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I try to write about real women, real people - in other words flawed characters.
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My favorite movie of all-time is 'Stand By Me,' and I re-read my favorite young adult books often.
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I've been obsessed with the Kennedys since I was a child, and Bobby Kennedy is, hands down, my favorite among them.
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I think it's important to try to be present with whatever it is you're doing. And if you can't be present, take a break.
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I've always been intrigued by the power of secrets. When is it justifiable to keep them from the ones we love? And does keeping them irrevocably change who we are?
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Well, shoes, bags and clutches are usually my big weaknesses - my husband always laughs when I call them 'investment pieces.'
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I have increasingly steeled myself to criticism, but it still can sting, especially when you feel that it is unfair - or that they are judging my book by its cover or by preconceived notions.
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I have unabashed Bieber Fever and routinely Google 'Justin and Selena.' They are so cute together.
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Like the rest of the planet, I'm absolutely dying to see Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby' and am thrilled that Leonardo DiCaprio was cast in it - he's perfect.
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I write about messy relationships, and they put pastel covers on them, but I can't complain.
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I feel a great connection with my readers and would never want to disappoint them.
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I never outline my novels before I write. I do have a vague sense of beginning, middle, and end at the outset of each book, but for me, writing has always been a very character-driven process.
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I try to recognize that there is no such thing as having it all - and it's impossible to be perfect. You just have to let certain things go.
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I did read all my old diaries and was quite surprised by the overwhelming melancholic tone. I remember things being rosier than they really were.
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I try to have something in common with my protagonists, especially when I'm writing in the first person.
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I really try to focus on my books and readers.
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To write convincingly, I think you must be able to relate, in some way, to what a character is experiencing.
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Inevitably I draw on my own relationships when I write, so if I'm writing about a fight between a husband and his wife, of course I'm going to think about a recent fight with my husband. Or if I'm writing about sisters, of course I'm going to think about my sister.
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The best thing about being an author is writing stories and having people - strangers all over the world - connect with them.