If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
I would not change a thing. I went over it and edited it zillion times, I had two great editors who worked on it independently. It’s as close to perfect as a book could be.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
When I worked as a Vice President in NMS Communications (hi-tech company), I managed customer trials. When the trial was over I wrote “trip reports.” These reports became “best sellers” within the email forwarding universe. They were filled with humor, great descriptions and general edutainment. People told me that I had a great talent for writing, that I should pursue a career in that field.
Do you recall how your interest in writing this latest book originated?
I have become annoyed at the general misunderstanding by people and by the media when it comes to the culture of suicide bombing. People don’t understand that this act is a selfish act committed by selfish people who want to secure “72 Virgins in Paradise.” Most suicide bombers are not desperate people. The book provides enlightenment on the subject through entertainment and plenty of thrill.
(I added this one.)
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Writing a novel is not limited to prose. It involves what I like to call—engineering. This term may be foreign to people who have never written a complete book. It has to do with plotting, rearranging order and length of chapters, starting and ending scenes, maintaining tension, resolving tension, injecting humor and spice even when the story or scene is tense and grim, making people visualize the scenes, step inside and participate in the action. The engineering part is the most challenging part.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
My favorite author is Joseph Finder. His plotting is great; he knows how to maintain tension throughout, and it’s clear that he does plenty of homework and research on the subject he writes about, but the thing that separates him from the rest is his writing style and his great sense of humor.
What was the hardest part of writing your book? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I was trying to educate the reader by way of entertainment. Combining education and entertainment into edutainment is a tricky undertaking. I wanted to be a writer after getting enthusiastic feedback at work on my trip reports. I explained that earlier.
