“When you sell a man a book you don’t sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue—you sell him a whole new life. Love and friendship and humor and ships at sea by night—there’s all heaven and earth in a book.”
“Sweet Pillsbury Doughboy, this is my idea of porn. Keller James sitting before me, praising my baking. If my bakery plan falls apart I know what my next venture will be. Bakery porn. It’ll be nothing but attractive men eating my cookies. The camera will zoom in as their tongues flicker over their lips, sweeping up every last morsel. They’ll probably be shirtless too. I bet I can get subscribers to pay at least four ninety-nine a month for such a service.”
“It was full of whispered words, the lure of stories waiting to be read, a rustle of promise that hung in the air. How many adventures were hidden here in paper and ink, how many great love stories, how many epic battles?”
I see a square-jawed woman with shoulder-length blonde hair in waves and cool blue eyes. I know she wants to reach out to me, but my rejection is stopping her. I realize with shock that Mama is actually starting to be afraid of me. The loving, laughing girl she brought up for twelve years is becoming a stranger. And there’s nothing I can do to stop this now. It’s as if I need to disconnect in order to prepare for my new life.
