In LOSING MY RELIGION: HOW I LOST MY FAITH REPORTING ON RELIGION IN AMERCA—AND FOUND UNEXPECTED PEACE, William Lobdell reflects on his eight years on the Los Angeles Times’ religion beat and how they led him to re-examine and ultimately reject his own Christian beliefs. It’s a story the award-winning journalist first shared in a moving essay that appeared on the Times’ front page in July 2007 (which you can find here), and then expands on in his critically acclaimed memoir, published yesterday in hardcover.
Early reviewer John Luftus, a former pastor and author of WHY I AM AN ATHEIST, calls Lobdell’s book “a page turner from start to finish,” and Skeptic magazine publisher and author Michael Shermer praises it as “the most intellectually honest and emotionally courageous book I have ever read.” On its first day, it broke into three of Amazon’s top 10 lists: two in the biography and memoir category, and one in the religion and spirituality category, and its ranking continues to climb.
In addition to writing, Lobdell, who left the Times last year, owns an online publishing company; teaches as a visiting faculty member at the University of California, Irvine; and serves as a media consultant. He lives in Orange County, Calif., with his wife and four sons.
What are the top 5 things you are doing to market your latest book? 1. I started blogging at http://www.williamlobdell.com/ and put any information about my book on the site (reviews, excerpts, high-resolution photos, interviews, sign-in for e-mail updates, etc.).