So when I say that I am a refugee, you must understand that there is no refuge.

I write in the novel's afterword that our recent wars "finish not with victory or defeat but with a calendar draw-down date and a presumption that we shall never be reconciled with the enemy".

They say that in the hour before an earthquake the clouds hang leaden in the sky, the winds slows to a hot breath, and the birds fall quiet in the trees of the town square. Yes but these are the same portents that precede lunchtime, frankly.

Our own personal brand of courage - in relationships, in conflict, in our principles ­ - is as unique as our fingerprints.

We're often told that we live in a globalized world, and we talk about it all the time, but people don't stop to think about what it means.

It is certainly impossible to imagine forgiving the enemy while their animus remains undefeated.

I'm always determined that as a novelist I'm going to go out there and research my characters very thoroughly before I start writing.