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

Imagine this guy hits Mike Hammer over the head with a wooden coathanger and knocks him out. You hit Mike Hammer over the head with a wooden coathanger, he'll beat the crap out of you.

If the public likes you, you're good.

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.

If I need something, I'll invent it.

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

The most important part of a story is the ending. No one reads a book to get to the middle.