When I was 12 I cried to my mom because I never got my letter to Hogwarts.

Before becoming a mom I never knew how good I had it to just spend time at a spa for a few hours. Now those days are far and between. So when I have an hour it's all about the mani and pedi.

My mom always encouraged me it was never weird. She'd look at 'Heavy Metal' and go 'Woo-hoo!'

I've never had my brows done - I tweeze them myself. I used to watch my mom pluck her brows that's how I learned.

I had such a great mom and I know that I'd never be that mom. I wouldn't want to bring a child into this world unless I could be.

We were poor. But my mom never accepted that. She worked hard to become a residential contractor - got her master's with honors at the University of New Orleans. I used to go to every class with her. Her father was my paternal figure.

Once you're a mom always a mom. It's like riding a bike you never forget.

AIDS can destroy a family if you let it but luckily for my sister and me Mom taught us to keep going. Don't give up be proud of who you are and never feel sorry for yourself.

I've never had siblings I didn't grow up in a big family it was just me and my single mom. And hectic family dysfunction was actually something that I craved.

I could never have pictured myself writing a book when I was 25 years old. My mom was an English teacher but I wasn't that way growing up.