I met my husband, Jacob, in medical school. We married and went to live in Hawaii where his family lived. It was very beautiful, but I wasn't used to being on an island and needed wide open spaces. Eventually we moved to Maine, New England. Tess Gerritsen beautifulenglandeventually share on social
I devote most of my day to writing, and try to turn out at least four pages a day. As for what triggers the creative process, it's a mystery to me! Characters often just walk on the page, and I wait to see what they do and say while I'm writing them. Tess Gerritsen charactercreativeday share on social
There is no better test of character than when you're tossed into crisis. That's when we see one's true colors shine through. So I try my best to make my characters personally involved in the plot, in a way that stresses them and tests them. Tess Gerritsen charactercolorcrisis share on social
Because my dad's Chinese-American, and they're very concrete, he said, 'There's no money to be made in literature.' So he told me to go into the sciences. And I was a good girl. And I did what Daddy said. And that's how I ended up being a doctor. But you know, you just can't stamp out that desire to tell stories. Tess Gerritsen americanchineseconcrete share on social
My most successful books, the ones that I feel the strongest about, are the ones that started with a premise that for me was deeply emotional. Tess Gerritsen bookdeeplyemotional Change image and share on social
I'm Asian-American, and I was the only Chinese girl growing up in a white school in San Diego. So I understood what it was like to be different, to always want to fit in and never feel like you ever could. Tess Gerritsen americanasianchinese share on social
I think what medical training does is it gives you the language, the tools to look up facts. I think medical training gives you a sense of how to approach a problem, how to look at symptoms and go down the list of what it might be. Tess Gerritsen approachfactlanguage share on social
I think of myself as a fairly logical, scientific and somewhat reserved person. Maura Isles, the Boston medical examiner who appears in five of my books, is me. Almost everything I use in describing her, from her taste in wine to her biographical data, is taken from my own family. Except I don't have a serial killer as a mother! Tess Gerritsen appearbiographicalbook share on social
After twelve years of living in Hawaii, I'd gotten a serious case of 'rock fever.' I just couldn't live on an island any longer. Tess Gerritsen casefeverhawaii Change image and share on social
It's what all writers dream of, that our work finds a measure of immortality that long outlives the words of any critic. Tess Gerritsen criticdreamfind Change image and share on social