I'm allergic to family occasions. Sometimes I think we'd do better as dandelion seeds-no family, no history, just floating off into the world, each on our own piece of fluff.

I'm an impulse buyer. I don't really go out with a list.

Jeez Louise. I know why rich people are so thin: it's from trekking around their humongous houses the whole time.

Your father always tries to see the good side of people; to find the excuse. But sometimes there isn't a good side. There isn't an excuse. (Mom - to Lara Lington)

If you're single, then I'm single?" What's that supposed to be? Lyrics to a pop song?

I never did any training in journalism or in finance, so I really was in the deep end. I got very good at going to press conferences and nodding. I'd figure it out when I got back to the office. Charts and numbers. I've never been great with facts, ever, my whole life. For a journalist, that's not a very good trait.

The great thing about being a novelist is that you organize your own day.