Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in Philadelphia and currently reside in western Pennsylvania with my wife, Janet and Golden Retriever, Nala. I am a United States Air Force veteran and served in West Germany in the early sixties. I earned BSBA and MBA degrees in operations management and financial analysis from Temple University and Golden Gate University. Heimat is my first novel. I can be contacted at p.marzell@comcast.net.
https://www.amazon.com/author/paulmarzell
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Heimat is not a specific geographical location. There are many places called Heimat that exist for many people. The story is fiction in which the names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of my imagination. This book is an offshoot of a family tree project I began before my first grandchild was born nine years ago. In addition to the usual resources to investigate family lineage, i.e., census and baptismal records, I also had an abundance of valuable documents from my father, including his birth certificate, immigration documents, passport, and various German and United States government forms. But most importantly, he saved letters from his mother, sisters, and other relatives sent to him in the years before and after World War Two. These letters not only facilitated the timeline for the story but also provided the narrative. Many of the letters were written in the Sütterlin Schrift. I transliterated them into modern, readable German and then translated them into English. I must confess that my translations are not precise because my fluency in German is wide open for improvement. But I squeezed enough clarity from the letters to see the conflict of an immigrant’s allegiance to his country of origin, his commitment to his adopted country, and his mother’s hopes to see her son again.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, but my typing sucks.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Herman Wouk, Erik Larson, James Clavell, James Michener, Suzanne Collins, Stieg Larsson, Stephanie Meyer, J. K. Rowland, Dean Koontz, Coleene McCullogh, Larry McMurtry, J.R.R. Tolkien
What are you working on now?
My typing skills.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still exploring this realm.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
No. I’m still a new author.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The day I become a man is the day I walk around a puddle instead of through it.
What are you reading now?
It’s the Christmas season. No time for reading.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m sorting through the various mental scenarios of what the next genre and subject should be. There are at least three and each is totally different from Heimat.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
How To Build a Raft With a Sail, How to Navigate by the Stars, How to Build Containers to Store Water, How to Dry Fruits and Vegetables for Long Term Storage.
Author Websites and Profiles
Paul Marzell Amazon Profile
Paul Marzell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile