The author of “Along Came a Lion” discusses trading persuasive writing for world-building, creating characters who outpace their creator, and imagining gods playing cards for humanity’s fate
Defiance Press: What drove you to transition from persuasive writing to fiction?
Paul Page: It was really a career evolution. I’ve been writing for a living for four decades, but it was all persuasive—legal briefs, investigations, that sort of thing. But there was this constant drive gnawing at me to create something of real value, something that wouldn’t just be selling my time but actually inviting readers into the worlds that live in my head. That need kept growing until I finally had to put words on the page.
DP: What’s been the most surprising discovery in your fiction-writing journey?
Page: That my characters often outpace me completely. I’ll have this clear plan mapped out, then they’ll act in ways I never anticipated—and it’s inevitably better than what I originally intended. Father Timothy in So Falls the Flag is the perfect example. Readers consistently tell me he’s their favorite character, and honestly, he wrote himself into that role. I created him for a specific purpose, but then it seemed like he developed a life of his own.
DP: Your legal and detective background must influence your research approach.
Page: Absolutely. My research style is exacting—I dive deep into case law, military doctrine, technical manuals, real-world geopolitics. I won’t stop until I can make the incredible feel inevitable. I want readers to think, “This could happen tomorrow.” My stories aren’t built on hand-waving or vague explanations. They’re grounded in meticulous details and realistic projections, then elevated by imagination.
DP: How do you define success as an author?
Page: For me, success isn’t just about sales or critical acclaim. It’s when a reader comes back and says, “That scene stuck with me. I had to stop and think about it.” I want my work to live in people’s heads long after they close the book. If I can both entertain and leave readers wrestling with deeper questions, I’ve succeeded beyond any expectations.
DP: Tell us about your first published novel, “Along Came a Lion.”
Page: It’s a big, cinematic story—action-driven but threaded with political relevance and family drama. The journey to publication was long and at times brutal, but when those first reviews came in calling it “absolutely fantastic” and “cinematic,” with people saying it should be “flying off the shelves,” I knew all the work had been worth it.
DP: What’s the central theme driving the story?
Page: Power. Not just who has it, but what they’re willing to sacrifice to wield it. My characters wrestle with loyalty, love, and belief while standing in the shadow of a man who can bend reality itself. It’s fundamentally a story about choice, cost, and consequence—and the deeper meaning of religion and faith.
DP: Can you share something about the book that readers won’t find in the blurb?
Page: Calvin Mayer is truly a tragic character. He’s terrifying because of his strength, intelligence, wealth, and power, but he knows the endgame. He believes all the sacrifices, pain, and loss that comes with getting there will ultimately be worth it. More than anything, I wanted to avoid getting inside his head—he’s observed from a distance, and what he does resonates and moves everything around him.
DP: Your books have been described as cinematic. Have you thought about casting?
Page: [Laughs] I rely heavily on my family for this—they pay far more attention to celebrities than I do. But if I had to cast it: Jacob Elordi as Jude Cheras, Richard Madden or Nicholas Hoult as Calvin Mayer, Jessica Chastain as Sarah Cross, Kyle Chandler as Daniel Cheras, Robin Wright as Megan Cheras, Dennis Haysbert as Nathaniel Meadows, Austin Amelio as Philip Fischer, and Jon Bernthal as Father Timothy.
DP: What are you working on now?
Page: I’m deep into Across the Exodus Gate, the sequel to the So Falls the Flag stories, which follows Along Came a Lion. This is where the local becomes global—nuclear weapons mysteriously fail, nations spiral toward chaos, and Calvin begins his push toward the Pacifica exodus. It’s high-stakes and action-driven, but always anchored in the people at the center of the storm.
I also have several other projects brewing. There’s a high fantasy about fallen angels, another contemporary thriller or two, and I’ve completed The Red Book of Alexandria, a multi-timeline historical thriller that I’m shopping around. Hopefully you’ll see that in bookstores soon.
DP: How many story ideas are competing for your attention?
Page: More than I’ll live long enough to write, unfortunately. But a few are already mapped out as future books or trilogies. One I’m particularly excited about is The Card Game—what if the gods play cards for the fate of mankind once a month? The stakes literally couldn’t be higher.
Another idea I’m developing is Lightning Crashed Down, my working title for reimagining Greek and Roman mythology from a science fiction perspective. Think Zeus Machina—the gods as advanced technology rather than supernatural beings.
DP: It sounds like you’re building multiple interconnected universes.
Page: That’s exactly right. Each story world has its own rules and possibilities, but they’re all grounded in that same principle—making the incredible feel inevitable. Whether it’s contemporary political thrillers or mythological science fiction, it all comes back to exploring power, choice, and the human cost of both.
