Each time a new disaster puts miners in the news, the press tries to make them into heroes, but they don't quite fit the bill. They don't march off to war or rush into burning buildings or rid our streets of crime.

Mining is a dangerous profession. There's no way to make a mine completely safe: These are the words owners have always used to excuse needless deaths and the words miners use to prepare for them.

It turned out I really didn't like journalism. I wanted to make up stories, not cover real events.

Qué pena que cuando los gobiernos deciden entrar en una guerra no puedan coger a sus ejércitos y ponerlos en un recinto cerrado a luchar, algo así como un estadio de fútbol, y no tener que joder a personas inocentes

My mind is constantly creating and searching, but I can't make myself put the right words on paper until I'm ready. Once I'm ready, I'm a focused, disciplined writer who will put in twelve hours a day at the computer, but I also spend a lot of time away from the computer getting to that point.

I don't try to sugarcoat things, but I also think my books make positive statements about the people and values in small-town America.