People Talk About Dysfunctional Families; I've Never

Some People Can't See The Color Red. That Doesn't Mean It Isn't There.

To Many Women Mistake A Man's Hostility For Wit And His Silence For Depth.

Too Much Virtue Has A Corrupting Effect.

My Father Taught Me To Love Detective Fiction Writers Such As Raymond Chandler. When I Decided To Have A Hard-boiled Detective Series I Did A Lot Of Studying Before I Wrote The First Book. I Learned Police Procedure, The California Criminal Law, And Many Areas Outside My Expertise.

School Was A Source Of Great Suffering To Me, But Once I Learned To Read, I Disappeared Into Books, Where I Was A Happy Visitor To All The Worlds That Sprang Full-blown From The Printed Page.