My first two novels were set in the past, and that freed me up in a lot of ways; it allowed me to find my way into my story and my characters through research.

Publishing in a way doesn't have a lot to do with writing, and writing doesn't have a lot to do with publishing.

I find I have to touch what I am working on every day, or a deep-seated dread kicks in that is very hard to overcome.

I will say in open adoption, all these choices you make about race, about the amount of mental illness you can deal with, about special needs and physical maladies, you have to lay all this out there before you know anybody's story.

The birth mother is placing the baby out of love. I still believe that. Well, the ones weve dealt with who were actually pregnant, anyway.

The past always sort of haunts us and perhaps inspires us in some ways.

I think that when the world feels safe and secure, we probably feel more that way in our personal lives. What goes on in the world affects us, unequivocally.