“Walk free from the long shadows cast by small people.”

“What I am interested in, what I write and care about, exists in the slow lane, somewhere between hand-ploughed fields and a pint of real ale.”

“Eyesight can be so blinding. We need to look beyond the face of things.”

“Theres no such thing as writers block, so long as youve had plenty of time to think about what you want to write.”

“The process of creation begins way before one starts writing.”

“I needed some space to lay myself out, so that I could decide which pieces I wanted to pick up.”

“Self-confidence and self-will are strength for sacred accomplishments.”

“The Lord is my strength.”

“I even made poor Louis take me on Crusade. How's that for blasphemy? I dressed my maids as Amazons and rode bare-breasted halfway to Damascus. Louis had a seizure and I damn near died of windburn.....”