For me, Dracula has always been associated with travel and beautiful historical places.

It touched me to be trusted with something terrible.

I think it's important to recognise that 'The Da Vinci Code' opened up a vast new audience for a general readership interested in historical detective stories and research into history.

My publishers are wonderful because they have let me write what I wanted to. They're wise enough to know that, with any author who's not simply writing formulas - who's trying to create something new - pressuring them to do something for market purposes almost always backfires. I can't imagine working under those circumstances, actually.

Africa is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

I like to write about beautiful places, interesting places to me.