What's Better than Fun? by Randy Overbeck

 

Dr. Randy Overbeck

I enjoy reading fun and frivolous writing as much as most. More than once, a hilarious passage has enabled me to cope with a challenge or personal struggle in my life. And I have to admit to the guilty pleasure of grabbing a silly beach read for no reason other than pure escapism. And more often than naught, I’ve found myself caught up in the thrill of some car chase or the deep suspense of some twisted plot from a bestselling author…or a newly discovered writer.

But most times, when I invest my time and energy in a good book, I look for more than escapism, high suspense and a good chortle. Besides everything else—solving a whodunit, laughing out loud, capturing the bad guy, even saving the world—I’m also hoping to learn something, to come away from the last page of a book with knowledge and wisdom I didn’t have when I began. I find the books I enjoy the most and remember long after closing the back cover are the ones that enrich my life, tell me more about the world and maybe myself. I’m happy to report I’ve found a good number that meet this high bar.

So when I decided to “put pen to paper,” I wanted to strive for more than compelling characters and a solid mystery, good suspense and high drama. I wanted to provide my readers with knowledge and insights they probably didn’t have before opening the first page of my novels. I was hoping to share perspectives and views of the world they may not possess. When I wrote my Haunted Shores Mysteries, I was reaching for this bar.

First of all, each entry in my series is, as one reviewer put it, “a cold-case murder mystery wrapped in ghost story, served with a side of romance, all set a beautiful resort location.” Plenty of escape, suspense and even a bit of humor packed into the pages.

But the Haunted Shores Mysteries series also features a very unconventional hero, a high school history teacher with innate curiosity and great researching skills as well as the “gift” of being in touch with the spirit world.

I’m hoping to show a perspective on educators few outside school would be privy to and allow the reader to look at teachers in a slightly different—and more accurate—light.

In addition, the narrative in each novel in the series is also intricately entangled with a broader social issue, the cold case murder leading Darrell and the readers to a far greater crime.

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In the first installment, BLOOD ON THE CHESAPEAKE, Darrell Henshaw, teacher, coach and paranormal sensitive, finds himself stalked by the ghost of a teen who has died decades earlier. When Darrell—reluctantly at first—investigates the mystery of the young man’s death, he comes face-to-face with the ugly reality of discrimination and racial injustice in the resort town, which simmers still just below the surface.

In the second entry, CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY, Darrell is haunted by the ghost of a bride who died on her wedding night a few years earlier. When he digs into the story, he find himself face-to-face with perhaps the most heinous crime of all, human trafficking. He is compelled to solve the mystery of the bride’s death and rescue young girls caught in the web of this ugly network.

In the third and recent release, SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER, Darrell and his new bride Erin travel to the Gulf coast of Florida for a relaxing honeymoon. There he encounters the ghost of two young children who urge him to help them find justice. When he finally concedes and follows the clues, they lead to an unspeakable murder and an even more hideous crime. The two were children of migrant families working the produce fields in Florida. In pursuing answers to questions about the children, Darrell and Erin learn firsthand about the exploitation and abuse of these immigrants.

Each novel in the series delivers an intriguing mystery with compelling characters in breathtakingly beautiful resort settings. I’m hoping each entry in the series delivers more than enough fun, suspense and drama and—spoiler alert—the good guys win! But, when readers close the last page of each installment, I hope they will be a little more alerted to, a little more informed of, and a little more educated about some of the very real social challenges we are facing. And maybe empowered to do something about it.

            You can check out all three novels at my website http://www.authorrandyoverbeck.com

Or reach me at randyoverbeck@authorrandyoverbeck.com or @OverbeckRandy. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Dr. Randy Overbeck:

Award-winning educator, best-selling author, in-demand speaker

Dr. Overbeck has served children as a teacher, college prof and school leader for more than three decades and this experience has infused his writing with a rare authenticity. Using the canvas of the normal, sedate public school, he has crafted tales of suspense, mystery and breath-taking action, where his characters—teachers, principals, janitors—face daunting, out-sized challenges such as a terrorist attack or a murderer.

His work has captivated readers and has earned national awards including “Thriller of the Year” (ReadersFavorite) “Gold Award” (Literary Titan) “Mystery of the Year” (ReaderViews) and “Crowned Heart of Excellence” (InD’tale magazine). His first novel, LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND and his Haunted Shores Mystery trilogy have all earned numerous five star reviews from national and international reviewers. The first two entries in series, BLOOD ON THE CHESAPEAKE (2019) and CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY (2020), have even become Amazon and B & N Bestsellers.

Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences. When he’s not writing or researching his next exciting novel or sharing his presentations, “Things Still Go Bump in the Night” and “A Few Favorite Haunts,” he’s spending time with his incredible family of wife, three children (and their spouses) and seven wonderful grandchildren.