c2p-cmd/Good-Quotes-Authors huggingface dataset:
A guilty conscience pushed me to try harder—which I did for what seemed like a tremendous amount of wasted time, staring bug-eyed at uncooperative pencils. What was missing? The answer seemed obvious—intense emotional incentive. But at the moment I didn’t feel desperate or angry or afraid. Just severely bored out of my mind and guilt-ridden for feeling so mind-numbingly b
— Richelle E. Goodrich
I was breaking down, wanting to fade away and cry, yet I feared ever being invisible again. My head lowered to conceal my humiliation behind a curtain of hair where I trembled as if sobbing.“Hey, Gwen, it’s okay. It’s okay. Calm down.”I yearned to feel Daniel’s soft touch meet my temple and then trace along my ear, brushing back the hairs from my face. What I wanted was the comfort his caress always afforded me. He moved as if he would grant my wish, realizing at the last moment that neither of us possessed the power to touch the other.“Your hair, Gwen.”I refused to do what he wanted. I didn’t care for him to see the shame plainly visible in my features. But the next thing I knew, his blue eyes were staring up at me from the ground, a glare reflecting off his glasses. The guy had dropped his books to fall over for a clear view of my face. His desperation made me laugh.“It’s going to be okay, Gwen, I pro
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Life is a voyage across troubled waters where our days are often spent clinging to the top of the highest mast, scouting for a comforting glimpse of shore.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
The sun shines every day without being told that it is brilliant. The mountains stand tall and majestic though no one informs them of their grandeur. The winds twirl and dance with clouds, minus cheers or compliments to inspire their moves. Flowers bloom, showing off colors, long before passing smiles acknowledge any beauty. The ocean claps at its own underwater chorus without topside ears listening. What is the world trying to tell you? Be wonderful because you are. Quit waiting to be told so first.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
If you couldn't sense heat, you'd not be alive. And if that heat never grew uncomfortable, you would never move. And if you were stagnant—unchallenged by unpredictable flares—you would never grow capable of shielding yourself from harsher flames. So yes, life was meant to drag you straight through the fire.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
There are few things better than losing yourself in a book. And if you're lucky enough to have that adventure continue in a series, it's like chocolate ganache on the icing on the cake.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Life is a bonfire where everyone else has brought marshmallows, and you—a stick.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I love when the sun plays hide-n-seek for a few days because its invisibility often goes unnoticed. The world seems content that its presence behind the clouds is enough. But as soon as that brilliant sun jumps into the open sky once again―shining in full splendor―our closed eyes automatically turn toward it, and we bask beneath a warm and tender touch, grateful all the more that our glorious sun exists.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
It's mind-boggling how many different worlds people live in on this one planet.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Aging is a mortal term that my immortal spirit doesn't quite grasp.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Powerlessness is an excruciating pain
—  it is torture insurmountable.
You can't make me be nice.You can't make me be good.You can't make me be
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Every now and then I sit and watch the sun rise to remind myself how it's done—peacefully, steadily, warmly, and in beautiful color.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
A kiss says it all—I like you.I love you.I need you.I want you.I value you.I fancy you.I adore you.I prefer you.I missed you.I cherish you.I support you.I care for you.I long for you.I think of you.I treasure you.I hope for you.I consider you.I dream of you.I delight in you.I appreciate you.And I will never, ever forget you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Laughter isn't a sign of insanity but a shield against it.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Christmas is a whisper of peace and a sigh of hope on the lips of love.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Eyes, so easily deceived, might judge more rightly with lids closed, allowing ears and heart to remain wide open."from "The Beauty of Ugh
— Richelle E. Goodrich, I am not Frazzle!: And other stories for grown-ups
Choose altruism, because selfishism is a lonely, cold, dark hole.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
One bad turn does not excuse another.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Physical attractiveness is no indicator of an individual's beauty."from "The Beauty of Ugh
— Richelle E. Goodrich, I am not Frazzle!: And other stories for grown-ups
Live today facing forward—with your back on yesterday, your eyes on tomorrow, and your head and heart in the moment.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Face it; life's gonna chew you up and spit you out. If you're lucky you'll get stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe and be carried far, far away from it all.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
It's a waste of time worrying about something that worry won't fix. It's about as useful as trying to feed your pet rock.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
You're not a tree. So move
—  make something happen.
To wish for the happiest days is to wish for a season of sorrow; for it is only after prolonged, wintry darkness that the summer sun appears to shine at its brightest.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Dare to forge your own path. Even rocks can roll.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
A good dose of fantasy is exercise for your sensibilities
—  it keeps your avatar strong.
Life isn't all perpetual bliss, nor is it one woeful weeping session. But you can concentrate so hard on noticing moments of one or the other that either a bright outlook or dim expectations becomes your regular illusion.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
God will win every contest in life, so stop trying to beat Him at his own game.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
If the world appears abundant in smiles or overwhelmed by scowls, you might ask yourself if you're not to blame.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
How often it is that we set ourselves in the high seat, judging others, not having read their book but merely having glimpsed the cover.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
It's impossible to be involved in all situations, but there's no excuse not to be involved in something, somewhere, somehow, with someone. Make an ounce of difference.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
You may think you've hit rock bottom in your life but guess what—there's more crud underneath those rocks.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
My knight may not wear a coat of shining armor, but his code of glowing honor will never fail to protect us both from evils far worse than any fire-breathing dragon.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Life is a puzzle, a riddle, a test, a mystery, a game—whatever challenge you wish to compare it to. Just remember, you're not the only participant; no one person holds all the answers, the pieces, or the cards. The trick to success in this life is to accumulate teammates and not opponents.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
We always feel the brunt of the blow dealt to us, but hardly ever do we feel the impact we have on others. Why is that?
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
I wonder at times if we're not all blind. It just seems there are an abundance of books unread, paint strokes not admired, and performances unattended. So much attention painstakingly sought and not given.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
There are many roads in this world that will guide you to pleasurable, fun, and exciting destinations that do not end in any form of lasting happiness. So before you step on an enticing path, figure out where it leads.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
You baffle me, addle me, drive me insane. You muddle, befuddle, and rattle my brain. My senses are mad, Skewed judgment to blame.You drive me half stark-raving bonkers!(But the truly crazy thing is how I love it.)
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Most people don't accept that they are an influence either improving or damaging others.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
You matter.You are important.There is a reason for your existence.You may not see or understand how this is true, but truth doesn't cease to be truth because of doubt, blindness, or ignor
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Perfection is a paradigm meant to keep us striving and learning and growing. Like a wondrous sunset, perfection may be beyond our reach, but it is within our view and well worth seeking after.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
A real treasure becomes such only after it's been desperately sought after.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Trust in the silent doers. It is far more difficult to put your dreams into action than into flowery words.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Closed books are like closed eyes—you must open them to see anything.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Time is an imp—a pesky, little, hellish troll that hastens the clock when I smile but then delays the passing of minutes when I frown.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
A little porch light from a distant farmhouse dimmed, feeling alone and unneeded until his smallest spark of illumination snuffed out entirely. The night fell as dark as it was quiet. Meanwhile, every secret eye within the vicinity―from insect to animal to human wanderer―stopped to blink, suddenly blinded. Their guiding light had vanished, extinguishing hope in the hearts of many. That little light had mattered, but he knew it not.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Comparisons are like rigid fingers—eager to point at a subject but unwilling to grasp it.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
The reality is that doing good unto others actually does more good for you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Compassion only plagues those with hearts, much like a field of thorns only troubles those who bleed.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Companionship of the Dragon's Soul
Happiness is seeing blessings in disguise, beauty under camouflage, and love amid conflict.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Happiness isn't reserved for privileged individuals. It is a state of mind that can neither be bought nor stolen nor traded
—  it is a liberty available to anyone.
Life may dawdle along in minutes but don't be deceived, for it will sprint by in years before you even notice.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
That was the coolest thing ever.” Eena smiled at the fact that she’d been lucky enough to touch the wings of a real crioness. 	“That was highly unusual. I can’t believe they came right up to us—to you.”	“They were hungry, I’m sure.”	“Still, crioness are cautious. They always avoid people. To let you touch him like it did…..”	She grinned with pure satisfaction. “Wild huh? Derian’s not going to believe me when I tell him.” Eena cocked her head when Ian laughed out loud. “What?” she asked, a note of offense in her 
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Curse of Wanyaka Cave
The watchful Mishmorat commented while waiting, contemplating Eena’s bare back. “Your people are so plain and pale.”“Oh?” Eena kinked her neck to look at Niki, zeroing in on her long spotted arms. Her bronze skin was arguably more striking—speckled in beautiful patterns.“I’m sorry,” the Mishmorat quickly apologized. “I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just that I’ve never seen such bare skin before. There’s nothing to look at.”Eena quickly pulled the new t-shirt down over her back. She chuckled at Niki’s comment. “I’ll admit your people are very attractive. But I’m okay with my ‘plainness.’” She glanced over her pale legs before pulling on a clean pair of pants. “You’re kinda like a clear, cloudless sky,” Niki said, cocking her head wonderingly.“And you’re like a…..a sky dotted with shapely clouds.”“Only dark clouds.”“Storm clouds.”“Yeah,” Niki grinned devilishly, “That’s me—a sky full of storm clouds.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Curse of Wanyaka Cave
It may not be fair that people make judgments so quickly, usually within a few seconds of observation, but it's unrealistic to expect that they won't. So, if you want to be judged in a certain manner, be sure that your look and demeanor give that impression.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
The captain put his fingers to his temples as if he had a headache. “So, let me get this straight. Edgar, an immortal, who I assume is as unscrupulous as his sisters, tried to take that bracelet from you
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Curse of Wanyaka Cave
To punish someone for your own mistakes or for the consequences of your own actions, to harm another by shifting blame that is rightly yours; this is a wretched and cowardly sin.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Boasting is one of those rare outfits that never looks good on you but makes you look stunning when modeled by your admirers.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Just knowing you're not alone is often enough to kindle hope amid tragic circumstances.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Kisses are a means to plant on another's lips a smile glossed with happiness.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
When problems beat upon you like a raging storm, search for the eye. You might not be able to avoid misfortunes, but you can find the calmest spot within them.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
One thing I've learned is that in the midst of your darkest moments of tribulation, there is no such thing as mass friends.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Beauty that pleases the eye is a frail, fleeting illusion. But that beauty capable of pleasing the heart can endure endlessly.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
If you truly wish to change what is without, you must first change what festers within.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Laughing in my ear is a muse amused by how I paint her whims on paper with silly words.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I prefer to solve the world's problems. They never seem as complicated as my own.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Thanks, Ian, but sometimes there’s just nothing you can do.” Her feet moved forward again towards the center of Lacsar Forest.	“That’s not true, Eena. I can always listen.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Curse of Wanyaka Cave
Hey, guard!” Ian hollered out loud. “Do you think we could get a bathroom break?”	The guard seemed to snicker as he pointed to the grass outside the cell. Eena smirked at how dead-on her thoughts had been after all.	“Come on,” Ian complained. “She can’t do that, she’s a girl.”	The soldier smiled wryly, a shrug communicating his indifference.	Eena laughed in her mind.	(I don’t know what you think’s so funny. You’re the one who’s gotta pee.)	Oddly enough, that fact just made her laugh even more.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Curse of Wanyaka Cave
Mothers observe all, absorb all, give all, forgive all, offer all, suffer all, feel all, heal all, hope for all, pray for all.But most o
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Kiss a frog with your eyes wide open. If he turns into a prince you won't miss the transformation, but if he doesn't, you won't be fooled by some wishful illusion in your head.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Heroes make us smile because they not only rescue us outwardly, but inwardly too.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
What is more powerful than the love of a mother? Perhaps only God's hand in answering her earnest pleadings on your behalf.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
A snake bites your ankle.Recoiling, you scream.Fearing poison, your mind slips into a dream......where a man bites your ankle.Expecting no guile, 'Again' softly falls from your lips with a smile.Yet the man and the snake are the same.Your perception is only to blame.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
My favorite quote in the world is this one.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I laugh for sheer medicinal purposes
—  because I feel I might die otherwise.
Happiness, thou art naught but an illusion. Thy enchantments are cast upon my eyes, my mind, my spellbound heart. Dependent upon nothing but thy victim's perception of thee, souls soar at thy artful hand! I have fallen in love with thy illusions, Happiness. Thou hast made me a part of them, and I am left delirious.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Sometimes poets expect me to think far deeper than I'm willing to dig.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
You can't argue with insanity. You can stare at it, gaping and incredulous, but arguing with it is futile.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Dare to imagine. Dare to be. Books are the seeds. Dreams are the soil. The fruit of the harvest, a world reborn.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher
This thing that troubles you is only one small part of your life. Don't allow it to be all-consuming when there's so much more to embrace.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Though it pained me, I gave in. Why was it that I repeatedly succumbed to the first whisper of a promised maybe? How did the enticer, hope, always find my heart unguarded? There was no such thing as hope. Not for me. Why was it so hard to accept that?
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher
Only a fool believes that his actions don't shape the world.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Why is it that at the very moment I need to appear graceful I stumble and fall like a klutz, as though this scene had never played through my mind differently a million times?
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
The interruption did nothing but earn her a similar slap, as I’m sure she knew it would. Sometimes I wondered if my mother spoke up at the wrong time on purpose. As often as we endured my father’s abuse, she had to be aware that it wouldn’t save me from a beating but simply earn her one as well. Or was it that sharing my fate made her feel less guilt-ridden about those things that happened to me?
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher
Frozen yogurt is tastier than ice cream; nobody is too old for cartoons; bald men are sexy; chocolate is the best medicine; BIG books are better; cats secretly rule the planet; and everything should be available in the color pink, including monster trucks.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
If you avoid all of life's abrasions you will never be polished enough to shine.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Rest assured you make perfectly good nonsense.  I understand you one-hundred-percent not at all.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Have you ever felt as if your dreams were more memorable, more alive, than what you knew to be reality? Have your dreams ever seemed so tangible as to make you question upon waking if you’d truly only dreamt them? Have they at times been addictive enough to consume your waking hours; blurring actuality and pretend together until your wishes and passions stare back at you with open
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher
I've a habit of placing a happy-face or a frowny-face on my calendar, depending on what kind of day I've had.  Often I slap a droopy circle in the box, discouraged by the things I failed to accomplish and the unpleasant encounters endured.  But then, invariably, a wise muse stops to ask me these three questio
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
The sun, moon, and stars God gave to the world, but He embedded their glories in your countenance just for me. Woven in your hair are the sun's shimmering golden rays. From your face glows the pale luminescence of the moon. And in your eyes God sprinkled a million stars to twinkle against a backdrop of endless night. You are my celestial light.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
There's enchantment in a smile, did you know?Shall I prove in a wink that it is so?Watch my mouth grin wide and see,How quick your lips smile back at me!
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
You try moving things with nothing but willpower. It's about as easy as trying to lasso a bull with a licorice 
— Richelle E. Goodrich
He panted over me, winded by his own absurd lecture. The stench of his alcoholic breath stung my nose. Again I didn’t answer. I hoped he’d tire out and end his speech and hobble back to the living room without touching me. Such hopes were unlikely, as was the case this time. 	“Answer me, you good-for-nuthin’ wench!” 	The pain bit instantly as his hand connected with my cheek. I shook my head in answer to his crazy questions, feeling a rise of warm tears.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher
Monsters excite us in this way or that.They make our pulse thrum and steal lives from the cat!They're frightening creatures, one peek and you'll see.Yet life without monsters, how dull it would be.Your tense, nervous laugh tells me you disagree?
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
And what about your brother, Agus? Will he be entertaining us with his pipes?”	“Ahgg,” Shanks rasped, wrinkling his nose. “I didn’t tell you? He ain’t with us no more.” A heavy fist slammed on the arm of the Viidun’s chair as he growled, “The idiot went off and got himself killed!” 	“What?” Derian and Eena replied in unison, both horrified by the news.	“You heard me,” Shanks bellowed. “The crazy fool should’ve known when to duck. He died in a bloody challenge with some brainless Deramptium! A downright disgraceful way to die! I’m ashamed to say he was my brother!”	“That’s a little harsh, isn’t it?” Eena muttered, mostly speaking to Derian.	“What was that?” the Viidun dem
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
My fingers combed through my dark hair, short and straight, landing in choppy, uneven ends nearly level with my chin. The color reminded me of every evil character in any fairytale. It seemed all were characteristically black; black hair, black eyes, black clothing, black demeanors, and black intent. I never thought I was truly a villainous character, not like I knew my father to be, but I was his offspring and devoid of any princess-like characteristics, so that left only the wicked side of the story to play. In my dreams, though, I imagined myself more like Snow White―wavy, raven hair, a perfectly fair complexion, bathed in rose scents, and exhibiting a natural feminine grace that would dance musical circles around both Ginger and Elizabeth. No, I never hoped for such a thing to be real, but I dared to pretend it with perfect clarity in my dreams.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
When the girl didn’t move, Gavin summoned her near with his fingers. His heart thrummed as she obeyed, stepping up close to him. Her young stature was much shorter than his tall, wiry form. Gavin regarded her prettiness - pale cheeks, pink lips, inquisitive eyes. Fascinated by her, he longed to know her name.	“Who are you?” he asked. He heard the girl utter the same question at the same time.	Cocking his head, he claimed, “I asked you first.”	“No you didn’t,” she protested, shaking her red-hooded head, “I asked you at the same time you asked me.”	Gavin grinned at her insistence. It was hard for him not to chuckle. “Well, then, I suppose we’ll have to go with ‘girls first’.” His grin widened into a white smile.	The girl gestured to herself. “I’m Little Red Riding Hood.”	He recognized the name of a fairytale character, and groaned under his breath at not having discovered this dreamer’s real name.	“Actually,” she confessed almost immediately, “I’m not really Red Riding Hood. My name is Annabelle, but I’m pretending to be her because……well……because this is my dream and that’s what I wish to dream abo
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Secrets of a Noble Key Keeper
Funny thing how when you reach out, people tend to reach right back. Best, then, to make sure your hand is open and not fisted.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
I shall ne'er chase rainbows again, Knowing no pot o' gold awaits at the end. My Irish treasure is not there. For ye, my love, abide with me here.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Of course I want the moon. And were you to offer it, I'd propose as a trade the stars in my eyes.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
My love for you reaches beyond the borders of continents, so vast in scope that I would cross oceans to be with you.Yes, but does that same love penetrate so deep as to dare thee to sink to the oceans' depths to fin
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Time and again the sun sets like a bedimming curtain before my eyes, taking with it all illumination, warmth, and color.  I am overwhelmed by night and the monsters that lurk in shadows of despair.  But alas, stars twinkle from afar, shedding the tiniest rays of lighted hope.  I am reminded that the sun also rises and that morning's glory shall restore beauty to my world.  The realization of this dream is only a matter of waiting out the dreary night.  So, I shall persevere.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Last night I danced. My body rose from its slump for the first time since the beginning of sorrows—my fingers beckoning to the stars at arm's length, back arching as tingles bubbled up my spine, hips caught in a silent tempo while on tiptoe I twirled in endless euphoric circles. It didn't matter that you loved me or that you didn't. For I was wanted by the gods last night, their seraphs and muses descending on moonbeams into my midst, caressing my face and gliding their spirited arms about my waist, lifting my toes from the soil that I might feel what it is to fly without heaviness of heart. I danced with them under the glow of a loyal moon. For one brief, visceral dance I joyed as Heaven joys—in endless bliss.And the universe cherished me.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Yes, he knew he was falling in love, her way. And the worst part was, as disabling as he found the emotion to be he craved it all the more. To feel this way about a woman was amazing even if it was ‘temporary and fleeting’, as he’d put it. It was a natural high like he’d never felt before. One he couldn’t get enough of.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
In an unfathomable expanse of universe supporting galaxies of star systems with orbiting planets innumerable, I am nothing.  And yet to the few bodies encircling my tiny little spot in the world, I am essential.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Little girls grow up thinking that knights in shining armor actually exist.  But they don't.  And if those valiant heroes ever did bless this world with their chivalrous deeds, I imagine, just like Christ's apostles, they were destroyed by envy on the battlefront.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
He reached out for her hand and she grabbed onto his. 	“Eena, when you’re ready to talk about it, I’ll be here. That’s what best friends are for.”	She let the tears fall. He’d never know they were for him. He’d think they were because of Derian. They held hands silently throughout the night, Ian unaware that this was by far her most tortured nightmare ever. Paradise so close, and yet completely unattainable.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
When you do fall in love with me, Eena, I don’t want it to be because I gave into your demands, but because your heart gave into its desire to truly be loved.” With an injured frown he uttered goodnight and left the room.	She stood alone, chastised and bruised. It seemed right to apologize for her insensitive words, but not now. Not while a room full of people remained out there.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
Truly there are different kinds of pain.  But the most agonizing is the pain of regret, for which there is no lasting relief and no remedy.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
True love asks no question of the heart.  It knows with surety.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
No misery compares to staring at a clear night's sky with arms stretched toward a coveted star, wishing on what is forever out of reach.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Nature awakens each day in brilliant autumn colors, making me wish the pale winter would bid adieu.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
The bitterest hardships, the most daunting trials; none of these are burdens if it means being with you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Why only gaze at the stars? Catch one!
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Hindsight is always easier than the dreadful moment of decision.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
Conundrum:  A fun word to repeat over and over again when no one's listening. Actual meaning is as puzzling as the need to chant the word.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Wanting help, I reached out to serve. Seeking happiness, I smiled and offered comfort. Yearning for love, I showed love. And now I understand. My life was never about me, it was always about you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
I’ll tell you what,” she said, prepared to make a deal. “Let’s see how your ‘diplomacy’ would profit us. If you can give me a decent solution to a pretend situation, I’ll agree to have you accompany me instead of Shanks. Although, I don’t know how wise it is to leave a Viidun captain on the Kemeniroc in your absence.”	Derian agreed to the test. “Okay, what’s your question?”	She thought hard for a moment; her eyes scrunching in concentration, lips pulled down to one side. Then, as a crooked grin spread across her lips, she set up an imagined scenario.	“Pretend we’re down on the planet with this King Wennergren when he graciously offers to walk us through his cherished garden. While we’re there he begs me to touch his favorite, award-winning flower, hoping my powers will make it thrive and blossom. But for some strange reason it doesn’t respond to me the way plants do on our world. Instead of thriving, the flower withers and dies right before his shocked and furious eyes. Now pretend he’s easily offended and has a horrible temper…”	Derian cut it. “You have no idea what his temperament is li
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
Eena!” 	Recognizing Ian’s voice, Eena turned to find him approaching her from behind. He was entirely clad in body armor and gauntlets, cradling an open-faced helmet in one arm. Painted on his chest plate was a flaming, gold sword. From his side hung a leather sheath, a golden hilt peeking from the top.	“I’m glad you’re back. You are going to stay and watch us play, aren’t you?” He looked hopeful she’d say yes.	Eena smiled brightly. “I didn’t know you were talented enough to be on a dueling team. Nice sword,” she t
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
Then what is true love?” she asked audaciously.	Derian leaned forward, his focus powerfully fixed on her. His voice turned delicate and compelling as he spoke. 	“Love is so much more than a feeling. True love, Eena, is something that develops over time. It’s not that initial infatuation nor the shivers and butterflies that take your breath away when you’re first attracted to someone. Those things are nice, but they are barely the beginning of what could become true love. The emotions you speak of are temporary and unreliable, elicited when two people come together. The power I speak of grows ever stronger over time until it is steadfast, even in separation. Then, reunited, it solidifies unshakably.”	She shook her head. “I don’t quite follow.” 	The captain inched closer, fixing her with the sincerest of gazes. His hands cupped as if he were holding his very heart within them. “True love is a developed and intense appreciation for someone. It’s that perfect awareness that you are finally whole when she’s with you, and that hollow incompleteness you suffer when she’s gone. True love takes time, Eena. It’s an earned comfort that tells you she’ll be right there beside you no matter what you do, not necessarily happy with your every action, but faithful to you just the same. Love is knowing someone so deeply, understanding her so completely, that you can finish her thoughts without hesitation, confident in reading her face, her body, even her slightest gesture means something to you. Love is years of devotion, sacrifice, commitment, loyalty, trust, faith, and friendship all wrapped up in one. True love does more than cause your heart to flutter, Eena. It upholds your heart when the infatuation no longer makes it flutter.”	“Wow.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
True love takes time. It’s an earned comfort that tells you she’ll be right there beside you no matter what you do, not necessarily happy with your every action, but faithful to you just the same.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
Happiness doesn't always come in pink. Learn to appreciate the rainbow.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
I love the magic of a hot bath, how time pauses and every grievance melts away.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Love is years of devotion, sacrifice, commitment, loyalty, trust, faith, and friendship all wrapped up in one. True love does more than cause your heart to flutter. It upholds your heart when the infatuation no longer makes it flutter.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
Mother nature changes her looks for the same reason any woman changes her looks—to be noticed.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
True love is a developed and intense appreciation for someone. It’s that perfect awareness that you are finally whole when she’s with you, and that hollow incompleteness you suffer when she’s gone.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
Love is knowing someone so deeply, understanding her so completely, that you can finish her thoughts without hesitation, confident in reading her face, her body, even her slightest gesture means something to you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
Love grows and wanes, but honor, duty, and commitment, those things are constant and stable. They define who you are.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
Christmas is like candy; it slowly melts in your mouth sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Love tickles parts of you that, prior to its influence, you didn't even know could feel.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
One thing about a skunk—once you recognize the markings, you know things are gonna stink.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
A new star, the Christ child, God's gift to mankind; these are what Christmas is made of.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Be not wishing and pining but thankfully content.  For it is a short bridge between wanting and regret."- from "Dimpellumpzki
— Richelle E. Goodrich
People love super heroes.  It's true we're  impressed by their bravery and fortitude, their supernatural gifts and physical brawn.  But the fact is, villains possess these same qualities.  So why our admiration for the hero and not the nemesis?  Because of virtue.   A super hero gives everything to defend what's good and right without seeking praise or reward.  Think about it.  All the great heroes give without taking, help without grumbling, sacrifice without asking recompense.  A super hero's real strength, what we absolutely fall in love with, is his finer virtue.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
What is the spirit of Christmas, you ask?  Let me give you the answer in a true story...On a cold day in December, feeling especially warm in my heart for no other reason than it was the holiday season, I walked through the store sporting a big grin on my face.  Though most people were far too busy going about their business to notice me, one elderly gentleman in a wheelchair brought his eyes up to meet mine as we neared each other traveling opposite directions.  He slowed in passing just long enough to speak to me."Now that's a Christmas smile if I ever saw one," he said.My lips stretched to their limit in response, and I thanked him for the compliment.  Then we went our separate ways. But, as I thought about the man and how sweetly he'd touched me, I realized something simply wonderful!  In that brief, passing interaction we'd exchanged heartfelt gifts!And that, my friend, is the spirit of Christ~mas. 
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
It was God who gave a man's rib to a woman. But it is man who must learn to give away his heart and never take it back.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
The pleasures of being a novelist are many.  But the greatest by far is the manner in which I live through my characters; experiencing every detail of their story as it unfolds gradually and personally within my own creative psyche.  I'm like a cat with untold lives, because each new book is my rebirth.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Life is a love story, with every character yearning for permanent refuge in someone's heart.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Happiness depends upon two things—pleasing God, and then pleasing yourself.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
It is terrifying,” said Adrian. “And weird, for lack of a better word. And part of you knows… well, part of you knows something’s not right. That your thinking’s not right. But what do you about that? All we can go on is what we think, how we see the world. If you can’t trust your own mind, what can you trust? What other people tell you?
— Richelle Mead, The Golden Lily
Marriage is a million piece puzzle, a pristine and exciting pursuit at the beginning that gradually becomes a daunting task, usually more challenging than anticipated.   It is only those truly committed to solving that puzzle who witness in the end the miraculous outcome of every tiny piece laid out and pressed together in an inspiring and envious creation—a treasure only time, resoluteness, and perseverance could create. 
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
One of the most effective things you will ever do in life, whether you care to or not, is set an example.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
As I quietly stare off into space, eyes glazed over and brow thoughtfully taut, know that I am going about my business.  I am a storyteller.  Daydreaming is the best part of my job.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
When you open your mouth, listeners are offended.  When you close your mouth, the expectant are offended.  If a person seeks misdoing from you they will find it regardless of whether or not you deliver. 
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
Son, I hope your opinion of your mother hasn’t lessened, knowing what you now know.”	Gavin glanced up; incredulity skewed his eyebrows. His expression appeared both stunned and appalled. “Never, Father! I love her! It makes no difference to me where she came from.”	The man nodded, a show of relief in his features. His large hand, soft in touch, went to brush a string of hair away from his wife’s peaceful profile. “Your mother loves you too, son, more than anything in the world. She worries about you, day and night.”	That sentiment stirred something profoundly pleasant inside the boy. He grinned at the internal warmth it created.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Secrets of a Noble Key Keeper
There are no unsacred places
—  there are only sacred places and desecrated places.
If anything is sacred, the human body is sacred.
— Walt Whitman
There is nothing so secular that it cannot be sacred, and that is one of the deepest messages of the Incarnation.
— Madeleine L'Engle
To the poet, to the philosopher, to the saint, all things are friendly and sacred, all events profitable, all days holy, all men divine.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
There must be something strangely sacred in salt. It is in our tears and in the sea.
— Kahlil Gibran
In this moment, everything is sacred.
— Ariel Books
I felt somewhat like a fire hydrant – with everyone marking their territory around me.
— Farrah Naseem
I guess I haven’t mentioned it before but I was, I am and I think I might always remain in love with you,” he said with such passion that I froze in surprise. He went on. “And just so you know, I am prepared to fight for you, regardless of whether or not you share my sentiments.
— Farrah Naseem
There is no less holiness at this time- as you are reading this- than there was on the day the Red Sea parted, or that day in the 30th year, in the 4th month, on the 5th day of the month as Ezekiel was a captive by the river Cheban, when the heavens opened and he saw visions of god. There is no whit less enlightenment under the tree at the end of your street than there was under Buddha’s bo tree…. In any instant the sacred may wipe you with its finger. In any instant the bush may flare, your feet may rise, or you may see a bunch of souls in trees.
— Annie Dillard, For the Time Being
I have fallen in love with you Sasha Ava Stryker. I am afraid it is eternal and binding. I wanted to stake my claim on you tonight. To make you mine – for now and infinity to come.
— Farrah Naseem
Jesus of Nazareth is so entirely one of them they can hardly find anything special about him at all. He fits right in with the messy busyness of everyday life. And it is here, in their midst, with their routines of fish and wine and bread, that he proclaims the kingdom of heaven. The gospel, Jesus teaches, is in the yeast, as a woman kneads it with her bare hands into the cool, pungent dough. It is in the soil, so warm and moist when freshly turned by muscular arms and backs. It is in the tiny seeds of mustard and wheat, painstakingly saved and dried from last season's harvest...Jesus placed the gospel in these tactile things, with all the grit of life surrounding him, because it is through all this touching, tasting, and smelling that his own sheep- his beloved, hardworking, human flock- know. And it is through these most mundane, touchable, smellable, tasteable pieces of commonplace existence that he shows them, and us, to find God and know him. Jesus delivered the good news in a rough, messy, hands-on package of donkeys and dusty roads, bleeding women and lepers, water from the well, and wine from the water. Holy work in the world has always been like this: messy, earthy, physical, touchable.
— Catherine McNiel, Long Days of Small Things: Motherhood as a Spiritual Discipline
Self-defense was an accepted motive for murder.
— Farrah Naseem
Does love survive? Yes, I thought, somewhere in some place it is saved and made sacred.
— Christopher Pike, The Return
Some boundaries are sacred.
— Nick    Wood, Azanian Bridges
If we keep seeking, we shall find the sacred land.
— Lailah Gifty Akita
We live in an environment in which sexuality is often trivialized and defiled, stripped of its emotional depth and divorced from its sacred root.
— William Keepin, Divine Duality: The Power of Reconciliation Between Women and Men
Prophecy is True and Sacred and should never be mishandled by people who have no business speaking about Sacred Things in GOD'S Name.
— Errol Anthony Smythe.
Man is a microcosm, or a little world, because he is an extract from all the stars and planets of the whole firmament, from the earth and the elements; and so he is their quintessence.
— Paracelsus
Witches seek the sacred knowledge the rest of the world has already forgotten.
— Dacha Avelin, Old World Witchcraft: Pathway To Effective Magick
Ye sacred nine
— Alexander Pope, Selected Works
Capture the sacred moment.
— Lailah Gifty Akita
Prayers are a very personal and sacred thing. One prays when one feels like. Feel disgusted when I see people forcing others to pray, carry out certain rituals or chant the prayers loudly on loudspeakers.
— Neelam Saxena Chandra
Every sacred moment is made that way by sacrifice.
— Lance Conrad, The Price of Loyalty
A sacred spiritual-life is the greatest gratification
— Lailah Gifty Akita
What I see is sacred.
— Lailah Gifty Akita
My eye sees sacred things.
— Lailah Gifty Akita
The sacred soul knows the sacred voice of the Great God.
— Lailah Gifty Akita
The nod of a head is such a small thing, it can mean so little, yet it is the gesture of assent that allows, that makes to be. The nod is the gesture of power, the yes. The numen. the presence of the sacred, is called by its name.
— Ursula K. Le Guin
Embrace your sacred existence.
— Lailah Gifty Akita, Pearls of  Wisdom: Great  mind
Celebrate every moment of your sacred life on earth.
— Lailah Gifty Akita, Pearls of  Wisdom: Great  mind
Christmas is a sacred festival.
— Lailah Gifty Akita, Pearls of  Wisdom: Great  mind
Life is sacred breath.
— Lailah Gifty Akita, Think Great: Be Great!
The internet illuminates what has always been -- our interconnectedness. The internet is not a tool or a thing. It is how we communicate with God. It is sacred. Holy. All that time I thought I'd been far from God I wasn't. I'd been talking to God everyday for years -- online. The internet saved me from the hell of Christian fundamentalism and the despair of atheism. And then it saved my life.
— Jim Gilliam, The Internet is My Religion
In the sacred-time, all beatitudes manifest.
— Lailah Gifty Akita, Think Great: Be Great!
Life is greatest sacred existence
— Lailah Gifty Akita, Think Great: Be Great!
The journey of Transformation is a sacred one.
— Gia Combs-Ramirez, The Way of Transformation: Discovering The Divine Map to Unlock Your Highest Potential
The sacred moment, cannot be substitute for either yesterday or tomorrow.
— Lailah Gifty Akita, Think Great: Be Great!
Human beings have never agreed whether or not there is only one universal or sacred divine entity in a supposedly glorious and transcendent place.
— Duop Chak Wuol
The library remains a sacred place for secular folk ["What Libraries Can (Still) Do," The New York Review Daily, October 26, 2015].
— James Gleick
As noble (and often ignoble) creatures of the universe, the people of the world must acknowledge the nakedness of long held beliefs and be open to constructive criticism. Even if the criticism comes from within or without the structures held sacrosanct.
— Leviak B. Kelly, Religion: The Ultimate STD: Living a Spiritual Life without Dogmatics or Cultural Destruction
In olden times there were warriors, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants. Agriculture was said to be closer to the source of things than trade or manufacturing, and the farmer was said to be "the cupbearer of the gods." He was always able to get by somehow or other and have enough to eat.
— Masanobu Fukuoka, The One-Straw Revolution
I am learning to appreciate the gift of the moment.
— Lailah Gifty Akita, Pearls of  Wisdom: Great  mind
And becoming aware of one's true inner nature, instinctive gut feelings, is not generally thought by those who experience it to be in conflict with the essence of one's spiritual knowledge, but more of a Gnostic direct experience of the Sacred experienced in the gut or all of nature that is greater than us and is connected to us through the gut instincts.
— Martha Char Love, What's Behind Your Belly Button? A Psychological Perspective of the Intelligence of Human Nature and Gut Instinct
Spiritual love is when you see new faces as the oldest.
— Michael Bassey Johnson
We must learn that when people devalue any one Life, they devalue all Life.
— Donald L. Hicks, Look into the stillness
If you believe Life is sacred, you must also believe unnecessary killing is sacrilege.
— Donald L. Hicks, Look into the stillness
Maybe honor was in its twilight. Maybe it had always been heading that way. Or worse, maybe it had always been an illusion.
— Dennis Lehane, Sacred
Because nothing was sacred. Not in this world. Not in stones. Not in trees. Not in legacies. Certainly not in love.
— A. Lynn, Itsy's Ugly
The right to write is too sacred to be wrong with.
— Justin K. McFarlane Beau
I am copacetic with leaning on the sacred, but I need to make sure all the mundane bases are covered before we break out the crystals and incense for a good chant.
— Thomm Quackenbush, Pagan Standard Times: Essays on the Craft
Just smile and take a deep breath! Feel the sacred vibration of love and be in it! Now spread it by smiling at everyone you come in contact with. Not a fake but a smile filled with joy & love! Just smile.... you'll feel as you've never felt before! ~ UNIVERSE LOVES YOU & SO DO I ‪#‎StardustAK‬
— Abhishek Kumar
Each new day on earth is a sacred moment.
— Lailah Gifty Akita
The moment you say that any idea system is sacred, whether it’s a religious belief system or a secular ideology, the moment you declare a set of ideas to be immune from criticism, satire, derision, or contempt, freedom of thought becomes impossible.
— Salman Rushdie