Bob Salvatore, creator of Drizzt Do'Urden. My favourite authors who are no longer current (all have passed) include Anne McCaffrey, Robert A Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and the daddy of them all, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.
I can't say that I have just one: Brad Taylor, James Patterson, Michael Connelly, Vince Flynn (deceased), Terri Gerritsen, Iris Johansen and Brad Thor are the authors whose books I most often read.
Slartibartfast 