“When you're my age and you see a story, you better go for it pretty qu...” — John le Carre Quote

“When you're my age and you see a story, you better go for it pretty quickly. I'd just like to get a few more novels under my belt.”

“There are some subjects that can only be tackled in fiction.”

“It's necessary to understand what real intelligence work is. It will never cease. It's absolutely essential that we have it. At its best, it is simply the left arm of healthy governmental curiosity. It brings to a strong government what it needs to know. It's the collection of information, a journalistic job, if you will, but done in secret.”

“My mother, grandmother and older sister all cooked, so it was hard to get into the kitchen. So I have no talent for cooking. I was always out in the garage with my dad. I have a tool belt. I'm a repair chick.”

“Religion is a huge part of our consciousness. I grew up in the Bible Belt, so it's our mythology. Those are the stories we learn as little kids at Sunday school. I'm not afraid to use the metaphors, because I think the stories are beautiful.”

“I am pretty standard, the way I dress, but matching the belt to the shoe - you know, brown belt, brown shoe, black belt black shoe - that's completely out of the window! I had no idea.”