Back when I started, you could either be a folk singer, or you could be a disco diva, or you could be a secretary or maybe a disc jockey, but there was no room for anything alternative yet.

Back when we were first making records, you didn't just make the music, you put a great deal of energy into the way it looked, and every word that was written on the whole thing.

What's important to me is love, especially that. What's important to me is growing and evolving. But ultimately, what's important to me is being real and being authentic. I've spent enough time in my life holding poses, playing roles.

We had a mother who could have been called a feminist. That's just how we were raised. Why do you have to go sulk off in some corner because you are a girl? What's the big deal?

I do love doing films; I love going out and creating different characters for each film, and not having to be stuck with one role for many, many years. It's a creative liberty that I love.

Writing is incidental to my primary objective, which is spinning a good yarn. I view myself as a storyteller more than a writer. The story - and hence the extensive research that goes into each one of my books - is much more important than the words that I use to narrate it.

What is Art? It is the response of man's creative soul to the call of the Real.

We're passionate musicians, but we felt classical concerts were more like a funeral because nobody talked and everybody was dressed so conservatively. We thought that's kind of strange, because music is full of life! We thought we could break through that barrier with theater and comedy elements.