The Characters Emerge From My Rather Twisted

Optimism Is Denial For Chumps With No Life Experience". "what's Pessimism?" I Said. "religion Without God.

It Didn't Feel Difficult At The Time Because I Was So Charged Up About Both Books. Afterward, However, I Was Pretty Tired. In A Good Way, Like After A Great Workout.

I Spent The First Few Years Of My Life In A Smallish Community In Queens. Back In Those Early Days, Kids Could Roam The Streets With Relatively Little Supervision And One Place I Visited Frequently Was The Local Library. This Particular Branch Was Little More Than A Storefront But To Me It Was An Alternative Universe Where I Could Explore My Interests And Receive Kind, Informative Answers To My Questions From The Wonderful Librarians.

I Would Never Have Been A Novelist Without Working As A Psychologist...it Was A Great Education In Human Nature.

Each Novel Is Harder Than Its Predecessor Because I Must Work Harder At Not Repeating Myself. However, I Enjoy The Challenge. This Is The Greatest Job In The World.