What is your ideal writing day?

A perfect writing day for me is when I have nothing in my day. It feels like the day stretches out in front of me, full of empty promise, just waiting to be filled up. These are, of course, very, very rare. I usually have to settle for three or four hours stretching out in front of me.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

If I could have a superpower, even just for one day or one hour, I'd like to fly. I used to have flying dreams all the time when I was a little kid. One day when I was about four, I saw an adult – probably a college student -- sitting way up on the highest bar at the park. He was so comfortable and relaxed. Even my amazing dad who could do anything said he couldn't get up that high. So I walked up to the bars, looked way up at the guy, and asked him how he got up there. He smiled. He said, "I flew." I knew it! I knew it was possible! One day I would fly for real, not just in my dreams. In my heart of hearts, I still believe some day I will.

Solution? Music. I listen to the same music over and over again. Preferably with headphones. It has to be something I really love and know super well, so I can listen to it, but also not listen to it at the same time. Right now I am hooked on the Be Good Tanyas. Blue Horse is my favorite.

What is it like when you are really into your writing?

Writing, really writing, is like sitting in front of my computer with my skin ripped off. Everything – every thought, every feeling, every astonishing little gem of information I learn and want to polish and share -- reverberates through me and leaves me elated and exhausted. Rewriting is not like this. It must use a different part of the brain. Just an intellectual part, not the emotional part trying to connect, and feel, and let you know what something smells like or tastes like.

Where do you get your ideas?

Best place for ideas? In the shower, once it's all steamy and hot water is spritzing down on my shoulders and back… my mind starts to go to places I couldn't make it go on my own. Or going for a long walk. It's like waiting for an idea, but letting it come to me, not going after it.

I read that you are an acupuncturist.

In the late 1970's I trained in England when acupuncture was illegal in America. For more than twenty years I ran my own clinical practice, but I recently closed my practice to concentrate on writing. There are still things I miss about not practicing. I think what I miss the most is taking pulses. After talking to a patient, I would hold their hand, and feel the wrist pulse with my fingertips. This is a really developed art in Chinese medicine. It is such a lovely few minutes. The pulses – there are twelve of them, six on each wrist, give a completely open, unguarded view of the person. I always considered it the highest honor to be allowed to know someone this tenderly. I also miss helping one person at a time to feel better. But now what I hope is that my books are out there, touching one person at a time.

Are you a really disciplined writer?

I have some of the wackiest writing habits around. If you were to put a stop action camera on me, you'd see me get up from my desk, run downstairs and get some nice dark chocolate to eat, sit back down, get up, put in a load of laundry, sit down, get up, run back down to make a cup of tea, sit down, get up. Even with all that chocolate, I guess that's why I'm pretty skinny. I've never been able to sit still for long.