Nowadays I spend much of my time writing. Writing has a similar effect on me as reading. It's a way to disappear into a different world for a while. Even though typing is the way my fantasy world cements itself for me, sitting butt in chair, squinting at a screen, and letting your fingers fly across a keyboard isn't comfortable for long.

Thank God for other authors. Everyone keeps complaining about too many bad authors diluting the crop, but the number of writers that knock it out of the park every time poses a much greater problem for me.

My pool of favorite authors is somewhere around twenty-five. Then there are the authors I like, and that number is a lot bigger.

And that's just in the Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance genres. Sometimes I enjoy reading crime, humor or epic fantasy, too.

New authors, once they come to my attention with a solid blurb or a review I found on a blog, get added to my tbr list, as do books from my author friends, because that's just good manners.

With this long a list, I swear my tablet is twice as heavy now as it was when I bought it...

I used to read around three to four books a week. Now I'm lucky if I get to squeeze in three books a month.

But then comes vacation time. I don't need sandy beaches or snowy mountain tops to escape. No, I stay at home and just...read. One book a day. Often more.

You go to Disneyworld? Big deal! I solve crimes with Harry, defend vampires with Mer, make deals with demons like Rachel, descend into the Underworld with Alex, watch Bod grow up, and lust after whatever Ms Ward throws my way.

You keep reality. I only deal in fiction.

At least for a little while.

Please don't tear authors you don't like down, but focus on the great ones instead. Your time is much better spent buried in a good book than complaining about a bad one.

Just a thought.

Speaking of good authors, who do you love?

Keep reading, guys.