Outside of family, writing is essential. To me, it's like breathing.

When I sit and talk with a person, I'm not always paying attention. I'm looking at the person and saying, 'What is it about his or her life that appeals to me?

Outside of family, writing is essential. To me, it's like breathing.

I loved teaching. It was my world. I only left because I was overwhelmed with three careers - teaching, writing, and my family.

To me, family is everything. I want children to realize how important their families are and what a support system a family is.

I'm still writing in my old age. And still loving it. It fills my days. Writing is my salvation. I just get up in the morning, and I'm in this world that I scratch out and begin again and write over - and then suddenly it's lunchtime, and I'm back.

What I think of sometimes, as I read the new books - do kids really need to see such a seamy side of life? I'm in the minority, such an old woman, perhaps. I love the books that have given kids joy, that give them hope at the end. Sometimes it seems to me the books right now are very depressive.