Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Religious Music and Entertainment
Meet the Catholic Writer Paul D. McDonald

Meet the Catholic Writer Paul D. McDonald

Last updated on: July 31, 2026 at 6:57 am by Mark Wilson

Meet the Catholic Writer Paul D. McDonald 2026-07-31T06:57:08-05:00 Mark Wilson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I have several stories, essays and my wife has several poems that we have never professionally published for all the world to sea. Perhaps you have some hidden gems hidden away in a notebook or on your computer that you want to see the light of the printed page. Is it too late for that manuscript sitting in the dusty bin of your brain? No it’s not. It took our next writer 50 years before he published a book he started decades earlier. He’s published 2 books in his mystery series so far and he already has things mapped out for book 7. Paul D. McDonald is another one of the writers who owns the fictional world that he has created. He knows his characters and what is going on in them.

If you have a book you are itching to write and a world in which you crafted you are waiting to introduce to the world but feel discouraged cause you’ve waited so long to get to finish that story, be encouraged to press on as you…

Meet the Catholic Writer Paul D. McDonald

Tell something interesting about yourself.

I had my first experience of writing when I was in grade school. We were challenged to write an essay on the dangers of pollution. Instead, I wrote a short story on a future dystopian society that had developed due to pollution. I won the prize, which I believe was a $25 savings bond. But the writing bug did not really bite me at that time. It wasn’t until I was a freshman in high school that I finally decided I wanted to be a writer. Our freshman English teacher asked us to write an essay on an object lesson. I, instead, wrote a short story—a mystery this time—that dramatized the object lesson. I got an A on the paper. It was shortly after that decision that I developed my teen detective series, the Flaugherty Twins Mysteries. I wrote the first novel of the series at age 15. I began the second novel after I started college but did not complete it at that time. I stopped writing for a very long time, but finally finished the second novel years later, then returned to the first novel and re-wrote it—many times—before I finally got it published 50 years later!

What makes a good Catholic writer?

Everything you write reflects your worldview. If you are a good Catholic, then your writing will be good Catholic writing, whatever the topic may be, because it will reflect who you are as a person. So, the focus is not on the writing, but on who you are as a person. If you develop your spirituality, it will affect all areas of your life and will come out naturally in your writing. You can’t hide who you really are when you write.

What do you like about being a Catholic/Christian writer?

I write what I like to write; stories that I would enjoy reading. And for me, writing about my faith seems to be a natural offshoot since it is so much a part of who I am. But I also feel a moral obligation to write about characters that will grow in their faith, especially because my writing is often read by middle-grade audiences.

What is the main focus of your particular writing or what do you like to write about?

I write cozy mysteries similar to the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew stories.

My series is called the Flaugherty Twins Mysteries. The writing is at middle-grade reading level, so it can be enjoyed by kids, teens, and adults who like cozy mysteries. There is sometimes an element of faith in the stories, but that is not the main focus. I liked when I was growing up that we read what I believe was called the Cathedral Basic Readers which had stories of everyday life in them, but faith and characters of faith—like priests and nuns—were part of that everyday life. That’s what I want to reflect in my stories too. I want to present characters who are people of faith and show in the stories how that faith informs the decisions they make.

How does your Catholic faith influence your writing?

My characters in the Flaugherty Twins Mysteries series are Catholic and will grow in their faith through the series. The questions I had as a teenager are questions my characters will explore, and they will learn as I learned in order to deepen their faith.

What is your favorite article/post/book/story you have written?

Once I have finished writing each book in the Flaugherty Twins Mysteries series, it becomes my new favorite.

However, I am leaning toward Book 7, Ghosts of the Past, as my most favorite. This book will probably not be published for a few years yet, and it is a little different from the others in the series, with a “guest” character arc that is redemptive. It involves a cold-case murder that the teens only recently become aware of, and the “guest” character is their uncle, who is a drug addict, but wants to turn his life around. In the process of his recovery, he helps them to solve the mystery.

What is your favorite topic/subject to write about?

Mysteries. I love a good mystery. So far, in the Flaugherty Twins Mysteries series, I have written about jewel thieves, counterfeiters, pickpockets, pirates, identity thieves, dictators, drug dealers, human traffickers, antiquities thieves, and art forgers. My “guest” characters have included a French heiress, a college football player, camp counselors, lawyers, a priest, a princess, a drug addict, an FBI agent, and a retired policeman. For each new story, I like to research the subject matter of the crime as well as information about the occupations of the characters. I learn a lot as I prepare to write each book.

Favorite Scripture verse?

Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my strength and my shield, in whom my heart trusts. I am helped, so my heart rejoices; with my song I praise him.”

Each day, I turn to the Lord and offer Him myself and all that I will do this day. Learning to trust that He will always lead me and keep me in His care is an ongoing process. Sometimes I am more successful than other times.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently writing Book 10 in the Flaugherty Twins Mysteries series, which deals with the subject of forged paintings. And I am in the final stages of preparing Book 3 in the series, Lost on Black Mountain, which is soon to be published.

Lost on Black Mountain cover art

Name a favorite saint or Catholic or some other figure who inspires you in your life.

I admire so many of the saints, but I have a special love for Padre Pio and St. Therese, the Little Flower.

St. Therese seems so accessible to me in her littleness. And she’s not afraid to admit her sinfulness, at the same time recognizing that God will forgive her because of His love for her. I want to know that assurance in my own life.

Padre Pio, on the other hand, seems to me to be a no-nonsense kind of saint. He can be pretty much in-your-face when you try to rationalize sin, but he also has your back when you’re struggling, and you admit that.

Who is your favorite living writer?

I enjoy anything Scott Hahn writes.

And I have just recently been introduced to Brant Pitre, whose writing is a little scholarly, but his insights on the Jewish roots of the Catholic faith are amazing!

If you could have lunch with any deceased writer, who would it be, and what would you eat, and what would you talk about?

I would like to talk to G.K. Chesterton about his detective series featuring Fr. Brown. I would also like to discuss our Catholic faith with him and get some of his insights into how to incorporate that faith into my writing. And I think it would be a tea rather than a meal.

Another one that I would love to talk mysteries with over tea would be Agatha Christie, to see where she came up with all her ideas and learn how such a genteel lady could write about such horrendous crimes.

Sam Clemens would be fun to talk to as well, just about life in general, over a good home-cooked Southern meal. I expect I could get some wonderful yarns from him, as well as plenty of acerbic commentary on life’s ups and downs.

Name a favorite movie/TV show or music you find worth sharing with others.

I loved the film Come to the Stable when I was growing up. It is a story of a nun who has a dream of building a children’s hospital. Her faith is naïve, but strong, and the sisters have to endure many trials and obstacles in their quest, but in the end, the hospital becomes a reality. I only found out recently that this movie is actually based on a true story.

Can you see one of your books being made into a movie or TV series?

Absolutely. I write as if I am watching a movie unfold before me, so I think the material lends itself well to a visual medium. I’m ready when the networks call.

Favorite historical event?

I think the first steps of man on the moon would probably be my favorite, to just think of the possibilities of things man can accomplish. At the time, it seemed so amazing—to actually explore another world. It makes it feel like anything is possible.

This interview was published on July 13, 2026

The day these other historical events happened.

1973 – Watergate scandal: Alexander Butterfield reveals the existence of a secret Oval Office taping system to investigators for the Senate Watergate Committee.

1985 – The Live Aid benefit concert takes place in London and Philadelphia, as well as other venues such as Moscow and Sydney.

1995 – Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on STS-70 to deploy the TDRS-7 satellite.

2001- Legally Blonde opens in theaters

What else do you want people to know about anything?

The Flaugherty Twins Mysteries I write are first of all mystery stories, very much like the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. The main difference is that my characters are not nearly as “perfect” as those characters were. And they will not remain the same throughout the series. They will grow into adulthood and also grow in their faith, even while continuing to solve mysteries. The mysteries are the heart of the stories; the faith element is simply character development with the hopes that those who read the stories can learn something about their own faith through the reading.

Learn More

Amazon.com: Paul D McDonald: books, biography, latest update

Flaugherty Twins | cozy mysteries for readers of all ages, including middle-graders

Want to Be Interviewed Also?

The Catholic Bard Wants To Interview You! |
Interview Questions For My Catholic Blog

Meet More Catholic Writers
A Link List To The Catholic Bard’s Meet The Writer Series Part 2

A List Of Catholic Fiction Authors |
A List Of Catholic Authors Who Write Fiction With A Few Exceptions.

Religious Music and Entertainment

Previous Post

July 9, 2026

Meet Catholic Writer and Data Analyst Stephanie Quesnelle

Next Post

July 15, 2026 Meet Catholic Hugo Nominated Writer John C Wright

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1889 abortion adoption Advent After Life Angles apologetics Art Awards BCCT bible book review books business Carmelite Catechetics Catholic Actors catholic authors Catholic Bard Catholic Faith Catholic List Catholic Rigorous Vortex Christian Authors Christmas church teaching civil conversation coronavirus Current Events death Different Religions Divine Mercy Easter Education encouragment Entertainment Eucharist Evangelization Event faith Family Life famous people feast day food Fun Stuff Global Church God guest post Harry Potter healing Heck of a Ride Around the Sun history holiday Holy Family Holy Orders Holy Spirit Holy Week hope Humor Interview Ireland Jesus kindle unlimited reflections Last Things Lecto Divina with Kristin Lent Lent/Easter liturgy love marriage Mary Meet the Author Mission Month in Advance Movie Review Movies Movies of the Month Music Narrative Older Writings patheos authors personal Philosophy podcasts poetry political Politics pope prayer Private Revelation pro-life public domain Quotes racial relations racism reflection Religious Life Saints science Scriptural Meditation social justice Social Media spirituality suffering supernatural theology Topics Travel Trivia Tweeting to the Choir Uncategorized universal church Vatican virtue war Week in Review women world religions writing Writing Write Now

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who saw Elijah being taken to heaven?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Shunammite woman Gehazi Elisha Obadiah

Books by This Author Books by Catholic Bard

See All Titles »