I am very privileged and honored when someone chooses to read a book, especially a book of mine.

Nobody gets to pick their time to die, but living every day to the max is something we all get to do.

You want to attach emotionally.

By using novels, I show ordinary kids confronting and overcoming great odds.

The stems stood tall and straight, one series arranged in a single line, the other in a crudely shaped heart, the final one in the shape of the letter U. I love you.

I wanted to show what it's really like for 98 percent of the world's population [in the third world]. Plus, I also see there are an awful lot of young people out there doing good things, and I wanted to give them a platform.

I wanted to write about the third world and had the opportunity to go live in the trenches, so to speak.