I like to think of what happens to characters in good novels and stories as knots--things keep knotting up. And by the end of the story--readers see an unknotting of sorts. Not what you expect, not the easy answers you get on TV, not wash and wear philosophies, but a reproduction of believable, emotional experiences.

Writing is my shelter. I don't hide behind the words; I use them to dig inside my heart to find the truth.

I try to create characters that I am fascinated by on some level or intrigued by or can't stand.

I remember the day I turned thirty. I was getting out of the shower and I stood in front of the mirror and stared at myself for a long time. I examined every inch of my body and appreciated the fact that I finally looked like a grown woman. I also assumed that this was how I was going to look for the rest of my life. The way I saw it, I was never going to age; I'd just look up one day and be old.

My mama taught me that anything worth doing in life should be a little scary.

You've been killing me inside and I don't want to die like this.

Back then I confused passions and orgasms with love. It look me years to realize the two weren't synonymous.