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Even the most radical Islamic terrorist would not want to see the revered holy city of Medina go up. It would be like losing the Vatican in Rome.
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We're all pilgrims on the same journey - but some pilgrims have better road maps.
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It's good to stay as close to real life as you can, and then kind of dress it up.
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Chemical and biological attacks are scary and will kill a lot of people but don't rise to the level of nuclear.
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There is no terra incognito left.
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Stephen King once told me he liked my writing. And that was great.
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I used the pen name because I knew I wanted to write better novels under my own name someday.
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If everyone howled at every injustice, every act of barbarism, every act of unkindness, then we would be taking the first step towards a real humanity.
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I thought to myself, what is everyone's worst fear? Nuclear terrorism in America.
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Somehow our devils are never quite what we expect when we meet them face to face.
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The world has gotten smaller and more accessible since I first started writing in the 70's.
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Writing doesn't leave much time for hobbies, unless you consider that I began writing as a hobby and have made the hobby into a profession.
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There are Mafia families that have bought magnificent houses on the North Shore, although not yet the great estates because they don't want that kind of high profile.
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I like the process of pencil and paper as opposed to a machine. I think the writing is better when it's done in handwriting.
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You have to go out of your way as a suspense novelist to find situations where the protagonists are somewhat helpless and in real danger.
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I've always been fascinated by the Gold Coast. The homes themselves are spectacular, unlike anything you'll see other than in Newport, Bar Harbor or Palm Beach. It's a very special area that, because of local demographics, is not going to survive much longer.
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I don't name sources.
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I read 'Time', 'Newsweek' and 'The Economist'.
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I had a very strong desire to be successful at something.
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G.I. humor is similar to cop humor.
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I generally unwind by having dinner with close friends.
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There are a lot of books about the passing of the English aristocracy, but the vast majority of Long Islanders don't understand their own backyard. It's a private preserve.
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How you handle life depends a lot on how you handle plan B, or if you have a plan B.