I always think the insecurity is going to go away, but it's always there. Only bad writers think they're good.

I'm the Jerry Lewis of crime fiction.

I am very lucky that I get to tell stories for a living. I love being able to grab people's attention, to keep them turning the pages, to make them stay awake all night. I want to stir the pulse, yes, but also to stir the heart. I hope 'The Woods' does that.

I'm thinking of taking up golf, but the idea of spending time with golfers frightens me.

The state of New Jersey is really two places - terrible cities and wonderful suburbs. I live in the suburbs, the final battleground of the American dream, where people get married and have kids and try to scratch out a happy life for themselves. It's very romantic in that way, but a bit naive. I like to play with that in my work.

Frankly I'm fairly boring or fairly busy. Between writing and family, I have little time for anything else.

There are few times that I feel more at peace, more in tune, more Zen, if you will, than when I force myself to unplug.