can’t imagine life without a good book.
Hi Arleen,
I loved Black Beaty and Misty. There were several Misty books and they brought me many moments of joy. I was never into Trixie Belden, but I loved Victoria Holt and read all her books. I can’t imagine a life without books. Thanks for responding. Sorry, it took me so long.
Sylvia