The Hot Author Report

Interview with Avi Perry – Author of ‘72 Virgins’

I grew up in Israel among many of the character types depicted in the story, then served in the Israeli military, field intelligence unit, during the Six-Day-War in 1967, and gained valuable and relevant experience, one that breathes authenticity into the setting of 72 Virgins. Although, Arik, the hero of my story, is younger and more handsome, there is a lot of me in his character. (His physical traits are wishful thinking on my part ).

I have spent the past four decades in the US, first as a Ph.D. student, then as a professor at Northwestern University, a Bell Laboratories – distinguished staff member and manager, and finally as Vice President at NMS Communications. I signed for early retirement in 2004 with the intention of writing a technical book. My title Fundamentals of Voice Quality Engineering was published by Cambridge University Press in 2006 and became very popular. Readers praised the book for its thoroughness and for my refreshing, unique and entertaining writing style, atypical among technical writers.

Throughout my tenure at NMS, I wrote many short (humor-packed, peppered with company culture) satires, technical reports, white papers (published on company website), press releases, and more. You may find more information on my websites (www.aviperry.org and www.aviperry.com ).

In my younger years, I was a part-time professional musician. I financed my student life with numerous gigs, playing with my Israeli band. I wrote songs, played the various keyboard instruments, and enjoyed listening to my performances on the Israeli radio (there was no MTV in late 60s Israel). I still play and write music, but as a hobby (at home), rather than as a line of work.

During the 90’s my wife played the role of an adoption attorney in Romania and in Crimea, Ukraine. She worked in these countries in cooperation with adoption agencies from the US. She facilitated hundreds of successful adoptions of orphans from these countries. I was heavily involved in her work. Her stories about her adventures, the surrounding intrigue and the mafia atmosphere eclipsing over her good-hearted, sincere, and idealistic goals, comprise a great subject for a captivating novel. Maybe, who knows?

My two little grandchildren are the joy of my life. Without them it would be as boring as watching the grass grow. I am looking forward to the times when I can teach them everything I know, making it easier for them to grow into a better version of myself.

I love writing. I consider it an outlet for my boxed energy. Writing fiction is like playing God. You create a universe; keep it under your control, engender characters, keep them miserable; sometimes you kill them. But unlike God, you can rewind, carry them back to life; bring them happiness, let bygones be bygones.

It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a ‘real’ job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life? Have they influenced/inspired your writing?

I don’t write for a living, although it is nice to know that people are willing to pay for the pleasure of reading my books. I don’t have a real job. I worked hard, then retired early. My life experiences and my past jobs had a great influence on my knowledge base, point of view and thinking process. As a Northwestern University professor and as a Vice President at a hi-tech company I practiced my passion for teaching and coaching. Both my books reflect that passion.

What compelled you to write your first book?

Many Americans do not understand the reasons and purpose of Islamic terrorism. People on the left side of the political spectrum blame the US foreign policy for the insane violence and the eruption of the volcano that breads that kind of hate movement. They are wrong. They simply need to examine the facts. Most Suicide bombings take place in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other Muslim countries, where the majority of the victims are innocent, accidental out-of-luck Muslim bystanders. There are many non-fiction books written about the violent nature of Islam.

But, for me, Robert Spenser’s books: the Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam, and The Truth About Islam, have been the ones that triggered the spark for the idea of writing a novel, an action/thriller, which would attract and educate a different segment of the population, a segment whose main focus is entertainment rather than education, whose learning and enlightenment would be achieved indirectly.

As a university professor, at Northwestern University, and as a Vice President in NMS Communications, I always looked for ways to coach and educate—my students, my direct reports, my customers and colleagues. I discovered that winning an argument, gaining attention, and convincing, may, sometimes, be difficult, since my views may be considered tainted by my background and upbringing. However, when these opinions and counter arguments are delivered by fictional characters, they wear a uniform of a different color. Arguments can be more extreme, more outrageous, less politically correct, and if I can add a bit of sarcasm and humor they may stick.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

I have not thought about being a writer until later in life when I became a vice president in NMS Communications. One of my responsibilities was running field trials of our company’s equipment with scrutinizing customers. Once a trial was completed, I wrote a trip report. These reports became classical, hot email forwards within the company. They were filled with colorful descriptions, humor, and numerous technical details written in the style of a suspense thriller.

Many people let me know that I had made the wrong turn when choosing a career, that I should have been a writer. After a while, I began taking this feedback seriously; it began sinking in. I retired early, then wrote my first book—a non-fiction textbook that reads like one of my longer trip reports. My latest book – 72 Virgins is a perfect example for what I want to do when I grow up.

Tell us briefly about your book.

72 Virgins is a novel about Jihad terrorism and the security agencies’ struggle to thwart its stratagem and trounce the perpetrators. Abu Musa is an Islamic Terrorist with an agenda, a ticking bomb inside the US. Arik Golan is an Israeli who tries to bring him down and pull the plug on his terror organization. Stanley Kramer is an FBI agent on a hunting mission, seeking to place both Abu Musa and Arik within his crosshair. The FBI, the Israeli Foreign Intelligence Service—the Mossad, the US-based Iranian clandestine terror network, and the Islamic Jihad fraternity are engaged in a timeless conflict, playing out to a crescendo that comes to a head before the dramatic conclusion.

The book draws on current world events, politics, cultural divisions, international intrigue and religious fanaticism. It is masterly plotted, thrilling, captivating, replete with stealth, and above all, enlightening.

The story offers an ample dose of realism, a cast of intense characters who engage in love, lust, and violence. It portrays the Jihad culture with its rationale and the volcano that breeds an irrational obsession with death. Moreover, it builds on the Jihadists’ motivation for targeting so many innocents and exploiting the victims’ massacre as a stepping-stone to their dream of eternal paradise next to Allah’s throne.

The real question is not whether Jihad terrorists’ plots will ever cease to emerge – there is no chance of that. The question the book seeks to answer is—will the next one be stopped before it’s too late?

Ronald L. Donaghe, Winner of the 2008 Jim Duggins out-standing Mid-Career Novelist Award., characterized it best—”Perry’s style and approach, makes for a great, entertaining read, in addition to being suspenseful and intriguing, from start to finish.”

What are you working on at the moment?

I am thinking about a sequel, but my publisher wants me to focus on the marketing of 72 Virgins. He would not let me relax and write my next book until he is convinced that the current book has gained its well deserved exposure.

How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?

It made me feel proud. I felt like I had made it! But more importantly, the wife loved me again, was proud of me again, stopped telling me to go clean the toilet since I was not doing anything useful anyway (when I was writing the book).

What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write? Do you need the noise or the silence?

I have a radio constantly playing inside my head anyway, and it’s not always my favorite music. Problem is I can’t turn it off unless a real radio preempts it and takes over, so I usually tune in to a (melodic) pop station. I am a musician (used to be a professional keyboardist, song writer and arranger), so I can appreciate a good song when I hear it.

How do you balance out the writer’s life and the rest of life? Do you get up early? Stay up late? Ignore friends and family for certain periods of time?

Basically, all of the above. I guess I am a so-called geek. If I can have intellectual stimulation, I could skip dinner. If I can read an interesting piece, I can skip friends. I can spend time, entertaining myself with a good book, an enlightening TV program, without the help or the nagging of other human beings.

The main characters of your stories – do you find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them to be completely different from you?

There is no escape. I believe every author puts a little of him/herself into their fiction. It does not always have to be an existing characteristic, thought, or physical attributes; it could also be a wishful thinking about him/herself. And so, in 72 Virgins, my hero, the good guy, is part me, part my wishful me. But regardless of what he looks like (and he is very good looking), we do think alike.

Is there an established writer you admire and emulate in your own writing? Do you have a writing mentor?

I have a few writers I admire and learn from. I also know of writers who made it to the top, and I have no idea why. I learn from them as well. I don’t try to emulate their writing techniques, but I do try to learn how NOT to write—an important element in being a good writer.

What about now: who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?

Fiction: My favorite author is Joe Finder. My favorite genre is Suspense Thriller. Non-Fiction: I read plenty of those, and have many favorites and many genres. Many of these authors wrote a single book, so I don’t go looking for more of their literary work.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Physical books and e-books are available on http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=avi+perry&x=0&y=0 and soon in bookstores across the US. Readers may be interested in visiting Perry’s web site at www.aviperry.org where they may find a wealth of information on the author, author’s blogs—for writers and for those interested in politics, great videos on Islam, and more.