Jacqualine Balandran > Jacqualine's Quotes

“Just as Wallace learned and evolved, Ali was on his own journey of discovery. Starting out as a 15-year-old cook, Ali learned to collect and mount specimens. He took on responsibility for organizing travel. He nursed Wallace during many bouts of fever and injury.”
― Paul Spencer Sochaczewski, "Look Here, Sir, What a Curious Bird": Searching for Ali, Alfred Russel Wallace's Faithful Companion

“It became visible as a firefly in the dark that the political climate was swiftly getting more and more oppressive.”
― Rafael Polo, Growing Up American

“I said, leave her alone!” Her saviour was a slim young man with blonde hair tied back in a pony tail, and even in the gloom his eyes seemed to burn with ice-cold intensity.”
― Robert Reid, The Thief

“Captain Vaselik was her only chance. She re-tied her kerchief, smoothed her clothes as much as possible and hoped she looked presentable enough as she and the children left for headquarters.”
― Beverly Magid, Sown in Tears: A Historical Novel of Love and Struggle

“Never Give Up!”
― Michael Parker

“Errabat nudo per loca sola pede.

She was wandering barefoot through lonely places.”
― Ovid

“I got myself to the middle and sort of groped along there with one hand out in front.
And something groped back at me.
It sort of dabbed at me, whatever it was, wet and cold and desperate. It groped at my hand and then at my face. I went backward with a shriek and sat down in a puddle. It had felt like a snake. But the thing shrieked and went backward too. The ground shook under my behind. I sat staring, shaking all over. There was just enough gray light for me to pick out what seemed to be a couple of small trees, with the snake coiling this way and that down from them. I thought I must have walked into a forest.
"Oh, please!" said the forest--unless it was the snake. "Help me! I'm lost! I'm stuck!"
"What kind of a snake are you?" I said.
"I'm not a snake! I'm an elephant!" it said despairingly.
Elephants that talked now! I thought. But I'd already met a panther that I could understand, so, why not? It was all one long, mad dream.
"It's more like a nightmare, I think," the elephant objected. "And I"m not exactly talking. You must be good at picking up four-legged thoughts. Please help me!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, The Merlin Conspiracy

“As a young child I wanted to be a writer because writers were rich and famous. They lounged around Singapore and Rangoon smoking opium in a yellow pongee silk suit. They sniffed cocaine in Mayfair and they penetrated forbidden swamps with a faithful native boy and lived in the native quarter of Tangier smoking hashish and languidly caressing a pet gazelle.”
― William S. Burroughs, The Adding Machine: Selected Essays

“Yet, with all that, no one dared to interfere. Burke had exhausted all his eloquence in trying to induce the British Government to fight the revolutionary government of France, but Mr. Pitt, with characteristic prudence, did not feel that this country was fit yet to embark on another arduous and costly war. It was for Austria to take the initiative; Austria, whose fairest daughter was even now a dethroned queen, imprisoned and insulted by a howling mob; surely 'twas not—so argued Mr. Fox—for the whole of England to take up arms, because one set of Frenchmen chose to murder another.”
― Emmuska Orczy, The Scarlet Pimpernel

“The more you love, the more you can love--and the more intensely you love. Nor is there any limit on how many you can love. If a person had time enough, he could love all of that majority who are decent and just.”
― Robert A. Heinlein

“Freedom!- is the fatuous jingle of our civilization, but only those deprived of it have the barest inkling re: what the stuff actually is.”
― David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

“He desperately tried to think of a story to explain his involvement in her sudden appearance, without mentioning the book of magic in his possession.
 ”
― Max Nowaz, The Three Witches and the Master

“You were always afraid of being caught while making love, and that fear never allowed you to completely surrender to any of your partners.”
― Rebecca Harlem, The Pink Cadillac

“No one can make you feel inferior unless you allow them to.”
― Sherman Kennon

“I understand more that pain is evidence to our awakening to truth and also a measure of closeness to truth.”
― Adam Scott Huerta, Motive Black

“She stood panting as adrenalin fired up her muscles. Flipping open the safety catches on both of her laser pistols, she set them for maximum delivery. Anything or anyone on the receiving end of these weapons would never survive, even as atoms.”
― A.R. Merrydew, The Girl with the Porcelain Lips

“This sounds admirable! I do so much admire what you are doing. Using this wonderful old house.”
― Elizabeth Tebby Germaine, A MAN WHO SEEMED REAL: A story of love, lies, fear and kindness

“I walked past Malison, up Lower Main to Main and across the road. I didn’t need to look to know he was behind me. I entered Royal Wood, went a short way along a path and waited. It was cool and dim beneath the trees. When Malison entered the Wood, I continued eastward. 
I wanted to place his body in hallowed ground. He was born a Mearan. The least I could do was send him to Loric. The distance between us closed until he was on my heels. He chose to come, I told myself, as if that lessened the crime I planned. He chose what I have to offer.
We were almost to the cemetery before he asked where we were going. I answered with another question. “Do you like living in the High Lord’s kitchens?”
He, of course, replied, “No.”
“Well, we’re going to a better place.”
When we reached the edge of the Wood, I pushed aside a branch to see the Temple of Loric and Calec’s cottage. No smoke was coming from the chimney, and I assumed the old man was yet abed. His pony was grazing in the field of graves. The sun hid behind a bank of clouds.
Malison moved beside me. “It’s a graveyard.”
“Are you afraid of ghosts?” I asked.
“My father’s a ghost,” he whispered.
I asked if he wanted to learn how to throw a knife. He said, “Yes,” as I knew he would.  He untucked his shirt, withdrew the knife he had stolen and gave it to me. It was a thick-bladed, single-edged knife, better suited for dicing celery than slitting a young throat. But it would serve my purpose. That I also knew. I’d spent all night projecting how the morning would unfold and, except for indulging in the tea, it had happened as I had imagined. 
Damut kissed her son farewell. Malison followed me of his own free will. Without fear, he placed the instrument of his death into my hand. We were at the appointed place, at the appointed time. The stolen knife was warm from the heat of his body. I had only to use it. Yet I hesitated, and again prayed for Sythene to show me a different path.
“Aren’t you going to show me?” Malison prompted, as if to echo my prayer.”
― K. Ritz, Sheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master

“The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it.”
― Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

“She reads books as one would breathe air to fill up and live.”
― Annie Dillard

“because it’s my job. It’s how I make my living. And I’ll tell you somethin’ else: It’s damn hard work bein’ a girl full”
― John Berendt, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

“I get it, she's your rock. Your anchor in the storm. ~Bo~”
― Lucian Bane, No Mercy

“Cream cheese is the perfect blank slate from which to make a flavorless sandwich spread that can serve as an alternative to mayonnaise or butter. Or use it as God intended: on a fresh, toasted bagel.”
― Irma S. Rombauer, Joy of Cooking

“What I mean is, things like that happen. They may seem might cruel and unfair, but that's how life is a part of the time. But that isn't the only way life is. A part of the time, it's mighty good. And a man can't afford to waste all the good part, worrying about the bad parts. That makes it all bad”
― Fred Gipson, Old Yeller