At the end, I cobbled scenes all together and smoothed out the transitions as much as possible. Incidentally, I would not recommend this approach to writing a book, and will probably not write that way again!

One thing that was inspiring to me in my research about [Georgia] O'Keeffe was to learn that in addition to her success she had very hard times, and times when she was frustrated and uninspired.

Now I am as big of an [ Georgia] O'Keeffe admirer as Ivy [Wilkes] is, but that came through writing the book.

I lived in New Mexico until I was seventeen, and honestly I've been homesick ever since I left.

I tend to only write productively for one to two hours per day, so there is plenty of time left over for me to work a day job!

Does art play a role in the greater good of society, or does it just promote the satisfaction of the artist? I go back and forth on that question.

Writing a book set in New Mexico was partially a way to express my own love for the state, and partially a way to prudently follow the advice to write what you know.