The great thing about a short story is that it doesn't have to trawl through someone's whole life; it can come in glancingly from the side.

I've always been religiously inclined, but it doesn't come up in most of my books.

I think I read Susan Brownmiller's classic book called "Femininity" when I was about 16. So yeah, it's been part of my mindset since a very early age. To me, what's crucial is to tell women's stories but also to tell them in a way that is fearless.

Books are the air I breathe, so I don't notice the seasons.

I'm a huge planner, more and more so as the years go by.

Actually,the nightmarish thought occurred to me that with electronic delivery of books becoming a norm, soon writers may be expected to provide several versions of their book, ranging from the Easy to the Complex, and buyers will choose what they're in the mood for with the click of a button! I do hope not.

I was anticipating that some readers might misread [the book] ROOM itself as a hymn to homeschooling.