It took me about 12 years to reach my million-word mark. The challenge now is to continue to challenge myself.

Short-story writing requires an exquisite sense of balance. Novelists, frankly, can get away with more. A novel can have a dull spot or two, because the reader has made a different commitment.

I'm a writer first and an editor second... or maybe third or even fourth. Successful editing requires a very specific set of skills, and I don't claim to have all of them at my command.

One of my great passions is the collection of historical trivia.

It's possible to become so comfortable with one's style and structure that one ceases to grow.

I think my prose reads as if English were my second language. By the time I get to the end of a paragraph, I'm dodging bullets and gasping for breath.

The money can be decent, but I really don't recommend the work-for-hire route as an entry into publishing. Too many things can go wrong.