On a first-name basis with our keepers: Jude, LaVyrle, Kristan and SEP

Today's featured authors: Michele Sinclair, author of A Woman Made for Sin; Shirlee McCoy, author of The Cottage on the Corner; and Amy Lillard, author of Caroline's Secret. We're talking keeper books!

Michele Sinclair, author of A Woman Made for Sin

I love books, so practically every novel is a keeper to me, but like almost all readers, I do have a few that I go back to time and time again. There are so many it was hard to narrow to three, so I'm sharing ones that probably influenced me the most on the type of author I am/want to be.

My first choice is Julie Garwood's Ransom, and it was hard to decide just which one of hers I was going to pick. Her secondary character development is fantastic. They are so round and complex, often undergoing development alongside the hero and heroine. Having such depth to them, it enriched the whole story. I love creating similar family-focused relationships in my novels and tend to use secondary characters in hopes that it gives the reader more insight into the hero/heroine's motivations and personality.

The second book I chose is LaVyrle Spencer's Years. I regularly pick up this book and read it cover to cover. There are so many things I love about this story, but there are two specific qualities are exemplified in Years that I try to emulate — being informative and combining strength with vulnerability. Her description of Dakotas in the early 1900s and the Norwegian immigrant culture was so well done. LaVyrle Spencer is a master at imparting an overall setting as well as educating the reader without slowing the story by using data-rich information to enhance the dialogue, scene, etc. Then there is her hero—Theodore. He is the perfect example of a vulnerable man's man. Someone strong, confident, at ease with himself, but underneath is vulnerable. Who can be strengthened or destroyed by the woman he falls for — to me, a key combination in a good romance.

My last choice is a tossup between Lauren Wilde's Passion's Thunder and Patricia Pellicane's Fire's Tender Kiss. Written over two decades ago, these two books probably influenced me the most on the stories I wanted to write. I remember sitting down and thinking just what exactly it was that I liked about these books and why I would re-read them over others. Basically, they had several of those Calgon-take-me-away scenes (and, boy, did I just date myself!). The ones you start grinning because she is going to pull one over on him and he's going to finally realize just how much he needs her. Or when he realizes that during his daring rescue, he inadvertently injured her. And there are the really funny and passionate arguments, flashes of pure frustration, tender times, and even heart-wrenching or panic-stricken moments that are written in such a way you want to read the scene again…and again…and again. Once I realized that it was those moments — and the more there were in the book the better—that drew me back to a re-read a story, I knew this would be key to my style of storytelling. As a single mom who has a full-time job outside of writing, I want books that whisk me away and are entertaining, such as a satisfying classic from Julie Garwood, a touching and moving story from LaVyrle Spencer, or just a purely enjoyable tale from Zebra imprints.

Here's the blurb for A Woman Made for Sin:

Lady Aimee Wentworth has grown tired of Reece Hamilton avoiding her. Unable to shake her childhood vow to marry the dashing sailor, she devises a plan that she's certain will land her in his arms. But before she can act, she's captured by Reece's crew, and an ill-timed case of mistaken identity all but shatters her hopes of winning back his affections.

Born the untitled second son of a lord, Reece has resigned himself to the life of a sailor. Unable to provide the luxuries befitting a Lady, he insisted that Aimee seek the hand of a nobleman. But when he discovers her on board his ship he knows there is only one direction in which to set his sails—toward a destiny more adventurous—and more passionate—than either could have ever imagined…

Find out more at michelesinclair.com.

Shirlee McCoy, author of The Cottage on the Corner

Three books on my keeper shelves:

• Wishes, Jude Deveraux. This was one of the first romance novels I ever read. Because of it, I fell in love with the genre. The plump and pretty heroine is overworked and under-appreciated — until the hero comes along! I read the book, put it away, read it again. The fairy-tale feel of it, the sweet heroine, the hero who looks beyond what everyone else sees, the smooth and easy writing style — those things appeal, but there is a magical sense to the book that makes me hold onto it.

• Bag of Bones, Stephen King. I'm too big of a chicken to watch horror movies, but I love scary books! I've read quite a few of Stephen King's and have two of them on my keeper shelf. I think Bag of Bones is my favorite. A truly chilling ghost story that kept me riveted from the first page, this book is one that I simply could not put down once I began reading it. I'm not sure how he does it, but King writes the most fantastical tales while creating very realistic characters. What's not to love about that?

• All I Ever Wanted, Kristan Higgins. This book is everything I want in a romance novel. Cute, funny, filled with wonderful characters, it made me laugh out loud, and then it made me cry. I love Higgins' quirky heroines and I love their quirky families. Higgins takes a straight-forward, un-varnished approach to contemporary romance. That writing style made All I Ever Wanted an easy read. It's the characterization that is most compelling, though, and it's what keeps me coming back to her books again and again.

Here's the blurb for The Cottage on the Corner:

Charlotte Garrison's second chance is falling into place just like she's carefully planned. A few more sales of her heavenly sweets and she'll be able to turn the empty shop on Main Street into her own bakery—a plan much more sensible than ever again risking her heart. But when a rambunctious three-year-old girl lands on town deputy Max Stanford's doorstep, Charlotte finds helping the good-looking deputy care for her is sparking the most impossible dreams . . .

Max has never been much for settling down. But while he finds out if little Zuzu is really his daughter, Charlotte's warmth and caring makes him want to prove he's worthy of her trust. And as they struggle to come to terms with their pasts, Max will do whatever it takes to show Charlotte home is where dreams come true—and he and Zuzu are all the love and home she'll ever need.

Find out more at www.shirleemccoy.com.

Amy Lillard, author of Caroline's Secret

I'll admit it. My keeper shelf of favorite books looks a lot like my music collection: all over the place, eclectic, and possibly belonging to someone with a personality disorder. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I own the entire Harry Potter series in hardback and have classics ranging from John Steinbeck to Harper Lee. I have autographed paperbacks that I've collected over the years from "writer friends" and author idols alike. I have vintage Janet Daileys and Sandra Browns as well as books I've read that sparked an idea to be saved for later. And that's just the fiction.

But I think reading is important. Stephen King (who also has many slots on my keeper shelf) says, "If you don't have the time to read, you don't have time or the tools to write." It's valuable for a writer to read their own genre, but more importantly to read outside of their genre.

One book I try to re-read every couple of years is A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. I'm a fool for a time travel, but a time travel with a handsome knight who has "fine calves" is a must-read every time. I can't tell you how many times I've read this book and it never disappoints. It's funny and sad and tragic and beautiful. Part historical, part contemporary and all romance. I still own the original copy I bought all those years ago.

Fancy Pants by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is another big-time favorite of mine. Written in the days before women's fiction and chick lit became part of our everyday vocabulary, this book straddles the line between what separates a "romance" and a love story. It's funny and sophisticated, gritty and a bit unorthodox all in the name of love. My favorite line in the book is when the hero (a laid-back golf-pro) is confronted by a reporter for saying that he never graduated from college. Dally replies that he graduated from Texas A&M and that didn't count. (Sorry, Aggies! But that sums him up perfectly.) I love a Texas boy.

And last, but not least is The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher. I've read this book twice in the last few years, but even if I never read it again, it will remain on my keeper shelf. Just seeing the book makes me remember why I started writing inspirational romance. It was after I read this book that I started writing my own Amish/inspirational story. Oh, I had planned to write an Amish romance when I sat down to read The Choice and this book showed me how different the genre could be. Without The Choice, there couldn't have been a Saving Gideon or Caroline's Secret.

As with any avid reader, my keeper shelf will grow as the years pass, but these three will always remain, for fun, inspiration, and proof that a happily ever after can come to us all.

Here's the blurb for Caroline's Secret:

Caroline Hostetler arrived in Oklahoma determined to forge a new life for herself and her daughter, Emma. As a single mother, she values the warmth and safety she's found in close-knit Wells Landing. She's even caught the eye of a handsome newcomer—a man who just may be the partner she longs for and the father Emma deserves. But the arrival of an Englischer threatens to lay bare the secrets she's worked so hard to leave behind…

After losing his life-long sweetheart, Andrew Fitch moved to Wells Landing to work in his uncle's furniture business and nurse his broken heart. Finding love again seems all but impossible—until he meets Caroline and Emma. But his plans to join their lives together may be shattered when the truth of Caroline's past comes to light—unless, together, they can learn the true meaning of sacrifice and forgiveness…

Find out more at amywritesromance.com.