Life is hard. Life is beautiful. Life is difficult. Life is wonderful.

I don't know what Alison [McGhee] thinks, but I very strongly doubt that we will ever see the parents of Bink or Gollie. However, I do think it would be fun to make Tony Fucile draw portraits of the parental units and have those portraits sitting on Bink's mantel or in Gollie's kitchen. Glowering. A little.

So, yes, at least from my end. You could say there's a lot of Alison [McGhee] in Gollie too.

Sometimes strange and wonderful things will pop into my head. And sometimes I will see something in the world that is the beginning of a story. I always have a notebook with me so that I can write down what I see and hear.

Going out and not only meeting the kids, but meeting the teachers and the librarians and seeing the world, fills me up.

I write two pages - that's all I write. It takes me about an hour. I've learned that's all I'm capable of and to push myself beyond that is foolhardy. It's a very delicate thing, and I will not abuse it. So I write two pages, then I get up from the computer.

I have done quite a few signings at bookstores, libraries and conferences. I have received phone calls and letters from people who liked the book.