Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.

- John Jakes

Libraries are magical places. There's nothing quite like strolling the hushed aisles, letting your eye rove along dimly lit shelves. Each spine, each…

- John Jakes

Going after anything worthwile in life entailed risk, of course. A man of ambition and courage didn't let that stop or delay him. A man accepted the …

- John Jakes

Be persistent. Editors change; tastes change; editorial markets change. Too many beginning writers give up too easily.

- John Jakes

The pain comes from knowing that we have never been safe, and therefore will never be safe again. It comes from knowing we can never be so ignorant a…

- John Jakes

The pain comes from more than the facts of circumstance, or the deeds of others. It comes from within. From understanding what we lost. It comes from…

- John Jakes

We are all dying of life.

- John Jakes

I have always had a special affinity for libraries and librarians, for the most obvious reasons. I love books. (One of my first Jobs was shelving boo…

- John Jakes

The first treasure California began to surrender after the Gold Rush as the oldest: her land.

- John Jakes