I don't choose between my house phone and my mobile. I don't choose between my laptop and my notebook. And I don't intend to choose between my e-reader and my bookshelf.

Writers of novels live in a strange world where what's made up is as important as what's real.

There is something particularly fascinating about seeing places you know in a piece of art - be that in a film, or a photograph or painting.

Change occurs slowly. Very often a legal change might take place but the cultural shift required to really accept its spirit lingers in the wings for decades.

Books exist for me not as physical entities with pages and binding, but in the province of my mind.

A word out of place or an interesting choice of vocabulary can spawn a whole character.

Like most little girls, I found the lure of grown-up accessories astonishing - lipstick, perfume, hats and gloves. When I write female characters in my historical novels, getting these details right is vital.