A castle of defense, a bastion of might fort where the wise teach the young to fight An armory of weapons, sharp as hooks Are wrapped in leather and shelved as books

— Shannon Hale

A cat can make you feel well rested when you're tired or turn a rage into a calm just by sitting on your lap. His very nearness is a healing song.

— Shannon Hale

All I've ever wanted was to be near you.

— Shannon Hale

And ISI always listened, never told Anna she had been foolish, never said hollow things like 'You'll be all right.' . . . ISI saw Anna's struggle and her sadness, and she understood.

— Shannon Hale

And this is where I'll end, before I know what happens next.

— Shannon Hale

ANI saw herself clearly at that moment, as a face in darkness gains sudden dimensions in a flash of lightning - a young girl, a silly thing, a lapdog, a broken mare.

— Shannon Hale

Ashlynn washed her face, put on an apron, and then opened wide the door to her shoe closet. This princess wouldn't care if she wore a burlap sack every day, so long as she had dozens of footwear choices. Today she settled on a pair of scrappy teal wedges and went to start breakfast. Even though her father's grand house came fully stocked with servants, her mother believed in good, solid, character-forming chores. After all, Ashlynn would inherit her mother's story and become the next Cinderella someday, and there would be lots of floors to mop and hearths to sweep her Happily Ever After.

— Shannon Hale

Being a writer is a good, good thing.

— Shannon Hale

Briar stood, pushing up her sleeves. 'It's about to get all nonfiction in here'.

— Shannon Hale

But, how do you know if an ending is perfect for the characters unless you've traveled with them through every page?

— Shannon Hale