I think one reason my books have found mainstream success is that they're written from a skeptical point of view.

FACT: The Priory of Sion - a European secret society founded in 1099 - is a real organization. In 1975 Paris's Bibliothque Nationale discovered parchments known as Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo da Vinci.

I write seven days a week, starting at 4 o'clock in the morning, including Christmas.

For me, a good thriller must teach me something about the real world. Thrillers like 'Coma,' 'The Hunt for Red October' and 'The Firm' all captivated me by providing glimpses into realms about which I knew very little - medical science, submarine technology and the law.

Knowledge is a tool, and like all tools, its impact is in the hands of the user.

So long as they speak your name, you shall never die.

Secrets interest us all, I think.