“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?