It takes strength to make your way through grief, to grab hold of life and let it pull you forward.

Of course, people say maybe there are some self-published books out there that shouldn't be out there. Well, it's the same with conventional publishing.

I have a feeling of reverence about my father being in his 80s - a feeling that I want to whisper, take soft steps, not intrude too much. He's like a stately old cathedral to me now.

Loss teaches you to figure things out as they come along.

I really just wanted to be a writer, but people tell you, 'You should have a backup career,' so I thought, 'OK, I'll act.' That was the foolishness of my vision for my life - that my backup career would be completely undependable.

I'm very comfortable writing in the first person; it dives into the character in a way that's difficult if you're writing in the third person.

I don't think it's an accident who our parents are; I believe we choose them. So maybe I chose my parents in order to effect change.