I was pretty aimless as a youth, especially in Patna. I think reading saved me.

My past makes me an insider, but my profession makes me an outsider. A writer always stands outside to report on reality.

What is the difference between the novelist and the liar? At some moments, I have often wondered.

I have always kept notes and have kept letters from my friends and mother, which is rather depressing, as it takes you to the past.

My dad is an English teacher, and my mom is a textiles artist. My parents made my sisters and me feel that if we wanted to pursue something creative, it could be done. They've always been supportive of everything from the beginning.

Now, I'm a failed political consultant. But sometimes fiction has a way of capturing people's imagination in a way that non-fiction doesn't. Conservatives typically haven't written much fiction - specifically political thrillers - over the years to educate, inspire and mobilize people on issues of great import, but we ought to.

My mother had no idea that her daughter would turn out to be a writer, but she would not let me go through a day of my childhood without music.

First and foremost, I make music to satisfy my creative urges, but at the same time, I know my fans are waiting, so they're the ones that push me to keep going.