Sometimes I'll say, "I wrote that book," and the person will look at you as if you're really strange. One time that happened to my daughter on a plane. She was sitting next to a girl who was reading one of my books and my daughter said, "My mother wrote that book." And the girl started to quiz my daughter, asking her all sorts of questions, like what are the names of Judy's children and where did she grow up. My daughter thought it was so funny.

How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives.

What I remember when I started to write was how I couldn't wait to get up in the morning to get to my characters.

I'm an e-mail junkie though I'm trying to read my in-box only twice a day and to answer all at once.

I stop and think before I start a new book and ask myself do I really want to spend the next year or two or three with these characters because if I don't, then I shouldn't be writing about them.

There's no book or play or series or anything that speaks to everyone, because then it wouldn't speak to anyone.

Having the freedom to read and the freedom to choose is one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me.