Heather Dillingham

“Jess drew the way some people drink whiskey. The peace would start at the top of his muddled brain and seep down through his tired and tensed-up body.”
― Katherine Paterson, Bridge to Terabithia

“The mightiest oak tree in Wild Acres was even larger than its two cousins that flanked the crossroads. The base spanned the ground like a giant claw, its network of visible roots gripping the earth with a ferocious intensity. Its branches spread high and wide, a desperate reach for the heavens. A low-lying cloud hovered above the treetops, within sight but not within reach. The scene reminded me of Michelangelo’s famous frescoes on the Sistine Chapel ceiling—the finger of God stretched toward Adam’s. In this moment, I understood why certain cultures believed that trees served as the bridge to both the underworlds and the heavens. I”
― Annabel Chase, Play Dead

“Letting go meant you accepted what couldn't be changed. You didn't try to hold on to hope in order to coerce a change in fortune...nor did you battle against superior forces of fate and try to make them capitulate to your will...nor did you beg for salvation because you assumed you knew better. Letting go meant you stared at what was before you with clear eyes, recognizing that unfettered choice was the exception and destiny the rule.”
― J.R. Ward, Lover Unbound

“Though she remained earthbound, the freedom in her soul made her fly.”
― J.R. Ward, Lover Enshrined