So many of my books, I don't want to say they have messages, but they have important things to say.

I would say that most of my books are contemporary realistic fiction... a couple, maybe three, fall into the 'historic fiction' category. Science fiction is not a favorite genre of mine, though I have greatly enjoyed some of the work of Ursula LeGuin. I haven't read much science fiction so I don't know other sci-fi authors.

Mama was crying, and the rain made it seem as if the whole world was crying.

The life where nothing was ever unexpected. Or inconvenient. Or unusual. The life without colour, pain or past.

Of course they needed to care. It was the meaning of everything.

It's a funny thing about names, how they become a part of someone.

"I liked the feeling of love," [Jonas] confessed. He glanced nervously at the speaker on the wall, reassuring himself that no one was listening. "I wish we still had that," he whispered. "Of course," he added quickly, "I do understand that it wouldn't work very well. And that it's much better to be organized the way we are now. I can see that it was a dangerous way to live." [...] "Still," he said slowly, almost to himself, "I did like the light they made. And the warmth."