MEN, Charlene said. Leave that to you! Willa quipped.

Finn whispered, "What has a head, thorax, and abdomen, but stands six feet tall?" "A snowman?

As a young boy, I read 'Cheaper by the Dozen' and immediately became neurotic about my use of time. It taxed me severely, but only for the next 50 years. But I think it also allowed me to discipline myself to sit in the chair and be a writer, where one of the most needed qualities is patience.

I'm still only half the writer I hope I will be.

The way you get better is putting words on the page and getting them behind you.

I'm a big girl, Finn.

My favorite novel is 'To Kill a Mockingbird' because of its broad sweep, its tackling of big issues in ways that even young minds can make sense of and for the heart of the characters, who span a wide range of ages. I reread it every year.