The sky grew darker and the moon rose higher as the evening wore on. and without either or them being conscious of it, they began to regain the intimacy, the bond of familiarity, they had once shared.

Too many writers think that all you need to do is write well-but that's only part of what a good book is. Above all, a good book tells a good story. Focus on the story first. Ask yourself, 'Will other people find this story so interesting that they will tell others about it?' Remember: A bestselling book usually follows a simple rule, 'It's a wonderful story, wonderfully told'; not, 'It's a wonderfully told story.'

Loving someone and having them love you back is the most precious thing in the world.

I have always had an interest in how cultural rituals play into something as unpredictable as romance.

A good marriage, like any partnership, meant subordinating one's own needs to that of the other's, in the expectation that the other will do the same.

A good man is hard to find," she said wistfully. "Not everyone is as lucky as you are.

These days she simply did the best job she could, accepting the good with the bad.