I am forever engaged in a silent battle in my head over whether or not to lift the fork to my mouth, and when I talk myself into doing so, I taste only shame. I have an eating disorder.

Nah, " I said. "But if it does, just tell him I said to get back on the bike.""What?""He'll understand.

You know what turns dirt into diamonds?""Pressure. Weight. Heat...""The geological equivalent of torture.

See things in terms of Potential. Recognize:Your Amazing Potential.

When to mischief mortals bend their will, how soon they find it instruments of ill.

I've always been a bit of a dreamer. I've always loved to look and seek, and explore and find out.

I manage to live pretty normally.

It was like I was inside a fishbowl in the middle of a typhoon, and everyone else was on the outside cluelessly enjoying lovely weather.

I really just love to read, period, whether it be books or magazines or the back of the cereal box. It's the one thing I can always count on to calm me down, take me away and inspire me, all at once.

I'd probably still be a financial journalist now if it weren't for writing novels. Mmm. Fun! I'm much happier writing novels!

The ability to compromise and having the ability to laugh at ourselves is huge and works well for me.