Big news for me this month. I have officially retired from working as an IT Tech and System Admin. I didnt perform a lot of IT work in 2025 for Miles Technology, and after much reflection and discussions with my family, I decided to hang it up for good. This will allow me to work full-time on my books and marketing, as well as remain active, working around the house. After being employed for over fifty years, I’m excited about this change.
Since my new website went live last year, the number of scam emails sent to me has increased tenfold. These emails include an offer to promote my books, either on social media or to a book club they run, with a hidden cost they won’t reveal until you reply. Generally, the book club is overseas and can have anywhere from a few hundred members to over ten thousand. The number seemingly increases with each passing email in an attempt to lure me. Then there are the emails from famous authors offering to help me or the agents of those authors who want to get my books published. The authors have included George R.R. Martin, Margaret Atwood, and Nora Roberts (JD Robb). Those emails being sent from a Gmail.com account are the biggest clue they’re fake. And anyone who knows how the author business works knows agents don’t contact authors to represent them. You have to query them. I’ve had conversations with many of my author friends, and they are being inundated with these emails, too. And unfortunately, there isn’t a whole lot you can do about it. Which is a shame, because it takes time away from writing to sort through them. And I’m diligent about responding to emails from actual readers. If you’ve emailed me and I didn’t respond, I’m sorry. I’m now using a special email for my newsletters. You can contact me through this email account or reply to the newsletter, and I’ll respond, normally within 24 hours. It is important to me to keep the lines of communication open with my readers.
On another note, if you don’t want to receive this monthly newsletter, there is a simple Unsubscribe option at the bottom of every newsletter. Click and submit, and you’ll be immediately removed. I had a nasty email from someone last month with a few four-letter words, telling me to remove them, which I didn’t enjoy. No one on the mailing list of this newsletter was ever added without their permission. Either they signed up via the form on my website, through Book Funnel with a free eBook download, or on the newsletter sign-up sheets at events I attend. I never want anyone to receive my newsletter who doesn’t want it. And I appreciate everyone who reads this newsletter each month.
Thanks to everyone who downloaded the free eBook copy of Lethal Blues. It was a huge success, with over 16,000 downloads and a #1 Ranking on Amazon, as you see above. And there have been tons of reads on Kindle Unlimited, and sales and reads of my other books. And I’ve tripled the number of reviews, now sitting at over 165. Nearly all of them are 4 and 5 Stars. This was the most successful promo I’ve done for one of my books, thanks to the BookBub advertisement I paid for. One I’ve tried to get in the past but was always turned down. I plan on doing others in the future to help boost sales.
Thanks to everyone who took advantage of the discounted price of Mayhem in Music City. You can still purchase the eBook on Amazon; the price is now $6.99 or free on Kindle Unlimited. Or you can purchase a signed paperback via my online Book Store for $20 plus $7 shipping, or free local Westminster, Colorado pickup. Here are a few more reviews, including a 5-Star editorial review from The Book Revue.
From the first page, R Weir throws readers into a whirlwind of danger, humor, and sharp detective work that makes Mayhem In Music City impossible to put down. Jarvis Mann, a private investigator with a keen eye and a snarky wit, guides readers through the chaotic streets of Nashville as the line between friend and foe constantly shifts. Reading this book feels like stepping into a fast-paced, unpredictable ride where suspense, humor, and music collide, keeping you alert and entertained at every turn. The story is about being loyal, fair, and understanding other people. The main theme of the story is Jarvis’s never-ending search for the truth, even if it means facing danger, lies, and fraud. These ideas go beyond the story and make people think about what is right and wrong, what happens when you keep secrets, and how to protect the people you care about. The story comes to life in Nashville because it has both the glitz and the grit of the music business. This makes the world feel real. R Weir’s style is witty, direct, and cinematic. His sentences are full of life, mixing hardboiled detective tropes with sharp dialogue and vivid scene-setting. The structure balances fast-paced action with investigative threads that slowly reveal twists, keeping readers interested without ever losing clarity. Sometimes, the story expects you to know a little about Jarvis Mann’s past adventures, which might slow down new readers a little, but the plot is still fun and easy to follow. Some of the most memorable parts of the show are when Jarvis has to deal with unpredictable fans, when he has to deal with criminals, and when he finds humor in dangerous situations. Often, dialogue lines go on for a long time, which shows off Jarvis’s personality and gives tense scenes more emotional depth. In the end, Mayhem In Music City is a fast-paced detective story that keeps you entertained and makes you think. R Weir writes a book that is smart, exciting, and full of characters. This shows once again why Jarvis Mann is such a memorable and interesting character in modern mystery fiction. It is perfect for anyone who loves crime, action, and stories that move at the speed of the music city itself – William Reimers with The Book Revue
By far the best Jarvis book out of all 11. I read it twice. I enjoyed all the twists & turns. Especially the last dramatic turn before it all ended though I won’t go into detail for those who have not read it. Highly recommended. I don’t think any of the Jarvis books are better than this – Madeleine
Jarvis is back!! When Sam calls Jarvis to help with guard a famous country singer duo you think that might be an easy gig. But for Jarvis nothing is ever easy. He is pulled into numerous mysteries to solve that revolve around this gig. You can’t help but love Jarvis’s wicked sense of humor, his sleuthing attitude and we can’t forget his desire to solve the case. There was so much action and suspense in this book, and no shortage of bad guys. Each chapter leaves you wondering what is coming next and makes for a read you can’t put down. I absolutely love that we see character from the pasts Jarvis Mann books. If you want humor, murder, suspense, action, crazy fans, Nashville highlights and compassion then you need to pick up this book. Mr. Weir writes an interweave d story that gets you invested from page one – Shelly
I’m 32k words into writing the next Steel Wheels Cold Mystery, the working title Justice For The Accused. My plan is for this book to be released later in 2026. And I’ve written the opening gambit for Jarvis Mann, book 12, which resolves one small storyline from Mayhem in Music City. Look for that book sometime in 2027.
With new books come new graphics, both for my table runner and bookmarks I give away at events. So we don’t have to update the design for each new book release, which is expensive, I’ve decided to use only my logos on both designs. Below is the new table runner crafted by Mia, my graphic artist. The bookmark is a similar design. I will have both of these at all of my future events.
I’m thrilled to announce I’ve hired Phillip Polite to produce and narrate the final two Divine Devils books, Sold Souls and Divine Retribution. Phillip did a fabulous job on the first two books, and it will be great to have him finish off my award-winning series. The final two books will be available on audio later this year. Below is a 15-minute preview of Sold Souls for you to check out.
If you haven’t listened to the audiobooks for The Divine Devils and Fallen Star: The Divine Devils Book 2, both are available on Audible. I do still have US & UK Audible codes to redeem the books if you’re interested. All I ask is for you to post an honest review. You can reply to the newsletter, or send me an email, and I’ll work to get the codes sent to you.
All the way from South Africa, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Kino Issac on his podcast. You can learn more about me as we delve into some deep subjects. It’s available on YouTube and Spotify. While you’re at it, check out more of his interviews with a wide range of fascinating guests.
I’m thrilled to announce my vodcast, Bringing Life To Characters, is now available on Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, and pretty much any other podcast application for your viewing and/or listening pleasure. Click the links built into the podcast providers’ names above to find the show. The links are also available on the Home Page of my website. And you can always watch the show live or the recorded version on YouTube. In January, my guests were Jeffery H. Haskell, Tricia Copeland, and John DeDakis. In February, my scheduled guests are Kristine Jensen (2/3 at 6 PM Mountain), Jim Nesbitt (2/9 at 6 PM), and Liisa Kovala (2/17 at 6 PM).
In March, we’ll be traveling in our motorhome to the Tucson Festival of Books, which will be held on March 14th and 15th. I had the honor of being invited as one of a hundred indie authors to sell my books on the strength of their reading Justice For The Forgotten. I will also have Mayhem in Music Cityand a selection of my other best-selling books for purchase on March 14th from 1:30 to 4:30 PM in the Pavilion. We’ll be traveling starting March 7th and won’t be back home until March 22nd. After the Festival, we plan to travel from Tucson to Mesa to visit friends and see a spring training baseball game or two. This is the first big trip of several we have planned for 2026.
This month’s author Feature is Tricia Copeland. Tricia is an award-winning author of over twenty novels, several of which have topped Amazon’s charts. From her first series based on her experience with and recovery from anorexia, she jumped into the young adult fantasy genre, earning a Colorado Independent Publishing Association EVVY Award for Kingdom of Embers, the first book in the Kingdom Journals series in 2019. Kingdom of Embers is also a 2020 Readers’ Choice Gold Medal & 5 Star Review Recipient. Tricia also hosts and produces a podcast with the goal of introducing new authors and books to readers. The Finding the Magic Book Podcast is in its 5th season and hosts indie as well as traditionally published authors like Jennifer L. Armentrout and J.D. Barker. A strong promoter of personal growth, resiliency, and inner strength, Tricia believes magic resides within and around each of us. Her characters echo finding our own magical talents and sharing them with others. With her romance books now also penned under Maria Jane, her publishing company, true bird publishing, llc publishes her novels and audiobooks. You can learn more info on Tricia’s Website and find her podcast on YouTube and Spotify.
This month’s Book Funnel starts with: Thrilling Crime Stories – Newsletter swap has 109 free ebooks to check out until Feb 15th when you click on this Link.
2026 All-Year Crossover Promo has 74 free eBooks to check out until Jan 1st 2027, when you click on this Link.
Detective Crime Mystery sales promo runs until Feb 14th with 22 eBooks to check out via this Link.
JJ Jax Thriller Promo has 31 free eBooks to download until March 26th via this Link.
Giveaway with crime, thrillers, mystery and suspense has 63 free eBooks you can download until March 7th via this Link.
Winter Reads has 42 free eBooks to download until Feb 28th via this Link.
That is all for this month’s newsletter. Please share with any friends or family who love to read mystery, crime, and thriller books. When they sign up, they will be offered two free eBooks from the Jarvis Mann PI series, The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card and Tracking A Shadow through Book Funnel. If you signed up for the newsletter and never received the two free eBooks, please email a reply to this newsletter, and I’ll get the link sent to download them.
All the best!!
R. Weir