Fiction Books Quotes

“He had a peanut the shape of a peanut on his back too and so was nutty through and through.”
― Molly Arbuthnott, Peanut the Hamster

“But, he duly ate the peanut and whoosh!”
― Molly Arbuthnott, Peanut the Hamster

“We rose from our chairs and bowed at each other, Japanese-style. The eight of them sat on the opposite side of the table to us, leaving the middle chair empty. All looking at us, no-one speaking a word. A long minute later, a very short, rather elderly lady – also dressed in funereal black – waddled in and seated herself in the empty chair in the middle of the row, directly facing us. She smiled; well, she attempted to twist her mouth. Too much effort. Her expression reverted to seriousness. Lin, sitting next to her, now spoke and introduced her as the Managing Director. She didn’t speak any English. Nor, it transpired, did any of the others – or if they did, we would never know, as either they weren’t brave enough to try or were inhibited by the business hierarchy. A scene that could have come out of Kafka.”
― Oliver Dowson, There's No Business Like International Business: Business Travel – But Not As You Know It

“In Brazil, every road, bridge and viaduct has been given a name, usually that of some long-forgotten personage who was once famous for doing something worthy. Honestly, every one of them; deeper into the country, I’ve even found unsurfaced dirt tracks given names. I’m never likely to have even five minutes of fame, but if I did, I don’t think I’d want to be remembered by a dirt track going from Nowhere Town to Obscure Village.”
― Oliver Dowson, There's No Business Like International Business: Business Travel – But Not As You Know It

“Mierda.” José screeched to a halt, and reversed to start a three-point turn – of which points two and three never materialised as, looking back, the road from where we’d come was now filled side-to-side by an advancing column of police, some with riot shields, some on horseback, marching towards us. José decided, quite reasonably in my opinion, that this wasn’t a place to be trapped so his passenger could try out his Spanish with the Venezuelan Riot Police. His solution – drive straight ahead at a tangent to the road, across a vast stretch of wasteland.”
― Oliver Dowson, There's No Business Like International Business: Business Travel – But Not As You Know It

“I love airports. I’m fascinated by how an airport runs seamlessly as one huge well-oiled machine, and to watch how, when things go wrong, as they do all the time, all those little crises are fixed by people running around like the T-cells of a mammalian immune system dealing with infections before they have chance to get out of control.”
― Oliver Dowson, There's No Business Like International Business: Business Travel – But Not As You Know It

“The questions appeared to be pre-rehearsed. The senior people spoke to the young one in Japanese, and he translated. I answered, and he translated back. Another one. Another one. And one more, that I felt needed a longer answer. Only then did I also notice that there was a clock on the wall opposite me, ticking past 11:59. I opened my mouth and began my answer. To my astonishment, mid-sentence, everyone just stood up, bowed, turned to their right and, in line, walked out of the room. Even while I was talking. They weren’t being rude. It’s just how meetings in Japan work.”
― Oliver Dowson, There's No Business Like International Business: Business Travel – But Not As You Know It

“His wife waved him farewell with a smile but, deep down, she had to admit that sometimes, when the night was dark and the winds stopped singing, she regretted ever meeting him, and that was true love.”
― Daniel Cuervonegro, Sins of the Maker

“This choice you make, if it’s real, born out of the love your mother left for you and your family deserves, if it’s made by the part of you that can only be honest, even when facing death, yours will be a life worth the world and everything in it. If this is the Erelim you’ll become, my Cae, then your failures and sins, your misgiving and crimes, will never stop me from loving you.”
― Daniel Cuervonegro, Sins of the Maker

“My conscience was at stake and you saved it against the rites of bitter religion. I never… there are things I can’t believe in, but… Angels don’t exist, but some people may as well be. You may as well be an angel to me.”
― Daniel Cuervonegro, Sins of the Maker

“I gently urged Clyde toward a big elm tree standing twenty yards from the front of the cabin and reined him to a stop partially behind the wide trunk. Pulled my rifle out of its boot and rested it across the big gelding’s withers. “You Wilbur Redhand?”
He kept whittling without looking up. “Who’s askin?”
“I’m Deputy Marshal Jubal Smoak. Looking for an outlaw named Crow Redhand. If you’re Wilbur, I was told you’re his kin.”
He nodded and kept whittling. Presently, he said, “Crow ain’t here. He come, but he left. Needed doctoring. Someone shot him in the foot.”
“Reckon that’d been me,” I said. “Had a shootout down near Fairland. I shot him in the foot. He shot me in the back.”
He squinted at me. “Surprised you’re alive. Crow usually aims to kill. Never knew him to miss.”
― Phil Truman, Dire Wolf of the Quapaw: a Jubal Smoak Mystery

“I’m Caitlin McDonald,” she said, loosening the thick wool scarf from around her neck and down off her face, motioning her chin toward the big male. “You’ve already met Hector and his gang.” When Major Standback said widow I pictured an older woman. Not this one. She was young, no more than thirty. The cold on the skin of her fine features made her face shine. She had the clean, clear beauty of a china doll.”
― Phil Truman, Dire Wolf of the Quapaw: a Jubal Smoak Mystery

“Being a friend. Isn’t that a beautiful choice to make?”
― Daniel Cuervonegro, Sins of the Maker

“While doing an enquiry on renowned horror author, “Edgar Allen Poe” I was astonished to notice how more successful his biographical books sold compared to his own books.”
― Chris Mentillo

“Don't get to old age and realise that instead of memories you have scars.”
― Louise Wise, Oh no, I've Fallen in Love!

“Woman— the reason God painted the sky a ray of blues. Did you notice the stars I asked the Lord to hang for you in the night? Well, you’ll have to forgive me—I felt a need to express myself for you, so I used the heavens as a palette to write. A love letter, woman, that would never ever die. The heavens bow down to you, the earth gives way to who you are, woman: the celebration of my heart.”
― Theresa A Ward, She Wore The Name

“Sarai could sense who was on the line. Cigarette smoke stifles and chokes the voice communicating over miles of copper cable linking the call, but no amount of distance could erase the familiar spirit that has clawed its way back.”
― Theresa A Ward, She Wore The Name

“This time she will not be foolish by closing her ears to the harkening of its warning. This time she shall listen.”
― Theresa A Ward, She Wore The Name

“She used to think that success was like gold, worth sifting through mud for, and that love would always be there, waiting somehow on the riverbanks for her when she was done panning. She couldn't imagine now why she thought that, given her background. She ought to have recognized love's scarcity early on. If success were gold, lying in rivers, love was a diamond, buried hundreds of feet beneath the surface of the earth and unrecognizable in its natural form.”
― Liane Moriarty

“My thoughts often are a war of fear and courage.”
― Myra Kaur, An Angel's Calling