Books for Aspiring Writers:
So, you’re writing a novel and you don’t need any help because, as every one knows, writing is a gift and you need only rely on your raw talent and imagination to craft an amazing story. Right? Ummm ... right. That is if you’re only writing it for friends or family who will undoubtedly be awestruck by anything you pen that overshoots the thousand word mark.
Then again, if in your heart of hearts you dream of your lovely mug and author’s bio on the back flap of a best-seller, or you get hot and bothered at just the thought of signing a hundred or more copies at your very first book signing—rheumatoid arthritis? Pah!—you must cast aside that pesky ego. Humble yourself to the level of every great author before you who realized that only through trial and error along with the agonizing criticism and dissection of each and every scene, sentence and word, does a written piece ever reach its full publishing-potential.
When Tiger Woods’ parents caught wind of their four-year-old’s rare gift, did they immediately run out and sign him up with the PGA Tour? Absolutely not. They set him up with golf lessons to hone and refine his natural gift then with PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, he developed a workable knowledge of golf’s ins and outs and mastered the game.
The same thing applies to writing. First and foremost, you must PRACTICE: write … write some more … and then when you’re tired of writing, push yourself to write another five-hundred words before quitting for the day. Next there are guidelines to follow, rules to be strictly adhered to (as well as some to be gently brushed aside like those particles left behind from used erasers), secrets of the trade that will place your work on a level above all those “au-natural writer wanna be’s”.
Agents and publishers are a tough crowd. Considering they read on a weekly basis the equivalent of a year’s worth of junk mail for you and I, they have every right to be. So if you’re serious about getting published, give them something that will make them sit up and take notice. Send them a well-crafted query letter, a succinct yet captivating novel synopsis (portraying a unique story idea, after all that’s what “novel” means, isn’t it?), and a polished/edited manuscript—free of cliches—that is formatted to their professional standards.
Below I’ve listed the books that guided me through my three-year odyssey of writing my first novel and on into the querying process, where I now sit (and in all honesty, fidget impatiently like a toddler sitting through a sermon). Over the years, I’ve accrued quite an extensive library, so for your convenience, I separated the titles into three categories:

• Learning the craft—everything you need to know about the art of writing and editing your work.
• Getting Published—how to craft those irksome query letters and debunk the lingo of novel proposal packages ... in essence, understanding what agents and editors respond to and what they abhor.
• Writers’ Resources—great research and technical aides for your daily writing regime.

Learning the craft:
100 Things Every Writer Needs to Know, Scott Edelstein
A Writer’s Guide to Fiction, Elizabeth Lyon
Write Great Fiction: Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint , Nancy Kress
Novelists Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes, Raymond Obstfeld
Creating Character Emotions, Ann Hood
Novelists Essential Guide to Creating Plot, J. Madison Davis
Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting, Ron Rozelle
The Complete Guide to Editing your fiction, Michael Seidman
Fiction First Aid: Instant Remedies for Novels, Stories, and Scripts, Raymond Obstfeld
Scene & Structure, Jack M. Bickham
So You Want to Write, Marge Piercy & Ira Wood
The Company of Writers, Hilma Wolitzer
The Romance Writer’s Handbook, Rebecca Vinyard
The Writer's Book Of Wisdom: 101 Rules For Mastering Your Craft, Steven Taylor Goldsberry
When Good People Write Bad Sentences: 12 Steps to Better Writing Habits, Robert W. Harris
Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy, David Gerrold
Write Tight: How to Keep Your Prose Sharp, Focused and Concise, William Brohaugh
The Writer's Digest Writing Clinic: Expert Help for Improving Your Work, Kelly Nickell
Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction, Harvey Stanbrough

Getting Published:
2006 Guide To Literary Agents (Guide to Literary Agents), Kathryn S. Brogan, Robert Lee Brewer, & Joanna Masterson
Novel & Short Story Writers Market 2006 (Novel and Short Story Writer's Market)
Give ‘Em What They Want, Blythe Camenson & Marshall J. Cook
Literary Law Guide for Authors, Tonya Marie Evans & Susan Borden Evans
The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile, Noah Lukeman
The Savvy Author’s Guide to Book Publicity, Lissa Warren
The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit, Elizabeth Lyon
Your Novel Proposal from Creation to Contract, Blythe Camenson & Marshall J. Cook

Writers’ Resources:
Careers for Your Characters: A Writers Guide to 101 Professions from Architect to Zookeeper, Raymond Obstfeld & Frank Neuman
The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook, Sherrilyn Kenyon
Flip Dictionary, Barbara Ann Kipfer
Writer's Digest Grammar Desk Reference, Gary Lutz & Diane Stevenson
Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms, Marvin Terban
Scholastic Rhyming Dictionary, Sue Young
The Writer’s Guide to Character Traits, Linda N. Edelstein

Books for Recreation and Research:
In case you haven’t already guessed, I have an affinity for books. As a full-time mom and writer, reading for leisure is one of my most decadent pleasures. I love to get lost in a fantasy world far removed, sharing the emotions and adventures of a character so finely crafted I can almost feel myself wearing their skin. I also enjoy nonfiction books that will sharpen my intellect or inspire my muse.
You might be curious, amongst all this querying, writing, chauffeuring kids to various and sundry activities, how I find the time to read. That’s simple. I put off the dusting and the laundry for an hour (or a week) and curl up on the couch to finish those last two-hundred pages; I take a book with me everywhere I go, so when I have a spare moment at the orthodontist or I’m stuck at a red light, I read a sentence, or two, or a paragraph. Whatever I can fit in. I’m like the tortoise—slow and steady, plodding along until I’ve etched another notch on my literary belt.
Over the years I’ve read a large assortment of books, and in just about every genre you can imagine. But as an adult with countless responsibilities and limited time, I’ve had to rethink my ambitions. Now I’m a bit choosier, leaning more toward titles in the genre(s) I write. That way I can justify putting off the housework for my indulgences, as it’s professional espionage, you see—spying on the competition so I can always stay one step ahead. I know it’s lame, but so long as my husband buys it, I’m golden, right?
Listed below are the titles peppering my bookshelves at the moment. I’ve divided them into genre categories.

Non Fiction:
Atlas of the North American Indian, Carl Waldman
Ben Franklin’s Almanac of Wit, Wisdom, and Practical Advice – Useful tips and fascinating facts
How to Hold a Crocodile: Plus Hundreds of Other Practical Tips, Fascinating Facts and Wicked Wisdom
Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing, David Morrell
Masterplots: English Fiction Series, Salem Press
Masterplots: Cyclopedia of Literary Characters, Salem Press
The Dream Bible, Brenda Mallon
The Skeptic’s Dictionary, Robert Todd Carroll
The Witch Book: Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Neo-paganism, Raymond Buckland
The Writer’s Complete Fantasy Reference, Writer’s Digest Books
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Novel, Jane Smiley
TimePieces: Masterpieces of Chronometry, David Christianson

Literary Romance:
All He Ever Wanted, Anita Shreve
Embers, Sandor Marai
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
Miss Garnet’s Angel, Salley Vickers
Ocean Sea, Alessando Baricco
Silk, Alessandro Baricco
The Mermaid Chair, Sue Monk Kidd
The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

Historical Romance:
A Texan’s Luck, Jodi Thomas
Almost Innocent, Jane Feather
Chase the Dawn, Jane Feather
Hold The Dream, Barbara Taylor Bradford
Texas Rain, Jodi Thomas
The Alchemist’s Daughter, Elaine Knighton
The Texan’s Reward, Jodi Thomas

Paranormal Romance:
A Kiss After Midnight, Shana Abe
Charmed and Dangerous, Candace Havens
Charmed and Deadly, Candace Havens
The Dark One, Ronda Thompson
The Truelove Bride, Shana Abe
The Untamed One, Ronda Thompson

Romantica:
Passion, Lisa Valdez

Romantic Suspense:
Deadly Shadows, Jaycee Clark

Gothic Romance:
Flowers from the Storm, Laura Kinsale
The Music of the Night, Lydia Joyce
The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux

Fantasy:
Child of the Prophecy, Juliet Marillier
Daughter of the Forest, Juliet Marillier
Green Angel, Alice Hoffman
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K. Rowling
Indigo, Alice Hoffman
Kushiel’s Chosen, Jaqueline Carey
Kushiel’s Dart, Jaqueline Carey
Lord of the Rings Trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien
Son of the Shadows, Juliet Marillier
The Magician’s Nephew, C.S. Lewis

Poetry:
Ants on the Melon, Virginia Hamilton Adair
Beyond the Masks, Harvey Stanbrough
Classic American Love Poems
Classic English Love Poems
Colors Passing Through Us, Marge Piercy
Jean Inglow – Copyright 1884, Jean Inglow
The Dream Songs, John Berryman
You Come Too, Robert Frost

Horror:
Child of Darkness, V.C. Andrews
Flowers in the Attic, V.C. Andrews

Historical Fiction:
Witch Child, Celia Rees
A Break With Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials, Ann Rinaldi

Chic-Lit:
The Other Side of the Story, Marian Keyes

Mainstream:
Potter Springs, Britta Coleman
The Me I Used To Be, Jennifer Archer