Here, you can walk into a bookstore and pick up a Bible or Christian literature and learn. Over there, they are lucky if they have one Bible for a whole village.

They [my characters]speak to me all the time! In fact some of them never shut up!

Some writing courses will advise you to write what you know. I've always thought this is very odd advice ... because it means, for example, that I should not be writing about Nicholas Flamel, because I didn't live in France in the 15th Century, I was not an alchemyst, am not immortal (despite the rumours) and do not know magic.

It's never too early for ice cream.

I am thrilled when I read about fans using my stories as springboards to read about either the historical characters or the myths and legends in the books.

Some stories wait their turn to be told, others just tap you on the shoulder and insist you tell them.

Perenelle shuddered. "You know I hate leprechauns more than almost anything.