Stephen J. Cannell's newest thriller is The Pallbearers.

SleuthFest, the annual writers conference presented by the Florida chapter of the Mystery Writers of America, takes place from Feb. 26-28 in Deerfield Beach. Sun Sentinel mystery and thriller columnist Oline Cogdill recently interviewed its keynote speaker, Stephen J. Cannell.

“Imagine you’re an Emmy Award-winning producer and writer, one of the most prolific in television history with at least 42 series to your credit,” Cogdill writes. “During four decades in the business, you’ve created some of TV’s most iconic series, including ‘The Rockford Files,’ ‘Wiseguys’ and ‘21 Jump Street.’ So what do you do next?

“If you’re Stephen J. Cannell, you add author to the resume and turn out 16 best-selling thrillers.”

Cannell tells her, “I never have writer’s block. My engine is fueled by joy, not fear. I can’t wait to get started on my work every day.”

Surprisingly, he adds, “I never thought I had the horsepower to be a novelist because of my dyslexia.”

To read her column, click here.