Quotes from Shannon Hale

There's nothing more aggravating in the world than the midnight sniffling of the person you've decided to hate.

My ma says You can't unspill a stew." "She also says Undoing a wrong is greater than doing a right." "You know, Ma is very good at saying two things at once.

Well do I remember the first night we met, how you questioned my opinion that first impressions are perfect. You were right to do so, of course, but even then I suspected what I've come to believe most passionately these past weeks: from that first moment, I knew you were a dangerous woman, and I was in great peril of falling in love." She thought she should say something witty here. She said, "Really?

He looked at her, and the clarity of his dark eyes struck her heart with a sensation of a wound touched.

until Miri could not help it any longer and she laughed out loud. The sound broke the game. Peder looked at her. He reached out, and she thought he meant to grab her straw or perhaps yank her hair as he used to when they were little. But her put his hand behind her head and, leaning forward, pulled her face to his. He kissed her. One long, slow kiss.

Her eyes were distant, and she seemed to be listening to that voice that first told her the story, a mother, sister, or aunt. Then her voice, like her singing, cut through the crickets and crackling fire.

Smell is the voice of the soul...

Figure out what is real for you. No use leaning on someone else's story all your life...go make your happily-ever-after happen.

Sometimes it seems my identity's a matter of opinion

Make haste" Jane added, just because she always wanted to say that.

Humming the Star Wars theme to encourage myself, I wobbled onto my feet. Sometimes a girl's gotta provide her own trumpet-heavy heroic soundtrack.

No wolf falters before the bite, so strike. No hawk wavers before the dive, so swing. No sun pauses before the set, just strike. No rain delays before the fall, just swing.

Time is a wind that keeps blowing in my face and mumbling words that don't make sense.

If you're listening Big Brother, I refuse to be Fanny Price.

The army slew a thousand and showed little pity The king ordered fealty from the conquered city The prince charmed its people with words wise and witty And the queen sat on a couch, looking very pretty

I mean, without the antagonist, there would be no story! It'd be like: 'Once upon a time there was a girl who wanted to be loved, so she met a prince and got married and lived Happily Ever After, The End'? That's not a story; that's a bumper sticker.

As a general rule, writing is very inconvenient.

For one thing, everyone there is so clever. Do they think me dull? Perhaps I should assure them that our goats enjoyed listening to me for hours on end. I am certain their bleats meant "Do go on, Miri, darling. You are immensely entertaining." Your immensely entertaining sister, Miri

You can be who you will," he repeated. His voice softened. "And if you will have me, I will be the one beside you.

I know they are naught things, but I devour novels." (p. 57).

Am I the moss on your bark, then?" Ani asked. Enna grabbed her around the waist and shook her affectionately. "You're the mossiest girl I know.

Do you know the feeling you get when you are awakened in the middle of a dream? The dream story is still real and full of color, but the waking world is rushing back into your mind. And for a moment both worlds are true, and you cannot quite tell them apart.

A cat can make you feel well rested when you're tired or turn a rage into a calm just by sitting on your lap. His very nearness is a healing song.

Her nightmare clung to her like the smell of smoke to cloth.