Gerald M. Weinberg: The Aremac Project

  

Details: 

Title: The Aremac Project (Amazon | B&N)
Author: Gerald M. Weinberg (http://www.geraldmweinberg.com)
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Little West Press
ISBN: 978-0-932633-70-5

The Interview:

1. First off, congratulations on the big novel sale! Give us the elevator pitch. What’s your book about?

The Aremac pits technology against terrorism in a body-strewn race against time. Drawing on neuroscience and nanotechnology, grad students Roger Fixman and Tess Myers develop the software and machinery to take pictures of a person’s memory. Unwittingly, these earnest researchers provide the US government — and its enemies — with a new and deadly form of interrogation.

2. Most new novelists have an interesting story to tell about their journey to publication. What’s yours? Did you use an agent? Make sure to tell us about the day you found out you’d sold a book.

My story is probably rather different from most first-time novelists, because I had previously published over 40 successful non-fiction books. My major publisher was excited to publish the novel to add to their collection of techno-novels, or, as I call them, nerd-novels. These novels deal with the personal and social impacts of leading-edge (or just beyond leading-edge) technology. Under the circumstances, I didn’t require an agent. (I’ve never used one for my non-fiction, but my future in fiction might be different-if I can find a compatible agent.)

As for the day I found out I’d sold it, I thought I wouldn’t be excited (as I was when I sold my first non-fiction book, many years ago)-but I was wrong. Selling fiction is a different kind of thrill, perhaps because it seems much harder (at least for me).

3. Do you have another book in the pipeline? What are you working on now?

I have quite a few books in the pipeline. First, a sequel, finished but waiting for the right timing (sales of The Aremac Project are beginning to accelerate as excellent reviews pile up.)

Then there are half a dozen others out there trying to find a home (Little West is too small to take that many). Selling these nerd-novels, I fear, will not be quite so easy, but I have high hopes.

4. What’s your writing process like? Morning writer, night writer, or something in between?

Well, I happen to have written a very successful book about my writing process: Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method (ISBN: 0-932633-65-X). Briefly, I write at all times, in all places, trying to capture high-energy “fieldstones” out of which I build my stories.

5. There seems to be an unusually high percentage of writers who own cats. Here at the The First Book, we’re doing a study to find out if there’s a direct relationship between writing success and cat ownership.  Do you own a cat? If so, tell us about him or her. If not, tell us what you have against cats.

I have owned cats, but fundamentally, I own dogs. German Shepherd dogs.  My wife, Dani, is a world-renowned trainer of dogs, trainer of dog trainers, and trainer of dog-trainer trainers. And a writer about dog training, too.

Right now, we own three German Shepherd dogs. Ruby (female) is ten years old, with titles in obedience and tracking. Caro (male) is five years old, with no titles (but we’re entering him in a kissing contest on Valentine’s Day, and he’s sure to win). Lovey (female) is our puppy, with no titles yet, unless they give titles for eating books. You can enjoy pictures of all of them at http://home.earthlink.net/~hardpretzel/DaniDogPage.html.

Up Next Week:  Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why