And when you clear away the cobwebs of the description of every job in the world, at the bottom of that job is service. It's service. And I took that ethic and applied it to my writing craft.

There's nothing an artist needs more - even more than excellent tools and stamina - than a deadline.

You never know when some small thing will lead to a big idea. Travel is very inspirational - but it's in the ordinary that I find my themes of love and work and family.

Energy has to be fed from a source. If you don't feed the source, it dissipates entirely.Same is true of liking a boy. If you cut off the thoughts, if you stop pinning, you're free to find a boy who is attainable.

The intimacy. The deepest level of love. The knowledge that someone understands you, is rooting for you, is sharing your life.

Isn't this the truth of any good mother? That in all of our lives. We worry only about those we brought into this world, regardless of whether they loved us back or treated us fairly or understood our shortcomings.

But a child's joy is doubled for the mother, and the sound of her son's laughter began to her heart, a feat she had never believed possible