I attended a writers’ conference yesterday (a humbling experience), and, in almost every session, we were asked which authors we liked to read in our genre. Many of the participants had trouble pigeon-holing their work , which I found reassuring. My own novel combines humor, suspense, family and their often dysfunctional nature.

Majoring in English and literature and having taught both for years, I mostly read for escape and pleasure now, rather than delving into complex Faulknerian tomes. When I am in the mood for a mental challenge, I turn to the classics or modern authors such as Abraham Verghese, Kahled Hosseini, and Barbara Kingsolver, to name a few.

But my go-to books, the ones I grab off the shelf as soon as they are published, are Janet Evanovich, Mary Kay Andrews, Dave Barry, Carl Hiaasen, Helen Fielding, Sophie Kinsella, Jen Lancaster … you get my drift. Fun, a bit of suspense, but nothing too creepy, with a generous helping of sarcasm. I like a book that makes me laugh out loud.

These authors appeal to me because their writing mimics the talk that goes on in my head. I see humor in mundane events. I love the quirks and eccentricities of the people I encounter. I love catching unusual phrases and expressions people say. All of these, combined with my own, often bizarre experiences, found their own reality in Relatively inSane, and hopefully, will meld into a plot in future stories.