“The minute you see him, your hand will throb, your heart will pound out of your chest, and you won't be able to breathe.”

“Don't give in to your fears. If you do, you won't be able to talk to your heart.”

“After several minutes, Ed said, his voice raspy and spent, "You okay, Laur?"Laurie, his bones melted, his muscles slack, his heart pounding like a happy caged beast against the wall of his chest, his backside throbbing and still half-full of Ed, let out his breath. With great effort, he nodded.”

“When you fall in love, your heart will pound so much you won't be able to throw a mouse let alone a cow pat.I don't think I could throw a mouse now. I dislike the idea of scrabbling little feet in my palm, unless they are yours, of course.”

“It didn't matter whether he was nearby or far away. His image would drift up into your mind just when you least expected it, shocking you, making your chest pound. Making your heart ache.”

“A novel is not an allegory.... It is the sensual experience of another world. If you don't enter that world, hold your breath with the characters and become involved in their destiny, you won't be able to empathize, and empathy is at the heart of the novel. This is how you read a novel: you inhale the experience. So start breathing.”