I'm 82 years old, wherever I go everybody knows me, but here's why... I'm a merchandiser, I'm not just a writer, I stay in every avenue you can think of.

Victor Saville was bad news because he wanted money just to do one big picture.

I'm actually a softie. Tough guys get killed too early... I've got a full head of hair and don't wear eyeglasses.

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

See, heroes never die. John Wayne isn't dead, Elvis isn't dead. Otherwise you don't have a hero. You can't kill a hero. That's why I never let him get older.

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

Nobody reads a mystery to get to the middle. They read it to get to the end. If it's a letdown, they won't buy anymore. The first page sells that book. The last page sells your next book.