Throat clutching from the outset! The Never List stands as a sterling example of psychological thriller writing at its best. Cancel appointments and give up on sleep. It's that kind of book.

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.

I have come face to face with many truths from the past that had to be revised with present knowledge.

Statements of ordinary people are ignored like poor freebies, statements of great people are accepted like profound philosophy.

The value of myth is that it takes all the things you know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by the veil of familiarity.

Those who are firm, enduring, simple and unpretentious are the nearest to virtue.

Wakings are the worst times--almost before my eyes are open a great weight seems to roll on my heart.

We are alive for a certain period of time in any given lifetime. We are competing against time. It is a race to see if we can wake up before we go to sleep again. That is the challenge.

The Promised Land always lies on the other side of a Wilderness.

I wanted to explore the values that are at work, underpinning my life.

I love it if a man makes an effort to get to know my parents and sisters. Getting to know the people who matter to me goes a long way.

I think I feel a little differently than other people do. For some reason I've never felt grown up.