If I had a story idea that I felt would work best in three volumes I might write a trilogy eventually. I'd very likely write it all at once, though, so I could work on it as a whole and not broken into individual volumes.

I'm a firm believer that lighting affects mood, and twinkly lights on strings bring something magical to occasions ranging from concerts to weddings, though I'm fond of using them as year-round home decor.

You don't have to be a chef or even a particularly good cook to experience proper kitchen alchemy: the moment when ingredients combine to form something more delectable than the sum of their parts. Fancy ingredients or recipes not required; simple, made-up things are usually even better.

That’s the beauty of it. Have you seen the contraptions these magicians build to accomplish the most mundane feats? They are a bunch of fish covered in feathers trying to convince the public they can fly, I am simply a bird in their midst.

Zachary peels and eats a mandarin orange in small segments of sunshine as he reads.

A soft breeze plays with her hair, bringing with it the mingling scent of dusty tomes and damp, rich ink.

He can’t even think how to describe it. It’s like an art museum and an overflowing library were relocated into a subway system.

I’m more of a cocktail guy,” he says, though he is also of the opinion that sparkling wine is an anytime beverage and appreciates Mirabel’s style.

Celia Bowen sits at a desk surrounded by piles of books. She ran out of space for her library some time ago, but instead of making the room larger she has opted to let the books become the room.

The breaking is the easy part. The pulling back together is the problem.