Did you miss me!! I’m running late with this newsletter. Hopefully no one has been sitting on your computer, watching their InBox anxiously waiting! LOL!! Because I’m late, this will serve as July and August’s newsletter. Which means it will be large. I have a lot to talk about, including news on a new book. So let’s get started!!
We had a great time in South Dakota, vacationing and attending the Wild Deadwood Reads book event. I’ll share a few pictures from the vacation and will get more added to my website under the Fun Stuff page.
For several years at the Wild Deadwood Reads Event as part of the raffle to raise money for the Shiloh Horse Rescue, my father-in-law built Little Free Libraries which people can buy tickets for a chance to win. Plus, many of the authors at the event donate a book, so it is stuffed. This year the winner was Iris, who’s been trying for several years now to win. She was elated and anxious to get it home after the event. And I have LuAnn, who was another raffle winner. Congrats to all the winners and for helping the event raise $1500 for the horse rescue.
Here are pictures of a few new readers who came by my table to buy books.
After we returned home from South Dakota, it was a quick turnaround, and we were off again, this time to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Goodguys car event and to visit family. The car event was fantastic with lots of great classic cars, too many to even describe. Just outside where my booth was stationed was nearly the exact car my private eye, Jarvis Mann, drives. A yellow 69 Mustang with black stripes. One the owner let me sit in, which was a real treat.
And here are a couple other cool cars. I believe there were over 5,000 classic cars at this event. I have two videos as I was being driven around the event on a cart, which I will add to my Fun Stuff page.
Didn’t sell as many books as I normally do at the Loveland Goodguys, but I still had a new readers stop by.
It was crazy hot and humid in Des Moines, with lots of rain for the first four days we were there. Once the event was over, we visited my brother, his wife, and my niece. We got to enjoy dinner at one of my favorite pizza places, Felix & Oscars. Stupid me forgot to take pictures, We then visited my Cousin Cathy in Webster City, Iowa, whom I’ve not seen in over 12 years. We enjoyed pizza again at another fabulous little restaurant, Pickles Pub, in Kamrar, Iowa. And she shared some old pictures of the family with our grandparents, going back more years than I’ll admit. See if you can pick out which of the kids is me!!
On Main Street in Webster City, they also had a car show, though much smaller in scale. Walking up and down, I ran across a VW Thing. A vehicle I’d not seen in many a year. And this Corvette with a fantastic paint job, where the color looked different depending on the angle.
Then we visited the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa. A beautiful structure built of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, most notably geodes, quartz, and petrified wood, along with sand, fossils, coral, and seashells. The magnificent work started in 1912 by a catholic priest. The entire structure was impossible to capture with photos because of the size and scope, but I did my best. Here is a link to a YouTube video where you can get a better view of it all.
In between our two vacations, we had more grass removed from our front yard. Replacing it with mulch and plants. With the drought conditions we’ve experienced over the last few years, watering grass no longer makes sense. This fall we’ll be moving some of the larger plants from the front to fill in this new area. I’m pleased with how this transition has progressed.
I’m happy to announce I’ve completed the first round of edits from my editor and have returned Justice For The Accused for her to go through one last time. I’ve not set a date yet for the release, but I’m looking at sometime in September or October. Certainly the release will be in time for my busy craft fair season, which starts with the Goodguys Car Show after Labor Day. I’ve added a couple of chapter previews for the book, which you can find here on my website. And you can also find the Blurb for the new book via this link. I’ll be reaching out to my early ARC review team over the coming weeks. If you’re interested in joining the team, send me an email for more details.
The cover for the book is nearly completed, and feedback from those who’ve seen it has been fantastic. We need a couple more tweaks, and it will be ready to share.
I’m also thrilled to announce Justice For The Forgotten has been nominated for a Killer Nashville Silver Falchion award for Best Investigator (includes procedural, serious P.I., detective, and noir). Kim and I will be traveling to Nashville for the Award Ceremony on August 22nd. With the book up for an award, I’m offering a 25% discount if you purchase the paperback from my online Book Store. Add the coupon code: Kogel to get the discount. This is valid only on Justice For The Forgotten and for US customers. You can also purchase the eBook, paperback, or read for free on Kindle Unlimited from Amazon.
The audiobook for Soul Souls: The Divine Devils Book 3, produced by Philip Polite, is now available on Audible. Philip did a great job once again. I do have free US and UK codes for anyone who has an Audible Account. You can check out a chapter preview via this link.
I recorded my 75th episode of Bringing Life To Characters in July. I’ve had many wonderful and interesting guests, with lots more scheduled. If you’ve not watched the show, you can find all 75 episodes on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and Apple Podcasts.
I got to be on the other side and be interviewed on The SportCat Show vodcast. Glen “Sportcat” Jackson and J.M. Shaw (who I’ve interviewed on my show) were great hosts. I was a little late joining as I didn’t have the correct link. About 10 minutes in is when I show up. I hope you’ll check out the interview via this link, as it was a lot of fun.
As promised, I have more Book Funnel free, discounted, and Kindle Unlimited books you can add to your reading library.
2026 All-Year Crossover Promo (Thriller/Horror/Sci-fi) has 96 free ebooks you can check out until Jan 1st, 2027, via this link.
YEAR-LONG Mystery Newsletter Builder with 103 free eBooks you can download until Dec 31st, via this link.
Find your next favourite author! with 34 free eBooks available until Dec 31st, via this link.
Crime, Suspense and Spies has 51 free eBooks you can download until Sept 28th via this link.
JJ Jax Thriller Promo July – Sept with 30 free eBooks you can download until Sept 30th via this link.
I have a lot more work to do updating the website and then finalizing Justice For The Accused. So I’ll say goodbye for now. My next newsletter won’t come out until the second Monday in September (hopefully!!), though I could send out a smaller email once I have the date pinned down for the release of Justice For The Accused.
Stay safe, happy, and healthy!!
R. Weir