“You got one life, never use it just to breathe.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“Wherever you are, however you got there, if it's good, you're meant to be there either because you earned it or life led you there and you were smart enough to hold on.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“There are very few, very fuckin' few people, Kia, who get what's precious in this world. They work their asses off for pure shit and think they'd fight and die to keep it. You don't fight and die for shit. You fight and die for things that matter. You are the first woman I've met outside a life that leads you to understand that shit who gets that. And straight up, baby, you gotta know, I like that a fuckuva lot.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“Anywhere is heaven as long as it's with you.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“Then he muttered like he was talking to himself, "I don't know if I want her to figure out she's fuckin' gorgeous so she isn't so fuckin' clueless when a player marks her or if I'm glad I finally got one who looks as good as her and has no fuckin' clue."
"Are you wanting me to participate in this discussion or are you having a conversation with yourself?"
"You're participation isn't required," Sam replied... and I looked up to see him grinning.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“There were smiles, chin jerks, head nods, handshakes and so much hot guy hormone floating in the air around them it was a wonder every female in a two block radius didn’t instantly become pregnant.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“Make him work to unlock your secrets, my Kia," she whispered. "Do not accept another man in your life who does not rise to that challenge and do it gallantly.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“I know you're freaked, I know you're scared and I know you can come up with a million reasons that you're not ready, all of which will be excuses. But now that I know exactly what's behind those shields you got up... you gotta know that knowin' that makes me no less into you... In fact, it makes me more into you... And you'll learn, because I'll prove it to you, I'll never hurt you.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“In a healthy relationship, you're allowed to get pissed and in my face. Fuck, I need you to do that so I know what buttons not to push, where I can't go and avoid those places. And I'll do the same for you. Its part of learning how to take care of each other. Its fightin but its a form of communication and it's also a form of trust. We have words, we come to terms, we learn about each other and we move on stronger.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“Fuck me, how a woman can be so transparent and so full of shit at the same time is beyond me, but, baby, you got it down to an art”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“He must have caught my vibe because his eyes cut to me then he said into his phone, “Kia’s about to have a shit fit or a breakdown. I gotta be available for either one.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“I didn’t just want your light, your power, your strength. I wanted all of you. I asked for it. I fought for it. But you kept it from me and you did it willingly knowing I needed it. I’m sorry, Sam, I’ve made my decision. I thought I could do it but I was wrong. It’s all or nothing.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“He looked at my mouth then he looked in my eyes then his arm and hand gave me a squeeze before he stated, “Now, I think she finally fuckin’ gets me.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“He stopped in the doorway and his eyes flicked to Sam whereupon he mumbled, “Dude, cool to meet you, big fan,” then he looked back at me and exploded, “Seriously, Kiakee, what… the… fuck?”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“You know, Sam, it’s beginning to piss me off how you figure me out. How the heck am I supposed to be intriguing and mysterious if you keep figuring me out?”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“Learn from them, baby. You got one life, never use it just to breathe.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“And it was then I knew I was wrong. I wasn’t falling in love with Sam. I was already there.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“You get that he took something precious from you, your ability to trust.... He took that from you, now's your time to fight and get it back...Just live in the now, Kia, keep livin' in the now and when I say that, right now.."
"That doesn't make me any less scared, Sam," I whispered in his ear and he lifted his head and looked down at me."
"He strapped you with that too, baby. Fight back and learn to be fearless.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“I’m gonna take care of you,” Sam whispered against my lips.
“Okay,” I whispered back.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“You’re beautiful always, but you make a little dress and high heels look fuckin’ spectacular and when your face looks just… like… that, honey, you take my breath away.”
God, God, God, I loved this man.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“Shit comes up, I'm here to help you sort it out and, baby, I like where I am a fuckuca lot because you are real, that's the whole reason I like where I am," he grinned again, "outside the fact you're fuckin' gorgeous, you got great fuckin' legs, you look good in clothes and a fuckuva lot better out of them. His grin faded, his eyes changed, they warmed in a way they warmed me and he finished, "So don't worry about that. If it happens, roll with it, I'm here and I'll roll with it with you.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“I see it Kia, and I get this is gonna take effort. But what I’m sensin’ is, you don’t notice I’m makin’ that effort. Don’t fuck up, baby, and, out of habit, reinforce your shields to hold back a threat that doesn’t exist. You get me?”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“I ran through a restaurant like the fraught heroine in a romantic comedy," I reminded him in a whisper. "That's crazy. That's drama. That's -"
"Real," he cut me off. "Shit was overwhelming you, you had a reaction and you're allowed, Kia. You didn't hide that either." He moved, rolling me and pulling us down in the bed so my head was to the pillows, his arms were still around me, his torso was resting on mine and his face was super close. "What you didn't do was, when I fucked up, hurt your feels, you didn't call me on it. I keep tellin' you I'm not him and I'll keep doin' it until you work him outta you, baby, but, in a healthy relationship, you're allowed to get pissed and in my face. Fuck, I need you to do that so I know what buttons not to push, where I can't go and avoid those places. And I'll do the same for you. Its part of learning how to take care of each other. Its fightin but its a form of communication and it's also a form of trust. We have words, we come to terms, we learn about each other and we move on stronger.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“I am not him, Kia. Your dead husband... was an asshole. And now he's gone. You're in bed with me... I'm here because I wanna be here... and when we're done talkin' about that asshole and he's gone again, I'm gonna get you wet and hot for me and I'm gonna be in you because I wanna be in you...There are not many men who would not kill [to be here] and that man is now me and and he's gonna be me for a good long time.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“Today, I show you Lake Como even though I don’t know fuck all about Lake Como; I do know how to drive a boat. Tonight, no parties, no friends, no nothing. You, me, dinner. Later tonight, just you and me. You with me?”
“I’m with you,” I whispered, and I was with him. So with him.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“It was a nice compromise, something I'd never experienced before in my life. With Cooter I did the compromising, I didnt know what it was like to have a fair dose of what I wanted before I gave in to what someone else wanted.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“What you need is to let go of that emotion you’re holdin’ back and what I need is for you to give it to me.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“Your scent does not precede you, it also doesn’t define you. Any scent you wear is a discovery.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
“Learn from them, baby,” he whispered. “You got one life, never use it just to breathe.”
― Kristen Ashley, quote from Heaven and Hell
Kristen Ashley
Born place: in Gary, Indiana, The United States
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“When an enlisted man sees his commanding officer lose his head entirely…,” Private Taylor wrote, “it would…demoralize anyone taught to breathe, almost, at the word of command.”
― Nathaniel Philbrick, quote from The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn
“Muffled footsteps sounded in the distance. Goldie heard a shout, and the heavy clank of punishment chains. The footsteps came closer. A boy began to sing in a hoarse, adolescent voice. "Awa-a-a-y, across the ocean-a-an, awa-a-a-y, across the sea-a-a-a-."
There was a slap, and a yell. The singing stopped, but only for a moment. When it started up again, there were a dozen or more voices, all caterwauling at the top of their lungs. "-I'll go-o-o-o where my heart takes me, where my-y-y-y love waits for me-e-e-e-e."
A pause. A furious adult's voice said, "It's not your love that's waiting for you, you little villains, it's the House of Repentance! Deliberate destruction of property, putting the lives of others at risk, oh you're in for it, you are!"
Clank clank clank, went the punishment chains. "I’ve be-e-e-e-en away so long, dear, I've tra-a-a-aveled far and wi-i-i-i-i-ide-" sang the voices.
Goldie edged along the wall and eased the door open. There was a bustle and a shoving and a clanking, and suddenly the corridor in front of her was full of boys, milling backward and forward, rattling their chains and singing loudly. They were all older than Goldie, but they wore the same gray threadbare smock and leggings. Somewhere in the middle of them were two Blessed Guardians. The smell of burning hung over them all.
There was no time to think. Goldie couldn't see Toadspit, but she was sure he must be there somewhere. She whispered a quick "thank you" to Bald Thoke, then she stepped out into the corridor and tucked herself between two of the boys.
For a heart-stopping moment the song faltered. The boys on either side of Goldie shot incredulous glances at her-
Then they closed smoothly around her and began to sing louder than ever, their voices bouncing off the high ceilings. "Three yea-a-a-a-ars I rowed the galley-y-y-ys, three year-a-a-a-ars I was a sla-a-a-a-ave-."
They spilled out into the foyer, a laughing, shouting, singing rabble. The Guardians who led them were shouting too. Only Goldie was silent. She crouched between the tall, raucous boys, her smock blending with theirs, her pulse thundering in her ears.
"What's this?" shouted the toad-like Guardian. "Where are you taking them at this time of night?"
"Set fire to their beds?" shouted one of the other Guardians. "Don't know what's got into them! Marching them off to Repentance!"
"I'll need their names!"
"If I-I-I-I-I could turn back time, dea-a-a-a-ar, if I-I-I-I-I-I could start aga-a-a-a-a-in-"
"For Great Wooden's sake, we'll give them to you when we come back. I can't bear this appalling racket a moment longer!"
And with that, the boys, Goldie and the two Guardians spilled out the front door of Care, across the yard and through the gate.”
― Lian Tanner, quote from Museum of Thieves
“A plop of rain hit me on the face, one of those early raindrops that turns up five minutes ahead of all the others to let you know it's time to get indoors.”
― Neil Gaiman, quote from MirrorMask
“I am in love with you, Magdalene. What I feel for you is timeless. And when I die, when this body releases me, I will find you and I will be your eternal protector.”
― Laury Falter, quote from Reckoning
“It's not enough to look for the truth, however a noble journey that might be. [...] You must be able to say "yes" to what you see. [...] He is the yeasayer who could look upon evil, disease and suffering, all the worst incarnations of the Eternal No, and not fall insane. He is the great-souled one who can affirm the truth of the Universe.”
― David Zindell, quote from The Broken God
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