Sharp wit. Unexpected depth.
Stories and songs lit by wonder.
"Amazement is both a fire to light the path
and a compass to guide you."
From psychic intrigue in Singapore to a satirical dissection of manipulation — each project is its own strange territory, entered with wit and exited with something harder to name.
A Novelette
A financial analyst is dispatched to Singapore to investigate anomalies at Scarab Inc. What starts as corporate due diligence descends into something stranger: illegal DNA research aimed at weaponizing human emotion. What he finds changes everything — strange mentorship, newfound power, and a truth that can't be unfound. Born from a dream. Dressed in a thriller. Older than it looks.
Print
Kindle
Audiobook
The Pewter Scarab — Full Novel
The universe expands. The gifts grow more dangerous. New forces emerge — those who would steal psychic ability, weaponize consciousness, and trade in what should never be sold. Volume 2 deepens everything: the stakes, the world, the cost of knowing what you know.
Forthcoming
Guidebook + Supporting Novel
A deliciously sharp satirical series that opens with a tongue-in-cheek guidebook — then unfolds into a novel. With incisive wit and an eye for the absurd, this project excavates the theater of manipulation, holds it to the light, and watches it become comedy. Then something deeper. Part roast. Part reckoning. Entirely necessary.
Forthcoming
"Amazement is both a fire to light the path and a compass to guide you."
— Justin Hyler
Every project begins with a genuine spark — a dream, an observation, an absurdity that demands examination. No formula. No genre-chasing.
The best humor has a skeleton of truth. The best thrillers carry a laugh in the dark. The work refuses to choose between them.
Books, music, and technology aren't separate lanes. They're lanes on the same road. The story takes whatever form it needs.
Justin Hyler is a writer, publisher, musician, and creative entrepreneur dedicated to helping ideas find their voice — and their audience. His creative life doesn't divide neatly into categories. It flows between the page and the speaker, between satire and depth, between the parable and the punch line.
He is the founder of Apentopaper LLC, an independent publishing company built on the conviction that storytelling, humor, and originality still matter. His work spans satirical humor, character-driven fiction, psychosophical themes, and creative nonfiction — blending sharp wit with unexpected depth.
His debut novelette came to him in a dream — literally. He woke, wrote it down, and developed the full story over the months that followed. Characters, plotline, twists and all.
Beyond books, Justin is a songwriter and producer creating work at the intersection of storytelling, music, and technology. He turns inspiration into thoughtfully shaped stories and songs, lit by wonder and carried in a voice that is perceptive, playful, and curious.
When he's not writing, he's developing new ventures, producing music, or working behind the scenes to help other creators bring their work into the world.
Originally from Lansdale, PA
Apentopaper LLC is Justin's independent publishing company — built for the kind of creative work that doesn't slot neatly into a commercial category, but finds its readers nonetheless.
Founded on the conviction that storytelling, humor, and originality still matter, Apentopaper represents a new model: the author as publisher, the creator as curator, the story as both art and enterprise.
Justin also uses Apentopaper to support other creators — editing, producing, and publishing with intention and craft. Reach out if you're looking to bring your work into the world.
"Storytelling, humor, and originality still matter — and every idea deserves a voice and an audience willing to listen."
Music has been central to Justin's creative life since childhood — first lessons at 7, first guitar at 9. Three decades in, the excitement hasn't dimmed. He still describes the feeling as being "the happiest kid on the block."
As a songwriter and producer, his work lives at the intersection of storytelling, music, and technology — blurring genre lines, combining narrative depth with sonic experimentation.
The same philosophy drives everything: follow the amazement. Let the idea lead. Don't settle for the expected version of anything.
Follow along on YouTube for music projects, songwriting, and productions that live at the intersection of storytelling and sound.
Watch on YouTube →Justin in his natural habitats — and yours. Browse photos from the author's world, then add your own. This is a community space: fan photos, event shots, and strange moments welcome.
Whether you're a reader with a question, a collaborator with a pitch, or a fellow traveler on the creative road — the door is open. Send a message directly and expect a thoughtful reply.
For readers, collaborators, press inquiries, or fellow creative adventurers who followed the amazement here.
Books available in print, Kindle, and audiobook formats via Amazon & Audible.
Publishing inquiries: reach out through any channel above.
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