“A writer fails, not when a reader is not moved; but when, as a reader, the writer is not moved.”

“To be a successful fiction writer you have to write well, write a lot … and let ‘em know you’ve written it! Then rinse and repeat.”

“The greatest artists express their inner self; an artist paints her rage; a writer pens his fear; a dancer expresses her sadness through movement; and a musician's loneliness echoes in his performance.”

“God, Himself, wrote the 10 into stone with his own finger. He told the epic of mankind, our origins and our future, in a book. For me, there is no more noble a cause and no more honorable a vocation than to say, like Him, I am a writer.”

“The soul of an artist cannot be muted indefinitely. It must either be expressed or it will consume the host.”

“To me, empathy and compassion are among the bravest of emotions ... and faith, the bravest of convictions.”

“Bravery is not the trait of a fearless person, lest the reckless actions of a fool be considered brave. Bravery is the quality that allows us to overcome our fears and succeed.”