Gretchen Louise

“The store smelled of old books and woodsmoke. A counter stood on the wall to his left, flanked by bookshelves and magazine racks. Photographs hung over the counter—pictures of authors, it looked like. Bookcases jutted out from the wall to his right, and bookshelves covered every wall, even under the windows. On the shelf before him, books ran in a proper row for half a shelf, then a stack of books on their sides. More books rested in front of the row, on top, wherever they fit. New books with crisp dust jackets stood beside older titles with spines shiny from wear. More books covered a table by the window, circled by two mismatched wooden chairs and a stuffed armchair.”
― Sarah Sundin, Until Leaves Fall in Paris

“You're prettier every time I see you. You got yourself a husband yet, lovie?"
I smiled. "No, not yet."
"Well, there's time enough for that. I've always been of a mind that a person should wait until they find the right one. No sense rushing into things. I've made that mistake often enough to know.”
― Ashley Weaver, The Key to Deceit

“I’ll explain this simple truth. If I were to ban sinners from this church, the pews would be empty. So would the pulpit.”
― Sarah Sundin, Until Leaves Fall in Paris

“Here all these years I thought that I was doing the right thing, staying with an abusive man for the sake of my daughters, but I saw now that even at nine years old my daughter knew that it was wrong for me to stay. She could see that I deserved more -- that I wasn't created to live a life of sorrow at the hands of a man who despised me.”
― Kelly Nielson, I'll Fly Away