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Fiction writing as a career first occurred to Paul in school
when he won first prize in a contest held by a Denver newspaper to
promote a Ronald Reagan movie. Born and raised in Colorado, he
graduated from South Denver High School, then Colorado State. After
college, he became a transplanted Californian when the U.S. Navy
assigned him to the 12th Naval District Public
Information Office in San Francisco. While there, he sold his first
short story to Leatherneck Magazine.
Writing fiction took a detour following the Navy hitch. He
went into radio broadcasting, gathering and reporting news on four
different stations in central and northern California. Writing radio
and TV commercials came next with advertising agencies in
Sacramento. One of his clients recruited him away from ad agency
work, and for the next 25 years he climbed the corporate ladder at
American Recreation Centers, Inc. His writing there focused on
company training manuals, advertising, sales letters, and annual
reports. He was Vice President when he retired in l988.
Thirty-five years after his first story appeared in print,
his short stories began to be published again. Magazines like Army,
Boys Life, Listen, and Young Salvationist featured his work. Also,
publishers in Germany, Singapore, and Portugal included Wagner’s
stories in books and texts.
An early computer and internet enthusiast, he constructed several
websites in the 90s, including an online magazine directed at
encouraging teenaged writers. AboutTeens magazine (aboutteens.org)
is still going strong, publishing new material every month. Stories
and essays are submitted from all over the world (many by adult
writers.) The ‘zine also features humor in the form of jokes and
funny photos.
Wagner’s first Young Adult novel The A-Club Mystery was
published in 1997. A courtroom drama followed, titled All Rise: The
Criminal Trial of 4 Teens, then Just One Mo and a short story
collection Jock Jokes and Other Stories. His detective/mystery The
Houseboat Murders was released in January, 2006.The Stove Creek Butcher in April 2007.
Paul and his wife Nita live in Sacramento, California. They have
four children, 8 grandchildren, one dog, and an RV.
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