Sean

[Sean]

We sacrifice people for the economy, because money is god. That why we stamp “In God We Trust” on the almighty dollar.

[Sean]

Hello, Simon,

You could look at self-publishing if you have the funds.  Or possibly go the crowd-sourcing route to raise funds.  That way your work gets a distributed as well.  You can also submit it to the Library of Congress.  Let me know if you do anything.

Sean

[Sean]

Hello, Noel,

No worries.  I actually have the first two.  Unfortunately, I don’t have anything by Hitchens.  I’ll have to rectify that.  I actually first saw him on Penn & Teller’s BS series.  It was only once I got more into skepticsim >> atheism >> humanism (the route I took) that I understood the connection.

About four years ago, I had a concept for some stories.  A skeptic that investigates claims, sort of more an adult version of (dare I say it) Scooby Doo.  I hate the media portrayal of skeptics (particularly in paranormal movies) as denialistic morons.  I wanted to portray someone that was smarter and more savvy.   I sat on the idea for a few years before the right combination of circumstances and ideas aligned (no stars involved).  Trying to raise my daughter with a skeptical (critical thinking) mindset, I bought her a bunch of Encyclopedia Brown books (they’re still in print – who would have guessed).  She reads them as much as her fairy books.

Looking for material to move up to, there is nothing, except Junior Skeptic.  Nothing fictional that I’ve been able to find so far.  Between that, my established atheism, Dawkins getting deplatformed by Berkeley, the constant war on science, and the antics of the regressive left in colleges, I decided to write a YA novel that combines the usual trope of teenage learning to find one’s way in the world combined with secular humanism/atheism.

I finished the book, but struggling finding an agent or publisher.  I approached Richard Dawkins at SCICon this past October, and he recommended Pitchstone, but they’re not actively seeking fiction and have had little success.  Prometheus said the same thing.  (Pitchstone actually ask for a copy and gave me a bit of positive feedback.)  So, I’m reaching out to the wider community.  A google search lead me here, so I joined.

Like Simon, I’m all for physical books as well (my attic is sagging under the weight), so I’ve been avoiding the self-publish route.  So, if anyone knows of any agents, or is a writer, please feel free to get in touch.

If anyone is interested in reading my work, I’m in the process of uploading the chapters to Beta Books.  Just go to:

https://betabooks.co/signup/book/388j16

Feedback would be greatly appreciated, but isn’t necessary.  If you think I should keep my day job, please feel free to say so.

My book is called Truth and Roses.  (The title comes from a quote by Thoreau, “Truth and roses have thorns about them.”)  The main character, Rose, is starting university early.  She’s smart, has dyslexia, escaped religion for nearly four years, has been a skeptic for as long, and is developing her nascent humanism.  She has an appreciation for science, and all things geekdom.  She starts a free thinkers club, debates a creationist, and invites an academic speaker to talk at her university.  Everything goes wrong.  Still struggling with self-image issues left over from religion, alone in university, she fumbles trying to hold everything together before becoming overwhelmed by despondency.  But there is a candle in the darkness.

I take a serious approach to life, tackle some serious topics, and respect the struggles teens go through.  We were all there at one time.

I spend a bit of time on tumblr for anyone that’s on there.

 

Sean

[Author]

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