I read a lot of true crime growing up - 'The Stranger Beside Me' by Ann Rule about Ted Bundy.

Anyone who's been to high school with teenage girls knows how horrible girls can be.

Growing up in Georgia in the southeastern United States, I was always reading and always kept to myself. I never felt isolated, though; I just liked being alone.

My dad believed in scaring us as we were growing up. Scaring the boys who wanted to date us more.

If I can't face my accusers, that's a joke. We did that in medieval times.

The schizophrenic has no sense of humor. His world is a constantly daunting, unfriendly place.

I realized over the years if I'm writing about humor, irony, satire, I much prefer to do that in English. And if there is sorrow, melancholy, longing, I much prefer to do that in Turkish. Each language has its own strength to me, and I feel connected and attached to both Turkish and English. I dream in more than one language.

I will say that as I get older and calmer and quieter in my own self, the one quality in a woman that I find more and more attractive is kindness. A sense of adventure and humor is important too, but I truly find kindness and consideration for others to be the most attractive thing in anyone.