When one is striding bravely into the future one cannot watch one’s footing.
BARBARA MERTZWhen one is striding bravely into the future one cannot watch one’s footing.
BARBARA MERTZEmerson,’ I said, choosing my words with care, ‘it is a sheer drop from the cleft down to the base of the cliff. If you are bent on breaking your arm or your leg or your neck or all three, find a place closer to home so we won’t have to carry you such a distance.
BARBARA MERTZI would never have supposed that inexperienced girl was capable of such cold-blooded, calculating manipulation!
BARBARA MERTZSince I am not as stupid as my children believe I am, I had immediately realized this might be a ruse, but I was not at all averse to a confrontation. In fact, I had been hoping for some such thing.
BARBARA MERTZI am so tired of ruggedly handsome heroes. I don’t know too many ruggedly handsome people who are necessarily nice people. In fact, the beautiful people have a big handicap because they rely too much on their appearance and don’t bother to become interesting.
BARBARA MERTZThere was no warning, not even a knock. The door flew open, and he forgot his present aches and pains in anticipation of what lay in store. The figure that stood in the door was not that of an enemy. It was worse. It was his mother.
BARBARA MERTZSekhmet crawled onto Ramses’s lap and began to purr. ‘The creature oozes like a furry slug,’ said Ramses, eyeing it without favor.
BARBARA MERTZI disapprove of matrimony as a matter of principle…. Why should any independent, intelligent female choose to subject herself to the whims and tyrannies of a husband? I assure you, I have yet to meet a man as sensible as myself! (Amelia Peabody)
BARBARA MERTZIt’s not unsporting to thrash a cowardly cad,’ said Simmons. ‘Everyone knows you don’t fight like a gentleman.’ ‘That might be called an oxymoron,’ Ramses said. ‘Oh–sorry. Bad form to use long words. Look it up when you get home.’ The poor devil didn’t know how to fight, like a gentleman or otherwise.
BARBARA MERTZThere are too many people in the world as it is, but the supply of ancient manuscripts is severely limited.
BARBARA MERTZHe hesitated for a moment. Then he said softly, “I love you, Mother.” He took my hand and kissed it, and folded my fingers round the stem of the rose. He had stripped it of its thorns.
BARBARA MERTZYour trousers are on fire. I would have told you, but you so dislike advice.
BARBARA MERTZExaggeration is the cheapest form of humor.
BARBARA MERTZMartyrdom is often the result of excessive gullibility.
BARBARA MERTZNothing looks as self-satisfied as a contented cat.
BARBARA MERTZI have no writing habit. I work when I feel like it, and I work when I have to – mostly the latter.
BARBARA MERTZ