That was what a best friend did: hold up a mirror and show you your heart.

As mothers and daughters, we are connected with one another. My mother is the bones of my spine, keeping me straight and true. She is my blood, making sure it runs rich and strong. She is the beating of my heart. I cannot now imagine a life without her.

I can be a little OCD when it comes to my writing.

The hallmark of my books is the relationships that define women's lives.

This is the problem with forever friends. They know too much.

Whenever I write about motherhood - and I write about it a lot - I am drawing on my experiences as a mother and also my experiences as a daughter.

I am such a Pacific Northwest girl.