In other words, the people who populate my books are more than caricatures.

I also try very hard to create characters - both heroes and villains - with psychological depth.

You think publishing is tough but the music world is ten times tougher.

Certainly going back to Sherlock Holmes we have a tradition of forensic science featured in detective stories.

Readers are paramount. I live to write books for them.

If you have a craftsman's command of the language and basic writing techniques you'll be able to write - as long as you know what you want to say

In suspense novels even subplots about relationships have to have conflict.

I was editor of my high school literary magazine and a reporter for the school newspaper.

When you work alone, you need to socialize at some level.

My books are primarily plot driven but the best plot in the world is useless if you don't populate them with characters that readers can care about.

I like the way words go together and I like the gamesmanship of writing poetry. It is such a challenge.

It's a time of sorrow and sadness when we lose a loss of life.

I feel like I'm just starting though. It's weird, because I like feeling like I'm just beginning. I hope I feel that when I'm 75 or 80.

Too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling.

So many things tear us apart from each other. That's the hardest thing, to fit with all the hatred and pain we're embroiled in. I mean, we're a very violent species, physically and emotionally.

He had a body like batman

The world would be a much nicer place if people only used guns on themselves.

Instinct is the direct connection with truth.

Every man is dishonest who lives upon the labor of others, no matter if he occupies a throne.

Being outspoken has always gotten me into trouble. I'm just this little thing and then all of a sudden it comes out.

For as to the strength of body, the weakest has strength enough to kill the strongest, either by secret machination or by confederacy with others that are in the same danger with himself