The Christmas tree, twinkling with lights, had a mountain of gifts piled up beneath it, like offerings to the great god of excess.

I was a writer first, and knew I'd be a storyteller at age seven. But since my parents are very practical, they urged me to go into a profession that would be far more secure so I went to medical school. But after practicing medicine for a few years, while raising two sons (with a husband who was also a doctor) I realized that combining medicine with motherhood was more of a challenge than I could handle. So I left medicine and stayed home. And that's when I once again picked up the pen and began to write.

If I were stranded on a desert island, the one book I would have with me would is the Bible. There are enough stories in the Bible to keep you engaged for years.

The most intimate feeling people can share is neither love nor hate, but pain.

The best heroes in the world are the reluctant ones. Courage isn't fearlessness - it's acting in the face of fear.

My childhood was spent in my local library in a San Diego suburb. It's where I became a writer - by 1st becoming a reader!

The one man you most want to sleep with may be the worst choice of all.