Books and stories don't just emerge from nothing in a sort of mental Big Bang. They grow more like plants, from a seed that's nourished by a rich and fertile soil. All my books have come out of the background of my own reading and from the things I've seen, or heard, or done, or thought about; and I thought that anyone who asks the question “Where do you get your ideas from?” (and a surprising number of people do) might find some of the answers here. I'll add to it as time goes on, but these are some of the things I like, or think important, and that I find interesting; and I hope you'll find them interesting too.