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Goodbye Field Notes (for now)

By Roger Hyttinen / April 1, 2022

Even though I’ve been a fan of the Field Notes Brand of notebooks for many years now, and I love writing in them, the time has come for us to part ways. I recently went to renew my yearly subscription and I was more than a bit stunned to see that the subscription was now $120 per year — for a few pocket notebooks every three months.

If I used every notebook I received, it might be a different story. But I have stacks upon stacks of the notebooks on my shelf, most of them yet unopened. With the subscription, the company typically sends you two packs of three notebooks each quarter, which comes to about 24 notebooks a year, which is much more than I go through. Usually, it takes me about two months to work my way through a notebook, sometimes less. I also maintain a bullet journal, so a lot of my daily writing ends up in there. I’ve been considering moving my bullet journal to the Field Notes notebooks, given that I have so many of them that are not being used.

So basically, this is a case of me buying way more notebooks than I need, leading to kind of a hoarding situation.

But it was really the cost of the subscription that gave me pause. When I first started subscribing, I think the price was around $80, maybe even less. Even then, I thought the subscription was a tad expensive for paper products, but I liked them, so I figured ‘what the hell.’ When the cost jumped to $99, I hesitated again, trying to decide if they were worth the price. But this time, at $120, I decided to pull the plug. It’s an awful lot of money for something that mostly sits on my shelves, unused. Plus, the ever-growing stack of notebooks is a bit silly. Thus, I made the decision to work my way through the ones I’ve already purchased before bringing any new ones into the house.

Now, am I saying I’ll never again purchase a Fields Notes notebook? Not at all. In fact, if they release an especially compelling edition, I may log onto their site and purchase just that specific notebook pack. I especially like the oversized editions they come out with occasionally. But my main goal is to work through the ones I have first. Once I do, I might even consider subscribing again.

I have to admit that I will miss seeing that package arrive every quarter with exciting new notebooks for me to discover. But, on the bright side, I now get to enjoy all those unused notebooks that came to my house in past subscriptions!

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What I Read This Month (3/2022):

By Roger Hyttinen / March 31, 2022

Many friends who know I read a lot often ask me what books I recommend. In fact, I used to post weekly on a Booktube (YouTube) channel. So I figured that at the end of each month, I’d post about what I read during that month. These won’t be in-depth reviews, just a couple of sentences about each book.

I actually decided recently to scale down by reading as I was spending too much time doing it and, in the process, ignored other things I needed to do. Still, I managed to read nine books this month.

Here’s to Us by Becky Abertalli and Adam Silvera

This is the sequel to “What If It’s Us” by the same authors. Ben and Arthur find themselves drawn into each other’s orbit once again. Unfortunately, they both have a boyfriend. So what is the universe going to do?

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

This is another book in the author’s Practical Magic series. This one follows Owen’s siblings in the 1960s (including the two sisters who will grow up to be the memorable aunts in Practical Magic). In this book, we learn more about the dreaded Owens curse. Loved it!

Manitou Canyon by William Kent Krueger

I’m a massive fan of this author and this Corkrin O’Connor series. This is the 15th book in the series though they don’t have to be read in order. In this book, a man camping in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness goes missing, and the search is concluded without finding a body. The man’s family asks Cork to stay on the case, so he does — and ends up in a deadly situation.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

This is the first book in Clare’s “Infernal Devices” series, which takes place during the Victorian era. This was a fun read with plenty of intrigue and action. I am looking forward to continuing with this series.

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

This is the third book in Sanderson’s epic fantasy series, “The Stormlight Archive.” I loved it just as much as the first two. This is one of my favorite fantasy series.

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

I love twisty mind-bendy books, and this one ticked all the boxes. This follows a young man who discovers he can shift into parallel universes. A lot of mayhem ensues. So far, I’ve loved everything I read by this author, and Game Changer did not disappoint. It’s worth mentioning that I listened to this in audiobook format, and the narrator was phenomenal.

The Nerd Jock Conundrum by Hayden Hall

This was a cute gay romance book following a football player and a chemistry nerd that was plenty of fun. I’ve wanted to check out this author for a while now, and I’m glad I did. This is the first book in the College Boys of New Haven series, and I plan to continue on with this series.

Punching the V-Card by Leta Blake

I’ve read books by Leta Blake before and have enjoyed them. This one…not so much. This was more smut than romance with very little plot. It was more like one continuous sex scene. I don’t mind a sex scene here and there, but it doesn’t work for me when that’s the only focus of the book. I suppose the title should have been a clue as to its contents. But if you’re looking for a fun, super sexy read, then this might be worth checking out.

Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts by Matt Bell

I always try to read new books on the craft of writing. There are a ton of helpful revision tips in this guide, broken down into manageable steps. It’s definitely worth the buy.

What I Read This Month (3/2022): Read Post »

Wordless Wednesday – Tree Artist

By Roger Hyttinen / March 30, 2022

Wordless Wednesday – Tree Artist Read Post »

Why not start today?

By Roger Hyttinen / March 29, 2022

I was chatting with an acquaintance recently, and they were talking about how they’d always want to learn to paint and that they regret never taking it up. “Why not start now?” I asked.

“Oh no,” they replied. “It’s too late for that now. I’m getting too old.”

That made me think of a quote from Karen Lamb, who said, “A year from now you will wish you had started today.”

This simple quote has gotten me off my butt and learning new things more times than I can count. A year ago in March, I started learning the piano. When I first considered the possibility, my initial thought was, “I wish I had learned when I was younger.” But then, that simple quote reminded me that if I had started last year, I would have had a year of piano practice under my belt.

Then I thought, “If I start now, next year this time, I will have a year of practice experience. So I started taking lessons. And lo and behold, a year later, I can play over a dozen intermediate-level songs. Four years from now, I’ll have five years of piano playing experience. That’s much better than saying five years from now, “I wish I had started this five years ago.”

Not only that, playing the piano is something I’m passionate about, and I couldn’t imagine not having it in my life.

So I’ve applied this quote to anything I ‘wish I would have learned sooner.’ They say there’s no time like the present, and there is more than a nugget of truth to that. I’ve recently been studying Spanish and am progressing nicely. I’m hoping that in a few years from now, I’ll be able to hold up my end of a conversation with a native speaker.

It’s really never too late to start something you want to learn or that you’re passionate about. A guy in a piano message forum I belong to said that he started learning piano in 2019 when he was 85. He’s now 88, has three years of piano playing experience, and is now uploading videos of him playing — and he’s quite good! His goal is to perform at a concert when he’s 95. At this rate, he’ll pull it off before then.

So yeah, why not start today? Next year this time, you might be saying, “Damn. I’m so glad I started this a year ago. Look how good I am now!”

Why not start today? Read Post »

How to Read Really Big Books

By Roger Hyttinen / March 28, 2022

I’ve had both my spouse and my friends tease me mercilessly when I pull out (or should I say ‘drag out’) one of my super thick books. For instance, the book I’m currently reading, “Rhythm of War” by Brandon Sanderson, comes in at 1,2109 pages. And that’s not the only one — there are many books on my shelves over 1,000 pages long. And it’s not that I go out of my way to specifically look for enormous books. I quite enjoy skinny novels. But because I love reading epic fantasy stories, I end up consuming these massive stonkers. For some reason, a lot of fantasy writers adore writing long books.

Now, I’ve heard many people comment that reading books of this size is intimidating and overwhelming. They’ve convinced themselves that it would take years to get through a 1,200-page book. Okay, maybe not for years. But at least several months.

But I have found a method of working my way through these massive books where I end up completing them in only about a month and a half, frequently even less. You’ve heard of the adage: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Well, I apply that motto to the reading of giant books.

Many folks are surprised when I tell them that I reserve my thickest books as my bedtime novels, which I have sitting on my bedside nightstand. Each night before going to sleep, I read 30 pages. Reading only 30 pages a night amounts to 900 pages in a month, so conceivably, I could read a 1,200-page book in about a month and a half. But, to be truthful, I often end up reading more than 30 pages. For instance, if my 30th page is in the middle of a chapter, I will finish that chapter, which might be an additional ten pages or more. The key here is that I read no less than 30 pages — that is the absolute minimum. So if I’m on my 28th page and the chapter ends, I have to read the next chapter. So in this way, I can often finish an enormous book in a little over a month.

Oh, and there’s another added benefit to this method as well. After spending so much time with the characters and the story, these long books stay in my mind long after having read them. I can recall the details from a giant book that I’ve spent over a month reading much more easily than a short book that only took me an afternoon to get through.

So if you have an enormous book on your bookshelf that you’ve been wanting to tackle, give this method a try. You’ll be flying through it in no time.

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Newsletter & Book Announcement

By Roger Hyttinen / March 15, 2022

Typically, my weekly newsletter is only available to newsletter subscribers. But this week, I decided to post it to my blog as well, to give people an idea of what it contains and to see if they might be interested in subscribing. The entire contents of the newsletter are below.

To everyone new here to the list: Welcome to my newsletter! In the newsletter, I’ll share a link to some of the things I shared on social media that I thought were interesting. I’ll also include book news, cover reveals, and more goodies.

I have some exciting news this week: the fifth book in my Ghost Oracle series is now available at your favorite online retailerIt’s entitled “Camping with a Ghost” and here is the blurb:

Nick is out camping with his friends, and the last thing he expected was to encounter the ghost of someone he knows from school. After the trip, the spirit continues to appear to Nick, leaving him no choice but to investigate his classmate’s disappearance and attempt to discover what happened to him.

As he zeros in on the mystery surrounding his missing classmate, Nick uncovers several secrets surrounding the ghost’s demise, which attracts some unwanted attention from the murderer. As Nick gets closer to uncovering the truth—and finding his dead classmate’s body—the threats become increasingly more severe, and Nick soon finds himself in a deadly situation.

Meanwhile, the Shadow Demon has upped its game, and Nick has another encounter with the creature. This time, the demon has made its intentions clear to Nick, which means Nick must do everything in his power to not only protect himself and his boyfriend Gabe but his family as well.

This was such a fun book to write! The last and final book in the series will be forthcoming. If you haven’t read the other books in the series, you can check them out at my website here:

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

Okay, enough book chat. On to this week’s roundup!

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

I love time travel stories so I may have to watch this: ‘The Adam Project’ review: A flashy time travel adventure with an all-star cast I also haven’t heard of this animated time travel series before – will definitely have to check it out as well – Undone: Season 2, Prime Video This April
For my writer friends: Short Story Tips: 3 Successful Strategies to Write a Short Story. There’s also this: If You Want to Write a Novel, Start with a Plan: Stephanie Gangi on Writing Her Debut in Her Late 50s
I stumbled across this article by Chris Guillebeau entitled “36 Ways to Live Differently” Lot’s of great wisdom here.
Right now books are in danger – one can go a step further and say that imagination and ideas are in danger: The Power—and Necessity—of Reading Dangerously. Speaking of danger, here’s an article entitled, Why Stories Are Dangerous — And Why We Need Them Anyway. You might also be interested in this article about book banning: Brad Meltzer on how a community fought a school book ban in Pennsylvania and won: My book was banned. Here’s how we fought back
Eye Candy – some of these are amazing! The Winners of Sony World Photography Awards for 2022. Oh, and let’s not forget about The Winners of the 11th Annual Mobile Photography Awards
Well this sucks: HBO hit with class action lawsuit for allegedly sharing subscriber data with Facebook.
Here are 10 women photographers and organizations that use their art to raise awareness and make a difference where they can.
How a viral tweet turned into a queer coming-of-age graphic novel. Also, three authors recently targeted by the religious right and Republicans spoke out about being at the center of controversy: LGBTQ authors of banned books speak out on why their stories matter.
Crime writers talking writing routines, research, putting in the work, and keeping caffeine levels: David Heska Wanbli Weiden Takes His Craft Seriously and His Coffee Very Strong
Privacy Watch: 5 Easy Ways to Improve Privacy on Your iPhone Right Now
Some writing tips: How to Pitch a Story: 10 Killer Pitch Tips. There’s also this article which some writers may find helpful: Don’t Overthink It: The Argument For Just Starting to Write. And if you suffer from self-doubt, then this may help: Dealing With Self-Doubt And Writer’s Block With Dharma Kelleher.
Just for fun (and cuteness) 20 Photos Of Pets Proving That Nature Has A Great Sense Of Humor. And if you’re looking for something funny to read, here’s a breakdown of The Best Comedy Books of 2022 (So Far).
Interesting article about the internet’s relentless deluge of images: The Empire of the Archive: On the Relentless Contemporary Deluge of Images
A new series of Dr. Seuss-inspired books will feature diverse authors and illustrators.
The Books Will Keep You Warm – A celebration of small-town libraries and retro mysteries.

Oh, and in case you missed it, Ernest Shackleton’s Ship Found After 106 Years

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Norian’s Gamble is Out!

By Roger Hyttinen / January 14, 2022

You’ve been hearing me talk about my werewolf novel for the past couple of months. Well, the wait is finally over. Norian’s Gamble is finally out! However, it’s available only on Amazon at the current time. I’m experimenting with their Kindle Unlimited feature, so for the next 90 days, it will be exclusive to Amazon. I’ll most likely publish wide after that — though if the Kindle Unlimited experiment is a success, then I may run it for another 90 days. We’ll see.

Anyway… Norian’s Gamble is the first book in the Wolves of Norbury series. There will not be a continuous plot thread like there was in my Ghost Oracle series. Every novel in the Wolves of Norbury series will stand alone, so you can read them in any order.

Below is the blurb for Norian’s Gamble:

Prince Norian spends his days training with the courtesans and studying his lessons, preparing for the day when he’ll eventually be king. But all that changes one evening when, in an act of spite by a vengeful sorcerer, he’s bitten by a werewolf. As a result, he now bears the curse of the wolf.

When he learns that there’s a haven for werewolves in a town called Norbury, Norian sets out, hoping to find a cure there. What he didn’t count on is the handsome and charismatic Kalen, the current leader of the Norbury pack. Both men are confused by their odd physical reaction to each other until they learn that they just might be each other’s one true mate.

But all thoughts are mating are pushed aside when the sorcerer makes another offensive move, leading Norian to have to make one of the most important decisions he’ll ever have to make — one that will affect Kalen, his kingdom, his new wolf pack, and his very life.

Note: This story contains explicit love scenes between adult males 18 years and older and is intended for mature audiences.

Norian’s Gamble is the first story in the Wolves of Norbury series, taking place in a fictional world where kings still rule, werewolves are real, and sorcerers run amok. Each book in this series is a standalone and will contain no cliffhangers.

Purchase Norian’s Gamble from Amazon (free with Kindle Unlimited)

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