New factual novel follows the story of a man who has to cope with the shame of being a secretive, non-offending pedophile in a hostile society

USA - English

• USA - English

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- John Veteran wants to contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon of pedophilia, which he gained through personal experience. It is for this purpose he has written "The Friendly Stranger: One Man's Struggle to Cope with Pedophilia EXPANDED VERSION" (published by Xlibris), a factual novel based on his experiences of having to cope with the shame of being a secretive, non-offending pedophile in a hostile society. This is an expanded version of the original novel which was published in 2015.

At the age of 16, in 1959, Dalton Henson, an athletic but emotionally disturbed youth living in a small central Florida town, suddenly becomes sexually attracted to prepubescent boys. This attraction gradually intensifies until it nearly completely replaces the attraction he previously felt toward girls and women. As the years go by, he is extremely ashamed of being a "sex pervert" (as he thinks of himself), and constantly strives to conceal "the way he is" from people he is associating with. This is complicated because he blushes easily and is inclined to do so anytime someone mentions anything pertaining to sex. Despite his sexual attraction, he conceives that sexually molesting a boy would be morally wrong, and he never does so or considers doing so.

This book follows Henson through college, a year of teaching physical education and coaching athletics at a junior high school, a summer as a camp counselor, two years in the U.S. Army — including a year in Vietnam — and the year after he is discharged from the Army, as he lives in a low-grade motel room in Tampa, writing a novel in which he attempts to understand and explain the cause of his pedophilia, while interacting with a variety of motel staff and guests.

"In writing this novel, I would like to promote the understanding of pedophilia in as many people as I can reach. An emphatic distinction: by 'pedophilia,' I mean a sexual attraction to children, not adult-child sexual interaction. I am strongly opposed to adult-child sexual interaction including the production and viewing of child pornography, and would advocate harsh punishment for any adult who does so. As pedophilia scholar James Cantor so aptly said: One cannot choose to not be a pedophile, but one can choose to not be a child molester," Veteran says

For more details about the book, please visit https://www.xlibris.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/835792-the-friendly-stranger

"The Friendly Stranger: One Man's Struggle to Cope with Pedophilia"
By John Veteran
Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 482 pages | ISBN 9781664111608
Softcover | 6 x 9in | 482 pages | ISBN 9781664111592
E-Book | 482 pages | ISBN 9781664111585
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author
John Veteran is a pen name for an author who wishes to remain anonymous for personal reasons. His life parallels that of the book's protagonist, Dalton Henson. The author, now approaching his 80th birthday, recently retired from a 49-year career as an editor, reporter and photographer for small weekly newspapers in the Southeastern USA.    

Xlibris Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider created in 1997 by authors, for authors. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles. For more information, visit xlibris.com or call 844-714-8691 to receive a free publishing guide.

Media Contact

Marketing Services, XlibrisUS, 844-714-8691, [email protected]

SOURCE XlibrisUS