Flotsam and Jetsam

It’s been a good week!

By Thio Isobel Moss

Rather than have a topic to focus on, this post is just a peek at my week:

First, I’ve already thoroughly gone over my recent review situation and its impact on my sales/Kindle Unlimited pages read numbers, but there is some recent news. I made, with the assistance of ChatGPT, a monthly royalties goal to keep track of how I’m doing. Despite two weeks with no movement (we have movement now), I am delighted to report that I am on track to make this month’s goal!

Thank you to those readers taking a chance on Blind Spot: The Covenant’s Forfeit. It really does mean the world!

Second, my dad read a recommendation for Young Sherlock and passed the recommendation on to me. I absolutely loved the BBC’s Sherlock and miss it terribly, but I had been inclined to ignore this new iteration. The title reminded me of Young Sheldon; not necessarily a bad thing, but a little copycat-ish. Regardless, I gave it a try. I am terribly picky about shows, and beyond Home Town, several other HGTV shows, my YouTube channels, the odd murder mystery or crime drama, I don’t watch TV much. Maybe about five hours a week.

I just finished episode four. Suffice it to say, I am enjoying it. Dónal Finn as a young Moriarty is a joy beyond words! Too perfect. I’ve always been a sucker for a rogue. Natascha McElhone plays Cordelia Holmes, Sherlock’s mother, and has some of the best lines in the show. Her timing and tone are delicious.

The pacing is both fantastic and annoying. Each episode progresses the mystery just a touch, then flips it on its ear. I think I know something, then, nope; I know nothing. It’s a careful balance, but I’ll give it a 9/10. I highly recommend it if you enjoy mysteries!

Let me know your favorite shows; I’m always on the lookout for inspiration and mental escapes!

Third, I thought I’d share a fun conversation I had recently. Once a week, my brother, Oz, hosts dinner—a mix of family and friends. On this occasion, Selene, a rather precocious young lady, was sitting next to me, trying to get everyone to guess her age. She had just turned seven, and since she and her brother are less than a year apart, she decided this makes them twins. It was rather disappointing for her that everyone already knew.

I asked her if she knew how old I was.

The table went absolutely silent, all eyes on Selene. Her face scrunched up, and she said, “Um….”

I told her to think of a big number. Oz said, “And then double it.”

Naturally, this got a laugh.

When no answer was forthcoming, we began feeding her clues, including my birth year.

Selene exclaimed, “That’s before I was born.”

I agreed, saying that, yes, I was older than seven. I tried to help her break the addition down into bite-sized chunks. She gravely informed me that she knew about math, but she didn’t know everything yet.

Eventually, I confessed that I was forty-two.

Selene asked, “Twenty-two?”

I corrected her and became concerned that her eyes might pop out of her head. When I’d said a big number, even after Oz’s help, she’d thought perhaps fifteen? Very flattering.

I remember reading in Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie, about a young lady of thirty. At the time, I was in my teens, and thirty was not young.

Perspective is such a funny thing.

My fourth bit of news, and perhaps the most exciting for me, is  that C. P. Rider followed me on Bookbub! She is only my second follower—the first being Marcella Strang Bixler, who also made her debut recently. C. P. Rider is, of course, an established author and one that I read! She wrote The Sundance Series, The Austin Wolves Series, and Strike It Witch (The Smokethorn Paranormals Series), which I recently recommended.

This is a crazy moment for me. I’ve been very fortunate in making my debut and have had a warm welcome in the author community. Dennis Young, the author of the Ardwellian Series, the Mercenary Series, and the Bloodline Collection (I’m currently reading Julie, the second in the series), is practically a neighbor, and we’ve been meeting up roughly once a month for coffee.

Every time, even when we haven’t talked about our current projects, I come away with a breakthrough or an epiphany. Community is so important for creative endeavors.

On X, Jason Savin, the author of Beyond the Elven Gate and Kings of Munster, liked and reposted a few things, which led to other new friends and followers. Authors, I am learning, are eager to support each other. I am so grateful!

I hope your week has been good, too! Happy reading!