I am really, I think, truly an easygoing, positive, fun person.

I read, therefore, I matter.

Even people who counted their blessings never counted them in the morning. For one thing, there wasn't time.

And when I look at my mother, I reflect on her strength and endurance. She's cranky sometimes, but she is lovable and loving. I'd be happy to be there at 86.

You can really help support a character if you understand the setting. So for that reason I generally write about Philadelphia.

But the fact is, I'm not work-identified. I'm not a lawyer or a writer. I'm a mom, and I'm a woman, and that's the kind of people I want to see in books in the starring role.

Do you know what they call people who hoard books? Smart.