I don't want somebody sucking up to me because they think I am going to help their career. I want them sucking up to me because they genuinely love me.

When I said that I was king of forwards, you've got to understand that I don't come up with this stuff. I just forward it along. You wouldn't arrest a guy who was just passing drugs from one guy to another.

One of the oldest secrets of alchemy is that every living thing, from the most complex creatures right down to the simplest leaf, carries the seeds of its creation within itself.

OK," Josh said evenly, "I've seen men made of mud, I guess I can accept spying rats. Do they talk?" he wondered aloud. Don't be ridiculous," Flamel snapped, "They're rats." Josh really didn't think it was a ridiculous suggestion.

A warrior with a cause is the most dangerous soldier of all

I am thrilled when I read about fans using my stories as springboards to read about either the historical characters or the myths and legends in the books.

I have a huge music library and deliberately choose the piece of music to match the piece I'm writing. So, every book I write has its own "soundtrack."