I prefer genre; horror, sci-fi, urban fantasy, but I also enjoy the historic thrillers like "Murder as a Fine Art" by David Morrell and "The Yard" by Alex Grecian.
I wake up at around 5am, walk the dog, eat breakfast, read the paper, email, play on the internet until around 10am, and then I start writing. It is a trickle at first, as if my brain needs to warm up. After doing the dishes and some house work, my mind has grasped the situation my hero is in and is ready. Then I write.