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The dark book has been terribly popular. Dark characters, dysfunction, and all sorts of things from reality that are true in our world.

I think it's great when stories are dark and strange and weirdly personal.

I'm interested in stories and the dark side of peoples' minds.

I understand why creative people like dark, but American audiences don't like dark. They like story. They do not respond to nervous breakdowns and unhappy episodes that lead nowhere. They like their characters to be a part of the action. They like strength, not weakness, a chance to work out any dilemma.

I think the value in books like mine, and a great number by other talented writers, is in the ability to bring dark subjects into the open where they are not so dark, where they can be talked about and considered by teens and adults alike.

On a deeper level, I think many stories - especially thrillers - can be a journey to the heart of darkness.

I always take a story that's kind of out there, like an urban myth. I take some possibility that people imagine, that they are familiar with, and try to turn it into a story.

I think almost always that what gets me going with a story is the atmosphere, the visual imagery, and then I people it with characters, not the other way around.

I simply don't understand authors that know everything before they write it; it seems so cold blooded. I think it's lovely when the story takes over and goes somewhere else.

I love intricate plotting and exciting twists, but I realize more that people enjoy a good story in a simple, focused way.