Authors I Love – Ann M. Martin

“Who is your favorite author?” It is a question I get asked a lot, especially once I’ve told someone how much I love to read. I usually respond with a name, but if I’m being honest, that name changes depending on what I’m reading at the moment. It can be near impossible to pick a single author whose work rises above the rest because they are all so good, and their stories all so unique.

So in this series, I’d like to take a moment to feature some of my favorite authors. Up first – Ann M. Martin.

Side note: This was written and scheduled for today weeks ago, and then today, I discovered that Kristy’s Great Idea was published exactly 33 years ago today! Happy coincidence!

I want to talk about Ann M. Martin first, not because she ranks higher than the others, but because she was my first favorite author. When I was younger, I could not get enough of the Baby Sitter’s Club. I read all the books–Baby Sitter’s Club, Baby Sitter’s Little Sister, Baby Sitter’s Mystery, Baby Sitter’s Forever, etc. I was obsessed.

At one point, I passed these books on to a new generation of readers, and I have to admit, sometimes I wish I hadn’t so I could curl up to re-live an adventure with Kristy and the gang. Ann M. Martin’s books made me feel like Kristy, Claudia, Stacey, and Mary Anne were my friends. They were just a little older than me (at least when I was reading them in the late 90’s), and a new book was coming out almost every month, making it seem like I was getting updates from a friend in real time. They were always there to whisk me away when I didn’t want to live in reality for a little while.

Ann M. Martin is also special to me as she was the first person to say she liked my stories. As I referenced in my blog “Why I write,” as a young girl (I think I was in 3rd or 4th grade–maybe younger), I painstakingly wrote out what I had so far of a story idea that I sent to her with a letter telling her how much I loved her books, and how I wanted to be an author when I grew up. She wrote back and referenced the story–to let me know she actually read it–and told me she liked it. She also said that if I loved writing, I should keep doing it. I realize now that I’m older that she probably didn’t read it or even respond as she probably had people for that, but for the little girl that got that letter back from her favorite author, it was the best feeling in the world. 

Who was your biggest inspiration for writing? Share in the comments below!