We came in the wind of the carnival. A wind of change, or promises. The merry wind, the magical wind, making March hares of everyone, tumbling blossoms and coat-tails and hats; rushing towards summer in a frenzy of exuberance.

The right circumstances sometimes happen of their own accord, slyly, without fanfare, without warning. Layman's alchemy. . . . The magic of everyday things.

As authors, we all expect criticism from time to time, and we all have our ways of coping with unfriendly reviews.

From a very young age my mother persuaded me that I could write for fun, but I had to have a proper job - very good advice.

If you want something you can have it, but you have to do some work. It's the ethic my mother brought me up with.

Change isn't always comfortable, but it is a fact of life.

I sell dreams, small comforts, sweet harmless temptations to bring down a multitude of saints crashing among the hazels and nougatines