Wayne was one of the worst drivers Finn had ever met. The bus nearly sideswiped two cars, then veered left and scraped its wheels against the curb, before smashing back down the roadway.

When I do things I shouldn't do, my mother says I need a new pair of glasses -- that I should be be looking differently at the choices I make.

As a young boy, I read 'Cheaper by the Dozen' and immediately became neurotic about my use of time. It taxed me severely, but only for the next 50 years. But I think it also allowed me to discipline myself to sit in the chair and be a writer, where one of the most needed qualities is patience.

I've been running from, and toward, death all my life, more aware of it than a person should be.

But listen up Alex Rider.

My favorite novel is 'To Kill a Mockingbird' because of its broad sweep, its tackling of big issues in ways that even young minds can make sense of and for the heart of the characters, who span a wide range of ages. I reread it every year.

Also not the kind of place to hide a server." "Is that another pun?" She asked. "No! I swear! I didn't mean that one." ~Shell Game, Kingdom Keepers #5