It’s officially the dog days of summer, which means the air feels like soup, the ice cream melts faster than you can lick it, and my motivation to do anything outside drops to about zero. I hope your summer’s treating you well—preferably with shade, a cold drink, and maybe a breeze that doesn’t feel like it came straight out of an oven. Me? I’ve been holed up inside, working away on two big things: my soon-to-be-open online store and my detective noir series. Both are chugging along nicely, and I’m starting to feel that “almost there” excitement. I think we’re looking at maybe another week or two before the store officially opens its virtual doors. You’ll be able to snag all my books there—ebooks, paperbacks, and large print paperbacks (because squinting is overrated). Hardcovers might make an appearance in the future, but I want to poke around a bit more to see if that’s actually worth it before I take the plunge.

Anyway, wherever you are, I hope you get a little joy this week—whether that’s from finishing a great book, discovering a new snack obsession, or just finding the perfect patch of shade.

If you don’t always get a chance to come to the blog and see what’s happening, why not subscribe to my newsletter? I’ll include links to all my recent blog posts in one place so you can pick and choose which articles to read. You can subscribe to it HERE

Catch you next time!

Some Things I Thought Were Worth Sharing

My writer friends may find this article about how to write witty characters of interest: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/the-secret-to-writing-witty-characters-without-trying-so-hard/

Helpful article by Johnny B. Truant on how authors can take back their power https://writersinthestormblog.com/2025/06/author-take-back-your-power/

This new gay mystery on Netflix sound ‘saucy’! If ‘Big Little Lies’ was set in MAGA country, you’d get this soapy gay mystery https://www.queerty.com/if-big-little-lies-were-set-in-maga-country-youd-get-this-soapy-gay-mystery-20250721/

My author friends may find this article by Lori Ostlund about ‘finding endings’ of value: https://lithub.com/lori-ostlund-on-finding-endings/

Experiencing beautiful romantic drama “Before We Forget” and Q&A with filmmaker Juan Pablo Di Pace https://greginhollywood.com/experiencing-beautiful-romantic-drama-before-we-forget-and-qa-with-filmmaker-juan-pablo-di-pace-247094

My writer friends may find this of interest: The 3 Components that Keep Your Story in Balance https://writersinthestormblog.com/2025/06/it-turns-out-walking-and-writing-have-things-in-common/

Ozzy Osbourne Remembered As Fierce LGBTQ Ally https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/celebrity-news/ozzy-osbourne-remembered-as-fierce-lgbtq-ally/237723

Fun Queerty article: My middle-aged gay superpower? I don’t care anymore if you like me https://www.queerty.com/my-middle-aged-gay-superpower-i-dont-care-if-you-like-me-20250722/

An article for my author friends: AITA For Sabotaging My Own Writing Before Even Starting? https://lithub.com/am-i-the-asshole-for-sabotaging-my-own-writing-before-even-starting/

This horror/comedy LGBT slasher TV series sounds compelling https://www.queerty.com/a-slasher-whodunit-tv-series-set-at-a-clothing-optional-gay-resort-count-us-in-20250722/

My writer friends may find this of value: I’m Obsessed: On the Importance of Getting Lost in Your Writing https://lithub.com/im-obsessed-on-the-importance-of-getting-lost-in-your-writing/

Photography eye-candy: Historical Photos From Around The World That Each Tell An Interesting Story https://www.boredpanda.com/world-photographs-100-years-ago-msn/

I forgot that Hoult was in this film (huge fan of his — thought he was amazing in Superman): https://www.queerty.com/that-time-nicholas-hoult-was-the-ultimate-chaotic-bisexual-in-british-drama-skins-20250715/ That time Nicholas Hoult was the ultimate “chaotic bisexual” in British drama ‘Skins’

This looks really intriguing: https://www.queerty.com/a-steamy-gay-belgian-series-offers-something-sorely-missing-on-american-tv-right-now-20250716/ A steamy gay Belgian series offers something sorely missing on American TV right now

5 films about queer resistance to inspire you for the fight ahead https://www.washingtonblade.com/2024/11/23/queer-resistance-films/

This week’s roundup is gonna be a little shorter than usual because, truth be told, I don’t have a ton of news to report. I’m still very much buried in edits—like, someone send snacks and maybe a rescue team. Also, I’ve been knee-deep in setting up my website so I can finally (finally!) start selling my books directly from there. It’s… a process. A slow-moving, occasionally frustrating process that makes me want to either throw my laptop out the window or kiss it depending on the hour. But I’m chipping away at it, and I’d love to have it up and running within the next couple of weeks. That’s the dream.

The plan is to offer both paperbacks and hardcovers of all my books—yes, including the ones with the moody supernatural detectives and the snarky mediums. So if you’ve been wanting to grab a signed copy or just prefer buying direct (which helps indie authors a lot, by the way), stay tuned. I’ll definitely shout it from the rooftops once it’s live. Or at least from the top of my blog. Which is, you know, slightly less dramatic but more accessible.

Oh, and I’m still thinking about that new Superman movie I saw last week. You know, the one directed by James Gunn? I loved it. Like, fully heart-eyed emoji loved it. David Corenswet made such a solid Superman—earnest without being corny—and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor? I wasn’t sure what to expect but he owned it. Creepy, clever, a little too comfortable in his villainy. If you’re curious, I actually wrote up a little mini-review on the blog, so pop over there if you want to hear me ramble about Gen Z henchmen, alien metaphors, and why this version of Superman gave me hope in more ways than one.

Anyway, I’ll keep this short and sweet this week. Next time I’ll (hopefully) have some actual website news and maybe even a peek at what the shop’s gonna look like. Fingers crossed. Until then, I’ll be over here editing, coding, drinking too much coffee, and occasionally getting distracted by random facts—like how Superman was originally created in 1938 by two Jewish teens from Cleveland, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and he was meant to represent the immigrant outsider experience in America. (No, seriously.

If you don’t always get a chance to come to the blog and see what’s happening, why not subscribe to my newsletter? I’ll include links to all my recent blog posts in one place so you can pick and choose which articles to read. You can subscribe to it HERE

Some Things I Thought Were Worth Sharing

My author friends may find this article about Substack of interest: The case against Substack. (ICYMI) https://lithub.com/the-case-against-substack-icymi/

An article for new writers (and even seasoned writers) – What Every New Writer Should Know About Editing https://alisonwilliamswriting.com/2025/07/08/what-every-new-writer-should-know-about-editing-editing-writingtips-newwriters/

Great review of the new Superman film (I saw it and loved it!) https://www.washingtonblade.com/2025/07/15/superman-movie-review/ https://www.washingtonblade.com/ (I also posted my review of Superman here on the blog)

Compelling article about the state of the Internet: Are You Talking to Bots? The Alarming Truth About the Dead Internet Theory https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/dead-internet-theory-explained/

Fans of LGBTQ+ cinema may be interested in this: ‘A Nice Indian Boy,’ Big Gay Love, and Feel-Good Cinema https://www.starobserver.com.au/artsentertainment/roshan-sethi-karan-soni-on-a-nice-indian-boy/237607

An article for my author friends https://writersinthestormblog.com/2025/07/how-to-write-an-unforgettable-first-line/ Write an Unforgettable First Line

My writer friends may find this podcast episode of value: Don’t Quit Before the Miracle https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/dont-quit-before-the-miracle-ep232/

Why Intentional Storytelling Matters in an Era of AI and Algorithm-Driven Content https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/why-intentional-storytelling-matters-in-an-era-of-ai-and-algorithm-driven-content/

Fans of GLBTQ+ literature may find this of interest: Edmund White: Remembering a Doyen of LGBTQ+ Literature and His Mentorship https://lithub.com/edmund-white-remembering-a-doyen-of-lgbtq-literature-and-his-mentorship/

Do you know what film featured the first onscreen gay kiss? It’s older than you think https://www.queerty.com/this-silent-film-made-gay-history-heres-how-they-got-the-iconic-shot-that-changed-everything-20250714/

That time Christian Bale went gay for pay & made a queer classic in the process https://www.queerty.com/that-time-christian-bale-went-gay-for-pay-made-a-queer-classic-in-the-process-20250714/

Want to be more productive? Maybe this will help – Stop Waiting for Motivation : How to Stay Productive Even When You Don’t Feel Like It https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/how-to-overcome-procrastination/

I think I may have to watch this: Netflix’s ‘Amy Bradley Is Missing’ Revisits Mysterious 1998 Disappearance of Lesbian Cruise Passenger https://gayety.com/netflix-amy-bradley-is-missing-cruise-netflix

I may have to subscribe to HBO for a month to see this: The lurid, queer, coming-of-age thriller ‘The Shards’ is coming to TV & these are the hot new stars https://www.queerty.com/the-lurid-coming-of-age-thriller-the-shards-is-coming-to-tv-these-are-the-hot-new-stars-20250717/

Compelling article about Queer Memory during these troubled times: Why queer memory is not only vital in these troubled times–it’s revolutionary https://www.advocate.com/voices/queer-memory

Okay, so here’s the thing: not a ton of exciting news this week, unless you count me staring at my screen and muttering things like “No, Lucien wouldn’t say that, you dolt” as exciting. (Which, honestly, maybe you do? I won’t judge.)

I’ve been plugging away at the Detective Noir series — the plan is still to release all three books back-to-back like a crime-fueled Netflix binge. No cliffhanger torment, no “see you in 9 months” nonsense. Just bang-bang-bang. A noir trilogy buffet (though I hope to end up with much more than three books). So yes, progress is happening, but it’s that quiet, slow-burn progress that doesn’t really look like much on the outside. Like bread rising. Or a cat plotting your demise.

That said, I’ve been doing a little behind-the-scenes reevaluating. Specifically, I took a good, honest look at my time and realized that writing and editing the weekly short stories for the newsletter? That’s eating a pretty sizable chunk of my schedule. And while I genuinely love crafting those bite-sized tales — seriously, they’re weirdly therapeutic — they’re also pulling me away from my novel writing. And here’s the kicker: I haven’t gotten any feedback on the stories. Zero comments. Nada. Not even a “meh” or a “hey, that one with the haunted jukebox was weird, man.” So now I’m wondering…are folks even reading them? Are they being enjoyed in secret? Or are they quietly ignored, like a salad at a pizza party?

So here’s what I’ve decided: the weekly short stories are going on hiatus. Not forever. I’m not throwing them into a volcano or anything. But for now, I am stepping back from doing them every single week. I might still toss a story up on the blog now and then when inspiration smacks me upside the head. But they’re not going to be a regular thing for a while.

And while I’m at it, I’m tweaking the newsletter schedule too. Instead of showing up in your inbox every single week, I’ll send it out every 2–3 weeks or whenever something exciting happens — like a cover reveal, a book release, or if I just saw a movie that I need to yell about. (Looking at you, overly serious supernatural thrillers with zero payoff.)

Now — and this part’s important — if you are someone who does look forward to the weekly stories and you’d be sad to see them go, let me know. Seriously. I’m not one of those “I don’t read the comments” people. I totally read the comments. And the emails. And smoke signals, if that’s your thing. If enough people miss the stories, I’ll reconsider. I mean it.

The newsletter will still be worth opening, I promise. There’ll still be updates, bookish stuff, and the occasional weird musing. Just fewer stories, and more focus on getting Lucien, Gabriel, and the rest of my noir misfits out into the world.

Anyway, that’s the update from the writing cave. It smells faintly of coffee and frustration, but there’s good stuff brewing, I swear.

Oh, and while I have your attention – have you checked out “The Golem’s Guardian” yet? If you haven’t gotten your hands on a copy, you can snag one HERE. I’m still pretty excited about how that one turned out.

Now, let’s get on to the roundup…

Some Things I Thought Were Worth Sharing

My author friends may find this article about Beta readers helpful: How to find beta readers for final draft feedback https://nownovel.com/how-to-find-beta-readers/

Just for fun: Meet the gay Latin nurse & model vying to become Mister USA 2025 https://www.queerty.com/meet-the-gay-latin-nurse-model-vying-to-become-mister-usa-2025-20250711/

The ‘bizarre buildings’ photographs are fun: The Strangest And Most Unique Buildings From All Over The World https://www.boredpanda.com/bizarre-crazy-buildings-msn/

Short Video in which David Archuleta shares his journey to understanding and accepting his queer identity https://greginhollywood.com/david-archuleta-shares-his-journey-to-understanding-and-accepting-his-queer-identity-246861

My writer friends may find this article about developing your literary voice of interest: https://nownovel.com/what-is-literary-fiction/

An article for my author friends: Why “The Worst That Can Happen” Is Terrible Writing Advice http://blog.janicehardy.com/2022/10/why-worst-that-can-happen-is-terrible.html

If you’re a writer, you may be interested in this Creative Writer’s Toolkit: 7 Tools You Can’t Write Without https://thewritepractice.com/creative-writing-tools/

Looking forward to seeing the new Superman movie. In the meantime: Superman’s David Corenswet’s in sweats for GQ Hype shoot https://omg.blog/omg-supermans-david-corenswets-in-sweats-for-gq-hype-shoot/

Book lovers may find this of interest: Before Amazon, We Had Bookmobiles: Rare Photos Of Libraries-On-Wheels https://www.boredpanda.com/bookmobile-library-on-wheels-msn/

Photography eye-candy: Photographs of abandoned places at night https://www.boredpanda.com/forgotten-places-unique-lightning-photography-guillaume-prugniel-j-part-4-msn/

The ‘bizarre buildings’ photographs are fun: The Strangest And Most Unique Buildings From All Over The World https://www.boredpanda.com/bizarre-crazy-buildings-msn/

My author friends may find this of value: Book title ideas — How to come up with the best https://nownovel.com/how-to-write-a-book-title/

I’ve decided to bring back my Weekly Roundup. For those new around here, the weekly round up is a blog post every Saturday where I chat about any updates and include links to things I shared on social media during the week. A lot of those posts are about the craft of writing but there are some about queer cinema, queer novels and whatever caught my fancy for that week.

So, here’s what’s been going on in my writing cave (which is really just my kitchen table, but let’s pretend there’s more mystery and less leftover coffee). I’m deep in the middle of my Detective Noir series, and honestly? Things are heating up. We’re talking late-night typing sessions, whispered threats in alleyways, suspicious dames, and enough trench coats to clothe an entire jazz band. I’ve been making HUGE progress, like, “someone give me a trophy shaped like a fedora” kind of progress.

And because apparently I don’t know how to sit still, I also started working on a short story featuring Nick Michelson. You remember Nick—ghost-seeing, emotionally-damaged, way-too-curious-for-his-own-good Nick. Yeah, well. That “short story” had other ideas. It looked me dead in the eye and said, “Sir, I am a novella.” And I just kind of shrugged and said okay, because that’s the way I roll. Short stories? Apparently not in this house (except for my weekly newsletter that is).

Alright, I’m off to go wrangle some plot twists and probably let a ghost or two cause chaos. More updates soon—unless I get possessed by one of my characters, which honestly feels like a real possibility at this point.

Oh, and while I have your attention – have you checked out “The Golem’s Guardian” yet? If you haven’t gotten your hands on a copy, you can snag one HERE. I’m still pretty excited about how that one turned out.

By the way, I also send out a weekly newsletter  where I chat about my upcoming releases, offer discounts, and other related goodies. Plus you’ll receive a free short story in your inbox every week. So if you wish to receive it, you can subscribe HERE.

Some Things I Thought Were Worth Sharing

My writers friends may find this of value: When the Second Draft Feels Like a Step Back https://writersinthestormblog.com/2025/06/when-the-second-draft-feels-like-a-step-back/

What the first film to say “gay” tells us about Hollywood’s queer-coded history—& Cary Grant’s sexuality https://www.queerty.com/what-the-first-film-to-say-gay-tells-us-about-hollywoods-queer-coded-history-and-cary-grants-sexuality-20250623/

I need to start watching this — Playing Roque Was Personal: Agustín Della Corte Opens Up About ‘Olympo’ https://gayety.com/agustin-della-corte-pressure-power-pride-olympo

Did you know there was a Queer-led Skincare Brand? Queer-Led Skincare Brand Grimoire Launches Just in Time for Pride Month https://gayety.com/queer-led-skincare-brand-grimoire-launches-just-in-time-for-pride-month

Guess which major US airport could be the first in the world to have its own gay bar? https://www.queerty.com/guess-which-major-us-airport-could-be-the-first-in-the-world-to-have-its-own-gay-bar-20250620/

Strange Moments From Victorian Times That Still Fascinate Us Today https://www.boredpanda.com/interesting-victorian-era-photos-msn/

Historic Photos That Show People Had More Class In The Past https://www.boredpanda.com/classy-vintage-style-historic-photos-msn/

My author friends might find this article of interest: Two Questions to Ask for Stronger Character Goals and Motivations http://blog.janicehardy.com/2014/01/two-questions-to-ask-for-stronger.html

An article for my writer friends about secondary characters: Secondary Characters: All the Fun, a Lot Less Work https://writersinthestormblog.com/2025/05/secondary-characters-all-the-fun-a-lot-less-work/

If you’re a writer and work with an editor, you may find this of interest: How to Prepare Your Manuscript for a Developmental Edit https://writersinthestormblog.com/2025/06/how-to-prepare-your-manuscript-for-a-developmental-edit/

Just for fun (and a bit of cuteness): Paw-Some Dog Photos https://www.boredpanda.com/best-dog-photos-community/

Just for fun: “Today Vs The Good Old Days”: 23 Things That Changed And You Decide – For Better Or For Worse https://www.boredpanda.com/then-vs-now-poll/

A helpful article on book marketing: What I’ve Learned Disrupting Book Marketing Venue by Venue https://writersinthestormblog.com/2025/06/what-ive-learned-disrupting-book-marketing-venue-by-venue/

In case you missed it — Agustín Della Corte plays a gay rugby star with secrets—& muscles—to spare in ‘Olympo’ https://www.queerty.com/agustin-della-corte-plays-a-gay-rugby-star-with-secrets-muscles-to-spare-in-olympo-20250620/

Kit Williamson keeps getting queer stories out there in ‘Unconventional’ ways https://www.queerty.com/kit-williamson-keeps-getting-queer-stories-out-there-in-unconventional-ways-20250622/

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.