So this past week has basically felt like me juggling flaming bowling pins while trying to remember where I left my coffee. I’ve been holed up at my desk tinkering with the second book in my detective noir series, and you know how it goes—one moment I’m convinced Lucien has everything under control, and the next I’m rewriting an entire scene because I swear he gave me side-eye from inside the manuscript. But the good news is: it’s almost there. If the universe doesn’t throw any curveballs, the preorder should be up in the next week or so. Every time I think about that, I get this weird fluttery feeling in my chest, like that moment before a jazz band counts in and you know the whole room’s about to lean in.
Outside of that, I’ve been doing those end-of-year tasks I always swear I’ll start earlier—sorting receipts, throwing away the pile of mystery cords, pretending I understand my own spreadsheet scribbles. It’s the kind of stuff that makes me sigh dramatically at my own reflection, but it feels good once it’s out of the way. Like clearing the last sticky note off your desk and realizing you can actually see the wood grain.
And because I apparently like a challenge, I put together an outrageously ambitious writing schedule for 2026. It’s one of those color-coded, possibly over-optimistic plans that looks very impressive taped to the wall. I keep glancing at it and thinking, Alright, buddy. Let’s see if we can pull this off. I’m going to try my damndest to stick to it, even if future-me rolls his eyes and mutters into his coffee mug.
Anyway, that’s my little update from the writing cave. If you need me, I’ll probably be fussing with commas or convincing myself to tackle another tax-adjacent chore.
Oh, and while I have your attention – have you checked out my latest book “Murder at the Savoy” yet? If you haven’t gotten your hands on a copy, you can snag one HERE. It’s free if you have Kindle Unlimited but also available in Hardcover and Paperback. I’m still pretty pleased about how that one turned out.
Some Things I Thought Were Worth Sharing
Balancing creativity with the business side of being an author isn’t easy. Loved this chat with Joe Solari on The Creative Penn — lots of helpful mindset shifts. https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2025/01/13/balancing-creativity-with-building-a-business-and-author-nation-with-joe-solari/
Just read Draft2Digital’s “The Indie Advantage Issue #2” — a great breakdown of how print-on-demand (POD) works vs. ebooks. Handy for indie authors thinking print. https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/the-indie-advantage-issue-2/
Heard about Pillion? Skarsgård + Melling getting real about gay icons, kink, and that moment their characters clicked. Definitely worth a read if you like bold queer cinema https://greginhollywood.com/pillion-stars-alexander-skarsgard-harry-melling-talk-gay-icons-and-the-moment-they-c-clicked-248635
Sweden just gave Oz a new queer echo: Andreas Wijk voices the Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good — and yep, he’s as gorgeous as iconic. https://www.queerty.com/meet-the-swedish-sweetheart-who-lends-his-voice-to-wicked-for-good-is-keeping-oz-queer-20251125/
Want characters with real emotional guts? This post on limiting beliefs + characterization gives solid ideas to add depth and stakes to your characters’ inner lives. https://writersinthestormblog.com/2024/11/using-limiting-beliefs-to-go-deeper-with-characterization/
Holidays don’t have to fit one narrow mold. History shows even Thanksgiving/Christmas once rocked costumes, cross-dressing and gender play. Maybe our traditions have always been queerer than we think. https://www.transadvocate.com/the-traditional-holiday-was-queer_n_121434.htm
If you’ve ever wondered how to go from messy draft → page-turner, this Kristen Tate interview has handy takeaways on structure, voice and pacing that could change your next draft. Go give it a listen. https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2025/01/06/writing-tips-craft-structure-and-voice-with-kristen-tate/
Hockey + queer romance? Yes please — Heated Rivalry proves you can love hard, skate harder, and find real connection off the ice. This is the queer sports story we’ve been waiting for.
https://xtramagazine.com/culture/heated-rivalry-gay-hockey-romance-278287
Just checked out Miles Heizer’s first podcast interview with Tommy DiDario — he gets real about playing Cameron Cope in BOOTS, being a gay actor in Hollywood, and what this story means. https://greginhollywood.com/boots-star-miles-heizer-sits-for-his-first-ever-podcast-interview-and-its-with-tommy-didario-248594
Feeling that end-of-year writing burnout? Janice Hardy’s post “5 Ways to Fight Your End-of-Year Writer’s Fatigue” has some simple, real-world tips to recharge your creative batteries. Worth a read. http://blog.janicehardy.com/2016/12/5-ways-to-fight-your-end-of-year.html
Want to nail your prologue so it doesn’t feel like a preamble but a hook? Check out this guide on how to write a prologue. https://jerryjenkins.com/how-to-write-a-prologue/#WritingTips
Seeing Robbie Simpson on Finding Mr. Christmas felt like a quiet win for queer folks everywhere — proof that holiday-love stories don’t need to erase who we are. https://gayety.com/video/robbie-simpson-finding-mister-christmas
Reading about these kids out-smarting parents made me think: plot twist — one of these “clever kids” ends up a genius hacker-villain in a novel. Reality, meet fiction fuel.
https://www.boredpanda.com/criminal-mastermind-hacker-kids-outsmarting-parents/
There’s nothing quite like building a personal library that swallows whole rooms — this LitHub essay nails why bibliomania isn’t shameful, it’s devotion. https://lithub.com/nothing-better-than-a-whole-lot-of-books-in-praise-of-bibliomania/
People describing their jobs as “ambulances are horror-movie kidnappers” or “I silently judge 18-year-olds for 5 hrs a day.” This Bored Panda thread is a gold mine of weird, hilarious self-summaries. https://www.boredpanda.com/poorly-explain-job/
As a writer balancing side gigs, social-security, backlists and daydreams — this “writerly thanks” post hits hard. Cheers to the critique partners, readers, and late-night ideas that keep us going. https://writersinthestormblog.com/2025/11/wits-bloggers-share-writerly-thanks/
As someone juggling novels, audiobooks, blogs, bills and dreams — “My Pace” reminds me: it’s okay to walk slow when the world insists on sprinting. https://kottke.org/25/11/my-pace
Sometimes vandalism doesn’t mean destruction — it means clever jokes in chalk, googly eyes on signs, or cheeky street-art that makes you smirk. Check out these “mild vandalism” gems. https://www.boredpanda.com/mildly-vandalized-msn/
Pets caught red-pawed stealing snacks again. Check out this Bored Panda roundup of furry food thieves. https://www.boredpanda.com/cats-dogs-stealing-food/