I'm a history person, and I love the groundedness of that, of being able to go, "Yes! People acted like that."

I think Scotland is probably my spiritual home and I love it there very, very much.

I think the past is something I have spent a lot of time thinking about, not only what is different about the past but what's the same, and what links us to the past.

I personally love books that make me think, so I naturally gravitate toward writing a book like that, one that's going to make someone think and make me think.

I think there's a lot that we remember almost chemically, through our DNA.

I would not want to forget the first time I read The Lord of the Rings. I would never want to forget that! That was so magical to me, and that was a real eye-opening experience. I was probably 11 when I read that and already a reader, but I think that book really showed me how you can be transported and how your imagination can take you to a whole other place.

I don't think I've ever done anything that's completely the same, yet.