“In both writing and sleeping, we learn to be physically still at the same time we are encouraging our minds to unlock from the humdrum rational thinking of our daytime lives.”

Life is a wheel, and if you wait long enough, it always comes back around to where it started.

Only enemies speak the truth; friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty.

In polite society, we call our obsessions hobbies.

A life without love is like a tree without fruit.

A library is a place where you can live a thousand lives. So why are you waiting when you could be living? Visit your library today.

The most important things are the hardest to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them.

If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time to write. Simple as that.

Sooner or later even the fastest runners have to stand and fight.

A little talent is a good thing to have if you want to be a writer. But the only real requirement is the ability to remember every scar.

Sometimes being a bitch is all a woman’s got to hold on to.

Her body was wrapped in shadows like moth wings, like rose-petals.

The past is obdurate.

To write is human, to edit is divine.

No one ever does live happily ever after, but we leave the children to find that out for themselves.

Hurt’s a reason to change, but all the hurt in the world don’t change facts.

Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.

My mum was too busy raising four of us to encourage my hopes. But I’m glad I had the upbringing I did. It made me a worrier and a thoughtful, curious person.

The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God, forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.’

I’m not sure we will have every single Democrat, but we want a large number of Republicans to be able to vote for this bill because we think that will encourage the House not only to move forward but to pass a bill.

All around you are people whose lives are filled with trouble and sorrow, and they need your compassion and encouragement.

I believe we should encourage children to sing and play instruments from an early age.

Suffering, failure, loneliness, sorrow, discouragement, and death will be part of your journey, but the Kingdom of God will conquer all these horrors. No evil can resist grace forever.

We hurt people by being too busy. Too busy to notice their needs. Too busy to drop that note of comfort or encouragement or assurance of love. Too busy to listen when someone needs to talk. Too busy to care.

Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.