Frequently Asked Questions
We have collected the questions
most often asked by Joe Weber’s readers. If you have a question that isn’t
answered here, e-mail Joe at joeweber@aol.com
How did you
get started in your writing career?
After leaving the Marine Corps in 1975, I resumed my career as a commercial pilot. I had
always been interested in writing, so I started taking along a yellow legal pad and a few
pencils in my flight bag. In 1987, I started my first novel - on a yellow legal pad - with
a self-imposed deadline of one year to finish the project. It actually took me one year
and two weeks. I was fortunate to find an agent, and Presidio Press published Defcon-One in 1989.
When is your
next book coming out?
Primary Target is due for release in December, 1999
from Penguin Putnam Publishing, Inc.
What is your
next book about?
Primary Target is a chilling thriller about a
full-scale terrorist attack on America. Middle Eastern terrorists, with the help of
Russia, plot to assassinate the President of the United States; paralyze commercial
aviation; and destroy Washington, D.C. with a suitcase nuclear bomb.
Are the
characters in your books people you have actually known?
To some degree they are. Most of my characters are a composite of a number of people I
have known. A few of them are totally fictitious.
You have
used strong female characters in some of your books. That’s surprising for a Marine.
Can you explain?
You’re right, I have. In Defcon-One the Vice
President of the United States is female; in Honorable
Enemies, Steve Wickham is teamed with a female FBI agent, and in Primary Target, I have a female captain of an aircraft carrier
and a female F-16 fighter pilot. It just feels natural to me. I suppose it comes from
being around strong women. My wife is a former executive of a Fortune 300 company, my
agent is female, and my editors are female. I think women should play a strong role in
military fiction just as they do in the real world.
Do you
network with other techno-thriller authors?
Yes. When I was just starting my writing career, Tom Clancy gave me some sage advice. Tom,
as well as Stephen Coonts, W.E.B. Griffin and others have been kind enough to endorse my
books.
Two of your
books were about Vietnam. Isn’t this a deviation from your usual genre?
Yes, it is. As a Naval Aviator, Rules of Engagement
and Targets of Opportunity were my way of letting
off some steam about the politics of the Vietnam War.
How do you
research your books?
I usually spend at least two hours a day reading research material from a number of
sources. In addition, I network with people who are currently in the military or
intelligence communities.
How long
does it take you to write a book?
It usually takes about nine months to a year before I am ready for the publisher to look
at the manuscript. Once the publisher gets involved, it’s another nine months to a
year before the readers see it in the stores.
How can I
get my copies of your books autographed?
There are two ways to get your books autographed. You can e-mail me at joeweber@aol.com and request an autograph. I will be
happy to send you a bookplate to put in your book. Or, you can mail your books to the
snail mail address at this site. I will autograph them and send them back to you. Either
way, be sure to include your mailing address.
Do you
answer your fan mail?
Absolutely! One of the most rewarding things about writing is getting feedback from your
readers. I take the time to answer e-mail and letters personally.
What is your
typical day like?
As I said earlier, I usually spend about two hours each morning on research and
administrative responsibilities I break for lunch, then spend about four to five hours
writing.
What do you
do to relax when you’re not writing?
My wife and I love to travel, but sometimes my writing schedule won’t allow us to
take extended trips. When a long trip is out of the question, I throw on my favorite aloha
shirt, grab my Jimmy Buffett CDs and head off in my boat.
How has your
military background influenced your writing?
I don’t think I could adequately bring the visceral feeling of flying off an aircraft
carrier or air-to-air combat to the reader if I hadn’t been trained to do it. If
you’ve never yanked and banked in a high performance military jet, it’s hard to
describe how it really feels. I hope my military background allows me to put my readers
inside the cockpit with my characters.
What’s
the scariest moment you ever had while flying?
There have been several "character building" incidents in my flying career. Most
pilots will tell you that flying is many hours of boredom punctuated by moments of stark
terror. Some of my most terrifying moments happened while flying from the decks of
aircraft carriers. During my initial carrier qualification on the USS Lexington, my
twin-engine T-2C Buckeye jet suffered an engine fire. A year later, while completing a
touch-and-go landing aboard Lexington, my TA-4J Skyhawk blew a tire that twisted the lower
section of the landing gear. As I added full power and rotated off the flight deck, the
Air Boss in Pri-Fly (the control tower on a carrier) warned me not to raise my landing
gear. If the damaged gear jammed in the up position, bad things could happen. I was
instructed to return to Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas. Flying lower than normal
while dragging the landing gear in the breeze burned tons of fuel. I arrived over the air
station with six to seven minutes of fuel left. Needless to say, I was happy that I
didn’t have to pull the "loud handle" and eject from the plane.
How do you
react to critical reviews of your work?
I love all the good reviews! When I get a bad review, I try to learn something from it.
"Joe Weber writes sensational
books. The pace never slows, and, as his readers well know, Weber never guarantees a
happy ending."
-Ocala Star-Banner
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