Was working in advertising in Houston, Texas, when he sold his first
novel, "The Wake of the Red Witch," which was chosen as a Literary
Guild selection for April, 1946. Before that, he had wandered around
Texas with jobs such as sign painting, working in the oil fields, and
giving lectures in town theaters. A few months after his novel was
published, Republic Pictures purchased the film rights for $100,000.
Roark went on to write several more historical novels and sea
novels.
