For the last 22 years, life has been for the most part stable and simple. Kim and I were married in a small ceremony and moved into our house the next day. A home we’ve been living in ever since. One we’ve raised a daughter in, who is in college, soon to begin her sophomore year. It’s been a wonderful home and neighborhood to live in.
Within the last couple of months, Kim has been searching for a new job, one which not only pays better but takes advantage of her skill set. She was able to find that position, one she believes she can grow into, which wasn’t happening where she was working. That job, though still in the Denver metro area, was further northwest in the city. A drive on good days which takes about 45 minutes, but one on those horrible traffic days, which is frequent around here, can be up to 90 minutes. Not wanting to deal with the traffic, we have decided to move closer to her new job. This means gathering 22 years worth of stuff, paring down what to take and not take with us, while getting our current home ready to sell, along with finding a new place to live. I’m relieved and thrilled to say we’ve found that house, a picture of the front below, with plans to move towards the end of August. And have our current home under contract with a buyer.
What this means is I’ve had little time to work on my latest writing project. This novel with new characters, the genre Suspense/Thriller, is roughly halfway written with the plan to get back to it once our move, getting settled, closing on our previous house and getting our daughter off to college is completed. A long laundry list of tasks we need to accomplish over the next month. All of this will affect future newsletters. I will continue to send them, but content might be shorter than normal and only cover upcoming events, of which I have many. And my look back on my cover designs, the next one for The Front Range Butcher, will also be pushed back for a month or so. But I’ll let everyone know our progress as we deal with this life change, though one we are excited about.
I have two events coming up in August I’m looking forward to. The first is the Local Authors Showcase at the Castle Rock Library in Castle Rock Colorado. This event includes 15 authors, including myself. A chance to meet interested readers and tell them all about the literary works created and sell a few copies. The event is Saturday August 17th and starts at 2 PM. Here is a list of everyone attending and a little about them and their books.
D.L. Blade – The Dark Awakening: The Chosen Coven Book 1. Paranormal Romance. East Greenwich may be a small town, but it is riddled with secrets. Mercy knows this more than most – she still suffers from the scars. Unbeknownst to her; the past is weaving its dark web, waiting to strike. Upon a startling car accident, Mercy is shocked to find that her enigmatic mystery man, Caleb, is real – and she belongs to him. He reveals that Mercy’s family is strongly linked to an ancient coven; the roots slowly dragging her back to Salem again.
Angie Felts – Prognosis Hope. Memoir/Lessons. In a world where human disconnection is so prevalent, Prognosis HOPE restores humanity to healthcare and brings hope back to both caregivers and care-seekers. Patients don’t always get the care they deserve and it’s time for both caregivers and care-seekers to stand up and demand that change. Before becoming a registered nurse, Angie Felts was hit by a drunk driver. She sustained a traumatic brain injury that put her life on hold for nearly twenty years and provides a unique perspective on the dehumanization present in healthcare today. Prognosis HOPE uses a four-step method that is simple and easy to implement, puts patients back in the driver’s seat and enables medical professionals to return to their true callings as healers by celebrating human connection instead of getting bogged down by a diagnosis or complicated care plan.
Diane DiCarlo – And God Shows Up. Memoir/Lessons. The story starts in D.C. when Mike and Diane meet and continues over the next ten years as they go through life together. The author recounts her personal journey and examines the surprise and wonder of seeing God in the ordinary experiences of life.
S. Lynn Helton and illustrator Vickie K. Write – Bye-Bye Magpie. Children’s Picture Book. A group of neighborhood kids gather to play together. Throughout the day, they meet some of the native creatures that live nearby and share their neighborhood. Haiku-style verse and appealing, original illustrations introduce children to native animals common in the western United States.
Rhonda Bolich-Lampo – God Winks and Miracles Happen: A Story of Love, Faith and Hope. Memoir/Lessons. When Rhonda’s husband Steve was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, a life-threatening brain tumor, their lives turned upside down. Suddenly facing brain surgery, they had to re-evaluate every aspect of their lives and re-establish priorities. Who would have guessed that things would go seriously wrong and Steve would end up in a coma with only a two percent chance of survival? Rhonda shares her story of caring and advocating for her husband while doing battle with the health care system. Using this experience, Rhonda offers insight into how to protect all your assets: financially, legally, and health-wise.
Cara Brzezicki – Jazzie Beans Saves the Planet. Children’s Picture Book. Go on a journey with a spunky little dog named Jazzie Beans as she travels from her home in Colorado down south. On her journey she meets many different animals with trash problems. She teaches them about plastic pollution and how to recycle.
Diana Curran – OB-LA-DI, OB-LA-DA. Novel. They were Best Friends 4-Ever back when all they needed was love, but Life Goes On and they drifted apart. Now these high school classmates are turning sixty and in need of second chances, and each other, more than ever. Margaret must find courage to leave her abusive husband; Linda struggles with addictions; Kathy put her romance on hold in order to reconnect with her alcoholic father; Susan’s search for authentic self threatens her humdrum world. Will a little help from friends be enough for them to begin again?
J.G. Matheny – The Princess in My Head. Children’s Picture Book. In a two-part (novel and screenplay), Renaissance Princess Aqualine the Wise and modern-day Princess Allison the Benevolent communicate magically through their dreams to influence each other’s worlds. Aqualine inks proclamations to her realm to inspire and lead, while Allison holds webcasts with her audience of neighborhood and school kids to help them be noble and better citizens. When they face problems, the princesses learn just how valuable this magical connection can be.
R. Weir – Mann in the Crossfire: A Jarvis Mann Hardboiled Detective. Novel. Is this the end for PI Jarvis Mann? A surprising murder of an associate sends Jarvis on a trip to San Diego to investigate. A trail of clues direct him to a gang member who wants him eliminated, while a local detective agency is hot on his tail with nefarious plans of their own. Battered and beaten, Jarvis battles to forge on, tracking the evidence directing him to a dangerous discovery. Desperate for backup, with nowhere else to turn, he enlists lethal foes to render essential aid. Will these illicit associations spell the end of his career and possibly his life?
Don Forst – What Could Go Wrong? Novel. On TV, architect Brett Stewart watches coverage of a minor earthquake which causes the sudden collapse of a ten-story building in Lisbon, a building he designed. This tragedy leads Brett and his engineers to face a trial of negligence in Lisbon. Brett’s daughter Lt. Detective Kate Stewart joins forces with CIA Agent Scott Martin to search for the truth. Along the way there are more dangerous secrets, and bodies. Can they find the truth without losing their humanity?
Stephanie Sikora – Simplified: A Real-Life Guide to Organizing Your Space and Saving You Sanity. How-To book. Like most moms, Stephanie Sikora felt like she was always just trying to keep up with the chaos of her home and life. When her daughter said, “Mommy, you never sit and play with me,” a light bulb came on. Stephanie was always so preoccupied picking up and doing what needed to be done each day, she never got around to living being present for the moments that mattered the most. Motivated by her toddler’s honesty, she immersed herself in creating a life that was simpler and didn’t leave her exhausted at the end of each day. Owner of Life Made Simple LLC, Stephanie turn chaos into calm by offering compassionate organizing solutions and systems for clients’ homes, businesses, and lives. In simplified. A Real-Life Guide to Organizing Your Space and Saving Your Sanity, Stephanie shares her fifteen years of experience and company’s trade secrets for the very first time.
Jodi Burnett – Run for The Hills: Book I in the Flint River Series. Novel. When a violent ex-patient threatens her life, equine therapist Joscelyn Turner, narrowly escapes to Montana. Seeking refuge and anonymity in a small town while Colorado police hunt down her stalker, Joscelyn plans to lie low and make a new start. But fate has other plans. Joscelyn finds herself caught between two brothers, Trent, the good-looking town charmer, and Cade, a handsome Marine veteran who is running from his own demons. She must choose one. But, just as she settles in to follow her heart, her past catches up with her. Will Joscelyn reveal what she knows in time to save those she’s come to love?
Kimberlee Gard – The Day the Punctuation Came to Town. Part of the Language is Fun! Series children’s picture book. There’s a new family in town: the Punctuations! When Exclamation Point, Question Mark, Period, and Comma join the letters at school, they form words like Wow! and Why? and Yes. But Comma isn’t sure where he belongs. He just seems to get in the way. Is he really important? Kids, parents, and teachers will enjoy this latest installment in the Language Is Fun series. First in the series was The Little i Who Lost His Dot which won the 2018 Colorado Book Award for Children’s Literature.
John Turley – The Hole Truth. Crime Thriller. Petroleum engineering professor Tony Zanatelli signs a summer-job contract to manage the drilling of a 20,000-foot-deep exploration well in the Gulf of Mexico. Energy-company MillPet owns the lease and the well and pays all the bills. After millions have been spent to drill into the deep seismic target, confidential geologic data will reveal to Tony and MillPet a hidden treasure of oil and gas, or that the well is a dry hole. Either way, professor Tony will go back to his soulmate wife and his academic life, and MillPet will continue to thrive. Well, maybe. Because the truth, the whole truth, about what resides deep in the hole is targeted by conspirators who will kill to prove neither life nor truth is bulletproof.
If you live in the area, stop by the library and support other local authors. It should be a fun time for all.
The next event should be a blast. I will be at the Colorado Springs Comic Con starting August 23rd thru the 25th. This long three-day event will get me exposure to over 17 thousand people, which is the number who attended last year, with hopes of even more this year. I will be in Artist’s Alley with a table talking to people and selling my books. And I will have extra goodies to giveaway for those stopping by. There’s a wonderful line-up of celebrities, artists and authors coming, including William Shatner, Brent Spiner and Robert Englund. Here is a link to the event to get all the details.
Another month and another round of Prolific Works eBook giveaways. The Kiss Kiss Bang – Crime & Mystery Giveaway features 13 free books to download. Access the giveaway via this link until August 10th, with my short story, The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card included.
A reminder to check out all of my books in the Jarvis Mann PI series. There are 8 stories in all, including the latest highly acclaimed release, Mann in the Crossfire. All are available on Amazon in eBook, paperback and via Kindle Unlimited. You can go to my Amazon Author Page to see them all. Or you can purchase the paperback directly from me by reaching out via email. A way to get a signed copy of any of my books. Who knows one day it could be a collector’s item!!
I will wrap up this newsletter for now. Not sure when the next will come out, but I will try to have something sent around the first of September if we get moved in and settled. Thanks again for reading and sharing my works. Enjoy the heat of summer and read a good book on your outdoor deck!
R Weir