He had to deal all at once with the packed regrets and stifled memories of an inarticulate lifetime.

Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered through personal experience does not become a part of the moral tissue.

Misfortune had made Lily supple instead of hardening her, and a pliable substance is less easy to break than a stiff one.

The only way not to think about money is to have a great deal of it.

One of the great joys of life is creativity. Information goes in, gets shuffled about, and comes out in new and interesting ways.

I'm a light sleeper. I've never been one of those people who can put their head down and suddenly everything disappears. Nighttime is the time I get most scared, anxious or worried. In those darker moments before waking or sleeping is when I feel most, I don't know, I can turn on myself, and my imagination can take me dark places.

I now can be sure that, once I start writing a book, I'll be able to finish it. I've also become more assured about my 'voice' as a writer and being able to keep the characters true to themselves.

I have no favourite genre or style but treat each novel with the same care, imagination and craftsmanship. It's as difficult to write a crime or a children's novel with a touch of style and grace as it is a literary novel.