TS. Born and raised in South Africa, Dan moved to Israel in 2001. Most of his novels to date take place in Jerusalem, where he lived for seven years. Dan now lives near Tel Aviv with his wife and two daughters. “Currently, we’re all isolated in our apartment as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Wish us luck!”
Q. Where do you write? Do you have a special room, shed, barn, special space for your writing? Or tell us about your ‘dream’ work space.
DS. The short answer: wherever and whenever possible. I write at my laptop either in our computer room (otherwise known as our “mess” room) or at the dining room table. I’ve been known to jot down story ideas on my phone too. One day I hope to graduate to a coffee shop with good Wi-Fi and great coffee.
Q. Do you have any special rituals or quirks when you sit down to write? (a neat workspace, sharpened #2 pencils, legal pad, cup of tea, glass of brandy, favorite pajamas, etc.)
DS. I start with a cup of coffee. On good writing days, the coffee is cold by the time I look up from my manuscript.
Q. Could you tell us something about yourself that we might not already know?
DS. I went scuba diving with Tiger sharks in Mozambique. (Unintentionally!)
Q. Do you have a set time each day (or night) to write?
DS. I’m a morning person. I get up early to write before life gets in the way.
Q. What’s your best advice to other writers for overcoming procrastination?
DS. Write first, do the rest later.
Q. Where/when do you first discover your characters?
DS. My characters develop along with the plot. I take my time getting to know them. Only rarely have I based a character on a person I know.
Q. What first inspired you to write?
DS. Imagination. My first novel, A Love and Beyond, developed from a first date in Jerusalem. The restaurant in a renovated Ottoman-era building had an almost mystical atmosphere at night, and I wondered whether a place could make people fall in love.
Q. What comes first to you? The Characters or the Situation?
DS. The situation comes first, the characters develop from the needs of the story.
Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing?
DS. Definitely! When writing, I shut out everything around me and often daydream about story situations and issues.
Q. Are you working on something now? If so tell us about it.
DS. My new novel, Revenge of the Elders of Zion, is releasing on May 12, 2020.
Synopsis: In Manhattan, David Zelig decides to create a Jewish secret society based on the Elders of Zion myth. The Gentiles already think the Jews run the world; at least now a Jewish cabal might prevent the next synagogue shooting. When older and wiser community figures reject his proposal, the restless young heir of Zelig Pictures moves forward on his own. Along with two of his childhood friends—a high-strung hi-tech entrepreneur and a self-centered playboy—David establishes The Trio. But running a clandestine organization is harder than David had expected. And far more dangerous. Soon, the fledgling covert group falls into the cross hairs of some very real and very ruthless secret societies. And when law enforcement gets involved David’s well-meaning plan quickly spirals out of control. Struggling to stay alive and out of prison, the friends debunk The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, chase a priceless collection of Fabergé eggs, expose the dark secrets of Imperial Russia, and acquire a very embarrassing relic from the dawn of Christianity. Along the way, David will fall in love and uncover a complex web of conspiracy. He will discover the devastating cost of hatred and confess the true reason he created his secret society. To overcome painful injustices and prevent the most devastating anti-Semitic attack ever plotted on American soil, David will risk everything.
Q. When did you begin to write seriously?
Come back and join us with Part 2 on April 24th
To learn more about Revenge of the Elders of Zion, visit:
Revenge of the Elders of Zion
Special Offer: Dan’ll be giving away over $500 in Amazon gift cards and merchandise for the launch. For details on how to enter, visit:
http://dansofer.com/giveaway-revenge-of-the-elders-of-zion/?tag=pr
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MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! March: Olivia Hawker, April: Dan Sofer, May: Joram Piatigorsky
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Books by Trisha Sugarek
Thanks, Trisha!
It is my pleasure. Great interview!