I’m often asked if I’ve ever experienced writer’s block. My answer has been, not really. There are times when I don’t feel like writing. But it’s not because I’m blocked, but because I need to have emotion and passion to write. True writer’s block is when a writer has no idea what to put down on paper or continue the story where it sits. Thankfully, that has never happened to me. I step away for several days, come back and the story flows out of me until I’m drained and then I’ll stop again and take a break. I’ll even go back over what I’ve read, which gets me going, and I’ll start writing. Normally it takes about six months or so to write a story, at least when it comes to the first draft. When it’s a new series, like the one I’m working on now, it can take longer since I’m fleshing out new characters, especially my new protagonist. When it’s a long-standing series like the Jarvis Mann PI books, then those characters are ingrained in my head and the writing of the story can come much quicker.

Speaking of my new series. I received my editor’s first round of edits, which I’ll be fervorously working on this week. Once this is completed, it will go back to her for one final read-through, which will finalize the book. My cover artist had a death in the family, so I won’t get any cover designs from her for another week or so. Once this is done, I’ll set a release date for the book. It’s looking like it will fall into January or February. When I have a date I’ll let you know through the newsletter and set up pre-orders of the eBook and paperback versions. Here is a short synopsis of the story to whet your appetite.

For widower Donnie Steel
Grief is a powerful emotion and a dynamic motivator
The retired police officer crafting an online blog
Therapy to ease the anguish of his lost soulmate
Readers reaching out, requesting his help

While traveling in his RV, with his faithful K-9 companion, Kogel
He learns of a three-year-old cold case in Southern Colorado
The victim’s parents in search of answers to their son’s death
Upon further investigation, he discovers the case was purposely botched
Those in power doing all they can for the solution to remain buried

With relentless determination to go the extra mile
Heart and soul worn on his sleeve
And his highly trained K-9, fighting by his side
Donnie digs deep to go beyond his emotional and physical pain
To find Justice For The Forgotten

Unfortunately because of a bad snowstorm, the Columbine Craft Fair on November 9th was postponed to November 16th, which I couldn’t attend since I was already booked for Mollie McGees that weekend. If anyone went to that event wanting to buy books, reach out to me and I’ll work with you on getting books to you with no shipping cost. Just send me an email and we’ll work out the details or put in a order through the form on my website.

The other events for the rest of November went well. I had more winners of the $10 Amazon Gift Cards. Lisa, Dianne, Christian, Stephanie and McKenna. Thanks to them and everyone else who visited my table, signed up for the newsletter, and purchased books. Here are a few pictures.

In December, I have three final events to wrap up the holiday season, which you’ll see below. If you can’t make it to any of those events and want signed paperbacks for yourself or someone for a holiday gift, you can order them via my website on the paperback order form. Once I get the order, I’ll work on getting the books to you. If you’re local to the Denver Metro area, I’ll work out getting them to you with little or no shipping costs. If you’re outside this area and live in the US, there is a shipping cost for each book.

Get your orders in early, for I have a limited supply of books on hand, including my latest release, Murder by a Hundred Cuts. Or you can buy them directly from Amazon via my author page. All my books on Amazon are available in eBook, paperback, or via the Kindle Unlimited Subscription.

There are more episodes of my podcast, Bringing Life to Characters for you to check out. First I interviewed Author Mary Yungeberg which you can watch here. Then I had New Times Best Selling Author Reed Farrel Coleman which you to watch here. And best selling author Helen Starbuck which you can watch here. In future shows, I’ll have author T.O. Paine on Dec 2nd at 6PM Mountain time and Kathleen Donnelly on Dec 9th at 6PM. And don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel to keep up to date with all the latest interviews.

This month’s featured author is one of my podcast guests this month, author T.O. Paine. In the mid-2000s, T.O. Paine and his family lived in a cult on the edge of a protected forest for roughly three years. His novel, The Teaching, is a thriller mystery based on his experience there. The practices and beliefs expressed in The Teaching actually occurred. The Abduction is a prequel novella to The Teaching, and it is available for FREE from the major booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Google Play, and Smashwords. He also runs an awesome recurring GIVEAWAY for fearless readers interested in his newsletter. T.O.’s fast-paced, thriller suspense novels have won several awards and keep readers on the edge of their seat. He is a member of International Thriller Writers association and holds a master’s degree in computer information systems. When he is not writing, you can find him running and cycling extreme distances.. He has run fifty marathons in fifty states, ridden his road bike hundreds of miles over 10,000-foot mountains, and completed an IRONMAN. He resides near the Rocky Mountains in Colorado with his wife and two Boston terriers: Fiona the Ogre and Rudy the Trickster. His degree in computer information systems heavily influenced the technothriller, The Delusion, where a psychology graduate student has spent her life researching mass persuasion only to have it stolen by megalomaniacal social media influencer who uses it to brainwash the world. T.O.’s residence in Colorado inspired him to write his most popular novel, a “trapped-in-a-blizzard-with-a-killer” thriller, The Excursion. His upcoming novel, The Crisis, will be published in early 2025. In The Crisis, a convenience store clerk must rescue a young women from a human trafficking ring to avert a nuclear missile strike on US soil. It’s crazy thrill-ride with more twists and turns than an alligator on meth. You can find out more about T.O. Paine and his novels on his website at topaine.com.

This will likely be the last newsletter for 2024. I want to thank everyone for the support this year. And wish you all Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

All the best!

R Weir