Pondering The Poignant Passage

Years ago, when I first started writing my historical romance, RÆLIKSEN, it was for pleasure. I loved to write, and I always have. I guess you could say writing was a hobby, though I've always wanted to be an author ever since I was a little girl. At the age of *ahem* let's just say in my thirties, it was a run-of-the-mill pipe dream, never thinking I had it in me to finish a work in progress.

But once I wrote the final words of my project, the idea of pursuing publication didn't seem all that out of reach. It made sense to want to take a computer document filled with my sweat, blood, and tears and turn it into an actual book I could hold in my hands. I aspired to have a beautiful cover, complete with copyright page, ISBN, and a dedication. Logically, it seemed like the next step. Fast forward a bit, and I found myself signed with a small press, my pipe dream turning into a reality.

Now, I'm not superstitious by any stretch of the imagination, but along the way, I took notice of a few sayings or poignant sentences that struck me to the point of either remembering them word for word, or displaying them as a daily reminder.

The first of those was a fortune I found in my cookie not long after I signed. It read: "You will be honored with a prestigious prize or reward." As an author, one can not help but think of the ever-coveted title of NY Times Best Selling Author! and for that reason, it's been taped to my laptop ever since. Chances are, I'll not get to earn that esteemed label anytime soon, but I desire it just the same. Having it in plain sight reminds me of why I'm working so hard.

Looking around me, I realized I've collected many other quotes that have a special meaning me. For instance, hanging at the base of my King Arthur of Camelot picture (one of the most well known romance legends ever), is a saying that sums it all up for us romance authors: "And they lived happily ever after." Though it's become a hackneyed adage throughout the years, losing most of its spontaneous flare, I can't help but smile at its moving relevance.

Another quote that reminds me of the simple truths in life is "LOVE reveals all things, believes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." No matter how hard I try to develop yet another compelling story into which my readers can immerse themselves, sometimes it seems my hero and heroine just can't make it work in the end. Reading this quote, I'm reminded that nothing is impossible. That I can, through the magic of my words, bring two unlikely people together in a love story one will never forget.

By now, you've probably guessed that I LOVE quotes. (Hence, my Saturday Soulful Quotes segment at Nice N Naughty Authors blog every month.) And because I enjoy the "quoted text" so much, I'd like to share a few of my favorite quotes that will forever remain embedded in my head:

• Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights


• There is no friend as loyal as a book.  Ernest Hemingway


• All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them. Walt Disney


• Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln


• Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. William Shakespeare

And since we're on the subject, here are two quotes from my first two historical romances:

• “You are correct in saying that desires often come from things we cannot easily gain—mine, being that of your love. By all accounts, I do wish I could steal it. But I am not that sort of man. I will wait. Forever and a day…I will wait.” Dægan Ræliksen, RÆLIKSEN


• “Mara, you are my next breath. You are the reason I breathe at all.” Breandán Mac Laim, MAC LIAM

So, how about you? What quotes do you key into, either famous or made up on the fly, and use in your day to day lives? As a reader, do you swoon at the heart-stopping things the hero says to the heroine and make a mental note of its brilliance? And, for the authors in the crowd, what inspirational written text has remained planted in your mind?

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