To persevere is always a reflection of the state of one's inner life, one's philosophy and one's perspective

It's a brooding melancholy that haunts me.

None of those other things makes a difference. Love is the strongest thing in the world, you know. Nothing can touch it. Nothing comes close. If we love each other we're safe from it all. Love is the biggest thing there is.

My book is traditional. It runs counter to the post-modern spirit.

Even though I may not intend it when I set out to write the book, these places just emerge as major players in what I'm doing, almost as if they are insisting on it.

I write because something inner and unconscious forces me to. That is the first compulsion. The second is one of ethical and moral duty. I feel responsible to tell stories that inspire readers to consider more deeply who they are.

The best advice on writing I've ever received is to take it seriously, because to do it well is all-consuming.