Sometimes I create a character from a scrap - a mere mention that has been left behind.

Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.

History is full of blank spaces, but good stories, invariably, are not.

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.

I'm not sure how much easier it is for a mother to balance her life now - have we simply swapped one set of restrictions for another?

I always thought that bagels and lox was my soul food, but it turns out it's sushi.

Writing about the 1950s has given me tremendous respect for my mother's generation.