When you get . . . to the end, you see that love and family are all there is. Nothing else matters.

I am such a Pacific Northwest girl.

Caro: "Bite me." Ruby: "I gave that up in kindergarten.

Sitting around and waiting for your muse is not the best choice.

Stacey: "I'm surprised you haven't thrown me out." Comfort: "At your current weight, I'd need some sort of catapult.

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

Hands down, the hardest part for me is coming up with an idea. I spend about 14 months writing a book, and that's a lot of hours spent thinking about a single project. I simply have to love the idea. I'll go through dozens of workable ideas until I find the one that lights my fire.