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.

At the centre of every fairy tale lay a truth that gave the story its power

On Sunday, something washed up on shore.

What's difficult to understand about German opera? It's always the same. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love, girl gets devoured by horrible winged creature with claws.

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

I lived in upstate New York until I was ten years old and we moved overseas. I have a lot of nostalgic memories of that part of the world, and I love going back there by writing the Lakeshore books.

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