Carrie Vaughn Quotes & Sayings

You're lucky to have a friend who will kill for you.
So. I once had a friend who died for me, and now one who killed for me. Why didn't I feel lucky? — Carrie Vaughn

I punched to line. "Yes? What?"
"Norville. It's Cormac. If you don't change the subject right now, I'm going to have to go over there and have a word with you. — Carrie Vaughn

You know, it isn't that were particularly good at granting wishes, or finding things or, well, anything. Playing tricks, maybe. but we pay attention. We find the loose thread that everyone else misses and tug. It makes us look so very clever. — Carrie Vaughn

I don't like going into this with a half-baked plan." "It's not half-baked," I said. "It's mostly baked. Just a little soft in the middle." Actually, that was bravado. — Carrie Vaughn

Had to stay human. Wolf couldn't drive the freaking car. Or hold the gun. — Carrie Vaughn

And try to remember how to be an idealist. — Carrie Vaughn

A lot of these women had to overcome cultural conditioning against hurting other people, or even confronting anyone physically. — Carrie Vaughn

Humans - a renewable resource. — Carrie Vaughn

Don't hold back in your writing. Take risks. Go ahead and tackle that crazy idea that you think will never fly, because that may be the one that makes you stand out from the crowd. Keep pushing the envelope. — Carrie Vaughn

Cormac drove. He eyed me in the rearview mirror. Anyone you want me to beat up? — Carrie Vaughn

Jesus, you talk too much. — Carrie Vaughn

Why vampires? You write centuries-long family sagas - why not write historical epics without any hint of the supernatural?"

"Well, that would be boring, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, God only knows what Tolstoy was thinking. — Carrie Vaughn

It doesn't bother you that your canine brethren are being paraded around show rings like slaves?"
"My canine brethren?" I said. "I don'thave any canine brethren."
"How can you say that! You're a werewolf."
"That's right. I'm a werewolf, not a poodle. What makes you think I have any kinship with dogs? — Carrie Vaughn

You're Regina Luporum," Ned, Master of London, had said. "Of course strange things are happening to you. — Carrie Vaughn

... We're werewolves. We don't get to judge 'crazy. — Carrie Vaughn

Then I realized that most of the world's problems stemmed from macho dickheadism, and if I cold defeat that I could save the world. — Carrie Vaughn

All writing and publishing is very difficult, regardless of genre. There are going to be obstacles no matter what. — Carrie Vaughn

Hey, Cormac. You ever have to deal with a PMSing werewolf? — Carrie Vaughn

So I'd been called the Barbara Walters of weird shit.There's weird shit and then there's weird shit. — Carrie Vaughn

This conspiracy needs a flow chart, — Carrie Vaughn

My parents are both huge science-fiction and fantasy fans - I was fed it. — Carrie Vaughn

I like Nasser. He's creepy, but he seems sensible. For a vampire. — Carrie Vaughn

1980's: not a time period but a state of mind. — Carrie Vaughn

You mean like some kind of A Midsummer Night's Dream shtick? For real? — Carrie Vaughn

It's my husband. I think - I think he's a zombie."
I smiled. "Believe it or not, I get this one a lot. Can you describe his behavior? Why do you think he's a zombie?"
She huffed. "He doesn't do anything! He sits on the sofa all day watching TV and that's it. — Carrie Vaughn

Just so you know, I'm straight. Totally straight. As an arrow."
Her voice held a smile. "So am I — Carrie Vaughn

Grand Central really didn't want me doing anything under my own name but the 'Kitty' novels. — Carrie Vaughn

I was born on Mather Air Force Base near Sacramento, but we moved around a lot. — Carrie Vaughn

I'll tell you something,' Arthur said. 'Until a certain age, everyone thinks their parents are heroes. Then they grow up a little, start to understand a little more of the world, and they realize their parents are just people. It destroys them, just a little bit. But it's part of becoming an adult. Everyone goes through it. You, on the other hand--your parents really are heroes, at least to everyone else. It's a bit remarkable, really. You never went through that disappointment of finding out your parents are just people. — Carrie Vaughn

It happened so fast the driver didn't have a chance to flinch. Leo grabbed his head and wrenched, twisting it sharply until it crunched. As a man, Leo didn't look like much. Didn't look strong enough to break a man's neck. — Carrie Vaughn

Even when you felt that your own life had tumbled irrevocably out of control. You did what you had to do, somehow. You kept racing ahead and hoped for the best. — Carrie Vaughn

Writers can feel pretty powerless in the big corporate world of publishing, but sometimes our greatest power is the ability to say 'no.' — Carrie Vaughn

One inch at a time, that was how her father had taught her. You can't do anything but worry about the few inches right in front of you. — Carrie Vaughn

I think we are here to make the world a better place then we found it. I think we do not always deserve the cards that we are dealt-good or bad. But we are judged by how we play the cards we are dealt. Those of us with a bum deal that makes it harder to do good-we just have to work a little more is all. There is no destiny. There is just muddling through without doing too much damage.
Kitty Norville — Carrie Vaughn

Even with the high-tech air filtration system in a modern facility, the place still smelled like archival storage: old paper, stale manila folders, cardboard, and dust. Libraries and accountants' basements all over the world smelled like this. It was the scent of information waiting to be discovered. — Carrie Vaughn

What all the stories and romances don't say is that happily ever after doesn't just happen. You have to work at it. You have to keep working at it. — Carrie Vaughn

V.L.A.D.: Vampire League Against Discrimination. — Carrie Vaughn

I didn't plan to write YA - I had a story that simply wasn't working as a straight-up fantasy novel. — Carrie Vaughn

When aspiring writers ask me about how they should target their writing, I tell them to pay no attention to that kind of thing. It will restrict you. You will end up falling into stereotypes in an effort to tailor your work toward a perceived genre category. — Carrie Vaughn

Cormac interrupted. 'Maybe I oughta shoot you both, put you both out of your misery. — Carrie Vaughn

When someone out there says that I'm not really human - what are they giving themselves permission to do to me? — Carrie Vaughn

To be a DJ was to be God. To be a DJ at an alternative public radio station ? That was being God with a mission. It was thinking you were the first person to discover The Clash and you had to spread the word. — Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Meets the Band — Carrie Vaughn

It's normal to dream about anything at all. It's not normal to dream someone else's dreams. -Arthur Mentis — Carrie Vaughn

All you know is what you think you know, but that isn't always what's real. — Carrie Vaughn

You poked the hornet's nest," I said flatly.
"Guess so."
"And how did that work out for you?" Ben asked.
"Found the hornets," he answered, grinning sleepily. — Carrie Vaughn

I'd killed my self-defense instructor. Shit.
I ran to where he lay and stumbled to a crouch at his side, touching his shoulder. "Craig?"
His eyelids fluttered. A few panicked heartbeats later, he opened them. Then he grinned.
"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! You gotta learn to hit people." He was breathing hard. He had to gasp the words out. I'd probably knocked the wind out of him. "Now, never do that to me again."
-Kitty and her self defense teacher — Carrie Vaughn

Robin McKinley's 'The Blue Sword' was a defining book of my teen years, and I'd love to have more books like that in the world. — Carrie Vaughn

I was a creature of the night, I wasn't supposed to be afraid of the dark. Not that it was the dark I was afraid of
it was the other creatures of the night. — Carrie Vaughn

Don't underestimate her ability to talk, it's her superpower. — Carrie Vaughn

A lot of what we're doing here deals with perception rather than truth. Many would argue that reality depends more on the former than the latter. — Carrie Vaughn

Love had sneaked up on us rather than bursting upon us like cannons and fireworks. — Carrie Vaughn

I think we're here to make the world a better place than we found it. I think we don't always deserve the cards that we're dealt, good or bad. But we are judged by how we play the cards we're dealt. Those of us with a bum deal that makes it harder to do good - we just have to work a little more is all. There's no destiny. There's just muddling through without doing too much damage. — Carrie Vaughn

This city had been a city for two thousand years, and I could feel that with every step I took. bits of all that time were still here, alive, even if it was just in the form of collective memory. — Carrie Vaughn

What's interesting to me is how many vampire/urban fantasy authors are writing young adult series as well, often set in the same world as their adult books, but focused on a younger audience. — Carrie Vaughn

The supernatural world was like an onion. You peel back the layers, only to find more layers, on and on, hopelessly trying to reach the mysterious core. Then you start crying. — Carrie Vaughn

The underworld, the old world, is the womb that gave birth to humanity. The journey from under the earth is the journey from ignorance to wisdom. — Carrie Vaughn

cope or go crazy — Carrie Vaughn

Next caller. Betty, you're on the air. What's your question ?"
"Hi, Kitty. I just wanted to know, are you going out with that Cormac guy from last month?"
My jaw dropped. "What?"
"Are you going out with that Cormac guy?"
"We are talking about the same Cormac who tried to kill me on the air, yes? the guy who hunts werewolves for a living ?"
"Uh-huh."
"And you want to know if I'm dating him ? Why on earth do you think that's a good idea? — Carrie Vaughn

Well. Miracles never cease.'
'Amen to that.'
Which, upon reflection, was a very strange thing to hear a vampire say. — Carrie Vaughn

It's only a scratch, don't cut my arm off! — Carrie Vaughn

That we have purpose for being who we are, and what we are, though we may not always know it. — Carrie Vaughn

I wanted to be Carrie Vaughn the awesome writer, not the chick who writes the 'Kitty' books. — Carrie Vaughn

A fucked-up family's a fucked-up family, whether or not werewolves are involved. — Carrie Vaughn

You know why horror-movie characters always get killed? Because they've never seen horror movies. They don't know how it works. Right? But we do. So no one go into the basement alone. No one go screaming off into the woods alone. No one has any sex. — Carrie Vaughn

All right. I'll bite. Here's what I think, with the caveat that I may be wrong. I think we're here to make the world a better place than we found it. I think we don't always deserve the cards we're dealt, good or bad. But we are judged by how we play the cards we're dealt. Those of us with a bum deal that makes it harder to do good
we just have to work a little more is all. There's no destiny. There's just muddling through without doing to much damage. — Carrie Vaughn

I got into an argument with my original publisher. They wanted me to do 'Kitty' and nothing else. I wanted to do lots of things, not just 'Kitty' books. — Carrie Vaughn

I looked at my two wolves. When I knelt they came to me rubbed against me smelling me and I stroked them. "Thank you for believing in me " I said and maybe they understood and maybe they didn't. — Carrie Vaughn

If vampires ever spend less time playing theatrics and living down to their stereotypes, they might actually take over the world someday — Carrie Vaughn

In the end, maybe that was what separated the real paranormal investigators from the charlatans. The charlatans kept up the aura of mystery and obfuscation. The real investigators kept asking why and how. — Carrie Vaughn

Damn stupid vampires and their stupid sense of stupid superiority- — Carrie Vaughn

Stupid, fragile mortals. — Carrie Vaughn

I was under the impression that werewolf packs were not meant to be run by committee."
"Yeah," I said. "But I dont want to be like all those other werewolves, you know?"
"Says the werewolf named Kitty."
"It's too late to change my name now," I grumbled. — Carrie Vaughn

I've learned something: What many of us cal destiny is really our own instinct. We know what is right, but we don't
want to admit it, especially if what is right will lead to our own death. We call it destiny so we don't have to accept responsibility for making those decisions. Human instinct is stronger than anyone will admit. — Carrie Vaughn

Now, what does a vampire do with a computer? Keep track of investments? Send e-mail to other vampires as you all plot to take over the world?" "I spend a lot of time on Wikipedia making corrections to the entries of historical figures I've known." I blinked at him. "Really?" "No, Kitty. That was a joke. — Carrie Vaughn

I had a few really bad years in school, just from not fitting in and being bullied. It was kind of brilliant being a military brat, though, because when you're in that kind of situation, you just think, 'I only have to hang on for another year, because then we'll move. It'll be fine if I can just get out of here.' — Carrie Vaughn

So, Cormac, have you ever dealt with a PMSing werewolf?'
No.'
Well, it's a real bitch ... — Carrie Vaughn

Have a picture in mind of the kind of career you want, the kind of writer you want to be. This will help you make tough decisions when you reach crossroads - choosing an agent, deciding to accept deals. — Carrie Vaughn

He's a bully. I love bullies. They have such big, shiny red buttons to push. — Carrie Vaughn

I would ask, 'Have you read '1984'? Have you read 'Brave New World'? If so, I'm sorry, but you read science fiction.' — Carrie Vaughn

You only get married the first time once. There was the philosophy of a generation wrapped up in a tidy little sentence — Carrie Vaughn

Have you thought about going insane?" It would seem like a reasonable thing to do, given his circumstances.
"Did once. Got boring, so I snapped out of it. — Carrie Vaughn

As far as I know, no vampires live in Antarctica."
"I'd have thought the long winter nights would be just the thing for you guys," I said.
"Perhaps. But the food supply is a bit wanting. — Carrie Vaughn

Cormick! Anything even remotely resembling trespassing and breaking and entering is going to look bad to a parole officer!'
Cormick stopped, then turned and headed back to the car, 'I hate that.'
I thought a moment, 'I'm not on parole.' I started for the box...
'Don't touch anything you find,' Cormick said as we passed each other. — Carrie Vaughn

Apparently it was unethical for lawyers to sleep with their clients. This from a man who offered legal representation to assassins. — Carrie Vaughn

You know, I'm sick and tired of people pointing rifles at me. — Carrie Vaughn

I grinned at him. 'Jealous?'
He grinned right back. 'That's a trick question. If I say yes you'll accuse me of being paranoid and unreasonable, and if I say no you'll make some defensive crack about how I don't think you're worth getting jealous over.'
This is what I got for hooking up with a lawyer. — Carrie Vaughn

What the hell kind of name is Kitty for a werewolf? — Carrie Vaughn

Lack of subtlety, that's how you beat magic. — Carrie Vaughn

You know your all fucks! why am i so dichable? now how am i supposed to kill you with out upseting that poor nice women!? God damnit alice i liked you why did you have to be such a bitch — Carrie Vaughn

Fish gotta swim, bird gotta fly, werewolf gotta have a pack?" I said wryly. — Carrie Vaughn

I'm a werewolf trapped in a human body."
"Well, yeah, that's kind of the definition."
"No, really. I'm trapped."
"Oh? When was the last time you shape-shifted?"
"That's just it - I've never shape-shifted."
"So you're not really a werewolf."
"Not yet. But I was meant to be one, I just know it. How do I get a werewolf to attack me?"
Stand in the middle of a forest under a full moon with a raw steak tied to your face, holding a sign that says, 'Eat me; I'm stupid'? — Carrie Vaughn

Finding unscented candles was another challenge he never thought he'd have to face. Colors were fine, colors could be useful as elements in various spells. But since meeting Amelia, he'd spent way too much time standing in front of walls of candles labeled with names like "Cranberry Spice" and "Warm Honey." Christian bookstores and other religious supply shops became their go-to spots to find simple, unadorned, non-scented votive candles. Another deep irony, he observed. If only those kind, wide-eyed women at the cash registers knew what those candles were being used for. — Carrie Vaughn

I got a crash-course education in urban fantasy. I suddenly had to look up all these other writers I was supposed to be in a genre with. I instantly had to become an expert in this genre I knew almost nothing about. — Carrie Vaughn

If you sell yourself short before you even start, you'll never know how far you could have gone. Ambition is a wonderful thing and has gotten me farther than I ever thought I'd go. — Carrie Vaughn

People always sounded worried when I called them. Maybe because I only ever called a lot of them when I was in trouble and needed help. I needed to set up more lunch dates or have more parties, to cure people of the idea that a call from me automatically equaled danger. Then again, that was probably a lost cause. — Carrie Vaughn

But the longing was the phantom ache of an amputated limb. It was part of her, and most of the time she didn't notice. But certain moments were like reaching for something with a hand that wasn't there. — Carrie Vaughn

I admit, I'm suspicious of any career planning that involves chasing the next 'big thing,' just because it's so hard to predict what the next big thing is going to be a couple of years - or even six months - out. — Carrie Vaughn

A werewolf isn't supposed to have parents." Brenda said, grumbling. "They're not supposed to have mothers. How am I supposed to shoot you now, knowing it'll upset that really nice woman? — Carrie Vaughn

I imagined calling in to my own radio show: Yeah hi, I'm a werewolf, and I'm stuck in a cabin in the woods with another werewolf and a werewolf hunter ... — Carrie Vaughn