gakked from  :

The Rules: Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen authors (poets [and comic book authors] included)* who’ve influenced you and that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Tag everyone, because I’m interested in seeing what authors my friends choose.

1. Neil Gaiman (The Sandman)
2. Wendi Pini (Elfquest)
3.  Gael Baudino (Strands of Sunlight, Gossamer Axe)
4. Charles de Lint
5. Terry Pratchett  (Discworld…oh my gods, Discworld)
6.  Mercedes Lackey (no catcalls from the peanut gallery, please — she knows how to craft sellable stories)
7. Jeff Smith (Bone)
8. Sharyn McCrumb  (for her handling of character & culture)
9. Diane Duane (the Young Wizards series)
10.  Elizabeth Moon (DEED OF PAKSENARRION!)
11. R. A. MacAvoy (Damiano, Damiano’s Lute, Raphael)
12. Isaac Asimov (all his short stories, especially his mysteries)
13. Starhawk (The Spiral Dance and countless other books of Pagan philosophy & Magick)
14. Isaac Bonewitz (Real Magic)
15. Somtow Sucharitkul (long before he became SP Somtow and focused only on horror, he wrote some of the most beautiful SF/Fantasy short stories & novels)