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.

I've written 17 novels, and I've found out that fiction can't keep up with real life.

One thing that drives me nuts... well, let me ask you, when writers write do they not use quotation marks anymore?

I always do book signings with the same blue pen. That way, if I add a personalised message to a book I've already signed, it'll be in the same colour as my signature.

I looked at her and tried to speak, but all I could think about was how shocked she'd be if I said what I was thinking.

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

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.