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

At length, when I considered it, I realized that the best of my actions were small things. Picking flowers and cooking food for my mother when she had been unwell, spending an afternoon with the children, sending money to my sister or kissing Henry's tiny head as he slept in the nursery before I left. I thought of every detail and afterwards I felt better. Hellfire and brimstone have never appealed to me and I admit I become easily confused thinking of right and wrong. But I do understand kindness.

At the end of the day, that's what a family is - a group of different people who accept each other.

A book is a story, even if it's non-fiction, and once I've read it, I have the story with me inside my head always.

I find it inspiring to actively choose which traditions to celebrate and also come up with new ideas for traditions of my own.

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

We can learn so much looking outside our core field of expertise.