My first novel is out of print but my second novel, Mixed In,  is on sale at Kobo. Like most of my fiction, it satirizes the ethical problems scientists face as they search for romance and try to understand society. 

The protagonist, Catrina, moves to a place that’s technologically innovative but socially backwards. For a while, she thinks she can rise above the social dysfunction and concentrate on being useful to her employer. She’s young and full of ideas. With the money and encouragement of her boss, she sees her designs come true. But as she gets to know the locals, she questions what she’s doing. It becomes time to make a decision. 

The question for all of us right now becomes, do I stay and adapt, do I stay and resist, or do I go? Our lives on social media are a clear example of this. I began on a blogging platform called Xanga and enjoyed it until my feed became overrun with pro-lifers crying about their miscarriages. I don’t want to be insensitive about a traumatic event, but part of every lament was “and I know it was a girl.” Statistically, these posts seemed fake. I sensed a lack of honesty, a misuse of trauma to push an agenda. It’s hard to have community when everyone you meet seems to be telling a lie. I abandoned Xanga, as did many others.

I met my publisher on Twitter. It was hard to give Twitter up as it descended but as the saying goes, who needs that kind of negativity in their lives? Now we have Facebook which has become clogged with ads and misinformation. It used to be a source of traffic to my blogs and books but now accounts for less and less. I’ve heard from people who are leaving it. When you feel unsafe with a platform, if it’s lying to you or derailing your brain, it’s time to make a decision. 

I also ask myself how long I will pay to be on this platform. I have the business plan. If I allow some advertisements, it’s free. But it will make me feel less professional, won’t it?

I wrote Mixed In nearly ten years ago, when a nation overtaken by unaccountable greed, isolation, and citizen complacency seemed a possibility worth joking about. Hopefully, it still is. 

Of note, Kobo is associated with Walmart so if you aren’t excited about that, here is a universal link.