He felt it too, the air between us, the invisible lines that something or someone had drawn to connect us. That's the way I remember it.

I had them all fooled into believing I was normal and well-adjusted, a rock of sensibility who could always be counted on to have a positive attitude.

I don't like to do too much psychological research because it might turn a character into a patchwork.

My books have been translated into various languages and sold in other countries, but I never have any contact with the foreign publishers and am so disconnected from that process that it seems almost imaginary. With 'How to Save a Life', I worked closely with Usborne editors and have been involved in the publicity.

My books usually end where they began. I try to bring characters back to a point that is familiar but different because of the growth that they have gone through.

It makes me think of Lazarus. He must have had those shadows after his miracle. You don't spend time in the tomb without it changing you, and everyone who was waiting for you to come out.

Everyone has an identity crisis when they are 16 or 17 years old.