Sharon Page, Shannyn Schroeder, Adrienne Basso share their keeper books

Today's featured authors: Sharon Page, author of Deeply in You; Shannyn Schroeder, author of Catch Your Breath; and Adrienne Basso, author of Bride of a Scottish Warrior. They're sharing what's on their keeper shelves.

Sharon Page, author of Deeply in You

My "keeper shelf" has grown so huge I've filled all my shelves and have started to make piles on my closet floor. So choosing my three favorites is a daunting job.

• Jo Beverley's Something Wicked is one of my first choices. Rothgar's sister Lady Elf Malloren begins to have wicked thoughts about her family's mortal enemy, the Earl of Walgrave. Who can blame her? Fort is a hero to die for. Jo Beverley's historicals are rich with detail and her characters are brilliantly drawn. When Elf has her tumultuous night of passion with Fort (there is a kidnapping and a revelation) she realizes how special her family is for they accept her even though she has "ruined" herself. Fort's reaction to betrayal is beautiful and touching. How they resolve their conflict is realistic, emotional, and page-turning.

• My second choice is one of the books that inspired me to write. I read The Great Gatsby(by F. Scott Fitzgerald) in high school because my mom recommended it to me. And I fell in love. I marvel at Fitzgerald's lush descriptions done in such spare language and the way he tugs your emotions so you alternately root for the characters and condemn them for their mistakes. As a wannabe author, I sympathized with Gatsby's unshakeable belief in his dream. And of course, I loved vicariously attending Gatsby's lavish parties.

• My third choice is from my childhood and I read it to my daughter recently. Caddie Woodlawn (by Carol Ryrie Brink) is an award-winning children's book based on a real-life pioneer woman. Caddie is a feisty tomboy heroine of the 1860s who wants to run wild with her brothers and rejects her mother's attempts to turn her into a young lady. The funny parts still make me laugh, and the poignant parts … well, I still cry when Caddie bravely travels out alone on a freezing night to warn a native tribe of a potential attack from townspeople who have worked themselves up in a fear-fueled frenzy. Caddie is a heroine to inspire young girls.

I do notice my favorite keepers are historical. I love being transported to a different time and place. These books make me feel I'm living and breathing in the worlds created by the authors: Georgian England, the Roaring Twenties, and the prairies in the 1860s.

Here's the blurb for Deeply in You:

Anxious to save her brother from debtor's prison, Helena Winsome agrees to find proof that the Duke of Greybrooke is a traitor. Well aware of his wicked ways, she takes on the guise of a demure governess. But his smoldering sensuality overwhelms her—as does his vow to make her his lover, a scandalous promise that leaves her weak with desire…

Darkly handsome and powerfully seductive, the Duke of Greybrooke is a man of deep passion. When the lovely Miss Helena Winsome turns down an offer to become his mistress, Grey takes on the challenge. He'll expose Helena to the erotic thrill of carnal pleasure and tease her senses until all she can do is beg for more…

Find out more at www.sharonpage.com.

Shannyn Schroeder, author of Catch Your Breath

Like most readers, my keeper shelf is pretty extensive, especially with the advent of the e-reader. Since I can only choose three books here, however, I'm going to go with three that have the most meaning for me as a reader and a writer.

• First up is Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie. When I first started writing, I was convinced I would write romantic suspense since that's what I loved to read, but it wasn't working for me. Then I had the idea for my first O'Leary book, More Than This, and knew it would be a straight-up contemporary. I was worried because I didn't think I'd read enough in the genre to get it right. When I looked at lists of recommended contemporaries, Bet Me almost always appeared. I read it, loved it, and then gobbled up everything Crusie wrote. I love the banter and the not-quite-perfect heroine. And who can resist a book that includes Krispy Kreme doughnuts?

• Naked in Death by J.D. Robb is my second choice. I read a novella in the In Death series without knowing it was part of the series. When I found out, I went back to book one, Naked in Death, and connected with Eve Dallas in a way that I hadn't connected with many other heroines. I love her independence and toughness, but when she's with Roarke (who is by far one of the hottest heroes ever), we get to see her vulnerability and how he helps her.

• Last, but not least, is To Kill a Mockingbird (by Harper Lee) because this was the first book I read as a kid and learned that the book is ALWAYS better than the movie. The movie is awesome, but I was so disappointed in it compared to what I had imagined. My son has to read TKAM this summer and I'm so excited for him to experience that.

Here's the blurb for Catch Your Breath:

As kids they steered clear of one another — but now a beautiful, well-connected reporter and a sexy, driven detective are all grown-up and on the job …

Moira O'Leary's work as a reporter gives her access to some of Chicago's swankiest soirées. She knows how to navigate the jet-set crowd, and her style and confidence help her blend right in. But when her childhood crush starts popping up at posh events, her poise begins to falter — until she realizes she has the upper hand in a high-stakes game of secrets and seduction …

Jimmy O'Malley has always tried to avoid his friend Liam's little sister. Something about Moira spelled trouble. But he's out of his element working undercover in Chicago's high society, and Moira is his ticket to the inner circle. As sparks begin to fly — and their chemistry heats up — Moira gets dangerously close to his investigation. Will Jimmy be forced to push her away to keep her safe — or will they surrender to a desire that could leave them breathless?

Find out more at www.shannynschroeder.com.

Adrienne Basso, author of Bride of a Scottish Warrior

I've always been an avid reader and enjoy all types of books. Long ago I realized it would be impossible to have a shelf of "keepers" in my house, and instead have opted to fill large plastic bins with copies of my favorite reads. Here are three of them.

• More Than a Mistress by Mary Balogh is a Regency-era romance filled with everything a reader could want including an arrogant yet vulnerable duke, a feisty, practical heroine who refuses to let fate defeat her and a relationship that starts out contentious, eases into a friendship and then slowly builds to love. The emotional intensity and subtle, masterfully written dialogue made it easy for me to become fully invested in this compelling story.

• A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson is an engaging, comic account of the author's misadventures walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. Written in concise prose, the information on the ecology, geography and history of the trail is woven so effortlessly among the self-deprecating stories about the author, his hiking companion and the hikers he encounters that you won't even realize you've learned something. As someone who neither hikes nor camps, I found these witty, astute observations thoroughly entertaining.

• Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell is an epic piece of storytelling. Beautifully written with impossible-to-forget characters and a vivid sense of time and place that thoroughly immerses the reader in one of the saddest and most difficult times in American history. Nearly everyone has seen the iconic movie version, but I think the book is even better.

Here's the blurb about Bride of a Scottish Warrior:

Newly knighted Sir Ewan Gilroy needs a dowry and a wife, in that order. Though the widowed Lady Grace plans to enter a convent, squandering so much lush beauty—and such a fortune—would surely be its own sin. Grace will not be easily wooed, despite her family's urging and Ewan's famed charm. She challenges him as no woman ever dared, proving his equal in spirit and in passions…

To atone for her past, Grace vows to never remarry—least of all a brash and reckless warrior. Yet whether defending her honor or stoking desires she hardly knew she possessed, Ewan is a man beyond compare. And as their fragile trust is threatened by treachery, Grace must decide whether to reach for the happiness within her grasp—and fight for the love of her bold Highlander…

Find out more at www.adriennebasso.net.