Names are still magic; even Sharon, Karen, Darren, and Warren are magic to somebody somewhere. In fairy stories, naming is knowledge. When I know your name, I can call your name, and when I call your name, you'll come to me.

London is a small place, and it is very incestuous. People know where you live. Everybody is sort of on top of each other.

A character has a distinctive voice - you should be able to hear them in your head and conduct a conversation with them while you're out walking. If the answers surprise you, you know it's the character speaking and not you.

I think people deceive themselves about themselves, particularly as they get older.

I don't write for any group. I write to bring about a change in consciousness.

Quoting her mother: The trouble with a book is you never know what's in it until it's too late!

Gambling is not a vice, it is an expression of our humanness. We gamble. Some do it at the gaming table, some do not. You play, you win, you play, you lose. You play.