I've always said fantasy is sort of 'stealth philosophy'.

I felt like I'd been misplaced in the cosmos and I belonged in Maine.

They look at me and I kind of back up in case they go for my throat.

I had to live this long, have the experiences I've had, to create what I do. I knew I wanted to write for years, but I had to be ready so I wouldn't blow it. The move to Maine was the final step.

I wish I was a gorgeous mixologist, but that was not my god-given strength.

My parents and I - I'm an only child - are not particularly religious, but I was christened and raised in that vague and characteristically Canadian form of Protestantism known as the United Church.

God is ever present. He's in every breath, in every step. He's here, always, always.

A word is an arbitrary label - that's the foundation of linguistics. But many people think otherwise. They believe in word magic: that uttering a spell, incantation, curse, or prayer can change the world. Don't snicker: Would you ever say, 'Nothing has gone wrong yet' without looking for wood to knock?