I have no skills! I can't speak French, I can't ski, I can't play the guitar... I can barely log on to the Internet! All I know how to do is write novels (thank goodness) and run, and anyone who has seen me run knows I'm not very good at that, either.

Elin Hilderbrand

Categorized in : Me Good Guitar Internet

Sometimes you regret the things you do, but they're over and done. Regretting the things you didn't do is tougher because they're still out there, haunting you with the what ifs.

Elin Hilderbrand

what-if regret life

To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, to be... by Elin Hilderbrand

To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, to be late is to be forgotten.

Elin Hilderbrand

late forgotten

When you peered into the windows of someone else's life, you coul... by Elin Hilderbrand

When you peered into the windows of someone else's life, you could only guess what was going on.

Elin Hilderbrand

window

I am a summer person. by Elin Hilderbrand

I am a summer person.

Elin Hilderbrand

persons summer

Guilt and no guilt: these were the worst things. The only thing worse than the guilt was the fear of getting caught.

Elin Hilderbrand

caught worst guilt

Iowa City is okay as Midwestern cities go, but theres no food, no... by Elin Hilderbrand

Iowa City is okay as Midwestern cities go, but theres no food, no culture, no ocean.

Elin Hilderbrand

iowa ocean cities

For graduate school I ended up going to the University of Iowa, which is, of course, the best graduate writing program in the country.

Elin Hilderbrand

writing country school

If you love something, set it free. If it was meant to be, it will come back to you. But this, of course, was bullshit. If you loved something and let it go...it would (hello!) find something else to love.

Elin Hilderbrand

were-meant-to-be bullshit let-it-go

I live a life very similar to my characters in that I live a full-blown summer fantasy from June to September. I go to the beach and work there every day.

Elin Hilderbrand

day work life beach

My books, I will say one thing - they all have a driving narrative, and you have to turn the pages, and the way you do that is to create characters that you really love and care about and put them in a fairly dire situation.

Elin Hilderbrand

you situation care love

I can cook a good soup from scratch, this is true, and I do know... by Elin Hilderbrand

I can cook a good soup from scratch, this is true, and I do know how to drive a stick shift.

Elin Hilderbrand

true drive good i-can

Over the years, I have come to realize that no matter how satisfying fiction is, it becomes that much better when it actually happened.

Elin Hilderbrand

realize how better matter

What I write about in my novels is also what's in my life. by Elin Hilderbrand

What I write about in my novels is also what's in my life.

Elin Hilderbrand

write my-life about life

I have this ridiculous exercise regime in the summer that I do no... by Elin Hilderbrand

I have this ridiculous exercise regime in the summer that I do not deviate from.

Elin Hilderbrand

regime ridiculous summer exercise

I am a very nerdy reader in that I am as disciplined about my rea... by Elin Hilderbrand

I am a very nerdy reader in that I am as disciplined about my reading as I am about my writing.

Elin Hilderbrand

i-am about reading writing

I consider reading to be part of my job. by Elin Hilderbrand

I consider reading to be part of my job.

Elin Hilderbrand

consider job part reading

I had a Kindle for a brief while, but I dropped it in the ocean, and that was the end of electronic reading for me.

Elin Hilderbrand

end me ocean reading

Like most writers, I read constantly. I used to hide in remote parts of the yard and house so I could read in peace.

Elin Hilderbrand

hide like house peace

For women, my best travel tip is to invest in two to three cashmere ponchos. I buy the brand Minnie Rose. They're good cover in three seasons, and they make wonderful travel blankets.

Elin Hilderbrand

best good women travel

I've tried to tell my kids: If you're reading something engrossin... by Elin Hilderbrand

I've tried to tell my kids: If you're reading something engrossing, you'll never, ever be bored.

Elin Hilderbrand

never you bored reading