Unlike men, women got less sentimental as we aged, I was discovering.

Why were there so many barriers between us, always? Barriers of clothing, of etiquette, of time and age and reason.

I like to imagine the "what ifs" of history.

I certainly incorporate facts into my fiction. I take the basic facts from the life of my subject and I pick and choose what to use to construct a really interesting novel. I don't let facts get in the way of my imagination and my exploration of the subject's emotions and relationships.

When you write things down, they sometimes take you places you hadn't planned.

Most readers of historical fiction are content to just get caught up in a good story, and that is what I want to do as an author. I am not concerned with people knowing exactly what I made up and what is real.

I see things beyond what other people see. I am always looking for hidden corners and closets of a life that I feel aren't explored either by the person who lived it or the people writing about it.