I have been blessed to have the same editor and work for a great publishing house.

I'm a bit of a Libertarian.

No matter how bad you think you have it, there's always - always somebody who's got it way, way worse.

One of the most talented writers out there is Brian Haig.

When I give a lot of speeches, they're always on the fly. I mean, I know what I'm going to say roughly, but I do not - will not read.

When I was writing my first novel a friend told me I should apply for a grant from the government that was offered to support starving artists. I can't tell you how much this deeply offended me. I told her in very clear language that I thought it was ridiculous to think that other Americans ought to pay for me to chase my dream. Anybody who understands pride and self-determination gets this. So I bartended at night, I wrote during the day, and I paid for my own damn insurance. I didn't expect anybody else to pick it up for me.

A major theme in all my books is that the CIA is not only the first line of defense but they should also be the first line of offense.