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

I write pretty much anywhere - on planes, in hotel rooms, anywhere in my house.

That's the past for you. Not only does it come back at the most unexpected, and inconvenient, times but it's set in stone.

Of course, all writers draw upon their personal experiences in describing day-to-day life and human relationships, but I tend to keep my own experiences largely separate from my stories.

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

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.

In other words, the people who populate my books are more than caricatures.