Paul Marzell Interview Published on: 02, Dec 2022
Born and raised in Philadelphia, which is your most cherished childhood memory?
I was a street urchin in a big city, so going somewhere outside of the city limits was a big adventure. South Jersey in the 50s was country to me. Actually, going to Fairmount Park, which is in the city limits, was like going to the country.
Nala is a beautiful name. Who named your Golden Retriever?My wife and I named her. She had a mate we called Simba. They were named after the Lion King characters. Sadly, we lost Simba three years ago, and Nala is eleven years old. They are our third and fourth Goldens. Our first two were Ben and Daisy. They all lived eleven years old, so we cherish Nala every moment. Awesome creatures! Dogs make the best people.
How would you describe your experience of having served in West Germany in the early sixties?My service with the Air force in West Germany was not hard. My duty assignments were almost like going to a civilian job. I had a car and could go wherever I wanted when I was off duty. I have German relatives who I visited a couple of times each year. I also traveled to Switzerland, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, and France. The only scary excitement during my tour was when the Berlin wall was suddenly built by the East German government and the Cuban Missile crisis. The US military was on high alert for a week or two in each situation.
What encouraged you to start writing your own books?I had an interest in writing for years because I was almost always daydreaming about plots, and when I read some books by established authors, I thought I could have done a better job.
From where did you earn your MBA degree in operations management?I earned my MBA at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.
What challenges did you face while publishing your first novel, Heimat?I did everything independently, from researching material, editing, selecting the font, paragraphing, pagination, front and back covers, front and back matter, copyright, ISBN, and book size, and successfully got it into Amazon's KDP. The biggest challenge now is marketing the book,
Did you interview people to listen to their stories post-World War One while researching for your historical epic, HEIMAT?No. I knew some affected people and heard their stories over the years.
Do you ever leave book reviews on other authors' books? What do reviews mean to you?Sometimes. Reviews of other authors' novels help me to examine my work and style.
When did you screw everything up, but no one ever found out it was you?You'll never know.
Which is the sweetest fan-mail/compliment you have received from a fellow parent for your books?I haven't received any yet.
What are some things you wish someone had told you when you were still new to the writing world?I can't think of a thing.
Since how long have you been residing in western Pennsylvania with your wife?Forty-two years.
What are you currently working on? When can we expect the release of your next book?My next novel will not be an epic story, but it will be historical fiction. I have only written two pages so far. It will be a while before it is done. It involves Germany too. Unlike Heimat, none of the characters will be based on any real people
What has your experience with AllAuthor been like so far? Is there anything that you believe could be done to better benefit the authors in this community?I can't offer any meaningful thoughts.
