One of the surprising things I hadn't expected when I decided to write crime fiction is how much you are expected to be out in front of the public. Some writers aren't comfortable with that. I don't have a problem with that.
I've been accused of being a minimalist writer. I don't like a lot of verbiage in there.
I'm not writing great literature. I'm writing commercial fiction for people to enjoy the stories and to like the characters.
If you want to be an anthropologist, you need to study physical anthropology specialized in bones. If you want to be a forensic chemist, get a degree in chemistry. Do you want to do DNA work? Get a degree in microbiology. And do well. Study hard and go to graduate school.
Bones tell me the story of a person's life - how old they were, what their gender was, their ancestral background.
At first I probably seem very abrupt, but I like efficiency. There's work and there's play, and I always think: 'Let's get the work over with so we can thoroughly enjoy the play.'
