Why bother? I was right all along: the second you make yourself vulnerable to someone, they start drawing blood.

I've certainly learned a great deal from my husband, though, and could never have written a book like Liquor without him and the people he introduces me to and the stories he brings home.

Maybe they did what they had to do to live, and tried to get a little love and have a little fun before the darkness took them.

With the first kiss his mouth will taste of wormwood.

Some of the food in Liquor is food I've really eaten filtered through a veil of fiction.

Some nights are made for torture, or reflection, or the savoring of loneliness.

I like visiting peoples homes on Saint Josephs Day, when people set up altars, serve food as a tribute to the saint, and invite the public - I enjoy that much more than Mardi Gras.