“The royalties from the Vacation Mysteries series are diminishing at a precipitous rate.”
“I… They are?”
“You haven’t noticed? That figures.”
I haven’t. Harper takes care of my finances.123 But why wouldn’t she tell me about this? “We’re talking about me, not you.”
“Fine. Well, they are. And I have a big monthly nut,124 and I needed to diversify to protect my assets.”
“But crypto? Why gamble like that?”
He smiles in a way I know he thinks is charming. “I’ve always been a risk-taker. You know that… Anyway, part of my, um, deal with them was that I encourage others to invest.”
“Your deal?”
“My endorsement deal.”
“You were a celebrity endorser?”
His face sets. “No need to sound quite so surprised.”
“Okay, fine. Sorry. How did you do it? I don’t remember seeing the TV spot.”
“It was a more personal approach.”
“Like what? Meetings?”
“No, I… sent out a newsletter.”
“You have a newsletter?”125
Wait, wait, wait. Is Connor blushing?
“I, uh, I’ve been building one for a while.”
“Building how?”
“Adding people to it here and there.”
“How come I don’t get it?”
He shoots me a look. “You unsubscribed.”
“I… what?”126
He crosses his arms and looks away.
“Why do you have a mailing list, Connor?”
“If you must know, I’ve been writing a book.”
Plot twist!
“Like a memoir?”
“Like a novel.”
Um, what?