My last book, 'The Language of Flowers,' I wrote completely on naptime, when my little kids were asleep.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I wrote a few children's books... not on purpose.
I have two young children, and they both adore books. Reading together at bedtime is one of our favorite nightly rituals. 'Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site' by Sherri Duskey Rinker, 'The Giving Tree' by Shel Silverstein, and 'On The Night You Were Born' by Nancy Tillman are always on our list.
Much of my reading time over the last decade and a half has been spent reading aloud to my children. Those children's bedtime rituals of supper, bath, stories, and sleep have been a staple of my life and some of the best, most special times I can remember.
With two kids it's hard to find down time to write so I often write during their nap time.
My books are, in a way, a record of my life - that part of it that came to flower and fruit in my mind.
My writing works best when I remember that bookish child who adored reading and gear the work toward him.
Writing has always been an interest of mine, and 'The Language of Flowers' combined my experience with foster care with something I've always wanted to do.
When I was 5 years old, my mother read me 'Gone With The Wind' at night, before I went to bed. I remember her reading almost all year.
When I was very little my mother would read to me in bed. She gave me a fascination for stories, and for the music in words.
When all my kids were at home, I used to write from midnight onwards.