I was on the verge of something numinous and profound and in one more second the universe was going to crack open and arcana would rain down on my head like grace and all the cosmic mysteries were going to be revealed.

Sometimes,' Sylvie said, 'one can mistake gratitude for love.

Hindsight's a wonderful thing. If we all had it there would be no history to write about.

You must never believe everything they say about a person. Generally speaking, most of it will be lies, half-truths at best.

I find the past so fascinating. Photographs are strange, almost surreal, almost here yet gone. I slip into thinking what the past must have been like and I enjoy creating that ambience and atmosphere - 1730 to around 1870 is the most interesting period.

It's been said that the men in my books have been absent, or weak, or creepy.

Men had no purpose on earth whereas women were gods walking unrecognized among them.