You Don't Know Jack

Snapshot of Today

         Good morning, all, and I hope it finds you well. It finds me thrilled... overall. I was supposed to write a review today but I couldn't get my head around it, and rather than give some unsuspecting newbie a half-assed review, I decided I'd blog instead. So here I am. Now, what to blog about? Hmmm...
         Oh, I know! I said I was thrilled, and that's quite true. My little "let's chew the fat" forum, "Scribblers' Den" , was just nominated for a Quill Award for Best New Forum, as was I in the category of Best Reviewer. Best reviewer, me! Can you imagine? And the icing on that cake is that two of my reviews have been nominated for Best Review, so I'm chuffed, as my Australian friends say.
         But that isn't what I came here for. As everyone knows by now, I have been a prolific writer over a period of decades, but all that has gone away. I miss it terribly, and signed on here and began reviewing in the hope that rubbing up against the talented writers on the site and dissecting their work would snap my "muse" out of her coma. It hasn't, but apparently I'm a fair hand at reviewing, and the site has been kind enough to recognize it. Perhaps next year... but this is now, and I'm thrilled to recognized for something to do with writing, even if it isn't what I'd hoped.
         Of course, I can't be too put out by these developments. I mean, I knew what I was doing when I came here. My first handle was The Phantom Reviewer and "Jack's Diamonds"  began life as Phantom's Gold, so I can't play ignorant now. Nor do I want to. I am quite pleased with how things have developed, and owe great thanks to you for accepting me in my role here. That doesn't mean that I'm not still trying to write, and if success should finally attend my efforts, you'll bed hearing about it here, in my forum, in the newsfeed, and anyplace else I can find to crow about it. But I'm not going to jump around like a hyperactive chihuahua shoving my half-finished projects in people's faces anymore. I've disappointed quite enough friends doing that to last a lifetime!
         Finally, a word about my username: I stormed out of here under a cloud a couple of years ago, and after waiting a while, wanted to tip-toe back in and turn over a new leaf. My handle in the old days was Blimprider, and some of you who had your toes trod upon by that A-hole may remember him. I couldn't very well use that again, so, the story behind holttaylor: Holt is my middle name; Taylor is what everyone I deal with invariably calls me two seconds after I say "It's Tyler, T-Y-L-E-R."
         And there you have it, a snapshot of me today, December 8th, 2025... For what it's worth. I hope you know me a little better now, and find me even more interesting. Have a great day, and I'll see you around the stacks.

Stay inspired,
    Jack