D.A. Galloway grew up in rural Pennsylvania near Gettysburg. After a long career in the paper industry and writing a bestselling nonfiction book, Safety WALK Safety TALK, I decided to follow a once-dormant dream of writing a novel. He enjoys reading about adventurers and explorers, traveling internationally, riding a recumbent tandem bike, and spending time with his grandsons.
Burning Ground was inspired by two memorable summers of his youth. As a teenager, he worked on a fruit farm in Pennsylvania. There, he met Redfield, a Crow Indian who lived a simple life but had a profound effect on the way he saw the world and people around me.
As a young man, he spent a summer in Yellowstone National Park in the late 1970's giving guided tours on Yellowstone Lake. When he was not working, his days were spent exploring all corners of that land, often in the backcountry.
Webpage https://dagalloway.com/
How and when did you get hooked on history?
I was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and grew up in that area. Frankly, I didn’t appreciate the history of that Civil War battle until later in life. The National Military Park was simply something that attracted lots of tourists to the area. I left the area after college and only then did I realize the importance of that seminal event in our nation’s history.
2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?
My grandfather worked in clay mines near Carlisle, PA. He died at a very early age from that strenuous and hazardous work. The stories of his generation living through the depression era and the hardships they overcame left a deep impression. I am grateful for the prosperous times and country in which we live. Although recent times may seem difficult, perhaps even bordering on apocalyptic to some, it is useful to have a comparator like the Great Depression to ground your thinking. It reminds me to always have “an attitude of gratitude.”
3. How does history play a part of your professional life/career?
I facilitate classes and workshops on safety leadership. One of the most effective ways to influence someone to think differently about risk is to cite examples of how an individual was severely injured when taking an unnecessary risk. I literally provide the person or group with a historical reference that anchors their perspective on risk-taking. “If this happened to someone else, imagine how it could happen to you.” The key takeaway is to learn from our mistakes and from others to avoid pain and suffering.
4. Why is studying/knowing history important?
Studying history is about getting to know who we are. People are people. It should not shock us there are corollaries to current events from ancient times. There will always be tyrants and despots. Thankfully, there will always be courageous leaders and activists who right the wrongs in the world. Just look at history for hundreds of examples.
5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?
The expansion of the American West after The Civil War. Ultimately, this period was a clash of cultures. The European settlers and explorers were fulfilling (conscientiously or unknowingly) the notion of Manifest Destiny. The native peoples were trying to hold onto their lands and their way of life from the hordes of settlers, miners, and those dreaming of a better life. It was a tumultuous time that precipitated some of the darkest moments in our history in terms of how we treated the indigenous population.
6. What inspired you to write historical fiction?
The seeds for writing historical fiction were planted decades ago, during two memorable summers of my youth.
As a teenager, I worked on a fruit farm in Pennsylvania. It is here I met Redfield, a Crow Indian who lived a simple life but had a profound effect on the way I saw the world and people around me.
As a young man, I spent a summer in Yellowstone National Park in the late 1970's giving guided tours on Yellowstone Lake. I learned about the history of the park and the connections to the Indians who used this area as a hunting ground for thousands of years before the first fur trappers arrived. When I was not working, my days were spent exploring all corners of that magnificent land, often in the backcountry. My love for our nation’s first national park is rooted in that wonderful experience.
7. Please tell us about your latest book?
Burning Ground was published in July 2021. It is a saga about a young man who travels back in time and joins the expedition that explored the Yellowstone region before it was a national park. It is part autobiography, part historical, and part fiction.
Pennsylvania, 1971: Graham Davidson is a young man with survivor’s guilt after the death of three siblings. Seeking a direction in his life, Graham learns about vision quests from a Crow Indian. He secures seasonal employment in Yellowstone National Park and embarks on a spiritual journey.
Wyoming Territory, 1871: At a sacred thermal area under a full moon, Graham travels back in time to the Yellowstone wilderness. He joins a group exploring the region. His perilous forty-day journey through the future park is marred by a horrific tragedy in a geyser basin, a grizzly bear attack, and an encounter with hostile Blackfeet Indians. Graham falls in love with Makawee, a beautiful Crow woman who serves as a guide. As the expedition nears its conclusion, he is faced with an agonizing decision. Does he stay in the previous century with the woman he loves or travel back to the future?
I had envisioned my historical fiction debut as a stand-alone novel. Unexpectedly, it garnered several book awards. Equally surprising, readers asked when the sequel would be released. I had not planned to write a series. But Graham will have more adventures! The second book in the series, Fatal Ground, will be published in September 2022. (I have committed to writing a third book, Bitter Ground, to be published in 2023).
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