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A Conspiracy of Entertainment:
Interview with Paul Egli
By Carin Chea
A common misconception is that most people will wait until retirement to fulfill their bucket list desires. Some will travel, and many will take up pickleball. Or, as the proverbial saying goes, they might even write the next great American novel.
Enter Paul Egli, retired financial manager. Now in his second act, Egli is an author, with PROPOFOL being his first published novel.
A thrilling international suspense drama through and through, PROPOFOL will certainly be the most exhilarating summertime poolside read you’ll have in a long while.
Egli can be described as a masterful storyteller, which isn’t surprising since PROPOFOL technically isn’t his first book. Though it is true this is his first published book, Egli began writing decades before PROPOFOL was released.
His first book, set in Key West Florida, was surreptitiously written by Egli when he had recently secured a new position as an accountant at a firm. Two more full-length novels would follow, though none would be made public.
Like the anticipated homecoming of a long-awaited prodigal son, Egli has made a triumphant entrance into the literary community, finally ready to share his lifelong passion.
You’ve written books before. What made you decide on publishing now, at this point in your life?
When you’re not retired, it’s harder. You have a job and maybe a family. I was involved in a couple of other organizations as well. It’s hard to take a couple of hours and type away at the computer. Over the years, I have attempted to write books, but they never got the focus or perseverance to be published.
Tell us about PROPOFOL and what inspired it.
I’ve written a few books before, but this one I was very systematic about it. I made little notes about what I’d see every day. One day, I was on a subway, and a guy got on. He had a laptop and he sat down. I thought, “What would happen if out of the blue, this guy gave me his laptop and said, ‘I have a lot of important information on this laptop. There are some people after me, but could you hold onto it for me?’”
I kind of liked that idea. The guy becomes a woman (Sara) and she gets really badly injured on the subway. She gets shot, but has the ability to give this laptop to a man named D’Arcy before they put her in an induced coma in the hospital. The whole book goes on with her in the hospital via PROPOFOL, and that’s the theme that runs throughout the entire book. Eventually a romance forms between the two. It's slowly peeling an onion. It turns out to be an international conspiracy with romance and humor thrown in.
My favorite writer is John D. MacDonald. He used to write crime fiction. I really loved his books. I love crime and suspense. That was my model. I remember many years ago getting The Firm by John Grisham. I started reading this book and couldn’t stop. I started at 8:30 pm and I couldn’t put it down. I finished it that night. That’s what I’m trying to recreate.
Alfred Hitchcock was asked once what made a story really good. And he said, “It’s when you have a bunch of ordinary people, like you or me, and they get caught up in extraordinary circumstances.”
It’s also inspired by things that are really going on in the world. When I was sending my book to publishers and agents, the topic that my book is about started popping up in the papers.
What do you want your readers to feel after reading your book?
I think pure entertainment. I’d be so happy if a reader said to me, “I had a crappy day at work, I fought with my partner, and my dog bit me, but I read your book and I found it so enjoyable I felt better and forgot about the other stuff.” It’s like going to see a good movie. When you see a good movie, you get immersed and forget about what’s going on in your life. This sounds funny, but I have a copy of my own book next to my bed, and I read it. Even though I wrote it, I find it interesting and fun, and I hope other people feel that way too.
Do you have any advice for those who would love to write a book, but have full-time day jobs?
That’s tough. Having been there, it’s a difficult thing to do. If you really feel like you have this book within you you have to get out there, take a week off work, or try a certain time every night. I’d say once you have 75 or 80 pages, you’re kind of committed, so that might help keep you going.
Who would you cast as the lead characters if PROPOFOL were a movie?
For every author, that’s the dream. One of the characters is a professor, and he sheds light on the conspiracy. Tom Hanks would be perfect for that. He’s my favorite actor. Some actors these days seem too self-conscious and dedicated to their egos. So, for the younger characters, if they could find someone who really took the time to study their roles, like Sandra Bullock or Julia Roberts, that’d be great.
I understand you have another novel coming out. Are you allowed to talk about it?
Stephen King writes stories like The Green Mile about ordinary people who get caught in extraordinary situations. Dad is the same way. My parents have passed away and sometimes I wish I could see them again. In Dad, this guy’s father comes back to life and they have an adventure. Everything else in the book is “normal” except for that one factor.
That kind of reminds me of Weekend at Bernie’s.
There is humor in Dad. This guy’s father comes back to life and one day they go to Starbucks to get reacquainted. The father goes into the washroom and when he gets back he asks, “What’s going on here? I go in the washroom, the toilet washes and the water goes on even though I don’t touch anything. Don’t people ever do anything for themselves anymore?”
For more information, please visit PaulEgli.net
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