Stay-at-home dad squeezes in the writing time.

Byline: Oregon Authors by The Register-Guard

NAME: Kevin Paglia, Springfield.

WHAT HAVE YOU WRITTEN? ` `Exile' is my first book, published through America House (www.publishamerica.com).'

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? ` `Exile' is a Christian science-fiction novel. With the Christian movement almost crushed, a new leader emerges to lead the suppressed Christians in a fight to reclaim their world from Nezzar, a powerful and alien artificial intelligence with a god complex.'

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND? `I was born in Detroit, moved to California at 5 and went to college in Idaho before moving here. I am married to Tracy, who has the dubious honor of being my unpaid editor.

`We have two sons, 5 and 1 years old, two dogs, a cat and a parrot.'

ARE YOU ABLE TO WRITE FULL TIME? `I actually have to give all the credit to my wife, Tracy, who is a wonderful, supporting wife and is also a successful accountant.

`When our second child was born, we realized it was cheaper for me to be a full-time daddy and for her to work. I've been home now since August 2000, and that has afforded me a lot of time to write.

`Taking care of two boys, of course, the only opportunity I really have found time to write is during school and nap time, or late at night.'

WHO INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A WRITER? `When I was very young, I had atrocious handwriting and an overactive imagination. In order to help me, my parents encouraged me to write down the stories that were always flying through my head. My handwriting never improved, but my storytelling did.

`I also have to give credit to God (I am a Christian writer after all). The stories I have written in the past few years have been inspired either through dreams or through a single comment that someone made.'

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE `EXILE'? ` `Exile' was inspired from a conversation my wife and I had after watching `Phantom Menace' on a date night. I fleshed out the idea a little that night, then started writing the next day.

`Five weeks later, it was finished. It has been my fastest novel. It took my wife and I about six more months to reread the story and work out the details.

`When we were finished, we sent out queries to about 20 publishers, both local and national. None of them bit. `Exile' was set aside and a new project was started. May 2001, we decided to try again and, with the help of a Writer's Market book, we sent off letters to six agents and six publishers.

`I heard back from three publishers who were interested, and eventually landed with PublishAmerica in August.'

WHAT'S NEXT? `As much as I love `Exile,' I am more excited about my next two books, already finished and awaiting a home.

` `Adam's Stone' is a modern Christian adventure that is premised on the discovery of an ancient stone engraved by Adam with an ancient prophecy on it.

`I also have `Full-Scale Retreat,' which follows 12 people on a spiritual retreat. Their retreat is interrupted by five demons who have realized their mistake and are looking for a way to go back to heaven.'

WHAT ARE YOU READING? `Right now I am reading Greg Bear, a wonderful sci-fi writer who has won several awards. He writes true space epics that explore every detail of his story.'

CATCH HIM AT: A book signing Saturday at Testimonies Christian Bookstore, behind Arby's at River Road and Silver Lane.

Oregon Authors appears regularly in the Books pages. Direct comments or suggestions to Assistant Features Editor Paul Denison, who can be reached by phone at 338-2323, or by e-mail at [e-mail].