You burn a man's pickup, and he's ready for war.

I learned that lesson a long time ago. When you write popular fiction, you're going to get bashed by critics.

Please give me fifty more years of work and fun, then an instant death when I'm sleeping.

There's always such a rush to judgment. It makes a fair trial hard to get.

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

I always try to tell a good story, one with a compelling plot that will keep the pages turning. That is my first and primary goal. Sometimes I can tackle an issue-homelessness, tobacco litigation, insurance fraud, the death penalty-and wrap a good story around it.

We learned after the first semester in law school that it's best never to discuss exams. If notes are compared afterwards, you become painfully aware of things you missed.