It's the fantasy of first love. If you've been married for 400 years, as I have, it's nice to experience first love again and you can vicariously through a book. And it is such a fantasy. It takes you away from doing the dishes and the laundry. I think of this as a contemporary romance rather than erotic fiction.

Men aren't really complicated. They are very simple, literal creatures. They usually mean what they say. And we spend hours trying to analyze what they've said, when really it's obvious.

Don't get your panties in such a twist... and give me back mine.

I don't think [Fifty Shades of Grey is] a model for anything. Except maybe in bed.

I'm looking forward to getting back to my house and my Ugg boots and not washing sometimes, and getting back to writing.

Women basically want the same thing - a good passionate story, a great fantasy - and for our partners to do the laundry and the washing up.

My inner goddes has her sequins on and is warming up to dance the rumba.