Author: R.Weir

We got back last week from Killer Nashville no worse for the wear. My daughter Dakota and I had a fun time in Music City. However, the jet we were supposed to fly back on early Monday morning had mechanical issues that delayed us getting home by 5 1/2 hours. Other than the flight issue, the trip was fabulous. Clay Stafford and his staff always put on a wonderful event, with lots of opportunities to rub elbows with other authors and learn about the business. I was on three panels and even got to Moderate one which was fun. The topic was “Using Your Protagonist’s Goals to Drive the Story Forward.” I was on the panel with Chris Berg, Mary Dutta, Becki Willis, and S. Lee Manning. Below are a few pictures from the Killer Nashville event. You can see more via this link on my website.

Killer Nashville also has a bookstore with lots of books to purchase. I didn’t sell many, but did get a sale from Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes who stopped by to chat. I did her podcast last year after Killer Nashville where I talked about my upcoming release at the time, Lethal Blues. She was fascinated by the book and bought a copy. You can also listen to that podcast where we chatted via this link.

Kim and I plan on going to Killer Nashville again next year. As a bonus one of the other big Thriller Author Events, Bouchercon, will be in Nashville the weekend after Killer Nashville. Kim and I plan on taking our motorhome, driving to Nashville, and staying for two weeks so I can attend both events. Dakota and I scouted out three different RV parks and found a great one with excellent internet. This will be essential for Kim as she’ll work from the motorhome for many days over the two weeks so she doesn’t have to take a lot of vacation time.

I’ve wrapped up the editing for Divine Retribution and set the release date for September 29th. There will be early bird pricing for the eBook version of $3.99, a $3 discount over the final release price of $6.99. Here is the link for the eBook version you can pre-order.

The paperback will also be available to buy directly from me for $15 with free shipping (US Only). If you’re interested in pre-ordering you can do so via this link and it will ship as soon as I receive my author copies which will be late September or early October depending on how fast Amazon gets them printed. At this point, the price direct from Amazon will likely be $16.99 and available before the eBook release date if you prefer to purchase directly from them. That link should be live in the next week or so, once I approve the proof copy of the paperback which arrives later this week.

The cover has been completed. Below is a sneak peek. The full reveal will come before the release of my next newsletter. If you can’t wait to see it, you can view it on my website or via the pre-order link.

As a tease, here are the links to the Prologue and the First Chapter of Divine Retribution for you to read. The beginning sets up the book in a dramatic fashion.

If you haven’t read the three previous books in the Divine Devils Series, they are all available in eBook, Paperback, and on Kindle Unlimited. You can also purchase all three directly from me for $15 each with free shipping (US Only) via the direct order form link. If you’re interested in all four of the paperbacks, they can be ordered for $55 with free shipping (US Only) via the same link.

With Divine Retribution completed, I’ve started writing my next book. This will be the 10th book in the Jarvis Mann PI Series. For anyone who has read Lethal Blues, there is a teaser at the end of what new challenge awaits Jarvis. I expect this book will be out sometime next year. In the meantime, you can get the 9 previous books in the series in eBook, Paperback, or on Kindle Unlimited.

And since The Divine Devils series will completed with Divine Retribution, I’ve begun exploring writing a new series. The inspiration was born from an idea my wife Kim gave me. It’s in the early stages of development, though I have written a beginning to the book which is still rough, but has promise. I may give more teasers on this new series in the coming months.

September starts off my busy season when it comes to events. I have four straight weeks of events, starting with the Windsor Harvest Festival on September 3rd and 4th. Then the Goodguys Car Show on September 8th, 9th, and 10th. Followed by the Chapel Hill Church Summer Festival on Sept 16th. And then Broomfield Days Sept 23rd. A lot of events to get the craft fair season started. I’m looking forward to having a great time meeting and talking with people. All the information on these September shows is listed below in this email and can be found on the Events page on my website. If you plan on coming to any of them let me know. And if you’re interested in purchasing books, I can set them aside so they are available in case I sell out.

I have more Prolific Works free eBook giveaways to share with you. Clandestine Meetings – Mystery and Thriller GG runs until Sept 15th with 19 free eBooks to check out via this link.

End of Summer Spree – Mystery Book Giveaway has 21 free eBooks you can add to your reading list via this link.

Amateur Sleuth Hour – Investigating for Bounty starts Sept 1st and runs through Sept 30th. This giveaway currently has 9 ebooks available you can download when it goes live, via this link.

I need to get back to getting our motorhome ready for the Windsor Harvest Festival and the Goodguys Car Show. We’ll be driving on Saturday and staying at an RV Resort in Loveland Colorado. We are keeping our fingers crossed for good weather for the Windsor Harvest Festival as the two outdoor events I’ve done this year have ended early due to bad weather. Rain never being good when you’re selling paperbacks.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, relaxing, and safe Labor Day weekend.

All the best!!

R Weir

I’m early with next month’s newsletter as I have a lot of news to share. First, Divine Retribution: The Divine Devils Final Chapter is now off to my editor, Tina, for any corrections. Once she is done, it will come back to me to review her suggestions, before it goes back to her one last time. And I’ve contacted my cover artist, Mia, to begin work on the cover. Which I will share here in advance on the newsletter when we get close to the release date. Right now, I’m looking at a late September or early October release of Divine Retribution if there are no major issues. This way I’ll have paperbacks of the new book available for all the events I do during the holiday season and for readers to purchase direct from me.

Here is an early synopsis of Divine Retribution:

After the murder of a woman he cared for, his world shattered and in turmoil, Hunter Divine has gone dark, living life off the grid. Fighting the internal demons that want to drag him into the mire, Hunter quietly begins a search for answers about his childhood. A mother he loved, who died too young. And the rolling stone father who left Hunter bitter and alone.

As Hunter digs deep, he learns secrets he never knew with ties to a woman in a powerful organization, who claims to be his mother. When assassins show up with orders to kill the other members of The Divine Devils, Hunter is forced to make a choice. Either ally with this evil woman in her wicked schemes or join his friends in the great beyond. A resolution he must find on his own, with the knowledge, death awaits him with every move he makes. The search down a lethal road for salvation and Divine Retribution.

With the Killer Nashville Authors Conference now less than a month away, I need assistance from my fans out there. My book Sold Souls: The Divine Devils Book 3 was not nominated as a finalist this year in the Silver Falchion Thriller category after I had won the last two years. But I still have a chance to win another award with your help. There is a Killer Nashville Readers’ Choice Award you can vote for and Sold Souls is one of the choices, along with many other great books. You can vote only once but can vote for 10 different books. You can vote via this link and you’ll find Sold Souls near the bottom of the lengthy list. Voting ends at midnight on July 25th so you’ll need to act right away. Thanks for taking the time to register your vote.

After several false starts and three previous narrators, the fourth time being the charm, I’m finally thrilled to announce I’ve found the right person to narrate The Divine Devils. Phillip Polite has begun the work and I hope to have it available to listen to in its entirety in a couple of months. Here is the link with a preview of Chapter One for you to listen to. I hope you enjoy it.

And you can listen to Chapter One of the Audiobook Tracking A Shadow which is narrated by Eric Priessman. This book along with The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card is now available on Audible and Amazon.

The Orchard ‘Til Dark Event this past Friday had to end early when a nasty thunderstorm hit shortly after 7PM. I still did a drawing for a $10 Amazon Gift Card from those who bought books or signed up for the newsletter. The winner was Aleaha who has been contacted. Thanks to her for buying The Divine Devils and all the other people who stopped by my table.

This month there are two Prolific Works free eBook giveaways. The first is Under Lock and Key – Mystery and Thriller GG with 23 eBooks which runs until July 31st via this link.

End of Summer Spree – Mystery Book Giveaway which doesn’t start until August 1st and runs through October 1st with several books available via this link.

This week I have jury duty on Thursday in the Westminster Municipal Court. I’ve been called for jury duty several times and even served on a jury once. Experiences I enjoyed, the process being interesting to observe on how our legal system works. My next book in the Jarvis Mann PI Series will have some courtroom drama in it, so I hope I learn a few things which can make the courtroom scenes take shape in a realistic way.

With all the talk of books being pulled from libraries because of their content, I will leave you with these sage words of wisdom!

All the best!!

R Weir

I had hoped to be done with the first draft of Divine Retribution before I left for South Dakota, but alas, I came up short. I expect I’ll finish the first draft by the end of this week. Which means the hard work of re-reading, rewriting, and editing awaits. Plus feedback from my beta readers, which is essential for finding issues with the story. I’m both excited and a little sad about this final chapter in the Divine Devils series. Though there is a possibility of more books featuring some of the other characters in the series, for now, this will be the end of this saga. Though one never knows what the future holds!

Though it’s still rough, here is a little tease from the beginning of Divine Retribution.

We returned home a couple weeks ago from South Dakota. The Wild Deadwood Reads book event was a wonderful success, with my best sales year ever. I even had a few people who had purchased books in the past, return to buy more books. Thanks to Richard and his wife LuAnn for stopping in to pick up their copy of Lethal Blues coming all the way up from Aurora Colorado. (Though stupid me forget to get a picture of them.) And Pam, who has come to the event all six years and buys one book from each author. Here are a few pictures from the book signing.

For the past three years for the Wild Deadwood Reads Raffle to raise money for the horse sanctuary, my father-in-law Danny has built a Little Free Library, while my daughter Dakota and wife Kim painted it. Here is this year’s Little Free Library, along with the winner, Sue, wearing the blue top. Not only did she get the Little Free Library, but it was full of books donated by many of the authors at the event, including three from me. Sue was thrilled to take it back home with her to Wyoming.

On the South Dakota trip Kim and I celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary with a swim at the pool in the RV park and dinner out with good food.

It has been ten years since my mother, Mona, passed away. She was a big Harley bike rider, along with the love of her life Donnie, who passed away last year. Both of them went to the bike rally in Sturgis many times. To honor and memorialize them both, we had bricks put in as part of the Sturgis Brick Project this spring. And we got to see them for the first time on our trip. They were two wonderful people we miss very much.

I have even more pictures of the 2023 Wild Deadwood Reads Event and other photos of our South Dakota Vacation. You can check out other pictures I’ve posted on the Fun Stuff page on my website.

I have only one event coming up in July. Orchard ‘Til Dark will be held on July 21st from 5-9PM. This is an outdoor event, so I’m hoping for dry weather since it’s rained quite a bit here on the Front Range this year. It will be held on Town Center Drive in Westminster Colorado in the Orchard Towne Shopping Center.

There is one new Prolific Works ebook giveaway for this month. Under Lock and Key – Mystery and Thriller GG runs until July 31st with 24 free eBooks you can find via this link.

I will end this month with a few more pictures from my garden. All our flowers are doing great and loving the plentiful moisture we’ve been getting across the state. Though we could do without the hail storms!

And here are a few pictures of some beautiful Irises from Steve, a reader of the newsletter. If you have pictures of your garden or at-home work projects, send them my way.

It’s time for me to get back to work on writing Divine Retribution. Thanks so much for reading my books and this newsletter. Summer is in full bloom, so enjoy yourself.

All the best!!

R Weir

I spent the week leading up to Memorial Day working on our latest yard project. Since we moved into the house going on nearly 4 years now, we wanted to replace most of the front grass with more waterwise plants, shrubs, and mulch. In this latest section, we had 300 square feet of sod removed. The front yard is now down to around 25% grass, which is a lot less for me to water and mow. Here are before and after pictures.

Elsewhere in our yard, we have Irises and Columbines blooming thanks to a wet spring. I have more photos on the Fun Stuff page on my website. If you have some pretty flowers or home projects to share, send them my way!

For those who don’t know, like many authors, I use Kindle Direct Publishing for my print-on-demand Paperbacks. Amazon, who owns KDP, recently announced that on June 20th they will be increasing the costs of those books. I’ve investigated this and the 6×9 print size I use for my books is only going up in cost by about 20 cents. So my plans, for now, are not to increase the price of the paperbacks I sell on Amazon or when you buy direct from me. And I have plenty of books on hand to sell at the lower cost point to get me through a good portion of the holiday selling season.

This brings me to a point I’ve made in the past. I’m always thrilled to sell my paperbacks, whether it’s from Amazon or direct from me. But I do make more profit on books purchased from me. Here is why. When you buy from Amazon, there are three costs to the book, the printing cost, the cost of selling the book through the Amazon marketplace, and then the profit I make, which is minuscule, but a double dip for Amazon. When you buy direct from me, there is only that first printing cost, and then my markup. In many cases buying directly from me is cheaper for you, and more profitable for me. Example: purchasing The Divine Devils from Amazon is $16.99 plus shipping. When you buy from me, it’s only $15 with free shipping (US only). As I mentioned, I’m thrilled no matter how you buy the book. But it’s nice not to give Amazon too much of the profit, for I don’t think Mister Bezos needs any more money to pay for his rocket rides into space!

Speaking of books, don’t forget to pick up the latest Jarvis Mann PI novel, Lethal Blues. This story brings Jarvis back after a several-year layoff, to help an old client of his track down a missing friend. Which leads to a murder and an illicit Fentanyl ring. You can read Chapters One and Two on my website, along with previews of other books. The book is available in eBook, Paperback, and on Kindle Unlimited. Or you can buy a signed paperback copy direct from me for $15 with free shipping (US only). You can order any of my other books through my website. Just remember to hit the submit button at the bottom after filling out all the required fields. Books generally get shipped out within two days.

I’ve sent out to my beta readers the first 43 chapters of Divine Retribution. This will be the fourth and likely last book in the Divine Devils series and bring about a resolution to all that has happened in the first three books. My hope is to get the first draft finished before our upcoming trip which I mention below. And if all goes well, have this book out before the end of the year.

We have been busy getting ready for our big trip to South Dakota for the Wild Deadwood Reads Author Event. This will be the sixth year we’ve traveled there, this time in our brand-new motorhome. We will arrive on June 15th and not return until the 23rd. I plan to have lots of pictures from the event as well as the sights we’ll visit throughout the state. If you live in the area be sure to stop by the event. It is free to attend and is held at the Lodge at Deadwood Hotel.

This month there is only one new Prolific Works free eBook giveaway for you to check out. Through the Trees – Mystery and Thriller GG has 34 eBooks available until June 30th via this link.

Last month my daughter Dakota bought her first brand-new car. A 2023 Subaru Forester she had to wait a month to get. A car completely paid for with her own money. A chip off the old block when it comes to saving money, which makes her mother and me proud!

I need to get back to getting ready for our first big summer trip. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or to say hello. I love hearing from all of you.

All the best!!

R Weir

We took our first trip in our new motorhome last week. I even wrote much of this newsletter while sitting at our U-shaped dinette. The trip was designed to get acquainted with the motorhome and make sure everything works properly. So far, there have only been a couple small hiccups, thankfully. With the help of our phone’s 5G hotspot, my wife was able to do her job from the motorhome for two days with no significant issues. This gives us options in the future to travel, since her career allows her to work remotely. And our dog Abby was thrilled with the larger design of the unit to stretch out in, including our bed. Here are a few pictures. If you have an RV or travel trailer, send pictures my way. I’d love to see them.

Though I am an author now of 13 books, believe it or not, I don’t write non-stop for hours at a time, every day. I wish I could, for I’d get my books done sooner. I’m very much a streak writer, as the words flow out of me until the well runs dry and I must take a break to recharge. I have other things I enjoy doing and need to do around the house, which is part of the recharge process. So here is a quick rundown of a normal day for me.

Most mornings I’m up at 6 a.m. to feed the dog and get her outside. My daughter then gets up with her dog to do the same. Once they are both done, we go back upstairs where Abby and Nuka wake up Kim so she can get ready to work by 7 a.m. Once she is up, I work out for roughly an hour to get my heart, old bones, and muscles moving. I then eat breakfast and shower. Being a part-time IT Professional, I get the pleasure to pick and choose jobs I want to do. Those jobs can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours. If there is no job that day, I will spend time working outside in the yard, cleaning the house, doing laundry, and other chores. Though I call them chores, many of them I find relaxing. And then most nights I make dinner for Kim and Dakota, and we spend the rest of the evening relaxing.

On those days when inspiration strikes, which is quite often lately, I will stand at my desk and write, picking up where I left off on my current project. This can go for 2 to 6 hours with several thousand words written, with a break in between for lunch. Right now I’m working on the next Divine Devils book, with over 84k words written to date. I’m one of those who will write on only one project at a time, though I did start the fourth Divine Devils book and then stopped to write Lethal Blues, the latest Jarvis Mann case. Normally I’m not one to work on two projects at once, though ideas for future books are always in motion in my head, which might require me to make notes to refer back to in the future.

Speaking of Lethal Blues, I continue to get more wonderful reviews on the new Jarvis Mann PI case. A book I’m quite proud of and I want to get into as many reader’s hands as possible. If you enjoyed the book, please share it with others who might be interested. If they like paperbacks, I’m mailing out signed copies of Lethal Blues and any of the other books in both series. The cost of shipping is included in the price of the book (US only). You can find the order form to buy paperbacks directly from my website via this link.

Here are two new reviews for Lethal Blues and I can always use more!

Reviewed by Gina: Jarvis Mann is back in action in Lethal Blues, embodying his trademark gritty and brash persona as he works with Dennis Gash, his very first client from “The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card.”

A seasoned hard-boiled detective, Jarvis Mann is armed with a quick wit, a sharp tongue, and street smarts. Mann is right at home, tackling the underworld drug scene in Denver.

Although Lethal Blues is the ninth installment in the series, it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel thanks to the comprehensive backstory provided. Nevertheless, readers who start with this book will surely be enticed to read the previous works.

Packed with menacing criminal characters and plot twists at every turn, Lethal Blues is a thrilling read that is guaranteed to satisfy fans of mystery, suspense, and the classic gumshoe detective genre.

Reviewed by Kevin: This was the first novel I’ve read from R. Weir. It kept me engaged with characters I came to care about and an intriguing story. I’ll read more of his Jarvis Mann adventures.

This a reminder I still have a few free paperbacks of The Divine Devils available for anyone interested. These books have a little bit of damage to them after Amazon did a bad job of packing them and refunded me the money. Mostly a creased corner on the ends and a few wrinkled pages. All you need to do is pay for the cost of mailing them (US only please). Plus you can add the next two books in the series, Fallen Star and Sold Souls. You will get all three mailed to you for $30 plus the cost of shipping, which is a great deal. And of course, I’ll sign them.

I had a good time at the Readers Take Denver Event. I didn’t sell a ton of books, but I did get to meet some interesting people. Here is a new fan, Harriett, who bought the Divine Devils series.

I had two winners of $10 Amazon Gift Cards at the events I did over the last month. They were Cody and Ivette, who each received them electronically. Thanks to them and all the others who stopped by my table to say hello. I will be doing giveaways at most of the events I’m attending this year. All you need to do is stop at my table and sign-up for this newsletter for a chance to win. And you get additional chances to win with any books you purchase.

My next event is a big one in June. The Wild Deadwood Reads event is held in Deadwood South Dakota. This will be the 6th year of this author event and it’s always a good time to see authors and readers I’ve met through the years, as well as meet new people. We’ll be taking our motorhome and making a 10-day vacation out of the trip. We hope to take lots of pictures, which I’ll share here and on the Fun Stuff tab on the website.

Another month of Prolific Works free ebooks for you to check out.

The first, Unknown Caller – Mystery and Thriller GG, ends on May 16th (Today) and includes 30 eBooks to download via this link.

The next is A Book Club to Die For – Thriller & Crime Giveaway which ends June 3rd with 20 ebooks you can look over via this link.

And last is Mysteries Your Mother Never Told… which runs until Dec 2024 with 54 eBooks to download via this link.

I’ve been sharing pictures of my garden and the yard work we’ve been doing, with another big project planned for Memorial Day weekend. Avis, who is one of my readers, sent me these two pictures of their backyard and the work they’ve done in the past, which looks great. If you have pictures of work projects of any kind you’d like to share, please send them my way. I’d love to post them in the newsletter and on my website.

A belated Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. Thanks for all you do to make our lives special. With my wonderful wife Kim, we celebrated both Mother’s Day and her Birthday. Here she is sitting in one of our favorite restaurants, Great Scotts, where we had a wonderful meal and she had a free slice of delicious apple pie.

I will say goodbye until next month. If you signed up for this newsletter and didn’t take advantage of the free eBook offer for Tracking A Shadow, A Jarvis Mann Hardboiled Detective eBook, send me an email and I’ll send you a copy. And please be sure to share with all your friends this newsletter or positive feedback on any of my books. Word of mouth helps my sales and I’m offering free shipping on all of my books (US Only) for the next several months.

Be safe, happy, and healthy!!

R Weir

With a cold, wet winter and early spring so far here in Colorado, it’s going to heat up this week and reach the lower 80’s. Hot, dry weather which seems to fuel more wildfires here in the state. I will be pulling out my garden hose to start watering, for it’s too early to turn on the sprinkler system, since we still can have freezing temps into May. We do have a few flowers starting to bloom on the side of the house. And we have another project on the front yard to remove more grass, and add mulch and water-wise flowers, to save water. This will keep me busy through spring, along with three events I have scheduled which I’ll talk about later. What type of spring project do you have to tackle? I’d love to hear about them, so drop me an email or send pictures. I’d love to share them.

This past month we made the plunge and upgraded our motorhome. This unit is a little shorter, but roomier inside with a large slideout. Our plan is to use it more and travel to other author events around the country. Our first big trip to South Dakota in the middle of June. Kim’s job allows her to work remotely, and this motorhome gives her more room to do so than our previous unit. Here are a few pictures I’ll share.

My new release, Lethal Blues has gone well, with decent sales, Kindle Unlimited reads, and fabulous reviews. The book brought back the private eye Jarvis Mann after several years. Those who have read the series know I left Jarvis in retirement after book 8, Mann in the Crossfire. My plan was to stretch as a writer and work on a new, gritter crime series, The Divine Devils. When I finished Mann in the Crossfire, I didn’t believe I would write any more books in the series. But after the intense third book in the Divine Devils series, Sold Souls, I needed a break. I had a solid idea that I thought worked well to bring Jarvis back. His personality is one I enjoyed creating, especially when it came to his snarky humor. That joy will lead to a 10th book in the series, which I teased at the end of Lethal Blues. A book I’ll begin writing once I’ve finished book 4 in the Divine Devils series, Divine Retribution. That book hopefully will be released later this year.

Lethal Blues is available from Amazon in eBook, paperback, or on Kindle Unlimited. Or you can get a signed copy of the paperback mailed to you for $15 (US Only) by going to this link. Here are two more wonderful reviews for Lethal Blues including a Gold Medal 5-Star editorial rating from Readers Favorite:

Reviewed by Andy Hutchings for Readers’ Favorite: I’ve recently had the pleasure of enjoying Randy Weir’s latest installment in the Jarvis Mann Detective series, Lethal Blues. The story follows detective Jarvis Mann as he is pulled out of his retirement after the roaring narcotics trade in Denver starts leaving a body count. As Jarvis begins hunting down the dealers and gang members responsible for the rise in fentanyl, he descends into a deadly world where the desperate and greedy will do anything to protect their product. Jarvis’ characterization throughout the story is sublime with layers of fascinating nuances, giving us engaging and thought-provoking insight into the harsh reality of the drug world and its dangers.

I found myself devouring each page as the tension and stakes got ever higher with each encounter. Randy Weir demonstrates a prose style that demands our attention and rewards us with excitement as original and unpredictable twists and turns draw us deeper into Jarvis’ world. As Jarvis meets both victim and perpetrator alike through his investigation, Lethal Blues paints a vivid and alarming portrait of the world of narcotics. This story is a credit to the mystery genre, with a complex web of people and their motives, of actions and their consequences, and of greed and the victims it leaves in its wake, all whilst portraying the underworld of Denver with stunning attention to detail that brings the action to life. A must-read for fans of mystery. I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Shelly: “I flipped through the pages as I read and stopped occasionally, glancing out the window in search of danger. I wondered if any of my life stories would make for good reading. Or even could be created into a multi-episode series to be shown on one of the popular streaming platforms. My outrageous life and adventures made for stirring drama. But who would ever believe any of these situations could have happened to one person. Even when living them, I had a hard time believing the serial plotlines to my life.“

Well Jarvis Mann your life has made some great stories. Lethal Blue did not disappoint. Even though it seems Jarvis left the PI lifestyle behind but jumped back in with both feet when a friend needed him. Jarvis lets Dennis assist him but when they find the potent drugs are involved Jarvis doesn’t want Dennis involved.

This story has some dangerous villains. The pages are full of danger wherever Jarvis turns. It makes for some nail biting moments. You will be guessing until the very end. There were plenty of twists and turns. A story that will definitely keep you turning the pages hoping Jarvis or Dennis don’t get hurt. Then the ending ………. Is a horrible villain from the past going to reappear.

Last week I appeared on The After Show with McKensie Stewart and Amy Shannon. Amy is a big fan of my books and we talked about my writing journey and process. I even read an excerpt from Lethal Blues. You can check it out via this link.

I did attend the Readers Take Denver author event last month. I sold a few books and had several people sign-up for my newsletter. So a joyful welcome to all of you who are reading my work for the first time. Here are a couple of pictures from the event, including Harriet who purchased The Divine Devils. You can find more via this link.

I have three straight weekends of events starting April 22nd. Information is below and in the Events section of this newsletter or on my website. If you’re in the area for any of these events stop by and say hello!

This month’s Prolific Works free eBooks begin with Dead in the Water – Mystery and Thriller GG. With 22 free eBooks available until April 18th via this link.

A Book Club to Die For – Thriller & Crime Giveaway runs until June 3rd with 20 free eBooks you can check out via this link.

Starting April 18th is the Unknown Caller – Mystery and Thriller GG that will run until May 16th. Available on this link after that date.

Finally, I ran a promo providing a free eBook copy of the Jarvis Mann Detective Boxset Vol 1. I’m thrilled to say the promo allowed the boxset to hit #1 on the Amazon Hard-Boiled Mysteries Bestseller list and was as high as Number 31 on the overall Amazon Bestseller List. Thanks to everyone who downloaded the eBook. If you had a chance to read it, I hope you’ll post a review or rating on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub. If you enjoyed Boxset Vol 1, I hope you’ll purchase the Jarvis Mann Detective Boxset Vol 2 on Amazon. Over 1100 pages, with four great private eye cases for only $9.99 or free on Kindle Unlimited.

Thanks again for reading this newsletter and my books. Don’t hesitate to email me with any questions or comments. I love to hear from everyone and I generally answer back within 24 hours.

Take care!!

R Weir

After several years of retirement, private eye Jarvis Mann is back in Lethal Blues. The eBook available tomorrow (March 10th). Those of you who pre-ordered will get the book automatically from Amazon. Those who haven’t can still order the book at the pre-order price of $2.99 until March 15th (And be available on Kindle Unlimited). After that date, the eBook will be $4.99. So take advantage of the special price. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in Jarvis’ latest case. And there will be a little teaser at the end for a future 10th book in the series. Here is the Amazon link for purchasing Lethal Blues.

I have a few early reviews of Lethal Blues to share and they have been overwhelmingly positive.

Jarvis Mann is magnetic. R Weir writes a thrilling crime investigatory tale with Lethal Blues. The minute I read the first Jarvis Mann book, I knew I would want to read more of his escapes, wit, and clear-headedness and a mind for solving crimes dropped in his lap. Mann is one hell of an investigator, and this one, all I can say is wow. The fight this time, is drugs. It relates well to the sign of our times, where opioids and fentanyl are killing people, and the addiction rate is rising, almost as high as its death rate. This book is part of the Jarvis Mann series, and this is volume nine. Though each book is its own case, I recommend reading all of them from the beginning. You get to see Mann go through his cases, you learn about his quirks, and intuition, and even some of his private life. Nothing ever goes as planned, and just when I thought Mann’s stories couldn’t get any better, I read this one. R Weir shows his character’s growth, and his own imagination that we are lucky he puts on paper for us to read and enjoy. Weir’s passion for his characters leap off the pages, and that is what a true storyteller can do. Sometimes you have to put the book down, just to take a breath. Lethal Blues is a definite recommendation by Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews.

This was my first Jarvis Mann detective book. I’m hooked and now must go back and read the other 8 books in the series. Jarvis is quite a character. He reminds me of an old school detective with his sarcasm, witty comments and street smart demeanor. In the story, he finds himself forced out of retirement to work a case for an old neighborhood friend. The case assignment is to locate a missing person. As Jarvis begins looking into the case, he uncovers a suspicious hit and run death that might be murder. Throw in a few gang members, a suspicious drug stash and some unscrupulous law enforcement agents, and you get a recipe for a very good detective story – Charlene

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had missed reading Jarvis Mann P.I. books after Book 3. However, I was not disappointed. His life had obviously moved on and I was trying to piece together what had happened in between. There were clues though, enough to be able to read this as a stand alone. Exciting stuff reuniting old friends from the “Case of the Missing Bubblegum Card” with more sinister undertones. A great story of the lengths that good friends and family can go to in order to get someone out of a big hole that drug addiction has dropped them into. Three friends who left college and took different paths leading to one murder, the disappearance of another and the third friend employing Jarvis Mann to find out what the hell is happening. Once again he puts his life on the line as his P.I. adrenaline kicks in. I felt the plot was complicated and therefore a little bit confusing at times but this could simply be that I had lost the flow of the author as I was a few books behind. You feel the excitement, tension, frustration and sadness for such a subject. But then life is complicated and it’s easy to go down the wrong path. It is written in first person – the usual P.I. narrative – reminding me of the black and white P.I.movies which I love. A thrilling read and page turner. Highly recommended if you enjoy P.I. mysteries. I must read the books in between that I have missed and look forward to the next in series-Avis

Jarvis Mann has returned! He is just as gritty, snarky, and fearless as ever before. This case hits close to home as it involves the three boys, now young men, who were involved in “The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card.” What appeared to be a simple hit and run is more sinister as Jarvis delves deeper into the incident. He is pulled into the darkness that is the drug trade when looking for a missing friend. Jarvis meets some of the most antagonistic villains of his career in this convoluted case. A rogue fed with partners Rabid and Torrid have painted a bullseye on Jarvis’ back and they play for keeps. This case gets more and more intense as the story plays out.  All the characters in this menacing story are well fleshed out with back stories. The villains are seemingly untouchable, which makes for some major frustrations. There are some surprising elements in the drug scene and murder which one just can’t see coming. This novel has a lot of things going on at once, but it is easy to follow and enjoy. “Lethal Blues” is a story so awesome that once started, it cannot be put down! Belinda

I have received the paperback copies of Lethal Blues to sell to those interested. I will sign and mail a copy for $15 (US Mailing only please). Or if you live in the Denver metro area, I can meet you here locally if you don’t want to wait for USPS to deliver the book. You can order the paperback of Lethal Blues and any of my other books via the Order Form on my website.

Here are links to Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 of Lethal Blues. And below is another little snippet from the book:

“Fentanyl is the latest in the long line of popular drugs,” Catalina noted. “Usage and deaths are sky rocketing. If I were you Jarvis, I’d leave this one alone. It would be sad seeing you dead.”
“It wouldn’t make my day either,” I added with a chuckle.
Catalina had joined the long line of people telling me I’d be smart in backing out, though I had rarely in my life made the smart choice.

As promised with the release of Lethal Blues I’m running a free promo for the Jarvis Mann Detective Boxset Vol 1 which will run from March 10th thru March 15th. I hope everyone will take advantage of this great deal and download the eBook which includes the first four books in the Jarvis Mann PI series: The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card, Tracking A Shadow, Twice as Fatal, and Blood Brothers. Over 600 pages of snarky banter and fierce cases for Jarvis to solve. Please share this with everyone you know, so I can hopefully push the book to the top of the Amazon charts. Here is the Amazon Link for you to download the eBook and share.

And of course, you can add the Jarvis Mann Detective Box Set Vol 2 for only $9.99. Over 1000 pages which include books 5-8 in the series: Dead Man Code, The Case of the Invisible Souls, The Front Range Butcher, and Mann in the Crossfire. You can find Vol 2 via this Amazon Link.

Reviews, reviews, and more reviews. I would love to see more reviews on all of my books. The best place to post them is on Amazon, but Goodreads and Bookbub are great places to leave reviews. Right now on Amazon I’m sitting on 99 reviews for The Divine Devils, and I’d love to get this over 100, which would join two other books of mine on Amazon, The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card and Tracking A Shadow, in the 100 review club. If you have a spare moment please post on any or all of these sights. When I see new reviews I often share them here in the newsletter and on social media. Thanks so much for helping me out.

Speaking of reviews, here are a couple of recent reviews I received on a few of my older books.

The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card: With the wisecracks and narrative style this reminds me of all the interesting old time radio PI’s from the 1940’s and the story is told in an easy to read way that even for a short story managed to include a fair amount of detail – Kevin

Tracking A Shadow: The main character is likeable, the plot engaging and the narrative well presented. Much of the allure of the novel stems from its adherence to classic tropes of the genre. The author adds just enough post-modern vulnerabilities and sensibilities to make the story relevant to our times, but not so much as to deconstruct what draws us to the novel and keeps us reading till the end – Ralph

Twice As Fatal: I really enjoyed this book. A page turner! Christina

A reminder I will be at the Readers Take Denver Author Event, being held at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Denver. A large number of wonderful authors will be there covering both the Thriller and Romance genres. You can find out more on their website.

Another month of free eBooks via Prolific Works. First is Nowhere to Hide – Mystery and Thriller GG with 29 eBooks you can find via this link until March 14th

Next is A Book Club to Die For – Thriller & Crime Giveaway with 13 books you can download via this link until June 3rd.

Mysteries Your Mother Never Told… with 54 books to download via this link.

And finally, Dead in the Water – Mystery and Thriller GG begins March 14th and goes until April 18th with free eBooks you can find via this link.

One final reminder to order the eBook or paperback version of Lethal Blues. As well as download the free eBook of the Jarvis Mann Detective Boxset Vol 1, which will be free through March 14th. Even if you already own the first four books in the Jarvis Mann PI Series, I’d love it if you’d still download it, to move me up the Amazon Bestseller charts. And please share with everyone you know who loves to read.

Thanks for all of your support! Have a wonderful rest of your week.

R Weir

This is a special addition of the newsletter to announce the finalized release date of March 10th for the eBook Lethal Blues: A Jarvis Mann HardBoiled Detective Mystery Novel. The 9th in the series is now available to purchase at the pre-order price of $2.99 on Amazon, which is a $2 savings over the $4.99 release price. You can check out pre-views of Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 of Lethal Blues on my website. Below is another snipnet from the book not included in the chapter pre-views.

Back at the Mustang, Dennis looked over the wet roof at me. “The day before he disappeared, he was here. Does that tell us anything?”
“It means something, I’m sure. Another piece to the equation, though they aren’t fitting together to give us any concrete answers.”
“Is that normally how your cases go?”
I laughed and nodded. It often seemed until the threats and shooting started, I rarely had answers. It was another fact of being a private eye I’d keep to myself for now.

I’m waiting to get the paperback proof of Lethal Blues to approve, which will arrive this week. Once I approve it, the paperback will be live on Amazon and I’ll order copies for me to sell directly, which will take a couple weeks to arrive. The price to receive them direct, will be $15 with free shipping (US Only). And of course I will sign them. You can order Lethal Blues via the form on my website, along with all my other books.

Here is the eBook cover for Lethal Blues for you to check out.

And here is the paperback cover:

As I mentioned in my last newsletter, with the releae of Lethal Blues I’ll be running a free eBook promo from March 10th through March 14th for the Jarvis Mann Private Detective Series Box Set: Books 1-4 which is normally $7.99. This boxset is over 600 pages featuring the first four books in the series: The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card, Tracking A Shadow, Twice As Fatal and Blood Brothers. All four books averaging over 4.1 Stars on Amazon and Goodreads. And while you’re at it, you can download the second box set for only $9.99. That is over 1000 pages of Jarvis fighting the bad guys, which includes: Dead Man Code, The Case of the Invisible Souls, The Front Range Butcher and Mann in the Crossfire. Set your calendars as a reminder so you don’t miss out on adding these to your Kindle.

That is all for this special addition newsletter. I’ll be emailing the next one out on March 9th, as a reminder of the free Jarvis Mann Box Set promo and in advance of the release date for Lethal Blues.

All the best!!

R Weir

It’s a new year, which means a new book. I’m pleased to announce the text is finished for the release of the ninth book in the Jarvis Mann Private Eye series, Lethal Blues. I’m setting the eBook release for March 1st. The release date is pending on getting the cover finished, as my cover artist has had health issues. But I’m crossing my fingers that this date will be met, with the paperback to be released shortly after. You will get a preview of the new cover in the coming weeks in this newsletter.

In the meantime, I’ve posted previews of Chapter One and Chapter Two to whet your appetite. And here is the synopsis for Lethal Blues:

I’ve begun reaching out to my stable of early readers to post reviews of Lethal Blues. If you were an early reader for me in the past, and don’t hear from me, be sure to send me an email and I’ll get back to you. Those early reviews are important for the book upon release. And I do plan on doing a pre-release price on the book. At this time I haven’t decided on what the price will be, so stay tuned. And I’m also planning on running a special deal on the first box set of the Jarvis Mann Series around the release date. Watch for news on this as well.

Now that the writing on Lethal Blues is completed, I’m spending most of my writing time on the next Divine Devils book. I’ve written around 20 chapters to date, and my plan is to hopefully have it out in time for the 2023 holiday season. This will be book 4 and will likely conclude the series. Though one never knows for certain. Depending on the length of the story, a 5th book might be necessary. For now, be sure to pick up the first three books in the series: The Divine Devils, Fallen Star, and Sold Souls. All are available on Amazon in eBook, paperback, and on Kindle Unlimited. Here are a few 5-Star reviews I’ve received for each of the three books in this award-winning series.

The Divine Devils: What a fantastic start to a series. This book had me glued with suspense, mystery, edge of seat danger, loads of action and intrigue. The writing just draws you in, and it’s almost like watching a movie. The characterisation is spot on and I was vested from the beginning. I am so looking forward to following this series -Rayne’s Reviews

Fallen Star: This is a very action-packed book. The characters are solid and the plot is strong and intense. I especially enjoyed Hunter’s character and his crew. They definitely handled everything and got the job done. The story is very realistic and is a definite page-turner. Awesome read! – La Toya

Sold Souls: The dynamic plot is fast paced, and the story arc is both gripping and gritty. Sold Souls is another R. Weir tale that I highly recommend. – Julie

If you’re interested in a paperback version of any of my books and would like them signed, I do still have the deal going where I will ship the books at their regular price, with free shipping (US Shipping Only). The books range from $5 to $15 in price. You can now place your paperback book order via my website through this form.

And I still have a few of those damaged copies of The Divine Devils, which I will give away free, with only a $5 shipping cost (US Shipping Only). Several of them have only minor issues, like a bent corner or a little dirt on the edge of the book. And I will send you the best of what I have remaining. You can place an order via my website. Just look for the Damaged Book section at the bottom of the form.

A reminder the next event I have will be at the end of March. Readers Take Denver will have over 100 authors in both the Romance and Thriller categories. It will be held in downtown Denver at the Grand Hyatt. You can find out more information and buy tickets to attend via their website. And I have a pre-order form you can access to order books in advance via this link which can be picked up during the two author signings on Friday and Saturday.

Here are more free eBooks via Prolific Works which you can download. The first is Mysterious Figures – Mystery and Thriller GG with 21 eBooks which will run until Feb 14th. You can find them via this link.

The Woman in the Library – Thriller & Crime Giveaway with 8 free eBooks available until Feb 28th which you can find via this link.

Partner In Crime – Cozy Mystery GG runs until Feb 28th with 20 eBooks you can find here.

I get many nice emails from readers who’ve bought and read my books. One I received this last week I’ll share.

Hello
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading the Jarvis Mann PI books, they were all amazing. I bought the set of books at the Mollie McGee show in Longmont 2022. It was a pleasure meeting you and was impressed that you signed every book for me. Thank you for that!
I read the books one right after the other, they were so good!!! I am now looking forward to buying and reading The Divine Devils series.
Keep writing books so I can keep reading them
A fan
Laura

Thanks to Laura for the kind email. And thanks to all of you for supporting my work. It’s wonderful to know all the hours spent are worth the work to entertain readers.

My newsletter numbers continue to grow. Welcome to everyone who signed up these past months. Those who sign up are offered a free eBook version of Tracking A Shadow. If you didn’t get the offer, email me and I’ll send it over to you right away.

Here is a short teaser from Lethal Blues as an added bonus for you to enjoy:

None of your f***ing business,” yelled Blondie.

Even in the noise of the pub people turned around, wondering what was going on. Too many witnesses being my best defense.

“Are you two still working for Powers?” I had my hands on my hip. One near my gun just in case.
Blondie repeated his last statement. Apparently, it was two for one happy hour time.

“I suspect you still do, unless he canned you for getting your assed kicked by me.” I opened my coat to show them my gun. “I know you two are armed. So am I. Let’s keep it civil as I don’t want anyone in this place to get hurt. If Powers is looking for this girl, I’d be happy to discuss it with him and only him. I might have information that will prove useful.”

Flattop looked me up and down. “Maybe he can be of some use.”

After a moment of contemplation, Blondie nodded. “How do we get hold of you?”

I pointed my finger at my back pocket, making sure they understood I was going for my wallet. I pulled out a business card and set it on the table next to me. “He can call my business number, and we can arrange a meeting.”

“We’ll pass on the info,” said Blondie. “But that don’t mean we won’t be looking to even the score down the road.”

I started walking backwards, holding my hands up, trying not to trip over anything on the way out. “I’m all about love and peace these days, gentlemen.” I made the front entrance and blew them both a kiss. I don’t think it lessened their anger toward me in the least bit.

And finally, a quiet moment with Kim and Dakota relaxing with the dogs.

Have a joyful week of reading!!

R Weir

I hope everyone had a marvelous Christmas. I spent a quiet holiday weekend with the family, staying warm by our electric fireplace, all of us enjoying many holiday movies. My personal favorite is National Lampoon’s Christman Vacation. With some of the scenes filmed here in Colorado. A movie that never fails to make me laugh. Others we enjoy are Elf, Home Alone, The Santa Clause, and Polar Express. I’d love to hear about your favorite holiday movies to watch.

I made it through all my events and Christmas by the skin of my teeth. I, unfortunately, got COVID right after my November 27th event in Douglas County. The virus knocked me down for about 10 days, so I had to miss the December 3rd Event in Adams County. This was the first time I’d missed an event due to illness. Disappointing, but unavoidable. If you had gone to the event hoping to buy books, I apologize for not being there. And if you couldn’t get to my last two events and are still interested in books, read down further, as I have a few great offers on paperbacks.

With all the events I did, going nearly non-stop since August, I had to order many paperback books so I wouldn’t run short. For those who don’t know, my paperbacks come from Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), which is tied to Amazon. With all those orders, I had a lot of quality issues with books, many of which I had to return to Amazon. Whether it be poor quality of the print, the books getting put together with pages upside down, and even instances where the cut on the pages and covers were crooked. This has been an ongoing issue with KDP. One I’ve tried to get resolved to no avail. Many times the books are shipped in too small a box, with little packing and poor tape to seal the box, the tape breaking during shipment. Many shipping companies when handling boxes will often throw them onto conveyors and into the back of trucks when loading, causing the boxes to be damaged or break open. I had one box of 18 Divine Devils books that was repackaged by someone before it was delivered to my house, the broken pieces of the box inside and the books themselves all damaged. My anger with KDP/Amazon led them to refund me the money on the books and I didn’t have to return them. If you ordered books from Amazon and the quality was poor as I mentioned above, please don’t hesitate to return them and get a refund and/or a replacement. I do check all the books I sell, but occasionally one could slip through with issues. If I sold you a book that had any of the issues I mentioned above, then don’t hesitate to reach out and I’ll get the issue resolved free of charge. I’ve included a couple of pictures below of the issues I’ve experienced.

Because I didn’t need to return the 18 Divine Devils books, Amazon told me to do with them as I pleased. Many of the books are pretty well damaged, with bent pages and covers, and dirt on the ends, ones I certainly don’t want to sell to people. What I decided to do is offer them up for free to anyone who is interested. If you live within the Denver Metro area, I can bring them to you or you can come to me to get the book. If you live outside Denver, I will mail the book out for only the cost of shipping, so long as it’s in the US. The cost runs around $4 to ship the book but varies on where you live. If you’re interested you can email me, and we can work out the details. And yes I will sign the book, and pick out one that is in the best shape, while supplies last.

Unfortunately for me, I ordered more books than I needed for all the events I did. Losing one week hurt me, and the last several events hadn’t been as big as many of my earlier ones. This though is good for you, as I will offer up any of my paperbacks for their normal price and I’ll pay the shipping cost (US Only). This goes for all the books in both the Jarvis Mann and Divine Devils series. Depending on the book, costs run from $5-$15 per book. I will be able to take payment via Paypal or Venmo. All you need to do is email me and we can work out all the details.

Though the later events were slower, I still sold a good number of books, including several who bought an entire series. Here is Tom and his lovely wife (whose name I forgot to get), who bought all 7 of the Jarvis Mann PI books. And there were many more who bought one or the other of my series. Darn it all, I wished I had taken more pictures. If you bought any of my books now or in the past, please send me a photo of you with the books and I’ll be sure to share it.

Many more people signed up for my newsletter this past month. Welcome to all of you. Those who sign-up are offered a free eBook of Tracking A Shadow, the first novel in the Jarvis Mann PI series. If you didn’t see the offer in your inbox, check your spam folder or send me an email and I’ll get the ebook sent out to you right away. And congratulations to two more winners of the $10 Amazon Gift Card, Merlinda and Kristina. Thanks to everyone who stopped by my table at all the events this year. It was a lot of fun meeting and talking with all of you.

I’m close to sending my new book, Lethal Blues off to my editor. And my cover artist Mia will be working on the cover starting this week. Getting the book to the point over the next month where I can start looking at setting a release date, which I know many of you are anxious to learn. While I’m waiting for my editor, I’ll be continuing on the next Divine Devils book, which already has been started. The working title: Divine Retribution. A long road ahead to getting the book done, with my hopes of it being released by end of the year. In the meantime, as promised here is a preview of Chapter 1 of Lethal Blues. This is still a rough draft and not the final version, but will give you a small taste of private eye Jarvis Mann’s return.

With the new year on the horizon, I can take a short breath after doing 23 events. Still, I can’t rest for too long, as I must start planning for 2023. Many events require me to schedule and pay for them 6-9 months in advance. My plans are to search for a few new events to do in hopes of hitting a few different areas in town and even out of state. I already have two scheduled, one a new author event down at the Denver Convention Center, Readers Take Denver. This one runs for 4 days with lots of authors from all over the country coming. More information can be found on their website, including purchasing tickets.

I’ve added a couple more menus under my Fun Stuff page on my website. This includes Wildlife Videos and Family Time. With more photos and videos being added all the time. So stop by and check it out!

This month there are several more Prolific Works free eBook giveaways. Starting with Make your Newsletter Subscribers take off like Santa this Christmas which runs through December 31st with 36 great books you access via this link.

Mystery Reads runs until December 31st with 39 great eBooks you can access via this link.

Hidden Clues – Mystery and Thriller GG runs until January 17th with 23 books you can find via this link.

The Woman in the Library – Thriller & Crime Giveaway runs until February 28th with 8 books to check out via this link.

I will close off the last newsletter of 2022, with a hardy thank you to you all. I love hearing back from readers who enjoy the newsletter and my books. It’s been a great 2022 for me, thanks to all of you. I hope you all have a blessed, prosperous, safe, and peaceful New Year.

R Weir