Mary Alice Monroe Quotes & Sayings

Dawn tore at the seam of night, pulling the blackness back a little farther with each passing minute. — Mary Alice Monroe

As I began researching butterflies, however, the monarch stood out among all of them. It's the only butterfly - the only insect - that migrates like a bird or a whale! — Mary Alice Monroe

Southern writing is regional: it includes dialect, settings, and cultural traditions from that region. However the themes and story conflicts are universal. My challenge is to write regional fiction without falling into the trap of nostalgia. There are important issues facing the south that I believe should be raised in the stories to make them contemporary, believable, and relevant to today's readers. — Mary Alice Monroe

Short laugh. Time will tell with you and Bobby Pearlman, — Mary Alice Monroe

A woman does not need to live among many people to be content. She needs but one true companion, one soul mate with whom to share this long journey we call life. — Mary Alice Monroe

Sometimes people get angry and do things they shouldn't. Things they regret. — Mary Alice Monroe

Inevitable. The characters we've come to know and love are no longer part of our lives. This can leave us with a certain longing. Perhaps we'll open the book again and skim through it, searching out favorite passages to kindle again those powerful emotions. But the passion is never stirred quite as strong the second time around. So it is with life. We rush through the days that we're given, eager to engage in the conflicts and passions, to push through and conquer and see how it all ends. When suddenly the end is in sight, we're surprised. We stall, frantically savoring each moment. The sun shines brighter, the smiles appear more tender and we listen for words of love with an urgency that would be poignant if it were — Mary Alice Monroe

The measuring tape and saw Michael standing alone on the small rise. The man seemed a part of the scenery as he stood, hands on hips, his hair whipped by the wind like the meadowsweet at his feet, his jaw set like the granite rocks. "He must love his job," she said to Bobby. Bobby looked up and followed her gaze to his brother, standing — Mary Alice Monroe

To me, the glass is half-empty some days and half-full on others. Sometimes it's bone-dry. Or overflowing. — Mary Alice Monroe

Friends come and go. But through the thick and thin, the good and bad, you can only ever count on your family. That's the heart of it. Family. — Mary Alice Monroe

Sunflowers for Sarita is a fast-paced, high caliber romantic suspense. I couldn't stop reading! — Mary Alice Monroe

Oh, if only I were young again, I would travel! There's so much of the world I would like to have seen. But I'm too old for that now and too ill to manage the trip. I don't care much for clothes. I'm giving away all my jewelry. At this point in my life, I see all possessions as just more stuff, , as Cara called it. Meaningless! Worse than meaningless. They are distractions. — Mary Alice Monroe

The secret to happiness is to embrace the humility to accept what comes and the courage to continue on your life's path with an open heart. — Mary Alice Monroe

In every life, there was death and rebirth and continuity. — Mary Alice Monroe

Luz felt as though all the millions of butterflies that were flying on this same journey south were fluttering in her stomach. — Mary Alice Monroe

Life is more about the journey than the destination — Mary Alice Monroe

I know I can't change the past. Not my mistakes or the mistakes of others. But I can begin by changing me. — Mary Alice Monroe

Privacy is something that we maintain for the good of ourselves and others. Secrecy we keep to separate ourselves from others, even those we love. — Mary Alice Monroe

Today was the first day of summer, she realized, her spirits lifting like a kite. She loved milestones of any sort: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, checks on the calendar, notches on a growth chart. Today would be special, brand new. She felt it deep inside. Summer was here with sunny days and balmy nights, the informality of barbecues and dips in the swimming pool. She was so relieved to have the grind of the school year finished. She missed playing with her children. — Mary Alice Monroe

No knowledge is wasted, — Mary Alice Monroe

She'd neglected to make choices for her inner self as well. She'd given away too much. — Mary Alice Monroe

The pain eased. Welcome to the club. — Mary Alice Monroe

All stories come to an end. That moment when we sigh and close the book, perhaps sit back in our chair and rest our palm over the cover, is met with quixotic emotions. On the one hand, we're satisfied if the author successfully tied up loose ends, turned a memorable phrase and rewarded the hero's moral choice with his heart's desire. Yet we're also saddened that the adventure is over. Sometimes when we see that we only have a few pages left we slow down, savoring each word, staving off the — Mary Alice Monroe

The butterfly is the totem of transformation and change and a symbol of courage. — Mary Alice Monroe

And highlighted with bold streaks — Mary Alice Monroe

Caterpillar must shed its skin five times before it forms the chrysalis. The caterpillar doesn't just change. It completely transforms. The old form dies and the new is reborn. That's the miracle that gives us hope. — Mary Alice Monroe

The theme that runs through all my books is connection. Connection - physical and non-physical - with other humans, and connection with nature are necessary for our well-being. Without it, we are depressed, lonely, and fail to thrive. — Mary Alice Monroe

See how people smile when they see a butterfly? They can't help themselves. Butterflies are joy with wings. — Mary Alice Monroe

She thought how sharp words could sting when they held the truth. — Mary Alice Monroe

Age is real life is short. It's foolhardy to deny it. We grow up, our bodies grow frail, death is coming. There's so much I want to do!
There's a whole world out there I havent seen, ppl I havent met and who havent know me.
God, there 're a million books I want to read.
I dont want to sleep ... I want to be awake.
This is my life - I want to live it — Mary Alice Monroe

was flying by, and if she couldn't find a way to forge bonds between her granddaughters, Mamaw knew that come September, Sea Breeze would be sold, the girls would scatter again, and she'd be sitting on the dock howling at the harvest moon. The previous May, Mamaw had invited her three granddaughters - Dora, Carson, and Harper - to celebrate her eightieth birthday at Sea Breeze. She'd had, however, an ulterior motive. In the fall, Marietta was putting Sea Breeze on the market and moving into an assisted — Mary Alice Monroe

I always begin with a source of inspiration that comes from nature. The story comes from my research, volunteering, and meeting the people involved in that story world. I am an intuitive writer and an image, sound, experience can all inspire a scene or a plot twist! — Mary Alice Monroe