It's different being afraid when there's the hope it will amount to something.

One of the great themes in American literature is the individual's confrontation with the vast open spaces of the continent.

And I had always liked vampire stories because they are great material that can be refashioned in lots of ways.

The military was all about hierarchies, who urinated highest on the hydrant

My inventing time is all done under the influence of aerobic exercise. Basically, I do all my thinking while I run.

Kittredge had obviously misjudged her, but he had learned that was the way with most people. The story was never the story, and it surprised you, how much another person could carry.

I'm an ecumenical reader, grew up with all sorts of fiction, teach writing, went to the Iowa Writers' Workshop, so my tastes and interests are broad.