All stories are true,” Skarpi said. “But this one really happened, if that’s what you mean.” He took another slow drink, then smiled again, his bright eyes dancing. “More or less. You have to be a bit of a liar to tell a story the right way. Too much truth confuses the facts. Too much honesty makes you sound insincere.

It wasn't even a good note. 'If you are reading this I am probably dead.' What sort of a note is that?

There is something powerfully beguiling about the excited eyes of a young woman. They can pull all manner of nonsense out of a foolish young man, and I was no exception to this rule.

For me, language is something that I've always loved. When I read, that's what I look for. When I write, that's what I strive for.

Just handle the books gently and you’ll get along fine.

We need to read good books, and for that to happen, we need to share good books.

Denna is a wild thing," I explained. "Like a hind or a summer storm. If a storm blows down your house, or breaks a tree, you don't say the storm was mean. It was cruel. It acted according to its nature and something unfortunately was hurt. The same is true of Denna.