Molly Bloom is simply the most sensuous woman in literature.

It is through our extended family that we first learn to compromise and come to an understanding that even if we don't always agree about things we can still love and look out for each other.

I always thought that bagels and lox was my soul food, but it turns out it's sushi.

Something I notice speaking to writers from south of Hadrians Wall is that the culture is different. At base, I think Scotland values its creative industries differently from England.

I jealously guard my research time and I love fully immersing myself in those dusty old books and papers. It's one of the most enjoyable parts of my job.

The sky was a sparkling succession of black diamonds on black velvet made crystal clear by the blackout.

I believe the era of the militant lady is back.

Without archives many stories of real people would be lost, and along with those stories, vital clues that allow us to reflect and interpret our lives today.

Research material can turn up anywhere - in a dusty old letter in an archive, a journal or some old photographs you find in a charity shop.

Writers of novels live in a strange world where what's made up is as important as what's real.

Books have a vital place in our culture. They are the source of ideas, of stories that engage and stretch the imagination and most importantly, inspire.

Fight, face, be valiantand move ahead you gallantDon't stop, don't hidewalk with pride.No life is forever sereneNo plains are eternally green...

Look up here, I'm in heaven.

After the tsunami in Japan, we were open for business. In fact, I flew there 10 days after the tsunami to show our support for the Japanese people.

Morelli grabbed the front of my shirt, pulled me to him, and kissed me. It was a great kiss, but I didn't know what the heck it meant. It seemed to me a breaking up kiss would have had less tongue.

You can measure the depth of a person's awakening by how they serve others

I don't like people who sit on computers all day long and write about people they don't know anything about.

I want to do transformational work to actually fix the world.

Adrenaline dulls reason; panic kills it.

Work while you work, play while you play - this is a basic rule of repressive self-discipline.

My mother was pragmatic, focused and extremely, exceedingly practical, and she was the ultimate self-determining person.