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Above The Fold - June 7, 2010
ROGER ALLAN
Exciting, Imaginative Scribe With
A Wealth Of Personal Experience To Share
ROGER ALLAN is the author of These Mountains Have Secrets, a compelling mystery/suspense tale of political intrigue set against the backdrop of the turbulent 1960s. To learn more about Roger and his ongoing efforts, visit:
BOOK VIDEO TRAILER:
These Mountains Have Secrets
(Roger Allan)
These Mountains Have Secrets
(Roger Allan)
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Roger Allan (These Mountains Have Secrets)
Apex Reviews: Roger, thanks for joining us for this interview. We're looking forward to sharing more about your book with our readers.
What inspired you to craft this quite compelling, eye-opening tale?
Roger Allan: I worked at both the newspaper and the hotel that are the centerpieces of my book. I had the idea of exposing discrimination at the hotel after I came to Washington in 1961. You’ll recall that was the beginning of the Kennedy Administration and a lot of young people such as myself got caught up in the civil rights fervor of that period.
AR: How did you ultimately decide upon writing about the turbulent 1960s?
RA: The 1960s have always played a big part in my life. I was married in 1960, had two daughters in short order after that, settled in Washington and things were going great. The civil rights movement was just getting underway and, of course, no one knew at the time where it would lead. I have a lot of memories about the discrimination that was rampant at that time, even in our nation’s capital.
AR: What is about the Hot Springs, Virginia, area that drew you to that particular setting?
RA: I was a beginning reporter, newly out of journalism school at the University of Notre Dame and I took a job at the Covington Virginian. In my book, I’ve changed the name of the paper to the Covington Daily Review. After I was there a couple of years, the manager of the Homestead in Hot Springs asked me to be publicity director for the hotel. I had come from a rather modest background and working at a posh hotel such as the Homestead was quite an eye opener.
AR: Is Harry's character inspired by intrepid journalists that you've known in real life?
RA: Actually, I’ve not known many intrepid journalists. Harry’s character is built mainly from my own background in newspaper work. But, in a way, day-to-day journalism can be intrepid. Sometimes to get even the most basic story you have to do somewhat courageous things, like going to unknown places, calling people at odd hours, chasing down people who don’t want to talk to you.
AR: Was it difficult for you to come up with the underlying storylines that push the tale along?
RA: In a way it was. I had the idea to write about anti-Semitism for a long time. But putting that into an interesting setting evolved over a period of years. I didn’t dwell on it all the time, but I would go back to it occasionally. Putting a secret, underground bunker at the Homestead was not really new. One was built in fact, as is well known now, at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs. To my knowledge, there was never a plan to build one at the Homestead. I created that. The Nazi angle is my creation, too. I doubt there are any “Nazis” in the Hot Springs/Covington area. The romance angles are fictions.
AR: What's your personal take on conspiracy theorists who believe that shadowy, secret figures are always working behind the scenes to influence global events?
RA: It’s an interesting thought. In my own experience, I have met a few people with strange ideas about world affairs. But whether they could influence global events is doubtful. I’ve never run in global-event-influencing circles so I would have to think about how this could occur. I think what actually happens is what I’ve written about and tried to capture in my book. Namely, the venality and corruption of public officials, businessmen and plain every day people who really aren’t smart enough to influence anyone.
AR: What kinds of reactions have readers had to the book thus far?
RA: From those I have heard from, it’s been very good. A couple said they reread it they enjoyed it so much, that it should be turned into a movie, that it captured the atmosphere of the early 1960s extremely well. It’s been a good start. Even an “I enjoyed reading it” is a good reaction, in my view.
AR: Please share more with us about your publisher, Black Rose Writing.
RA: Reagan Rothe of Black Rose Writing got me started. He’s put the book out there where people can buy it. Being a first time author that is about as much as I can expect. I am learning a lot about this publishing business and about what you have to do to get noticed. I’m coming along step by step and Black Rose Writing has helped show me what steps to take.
AR: What are your future writing/publishing aspirations?
RA: I’m cautious to say what they are at this time, except that having a book published has inspired me to do another. However, I keep in mind something attributed to Mario Puzo to the effect that a writer shouldn’t talk about his next story until it’s been written. I will just say that I have another one underway with the same hero but at a different famous American hotel.
AR: How can our readers learn more about you and your ongoing efforts?
RA: I would very much like to hear from your readers. As for myself, I’m an active 76-year-old, still working on a “retirement” basis. I have three children and four grandchildren. I’ve been divorced for several years and play a good deal of golf. I hope your readers, if interested, will take a hint from my previous answer as to my next in-progress novel and contact me with some ideas related to that.
AR: How can they contact you directly?
RA: Sure. Probably the best way would be through by email address: rogerdemuth.allan@gmail.com.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
RA: Writing my book has been a great adventure and it only gets better. It is opening new doors, giving me new reasons to get up every day and new things to think about throughout the day. Another thing it has done is to give me new perspectives on reading. Now, when I read a new novel or reread an old favorite I can visualize what the author had to do to come up with an idea or even a phrase. In short, my book is making my life more interesting – especially to me.
AR: Thanks again, Roger, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
Apex Reviews: Roger, thanks for joining us for this interview. We're looking forward to sharing more about your book with our readers.
What inspired you to craft this quite compelling, eye-opening tale?
Roger Allan: I worked at both the newspaper and the hotel that are the centerpieces of my book. I had the idea of exposing discrimination at the hotel after I came to Washington in 1961. You’ll recall that was the beginning of the Kennedy Administration and a lot of young people such as myself got caught up in the civil rights fervor of that period.
AR: How did you ultimately decide upon writing about the turbulent 1960s?
RA: The 1960s have always played a big part in my life. I was married in 1960, had two daughters in short order after that, settled in Washington and things were going great. The civil rights movement was just getting underway and, of course, no one knew at the time where it would lead. I have a lot of memories about the discrimination that was rampant at that time, even in our nation’s capital.
AR: What is about the Hot Springs, Virginia, area that drew you to that particular setting?
RA: I was a beginning reporter, newly out of journalism school at the University of Notre Dame and I took a job at the Covington Virginian. In my book, I’ve changed the name of the paper to the Covington Daily Review. After I was there a couple of years, the manager of the Homestead in Hot Springs asked me to be publicity director for the hotel. I had come from a rather modest background and working at a posh hotel such as the Homestead was quite an eye opener.
AR: Is Harry's character inspired by intrepid journalists that you've known in real life?
RA: Actually, I’ve not known many intrepid journalists. Harry’s character is built mainly from my own background in newspaper work. But, in a way, day-to-day journalism can be intrepid. Sometimes to get even the most basic story you have to do somewhat courageous things, like going to unknown places, calling people at odd hours, chasing down people who don’t want to talk to you.
AR: Was it difficult for you to come up with the underlying storylines that push the tale along?
RA: In a way it was. I had the idea to write about anti-Semitism for a long time. But putting that into an interesting setting evolved over a period of years. I didn’t dwell on it all the time, but I would go back to it occasionally. Putting a secret, underground bunker at the Homestead was not really new. One was built in fact, as is well known now, at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs. To my knowledge, there was never a plan to build one at the Homestead. I created that. The Nazi angle is my creation, too. I doubt there are any “Nazis” in the Hot Springs/Covington area. The romance angles are fictions.
AR: What's your personal take on conspiracy theorists who believe that shadowy, secret figures are always working behind the scenes to influence global events?
RA: It’s an interesting thought. In my own experience, I have met a few people with strange ideas about world affairs. But whether they could influence global events is doubtful. I’ve never run in global-event-influencing circles so I would have to think about how this could occur. I think what actually happens is what I’ve written about and tried to capture in my book. Namely, the venality and corruption of public officials, businessmen and plain every day people who really aren’t smart enough to influence anyone.
AR: What kinds of reactions have readers had to the book thus far?
RA: From those I have heard from, it’s been very good. A couple said they reread it they enjoyed it so much, that it should be turned into a movie, that it captured the atmosphere of the early 1960s extremely well. It’s been a good start. Even an “I enjoyed reading it” is a good reaction, in my view.
AR: Please share more with us about your publisher, Black Rose Writing.
RA: Reagan Rothe of Black Rose Writing got me started. He’s put the book out there where people can buy it. Being a first time author that is about as much as I can expect. I am learning a lot about this publishing business and about what you have to do to get noticed. I’m coming along step by step and Black Rose Writing has helped show me what steps to take.
AR: What are your future writing/publishing aspirations?
RA: I’m cautious to say what they are at this time, except that having a book published has inspired me to do another. However, I keep in mind something attributed to Mario Puzo to the effect that a writer shouldn’t talk about his next story until it’s been written. I will just say that I have another one underway with the same hero but at a different famous American hotel.
AR: How can our readers learn more about you and your ongoing efforts?
RA: I would very much like to hear from your readers. As for myself, I’m an active 76-year-old, still working on a “retirement” basis. I have three children and four grandchildren. I’ve been divorced for several years and play a good deal of golf. I hope your readers, if interested, will take a hint from my previous answer as to my next in-progress novel and contact me with some ideas related to that.
AR: How can they contact you directly?
RA: Sure. Probably the best way would be through by email address: rogerdemuth.allan@gmail.com.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
RA: Writing my book has been a great adventure and it only gets better. It is opening new doors, giving me new reasons to get up every day and new things to think about throughout the day. Another thing it has done is to give me new perspectives on reading. Now, when I read a new novel or reread an old favorite I can visualize what the author had to do to come up with an idea or even a phrase. In short, my book is making my life more interesting – especially to me.
AR: Thanks again, Roger, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!