Myrnin said softly. "And how is it that you do not understand that HERE, in THIS place, this girl belongs to me, not to you?

We're clear," she said. "You're kind of a psycho. I get that

It's not just a miracle; it's a miracle with chocolate. Best kind.

I think at some level, it's just alchemy that we, as writers, can't explain when we write the characters. I don't set out to create the characters - they're not, to me, collections of quirks that I can put together. I discover the characters, instead. I usually go through a standard set of interview questions with the character in the beginning and ask the vital stuff: What's important to you? What do you love? Hate? Fear? .. and then I know where to start. But the characters just grow on their own, at a certain point. And start surprising me.

Look, I hate good-byes, too. But sometimes, we need them just to survive.

Your education or your life, Claire. I'd rather you be alive and a little bit dumber.

Happy birthday,” she said. “And next time? Eat the stupid cupcake.