The best way to learn about writing is to study the work of other writers you admire.

People want to avoid the past. I suppose that's natural. When we tally up all we've said and done over the years, despite the wonderful memories, the regrets may be fewer but stand out more prominently, glowing coals that we can never quite extinguish, try though we might

So I work hard to present the human side of my characters while not neglecting the plot.

The outline is 95 percent of the book. Then I sit down and write, and that's the easy part.

Trying to write books with a subject matter or in a genre or style you're not familiar with is the best way to find the Big Block looming.

It means working harder to do the research but I don't really mind - I don't think I have what it takes to chase criminals through back alleys and wade through blood at crime scenes.

She was reflecting back on a truth she had learned over the years: that people heard what they wanted to hear, saw what they wanted, believed what they wanted.