When an older writer tries to tell a younger writer through a review what kind of career she should be pursuing, it tends to speak to the reviewer's anxieties rather than the book itself.

I've learned a lot this year.. I learned that things don't always turn our the way you planned, or the way you think they should. And I've learned that there are things that go wrong that don't always get fixed or get put back together the way they were before. I've learned that some broken things stay broken, and I've learned that you can get through bad times and keep looking for better ones, as long as you have people who love you.

I don't think any writer chooses what his or her work is called.

This is motherhood for you,' said my own mother. 'Going through life with your heart outside your body.

I'm going to continue writing. I'll always be a storyteller. But I'm also taking time to enjoy my life.

My book sales make 'real writers' possible.

If you put a pink cover on something, critics make a certain set of assumptions and may not even read the book. But my readers are happy with it.