John Grisham not only made $18 million this year, he's one of only three authors to sell over two million copies of a book in its first printing (in good company with Tom Clancy and J.K. Rowling). Known for his gripping legal thrillers, some of Grisham's most famous books include "The Firm," adapted into a film starring Tom Cruise; "The Pelican Brief," made into a film featuring Julia Roberts; and "The Runaway Jury," adapted into a film with John Cusack. If that's not a testament to his writing, we don't know what is.
