It's like being in love, discovering your best friend.

You can't just sit in a corner weeping or you'll die.

The very term "turning pages" suggests nonstop action. But I am all about character and beautiful writing. I eat that up like popcorn. Whether a book is action-packed or not, all I need are well-written prose and quirky, fabulous characters to keep me going.

You can come back to friendship. You can let it drop, for five years or ten years, and come back to it.

But I have told the truth. Isn't that ironic? They sent me because I am so good at telling lies. But I have told the truth.

Nothing like an arcane literary debate with your tyrannical master while you pass the time leading to your execution.

I tend not to attempt to describe pain. I don't feel I can comprehend or re-create the personal suffering of others, so I simply try to tell what happened, or what I imagine happened. I also think it helps to let the reader fill in a lot of the blanks. Melodrama is patronizing. With a straightforward statement, readers can figure out for themselves what's going on.