Ira Tabankin Interview Published on: 16, Jun 2017
What was life like, growing up in New Jersey? How exactly did the Cuban Missile Crises have a large impact on you?
I grew up under one of the few Army surface to air (NIKE) missile bases. I remember waking up hearing their alarm sound. My father told me, that meant we were going to war. In school, they drilled us on "Duck and Cover" they showed us black and white movies of the damage from Hiroshima. It left a memory that never left me
What inspired the story of your book "Christmas Eve"? Do you think that such an occurance may develop in the near future?Iran hates us and the west. They've been trying to build a nuclear weapon for years. The hardest part of fighting a war is the delivery of the weapon against one's enemy. If you remove the need for a long range delivery system, you add in the element of surprise. I'm surprised no one has used a similar plot to attack us or others. It's impossible for us to check every container, it would be easy to pack one with a WMD.
Which of your books was the hardest to research and write for?The hardest was The End of the World as We Might Have Known it. There are many books written about alternative endings to the Cuban Missile crisis, I tried to come up with a story no one else had written. I used many of my own memories in the writing of the story.
If you could acquire one skill, other than writing, what would it be and why?Engineering. I always look at things and wonder how it was built, how did someone know how much steel to use or the amount of concrete to use.
How many days a week do you write? What's your idea of a perfect weekend?I write every day, writing is my job. I approach it as a regular job.
What gave you the idea for your book series "We Knew They Were Coming"?I grew up watching and reading SciFic, I wondered how the government would act if they discovered an alien ship was coming. I didn't expect the story to be more than a single story, writing it, ideas flooded me, I jotted outlines which kept expanding the story. That usually happens to me, the stories take on a life of their own. They sometimes take me in their own direction.
Tell us about your newest series 'Calexit'. How long did it take you to write the first book?The first draft of the book just poured out of me, I had the first draft finished in three weeks. When I went back through it, I pulled half another book out which is becoming book 2.The daily headlines just kept pushing me forward.
If you could have dinner with any well known figure - from the past or living - who would it be and why?President Reagan. I admired him and how he changed the world.
What would you say is the most challenging thing about being a writer?Getting 9/10 into a story and getting writers block on how to end it. Sometimes the ending flows, sometimes it takes me days to figure out the last couple of chapters. The second most challenging is, I write Non PC stories, the emails I get could melt my laptop, some people are vile. No matter what warnings I put on my books that they are not PC, I get threats and a couple of times my kids were threatened.
If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing?Before I retired to write due to poor health, I was in sales and product development which is what I would be still doing.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Do you think one can ever retire from being a writer?I hope I'm still here in 10 years. If I am, I expect I'll still be writing stories.
Have you ever thought of collaborating with an author to write a book?I have started such a project.
Can you proofread your own work? If not, who usually does the editing and proofreading for you?I tried and failed, I don't think any author can proofread/edit their own work. I got an email from a reader who told me I needed an editor, I hired her to edit for me.
How do you think you've evolved creatively? Is there any advice you'd like to impart on any budding writers?The best advice I can give is the same I got, write. Write, it takes time and writing millions of words to produce readable books.
How big a role do you think social media plays in the marketing department? Have you enjoyed your experience with AllAuthor so far? Would you recommend it to other authors?I highly recommend AllAuthor to every author. You provide many helpful and useful services.
