5 Novels Which Inspired Me

Because everyone loves lists, and I love reading, I've compiled a list of five books which inspired me to write Schrödinger’s Heart. They are, as follows, in no particular order:

1. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert A. Heinlein-This book is a non-stop romp of SciFi which was my official introduction to the author's multiple universes premise. It's a delightful read, and the ending has always made me long for a sequel. The idea that an author could cleverly tie his books together over a huge timeline has always stuck with me.

2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien-What's left which can be said about this masterpiece of fiction other than it literally invented an entire fantasy genre on its way to creating Middle Earth. Simply genius all the way around!

3. Live Free or Die by John Ringo-As one of the newer titles in this list, I loved the premise Ringo explores; aliens aren't particularly friendly, they're just searching for trade and raw materials. And who doesn't love cheering on Tyler Vernon as he socks it to everyone by being one step ahead of the alien overlords at every point. Its an intriguing universe and I'm hoping Mr. Ringo will return to it one day with another tale. I'm curious as to what happens next (after the end of the Troy Rising series.

4. What Happens in London by Julia Quinn-This book, the middle of the three Bevelstoke novels by Quinn, launches a romantic story arc with witty, loveable characters and enough twists and turns to keep a reader coming back. Harry Valentine, as someone not in possession of a great fortune, is a much different character for Ms. Quinn to write, and yet, she does so very well. And Olivia is charming in her characterization as someone dismissed by society as "waiting for a prince". I loved it!

5. Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn-Ah, Sebastian Grey, you sly dog. Playing the role of the lazy seducer while secretly writing lurid novels. I thought, "if he can do it, so can I" in the most literal sense. While I've read all of Ms. Quinn's works, this one holds a special place in my heart. It is the newest book to make this list, and the last of the Bevelstoke series, but I hope she's got another one in development as I'm craving more from this family.

I have to give an honorable mention to Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern books. I don't think I could ever hope to pick only one of them, but they were a cornerstone of my teenage years. Imagine my surprise long after college, and marriage when I discovered she'd continued the series with more novels and wrapped it up with a science fiction ending which reconnected the settlers of Pern with their ancestors through rediscovered (and long lost) technology. Experts say to never begin a book with a "waking up" scene, and yet, in Dragonflight, McCaffrey does just that, managing to create an incredible introduction to not only this world, but to the very thing which saves it later. MacGuffin foreshadowing writ large. There's a reason why she was a Nebula Award winner in 1969 for her novella, Dragonrider.

A hearty, second Honorable mention goes to Shogun by James Clavells. An overshadowing epic of monumental proportions and remarkable genius, I feel no romance author should miss this masterpiece. And yes, this is a romance at its heart. One of the best single pieces of fiction I've ever laid eyes on.

Okay, so that's a few more than five books. To be fair, it could take a person years just to work through all of the books I've mentioned. I did say that I loved to read. If you think of something I've missed, please feel free to let me know by email.

Thanks for stopping by!