It was the early 1970’s. Jeffrey Allen was attending Boston University where he was majoring in history with a minor in set-design and fine-art. However, uncertainty, restlessness, and tuition woes got the better of him. After a one year hiatus, in the form of a nationwide hitchhiking trip, Allen returned home and began the task of assembling his art portfolio so he could apply for acceptance into the Rhode Island School of Design. Discouraged by his father, and in need of income, he took an apprenticeship position as a cabinetmaker. Within a year’s time, Jeffrey had achieved journeyman status and was named foreman of the cabinet company where he was working. Still committed to nurturing his creative talents, Allen left that position in order to attend Millersville University where, with honors, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in architectural design and industrial arts education.

Allen taught school for two years while working toward his Masters degree at Temple University. Again, restlessness took over and Allen left his fledgling teaching career and went to work for a respected architectural woodworking company in northeast Philadelphia. There he gained his status as a master-cabinetmaker. In 1981, he created his own architectural woodworking firm. By 1984, Allen’s company had grown to be one of the most highly regarded shops in eastern Pennsylvania, employing over twenty people. With remarkable creativity and a feel for emerging technologies he expanded his business to offer full design services and residential electronic integration.

In 1996, Allen received his fifty ton US Coastguard captain's license and followed that with extensive sailing adventures and chartered voyages. In 2006, Allen was awarded the Colonel Holt Business Achievement Award. In 2007, he sold his Architectural woodworking business, and in 2009 published his first novel, Gone Away, Into the Land.

Today, Mr. Allen lives in Bethlehem, PA. He is a Professor of Writing at Northampton Community College, a fellow of the National Writing Project at Penn State University, and he sits on the board of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. Jeffrey Allen is a frequent lecturer on subjects as wide ranging as architectural design, writing and publishing, or the social implications of his novel, Gone Away, Into the Land and its underlying theme of domestic violence. He also gives talks on his unique writing style of integrating relevant social issues into magical realism.

Dear Reader,

Welcome to my website. I hope you stay and enjoy what the site has to offer.

“For a true writer each book should be a new beginning where he tries again for something that is beyond attainment. He should always try for something that has never been done, or that others have tried and failed. Then sometimes, with great luck, he will succeed.” Excerpt from Ernest Hemingway’s prerecorded Nobel acceptance speech.

Emotions are buried under the thin skin of the writer, feelings that are sometimes unknown to the writer and emotions aching for a way out, to be felt and heard. I believe writing is a form of self evaluation. It is a therapy of sorts, but so are all forms of artistic expression. As with painters, sculptures, or actors, authors want to stir the emotions in others. Whether an author writes historical fiction, fantasy, or magical realism, as I do, he must invoke a reaction or face obscurity.

Since the time of my earliest memories, I dreamed up stories of other worlds and surreal places. I loved to write, and some of my ideas I did write down, but an outlet for my writing was not as accessible, nor as tangible, as the outlets available for my other creative talents. So, as a young man, I turned to art in the form of painting and woodworking. I kept my writing mostly to myself, but I knew someday, when the time was right, I would be a writer. That day came six years ago when I decided, after nearly 30 years, to sell my architectural woodworking business. The current recession was beginning to nip at the edges and I could feel a sense of urgency, as if there would never be another opportunity. It took me two years to sell the business. They were difficult years. Nonetheless, after having made that decision, I began writing everyday . . . and I haven’t stopped since. I didn’t realize the number of stories I had inside me, stories that had been incubating for years.

I always wanted my writing to be more than just entertaining; I wanted it to be redeeming, to have philosophical depth, and to be recognized as unique. I finished Gone Away, Into the Land in 2008. After a one and a half year learning curve where I experienced the discouragement common among first time authors, I was offered a contract. In October of 2009, my novel was published. I remember how I felt when my first child was born. It isn’t fair to compare the two, but it was a very similar feeling of elation.

The sales of the book are steadily increasing, and, the over one hundred reviews Gone Away has received, since its October, 2009 release, have been excellent. However, I am a realist. It comes from having experienced the work and preparation that goes into starting, growing, and maintaining a small business. I know I must continue to write, to turn out quality novels, and to stay true to my genre in order for my readership to grow. That is exactly what I intend to do.

Please, enjoy Gone Away, Into the Land, the first book in my series called, In the Absence of Shadows. Look for the release of the second novel in the series very soon. If you would like to be kept up to date as to its release date, please fill out the contact information.

My warmest wishes,
Jeffrey B. Allen

A Compilation of Interview Questions

What causes are you most passionate about and why?

If you mean the so called socially acceptable causes like global warming or world hunger, I am not there at all. I believe in serving my community. I believe in the strength of the family. I believe in writing and speaking well, and I believe in common courtesy.

I believe in respecting the elderly. I believe in dressing up on holidays. I believe in taking care of one’s property. I believe in living within one’s means, and I think material things should be used only to further our efforts to better ourselves and take care of our family - not as symbols of monetary wealth.

I believe education is the most valuable investment that can possibly be made. I believe in hard work, and I believe in helping others get ahead where they may not be as fortunate as me, or perhaps they suffered a loss or were born with a disability. However, I believe in disabilities that are real and not excuses for failure. I do not believe in failure. I do not believe in any obstacle that smacks of ambiguity.

I believe in being on time, for those who are chronically late are among the worst of thieves. I do not believe in the power of positive thinking as a means of achieving short term goals. I believe in accepting my pain and my joy, and I do not believe in telling much about either to anyone.

I believe in standing up for myself and for my country when the cause is just, but I will back away from a fight when the cause is unjust or corrupt, and I believe in making that determination through the gathering of knowledge and understanding of the past, as much as the seeking out of truth and understanding of current events. I believe perception out-weighs truth. I believe in fulfilling a promise. I believe true friendships are rare, but meaningful acquaintances should be treasured.

I believe music, art and architecture are very powerful forms of human expression but the written word is the most enduring. I believe the maintenance of hate must be hard work, but love is the unstoppable force that will never cease to nurture the human spirit. I believe our life begins when our mother’s DNA combines with out father’s DNA to form a totally unique human being, called, for the lack of a given name; I am, therefore, I will be. But I will not attach that belief to either politics or religion.

I believe our birth is a miracle, yet I think the preparation for death should be a lifelong endeavor, so death will be as much a miracle.

I do not believe in praying to God for material things, to help make my day go well, or for the winning lottery number, but rather to help me stifle the darker side of my humanity.

Is there an author that inspired you to write?

Not any one in particular. I have always been blessed with an overactive imagination. In my younger days it got me in trouble, but today it serves me well. I am never at a loss for words and I am always picturing vivid and detailed scenarios in my mind. That's why I favor thinking. writing and/or reading over television.

Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?

Although my father is deceased, his words echo in my mind constantly. At times I think he influences me more in my memory than he did when he was living. There are reasons, I suppose, for that, and I may not be alone in my feelings in that regard. It took me quite a few years of my early adulthood to realize he struggled through his own world of personal triumphs and tribulations. It is the recollection of his constant curiosity about all things as well as his eternal optimism that inspires me above all else.

On the other hand, my mother is my strength to gather, for I take after my father in my hard evaluation of myself that borders on obsession at times. She and my wife are the lifelines to hold fast to when the wind blows and the ship is listing.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on the second novel in the series called, In the Absence of Shadows. I am also busy with my public speaking schedule, promoting Gone Away with my Publicist, and I am teaching several courses in creative writing at Northampton Community College, in Bethlehem, PA.

Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?

I immediately give it to my wife to read. Then I put it aside for a day or so before I read it again. Upon the second reading, I usually find it to be quite bad in spots, so I combine her suggestions with my own, revise it and then, if she is willing, I give it to her again. Bless her heart for having to put up with a writer. All of my work does eventually end up in the hands of my two professional editors.

In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?

Yes, I am always working very hard to improve my skills, and I always will. This year my skills as a writer have improved steadily as I would hope, but my skills as a public speaker have improved dramatically to the point where I am being asked to speak to a wide variety of groups on a regular basis.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My biggest supporter was and still is my wife and two children.

Your biggest critic?

My biggest critics are the ones I love the most. The others are all part of the business.

Do you have any advice for writers or readers?

As I tell every writing class I teach, or group I speak before―read, read, and read some more. Read what others have written successfully, and write every day. Think hard about every word and every sentence. Take nothing for granted, and do not write one lazy paragraph, even if it seems trivial at the time. Edit your work, or better, have someone you don’t know edit it for you. Last but not least, accept criticism with open arms.