Interview with Abe March, author of "They Plotted Revenge Against America"

Abe F. March is an international business consultant and author, living near Landau, Germany with his wife Gisela. An active retiree, he enjoys hiking and exploring the local vineyards and can also be heard singing with a regional men's choir. Mr. March's career has taken him around the world to work in many areas from his birthplace in the USA to Canada, Europe and the Middle East.

His first book, To Beirut and Back - An American in the Middle East, was published in 2006 and is a memoir of his adventures that took him to Lebanon in the 1970s. Mr. March grew up in York County, Pennsylvania on the family farm, and he served in the USAF from 1957-61. His business career got underway with the computing sciences division of IBM's service bureau where he held positions as manager of administration and operations analyst. He later joined an international cosmetic company where he rapidly achieved top distributor status and was promoted to Vice President of Sales Development and Product Marketing Management, an opportunity which took him throughout the USA and into Canada, Greece, and Germany.

With international experience and an entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. March started his own importing business headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, for the distribution of cosmetics and toiletries to the Middle East markets. With an ease about him and a talent for developing business relationships, he also functioned as a locator of goods and services sought by Mid-Eastern clients before the civil war in Lebanon destroyed his successful business enterprise. Mr. March returned to the United States to start over, and was soon working on an international level once again. His subsequent work involved Swan Technologies, Inc., a personal computer manufacturer in West Germany, and back to the US to work with Stork NV, supporting a fleet of 1200 Foker Aircraft. He officially retired in 2001.

For more information please visit http://www.freewebs.com/abemarch

Here's what he had to say:

Where are you from?

My hometown is York, PA. I am now living in Germany

When and why did you begin writing?

I began trying to write at an early age. Just short stories to amuse friends. Other than writing related to business, I began recording my experiences in 1976. I had just returned from Beirut and wanted to get things down on paper while they were fresh on my mind. And, it was literally on paper using a typewriter. It eventually became a novel.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I always knew I could write, but could I write a book? Could I write a book that would be accepted for publication? Could I write a book that would sell? It wasn´t until I got published that I could consider myself a writer.

What inspired you to write your first book?

My experience in the Middle East was rather unusual. Telling people about my travels and experiences reinforced the need to record these memories. Although many said that I should write a book, it wasn´t until I had put my experiences into book form that I became serious about it. It was my daughter who encouraged me to seek publication.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I write the way I speak. Having lived and worked outside the USA for many years, my manner of speaking required me to use simple terminology to be easily understood. I think that is reflected in my writing.

How did you come up with the title?

The title reflects the contents of the book. I came up with a list of possibilities and had other people tell me what appealed to them. The working title I used was not the title that was used for publication on my first book, however with my current novel, it remained the same.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes, most definitely. To find a solution to a complicated problem, one must understand both sides of an issue. An effective way to do that is to see the situation through the eyes of the opponent, or adversary. Dialogue is an effective tool. The message is simply to make people see that there are two sides to a dilemma and that there is a solution.

How much of the book is realistic?

The first book was entirely non-fiction. This current novel is based on real events. The weapon is fictional but possible. The threat portrayed could happen.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Events in my own life.

What books have most influenced your life most?

Primarily books with historical content. Early reading of the Bible created an interest in the Middle East region. That led to other books of that region, both historical and fiction. Books of the early American pioneers influenced my adventurous spirit.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

James Fenimore Cooper

What book are you reading now?

The Unthinkable by Amanda Ripley

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Brenda Hill

What are your current projects?

Putting the finishing touches on a romance novel and working on family history.

Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Writing forums.

Do you see writing as a career?

Being retired; I don´t see my writing as a new career, but rather as a hobby.

What do you think makes a good story?

Controversial subjects and human-interest stories.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Patience. Not to be discouraged by rejection but rather as a challenge.