Each book gets harder, each book gets harder and harder. I always feel like crying when I have to write.

I think diseases have no eyes. They pick with a dizzy finger anyone, just anyone.

Even though it's hard to believe, but people who know me really well know I'm shy. I have to go past that fear.

I had a mother who walked to the library with me, and you can't walk to a lot of libraries in San Antonio because - guess what? - there are no sidewalks, except in the neighborhoods. And they're across big boulevards, and it's so hot, you can't even walk to the corner. So things like that affect how children can get to libraries. So there are a lot of things involved.

I prefer to go to the little towns now, because in little towns people are kind. I like going to Tepotzlán.

You know, if you've got nine people that you've got to get a treat for - because you do have sweet food, even if you're poor - you can't go out and buy a Sara Lee cake. You buy the big bag of cookies, those chocolate and vanilla ones with the icing. That has a lot of trans fat in it, but it goes a long way with a lot of people.

There are a few of the authors that I think have made a great big impact on my life. The way I used to do things when I was younger was more about being outrageous, and there was a lot of ego involved in that.