Weekly Roundup

Just popping in with a super quick update this week because, truth be told, I’m knee-deep in edits right now and my brain is 80% caffeine and 20% plot holes.

So here’s the scoop: I’m putting the finishing touches on the first three books in my Detective Noir series (yes, three—I like to go big or go home apparently). It’s been a whirlwind of late-night rewrites, suspicious characters, and more cigarette smoke imagery than I care to admit. Honestly, at this point, my dreams are narrated in a gravelly 1930s voiceover.

Once these books are wrapped, polished, and breathing mysterious, noir-flavored air, they’ll be up for preorder on Amazon. But—here’s the insider tip—they’ll be available immediately on my website for those who don’t want to wait (and who doesn’t love a good early-access deal?).

So if you haven’t subscribed to my newsletter yet, now might be a good time. I’ll be announcing the release there first, along with some other fun behind-the-scenes tidbits, deleted scenes, and probably me complaining about commas.

Okay, back to the manuscript mines I go. Noir waits for no one. Keep an eye on this space (or your inbox) for updates!

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.

Some Things I Thought Were Worth Sharing

My author friends may find this of interest: 3 Creative Tricks to Find Your Character’s Voice https://thewritepractice.com/character-voice-writing-prompts/

My writer friends may find this of value: Proust Questionnaire: 35 Questions To Ask Your Characters From Marcel Proust https://thewritepractice.com/proust-questionnaire/

Looking for something to watch? Here’s a list of the best LGBTQ+ movies & TV shows coming to streaming October 2025 https://www.queerty.com/the-best-lgbtq-movies-tv-shows-coming-to-streaming-october-2025-20251001/

Del Toro fans may find this of interest (I can’t wait — it’s coming out end of Oct) — Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ Trailer Brings Jacob Elordi’s Creature to Life https://gayety.com/frankenstein-trailer-brings-jacob-elordis-creature

Ben Whishaw on how the industry has changed for gay actors since coming out 10 years ago https://www.queerty.com/ben-whishaw-on-how-the-industry-has-changed-for-gay-actors-since-coming-out-10-years-ago-20250930/

Interesting article for my author friends: What Do You Call a Writer Who Never Reads? https://authorkristenlamb.com/2023/01/what-do-you-call-a-writer-who-never-reads/

My writer friends may find this article on generating ideas for stories of interest: https://nownovel.com/generating-ideas-for-stories/

Was there gay drama brewing behind this iconic beer brand? Netflix’s sexy new series says yes! https://www.queerty.com/was-there-gay-drama-brewing-behind-this-iconic-beer-brand-netflixs-new-series-says-yes-20250925/

These images are amazing: I Am A Mountain Photographer And This Year I Travelled To The Alps To Capture The Colorful Fall There https://www.boredpanda.com/fall-photography-in-the-alps-karol-nienartowicz-msn/

Just for fun: Celebrity Bodyguards Shared What Really Happens Behind Closed Doors https://www.boredpanda.com/celebrity-bodyguards-answer-questions/

My writer friends may find this article on writing drafts of value: Writing first drafts: 10 ideas to reach final drafts https://nownovel.com/writing-first-drafts/

My author friends may find this of interest: What’s an En Dash? (And How to Use it Correctly) https://thewritepractice.com/whats-an-en-dash-and-how-to-use-it-correctly/

Relive the powerful coming out stories of 10 queer Hispanic entertainers https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/09/relive-the-powerful-coming-out-stories-of-10-queer-hispanic-entertainers/

I’m always a sucker for these types of stories: People Share 15 Creepy Unexplainable Things That Happened To Them https://www.boredpanda.com/celebrity-bodyguards-answer-questions/

Ever had that oh no moment when you realized someone wasn’t quite right? These people did — and their stories are chilling: People Who Met A Psychopath Share The Chilling Moment They Realized It https://www.boredpanda.com/people-met-psychopath-stories/ ✔

Photography eye-candy: Stunning Photos From Around The World, As Shared On Photocrowd’s Instagram https://www.boredpanda.com/captivating-photography-photocrowd/

I don’t have anything earth-shattering to report this week—it’s all business as usual over here at Roger Central™, which sounds much more official than it actually is. Mostly it’s just me in my condo, working on book stuff, wrangling ideas, drinking too much tea, and trying not to get sucked into the vortex that is The News.

Which brings me to what I want to share: I’ve made a life upgrade. A small but mighty one. I’ve officially limited my daily exposure to the news, and let me tell you… it’s made a huge difference.

See, for a while there I was waking up, grabbing my phone, and immediately doomscrolling headlines that made my stomach twist. And it wasn’t even anything new—just the same horrifying soup of cruelty, corruption, and garbage policy decisions we’ve been swimming in for a while now. You know the kind: taking from the poor, giving to the rich, demonizing the vulnerable, removing our rights one by one and acting like empathy is some kind of liability.

And I’m not someone who likes to ignore the world. I try to stay informed. I vote. I donate when I can. But at a certain point, I realized I was starting every single morning in a simmering rage or a heavy fog of hopelessness—and then trying to shift gears into being a productive human. Shockingly, it wasn’t working out.

So I gave myself a rule: no news first thing in the morning. Nada. Zilch. Instead, I open my journal or start writing a blog post or read a chapter of a book (something fictional, ideally with ghosts or found family or magical queer teenagers doing cool stuff). Sometimes I just sit in silence with a cup of tea like I’m in a BBC period drama. Whatever helps me enter the day without my fists already clenched.

And you know what? I feel better. Not like everything is great now better—because, well, it’s not—but better in the sense that I’m not constantly carrying the weight of the world on my shoulder blades like a guilt-ridden turtle. I’m more motivated, less fried, and—this part surprises me—I’ve actually gotten more done.

Little tweaks, big results. Highly recommend.

Anyway, that’s the update from the land of words and coffee. No scandals, no existential crises (this week, anyway), and no reading news articles before breakfast. I’m calling that a win.

Talk soon, and take care of your brains.

Some Things I Thought Were Worth Sharing

My author friends may find this article about dialog tags of interest: Dialogue Tags: What Are They and How To Use Them https://thewritepractice.com/dialogue-tags/

My writer friends may find this of value: Past vs. Present Tense: Choose the RIGHT Tense for Your Novel https://thewritepractice.com/past-tense-vs-present-tense/

Yeah, I’m watching this: Gay hockey player romance Heated Rivalry heats up first-look images & on-set bromance https://www.queerty.com/gay-hockey-player-romance-heated-rivalry-heats-up-first-look-images-on-set-bromance-20250925/ ✔

A gender-swap comedy gets a queer twist in this raunchy coming-of-age tale https://www.queerty.com/watch-this-gender-swap-comedy-gets-a-queer-twist-in-this-raunchy-coming-of-age-tale-20250924/

Can’t say as I’ve heard about this before: Gareth Pierce gets candid about his gay character’s storyline on British soap “Coronation Street” https://greginhollywood.com/gareth-pierce-gets-candid-about-his-gay-characters-storyline-on-coronation-street-247878

My author friends may find this of value: How to Write a Murder Mystery: 8 Tips to Captivate Readers https://nownovel.com/how-to-write-murder-mystery/

My writer friends may find this helpful: How to Research a Historical Novel: Escape the Research Rabbit Hole https://thewritepractice.com/how-to-research-a-historical-novel/

Just for fun: We’re purring over these photos of gays and their cats https://www.queerty.com/were-purring-over-these-photos-of-gays-and-their-cats-20250920/

Russel Tovey fans may enjoy this: Russell Tovey Names His Favorite On-Screen Kiss: ‘I Quite Enjoyed Kissing… https://gayety.com/russell-tovey-favorite-on-screen-kiss

I don’t know this one – may have to check it out: Hit Gay Comedy ‘English Teacher’ Is Back For Season Two This Month https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/hit-gay-comedy-english-teacher-is-back-for-season-two-this-month/238675

My author friends may find this of value: An Unpredictable (and Fun) Trick to Keep Your Plots Unpredictable http://blog.janicehardy.com/2014/08/an-unpredictable-and-funtrick-to-keep.html

My writer friends may find this helpful: 5 Reasons to Use Pictures as Writing Prompts https://thewritepractice.com/picture-writing-prompt/

Interesting article in The Guardian: Why more and more people are tuning the news out: ‘Now I don’t have that anxiety’ (I can relate!) https://www.theguardian.com/society/ng-interactive/2025/sep/01/news-avoidance-high-anxiety

I love these kinds of message threads: People Share The Scariest Unexplainable Things That Happened To Them https://www.boredpanda.com/creepy-things-without-rational-explanation-msn/

My writer friends may find this of interest: How Loneliness and Companionship Can Impact a Writer’s Creative Life https://lithub.com/how-loneliness-and-companionship-can-impact-a-writers-creative-life/

My writer friends may find this article about research of value Jonathan Tarleton on the Limits of Research—and Making Peace with What You Don’t Know https://lithub.com/jonathan-tarleton-on-the-limits-of-research-and-making-peace-with-what-you-dont-know/

So, quick update from yours truly: I’m still plodding along over here. And I say that with all the enthusiasm of someone knee-deep in formatting hell and cover file purgatory. I really thought I’d have the first book in my Paranormal Detective Noir series locked, loaded, and ready to launch this week—but alas, the universe had other plans. Or maybe just the PDF gods. Either way, I’ve been ping-ponging with some cover issues that are this close to being resolved. Hopefully by the end of the week, I can stop squinting at spine alignment guides and start celebrating like a normal person (well, as normal as I get).

On the brighter side of things, just a little reminder that my web store is officially open! You can now grab all my books—eBooks, paperbacks, and large print editions (those are exclusive to the store!)—right from rogerhyttinenbooks.com. I’ve decided that moving forward, I’ll mostly be linking to my own store instead of the “big guys,” because, well… they kind of eat most of the profits. And I like to keep the lights on over here. Plus, shopping directly supports indie creators like me and lets me keep doing what I love—making up ghost stories and grumpy detectives and throwing them into haunted speakeasies.

That’s all for now—more soon, hopefully with actual launch news. Cross your fingers, toes, and maybe light a candle to the formatting fae if you’ve got one handy.

Some Things I Thought Were Worth Sharing

My author friends may find this of value: From Imagination to Publication: 100+ Novel Ideas to Fuel Your Literary Journey https://thewritepractice.com/best-novel-ideas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-novel-ideas

A craft article for my author friends: How to describe to immerse readers (complete guide) https://nownovel.com/how-to-describe-place-character/

Zombies attack Drag Queens? Count me in! The ‘Queens of the Dead’ Trailer Turns Brooklyn Nightlife Into a Zombie Battlefield https://gayety.com/trailer-for-queens-of-the-dead

This sounds intriguing: Myth or homoerotic history? Famed author Cervantes is a sexy, gay hero in this controversial new drama https://www.queerty.com/myth-or-homoerotic-history-famed-author-cervantes-is-a-gay-hero-in-this-controversial-new-drama-20250919/

My writer friends may find this of interest: How to Use Conflict to Show Character Development http://blog.janicehardy.com/2022/09/how-to-use-conflict-to-show-character.html

My writer friends may find this helpful: Tips to Turn Sketchy Writing into Robust Prose https://www.livewritethrive.com/2024/12/05/tips-to-turn-sketchy-writing-into-robust-prose/ ✔

My author friends may find this of value: Why Every Plot Needs A Ticking Clock http://blog.janicehardy.com/2015/09/why-every-plot-needs-ticking-clock.html

Huh. I had no idea he was an author: Chris Colfer talks about releasing his 21st book, “Roswell Johnson Saves the Galaxy” https://greginhollywood.com/watch-chris-colfer-talks-about-releasing-his-21st-book-roswell-johnson-saves-the-galaxy-247839

This sounds good! The gay drama ‘Straight Until He Kissed Me’ has everyone thinking the same thing https://www.queerty.com/the-gay-drama-straight-until-he-kissed-me-has-everyone-thinking-the-same-thing-20250916/

Some people may find this of interest: Ben & Jerry’s founder Jerry Greenfield resigns, says he’s ‘been silenced’ over LGBTQ+ rights https://www.advocate.com/news/ben-and-jerrys-founder-resigns

Time to put down the phone: Interesting video on why you need to be bored https://kottke.org/25/09/you-need-to-be-bored-heres-why

This Street Photographer Proves That Timing Is Everything https://www.boredpanda.com/street-photography-everyday-life-serkan-tekin-part-3/

An article for my writer (or aspiring writer) friends: How to Write a Short Story: 5 Major Steps from Start to Finish https://thewritepractice.com/how-to-write-a-short-story/

Some people may find this helpful: Useful Tips From People That Are ‘Street Smart’ https://www.boredpanda.com/street-smart-tips-msn/

Just for fun (and cuteness) ‘Cat.Exe Has Stopped Working’: This IG Account Collects Hilarious Images Of Broken Cats https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-broken-cats-pics-msn/

It’s officially pumpkin-spice season (at least according to the stores), but my little corner of the world hasn’t quite gotten the memo yet. The temps are still hanging out in the 70s, so I’m in this weird limbo where I’m craving sweaters and crunchy leaves, but also still rocking short sleeves and iced coffee. It’s like my brain is in October, but my thermostat insists on July.

On the writing front, I’ve got some fun news: the finishing touches are happening on the cover for Murder at the Savoy. Once that’s done, the book will make its debut in my store for about four weeks. After that, the ebook will take an exclusive detour over to Amazon. But don’t worry—if you’re more of a paperback person, those will still be available in my shop and with the usual online retailers. And for those who like their books big and easy on the eyes, the Large Print edition will stay a web-store exclusive (because accessibility matters).

Meanwhile, in between messing around with cover files and second-guessing font choices, I’ve been deep in edits for book two of the series, Spectral Symphony. It’s a detective noir with ghosts (because of course), and my goal is to release it about a month after Murder at the Savoy. That means things are going to feel pretty back-to-back for a bit, but honestly, I’m kind of excited to keep the momentum rolling.

That’s the quick update from my end. Still waiting for the leaves to change, still juggling deadlines, still way too caffeinated—but hey, that’s fall mode for you.

Some Things I Thought Were Worth Sharing

My author friends may find this of interest: “Ugh, I’m in My Friend’s Autofiction and I Hate It: Am I the Literary Asshole?” https://lithub.com/ugh-im-in-my-friends-autofiction-and-i-hate-it-am-i-the-literary-asshole/

An article for my writer friends on how to write a series of novels your readers will love https://jerryjenkins.com/how-to-write-a-series/

Do you watch The Bold & the Beautiful? If so, this may be of interest (and if not, you may want to start): The Bold & The Beautiful To Feature Its First Gay Male Couple On Screen https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/the-bold-the-beautiful-to-feature-its-first-gay-male-couple-on-screen/238648

Joe Locke & Tom Cullen will have a scandalous “intimate encounter” in this upcoming gay drama https://www.queerty.com/joe-locke-tom-cullen-will-have-a-scandalous-intimate-encounter-in-this-upcoming-gay-drama-20250912/

My writer friends may find this of value: How to Talk About Your Own Book https://lithub.com/how-to-talk-about-your-own-book/

My author friends may find this helpful: A Complete Guide to Revising Your Novel https://writersinthestormblog.com/2025/01/a-complete-guide-to-revising-your-novel-part-one/

Some of these may be worth the watch: If it ain’t broke(back)… 5 rugged romances that follow the ‘Brokeback Mountain’ formula https://www.queerty.com/if-it-aint-brokeback-5-rugged-romances-that-follow-the-brokeback-mountain-formula-20250903/

Oooh – Queer Vampire films: Sink your fangs into these 5 queer vampire movies, from the homoerotic to the heroic https://www.queerty.com/sink-your-fangs-into-these-5-queer-vampire-movies-from-the-homoerotic-to-the-heroic-20250908/

Sally Rooney fans may find this of interest: Loving the Limitations of the Novel: A Conversation between Sally Rooney and Merve Emre https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2024/10/09/loving-the-limitations-of-the-novel-a-conversation-between-sally-rooney-and-merve-emre/

Just for fun: Corporate Marketing Tactics That Shaped How We Live Without Us Realizing https://www.boredpanda.com/successful-propaganda-corporations-sold-masses/

My writer friends may find this of value: What Happens When There are No Plot Points in a Story? https://www.septembercfawkes.com/2025/01/what-happens-when-there-are-no-plot.html

Photography fun: Times People Took Photos So Mesmerizing, They Had To Prove They Were Actually Real https://www.boredpanda.com/incredible-world-photos/

Just for fun: Lab Coat Laughs: Some Science Memes To Leave You Crying In Your Beakers https://www.boredpanda.com/science-funniest-pics-jokes/

My author friends may find this of interest — How to Write a Story: 10 Steps to Master the Art of Storytelling https://thewritepractice.com/write-story/

My author friends may find this of value: Past vs. Present Tense: Choose the RIGHT Tense for Your Novel https://thewritepractice.com/past-tense-vs-present-tense/