My characters are very nice to me and come into my head fairly well-formed. The little I don't know about them, I discover as I write. Sometimes I'm afraid my characters might be a little over the top, but then I'll meet a real, live person whose eccentricities make those of my characters pale. In fact, I think all of us are pretty eccentric in our own wonderful ways. Miss Fenk and Frau Katte are a truly captivating couple.
Love is mighty and real love can get a person through a lot.
Female friendships, such as that between Fenny and Lee, seem to be at the heart of all your work. The characters in this novel seem haunted by their fears, from a fear of driving to a fear of loving. But the longer I live, the more I learn about people and how they may have fears I never ever suspected. What impresses me is that I didn't know that about them. I like that bravery.