Five for Friday: Books You Never Forget

Hello, SEers, and welcome to another Five for Friday. For “Mae Day,” I want to trot out five books that greatly influenced my life as a writer. We all have them, right? Those books that left a lasting impression, and are responsible for pushing you into putting words on paper.  This is a quick look at mine. At the end of the post, I’d love to hear which books impacted you.

The Wicked, Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House
By Mary Chase

This is the book that started it all for me—the one that made me want to be a writer. I think I was in third grade when I read this story. The main character, Maureen, is a dreadful nine-year-old girl who manages to creep into a boarded-up home where she discovers seven portraits of elegant women in long flowing gowns. This book had everything that I still love…