One never stops to think what underlies romance. Tragedy and terror, transmuted by time. Add a little art in the telling, and voilà! a stirring romance, to make the blood run fast and maidens sigh.
O Lord, bless the blood and the flesh of this the creature that You gave me, Jamie said softly. He scooped a pinch of the herbs himself, and rubbed them between thumb and forefinger, in a rain of frag...
Now, then. What does ‘fucking’ mean? My surprise must have shown plainly, for he said irritably, If ye must call me names, that’s one thing. But I dinna care to be called things I can’t answer. I know...
Men have external genitalia, while women have internal genitalia. This simple difference makes a lot of difference in how they write about themselves—and how you might write about your characters. Mal...
Lord, that she might be safe, he prayed. She and the child.
Lord that she might be safe. She and my children.
Like plumbing, medicine is a profession where you learn early on not to put your fingers in your mouth.
It wasn't the risk, I said, flicking my toes at a big black-and-white splotched carp. Or not entirely. It was—well, it was partly fear, but mostly it was that I—I couldn't leave Jamie. I shrugged help...
If you find him, she whispered, when you find my father—give him this. She bent and kissed me, fiercely, gently, then straightened and turned me toward the stone. Go, Mama, she said, breathless. I lov...
I write in bits and pieces, and glue them together, like a jigsaw puzzle.
I wept bitterly, surrendering momentarily to my fear and heartbroken confusion, but slowly I began to quiet a bit, as Jamie stroked my neck and back, offering me the comfort of his broad, warm chest....
I pulled the chemise off
I listen, she said simply. To what folk say—and what they don’t.
I dinna know what's a sadist. And if I forgive you for this afternoon, I reckon you'll forgive me, too, as soon as ye can sit down again. As for my pleasure... His lip twitched. I said I would have t...
Fighting was an exhausting business, and so was fear.
Don’t go overboard in avoiding said. Basically, said is the default for dialogue, and a good thing, too; it’s an invisible word that doesn’t draw attention to itself.
But it was something to do with the paintings …
But I talk to you as I talk to my own soul,
Brianna was twenty-three. She might be no more than in her mid-thirties by the time Jem was fully independent. And if he no longer needed her care—she and Roger might possibly go back. Back to her own...
Why?" I shrieked, hitting him again and again, and again, the sound of the blows thudding against his chest. "Why, why why!".Because I was afraid!" He got hold of my wrists and threw me backward so I...