There are necessary evils. Money is an important thing in terms of representing freedom in our world. And now I have a daughter to think about. It's really the first time I've thought about the future and what it could be.

Freedom from effort in the present merely means that there has been effort stored up in the past.

The path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards as all paths are. The cost of freedom is always high but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose and that is the path of surrender or submission.

'Caught' is a novel of forgiveness and the past and the present - who should be and who shouldn't be forgiven. None of my books are ever just about thrills or it won't work.

When there's that forgiveness present and compassion it just helps you live so much easier.

Without forgiveness life is governed by... an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation.

'Shkoff' is to eat. 'Shkiaff' is to slap. Like 'Gettouttahere I'm gonna give you a couple of shkiaffs ' or 'Forget presentation just shkiaff the food onto the plate.'

I have an impressionable palate. A well-worded menu or beautifully presented dish excites me. I get a great deal of pleasure just thinking about food.

Fairness forces you - even when you're writing a piece highly critical of say genetically modified food as I have done - to make sure you represent the other side as extensively and as accurately as you possibly can.

Especially for me growing up in such a small town in the middle of nowhere the desire to be away was incredible. I wanted to see new lands meet new people from the city and meet people that were in much less fortunate situations than I was so that I could be more appreciative of my present. At least I had food on the table.