How could you cleanse yourself if you couldn’t forget?

She hadn't chosen the brave life. She'd chosen the small, fearful one.

You carry your past with you even if you don't remember any of it.

Someday when you're twenty, maybe, I'll see you again. You'll be this hot soccer star at some great school, with a million guys more interesting than I am chasing you down. And you know what? I'll see you and I'll pray you want me still.

I dont really write with the idea of trying to teach any lessons. I want to tell a story as truthfully and engagingly as I can, and then let the chips fall where they may.

Carmen hated the 'life is too short" rationalization. She thought it was one of the lamer excuses in the history of excuse-making. Whenever you did something because "life is too short not to," you could be sure life would be just long enough to punish you for it.

I agree that a love of reading is a great gift for a parent to pass on to his or her child.