David Lucero asked Paul Hollis:

When did you first learn you wanted to be a writer? For me it was after watching 'Lawrence of Arabia.' I was amazed the book was based on 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom,' and thought it'd be cool to create stories. I was about 14 years old then. I'm 52 now.

Paul Hollis After retiring early from my day job, I used to sit with friends on the porch of my country home to reminisce. We spat tobacco juice into the yard as we took turns telling old stories. Okay, it was the local pub and none of us dipped or smoked. Curiously though, the group was always interested in my stories. One encouraged me to write a book about a few of my early exploits. She asked, “Do you have something better to do?” Apparently, I didn’t.
It was more fun than I imagined. The manuscript took a year to draft, rewrite several times, professionally edit, and publish. But I didn’t feel like a real author until I held a copy of the paperback in my hand.

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