I don't want to get hung up on what 'people,' that nebulous mass, think about me. That's the way to unhappiness, I think.

A new car is not going to change your life.

I wish I got a lie-in on Saturday mornings but I never do.

I rarely get a moment to myself, but I love the way that my agenda is dictated by the children, not my work.

I guess there's a sort of cycle with writing books. There's all the researching and then the imagining and writing - which is the real job - and then there's always a period when the book comes out and you have to lift your head and venture out.

I get really excited if I think I'm going to introduce somebody to a writer they haven't found before and I think they'll love. My favorite books to get as gifts are any that the giver is messianic about.

I always try to create conflict and drama in my books; it's the engine of the novel.