I was lucky to receive help at the beginning of my career and now I want to help other writers as much as I can.

I get really starstruck and tongue tied when I'm around other writers and the conversation tends not to go well.

Tell the story that's been growing in your heart, the characters you can't keep out of your head, the tale story that speaks to you, that pops into your head during your daily commute, that wakes you up in the morning.

My book sales make 'real writers' possible.

The difference between people who believe they have books inside of them and those who actually write books is sheer cussed persistence - the ability to make yourself work at your craft, every day - the belief, even in the face of obstacles, that you've got something worth saying.

I sometimes read about authors who say they require a perfectly silent room maintained at precisely 68 degrees, with trash bags taped over the windows and a white-noise machine in the corner to write, and I think, 'Who are these people, and do any of them have kids?

I wonder if novels work for women because they give us a safe place to talk about our ish.