McCusker grew up in
Bowie, Maryland. He graduated from college with a degree in journalism and spent several years writing copy for a local publisher. From the late 1970s, he began writing sketches and plays for his church, Grace Baptist, many of which were published and are still in print. Among his most popular plays are "Catacombs" and "First Church of Pete's Garage". In 1985, McCusker moved to California to write for
Continental Singers and their touring drama group The Jeremiah People. In 1988, he was invited by
Focus on the Family to help develop a radio show for kids, which later became
Adventures in Odyssey. He has also dramatized
C.S. Lewis's
The Chronicles of Narnia and
The Screwtape Letters, as well as
A Christmas Carol,
Les Misérables,
Amazing Grace, and the
Father Gilbert Mysteries. He won a
Peabody Award in 1997 for his work on
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Freedom. Paul also writes novels,
The Mill House and
Epiphany being perhaps the best-known, and
TSI: The Gabon Virus (2009) his most recent, which was co-written with Dr. Walt Larimore. Paul has continued his audio drama efforts with the
Augustine Institute, writing and directing
Brother Francis,
The Trials of Saint Patrick,
Ode to Saint Cecilia, and
The Legends of Robin Hood. == Personal life ==