In Conversation with Pete Allen
Lissa Oliver in Conversation with Pete Allen, hero of her novel Gala Day
Lissa: Would you like to tell readers how we first met?
Pete: I saw you at the races, constantly writing in an exercise book, and when I found out you were writing a novel I asked to be in it!
I believe your exact words were, is it about me? Why not? Write one about me! So you ended up in a short story to begin with, and developed from there. Was Gala Day all you’d imagined it to be?
Pretty much, I guess. I had the starring role, so I’ve no complaints! I reckon I pretty much stole the show in the two short stories, The Last Post and Ghosts, in that other book you did, Tales Of The Turf And Other Worlds, although considering I did ask for the starring role you slipped up a bit there! Still, as they say, class will always out!
You’ve lost none of your confidence, I see! I usually prefer a hero with flaws, would you admit to any?
Me? Flawless! But I guess I can’t always hide behind my shades, if I was squeaky clean Gala Day could never have happened. I like being a star, but the hero bit was more than I bargained for. When it’s all over, I reckon I might hang up the Hollywood boots and settle for the quiet life. All that action stuff’s not me, really.
You handled it well, though. Did any of the heroics ever shake you up?
Na, not really. Well, yeah, some. I was alright when I only had myself to worry about, but when it spilled over onto friends, that got a bit scary. Bloody scary. I even threw up once. Nerves, prob’ly. I always liked those Dick Francis heroes, with their money and fast cars and the way they could get duffed up and describe it as a bit of a bore! Shit, I was hours trying to recover from less!
They were always a bit too perfect for you, weren’t they, them Dick Francis types? When you said you wanted to put an ordin’ry bloke in a racing thriller, I should’ve known and left the role to someone like Kym Hughes! You can’t get more ordin’ry than him! I managed alright, though. I’ve the looks and the car and the hero shades, just that in the real world things actually hurt and scare you shitless.
But you rose to the challenge. Were you just fighting the bad guys, or were there some personal demons to take out, too?
I must’ve led a blessed existence, cos I’ve none of that psychological crap. The job had to be done, though, didn’t it? I wanted to be a hero, so I had to be one. Not to rid the world of bad guys, but to rid my world of bad guys. I was successful years ago and then I fucked up a bit, but once I decided to make a go of it again I couldn’t let someone just knock me back down again. You just have to knuckle down and do what you have to. It’s not about being a hero, in the end it’s just about surviving and achieving what you set out to achieve.
Do the shades ever come off?
You’re talking metaphysically or whatever, aren’t you? They’re a bit of fun, that’s all. They come off at home; and with friends and family. I don’t hide behind them, if that’s what you mean. They’re not a security blanket. They stand for success and it’s the success that gives you confidence. A frontman doesn’t hide behind being a frontman, Mick Jagger doesn’t pout and clap in your face over a cup of tea, but he’s still a frontman. The shades are only a mark of success, like the car. I s'pose I have clung to the image a bit, when it’s all I’ve still got. If I can just make a success of it again I won’t really need the shades. I’ll hang onto them, though. You’ve got to admit it, they’re proper knicker wetters! And let the jury please note, the accused winked when he said that!
Find out more about Pete and his fight to escape his disreputable past in Gala Day
Gala Day
Lissa: Would you like to tell readers how we first met?
Pete: I saw you at the races, constantly writing in an exercise book, and when I found out you were writing a novel I asked to be in it!
I believe your exact words were, is it about me? Why not? Write one about me! So you ended up in a short story to begin with, and developed from there. Was Gala Day all you’d imagined it to be?
Pretty much, I guess. I had the starring role, so I’ve no complaints! I reckon I pretty much stole the show in the two short stories, The Last Post and Ghosts, in that other book you did, Tales Of The Turf And Other Worlds, although considering I did ask for the starring role you slipped up a bit there! Still, as they say, class will always out!
You’ve lost none of your confidence, I see! I usually prefer a hero with flaws, would you admit to any?
Me? Flawless! But I guess I can’t always hide behind my shades, if I was squeaky clean Gala Day could never have happened. I like being a star, but the hero bit was more than I bargained for. When it’s all over, I reckon I might hang up the Hollywood boots and settle for the quiet life. All that action stuff’s not me, really.
You handled it well, though. Did any of the heroics ever shake you up?
Na, not really. Well, yeah, some. I was alright when I only had myself to worry about, but when it spilled over onto friends, that got a bit scary. Bloody scary. I even threw up once. Nerves, prob’ly. I always liked those Dick Francis heroes, with their money and fast cars and the way they could get duffed up and describe it as a bit of a bore! Shit, I was hours trying to recover from less!
They were always a bit too perfect for you, weren’t they, them Dick Francis types? When you said you wanted to put an ordin’ry bloke in a racing thriller, I should’ve known and left the role to someone like Kym Hughes! You can’t get more ordin’ry than him! I managed alright, though. I’ve the looks and the car and the hero shades, just that in the real world things actually hurt and scare you shitless.
But you rose to the challenge. Were you just fighting the bad guys, or were there some personal demons to take out, too?
I must’ve led a blessed existence, cos I’ve none of that psychological crap. The job had to be done, though, didn’t it? I wanted to be a hero, so I had to be one. Not to rid the world of bad guys, but to rid my world of bad guys. I was successful years ago and then I fucked up a bit, but once I decided to make a go of it again I couldn’t let someone just knock me back down again. You just have to knuckle down and do what you have to. It’s not about being a hero, in the end it’s just about surviving and achieving what you set out to achieve.
Do the shades ever come off?
You’re talking metaphysically or whatever, aren’t you? They’re a bit of fun, that’s all. They come off at home; and with friends and family. I don’t hide behind them, if that’s what you mean. They’re not a security blanket. They stand for success and it’s the success that gives you confidence. A frontman doesn’t hide behind being a frontman, Mick Jagger doesn’t pout and clap in your face over a cup of tea, but he’s still a frontman. The shades are only a mark of success, like the car. I s'pose I have clung to the image a bit, when it’s all I’ve still got. If I can just make a success of it again I won’t really need the shades. I’ll hang onto them, though. You’ve got to admit it, they’re proper knicker wetters! And let the jury please note, the accused winked when he said that!
Find out more about Pete and his fight to escape his disreputable past in Gala Day
Gala Day
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Yeah Lissa you decided to publish your book of short stories Tales Of The Turf And Other Worlds. Metaphorically speaking you really had to blow the dust off that book. I think this was your first book? Anyway you offer the reader an assortment of stories including suspense and even some detective elements to some stories. I hope the book does really well, I loved reading Tales Of The Turf And Other worlds.
Thank you, Gabriel. Yes, I fetched it out on Amazon a couple of years ago and it poodles quietly along! Really glad you enjoyed it.Gabriel wrote: "Yeah Lissa you decided to publish your book of short stories Tales Of The Turf And Other Worlds. Metaphorically speaking you really had to blow the dust off that book. I think this was your first b..."
Tales Of The Turf & Other Worlds