When I teach writing, I have a mantra: Be a first-rate version of yourself, and not a second-rate version of another writer.

A thriller becomes great when it carries a feeling of reality and truth.

At their best, thrillers not only entertain. Ideally they also reflect the society in which they are set, analyzing our fears and how we perceive the world.

" ... What if?" Through the alchemy of those two words, something new comes into the world.

Before I start a project, I always ask myself the following question. Why is this book worth a year of my life? There needs to be something about the theme, the technique, or the research that makes the time spent on it worthwhile.

As much as I like it when a book I'm writing speeds along, the downside can be that an author becomes too eager to finish and rushes the end. The end is even more important than the first page, and rushing can damage it.

To all librarians everywhere, God bless you.