Sharon Sala > Quotes

“As long as we draw breath, we owe it to the ones we loved and lost to live out our lives without wasting them on regrets.”
― Sharon Sala, The Warrior

“I didn't forget you. To this day, I have yet to walk through an airport without looking for your face, and every time it snows, I remember what it felt like to kiss you.”
― Sharon Sala, Second Chances

“I'm a woman. We mature faster than men, remember?”
― Sharon Sala, Second Chances

“You cry, girl. You cry all you want, and when you're through and all this pain is nothing but a memory, I will find a way to make you smile. Do you hear me China Brown? That's a promise from me to you.”
― Sharon Sala, Butterfly

“... he wasn't crying for the woman who had died. He was crying for the woman she had been.”
― Sharon Sala, Going Once

“There was a little girl, who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good . . .” His voice trailed off in the middle of the sentence.
Laura found herself caught in the intensity of his gaze and muttered the end of the rhyme. “. . . She was very, very good, and when she was bad . . .”
Gabriel finished what he had started, grinning at his own wit. “. . .She was better.”
Laura’s eyebrows arched as she hid a quick smile. “That’s not the way I learned it.”
Gabriel picked up his fork and dug back into his salsa-spiced eggs. “If you’d been a boy, you would have.”
― Sharon Sala, Reunion

“They’re our families, but they’re not us. Whatever hitches they carry in their steps does not cripple you or me.”
― Sharon Sala, A Thousand Lies

“Once I’m marked as the Hunter’s daughter, what man will ever love me? I won’t dare have children for fear they might turn out like him. No one will ever want me—ever!”
“That’s not true!” Bud yelled. “I want you! I’ve always wanted you.”
Holly choked, then clapped a hand over her mouth. Her pulse was roaring in her ears. Had she really heard that, or was it just her imagination?
Bud groaned. Now he’d done it, but by God, he wasn’t taking any of it back. When she didn’t answer, he knew she was shocked.
“Are you going to cry all night?”
“No,” Holly said, then winced. She sounded like a damn mouse, squeaking in the dark.
“Good. So keep your sweet ass in one piece and come home as soon as you can. Do you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Talk to you later.”
Holly shivered. “Later.”
The dial tone was suddenly buzzing in her ear. She dropped her phone and then covered her mouth with both hands, muffling her words.
“Oh, my God, oh, my God, he did not just say that.”
She bolted out of bed, dashed into the bathroom and flipped on the light. What she saw in the mirror made her wince. She looked like hell, with her hair all over the place, her eyes red and puffy, and her lips all swollen.
“Bud Tate loves me,” she whispered. It was her best dream come true.”
― Sharon Sala, Blood Trails

“Back in Tahoe, when he had broken the news to her that they had to go home, he had been put on the defensive by the fact that he was the one who’d had personal contact with a murdered woman.

He had the feeling now that she was never going to forgive him for what she viewed as rape, and this latest incident had only fueled her fire. For the first time in their married lives, she’d stood up to him and rejected his excuses. He was beginning to think she’d known about his dalliances for years but for her own reasons had chosen to play dumb. But when she’d learned that the police wanted to question him regarding Marsha Benton’s murder, her days of playing dumb seemed to have ended.

Penny feigned interest in her magazine, but inside, her thoughts were tumbling wildly.

Last night while Mark was in the shower, she’d called Ken Walters, their lawyer. Ken had started off by claiming he couldn’t divulge his conversations with Mark, at which point she promptly reminded him that the money in their house was hers first, not Mark’s, and if he wanted to stay on retainer for the Presley Corporation, he’d better start talking.

So he did.

Learning that Marsha had been pregnant when she was murdered had nearly sent her to her knees. Knowing that her body had been found on their oil lease outside Tyler only made what she was thinking worse. She’d known Mark was devious, but she’d never believed him capable of murder. Now she wasn’t so sure. What she was certain of was that she wasn’t going to be dragged down with him if he fell. Tonight they were back in Dallas in what had been her father’s home first and was now hers. This was her territory, and she wasn’t leaving anything to chance.

Mark glanced up from the chair where he’d been reading, watching the casual attitude with which Penny was sipping her drink. She was flipping through the pages of the magazine in her lap and humming beneath her breath as if nothing was wrong.

It was unnerving.

As he watched, he began to realize Penny wasn’t her father’s daughter by birth alone. There seemed to be more of the old man in her than he would have believed. Ever since he’d put his hands around her neck back in Tahoe, she had been cold and unyielding, even when he’d apologized profusely.

Then, when he’d had to tell her that the police demanded his presence back in Dallas for questioning regarding Marsha Benton’s death, she’d been livid. He’d tried to explain, but she wasn’t having any of it. He didn’t want to lose her. He couldn’t lose her. Even though the world assumed that Mark Presley was the reigning power behind the Presley Corporation, it was really Penny. Mark had the authority simply because Penny was his wife. If she kicked his ass to the curb, the only thing he would be taking with him were the bruises.”
― Sharon Sala, Nine Lives

“He had turned forty yesterday, and a bunch of his friends had thrown a big party for him down at the bar across the street from his bail bond office. The beer had been flowing freely. They’d even sprung for a day-old cake from the deli section of one of the big grocery stores across town. Their gift to Wilson had been Wanelle, the prettiest hooker on their side of the city, which was a title Wanelle held proudly, even if her claim to fame came from a real long stretch of the truth.

Still, Wanelle had all her own teeth and clear skin, and she was almost pretty when she laughed. Wilson knew her slightly. He’d seen her around Ft. Worth from time to time, but buying a woman had never been his style. He’d felt trapped when Wanelle had been presented to him, especially since his buddies had tied a big red bow around her neck. Turning her down would have been a serious social faux pas to his friends and to Wanelle. So, rather than hurt everyone’s feelings, Wilson had graciously accepted, and they’d spent the night in her fifth floor apartment, only to be awakened by the scent of smoke.”
― Sharon Sala, Nine Lives

“SIGN”
― Sharon Sala, I'll Stand By You

“When she was six, she and her mother had been shopping for groceries when they’d been hit by a drunk driver. It had killed her mother instantly and put Cat in the hospital for days. When she was finally dismissed, her mother’s funeral was over, and she and her father were on their own.

Over the years, she learned to adjust, and she and her father grew closer. Then, just before her thirteenth birthday, and only days before she and her father were planning to leave on vacation, a man with a tattooed face broke into their house, stabbed her father and cut her throat, leaving her unable to scream as she watched him die.

After that, the Texas Social Services system finished the raising of Catherine Dupree, during which time she’d acquired the nickname Cat.”
― Sharon Sala, Nine Lives

“Money does not establish class. Behavior does,”
― Sharon Sala, Don't Back Down

“I’ve lived a long time, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that life can be heartbreaking, but as long as it’s given to us, it’s precious despite the pain,”
― Sharon Sala, Last Rites

“l. She
dared one more quick look at the tat, but her attention soon
moved to the size of the muscle on which it had been inked.
Definitely leer-worthy. When he passed beside her on his
way toward the back of the room, she caught a whiff of sexy
aftershave and stifled a groan. Millicent was going to be all
a-twitter over him. Tara just knew it.
When she heard someone behind her whisper, “He’s
sooo hot,” she couldn’t help but silently agree.
But it was another girl’s answer that made her curious.
“Yeah . . . but no one in her right mind would mess with
him.”
“Bethany did.”
“But not for long.”
“Yeah. Right.”
Ahah. Bethany must be the girl glaring at him beside the
teacher’s desk.”
― Sharon Sala, My Lunatic Life

“Hello, Presley residence.”

“Mrs. Presley, this is Dallas Memorial. I have—”

Penny started to weep. “Oh my God, he’s dead, isn’t he?”

“No, no, Mrs. Presley. Quite the contrary. The doctor wanted you to know that we think your husband is waking up.”

Penny’s emotions shuddered to a stop. Not dead? Not dead after all? Waking up? What the hell was all this about?”
― Sharon Sala, Nine Lives

“The last thing she needed was to fall for someone again.
Before the move from Denver, she’d had her first serious
boyfriend. Millicent had gone along on every one of their
dates, suddenly determined to play chaperone. Uncle Pat’s
decision to move came just as the relationship was heating
up
Tara sagged. Why bother falling for another guy? It would
hurt too much when Uncle Pat pulled up stakes again.
My life sucks, she thought.”
― Sharon Sala, My Lunatic Life

“At least once a month Choo Choo managed to get lost. There were constant reports about animals who could find their way home across hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of miles. Choo Choo continued to get lost within the block on which it lived. It was his opinion that Choo Choo had the homing instincts of a fart—once having escaped, it would lose its point of origin, yet never get far enough away to ignore.”
― Sharon Sala, Reunion

“… sometimes poverty was more than a lack of money: it was a frustration with life that often turned itself inside out and made nice people do ugly things to the ones they loved.”
― Sharon Sala, Queen

“She frowned, thinking of going down there and explaining herself all over again, reliving the horror of finding Mimi’s body and trying not to think of how she’d looked when they’d dragged her up and out of the ravine. No sooner had she thought it than she heard Mimi’s voice, chastising her over a year ago.

“You hide from life, Catherine. Even when you’re in the middle of it, standing toe to toe with all the bad guys you bring in, you manage to keep an emotional distance. I understand why you do it, but ultimately, you’re the one who will suffer. You’re the one who’s going to grow old alone.”

Cat blinked back tears, remembering what she’d told her.

I won’t be alone, Mimi. I’ll always have you.

Obviously she had been wrong.”
― Sharon Sala, Nine Lives

“She fell asleep within minutes, unaware that the rain that had been falling since evening had turned to sleet, or that the roads were becoming impassable.

As she slept, she began to dream, but instead of a continuous scene, it consisted of images flashing through her mind, like looking at old pictures in an album.



Cat was sitting at the kitchen table. Her mother was standing beside her, laughing as she set a birthday cake in front of her. There were four candles on her cake, and her daddy was taking a picture.

“Smile,” he’d said.

She looked up just as the flash went off.



She was still blinking from the flash when the image shifted. It was cold. The blowing wind burned her skin. She was at a cemetery, staring down at a small, flat marker. Cat couldn’t read, but somehow she knew it bore hermother’s name. She could hear her father crying. It scared her worse than the fact that her mother had gone away.

“Daddy…where did she go?”

“Heaven.”

“Is it far?”

“Yes.”

“Can we go, too?”



She never heard his answer, because the image shifted again. This time, she was being led through a long series of hallways. The smell of orange oil from wood polish burned her nose. The sound of her footsteps echoed on the tiled floors. Yesterday she’d been in the hospital. She’d asked to go home. But someone had told her she couldn’t go home because there was no one left to take care of her. The horror of that knowledge had frightened her so much that she’d been afraid to ask what came next.

She walked through an open door as a woman said her name. The woman took her by the hand, and they walked away. She couldn’t see the woman’s face. She never remembered the faces, and it didn’t matter, because they never stayed the same.”
― Sharon Sala, Nine Lives

“All the way home, he cursed Presley and his captain for sending him out on this wild goose chase in the middle of the night. His wife was in the bathroom getting ready for work by the time he strode into the house. He was taking off his clothes as he went through the house. By the time he got to the bathroom, intending to clean up, he found her in the act of getting out of the shower.

Mistaking his nudity for something else, his wife took one look at her naked husband as he entered the bathroom and then wrinkled her nose.

“Oh, for God’s sake, Joe. Not now. I’m going to be late for work.”

As she swept past him with her nose in the air, she paused long enough to offer a comment.

“You need to shower. You stink!”

“Do you think?” he asked sarcastically, and turned loose of the last bit of guilt for leaving a trail of tainted clothes all through the house.

By the time she figured out that she’d misread the situation, he was in a fresh set of clothes and on his way out the door.”
― Sharon Sala, Nine Lives

“Bea’s smile softened. “I was that connected to my Robert, as well. In many ways, losing him was worse than losing Leah. She was my blood, but he was my heart.”
― Sharon Sala, Going Gone

“When I first got the news, I was devastated,” Annie said. And then her chin tilted in a defiant gesture, as if daring him to begrudge her her fear. “Actually, I was scared out of my wits.” Gabe heard the tremble in her voice, but he gave her no evidence”
― Sharon Sala, Annie and the Outlaw

“Don’t leave your room again until I get there.”
Holly’s heart leaped; then her eyes filled with tears. “You’re coming here?”
“My plane leaves Missoula at six o’clock tomorrow morning. I’ll be in St. Louis around 2:00 p.m. if there are no delays.”
“Thank you, Bud, thank you so much.”
“I don’t need thanks.”
Holly shivered. The gruff, raspy tone in his voice rattled her. Even as she asked the question, she knew what he was going to say.
“What do you need?”
“Just you, baby.”
“That scares me, too,” she whispered.
Bud pinched the bridge of his nose to quell a surge of panic. Was this where she told him that she didn’t feel the same way he did? He had to make it right. He couldn’t bear it if she suddenly became afraid or uneasy around him.
“It’s okay. I shouldn’t have ever said anything to—”
“No, you misunderstand me,” Holly said softly. “I’m not scared of you. I’ve loved you for years.”
Bud could have wept with relief. “Then it’s all good,” he said softly. “I just want you to stay safe until I can get to you. Can you promise to do that for me?”
“I didn’t leave the room all day,” Holly said. “I won’t budge until you get here, I promise.”
“Thank you, honey,” he said. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get through this thing you’re dealing with, but we’ll do it together, so you won’t be in any danger, okay?”
“Okay.”
“I love you, Holly.”
The breath caught in Holly’s throat. “I love you, too.”
“Thank you, God,” Bud said, and hung up.”
― Sharon Sala, Blood Trails

“he was so focused on watching where Presley went that she almost didn’t see the man he was with until they stopped beneath a security light, their backs to her. She first noticed the other man then, and was shocked at his size. Then her gaze moved to the thick bush of curly hair pulled into a pony tail at the back of his neck, and she wondered how he ever got something that unruly washed and dried. It wasn’t until he turned sideways that she got a momentary glimpse of his profile.

As she did, a strange, anxious feeling skittered through her belly, then quickly disappeared. The stranger didn’t matter. He couldn’t matter. It was time to make her move. She had to stop Presley now, before he went any farther. She reached toward the glove box for her handgun and taser, slipped the taser in her pocket and was reaching for the door latch when the big man turned and faced her.

For a full fifteen or twenty seconds, Cat had a clear and unfettered view of his face, and in those seconds, the world fell out from under her.

She didn’t know that she started moaning, or that she’d broken out in a cold sweat. All she knew was that she was no longer in her car in a San Antonio parking lot but back in her childhood home, trying to run from the intruder who’d come out of their bathroom.



She was screaming for her father when the intruder’s arm slid around her chest and lifted her off her feet. She saw the strange geometric designs on his arm, then on the side of his face, as the cold slash of steel from his knife suddenly slid against her throat. The coppery scent of her own blood was thick in her nose as he dropped her to the floor, leaving her to watch as he slammed the same knife into her father over and over again. She tried to scream, but the sounds wouldn’t come. The last things she saw before everything went black were the look of sorrow on her father’s face and the demon who’d killed them running out the front door.”
― Sharon Sala, Nine Lives

“As long as we draw breath, we have the option to change what we don’t like.”
― Sharon Sala, A Rainbow Above Us

“Coal Town was primed like a john with a hard-on. All they needed was a willing hooker and it would blow.”
― Sharon Sala, A Field Of Poppies

“I love you, Robert Tate.”
Bud fingered her ring. “I love you, too. I think I’m going to rest now. Promise you won’t go anywhere without me.”
“I promise.”
He closed his eyes.
Holly lay facing him, burning every nuance of his misery into her brain. She was determined to remember, when she was in labor giving birth to their first child, that, for the love of his woman, he’d been the first to bear pain.”
― Sharon Sala, Blood Trails

“She sat on the side of the bed with her bare feet firmly on the thick Berber carpeting and tried to maintain a sense of calm. No need to let her emotions get the best of her. It wasn’t as if this was a disappointment, exactly. Still, as she got up to get dressed, she couldn’t help but think how much simpler this all would be if he’d gone ahead and died. Now the police would get involved, and there was nothing she could do to separate herself from the mess that was bound to come.”
― Sharon Sala, Nine Lives