I don't understand people who say they're bored. Look out your window.

A lot of novels use crime as a stepping stone to talk about greater issues. So I just think of myself as a writer.

Meg Gardiner is one of my favorite authors. She always delivers a terrific read. Phantom Instinct should go to the top of your 'to-be-read' pile.

Reading develops cognitive skills. It trains our minds to think critically and to question what you are told. This is why dictators censor or ban books. It's why it was illegal to teach slaves to read. It's why girls in developing countries have acid thrown in their faces when they walk to school.

As a Southerner, I love obstacles for my characters.

A lot of men just don't read. They don't read fiction at all.

Don't try to follow in my footsteps. Make your own footsteps! No one else can tell the stories that are inside of you except for you.