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Here, in no particular order, are wells of inspiration that have “inspired” me.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: Yes, I know. Many authors, even those who write vampire novels, weave personal experiences into their work. Hopefully, not too personal, since there are laws against sucking blood from people, unless you work for the IRS. In my case, all my books are heavily grounded in my past as a police reporter, columnist, financial editor, corporate executive, director of a nonprofit, sex therapist, and various other personas—basically someone who couldn’t hold down a steady job. (I made the sex therapist thing up, by the way; just wanted to see if you’re paying attention.)

TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES: TCM runs a lot of black-and-white movies from the mid-1930s starring great actors with plots that somehow predate the use of LSD. I do not steal the plots, but they do send my mind racing. There was one film in which Fredric March or William Powell (it was early, and the coffee hadn’t kicked in yet) was prosecuting a floozy for shooting her lover. It’s hard to beat the moment when, the D.A.’s own wife jumps up and shouts that she shot the victim, who was also her lover. I just had to use a variation, with a twist that didn’t include a courtroom scene.

DREAMS: I keep a pad (electronic or paper) by my bed. (NO, I AM NOT A SEX THERAPIST!) Although I never actually used one of my dreams, I know that one author did turn a dream into a successful thriller about a German U-boat and the hunt for a treasure. The writer wasn’t even German! In keeping with my fading faculties, I also can’t remember the name of the author or the book, but, trust me, I didn’t dream this up. I do wonder, however, why someone would dream about U-boats, unless he was sunk by martinis before he went to bed.

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