Sue Monk Kiddis a writer from the Southern United States, best known for her novel, The Secret Life of Bees... (wikipedia)
She was very important in helping me form a certain sensibility about writing fiction. I read her 13 short stories over and over and over again. I studied them and I loved them.
She set the bar high for all of us, and I can't imagine ascending to her lofty heights.
I grew up in a small town in Georgia, and I must confess that I was mining my memories of that small town. I can vividly see a lot of the scenery in terms of my own place.
I really believe in the power of community and the solidarity and healing of women.