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One of the reasons we author’s have people proofread their work is because we make mistakes when writing no matter how much editing we do. And it would appear I need a proofreader for my newsletters as well, as I put the wrong email link for the contest I’m running. If you read the newsletter I sent yesterday and tried to email me only to have it bounce back undeliverable, here is the text, with the correct link in it. Again my apologies for the mistake.

***Contest Time***

I’ve been thinking over what type of contest I want to run, as we get closer to the holiday season, to giveaway a few of my books. Since my genre is Mystery/Detective, I’m curious what readers out there look for in a book in that genre. What are the key elements in that type of book that catches your eye, grabs and holds you to the story? Book cover, plot, characters, settings, suspense, action; whatever keeps you engrossed in a story, I’d like to hear about. Please email me your thoughts with as much detail as you’d like. From those emails, I will announce in a future newsletter a winner of a free signed paperback copy of any one of my books. I will have to limit this to US-based readers only when it comes to the paperback. But I will give away a free ebook or two, for responses from anyone outside the US that I like. Send to my email address linked here. I always enjoy hearing what readers love in a good book.

R Weir

October is here, with winter weather in the forecast for Colorado, so I’ve been busy this past week getting our home, the yard and our motorhome ready for the cold, wet air. On the last weekend of September, Kim and I went to visit our daughter Dakota up in Laramie on Parents Weekend. It was wonderful to see her, as she is enjoying college life, doing great in her classes and making new friends. Laramie is very much a college town, with more than half the population of the city either students or faculty, but still with a warm small-town atmosphere. It is a marvelous place for Dakota to expand her mind and get her degree.

As I continue down memory lane, after The Case of the Invisible Souls, I knew the next book was going to deal with a serial killer. It wasn’t long before I had the title and a basic outline in my head, though the book evolved, as they often do, into a much more complex plot. Besides the serial killer story, there are two other major plots in this book. to keep you guessing with each turn of the page. It was an ambitious dark turn for me, as I stretched my writing skills, putting Jarvis into a situation to test him in ways he’d never been tested before.

One of the sad aspects of life is these monsters do exist. As part of my research, I found some detailed horrifying information on serial killers; the FBI categorizing them into 4 different types, with some killers crossing into more than one category. I looked at some of the well documented serial killers; The Zodiac Killer, Ted Bundy, Jack the Ripper and so on. Trying to understand what made them tick. How they evolved into these horrible people. Research that was hard to fathom and at times invaded my dreams, making it hard to sleep. But I wanted to create a realistic and multi-dimensional killer for Jarvis to go eye to eye with, in a psychological battle of wills. A killer who returns after 22 years of retirement, tracking down new victims, the gruesome murders starting again, front page headlines scaring the public. The novel, The Front Range Butcher, was my longest, most complex and best book yet in the Jarvis Mann PI series. At over 400 pages it is an “edge of your seat thriller that will keep you engrossed” if I may borrow a line from one of my 5-star reviews. You can purchase The Front Range Butcher on Amazon, in ebook, paperback, and via Kindle Unlimited subscription. Check it out today, especially if you are a fan of hardboiled private eye action against a smart, coy and devious serial killer. It’s a spooky story that will get you in the mood for Halloween!

Here are some recent snippets from 5-star reviews of The Front Range Butcher:

The Front Range Butcher: A Jarvis Mann Private Detective Novel by R. Weir was fantastic! It was interesting and intriguing to read through the Butchers eyes, even if only every so often. I thought the author did a wonderful job with painting the pictures, even so gruesome – Kristan Anderson

What I didn’t expect was to sit on the edge of my seat the entire time while reading this book. Oh, my goodness – this author’s writing style had me all over the place. The suspense and thrill that I felt while trying to figure out what Private Detective Jarvis Mann will find out, and if it will be on time had me pulling my hair out. This is exactly what I like to experience while I read. – Roxana

Jarvis had me at the beginning and by the end it was definitely love and my fav PI. Weir has developed a likable PI that has it all. He’s smart with a high success rate for cases solved, witty (all though that’s not well received), popular mainly with the ladies that cannot resist his magnetic smile and charm – Betty

Most months I have books available via Instafreebie Giveaway, but they have recently rebranded their name to Prolific Works. How their system works and what they offer hasn’t changed. If you’ve received books in the past, all your book history is still available. Hopefully, with the new moniker, they will fix the download issues some have mentioned to me. If you’ve had any problems with receiving any of the two books I offer, The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card and Tracking A Shadow, be sure to let me know and I can email the book file to you directly. Both books are always available via either of these two links, Bubble Gum and Tracking A Shadow through Prolific Works.

***Contest Time***

I’ve been thinking over what type of contest I want to run, as we get closer to the holiday season, to giveaway a few of my books. Since my genre is Mystery/Detective, I’m curious what readers out there look for in a book in that genre. What are the key elements in that type of book that catches your eye, grabs and holds you to the story? Book cover, plot, characters, settings, suspense, action; whatever keeps you engrossed in a story, I’d like to hear about. Please email me your thoughts with as much detail as you’d like. From those emails, I will announce in a future newsletter a winner of a free signed paperback copy of any one of my books. I will have to limit this to US-based readers only when it comes to the paperback. But I will give away a free ebook or two, for responses from anyone outside the US that I like. Send to my email address linked here. I always enjoy hearing what readers love in a good book.

The holiday craft fair season is around the corner, and I currently have four events planned I will be selling my books, the first starting November 3rd at Smoky Hill High School in Aurora. This event runs from 9AM-4PM, with over 200 vendors selling their handcrafted wares. If you live in the Denver Metro area be sure to stop by. Then the following Saturday, November 10th, I will be at Cherokee Trails High School in East Aurora, again with over 200 vendors. This event runs from 9AM-3PM. Look for my table and stop by to say hello. I generally have some treats and other giveaways.

That is all for this month. Next month I will have news on the next Jarvis Mann book, as it gets closer to completion. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out all my books on Amazon or via my website. Have a safe and wonderful Halloween.

R Weir

With September arriving with a little cooler air here in Colorado, I’m happy to say we got our daughter Dakota off to college without any issues. Moving in was tiring, and leaving her there was difficult, but Kim and I made it through, though there were a few tears. We’ve spent time talking via Skype to help ease the separation. The transition for her to college life, so far, has been great, as she is enjoying all that the University of Wyoming has to offer.

A month after the release of Dead Man Code, on November 11, 2016, I was in a bad motorcycle accident that derailed my life and writing for a while. The injuries were severe enough that I was in the hospital and rehabilitation facility for about two weeks. I was fortunate enough to come home for Thanksgiving, though needing a wheelchair and a walker to get around. I had a craft fair that first week where I was supposed to be selling my books, so my daughter Dakota covered for me and did a great job selling, especially the new release at the time, Dead Man Code. I did another one a couple weeks later, sitting in my wheelchair for six hours, which was difficult. Rehabilitation lasted for 10 months, which made getting any writing accomplished difficult. It was the most challenging moment in my life, struggling to get off the deck, literally. One I wished never happened but hopefully made me stronger in the end.

I had started the next book in the Jarvis Mann series before the accident, shelving it for several months before I completed it. I decided on it being shorter than the previous 4 books, a novella at around 16k words in length. The story was born out of my seeing homeless veterans on the street, carrying signs asking for money, wondering why these soldiers weren’t getting help from our government after serving their country in battle so bravely. It seemed sad to me and unnecessary. Doing research I found this to be a huge problem all across the country, a sad fact after the huge cost overruns on the new VA Hospital here in Aurora Colorado, money that could be better spent on these warriors. The Case of the Invisible Souls was released June 24th, 2017, born from that frustration, as Jarvis helps a homeless man who engages him to figure out why members of the homeless in the area were disappearing. It is a Christmas time holiday story; a personal one I hope you will enjoy. Check it out on Amazon by purchasing the eBook or downloading via Kindle Unlimited.

Here are a couple of the 5 star reviews for The Case of the Invisible Souls:

This was a really nice story, written by a writer who can use words to tell a good story without a lot of profanity and violence. It’s almost Christmas, so we know it will end okay, even after a confrontation that leaves one of the homeless in the hospital. The kind of story we might have seen as a Christmas movie on TV back in the 1970s. For those of you, like me, who enjoys a well-written mystery without all the vulgar scenes and profanity we have today, I can highly recommend this for a family mystery – Virginia E. Johnson

The Case of the Invisible Souls by R Weir was very emotional for me. I hate that so many men and women have fought for this country, and when they return home, after going through PTSD or other ailments, end up homeless. This book is a nicely written short story. I enjoyed that there was a mystery involved. I also liked that there was a mission to help out these homeless men and women however they could. I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. This book really puts life into perspective and makes me want to help in any way that I can. Very nice read – Carrie R.

As a busy mom of 2 it’s not often I find a short story that I really get into and enjoy and read in its entirety in one sitting. The Case of the invisible souls by R. Weir was different from the rest, I was captivated and read the whole thing within an hour while sitting at the laundry mat. I was drawn in from the beginning, and I couldn’t and wouldn’t put it down until I finished – e.deroma

Thanks to everyone that voted for my book The Front Range Butcher for the Raven Awards. It finished runner-up in the Mystery/Suspense category, which was a thrill for me. Check out the Uncaged Book Reviews e-magazine to see all the winners. And if you haven’t already, be sure to purchase The Front Range Butcher, either in paperback, ebook or via Kindle Unlimited.

Another big thrill this last month was I had an article I wrote published in the USA Today Magazines July 2018 issue. Getting into the Head of a Serial Killer, outlined the research work I did while writing the latest Jarvis Mann PI book, The Front Range Butcher. Research on a book like this can be quite revealing and a bit nerve racking about how someone evolves into a serial killer. If you can find that issue be sure to turn to page 74 to read all about it.

My short story The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card was featured as a top 50 review on Goodreads this month. This happens when a review on Goodreads gets the most comments and votes for the week. The blog Miranda Reads did the review. Be sure to check it out here and her other reviews via her blog. And a reminder that The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card is free on all major ebook retailers. Use this universal link and pick the retailer of your choice.

Bubble Gum is also featured, along with Tracking A Shadow and 35 other books in the Detectives and Private Investigators Instafreebie giveaway. All of these free books will be available until September 30th, via this link. Be sure to check out all these wonderful stories and you might find a new favorite author. Well next to me of course! 🙂

That is all for this newsletter. Be sure to comment or send me an email, as I love to hear from readers. Be sure to keep reading this newsletter and directing your friends to sign-up. Thanks again for allowing me to invade your inbox. Enjoy the last days of summer reading your favorite books!

R Weir

Sorry about sending out a newsletter again so soon. I wanted to say thanks to everyone who voted in the semi-finals for my book, The Front Range Butcher, which has now made it to the finals of the Raven Awards in the Mystery/Suspense category. I would appreciate those who feel the book is worthy, to vote for it in this final round via this link. It’s quite a thrill to be in the finals with the other great competition. While you are there you can also vote in several other categories, as there are many other wonderful indie authors works to choose from. Last day of voting is August 18th. If you have any issues voting let me know.

Here is another 5-star review for the latest in the Jarvis Mann Detective series:

The Front Range Butcher is a story of a serial killer and oh my, the way the writer goes into the mind of the killer, it gave me chills and some sleepless nights … the depravity of the human species in its depth … I felt disgusted and I felt hopeless and felt lost and I felt … hope, hope that Jarvis would figure out who the monster is and put a stop on his inhumane acts and give closure the families of the victims …
There is so much danger in this story, and twists while enjoying the wittiness and snarkiness of Jarvis … Pick up a copy and join the chase … – Jana T

If you’ve not read “The Front Range Butcher” be sure to check it out on Amazon, either in ebook, paperback or on Kindle Unlimited.

In this short email, I will also mention another new Instrafreebie giveaway I’m participating in. The Hot Summer Mysteries and Thrillers giveaway has 29 free books in all, including Tracking A Shadow, the first novel in the Jarvis Mann Detective series. This giveaway ends August 31st, so click this link to see what wonderful free books are available. I know I’ve downloaded a few myself!

That is all for now. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to vote for my novel, The Front Range Butcher, on the Raven Awards for best Mystery/Suspense book. Have a wonderful rest of your week, and be sure to start reading that latest book that is calling your name.

R Weir

I finished up a busy month of July, with the last of my author events this summer, allowing me to catch my breath and get back to writing my next book. August should be a little bit quieter, though we are getting things ready for my daughter to head off to college at the end of the month. There is a lot to do there, helping her to decide what and what not to take since she’ll be sharing a fairly small dorm space with her roommate. But we are excited and proud about the next chapter in her life, as she goes onto bigger and better things, with her major being computer engineering. One of the items she wanted to do before leaving for the University of Wyoming, was to get a tattoo on her shoulder. So I decided to get one as well. Since it was a first for both of us, it was a fun, bonding moment.

With my background in computer information technology, I used this experience when developing the storyline for the follow-up to Blood Brothers. Dead Man Code starts out with Jarvis being hired by the widow of a computer engineer who is murdered. Aaron Bailey worked for a fictional Silicon Valley tech company, WANN Systems Inc, the murder ruled by the police as part of a robbery. But his wife Mandy doesn’t buy it and asks Jarvis to look into it. After digging deeply and following the clues, he runs into security for WANN, Russian Mobsters and Chinese government agents, all wanting him to stop his investigation. It is a complex case, leading him not only to the Silicon Valley but San Diego and Las Vegas, before a wild conclusion that should keep your pulse rate high. This was the longest book I’d written to date, at 94 thousand words, covering many real-world events, some of which have come true after I wrote it, and are hotly debated in today’s news. Dead Man Code was released on October 18, 2016, continuing the Jarvis Mann Detective saga in his most challenging and dangerous case to date. Be sure to check out this excellently reviewed novel. It is available on Amazon via ebook, paperback or Kindle Unlimited.

I’ve been using my 20 plus years of experience in the IT world to help promote my books, especially Dead Man Code, by doing radio interviews discussing how users can protect themselves from cyber threats, which are affecting many people every day. Links to several of those interviews are on my website. In them, I discuss the best methods to protect yourself from Identity Theft, Ransomware and other malware out there stealing from honest people. If you are interested be sure to check them out here. And if you are a small business concerned about these issues, you can contact me as I can provide you support as a consultant through my tech email address. Or if you need help at home with your computer security, I’m also available. I’m always happy to discuss ways to make your business and personal computers more secure, especially your intellectual and personal property, which is priceless and can’t be replaced.

More 5 star reviews for my latest book, The Front Range Butcher:

For Jarvis in this book he is facing probably the most dangerous investigation that he has ever had. His new case comes into play when a serial killer has come back on the scene after being quiet for a couple of decades. Or has the killer been quiet? Jarvis will find himself being tested in ways that he has never been tested before. Jarvis also needs to keep himself and those around him safe from this serial killer. Will he be able to do this? Everyone who has read the previous books are not going to be disappointed by The Front Range Butcher, as with the other books it’s a five-star read. Thank you, Randy, for another awesome book. I can not wait to see what Jarvis gets up to in the next book – Sue

If you haven’t already got this book, be sure to check out this 5 star read, as it’s available on Amazon in ebook, paperback or on Kindle Unlimited.

Instafreebie time again. The first includes my short story, The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card. The Mysteries & Puzzles Giveaway runs until August 14th, with a total of 48 books free to download. Be sure to check it out via this link.

The next one features the novel, Tracking A Shadow, as well as 71 other free books. When a Stranger Calls Mystery & Thriller Giveaway runs until August 19th. Check out all the available free books via this link.

That will wrap up another month for this newsletter. If you don’t have all the books in the Jarvis Mann PI series, be sure to check them out here on Amazon or via my website. Have a friend who might be interested in my books? Share with them, and if they sign-up for this newsletter they will receive a free ebook copy of Tracking A Shadow. Thanks again for reading and being a fan of Jarvis. As daylight shortens I hope the rest of your summer is full of fun and good times with family and friends.

R Weir

Hello everyone. A surprise email from me, which I’m squeezing in before heading to Des Moines for the Indie Author Expo. I’m reaching out, asking for those of you who have read The Front Range Butcher, to vote for it in best Mystery/Suspense book category on Uncaged Book Reviews as part of their Raven Awards. Voting ends on July 28th, with the top 5 books making it to the final round. You can access the voting via this link, and can vote for other books in several categories. No sign-up on the site is necessary to vote. If you haven’t read The Front Range Butcher yet, be sure to check it out on Amazon in ebook, paperback or via Kindle Unlimited.

Here are a couple more new reviews for The Front Range Butcher:

I really enjoyed this addition to the series and it has actually made me want to read all 7 books in order and then continue on with the series – e.doroma

Everyone who has read the previous books are not going to be disappointed by The Front Range Butcher, as with the other books it’s a five-star read. Thank you, Randy, for another awesome book. I can not wait to see what Jarvis gets up to in the next book – Sue

As I mentioned above, I will be in Des Moines this weekend, July 28th and 29th, for the Indie Author Expo at the Valley West Mall. I’m looking forward to this event, being held in the hometown I spent the first 22 years of my life in, before moving to Colorado. Hopefully, some old friends will drop by and say hello. If you live in the area, be sure to check out this Indie Author Book Expo, as you’ll find some hidden literary gems to read.

A couple more Instafreebie giveaways are available, featuring two of my books. The first is the Crime & Suspense Thrillers giveaway, featuring Tracking A Shadow for free via this link. Along with my book is 41 other books to check out, free to download. The giveaway runs through August 2nd.

Next is Summer Cozy Mysteries, which features The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card, as well as 35 other free Mystery books. This Instafreebie runs through August 15th, so be sure to check it out at this link.

That’s all for now, as I need to finish packing for my road trip to Des Moines. Thanks for reading my newsletter and be sure to share with any friends who love hard-boiled private eye fiction. Everyone have a wonderful week!

R Weir

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

Still walking down memory lane, after the release of Tracking A Shadow in August of 2014, I immediately began working on the next book in the series. I knew Jarvis had many other cases he would face and immediately had the idea of him working on two cases at once. The original working title was Hairy Business. But as I got further into the story I didn’t like the title all that much and felt it didn’t represent the storyline to the degree I wanted it to. It was then I started writing down several different title options; Deadly Double, Double the Death, Twice Lethal, Two Times Lethal, and so on. Until I settled on Twice As Fatal.

The first case, which was teased at the end of Tracking A Shadow, would be Jarvis helping his police officer friend Bill, who was having an issue with his son Ray. He had disappeared without a word, a college football tight-end who had suffered two concussions during the current football season, and was having a hard time dealing with the injury. I felt it was a good and important topic with the brain injury issue becoming a hotly debated one, with consequences for players experiencing concussions with symptoms often times leading to fatal results for them and their families. It was a danger every football player, past and present was facing and would make for a compelling story-line.

The second case, had Jarvis helping his landlord Kate, who was trying to find out what her husband was up to. The classic cheating husband, who was also involved with a shady and dangerous loan shark. Jarvis works both cases, bringing them to a close, or so he thought, before they blow up in his face again, leading to an explosive confrontation, the cases colliding to a thrilling and deadly ending. It was a book I enjoyed and had fun writing, upping the suspense and mystery while adding a little heat to Jarvis’ personal life. Twice As Fatal was released May 29th, 2015, with reviews topping Tracking A Shadow with one reviewer calling it “The Best Detective Novel of the Year”. Be sure to check it out, either on ebook, paperback or on Kindle Unlimited via Amazon. If you’ve already read the book be sure to email me with your thoughts on it.

June has been a busy month for me, relating to getting out and selling my books. First I had the Urban Market in Downtown Denver on June 2nd, followed by the Boulder Market the next day. The weather was fabulous each day, the only issue us dodging a sprinkler system watering the grass behind us at Skyline Park that threatened to soak my book display. As you can imagine, paperback books and water are a bad combination. Thankfully we had tarps to protect us until the 30-minute watering cycle, which ran at two different times, finished, and none of my books were damaged.

Then on June 9th, I was in Deadwood South Dakota for the Wild Deadwood Reads Author event, where I had a great time talking with other authors and readers. This was the second year in a row I went to Deadwood, this time in a much larger facility that drew some good crowds. All three of the events provided lots of interactions with new readers,  which I enjoy immensely, leading to sales of books and sign-ups for this newsletter. One lady, who stopped by my table at Skyline Park and bought all 5 of my paperback books, was so excited to read them, that she bought a handwoven bookmark from another table near us thrilled she had met the author and that I had signed the books and the Jarvis Mann t-shirt for her. Needless to say, I enjoyed the moment myself and even heard from that other vendor the next day who was at the Boulder event, and her husband bought a book.

Check out my latest radio interview, on the Recalutating for Small Business show, where I discuss my books and share some of my IT expertise by giving 5 safety tips for a secure home office. My part of the interview begins at the 27-minute mark and lasts about 30 minutes. Computer security for everyone is important, so give it a listen when you have some time.

Sales of The Front Range Butcher have been picking up, as have the reviews I’ve been getting. Here are a couple of new ones that have posted over the last week:

Mr. Weir has out done himself yet again! This is such a superb story that held me in its grip from beginning to end. It is a complex and multi-layered storyline, which Mr. Weir expertly choreographed into a smooth and gripping tale. This has just taken the top spot as my favourite of the series, so far!-Angela Hayes

Right out of the gate I was captured, the flow was dark, the tone was edgy and thrilling-E. Walsh

If you haven’t picked up your copy, be sure to check it out. It is available on Amazon in ebook, paperback and on Kindle Unlimited. When it comes to mystery/thriller detective stories, you won’t be disappointed.

Another Instafreebie giveaway this month featuring Tracking A Shadow. The Thriller & Mystery Giveaway features 40 books in all that runs until July 2nd. Be sure to check all the other free books available to download. A lot of great reading options to choose from.

Time to wrap up this newsletter and get back to writing my next Jarvis story, with 78k worth of words written, and much more story to come. Be sure to share this newsletter with other fans of my genre. Anyone signing up gets the bonus of a free ebook of Tracking A Shadow. And be sure to check out of all my books that are available on Amazon. Thanks so much for reading. Take care and make sure that next book purchase is a thrilling one.

R Weir

A quick newsletter today, as I have a busy couple of weeks coming up, with several events I’m doing and a trip to the University of Wyoming for orientation for us and our daughter Dakota. All to get her and us ready for her move to college in the fall.

I first wanted to give a big shout-out to author Maggie King, as she posted a short piece I wrote, The Birth of a Private Eye. Stop by her website and read about the thought process that went into the creation of my protagonist PI Jarvis Mann. If you enjoyed the post leave a comment. While there check out the rest of her website, as there are other authors who have written interesting pieces about themselves and learn more about Maggie and her books.

Those events I mentioned I’m attending, where I will be selling my books are coming up over the next two weeks. I will be at Skyline Park at 16th and Arapahoe Street in downtown Denver on June 2nd from 11AM-7PM for the Urban Market. This will be the first outdoor vendor event of the year, and it should be busy, as there is the Heart Walk in the morning at Mile High Stadium, and the Dodgers are in town playing the Rockies in the early evening. So there should be lots of people converging on LoDo that day.

Then on June 3rd, I will be at Central Park in Boulder from 11AM-5PM for the outdoor Boulder Market. The weather forecast for both days looks fabulous, which should provide large crowds and make for a fun time meeting people to expose them to my books. If you will be in the area, be sure to stop on by my table and say hi! I will be wearing my Jarvis Mann PI t-shirt and a big smile!

Then on June 9th, I will be in Deadwood South Dakota for the Wild Deadwood Reads Author Event being held at the Deadwood Mountain Grand Holiday Inn Resort. The author book signing runs from 10AM to 2PM. There is a breakfast beforehand at the hotel that I will be attending, as well as an author meet and greet on June 7th at the hotel. If you’ve never been to Deadwood, it’s an old west mining town with casinos and gaming halls. The Black Hills area of South Dakota is one of our favorite places to travel to, with beautiful scenery and lots of wonderful attractions to visit. I still have two tickets to give away for the author signing event. If anyone is interested be sure to email me right away to get your name in the hat for the drawing.

I’m participating in another Instafreebie giveaway of my first Jarvis Mann PI novel, Tracking A Shadow. Here is a recent review:

Jarvis Mann comes off somewhere between Sam Spade without inhibitions and Miami Vice gone rogue. Weir’s private detective enjoys his vices but treads cautiously once he realizes he’s been led by his baser instincts. With this new case, Mann has his work cut out for him, unraveling a mystery within a mystery and trying to figure out whose side will leave him the least damaged both physically and reputationally. The lady is not what she seems is truth indeed, and intriguing twists keep the pace chugging right along-Lisa J. Lickel

You can download the book here along with other free thriller, mystery, and suspense books. This giveaway runs from now until June 4th.

Wonderful 5 star reviews keep coming in for my latest novel The Front Range Butcher:

Absolutely one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Mr Weir has done it again. I would highly recommend this book-Cherie

Another amazing book by R Weir! The storytelling was perfect and it really kept me on my toes. The characters are crazy, interesting and plentiful as always. I was taken away on this journey with Jarvis almost from the beginning. His sleuthing mind draws me in and I want him to figure this out as much as he does-Lisa Helmick

If you haven’t bought the book yet, be sure to check it out. You can find it on Amazon, in eBook or Paperback, and via Kindle Unlimited, along with all my other books.

Thanks again for your interest in my newsletter to learn more about me. The next two months will be quite busy for me, with more events in July. But I’m looking forward to a fun summer getting out and talking to lots of book readers hungry for new adventures. Take care and keep those pages turning!!

R Weir

Continuing down memory road, after The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum was released in 2014, the feedback I received was positive, with a couple people telling me that PI Jarvis Mann would make for a good series. I had already worked on a concept for a second story after I had first written Bubble Gum all those years ago. The basic premise was Jarvis being approached by a female client who believes she was being stalked, but not knowing who it was. I took that idea, massaged and developed it into a full-length novel, the title, Tracking A Shadow, coming from the fact that Jarvis was trying to narrow down who the stalker was, a shadow with no face, though with several suspects. An ex-husband who had been accused of stalking her in the past, a sleazy ex-employee, and another business consultant Jarvis’ client had worked with. At first, Jarvis thinks it’s all in his client’s head until a couple of killings convince him otherwise. And when a powerful businessman, with possible criminal connections gets involved, Jarvis isn’t completely certain what is going on. The danger, twists and turns ramp up with each page, with some of Jarvis’ snarky humor to keep you entertained, until the surprising conclusion.

After much work and refinement, Tracking A Shadow was first published on Amazon on August 14th, 2014. In time the reviews began coming in, nearly all positive, mostly 4 or 5 stars, which fueled me to keep writing. Recently I expanded the availability of the book to include all major ebook retailers, with it available on Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play and Kobo, as well as Amazon for $3.99. You can check out the book links here. Or you can purchase the paperback for $9.99 from several retailers, or you can purchase it direct from me. For those of you who picked up the book, hopefully you’ve read the story and enjoyed it enough to leave a review.

I was proud of that first novel, and with each release, I believe the stories have gotten better, with more complex and compelling plots. The latest release and seventh in the series, The Front Range Butcher, continues to get great reviews. Here are a couple of snippets from some new ones:

This has a classic crime/suspense noir feel to it and the detailing of the different cases was just right, not overdone to slow down the story, but enough that even us lowly citizens can follow along and understand. There was enough humor to offset the nail-biting moments-Uncaged Book Reviews

This is an action novel like none I have read. The sleuthing is excellent, the villains nothing less than Satan incarnate, the good guys are complex yet within the context of this story each works out their own ethics based decisions depending on all the evidence they could find to guide them. The plot is twisted and tied into knots that are gradually loosed until the story is complete. The ending is superb and again shows that the bad among us are capable of great good if only they try. I will read more by this author-Kobam

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out this well-received book. It is available on Amazon in both eBook, paperback and on Kindle Unlimited. I also have the paperback available to sell directly from me, that I would be happy to sign and ship. Just email me if you are interested, for more information.

Last month after discussing my first published work, The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card, I had a large bump in downloads of the free short story that started it all for PI Jarvis Mann. For those who downloaded it, thank you for pushing it back to the top of the Amazon Short Story bestseller list. The eBook is still free to anyone who missed out.

This month I was featured in the Uncaged Book Reviews magazine which you can access here. They not only reviewed my latest book The Front Range Butcher, they included an excerpt from it and did an interview. Along with myself, there are several other authors featured in the magazine, all of which who are going to the Wild Deadwood Reads author event on June 9th in Deadwood South Dakota. I will be giving away 2 free Reader Registration tickets to this event, worth $10 each, giving you access to all of the authors who will be there talking with readers and selling their books from 10AM-2PM. If you are interested in one or both tickets, send me an email or you can reach out to me via my Facebook account. I will announce the winner(s) in the next week. Besides the author signing, there are many other activities going on you can attend. To learn more about this event click the link here.

Besides Wild Deadwood Reads, I will be at Skyline Park in Downtown Denver on June 2nd, from 11AM-7PM for the Urban Market, meeting people and selling my books. Then the following day I will be in Downtown Boulder at Central Park from 11AM-5PM doing the same. I’m hoping for great weather and a big turnout. If you are in the area be sure to stop by my booth and say hi! I will be wearing my Jarvis Mann t-shirt!

If you’ll indulge me with a little personal bragging, next week my daughter Dakota will be graduating from high school and will be in the top 75 of her class of 550 students. It is hard to believe how the time has flown for us and how she has grown into a wonderful young woman. She will be heading to the University of Wyoming in the fall, to study computer engineering, expanding on my background as a computer IT person. She has made her mother and me quite proud as she moves onto the next phase in her life.

That will be all for this month. Be sure to pass onto any book reading friends of yours information about this newsletter. Anyone signing up for this newsletter will get a free eBook version of the first Jarvis Mann PI novel, Tracking A Shadow. This can be done via my RWeir website. I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of their week. Keep on reading and sharing the books you love.

R Weir