EMILY GIFFIN

I like to match what I wear to my book jacket - it's a little bit cheesy, but it's my thing.

It's a funny thing - when I'm crazed with work, spending time with my children relaxes me. Yet, at the end of a long weekend with them, the very thing I need to relax is a little work and time away from them!

Everyone wants to belong, or be a part of something bigger than themselves, but it's important to follow your heart and be true to yourself in the process.

Life is about the gray areas. Things are seldom black and white, even when we wish they were and think they should be, and I like exploring this nuanced terrain.

I really try to focus on my books and readers.

Well, shoes, bags and clutches are usually my big weaknesses - my husband always laughs when I call them 'investment pieces.'

I have always been drawn to coming-of-age stories and books and movies featuring compelling young characters.

I try to write about real women, real people - in other words flawed characters.

For true downtime, I enjoy going for light runs, having drinks with friends and going to the movies with my husband.

Often I feel that projects overwhelm us when we look at how many hours are involved until completion. But just getting started is usually not that difficult.

I try to recognize that there is no such thing as having it all - and it's impossible to be perfect. You just have to let certain things go.

I've always been intrigued by the power of secrets. When is it justifiable to keep them from the ones we love? And does keeping them irrevocably change who we are?

I don't really know why I went to law school.

Writing a teen character is something I wanted to try again for a long time!

A theme in a lot of my books - and in my own life - is making choices that you feel you should make, or what society wants you to make, as opposed to what is truly right for you.

Inevitably I draw on my own relationships when I write, so if I'm writing about a fight between a husband and his wife, of course I'm going to think about a recent fight with my husband. Or if I'm writing about sisters, of course I'm going to think about my sister.

Guilt is a supreme waste of time and energy.

I think it's important to try to be present with whatever it is you're doing. And if you can't be present, take a break.

For an interesting nonfiction read, I really enjoyed 'Quiet' by Susan Cain. I read it with my husband, who is a true introvert, whereas I am an introvert masquerading as an extrovert.

I didn't drink in high school, and neither did any of my boyfriends.

I did read all my old diaries and was quite surprised by the overwhelming melancholic tone. I remember things being rosier than they really were.

I was actually born in Baltimore! Although I moved away when I was quite young and consider Chicago to be my hometown, Baltimore is sentimental to me, and I still keep in touch with family friends I knew as a little girl.

I'm a huge Elizabeth Berg fan. Her novels are always charming, thoughtful, and filled with lively, three-dimensional characters.

My books are all relationship-focused, so much of my inspiration comes from my own relationships and the issues and concerns that arise among my friends and family.

I have unabashed Bieber Fever and routinely Google 'Justin and Selena.' They are so cute together.