I think it's more difficult now to write a spy thriller with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Many authors have tried, but few have succeeded in capturing the interest of readers.

I used the pen name because I knew I wanted to write better novels under my own name someday,

Writing doesn't leave much time for hobbies, unless you consider that I began writing as a hobby and have made the hobby into a profession.

I do write my manuscripts by hand, in pencil on legal pads. Then they are typed on a word processor by my typist.