Lauren Myracle

“You're allowed to have thoughts, she reminded herself. Just because others might scoff, that doesn't mean you won't anymore.”

“I suppose she's right. It's like a metaphor for life: No one wants an ornery old goat, but we can't resist opening the door ayway. We can't keep from hoping.”

“One: Don't play leapfrog with elephants.Two: Don't pet a tiger unless his tail is wagging.Three: Never, ever, mess with the Ladies Auxiliary.-Mayberry Rules for a Long, Happy Life”

“What I find cool about being a banned author is this: I'm writing books that evoke a reaction, books that, if dropped in a lake, go down not with a whimper but a splash.”

“If everyone started off the day singing, just think how happy they'd be.”

“So as a seventh grader, no, you weren't friends with people you didn't like. But sometimes you also weren't friends with people you did like, which was complicated, and which didn't make any sense if you tried to explain it. Sometimes things just changed. That's where the sadness came in.”

“So, as a seventh grader,no, you weren't friends with people you didnt like. But sometimesyou also werent friends with people you did like, which was complicated, and which didnt make any sence if you tried to explain it. Sometimes things just changed. Thats where the sadness came in.”

“I understand why parents worry about books - they're worried about their kids. They want to keep their kids safe. But parents aren't always realistic.”

“Sometimes I worry I'm writing 'Fifty Shades of Grey' for teenagers, but I'm not.”

“Every time I write a new book, I want to push myself to try something different.”

“I'm always drawn to the underdogs, to the people whose stories don't get told.”

“It's neither my job nor within my capabilities to save people. But a book sure can try.”

“Any sentence that combined "I love you" and "but" could not be good.”

“Can you just trust in our love, without asking me to prove it every single second?”

“Kids are smart. Knowledge is power. Let them figure things out. Don't turn into that grown-up who they won't come to.”

“You will love the ocean. It makes you feel so... I don't know. Small, but not in a bad way. Small because you realize you're part of something bigger.”

“God, it sucks to disappoint your parents, even at forty-two years old.”

“I don't shy from controversy. I'm telling stories, and I'll tell whatever story seems like it wants to be told.”