Run away and join the circus!
Join a fun, thrilling adventure
you’ll never forget.
Step right up and witness an exciting, entertaining world of action and intrigue.
It’s 1982, and Paul Driscoll is fate’s punching bag. His father recently died, he gets fired from his job, and his girlfriend dumps him. Desperate for money, the 23-year-old copywriter becomes a promoter with a traveling circus—and in his first town, falls in love.
Katherine Flynn-Ryan is a divorced mother harboring a dark family secret. Although she knows the circus man will leave her, he promises to return after the season. Paul travels America with angry clowns, wild, eccentric characters, and egomaniacal performers. He struggles to remain faithful while resisting the aggressive pursuit of his boss and taming his libido. When Paul finishes his circus tour and returns to Katherine, he learns that their relationship could cost him his life.
SAWDUST: Love is wilder than a circus crackles with unforgettable characters and humor, plus revealing insights into circus life, the male psyche, and explorations of faith and self-discovery.
Read it and see why this captivating novel has received so many 5-Star reviews on Amazon.
Click here and get your copy today at a special discount!
Enjoy an exploration of the human condition and a revealing peek under the big top
SAWDUST: Love is wilder than a circus will be treasured by anyone who loves character-driven stories in unusual and interesting settings. It’s for readers who want to transport themselves to a different world and be engaged and surprised.
Welcome to a pre-digital time when disco was a thing, men wore leisure suits for fashion, not irony, and aviator glasses and porn star mustaches were all the rage.
Now, get ready to be transported emotionally.
Remember the awkwardness of young love?
The pain of trying to find yourself?
Have you ever dealt with the near-impossibility of trying to maintain a long-distance relationship?
Relive those glory days in an entertaining, funny exploration of the mind of the male psyche (it’s not pretty).
Have you ever been in a relationship with a partner who had a weird family?
Have you wrestled with deciding how much tolerance and patience you’re willing to sacrifice for love?
Carried the belief that true love conquers all?
SAWDUST: Love is wilder than a circus will captivate you as you ride the emotional roller coaster of young love. It’s a wild ride–– please, for your safety, keep your arms inside the car at all times.
Ever wondered what it would be like to work for a circus?
What would it be like traveling America and learning what makes our country tick?
Are you curious to know if circus performers are as odd as you think they are?
This book gives you an in-depth look into circus life from the inside. Explore its history, operations, and the complicated lives of the people who crave the spotlight and defy death daily to live in it.
Explore love–– and the circus–– then decide which is the wilder experience.
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SAWDUST: Love is wilder than a circus is at special discounted prices (enjoy the Kindle version for less than a latte– only $3.99 – reg. $12.99) on Amazon and Audible.
Treat yourself to a journey you will love and never forget.
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Rave Reviews
Since its release, SAWDUST: Love is wilder than a circus has garnered many 5-Star reviews from excited readers. Here’s a taste:
“Thoroughly engaging. Beautifully crafted scenery. Overall, a very colorful view into a life I knew nothing about. I loved this story. But my favorite part was meeting all the characters. Oh, man! Scullin was a master craftsman in his portrayal of each of the personalities. I fell in love with all of them, no matter how crusty, raunchy, or polished they were. I highly recommend this book.”
“PD Scullin pulls you into an off-beat tale set in and around the circus. The story has plenty of twists and turns. And the characters keep you coming back for more. A great, fun read.”
“…I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down…”
“I’m usually a non-fiction reader, with occasional sci-fi and humor titles in my stack. This book captured my attention partly because it has a feel of authenticity (author’s experience, I suppose) and the sly humor that lurks within. Good characters, a story that moves down the road (figuratively and literally), and some surprises along the way, an interesting tale, and well told. Kind of a cross between Jack Kerouac, Douglas Adams, and a Jerry Springer show…”
“Sawdust is written with the humanity and humor of Vonnegut, had he seen the world through the prism of an advance man for the circus. It’s a deadly accurate look at modern love in all its unfiltered messiness.
“Like Vonnegut’s writing, it’s hard to put down, and breaks your heart when it ends with you wanting more.”
“SAWDUST by PD Scullin is a must-read for everyone. The novel explores the complicated victories and defeats of romance, betrayal, Catholicism, alcohol use, and especially, a young educated man’s journey into professional life–and love life. Scullin’s characters are so life-like and compelling that I could not put this humorous yet emotionally cutting book down. Every red-blooded man (and woman) can relate to the trials, exaltations, and defeats of finding love when your libido systematically annihilates your personal moral authenticity and sincere quest for faithfulness. No one understands love and romance from a male point of view better than Scullin. If you cannot relate with passion to the delightful storyline and characters, then you have missed the quintessential essence of how extraordinary ordinary life can be. The ecstatic and the troubled are artfully mingled together. The ending will delightfully disturb you.
“…Mr. Scullin is a very funny guy…”
“…I give it five stars for the story, and the setting provides an interesting bonus. The author has a great voice that makes his novel an entertaining journey. The life of a circus “marketing director” adds some interesting twists as well. I recommend you buy this book and then follow the author for future gems.”
“Scullin has a knack for making ordinary people, ordinary lives, interesting. Even though the protagonist isn’t the one swallowing fire or taming the big cats, I found myself invested in his life and relationships. In storytelling, there’s often an urge to take an ordinary person and have them do something extraordinary (save the world, stop a terrorist plot, etc.) in order to keep the reader interested, but it’s a good writer who can write someone ordinary and get the reader invested. I truly enjoyed this book.”
“…The writing is the easy style of a natural storyteller. If you can read this and not feel a wisp of nostalgia for the scent of sawdust and sounds of a three-ring circus, you are a harder heart than I. Love, intrigue, and a life we have all wondered about – what would it be like to join the circus? I liked this book.”
“Sawdust is a unique and fascinating book. The novel is written with the backdrop of the great bygone institution of the American traveling circus. This allows Scullin to craft a great novel while also drawing on the mystery and hard life of the real people that put on the show. If you are looking for a break from the ordinary this is a great read.”
“… Patrick Scullin gives a marvelous voice to his characters. Acerbic but not bitter, funny but not an aside joke, Sawdust is a wonderful adventure into the circus…”
“The novel explores the complicated victories and defeats of romance, betrayal, Catholicism, alcohol use, and especially, a young educated man’s journey into professional life — and love life. Scullin’s characters are so life-like and compelling that I could not put this humorous yet emotionally cutting book down. Every red-blooded man (and woman) can relate to the trials, exaltations, and defeats of finding love when your libido systematically annihilates your personal moral authenticity and sincere quest for faithfulness. No one understands love and romance from a male point of view better than Scullin. If you cannot relate with passion to the delightful storyline and characters, then you have missed the quintessential essence of how extraordinary ordinary life can be. The ecstatic and the troubled are artfully mingled together. The ending will delightfully disturb you…”
“…I think everyone who picks up this book will come away so glad they read it. They will learn a lot while being entertained constantly…”
“As a reader, it’s easy to root for Paul, Sawdust’s main man. I kept hoping that the universe would cut the poor guy a break. That’s what keeps you engaged and wondering what will happen as Paul navigates life on the road, falling in love, and a bunch of twists and turns that PD Scullin takes you on. Like a turn on the trapeze, Sawdust offers a wild and unpredictable reader experience. Thoroughly enjoyed this quick read and looking forward to Scullin’s next one.”
“The thing I love about Scullin’s characters is that he captures the insanity of humanity with such perfect humor. Excellent story, characters, and great sense of place.”
“Running away to join the circus is one of those famous old saws that children are supposed to say, but in this book, the author takes it quite literally. Going beyond the central casting characters, the author shows us a side of the circus that’s fun and interesting but doesn’t hide the dirty underbelly. It’s a fun, inventive read that isn’t like anything I’ve read all year…”
“… Authentic, relatable, funny, tragic — like a traveling circus. A clever diversion from a master at dialogue.”
“I enjoyed this book a lot. PD Scullin weaves a good yarn, then fills it with memorable people. The cherry on top is a level of prose that’s increasingly hard to find. The man can write and write well. Even if you’re afraid of clowns (as I am), you’ll probably enjoy this peek into circus life and the life of a young man trying to find his way in the world.”
Click here and get your copy today
Ladies and Gentlemen, step right up and thrill yourself with this once-in-a-lifetime experience
Between its covers, SAWDUST: Love is wilder than a circus contains a world unlike any you’ve ever seen.
A place where sustenance comes from the four basic food groups: hot dogs, cotton candy, popcorn, and candy apples.
Where you will slip comfortably into 16” shoes, slather on grease paint, and pratfall your way to getting laughs.
Here, life is lived on a tightrope, fueled by adrenaline and motivated by oohs, aahs, and thunderous applause.
But that’s not all, folks.
No–– you’ll also wear a polyester suit and travel America seeing this great land in all its glory while also exploring its dark underbelly.
You’ll fall head-over-heels in love, then rip your heart out as you ride off into the sunset. Your job is being a road warrior, not a settled-down lover.
You will face the most death-defying act of all–– learning to live in your skin as you grapple with religious beliefs and the need for human interaction.
Rest assured, ladies and gentlemen, you have never read a book like this. Along the way, you will be delighted, titillated, at times disgusted, and entertained as you laugh at the idiocy of youth and the pains of attempting a long-distance love affair.
SAWDUST: Love is wilder than a circus paints a world you will see in glorious IMAX with full Dolby Surround Sound in your imagination.
Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime gift to yourself–– a novel that is a singular event and one you will remember and return to again and again.
Leave your world behind, enter a world of wondrous amusement and amazement.
A portrait of the artist as a young man
A portrait of the artist as an older man
PD Scullin (aka Patrick Scullin) describes his advertising copywriting career as “a lot like Don Draper in Madmen, without all the chain-smoking, bourbon breakfasts, and extramarital affairs.”
Early in his professional life, Scullin worked for a traveling circus as a marketing director. A job title that title sounded much more professional and legitimate than advance man.
His job was traveling three weeks ahead of the big top and living alone in cheap motels. He negotiated all media buys, sold retail promotions, generated publicity, scheduled and drove the advance clown to media appointments, performed public relations, and smooth-talked media relations. He also ordered hay for the elephants, along with a slew of other circus-related chores–– none of them involving a shovel, thank you very much.
The experience gave him the inspiration and authoritative grounding for this novel.
Following his circus experience, Scullin dove back into the ad game, where he blazed a trail writing for various ad agencies in eight cities coast-to-coast. He created some famous campaigns along the way and eventually decided he would be a better employer than an employee.
In 1997, with two partners, he opened Ames Scullin O’Haire (ASO) Advertising in Atlanta. The agency grew fast and built an excellent reputation working with Mitsubishi Electric, UPS, The Coca-Cola Company, Golf Pride Golf Grips, Georgia Aquarium, and many more. He sold his agency after 21 years to write what he wanted.
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