Owls are wise. They are careful and patient. Wisdom precludes boldness. That is why owls make poor heroes.

I knelt and opened up my lute case. Moving the lute aside, I pressed the lid of the secret compartment and twisted it open. I slid Threpe's sealed letter inside, where it joined the hollow horn with Nina's drawing and a small sack of dried apple I had stowed there. There was nothing special about the dried apple, but in my opinion if you have a secret compartment in your lute case and don't use it to hide things, there is something terribly, terribly wrong with you.

I swear I've never met a man who has your knack for lack of social grace. If you weren't naturally charming, someone would have stabbed you by now.

You want to publish with a publisher because a publisher knows how to publish a book. And you don't. You really don't.

I'm not a big fan of overt marketing. I'd much rather just put things out there for people to see. I'm just putting it out there for people to see. If people think this is cool, I'm hoping they'll tell their friends.

...it is better to have a mouthful of poison than a secret of the heart.

A poet is a musician who can't sing.