She'd tried her hand at most things, but drew the line at honesty.

I like naming characters.

I wouldn't go out of my way to experience the indignity of middle-age just because it might be good meat for a story.

The problem with being Irish... is having 'Riverdance' on your back. It's a burden at times.

If there is a heaven, Jane Austen is sitting in a small room with Mother Teresa and Princess Diana, listening to Duran Duran, forever. If there's a hell, she's standing.

Most working days I can be at my desk for nine hours a day.

No matter how close to personal experience a story might be, inevitably you are going to get to a part that isn't yours and, actually, whether it happened or not becomes irrelevant. It is all about choosing the right words.