I read The Old Curiosity Shop before I began Blackwood Farm. I was amazed at the utter madness in that book.

Re-telling the Christian story is the essence of my vocation. That has been going on since the Evangelists in one form or another.

Evil is always possible. Goodness is a difficulty.

Obsession led me to write. It's been that way with every book I've ever written. I become completely consumed by a theme, by characters, by a desire to meet a challenge.

What I've really learned over time is that optimism is a very, very important part of leadership.

You see what type of player I am, and you see a lot of that in leaders. Hopefully, you lead from the front and, first and foremost, play well.

My goal, if I could have an ultimate goal, is to have new leaders emerge from within the Muslim community who are not defensive: who, day in, day out, are willing to denounce radicalizations, denounce the attempts by al Qaeda to go into their communities.

The GFTUK is a powerful political instrument for training its members, including the working class, into Kimilsungists-Kimjongilists with unfailing loyalty to the Party and the leader and mobilizing them to implement the revolutionary cause of Juche.