Angela Swanlund

Dr. Seuss was my earliest influence, and my parents signed me up for a bookclub that only sent a few books at a time. By the time the new ones arrived, I’d completely memorized the previous set. To this day, I can quote from them all. The next truly influential book I read was titled, “My Darling, My Hamburger”, by Paul Zindel. I was twelve years old, and the book not only shocked me, it opened my eyes to the harsh reality of being a teenager (almost!). The next game changer for me was “The Women's Room” by feminist author Marilyn French. This book validated everything I felt inside, and empowered me in a way nothing since has been able to do. During high school, I devoured “Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger. Then, someone handed me a copy of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream” by Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. There has never been a work, or a man, more influential in my life since. If my desire to write can be attributed to anything or any single person, it would be Thompson.

Stephen King, of course, Koontz, and Thomas Harris all make the top of the list. I also have an insatiable passion for John Grisham.