Ricky had taught me a few cuss words. I usually practiced them in the woods by the river, then prayed for forgiveness as soon as I was done.

I don't want to force my politics on my readers.

Writing was not a childhood dream of mine. I do not recall longing to write as a student. I wasn't sure how to start.

Writing's still the most difficult job I've ever had - but it's worth it.

Quite often I can be in a bookshop, standing beneath a great big picture of myself and paying for a book with a credit card clearly marked John Grisham, yet no one recognises me. I often say I'm a famous author in a country where no one reads.

Still, something about writing made me spend large hours of my free time at my desk.

Nobody wants to read about the honest lawyer down the street who does real estate loans and wills. If you want to sell books, you have to write about the interesting lawyers - the guys who steal all the money and take off. That's the fun stuff.