Vesta was so good with paperwork – you could hand her a file of drab, seemingly dull information and she’d construct a story from it worthy of a novel.


I have a really vivid imagination and I find it difficult to read scenes of complete graphic violence. That's not to say that graphic violence does not exist. It's just that I find it quite harrowing and I much prefer if it isn't completely outlined for me because my imagination can do that.

I spend a lot of time imagining things - in fact, you could say that imagining things is my job.

The best historical stories capture the modern imagination because they are, in many senses, still current - part of a continuum.

A paucity of material can open up just as many possibilities.

Like good reading skills, good writing skills require immersion and imaginative engagement.

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.

Grabbing readers by the imagination is a writer's job.