A haunting, harrowing punch to the heart, Among the Missing is flat-out brilliant. About the secrets we keep, the lives we are desperate to live, and the chances we miss, it's a psychological dazzler. Truly, one of my favorite books of this year-or any year.

I think the Internet has made things a lot easier. Twitter and Facebook let you really connect to your readers effortlessly!

I always think that in a big city, anything is possible, including reinventing yourself.

Writers are magpies, and we collect details about people and we use them for fictional characters.

Housewives of the 1950s were supposed to create show-stopping meals every night for their hard-working husbands.

I love rewriting because that is where and how you discover the story. Its like you have this skeleton, and you get to put flesh on it and hair and clothes and really wonderful jewelry.

There have been years where I've had to take a real job and I wrote during slow times and lunches. I think never forgetting how lucky I am to be able to do something I love has really fueled me.