Reading with Style discussion

I'm in a couple of groups where there is an entire folder for Favorite Authors. Each author gets his/her own thread. Usually there is a brief biography in the first post. It might even include the most recent book read, but that isn't necessary. Members tell about the books they've read or are looking forward to reading. These aren't reviews, just chat, more especially about the author than about particular books, but it could be either. (Can you talk about an author without talking about books?)

I've found it a wonderful way to explore authors - both those I've read and those I haven't.

Feel free to start a thread for an author you've enjoyed, whether you've read lots of titles or are just starting to explore. (Need I say the thread name should be the author name?) Please give us a short paragraph or two of background on the author, which you are free to copy from wikipedia, the author's website or another site. (Please provide links.)