"This idea had been simmering for decades"

"It is REALLY hard not to get caught up in the horse race of publishing"

"I find the limits of my brain and time to be a constant frustration"

"It felt very poetic to take it back into my own hands and decide that it was worthy."

"What better ticking clock is there than a global financial catastrophe?"

"I had no idea what I was doing and just went for it."

"Honestly, I freaked myself out a lot writing this novel."

"It's like I've been trying to say something for a long time, and now I've finally said it."

"It's always better to push yourself to new places. You can pull back when it's done."

"I'm more and more interested in exploring male perspectives in my writing—partly because I want to figure out how to raise a good man!"

"Doing research as a historical fiction writer is a little like eating comfort food."

"I did a lot of squirming in my chair as I typed. Crying, too."