E. L. James, author of "Fifty Shades of Grey", was the highest-earning author in the last year, according to <a href="http://onforb.es/19dAqeJ"target="external">Forbes' list (link)</a> of top-paid writers of 2013. James, 50, earned $95 million.

Following closely behind E.L. James was James Patterson, author of the series "Maximum Ride" and "Witch & Wizard", who earned $91 million in the last year. One out of every 17 hardcovers sold in the U.S. is written by Patterson, Forbes notes.

Suzanne Collins, 50, author of "The Hunger Games" book series and the five-book series "The Underland Chronicles", was third on the list with earnings of $55 million.

Bill O'Reilly, fourth, Fox News television host and author of "Killing Lincoln" and "Killing Kennedy", earned $28 million in the last year. His books held the first and second spots on the New York Times hardcover non-fiction best-sellers list. His next book is "Killing Jesus".

Danielle Steele, fifth, earned $26 million in the last year. Steele is not only a prolific romance novelist, she also has written children's books and nonfiction.

Jeff Kinney, author of the "Diary Of A Wimpy Kid" series, sixth, earned $24 million in the last year. Three movies have been based on his books.

Janet Evanovich, author of the Stephanie Plum detective novels, was the seventh highest earning author in the last year, getting paid $24 million.

Nora Roberts, eighth, earned $23 million in the last year with her juicy romance novels, many in e-book form. "She sold more than 3.2 million digital copies in 2012, more than any other author not named E.L. James," Forbes writes.

Dan Brown, whose third novel "Inferno" was the best-selling book of 2013's first half, was the ninth highest earning author at $22 million. His crown jewels, however, are "The Da Vinci Code" and "The Lost Symbol".

Stephen King's science fiction novel "Under the Dome", which was turned into a CBS television series, helped him earn $20 million in the last year, making him the tenth highest paid author, according to Forbes.

Dean Koontz, number 11, earned $20 million in the last year with his suspense thriller novels.

Legal thriller author John Grisham earned $18 million in the last year, earning him the 12th spot in Forbes' list. "The Racketeer" was his 18th novel and the second best-selling hardcover novel of 2012, Forbes notes.

David Baldacci, former attorney like John Grisham, earned $15 million in the last year.

Rick Riordan, who earned $14 million in the last year, presents his novel in the Heroes of Olympus series, "The Mark of Athena," Oct. 7, 2012, in Miami, Fla.

J.K. Rowling, shown attending a photocall ahead of her reading from "The Casual Vacancy" Sept. 27, 2012, in London, earned $13 million in the last year with help from "The Cuckoo's Calling", published under the pen name Robert Galbraith. Rowling, 15th in Forbes' list, beat George R.R. Martin, who earned $12 million with his "Game of Thrones" fantasy line.