Isn't that interesting. All the book clubs. I've never belonged to one.

What's the point of thinking about how it's going to end when it's just the beginning?

I've never really thought in terms of taboos. I think that books can really help parents and kids talk together about difficult subjects. I've always felt that way.

I thought ["Summer Sisters" ] would be a children's book - two girls who summer together from very different backgrounds. And then when it just kept going and going and going. They kept getting older.

I think we made out [sexuality changing]. I think that's really great, and we didn't jump into intercourse. And there were no blow jobs.

[ Adult novels] was the world of grownups. There was nothing about teenagers.

[Writing] totally changed my life. It gave me my life. Everything opened up.