Sometimes I like to play the soundtracks to famous musicals so we can all sing along. South Pacific is one of my favorites. Our neighbors must hate us.

Much of my reading time over the last decade and a half has been spent reading aloud to my children. Those children's bedtime rituals of supper, bath, stories, and sleep have been a staple of my life and some of the best, most special times I can remember.

I could write an entertaining novel about rejection slips, but I fear it would be overly long.

The richest most meaningful stories are found in small places: made, carried, crafted, told, and retold by apparently unimportant people.

Never give up. And most importantly, be true to yourself. Write from your heart, in your own voice, and about what you believe in.

It took a brave editor in the U.S. to sign a contract for Dancing Girls, and without her belief in the book, I'm not sure it would ever have found its way into print.

Don't call 'em dogs. Dogs are loyal and they run after balls.