With the first three books finished in the Jarvis Mann PI series, I decided to go in a little different direction with Jarvis, in the novel Blood Brothers. The story would take him back to his hometown of Des Moines Iowa, at the request of his sister-in-law Helen, who is concerned about Jarvis’ brother, Flynn. Flynn had always been a ladies man, with a wandering eye, and Helen is concerned he is having an affair. Jarvis comes to town covertly, begins following his brother and finds out that he is neck deep in trouble, not only with the FBI but with a nasty mobster. This book would be a personal adventure for Jarvis, with a lot of backstory in flashbacks about him and his brother growing up. I wanted to show how Jarvis became the man he grew into, with his good and bad character traits on full display.
The main reason I picked Des Moines, was because it was where I grew up. A town I knew well, though I had not lived there since the early 80’s. I go back every few years to visit family that still lived there. When you go home, and see familiar sights and sounds, it often triggers memories from the past. And this is what happens with Jarvis in this story, those memories triggering the flashbacks. We see how he goes the extra mile to help, protect and save family, which most of us will do when pushed into a corner. Blood Brothers, though a common name in the world of literature, still felt like the right title for the book. The blood bond brothers share, and sometimes the blood that is shed between them. I believe this was the best and most revealing story in the series when it was released December 29th, 2015, adding additional layers that I hope make Jarvis an interesting character. Be sure to check it out, as Blood Brothers is available on Amazon in eBook, paperback and on Kindle Unlimited.
I have two big events coming in July that I’m excited about. The first is the Estes Park Comic Con, which will be held July 13th, 14th, and 15th. I will have a booth there hoping to expose new people to my work. Estes Park Colorado is one of our families favorite towns to visit and we will be there with our RV enjoying the beautiful scenery. Rocky Mountain National Park is just up the road, another great place to visit. There are elk, deer, bighorn, foxes and coyotes roaming the entire area. If you love the great outdoors drive on up for the day, camp or even stay at one of the many hotels in the area. Tickets are $30 a day for the event or $65 for all three days. You can get them via their website and as you can see there is a long list of celebrities that will be there. If you are in town for the Comic Con look for my table. I always have a few goodies to giveaway.
The next event will be held in West Des Moines Iowa. As I mentioned above, Des Moines is my hometown. This will be the first event I will do in the city where I grew up and I’m really looking forward to it. The Indie Author Expo is being held at the Valley West Mall on July 28th and 29th. And I will be part of an author panel from 11AM -1PM on the 29th, where you can ask me and several other authors questions. It should be a lot of fun, and I hope to see some family and maybe a few old friends stopping by my table. If you live in the area be sure and stop by, as there is no cost to the public. If you are an author looking for an event they still have tables available. You can contact me, or go to their website to inquire.
Sales continue to increase for The Front Range Butcher, and so have the reviews, with 35 so far being 5 Star and 6 others 4 stars on Amazon and many other wonderful reviews on other sites like Goodreads. Here are more snippets from some new reviews:
This book is a heavy tense read but is also very humorous with plenty of sarcastic humor. I actually really like Weir’s writing style it makes a dark read an easy one to get through and knows just when to break up the tension with a bit of humor to lighten it up a bit – E. Deroma
This was the right amount of plot and mystery with interesting characters to get you hooked. I personally tried not to read this before I went to bed because of the tone and I didn’t wanna dream about the book which I will also say is a plus. If left such an impression while reading, that I did sometimes dream of certain scenes – Moriah Venable
WOW! R. Weir as brought his characters to life in this story. The adventure you will experience is out of control, at times. I had such a ride in this mystery. Just as I thought I had figured out where the story was headed, I was wrong. I love a story that keeps me guessing. Well Done! – Cinful
Be sure to get your copy today. It is available on Amazon in ebook, paperback and on Kindle Unlimited. If you haven’t read the other books before The Front Range Butcher, be sure to check them out on my Amazon Author Page. If you’ve read any of my books and enjoyed them, be sure to leave a review. You can even send me an email, as I love to hear from readers.
On Tuesday, July 10th at 3PM Eastern time, I will be doing a live interview with fellow author Tina Susedik, on her internet radio show, Your Book Garden. It should be a fun show, as I know Tina from the Wild Deadwood Reads book events I’ve attended these last two years. Be sure to listen in via this link. If you can’t listen to it live, a recording will be available that I will be sharing on the website.
That is all for this month. The next newsletter will come out after my Des Moines event. I hope to report lots of people stopping by and talking at both events this month. I hope you are enjoying your summer and staying cool. Make sure you take a book or that kindle on your summer vacation and do some reading while relaxing in that comfortable chair!
R Weir