I'm a writer of faith who worries about the intolerance of religion. I look at the past and fear we haven't learned from it. I believe that humanity is capable of evil as well as great acts of courage and goodness. I have hope. Deep down, I believe in the human spirit, although sometimes that belief is shaken.

It's not that I bounce ideas off of my children as much as it is that having children has had a profound effect on the way I see the world. They have mined my soul. They've made me a better person and therefore a more empathetic writer.

Genres are just bottles for the various boats. The boats matter to me.

Writers aren't born properly labeled so it is hard to know one when one appears.

A good novel doesn't just transcend the boundaries of its target market - it knows nothing about target markets.

When you're in the world looking for only one thing, you find it or it finds you. The obsession can be mutual

Our stories are what we have,” Our Good Mother says. “Our stories preserve us. we give them to one another. Our stories have value. Do you understand?