She believes in the power of story, especially science fiction and fantasy, to help us appreciate the textures of our own reality and create new visions for our lives. Her major influences in childhood were L.Frank Baum, C.S. Lewis, and Andrew Lang's Fairy Books. Currently she admires C.J. Cherryh, Ursula LeGuin, Rex Stout, Charles Williams, C.S.Lewis, and Tolkien.