Author's Bookshelf: Gloria Weber

We're bringing something a bit different to Writing in the Modern Age today. Awhile back, I had an idea for a new feature and I reached out to some author colleagues to see if they'd like to participate. I thought it might be nice to show readers a few books that have inspired authors. You might find it enlightening, and at least be able to answer the age old question, "What the heck do authors read?"

 

 

Writers are readers too! Most authors love to collect books for their vast personal libraries. The written word is fascinating to us, and many newer authors as well as those in the past have helped to shape who we are today. 

Without further ado, our guest today is Gloria Weber, a talented non-fiction, new adult fantasy, YA horror and romance author, not to mention superhero aficionado. Won't it be interesting to hear about a few books that have inspired her on her writing and publishing journey?

Sounds pretty awesome to me. So, take it away, Gloria!

1. Marvel Illustrated: Pride & Prejudice (Hardcover)

 

Blurb:

 

Collection Pride and Prejudice #1-5. Tailored from the adored Jane Austen classic, Marvel Comics is proud to present PRIDE AND PREJUDICE! Two-time Rita Award-Winner Nancy Butler and fan-favorite Hugo Petrus faithfully adapt the whimsical tale of Lizzy Bennet and her lovable-if-eccentric family, as they navigate through tricky British social circles. Will Lizzy's father manage to marry off his five daughters, despite his wife's incessant nagging? And will Lizzy's beautiful sister Jane marry the handsome, wealthy Mr. Bingley, or will his brooding friend Mr. Darcy stand between their happiness?

 

Gloria's Thoughts:

 

This one is first because in one book I reveal a lot about myself.  I’m a geek.  I like comics.  I have a PRIDE AND PREJUDICE addiction.  I champion graphic novels for reluctant readers (readers can get to know classic or modern books in a less intimidating, easier to digest manner).

 

2. Wicked Widow by Amanda Quick

Blurb:

 

Madeline Deveridge is aware of the whispers behind her back, the rumors that she dispatched her husband to the next world and concealed her crime. But she has a far more pressing problem than her reputation as the Wicked Widow. It's impossible to believe that her late husband is haunting her and her aunt, but something odd is happening, and Madeline doesn't dare take chances.

Summoning the brilliant, reclusive Artemas Hunt, secret owner of London's favorite pleasure pavilions and master of arcane talents, she blackmails him into providing help. As soon as the bargain is struck, Artemas and Madeline find their arrangement complicated by searing desire, and the frightening recognition that the ghost poses a very real danger. Now they must plunge into a world of intrigue and ancient mysteries, where a calculating killer — and a tantalizing passion — will not be denied.

 

Gloria's Thoughts:

 

If you didn’t guess it from my first pick, you will with this one.  I love reading historical romance novels.  But for a long time I refused to admit this publicly, fearing it would steal geek cred from me.  That was nonsense.  Amanda Quick was my “gateway drug” into the genre, and this one is my favorite novel by her.

 

3. Hey, Al by Arthur Yorinks

Blurb:

 

Al, a janitor, and his faithful dog, Eddie, live in a single room on the West Side. They eat together, they work together, they do everything together. So what's the problem?
Their room is crowded and cramped; their life is an endless struggle. Al and Eddie are practically at each other's throats when a large and mysterious bird offers them a new life in paradise. After some debate, they decide to accept.
Transported to a gorgeous island in the sky, Al and Eddie are soon living a life of ease and luxury. But they come to find that the grass can be a little too green on the other side. After a dramatic, nearly tragic escape from their paradise prison, both man and dog agree: there really is no place like home.
Hey, Al is the winner of the 1987 Caldecott Medal.

 

Gloria's Thoughts:

 

“Are you still a pack rat?” my mom asked me this Christmas.  Well, the fact I still have my childhood copy of the picture book HEY, AL answers that.  I’m pretty sure I picked this up at a school book fair. This was also a Reading Rainbow book once upon a time.

 

4. Yurei Attack!: The Japanese Ghost Survival Guide by Hiroko Yada and Matt Alt

Blurb:

 

Your complete guide to the afterlife…Japan-style!

Surviving encounters with angry ghosts and sexy spectres. Haunted places. Dangerous games and how to play them. And more importantly, a guided tour of what awaits in the world of the dead.

Yurei is the Japanese word for "ghost." It's as simple as that. They are the souls of dead people, unable—or unwilling—to shuffle off this mortal coil. Yurei are many things, but "friendly" isn't the first word that comes to mind. Not every yurei is dangerous, but they are all driven by emotions so uncontrollably powerful that they have taken on a life of their own: rage, sadness, devotion, a desire for revenge, or even the firm belief that they are still alive.

This book, the third in the authors' bestselling Attack! series, after Yokai Attack! and Ninja Attack! gives detailed information on 39 of the creepiest yurei stalking Japan, along with detailed histories and defensive tactics should you have the misfortune to encounter one.

Japanese ghosts include:

• Oiwa, The Horror of Yotsuya
• Otsuyu, The Tale of the Peony Lantern
• The Lady Rokujo, The Tale of Genji
• Isora, Tales of Moonlight and Rain
• Orui, The Depths of Kasane

 

Gloria's Thoughts:

 

This is one book in a series (Ninja and Monsters are the other two).  I own the entire set.  My love of Japanese entertainment (which fostered an interest in the culture) inspired my picking up this book and its sisters.

5. 1st to Die by James Patterson

Blurb:

 

Four women-four friends-share a determination to stop a killer who has been stalking newlyweds in San Francisco. Each one holds a piece of the puzzle: Lindsay Boxer is a homicide inspector in the San Francisco Police Department, Claire Washburn is a medical examiner, Jill Bernhardt is an assistant D.A., and Cindy Thomas just started working the crime desk of the San Francisco Chronicle.

But the usual procedures aren't bringing them any closer to stopping the killings. So these women form a Women's Murder Club to collaborate outside the box and pursue the case by sidestepping their bosses and giving one another a hand.

The four women develop intense bonds as they pursue a killer whose crimes have stunned an entire city. Working together, they track down the most terrifying and unexpected killer they have ever encountered-before a shocking conclusion in which everything they knew turns out to be devastatingly wrong.

Gloria's Thoughts:

 

This is what I was reading when I made the list.  Believe it or not, it is my first Patterson novel.  I like trying to read lots of different things and different people.

 

Thank you, Gloria!

 

And here is a little about Gloria's book, Alicia. 

Book Blurb:

 

Leon has decided it is better to remain silent and accused of Alicia’s murder than admit the truth. The truth, well… that’s so unbelievable it’s crazy.  Not that Detective Dorndorf believes a word that comes out of Leon’s mouth. Dorndorf just wants a confession and figures dragging Leon to the last spot Alicia was seen might just pry it out of him.  Will the detective’s plan work or will the truth come out? 

Here is an excerpt.

“Where did you bury her body, Leon? I mean, you did have the decency to bury her, right?” asked Dorndorf.

I took another deep breath and gritted my teeth. I couldn’t smell the grass over Dorndorf’s coffee scented breath. I really wanted him to back off, but I knew he wouldn’t do that unless I did as he wanted. Only, I didn’t want to go to jail for a murder I didn’t commit.  

So far I wouldn’t. I was safe. They had less than circumstantial evidence.

That’s why I decided to be helpful. “Want me to tell you her name?”

 

Purchase Links:

Universal Amazon:  http://bookgoodies.com/a/B01417P1GA

Publisher:  http://solsticepublishing.com/alicia/

 

Trailer:  

 

About the Author:

 

Gloria Weber lives in Ohio with her husband, son, daughter, and many, many pets.  Still, she wants a fish or five and chickens.  She has been writing for publication since March 2006.   Over a dozen of her short stories have been published in zines and anthologies.  During the not-writing-times, she can be found doing not-fun-at-all-adult/mom/wife stuff, yoga, running very slowly (because that’s as fast as she can go), or cooking/baking.  No matter what she is doing, she is a geek.  There’s no turning that off.

 

Author Links:

 

Website/Blog:   http://gloriaweber.wordpress.com/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/GloriaWeberWriter

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/GloriaWeber

Amazon Author Page:  http://amzn.to/1N7X10c

Google+:  http://plus.google.com/107706782152210234267/posts

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/GloriaWeber

Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/gloriaweber/ 

Publisher:  http://solsticepublishing.com/gloria-weber/

  

Gloria's Books:  

 

Coming Soon: 

 

 

Available Now:

 

 

   

Thanks for letting us take a peek at your author's bookshelf, Gloria! It was a pleasure having you here! :)