Everything has to be clean and orderly when I sit down to write. I have candles going, and small objects that remind me of what I am working on, or bring me into the world of the character.

A good mother is irreplaceable.

Moments are history. If you have enough of them, they become a story.

A practical girl never pines; she takes action.

The good things that happen to us were meant to happen, and the bad things that happen are lessons meant to teach us to be better.

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

Food is so important - it sustains us, it provides a social focal point, and it is fun. I cannot unravel the difference between love in my family and the preparation of food because they are so closely woven.