Local couple publishes a ‘spiritual mystery’

Mount Pleasant couple Jim and Cheryl Pahz spent most of their lives raising a family and earning a living instead of pursuing their passion for artistic writing.

That all changed the day they decided to make time for their creative writing as an alternative to the scholarly-natured literature they were used to doing.

Jim, a health sciences professor, said he and his wife have written as a team since they were in college.

“The writing process is challenging, but also rewarding. My wife and I enjoy writing books together — it’s fun,” he said.

Their newly published book, titled “McAngel,” asks one question: “Would you take advice from a grizzled old man who hangs out at McDonald’s, has a preference for Quarter Pounders with Cheese, and claims to be an angel?”

“‘McAngel’ is a bit of a spiritual mystery that we hope readers will find thought-provoking. Part of the story takes place in Mount Pleasant, and local readers might find it interesting to read a book with a setting is in this geographical area,” Jim said.

The book was recognized as a finalist in the 2008 William Faulkner-William Woods Creative Writing Competition and is the second book they published this year.

“Robin Sees A Song” was rereleased in 2009, but was originally published 32 years ago. Coincidently, Jim has also worked at CMU for 32 years; Cheryl recently retired from her job at Charles V. Park Library.

How they write

Cheryl said they spend a lot of time discussing a story so, when they sit down to write, they are in sync about the overall story line.

“Sometimes, a character seems to take on a life of its own as the story evolves, and then we have to discuss and make adjustments. We do several revisions, passing the manuscript back and forth and, eventually, it works out,” she said.

Jim said they generally get along when figuring out story ideas.

“It’s not hard to agree on story topics, but perhaps that is because we think alike. It helps to have a partner with whom to explore ideas and gain a broader perspective,” Jim said.

Cheryl said they each bring a different set of work habits and unique strengths to their projects, which keeps them from stepping on one another’s toes.

“We both have the same goal: to write a good story; so there is not really a power struggle between us,” she said.