With the weather warming up in the Virginia Beach area and thoughts are of getting that swimsuit out of mothballs and heading for the beach, some of us head in the other direction - the mountains. Paul V. Stutzman did just that after his wife died and wrote a book about it.
Hiking Through: Finding Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail is Paul's legacy. The pages are filled with words from someone grief-stricken; yet at the same time, centered with a goal to find the meaning of life. But more importantly, as the title suggests, peace and freedom.
Paul grew up in an Amish/Mennonite family, married, had three children and was busy building a life and career. All of that came to an abrupt halt when his wife of 32 years died of breast cancer. After a year of trying to work through his grief, he left a management job in the restaurant business and spent almost five months hiking the Appalachian Trail.
We interviewed Paul to find out more about his book. If you'd like to find out more about his adventures along the Appalachian Trail, you can visit Red Raven Circling and Island Chick Travels, two of his stops last month on his virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book.
Thank you for this interview, Paul. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?
Paul: I spent 25 years building a career in the restaurant business. My one goal in life was to be wealthy. But I spent too much time pursuing that goal, and not enough time with my wife and family. This seems to be a danger for many men. Mary’s illness and death made me realize I needed to drastically change my life.
Can you tell us briefly what your book is about?
Paul: A year after my wife died, I left my job to hike the Appalachian Trail, wanting to somehow put my life back together. My book, Hiking Through, is the story of the physical hike and also the story of the spiritual journey that changed my life.
Who is your intended audience? Have you been able to crossover into other audiences as well?
Paul: Those who love the outdoors and hiking will enjoy the book. But I’m finding that I am connecting even more with people who have lost their loved ones or those who are seeking spiritual answers for their own lives. And since my own Mennonite upbringing affected my experiences, Amish and Mennonite people can readily identify with much of what I wrote.
Why did you choose your particular genre?
Paul: Since I wanted to recount my own life experience, I didn’t have much choice of genres.
Do you ever experience self-doubts with your work?
Paul: No, not really. Anyone who reads Hiking Through will discover why I was compelled to write this book and why I was certain it would be published.
Where do you write? Do you have a favorite place?
Paul: At the kitchen counter. With Coke or coffee or chocolate. Sometimes with my feet propped up on the nearby chair.
What kind of research did you have to do during the writing process?
Paul: I walked 2,178 miles through 14 states before I started writing.
Who is your publisher and how did you get accepted by them? Did you pitch your book yourself or go through an agent?
Paul: Synergy Books, a division of Book Pros published the book. I found them through my own Internet research and then sent them a manuscript to read. They accepted the book, and we were in business.
How are you promoting your book thus far?
Paul: Locally, word-of-mouth is very effective in a small town. I already had a following from my trailjournals website. Soon after the book was published, local newspapers carried press releases and interviews and I did a radio interview. Now I’m doing frequent book signings. And working very hard on this virtual book tour.
If you could give one book promotion tip to new authors, what would that be?
Paul: Get out and talk to anybody and everybody. Talk to groups of two or two hundred. Don’t turn down any chance to talk about your book.
What’s next for you?
Paul: I’ll be spending a lot of time promoting my book in various ways. But as summer comes, I’m also thinking a lot about my next adventure, a cross-country bike trip, and the book that I hope will follow.
Thank you for this interview, Paul. Can you tell us where we can find you on the web?
Paul: My website is www.hikingthrough.com. I try to keep my book signing schedule updated, and I’d love to have feedback and comments from readers.
You can order your copy of Paul V. Stutzman's new book, Hiking Through: Finding Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail, at the following locations:
Barnes & Noble
4485 Virginia Beach Boulevard
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
(757) 671-2331
Borders Virginia Beach
1744 Laskin Rd., Virginia Beach, VA, 23454
(757) 425-8031
You can also purchase Paul's book online at Amazon.
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