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Philip Mazza

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

Philip Mazza
Mazza, 2018
Born Philip A. Mazza

February 25, 1959 (age 74)

Liverpool, New York, U.S.

Occupation Author, Professor
Nationality American
Genre Epic fantasy, urban fantasy
Website
theharrowbooks.com

Philip Mazza is an American writer of fantasy fiction and science fiction. He writes mainly epic fantasy, and is currently in the process of writing two speculative, or science fiction novels. Mazza’s crowning achievement thus far is The Harrow Saga, a post-apocalyptic trilogy. The first installment, From Under a Tree, was originally published in 2014 by Omni Publishers. A Special Edition was published by Omni early 2018 which contained an additional 100 pages of added material, including an introduction from the author, added scenes from the original manuscript and characters, and a map of the Harrow. There are also four appendices containing historical events that serve as the background of the Harrow that would have been difficult to introduce to the main narrative that can enhance the reader's experience.[1]

Early life[edit]

Mazza was born in upstate New York in a suburb of Syracuse, New York, and spent a large part of his life living there. He is an alumnus of LeMoyne College, earning his B.S. in Business. He later obtained an MBA from Purdue University. His career focused on human resource management and operations, holding leadership positions for companies both large and small. He has also served on the boards for several not-for-profits. Now a Professor in business at the Madden School of Business and full-time writer.

Career[edit]

Mazza spent a great deal of his childhood and early adulthood writing stories and dreaming up new worlds. In high school, he remembers reading Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings as a classroom assignment, which inspired him to write. While Tolkien was an inspiration, there was another famous author who inspired Mazza. In the Special Edition of From Under a Tree, Mazza talks about Kurt Vonnegut as another inspirational author. In his introduction to the Special Edition, Mazza stated “He turned me on to fiction and the power of words. He got me through my teen years. As a young adult I waited for every new book and ran to the local bookseller to buy a copy. Even though he did not write epic fantasy fiction, Vonnegut was an author who stayed with you long after you thought you were done with him. You didn’t have to be young to appreciate Vonnegut. He taught us that we are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be. On a technical level, Vonnegut has influenced me. Unlike some, who after brilliant passages seem to get lost in their asides, Vonnegut, no matter how digressive, always arrived to his points of departure, with a light touch.”[2]

Mazza started writing From Under a Tree in 2004. It took him 10 years to complete. It is a story of two teen-age sisters and their adventures in a fantastical world. At first, they are frightened by this new world until they discover their role in a struggle between good and evil. The girls are drawn deep inside this new place with their two pet cats. They begin to adapt to their surroundings, both frightened and amazed by the magic that takes place around them.

The Harrow Saga is a coming-of-age novel with a twist. The sisters do not follow the usual pattern of growth. Both are thrust into a strange fantastical world in turmoil. Together, they face hardships, confusion and complexity, and have moments of clarity of insight. For better or worse, the sisters begin to grow up in their strange world, living and taking chances, making decisions based on their core values, sometimes failing while at other times succeeding. Through their many adventures they begin to understand their identity, learn many emotional truths, and garner a sense of home and belonging.

The Harrow Saga is a story of despair and hope. It combines captivating plot with wisdom and dramatic nature. Mazza does not confine himself to simply describing the adventures of his characters and of a fantastical world: his creation is a complex world with its set of cultures, mythology and inner views. It is a place where animals can talk and think like humans, remaining at the same time just animals, who are capable of heroic deeds.[3]

Mazza plans for the next two books in The Harrow Trilogy, Shadow In the Flame and Children at the Gate, due in 2020 and 2022. Omni Publishers is the publisher.[4]

Additional books[edit]

In late 2017 Omni Publishers announced two non-Harrow books by Mazza with an expected publication date of December 2021. The Dark State and The Chronicler are not fantasy fiction but rather speculative fiction and science fiction. The Dark State is a story of a dystopian world and a complex man who rises from obscurity to staggering heights, and how the future is condemned to being nothing but an eternal return. The Chronicler is the story of the fascinating journey that an old man and boy take, teaching us four great life-lessons. Omni Publishers state the new novels will show Mazza's versatility in writing.[5]

Personal life[edit]

Philip and his wife Kim enjoy travel and their cats; they continue to live in upstate New York.[5]

References[edit]

  1. "Syracuse.com; Posted May 18, 2018".
  2. Mazza, Philip (2014). Special Edition - The Harrow: From Under a Tree. Omni Publishers of NY. ISBN 978-0997710908. Search this book on
  3. "Syracuse.com; Posted January 9, 2015".
  4. "Syracuse.com; Posted May 18, 2018".
  5. 5.0 5.1 "The Harrow Books".

Philip Mazza[edit]


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