It's important to know the past, but your survival depends on knowing the present.

Nix still held Benny's hand, and her grip tightened to an almost crushing force, grinding his hand bones together. It hurt, but Benny would rather have cut that hand off than take it back at that moment. If it would help Nix through this, he'd give her a pair of pliers and a vise so she could do a proper job.

A HUMAN ELEMENT is an elegant and haunting first novel. Unrelenting, devious but full of heart. Highly recommended.

There was a sliver of moon and a splash of stars, and the light outlined her face and glistened on the tears that ran like mercury down her cheeks.

Guilt and rage, hatred and fear were pathways to weakness and clumsy choices.

Is he nuts?" "I think the expression used to be 'touched by God'." "So that would be a yes.

We're each alone inside our heads, some more so than others.