I like to go to bed early.

I had always loved to write and my mom was my editor for my school papers.

I don't think I'm portrayed in the media the way I really am - but then who is?

Not Shakespeare. In college I took a Shakespeare class because I was an English major, and they had a Summer program called Shakespeare at Winedale, which is out in the German Hill country in Texas , where you go out and live for two months and then you perform three plays at the end of that time.

My dad saw my husband's boss at a conference, and he said to stop paying my husband until we produce children.

I decided to go to Latin America because many of my students in Washington emigrated from this region and inspired me to learn more about their home countries.

I didn't go to Latin America thinking, 'I'm gonna write a book. This is what I'm gonna do.' I went there to work for UNICEF and to learn.