Growing up, nobody I knew even knew a writer. So it was a big adventure and something that I've wrestled with my whole life. I think it's a journey worth taking, really finding out who you are and what you do well.

The '90s are really the 'Sex and the City' woman, and I think, right now, the new contemporary woman is the 'Lipstick Jungle' woman.

As I'm writing, certain things become clear to me and certain things begin to feel right and make sense. The pieces start to fall into place.

Ever since I can remember I was telling stories and had a huge interest in other people and what made them tick.

I was really fearful that I was going to lose my record deal. It's really scary as a female to not have that success early on in your career, 'cause you don't know how many chances you are going to get.

You've got to be a little vicious. You've got to be narcissistic. You've got to be on fire about your career.

Fans made me. The fans gave me a chance, and they made me. Beyond that, my career has been trials and tribulations and ups and downs, so I have to have true fans riding with me.

Mentally, I'm really strong, but for maybe the first time in my life, I cried about my career because I thought it was over. When you've been out for a year, and you think it's over, you think completely differently after that. I was just looking on TV, and I wasn't able to train, and in the meantime, I had a son.