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YA Paranormal Author

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Weekly Roundup – April 23, 2022

April 26, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Weekly Roundup 2

Welcome to my Weekly Roundup where on Saturday, I post links to things I shared on social media throughout the week that I thought were interesting. I’ll also include book news, cover reveals, and more goodies.

Not a lot of news on the writing front this week as I took a wee vacation to visit family in North Carolina. We spent a good amount of time in Asheville and I must say that I absolutely fell in love with the city! It had a bustling downtown, a super-fun arts district and amazing dining. I’m already looking forward to when I can return.

This week, it’s back to work on editing my hockey novel. I also hope to get some new words written on my Magician novel (more on that in future posts.)

In case you missed it, I recently released my werewolf book, “Norian’s Gamble for wide publication and it is now available at your favorite online publishers (NOT just at Amazon): Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Scribd, Amazon, etc. You can purchase the book using the following universal link: https://books2read.com/u/bQPxNv or do a search for ‘Norian’s Gamble’ at your favorite online bookstore. It is still available in paperback format from Amazon.

Norian Cover

By the way, I also send out a newsletter about once a month where I chat about my upcoming releases, offer discounts, and other related goodies. So if you wish to receive it, you can subscribe HERE.

So on to the roundup.

Some Things I Thought Were Worth Sharing

  1. For folks who like shorter books, here are 20 of the Best Books Under 200 Pages
  2. Interesting article about Amazon: The Amazonification of the American workforce
  3. Chris Guillebeau talks about depending on yourself: Learn to Depend on Yourself
  4. For my writer friends: How to Write About the People in Your Life. Also, here are some Funny Grammar Puns That Might Be Interesting Not Only To English Teachers. There was also this article: How to Fictionalize New Technology Even As It’s Constantly Changing.
  5. Thought-provoking conversation on violence and agency: When Are Men Dangerous? On Agency, Imagination, and What a Teacher Can Do
  6. Article on Shelf-promotion: The art of furnishing rooms with books you haven’t read
  7. I enjoyed this article on Positive solution-focused media: We Need More Solution-Focused Media. Some folks may also find this helpful: How to handle a lopsided friendship
  8. Interesting article about our workforce: Work is broken. Can we fix it?
  9. An author was set to read his unicorn book to students. The school forbade it: “I never in a million years thought I’d have to defend this book.”
  10. For aspiring Sci-Fi writers: What Makes Great Sci-Fi Writing?. Also, here are some Book Writing Strategies: 10 Book Writing Tactics that End in Failure.
  11. Just for fun (and major cringe) — “Corporate Cringe”: 30 Of The Best Workplace Memes And Posts Shared By This Dedicated Instagram Page
  12. Thoughtful article about the future of work: What if the future of work is exactly the same?
  13. Brokeback Mountain fans may find this of interest: Jake Gyllenhaal Reflects on His Relationship With Heath Ledger. Also, Netflix ‘Heartstopper’ review: Alice Oseman does her queer teen webcomic a sweet service.
  14. Just for fun: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards Launch New 2022 Season With 10 Never-Before-Seen Pics From 2021
  15. Looking for a fun movie to watch? Here are Some Of The Best Movie Plot Twist Endings.

Oh, and in case you missed it, watch Harry Styles Sing New Song “Boyfriends”

Touch of Cedar New Cover

A Touch of Cedar — A ghost in the present….a murder in the past…a time-traveling adventure: Marek puts on an old suit he finds in the attic & is transported back to the year 1870 where he has to solve a 150-year-old murder.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Roger’s Weekly Roundup for April 16, 2022

April 16, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Weekly Roundup 2

Welcome to my Weekly Roundup where on Saturday, I post links to things I shared on social media throughout the week that I thought were interesting. I’ll also include book news, cover reveals, and more goodies.

Speaking of book news, I recently released my werewolf book, “Norian’s Gamble for wide publication. For the first 90-days, I offered it exclusively through Kindle Unlimited as I know many people enjoy the service. I have since pulled in from KU and the book will be now available at your favorite online publishers (NOT just at Amazon): Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Scribd, Amazon, etc. You can purchase the book using the following universal link: https://books2read.com/u/bQPxNv or do a search for ‘Norian’s Gamble’ at your favorite online bookstore. It is still available in paperback format from Amazon.

Norian Cover

But next up, I’ll be releasing a gay young adult contemporary novel the takes place at a hockey academy. Editing is coming along nicely.

By the way, I also send out a newsletter about once a month where I chat about my upcoming releases, offer discounts, and other related goodies. So if you wish to receive it, you can subscribe HERE.

Just for a quick heads up, next week’s Weekly Roundup will not be published until late Sunday, or possibly on Monday because I’ll be out of town visiting family.

So on to the roundup.

15 Things I Thought Were Worth Sharing

  1. For my writer friends: How to Come Up with the Perfect Book Title There was also this article entitled: How to Shorten a Story: Writing Tips to Decrease Your Word Count
  2. Thoughtful article about the effects of Social Media on our psyche: Is social media (re)traumatizing you?
  3. Interesting article about entitlement and consumerism: The new entitlement of the American consumer
  4. Thanks to the mistrust of big tech, the creation of better tools for developers, and the weird and wonderful creativity of ordinary people, we’re seeing an incredibly unlikely comeback: the web is thriving again.
  5. Some of these images are stunning: Impressive Aerial Photographs By Cédric Houmadi
  6. Just for fun and cuteness: Times Pets Surprised Their Owners By Showing Just How Intelligent They Can Be
  7. For the horror lover: Author creates A Dark Comic Series With Lots Of Twists, Secrets, Creepy Characters And Spooky Pen And Ink Artwork, Here’s Part 4
  8. Can’t wait for this! Watch Boy Meet Boy in Full “Heartstopper” Trailer. Also, HBO Max Announced Its First Gay Superhero Project – Gayety
  9. For my writer friends: How to Finish a Novel: 10 Ways to Follow Through – Now Novel
  10. I love this collection Of The Most Spine-Chilling Things Kids Have Ever Said, As Shared In This Viral Twitter Thread
  11. These images are quite fun: Extraordinary Pictures Taken By Jeffrey De Keyser Embracing “The Absurd Human Condition”
  12. A library system announces a program to challenge the tide of book bannings
  13. Some of these caused me to cackle out loud: Times Misheard Words In Conversations Ended Up Having Hilarious Results. These are also a lot of fun: “People Who’ve Been Banned From Somewhere For Life, What Happened?”. There’s also this fun thread of: Incredibly Rude Or Weird Guests Who Made People Regret Ever Inviting Them To Their Homes
  14. The Heartbreaks and Complications of School-Age Desire: A Reading List
  15. This article chats about Six Novels with an Overwhelming Sense of Unease, Slow-Burning Menace, and Coercive Control. Also for the book lover, this article introduces Shelf Talkers, a new series in which indie booksellers around the country share their favorite reads of the moment. First up: The Bookshop in East Nashville, Tennessee

Oh, and just in case you haven’t heard about this: Elon Musk Wants to Buy 100% of Twitter for $43 Billion

 

 

Nick's Awakening Cover

Nick’s Awakening is the first book in my Ghost Oracle series.

Nick Michaelson is 16 and….

👻 He can see ghosts
🃏He reads Tarot cards
💭He gets visions of the future
🏃‍♂️He may or may not have a crush on his best friend
🔥 And ghosts come to him for help…and some, for revenge

☠️But what about when Nick needs help?

Filed Under: Weekly Roundup

Weekly Roundup for April 9, 2022

April 9, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Weekly Roundup 2

Hello, you!

To everyone new here to the blog: Welcome! Every Saturday, l post links to some of the things I shared on social media over the past week that I thought were interesting. I’ll also include book news, cover reveals, and more goodies.

Not too much going on this week at Roger Central. I’m still plowing away on the edits for my hockey novel which I hope to have out within the next month. Then it’ll be on to finishing up my novel about the magicians. Oh, I didn’t tell you that I was writing a novel about magicians? Well, I am. I’ll chat more about that in an upcoming post.

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it with your friends, and family. I would really appreciate it.

Okay, on to this week’s roundup!

Weekly Round-Up – Some Things I Thought Were Worth Sharing

  1. How to Write a Children’s Book: The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Successful Book for Young Readers. There was also this: How to Write a Book When You’ve Got Writer’s Block. And if you’re looking for tips on how to write “sexy”, Here are Some Fundamental Principles for Writing Great Sex
  2. Looking forward to this — I loved the book: Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys Welcomes Whoopi Goldberg as the God of Birds. I’m also looking forward to this! Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer
  3. I found these really interesting: Things About The USA That Other Countries Find Really Bizarre. Also: I love ‘overheard conversations’ threads: Here are Some Of The Funniest Conversations People Have Overheard In Los Angeles.
  4. Privacy Watch: The 10 Best Chat Apps for Privacy and Security (2022)
  5. ‘I Just Want Something That’s Gay and Happy’: L.G.B.T.Q. Romance Is Booming. Also in this article: How 2021 Became a Tipping Point for Queer Actors Telling Their Stories.
  6. There are some good ones in this list: Amazon Prime Video New Releases: April 2022. Netflix fan? Here’s what’s new in Netflix.
  7. Don’t be surprised if your favorite Etsy shop is closed in April — Etsy sellers will go on strike in April and want customers to boycott.
  8. Eye-Candy (some of these are amazing!): 25 Lovely Winning Photos Of FdB Wedding Photography Awards.
  9. Game of Thrones fans may find this of interest: ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel ‘House of the Dragon’ to debut in August on HBO.
  10. For my writer friends: 23 Essential Ernest Hemingway Quotes About Writing
  11. Thoughtful post about why blogs are still relevant
  12. Jack Dorsey regrets his role in creating a centralized internet | I remember those days before centralization fondly.
  13. Little late to the game but okay….Barnes & Noble is finally offering an audiobook service.
  14. What Can Superhero Stories Do For Us In 2022? Peter Kalu on the Origins Stories That Made Him Who He Is.
  15. This is fun: Here’s an “Anti-Bucket” lists where People Share Their “Anti-Bucket” List Of Things They Would Never Do Again

Oh, and in case you missed it, Watchdog Group Publishes Encyclopedia of All the Nasty Things Big Tech Has Done.

From the Blog

  1. Paper Journaling vs Digital Journaling
  2. On Customer Churn
  3. 10 Great Books I Read in 2021
  4. My Struggles to Become a Morning Person
  5. Wordless Wednesday – Walking up a Mountain

🐺Are you looking for an exciting adventure? A new magical world filled with hunky werewolves and an epic quest?

Then Norian’s Gamble may be the paranormal novel you’re looking for!

Norian Cover

Filed Under: Weekly Roundup

Paper Journaling vs. Digital Journaling

April 7, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Shutterstock 1841407654

I’ve been keeping a journal regularly since 1980, and I still journal today. But, though I’ve journaled regularly, I haven’t always journaled consistently. And by consistently, I’m talking about paper vs. digital.

I can type a hell of a faster than I can write, so at several points during my life, I’ve decided to move my journaling into a digital journaling app. The one I use currently is DayOne though I used a couple of different ones in the past.

Below are some reasons why I like both mediums.

I liked the idea of digital journaling because:

  1. I can type a lot faster than I can write and can get my words down quicker. It can take me around 45 minutes to write an entry, whereas I can do it in fifteen with a digital journal.
  2. Easy to organize — all entries are organized by date, making specific entries quick to find.
  3. Easier on the wrists – I’ve had troubles with wrists pain for years, and it primarily acts up after long handwriting sessions.
  4. Shorter journaling sessions – more time to do other things.
  5. Searchable – I can find what I’m looking for more easily than searching through stacks of filled journal books.
  6. Easy to include images.
  7. Cloud Backups – my digital journals are backed up to the cloud, so I never have to worry about losing years’ worth of data.
  8. Flexibility – I love that I can type in my journal entries into my phone, iPad, or laptop. I don’t need to worry about lugging a book with me wherever I go.
  9. Privacy – I don’t have to worry about someone snooping through my entries because my DayOne journal is password-protected, encrypted, and stored in the cloud. In contrast, anyone with access to my drawers at home can rifle through or even steal my paper journals. I also don’t have to worry about losing my journals to a natural disaster such as a house fire.
  10. Easy to read — I have to admit that my handwriting is atrocious, and sometimes even I can’t make out what I’ve written.
  11. Editing is easier — If I make typos or write a bad sentence, I can quickly correct it. I’m not stuck with a misspelled word in perpetuity.
  12. Sharable – it’s easy to share a digital journal entry with others with the click of the mouse. I don’t tend to do this, but I’m aware it’s an essential feature for others.

But the thing with digital journals is that I tend to lose interest in them after a while and find myself returning back to paper.

I like the paper journaling because:

  1. I love the tactile feel of paper. Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing it for so many years, but paper feels right to me.
  2. Enjoying the process — because it takes longer to get words on the page, this causes you to slow down and enjoy what you’re doing.
  3. More thoughtful posts — Slowing down also causes me to think more about what I’m writing.
  4. Entry quality – when rereading my entries, I find that my handwritten ones are more descriptive and evocative. I also tend to write about more personal things when using paper for some reason.
  5. Retention — It is said that a person retains information better from long-hand writing than typing and that what you write sticks in your memory better.
  6. Feels more personal. Because I spend all day at the screen staring at my impersonal computer, I look forward to the time when I can spend with my paper journal — it’s like sitting down with a friend for a cup of coffee. It’s also nice to give my eyes a break from the screen.
  7. Fees more natural — The screen also feels impersonal and unnatural to me. Paper feels good in my hands as compared to a keyboard.
  8. Ascetically pleasing – I love buying and writing in beautiful paper journals. Right now, I’m using a Paperblanks old leather journal.
  9. I don’t need to worry about finding a power source or my batteries running out of juice. I can use a paper journal anywhere (well, maybe except for the bathtub).
  10. Can doodle, draw and make art more easily in your entries. It’s a lot easier to draw on paper than on a screen. Though there are apps that allow you to draw, it would take many steps to get it into your digital journal. That being said, drawing enables you to beautify your entries any way you like.

Man writing in a notebook

So which one?

So I should choose one and stick with it, right? I wish! For years, I have gone back and forth between paper journals and digital journals. At one point, I started transcribing some of my paper journals into my digital app but gave it up after a while as it was too enormous of a task to undertake when my life was so busy. I may get back to it at some point.

So as it stands, I find myself seesawing back and forth every few months. After a few months of writing out long-hand entries, I’ll decide that it’s taking too much time to do it by hand and return to the computer for efficiency. Then, after a few months of typing out my entries, I’ll decide that I’m sick of staring at a screen all the time and return to my paper entries. This is results in quite an inconsistent system of journaling, with half of my entries in paper books and half in DayOne. If anyone ever tries to pull together my journals, they’ll have one hell of a confusing time of it.

But given that I don’t intend my journals to be read by others, I suppose it doesn’t matter that they’re scattered all over the place, though I still think I’d like to have everything in one journaling app one day. So maybe transcribing my journals into DayOne might be a good retirement activity down the road. Hopefully, voice-to-text software will have improved by then.

Filed Under: Journaling

Wordless Wednesday – Walking up a Mountain

April 6, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Photography, Wordless Wednesday

On Customer Churn

April 5, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Couple Watching TV

I read an interesting report about a topic I’ve written about a couple of times on the blog, especially in regards to cutting down the number of streaming services to which I’m subscribed. And that is: Customer Churn. I didn’t even know there was a name for this.

Customer Churn is when people subscribe to a streaming service such as Netflix, AppleTV+, or Hulu, watch the content they want to see, and then, when they’re done, ditch the service and move on to the next service. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m guilty of doing this. When there are several shows I want to see on a service, I’ll subscribe to that service for a month or two, binge-watch the shows and then cancel my subscription. In fact, I just canceled my Disney+ subscription because I’d finished the show/films I wanted to see there for the time being.

Apparently, the streaming companies loathe this practice, especially given that in the United States, customer churn rate is about 37%, which is a lot higher than I thought. I found it also interesting that half of Gen Z and Millennials report that they had switched streaming services over the past six months.

From what I could gather, people who are more comfortable with technology are more apt to engage in churn — this is to say, people who are tech-savvy enough to hop online, log in to their account, and cancel their subscription as compared to someone who is elderly or non-tech savvy and may find that whole process too daunting.

man looking at receipt

Another reason for churn is cost, which is certainly the case for me. I couldn’t afford to subscribe to every streaming service out there and pay their sometimes rather high monthly fee. The high monthly payment is the reason I dumped cable so long ago. It also makes little sense for me to watch a series for a month or two while paying for other streaming services that I’m not watching.

Streamer services are desperate to keep customers on their books while more and more customers are engaging in churning. The companies may just have to get used to the fact that people are going to watch a show and then, when finished, cancel their subscription until a new show or new season arrives. I suppose an alternative would be to stop offering monthly subscriptions and only provide yearly ones. If this ever happened with any of my streaming services, I would probably just cancel them entirely. Then, if there were anything I really wanted/needed to watch, I’d simply rent it on AppleTV or Amazon Prime Video.

I think if the streaming services want to minimize churn, they’ll have to put out regular, more engaging content to keep people engaged. For example, one service I tend to keep all year long (at least for the moment) is HBO Max. This is because they’ve been featuring a steady flow of new films and shows each month. For a while, they even showed first-run movies at the same time they were hitting the theaters. So I’ll probably be sticking with them for the time being.

So if you’ve decided to engage in this customer churning practice, know that you probably won’t be seen favorably by the streaming service. But perhaps they just have to get used to the fact that people are no longer happy paying for a year-round subscription, especially if they’re only watching content for a month or two.

How about you? Are you a “churner”?

Filed Under: Television

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Currently Reading: The Hidden Palace

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  • Weekly Roundup – April 23, 2022
  • Roger’s Weekly Roundup for April 16, 2022
  • Weekly Roundup for April 9, 2022
  • Paper Journaling vs. Digital Journaling
  • Wordless Wednesday – Walking up a Mountain
  • On Customer Churn
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