Mike Hammer drinks beer because I can't spell Cognac.

Critics themselves, they used to tear me up.

Now I'm not an author, I'm a writer, that's all I am.

The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book.

The first page sells this book. The last page sells your next book.

I'm not an author, I'm a writer, that's all I am. Authors want their names down in history; I want to keep the smoke coming out of the chimney.

I know an awful lot of Hollywood people, who are so self-important, I can't understand it.