Profanity taken out from reissued 2008 novel, audiobook launched

BELVIDERE, Ill. - Oct. 14, 2013 - PRLog -- When Doug Shiloh first wrote his novel "Pookoo", a satire of celebrity, there was very little profanity. Then in the final stretches a flood of "F-words" and other profanity worked its way into the manuscript. He published it in 2008, profanity included.

But between then, the Illinois author became a reborn Christian and having "all that junk" didn't set right with Shiloh. He could see the point that the book was a time capsule from his old life, and blame the blue language on his characters. But even as he was in at Rockford, Illinois' Underground Squirrel Studio recording studio the audio book version of 'Pookoo' this past late summer, Shiloh was finding words he had to either cut or alter for his peace of mind and to make things right with God.

Since its original publication, the novel has been downloaded over 5,000 times. The reissued ebook and paperback version is expected to be released later this year along with the full 10-hour audiobook, read by Shiloh.

"I had dedicated my life to Him and what was I going to do? Say 'Oh, that was me, never mind him', let's just let it go? No. Luckily, 'Pookoo' is enough of an unknown work that I wanted to give it not just a fresh coat of paint but to work on its insides. It's up to date with who I am spiritually, and it points the way to my future work."

There are still adult situations in the book but they are more alluded to than actually plainly there, Shiloh says.

"I can alude to rough situations or frustrated people and all, real life, but it's not necessary. I'm more creative than that. In fact, it's a short cut and a cop out (to use profanity). Most of pop culture went 1000s of years without it and we have work stands without it. You can still get your point across and tell an engaging story. Before, I was just aping some of the writers I'd read when I was in my teens and 20s, like Hemingway and John Irving.

"I think people can not only get turned off by it, such as the Miley Cyrus MTV fiasco but also numb by profanity, and other things. My second novel has even more, which I am rethinking, and the third book has more outrageous situations but it won't have any profanity as 'Pookoo' once had. I've found the key to it. Artists don't need the crutch.

"It's very freeing," Shiloh added. "Now, because I did what I did, the story still isn't for middle-school readers. There are a lot of mature themes. Philosophical ones. But with the changes I've made, I can sleep at night."

The first portion of the audiobook is on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and more. It's titled "The 6-Foot Lobster."