Frequently Asked Questions:
About Thio -
Who is Thio Isobel Moss?
I am an urban fantasy/fantasy author who lives near Kansas City. Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit is my debut novel! To learn more, check out my About page!
Is Thio Isobel Moss a pen name?
Absolutely.
When my parents were pregnant with me, they had both a boy’s name and a girl’s name prepared. I narrowly avoided being named Heidi Jean; my parents were afraid I’d be called Hei-Jean in school. If I had been a boy, I would have been named Timothy. I took the letters T-I-M and chose a name for each and here we are! Why Thio specifically? I haven’t the foggiest. It was unique and felt like a good fit.
The names I use for family and friends on Instagram posts - Bill and Coo, Oz, Kendi, and Ty - are also pseudonyms. My parents have a mean streak, but even they’d never name a kid Oz Moss. Bill and Coo are because my parents are a pair of lovebirds. Oz is my brother’s D&D name. Kendi is actually a mystery to me. My sister-in-law used it for a username once years ago, and, since I couldn’t remember her D&D name, that’s what I went with. Ty was in homage to Tyrion Lannister, a favorite of our late friend.
My D&D name is Derryndra Solace. A bit much for a pen name, I thought.
What inspired you to start writing?
My dad’s storytelling, my literary family that delights in terrible puns, my favorite authors, my obsession with design, and the need for a creative outlet. It’s really a pragmatic choice. I’m constantly telling myself stories; sharing them seemed sensible.
Where do your ideas come from?
Life. We filter the information we take in - news, TV, books, conversations, observations, study; it shows up in everything we do. I love reading about characters that I relate to, especially in fantasy, so I try to write relatable characters.
Do you base your characters on real people?
I write fiction, and any physical or behavioral resemblance to real people is coincidental. That said, I have chosen to name a few characters in honor of friends. They don’t look alike; they don’t act alike, but, for one reason or another, there was a connection in my brain.
What are you working on next?
I am writing the second book in the Covenant’s Forfeit series, Objects in the Mirror, and I have a first draft for Bump, the first book in the Palmetto Predators series, which occurs in the same world. Bump will come out first, sometime in 2026, as it’s a shorter novel and occurs between the events in Blind Spot and Objects in the Mirror.
About Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit -
What is Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit about?
A fake vampire. Two magical runaways. One collapsing world. Kenny Jones just wanted to brew beer—not battle warlocks and cosmic threats. Too bad fate had other plans.
For the full summary, click on over to My Books!
What genre is Blind Spot?
The short answer is that Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit is an urban fantasy novel. The long answer is that it is a portal fantasy/political thriller fusion with shades of investigative procedural and a hint of romance mixed in with multiple points of view. It’s a slow burn, leaning slightly closer to unlikely allies than enemies-to-lovers.
Who are the main characters in Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit?
Kenny Jones is a practitioner impersonating a vampire in a world where manipulating magic can get you killed or enslaved.
Special Agent in Charge John Dorrit, a.k.a. Ghost, is an Agency warlock with a problem that only a witch can fix.
Darragh O’Brien, Chairman of the Union of Seers, is a farsight seer with fingers in every pie.
Eli Moran is an eight-year-old boy who has started seeing visions of the future days before they occur.
Is Blind Spot part of a series?
Yes. Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit is the first book in an initial three-story arc with a spin-off series in the same world to come.
Where can I buy Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit?
On November 28th, Blind Spot will be available on Kindle, as part of Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback and hardback. It will also be available, in print only, on Draft 2 Digital.
How does A Chance Encounter connect to Blind Spot?
A Chance Encounter depicts Kuwako Yamane’s first meeting with Darragh O’Brien. Kuwako is Kenny Jones’s familiar, and Kenny is hers. In this world, a “familiar” bond signifies more than friendship—it’s a lifelong alignment of purpose formed between two magical beings.
Kuwako knows that Kenny’s unorthodox scholarly work places her in danger. Darragh O’Brien, Chairman of the Union of Seers, should be an enemy as a member of the Quorum. Yet seers are driven by compulsions—visions of probability rather than fixed fate—and act according to their moral compass.
The story reveals the inciting event that ultimately pushes Kenny to abandon her life as a scholar. Though A Chance Encounter takes place three years before the prologue of Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit, the meeting between Kuwako and O’Brien becomes the axis around which Kenny’s destiny turns.
How does A Faustian Bargain connect to Blind Spot?
A Faustian Bargain reveals the origin of the uneasy alliance between Oscar Mendoza—Representative of the Sheta Djew, a cadre within the preternatural Community—and Kenny Jones, a practitioner (magic manipulators known in the Community as the Warped).
From Oscar’s perspective, he’s being forced to make a deal with the devil. From Kenny’s, he’s being offered a get-out-of-jail-free card.
The prologue of Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit unfolds only days after this story’s events. It’s through Oscar and his sister’s reluctant cooperation that Kenny is able to impersonate a vampire for more than a decade without the Agency of Preternatural Affairs (APA) discovering her secret.
How many times did you squeeze Blind Spot: The Convenant’s Forfeit into this FAQs page?
It feels like too many, but I’ve been told it’s good for boosting my SEO.
Reading and Bonus Content -
Are there short stories or extras set in the same world as Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit?
Yes, A Chance Encounter and A Faustian Bargain have already been posted under Free Fiction, but there will be more leading up to the launch of Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit on November 28th!
Can I read the short stories and extras before reading Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit?
Yes, all of the short stories and extras posted take place before the events in Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit. They provide context but do not need to be read to understand Blind Spot.
Where can I sign up for your newsletter?
Click on Contact at the top of the page and look for the box that says “Subscribe”. Enter your name and email address if you want to receive my monthly newsletter. It includes updates on publishing news, giveaways, and extras!
Will signed copies, bookplates, or special editions be available?
Initially, no. There will be signed copies as part of my launch week giveaways. Eventually, I do plan on selling signed copies through this website.
I’m looking into designing a bookplate. I’ll update this when I have a solid answer.
Likewise, special editions are something I would love to create, but that will have to happen a little further down the road. Stay tuned for more information!
Behind the Scenes -
What inspired the world of Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit?
Ilona Andrews’ blog has a wonderful post, Two Sides of the Reading Coin, where Ilona and Gordon answered readers’ questions, including one about the stages a writer goes through as they come into their own. I was nearly textbook according to their evolution. There is a voracious reader stage; for many years, I was on the book-a-day diet. It did horrible things for my figure, but wonderful things for my mind.
Then there is the ‘I Can Do Better’ stage. Can it get better than House Andrews? Maybe; maybe not. I went through a “What If” stage, regardless. My book is a collage of the things I love, the things I hate, past grievances, atonement for past sins, and my hope for the future. It is how I discovered what I like in a book.
Careful readers will undoubtedly spot references to other novels and an homage or two. It’s a bit self-indulgent.
There wasn’t one moment when I knew what Kenny’s world was going to turn into, though. It grew day by day as I bounced ideas off of tolerant family members, watched the news, or read a new book.
A few scenes did pop into my head fully formed, but that was rare.
Who designed the cover for Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit?
I did! I’m very excited about my cover and plan to do a blog post about the process. If you’ve looked at my gallery, it might have struck you that I have some talent, but I’m not winning any prizes. Portraiture and pottery are more my thing; less so cover art and illustration.
I know AI illustrations are a hot-button issue, and it is definitely a nuanced concern. AI art cannot be copyrighted, which was important to me, but I’m a new author with a fixed budget. So, I made an AI derivative of my own art and edited that. As an edited derivative, it is a copyrighted work of art.
How long did it take to write Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit?
That’s a tricky one. I first had the idea around 2017, played around with it for a bit, but shelved it until 2022, I think. Once I began writing full-time, it took about two and a half years. There were a few patches in there where I didn’t touch it for three months, then I’d feverishly work fourteen-hour days for several weeks before it dropped to something more sustainable. Very hard to calculate.
What’s your process like?
My first blog post was on this topic. To keep it short, I’ll say it’s still developing. I’m a hybrid - neither a planner nor a pantser. I write out everything I know will be in the story, add some placeholders with thoughts on what might go there, and two lines of description to tell me what I meant by “wicked milk attack” or similar nonsensical phrases. Then, I cut everything into bits and physically sort it into what I think should be the chronological order. Until the ISBN is attached, nothing is set in stone.
How can I contact Thio Isobel Moss?
There are links to my Instagram account, email, and X account below. I am not on Facebook. This website and those three social media platforms are the only ones I use for professional purposes.
How can I request an interview?
I welcome interview requests from bloggers, reviewers, journalists, and podcast hosts interested in discussing my work or the world of Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit.
To request an interview, please include your platform name, audience focus, and preferred format (written, audio, or video) when you reach out through my email address, linked at the bottom of each page. I’ll do my best to respond promptly to all inquiries.
How do I request an ARC?
If you’re interested in reading an Advanced Review Copy of Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forefeit, please email me with your name, preferred genre, and your experience reviewing books. I am working through platforms such as NetGalley, but I will be slowly building an ARC team, as well. At this time, all ARCs would be digital.
Do I need to be an influencer or blogger to request an ARC?
No. All requests will be considered, but experience speaks. If you could point me toward reviews you’ve written for other books posted on Amazon, Goodreads, or similar sites, that would go a long way.
Will there be future ARC opportunities for other books in The Covenant’s Forfeit series?
Yes, there will be at least two more books. The Palmetto Predators series also takes place in the same world and will have some character overlap.
Do you offer author visits?
I am always interested in engaging with other readers and writers. Please email me with the details.
Are you open to collaborations?
I’m wide open to creative collaborations with other authors, reviewers, and creators. If you have an idea for a project that aligns with my work or with Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit, I’d love to hear from you. Please email me with the details!
