Suzanne Harper
Suzanne Harper has published two young adult novels, The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney and The Juliet Club. She is currently working on a third young adult novel and a middle-grade series.
She has also written three original novels based on the Hannah Montana TV series (Rock the Waves, In the Loop, and Swept Up) and a number of novels (under the pen name N. B. Grace) based on High School Musical.
Her nonfiction books include: Boitano’s Edge: Inside the Real World of Figure Skating (with Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano), The Real Spy's Guide to Becoming a Spy (with Peter Earnest, executive director of the International Spy Museum), Terrorists, Tornados,and Tsunamis: How to Prepare for Life’s Danger Zones (with Lt. Col. John C. Orndorff), and Hands On! 33 More Things Every Girl Should Know: Skills for Living Your Life from 33 Extraordinary Women.
She earned bachelor's degrees in journalism and English from the University of Texas-Austin and a master's degree in creative writing from the University of Southern California. She now lives in New York City.
“The things you think are your weakness are often really your strengths. The things you think are your strengths are what trip you up. Everything you take seriously doesn't matter in the end. Everything important in your life is the stuff you're not even noticing right now. And...you really don't have to worry so much. Everything's going to be fine.”
“That's what I'm talking about!' Grandma Bee said, vindicated. 'He can hunt for food the way his ancestors did! Eating meals from a can is an insult to his noble lineage.”
“A complicated life is an interesting life.”
“Let this night remind us to celebrate love, whenever it comes, in whatever form it appears, however enduring or fleeting it may be. For whether we search for love or are surprised by it, it always transforms us in ways we never expect.”
“Of course, all knowledge is useful. But not all knowledge is worth the cost.”
“Problems can be fixed. But unrequited love is a tragedy.”
“Learning to cover a mistake is as important as getting everything right.”
“We should always prepare for the tests that we know about. After all, there are so many that surprise us.”
“Si! Today there was a report from scientists who have spent their entire lives studying chimpanzees and you know what they said? They said the monkeys are learning to make spears! They've never been able to make weapons before but now, now, all of a sudden they can!" She gave him an ominous look and took the lid off the pot of boiling water. "Mark my words, Giacomo. They're doing it for a reason. The next thing you know, they'll be coming after us.""Mmm. That will be bad.""Si, very bad." She threw the pasta into the pot. "But I will be ready for them.”
“After a moment, she said, "Yes. I think she will be good for you.""You do?" He couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice."Si." She smiled grimly. "She will break your heart and leave you shattered and alone." She paused to think that over, then nodded approvingly to herself. "It will make you a man.”
“Looks aren't everything," Kate said. "After all," she quoted, "'the devil hath power t'assume a pleasing shape.”
“She looked like an angel who had decided that it was far more amusing to be wicked than to be good.”
“He wanted to dismiss Saint Rosaline's comments out of hand, but this was impossible because he knew that the comments came from the recesses of this own mink. Either that, or he was truly going mad, which at this point seemed like an attractive option.”
“Muttering a curse, he wiped his face with a towel and wondered why everyone suddenly felt that they had to offer an opinion on his love life, although he was fairly sure he had never asked for anyone's views on the matter.”
“This is what comes of making up conversations with frescoes, he chided himself as he dropped to his knees and bowed his head. Nothing but trouble.”