R.F. Rabe (Gerhardt Roberts) grew up in Germany and has been a Professor of German for the past 35 years at various colleges and universities. In the 1970’s he served in the Army Security Agency as a German linguist and intelligence analyst. His passion is all things German: the language, the culture and the history.
You can visit his website at http://www.rfrabe.weebly.com.
Welcome to Nuttin’ But Books. Can you tell us a little about your book? I once read that although Joseph Goebbels, Germany’s Minister of Propaganda, declared Berlin “free of Jews” in 1943, 1,700 Jewish Berliners managed to survive in the city by living underground, many hidden and sheltered by non-Jewish friends and neighbors. The Jews in hiding became known as with U-Boats (“submariners”), people who submerged under the surface of everyday life, hiding in the shadows from the Nazis.
I wondered what it would be like to be one of the people who had disappeared “under the waves,” so to speak. What would it be like to hide in an abandoned building, constantly fearing for your life? What would it be like to be looking over your shoulder every time you came to the surface to look for food or other necessities? What would it be like to become involved with an underground organization dedicated to helping Jews at risk?
These are exactly the situations with which the two protagonists in Safe Harbor are faced. Erich Reinhold and Nessa Baumgartner go underground and soon find themselves in a world of false identification papers and forged ration cards, risking their lives to help others escape to freedom.
What is a regular writing day like for you? It usually involves retreating to my office and writing for several hours.
How long on average does it take you to write a book? Six months.
What is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author? “Oh, really? What books have you written?”
What do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break? On those days, if the inspiration is not there, I typically do not write.
What would you do if people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby? If they have read my book and do not take it seriously, I would realize that it needs additional editing, and I would go back to the drawing board.
Some authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate? Yes, after the fourth or fifth revision of a book, I sometimes hate the thing.
Do you think success as an author must be linked to money? No, but it is a nice reward.
What has writing taught you? To be patient and disciplined, even after seven revisions of a book.
How can readers discover more about you and your work? I have a website: www.gerhardtroberts.weebly.com. In addition, my novels, Safe Harbor and The Wall Between Us are for sale on Amazon.
Thank you very much
for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
What’s next for you?
My wife, Sheila
Roberts, and I are about to publish an historical novel on the life and struggles
of (mad) King Ludwig of Bavaria.
SAFE HARBOR is available to purchase at Amazon.
