Unexpected change is like a breath of fresh air -- a little brisk at first, but magic for the body and soul.

Fear and love were sometimes the same thing both necessary unavoidable. Now she understood that it was okay to bleed if you know how to heal.

The human heart was such a complex organ, fragile and sturdy all at once.

In all my novels, a sense of place - not just geographic but social - is a critical element. I have always been drawn to the novels of Edith Wharton, among others, where social dynamics are crucial. Wharton's class consciousness fascinates me, and some of the tension in my books stems from that.

Scary thought - what if I get to know myself and I'm someone I don't want to be?

There is something about losing your mother that is permanent and inexpressable - a wound that will never quite heal.

My adult life has been a patchwork of projects, most of which were fleeting fancies of overreaching vision. I tend to seize on things, only to abandon them due to a lack of time, talent or inclination.