Such good questions today!
1. How did you come across your favorite author(s)? Recommended by a friend? Stumbled across at a bookstore? A book given to you as a gift?
2. Was it love at first sight? Or did the love affair evolve over a long acquaintance?
One of my favorite authors, as anyone who has read this blog long knows, is Jon Hassler. I read an article about him years ago in either Crisis or Touchstone, I can't remember which. The article was a review of his work that was so positive that it glowed. So, I took the suggestion to book club, and we picked his book Staggerford as part of our reading list.
We were, one and all, simply blown away by the book. One of the finest books I'd read in a long time. The love was immediate. I then started collecting his other books, a couple of which I've still not read, simply because I like knowing there is something fabulous to read on my shelves if I get stuck.
Oddly enough, Hassler led me to two other good writers, simply because they had blurbs on the back of Hassler's books saying how great he was. I thought if they shared my taste in him, then I might like their works. That's how I started reading Richard Russo and Howard Frank Mosher. Three good authors. All from one magazine article.
And I learned about Hassler from you!
Thank you :o)