“Death. What a brief word for the extinguishing of life. To be no more. To have days cut off and at their end. To never again..........anything.”

“Every brush stroke on the canvas, every dab of color introduced, the fine textures impressed in the paint—this accumulation of many small acts combines to shape a final work of art.  And so it is with life; each step, each deed, each brief choice builds gradually, day by day, to shape both character and destiny.”

“Don't ever give up. Don't ever give in. Don't ever stop trying. Don't ever sell out. And if you find yourself succumbing to one of the above for a brief moment, pick yourself up, brush yourself off, whisper a prayer, and start where you left off.But never, ever, ever give up.”

“There are days when writing is within my power and a story unfolds along a course I've already chosen.  And then there are days when the words breathe on their own and take me by the hand, leading me along unfathomed paths.  Either way, the end result is this author's fairy tale.”

“No matter how hard they try, they'll never create anything so perfectly beautiful as what plays out in my own imagination.”

“Conundrum:  A fun word to repeat over and over again when no one's listening. Actual meaning is as puzzling as the need to chant the word.”

“Hope is a fire more ravenous than the flames of temptation.  For if only a portion of it poisons your veins, it is enough to make you stand against ridiculous odds again and again and again.”