By Kathy Cretsinger @KathyCrets32877

My love of books began on Christmas when I was four or five years old. Santa brought two books to me, “Pinocchio” and “The Swiss Family Robinson.”

“The Swiss Family Robinson” became my favorite and encouraged my love of mystery and adventure. I dreamed of adventure in faraway places in my daydreams. There are so many mysteries in life, and adventure is what you make of it.

My parents and aunts encouraged my sister and me to read. Our library was tiny in our town, but Mother took us to check out books. I love the smell of books. My sister was an avid reader until her passing, and I am as well. If I’m not writing, I’m reading. Reading books in the genre you write helps your writing.

My reading list changed as I grew older. “The Bobbsey Twins” became my favorite in early elementary school. By the time I was in the fifth grade, I’d learned to love “Nancy Drew Mysteries.” My love for mysteries increased, and I began reading any mystery I could get my hands on.

I’m still a mystery reader. I’m still a fan of Agatha Christie. For years, I read mostly English and Scottish mysteries. Each time we visit my family in Scotland, I try to find a mystery in a castle or cathedral. I’m still looking., but they’ve been hiding from me.

In the early 2000s, I found new modern authors and became obsessed with mysteries written by American authors. My favorites are DiAnn Mills, Patricia Bradley, Christie Barritt, and Terri Blackstock, all their books. These ladies blow my socks off, and I like that.

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Each author is different. I know DiAnn Mills will surprise me, because her writing is expressive, descriptive, and she will hold my attention to the end. Patricia Bradley writes about the South. I’m Southern, so I enjoy knowing the places she writes about, even though I’ve only been to Mississippi a few times. She keeps me glued to my seat. Christie Barritt’s books take me back to places I’ve visited before. I love her imagination about these places. She intrigues me. When I read Terri Blackstock, I must have someone in the house. When you get to that one place that scares you to death, you want someone nearby. Sometimes I put the book down and go back when my heart slows down.

There are other authors I read, but these four ladies are my go-to. I love Romantic Suspense and Mysteries.

Today is a good day to read! Excuse me while I finish “Facing the Enemy” by DiAnn Mills. I highly recommend this book!

 

 

Kathy Cretsinger is an almost blind author, which is challenging. She enjoys writing mysteries with Southern humor. She thinks everyone should laugh and feel good about themselves. There is joy in every aspect of life. The favorite books she’s written are set in Shady Valley, Tennessee, a real place. After all, nothing shady ever happens in Shady Valley, or does it? She always sneaks in one of her husband’s relatives who lives there.

Several years ago, she and her husband left the hills of East Tennessee to move to Western Kentucky. It has been good to watch their grandchildren grow up and spread their wings. They’re closer to their grown children now.

God has brought the family through many struggles, and those struggles have deepened their faith. Kathy teaches a class of young people at church, and they keep her on her toes.