Author faves: 'Avaryan Rising,' Sheldon & Leonard, Nalini Singh

Today's featured authors — Beth D. Carter, author of True North; Ethan Stone, author of Small Claims; and Aliyah Burke, author of Branded by Frost — tells us about books on their keeper shelves and their favorite TV couples.

Beth D. Carter, author of True North

Three books on my keeper shelves:

• Avaryan Rising by Judith Tarr. I've always said if you want to learn how to write beautiful prose, this book is a must. It's actually three novels of the Avaryan world rolled into one, and it pushed me to become a better writer. The richness and candor of this fantasy epic rivals, in my opinion, the works of George R.R. Martin or Mercedes Lackey.

• Transcendence by Shay Savage. Aptly named, this book is masterfully written from a male caveman's point of view. No lie. A time-travel romance, I think only three words of dialogue is said through the whole thing, but it captivates you from the first word to the unbelievably romantic ending. It's one of those books that once you start you can't put it down.

• The Boundless Deep by Kate Brallier. Romantic, eerie and downright creepy in certain places, this book is absolutely brilliant. It brought forth a deep need to explore Nantucket and its gory whaling history. It weaves a captivating story of one college girl's past life as she tries to figure out why everything and everyone seems so familiar, as well as finding the love of a man who died a century before.

About True North:

North Tabion and Givon Halloran have been friends for all their lives. Each has survived an abusive father, only to end up on opposite sides of the law as adults. Givon is the town Sheriff while North is the leader of the outlaw motorcycle club, the Red Wolves. But they've managed to maintain a friendship that means everything to them.

Allison Evening is on the run, hiding out from an ex bent on vengeance and tending bar when she's kidnapped to be sold into human trafficking. In a desperate attempt to free herself, she runs, only to be shot down and left for dead.

North and Givon are in the right place at the right time. They save Allis and as they nurse her back to health, the three find a bright, burning love. But when her past catches up with her, the only way to save herself and her newfound love is if she, North, and Givon can follow love's true path.

Find out more at www.bethdcarter.com.

Ethan Stone, author of Small Claims

Three of my favorite TV couples, past or present:

• Gilligan and the Skipper, Gilligan's Island. All that hostility between them had to mask some deep underlying feelings. And Gilligan's hammock was on top of the Skipper's. Symbolic? I think so.

• Joey and Chandler, Friends. They lived together for way longer than either of them really needed to. Joey was an actor on a soap opera and Chandler was a … well, he made good money. It's so obvious Chandler was at least bi-sexual — there was even an episode where his co-workers thought he was gay. Chandler paid Joey's bills for years; Joey was basically a kept boy.

• Leonard and Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory. Yeah, I could've gone with Howard and Raj, but they're too easy. Leonard and Sheldon are a more complicated couple. Leonard pretends to be exasperated or annoyed with Sheldon most of the time, yet he still sticks around. Why would he do that if there weren't some underlying emotions? Sheldon is basically asexual, but he's in love with Amy, so who's to say he couldn't try out the other side of things as well?

About Small Claims:

Judge Shawn Rosen is about to take on the toughest case of his life.

Small claims judge Shawn Rosen is comfortable in his career, but his personal life is another story. His twenty year relationship ended two years ago, but while he accepts the end, he hasn't even started to move on. He lives a generic life.

Everything changes when Jody Jacobsen walks into his courtroom and Shawn is attracted to him. Following the case, they have a chance meeting which leads to a wild night. Waking up to cold sheets should have been a sign, but instead Shawn keeps coming back for more and eventually falls fast and hard—so hard he might be missing the clues that the commitment isn't mutual.

There's trouble when the case that brought them together could also tear them apart. Will Jody give in to his tendency to run, or will he finally be the man that Shawn deserves?

Find out more at www.ethanjstone.com.

Aliyah Burke, author of Branded by Frost

Three books on my keeper shelves are:

• Jennifer Roberson's Legacy of the Sword.

• Mercedes Lackey's Brightly Burning.

• Nalini Singh's Hostage to Pleasure.

I love to read and it was very difficult to pick just three but there you go. Thanks for having me here today.

About Branded by Frost:

Beneath the cold can sometimes lie the hottest of heats

Aminta Tran is a helicopter pilot sent to Alaska to fill in as a replacement until this rescue team gets a new pilot. The man who comes to get her is Dex Collins, the team's second in command. While there's instant attraction between them she remains focused on doing her job and finding her artifact.

Dex isn't sure what to make of the newest team member. They're sharing space and each day it's harder for him to remember the line between professional and personal.

When it comes to light he's who she is destined to be with, will they be able to weather the storm brewing both between and surrounding them?

Find out more at www.aliyah-burke.com.