This week’s Inspired By is dedicated to Kristen Hunt in honor of her publication of Blonde Eskimo! Here, she shares the five books that have inspired her most.

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

My favorite series is the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. This series is what peaked my interest in reading. I can remember sneaking into my mom’s closet with my flashlight, eagerly anticipating what adventure Nancy Drew would take me on, and what mystery we would solve together. She was a wonderful character full of curiosity, cool under pressure and a darn good detective. What’s cooler than being a teenage detective?! After this series I devoured any book I could get my hands on. This series is what sparked my love for books. 

 

Night World by L.J. Smith

L.J. Smith’s Night World was the series that changed my life. This series inspired me to start writing and creating different worlds full of fantasy and magic. I never was big on vampires, shape shifters or mythical creature’s until I stumbled upon this series in high school. Each book was different and showed the struggles between good and evil, and how love conquered all. LJ Smith’s wonderful craft and passion is what birthed my voice and love for writing. She showed me how to create and shape my characters. I wanted to be like her- to help readers escape reality and take them to different worlds.

Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

I read these books when they first hit the shelves over 23 years ago. R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps- the books that go bump in the night. Stine’s writing showed horrifying characters and not so fairytale endings. He put children in scary situations and I can remember thinking how did he come up with these wonderful yet terrifying ideas. Stine is the Stephen King for children and I wanted to tell stories like him. He inspired me to add a little darkness to my writing and reminds me to add a little twist to each story. When I start a project I always ask myself “What would R.L. Stine do?”

 

The Thief of Always by Clive Barker

My favorite book of all time is Clive Barker’s Thief of Always. This dark fantasy introduced a young boy who is whisked away to a child’s paradise but finds out there are darker forces at play. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite book but if I was asked this book changed my way of looking at writing. It had all the elements of magic, darkness, mythical creatures and the element of surprise. Everything I wanted to write in a book. Barker’s writing is rich in description and detail but he always keeps the story flowing. A good reminder not to get stuck on all the little details.

Sandstorm by James Rollins

James Rollins is an author who always adds history and science into his writing. He dives into tons of research to make his writing more believable. I love his Sigma Force series. They have an Indiana Jones feeling to them and it’s remarkable to read how much of his stories are based on true events. His writings remind me to include some historical events or heritage into my writing.