Welcome to Day 2 of THE HAUNTED SHORES MYSTERIES BLOG TOUR FEATURING “SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER” @OverbeckRandy @4WillsPub @4WP11 

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WORDS STILL MATTER

            Words still matter. Perhaps, now more than ever.

            What we say and what we write carries weight, makes a difference.  A few words from a president can set off alarm bells. A phrase from the fed chairman can make the stock market soar or ignite a selling spree. And it’s not just the words of major players. Dangerous misinformation shared on social media platforms actually cost lives. 

Our words can wound or heal, can obscure or reveal. We’ve learned long ago the saying, sticks and stones can break out bones, but words can never hurt us, is clearly not true. 

Words matter, still.

            So when I set off to write my novels, I pay special attention to my words…and what I choose to write about. I’m not naïve. I realize readers pick up my Haunted Shores Mysteries looking for puzzling whodunits or perhaps hoping to get away to one of my incredible locations or even to experience a little “who-hoo.” 

            But my novels are about more than cold case murders, a ghost or two, a thread of romance or even breathtakingly beautiful resorts. I’m also careful to structure my narrative to tell a larger truth. A truth about us, about our society, about how we treat each other. In the first two entries, my plots entwined with the issues of racial injustice (BLOOD ON THE CHESAPEAKE) and human trafficking (CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY).

             In the third installment, SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER, I have my sights set on an equally compelling social issue, one not very well understood by most Americans. As Darrell tries to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of two young Latino children, he is thrust in the middle of our “immigrant problem,” as they might say on the news. As I completed my research for this novel, which takes place more than twenty years earlier, I was amazed how little has changed on this issue. As a nation we’re still struggling today much the same way we were in 2000 with how we deal with “the hungry, the poor, yearning to be free” as is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. 

            My words are not intended to persuade anyone. Rather, like my efforts in CRIMSON about human trafficking, I’m hoping my writing may cause readers to pause and want to learn more, this time about the plight of migrant workers—and not simply accept the soundbites about the issues on TV or social media. 

            I hope my words matter. 

“One thing that is particularly special about Overbeck’s books is that they unabashedly tackle social issues within their plots. Already having discussed racism and human trafficking in his first two books, “Scarlet at Crystal River” once again forces readers to confront a particularly pervasive and dangerous social issue. This book, in particular, touches upon the dangers of racism and xenophobia, as well as emphasize the often-ignored plights of the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who are the reason we are able to have such a variety of fruits, vegetables and other resources in our daily lives.”—ReaderViews 

Bio

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author and speaker. As an educator, he served children for four decades in a range of roles captured in his novels, from teacher and coach to principal and superintendent. His thriller, Leave No Child Behind (2012) and his recent mysteries, the Amazon No. 1 Best Seller, Blood on the Chesapeake, Crimson at Cape May and Scarlet at Crystal River have earned five star reviews and garnered national awards including “Thriller of the Year–ReadersFavorite.com, “Gold Award”—Literary Titan, “Mystery of the Year”—ReadersView.com and “Crowned Heart of Excellence”—InD’Tale Magazine. As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, 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 such as Sleuthfest, Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop. When he’s not writing or researching his next exciting novel or sharing his presentation, “Things Still Go Bump in the Night,” he’s spending time with his incredible family of wife, three children (and their spouses) and seven wonderful grandchildren.

Social Media Handles 

https://twitter.com/OverbeckRandy/media

https://www.facebook.com/authorrandyoverbeck

https://www.instagram.com/authorrandyoverbeck/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-KOC0LH2GQRSAjwxOFr5rg

Tik Tok @authorrandyo

Specs

  • Release by Wild Rose Press—September 13, 2021
  • Paranormal mystery
  • 364 pp.
  • Mild

Blurb

All Darrell Henshaw wanted was to enjoy his honeymoon with his beautiful wife, Erin, in the charming town of Crystal River on the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida. Only a pair of ghosts decide to intrude on their celebration. And not just any ghosts, the spirits of two young Latino children. Unwilling at first to derail the honeymoon for yet another ghost hunt, Darrell finally concedes when a painting of the kids comes alive, weeping and pleading for his help. 

            When he and Erin track down the artist, they discover the children’s family were migrant workers the next county over. But when they travel there, their questions about the kids gets their car shot up and Erin hospitalized. Torn between fear and rage, Darrell must decide how far he will go to get justice for two young children he never even knew.

Tagline

            Darrell and Erin thought they were heading to Florida for a carefree honeymoon, but the ghosts of two immigrants children haunt them, pleading for help.

Trailer

Review Blurbs

“Scarlet at Crystal River is an eerie paranormal mystery I couldn’t stop reading. Randy Overbeck is a masterful writer of the paranormal, drawing the reader in before instilling shivers down the spine. 5+ stars.” –N. N. Light’s Book Heaven

“A rollercoaster of a mystery, hurtling up and down hills and sharp corners until the very end, when the reader is left slightly breathless, waiting for their hearts to beat back to a normal rhythm. ★★★★★—ReadersView

“Scarlet at Crystal River is a suspenseful paranormal novel with compelling characters and an enigmatic mystery that drives the story to a riveting conclusion. Overbeck is a master at building tension–-this is easily a one-sitting read.” ★★★★★—Literary Titan

“This is another masterpiece from Randy Overbeck. His excellent writing style has left me speechless for one more time. He writes in a way that makes you feel what the characters feel and you have no choice but to partake in the journey with them.” ★★★★★—Ioanna’s Reviews, Greece

Author: patgarcia

Writer, Blogger, Poet, Singer, Musician

35 thoughts on “Welcome to Day 2 of THE HAUNTED SHORES MYSTERIES BLOG TOUR FEATURING “SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER” @OverbeckRandy @4WillsPub @4WP11 ”

  1. Congratulations, Randy. The book sounds awesome, the trailer is a real hook, and I enjoyed the excerpt. Best of success to you.

  2. Patty Perrin – Florida – Author of Teen/YA SciFi Adventure and Inspirational Non-Fiction, I'm an avid reader, happily married to the love of my life, a mom and gramma and a light and salty follower of Jesus Christ. I grew up an Army Brat in Europe, had no television, and subsequently read books for entertainment in-between adventures that my parents never knew about. My TETRASPHERE series is one I would have loved reading as a teen, which is why I wrote it. I still enjoy the Teen/YA genre, along with SciFi, Fantasy, Time-Travel, some Romance, Mystery, and a few non-fiction categories. If it has print, I will read it. If I can squeeze it into my Kindle, I will read it. You can find out more at www.ptlperrin.org.
    Patty Perrin says:

    I love how Randy weaves the social issues into and through his stories. He doesn’t talk about them. His characters experience them and draw the reader in along with them. Great stories. Great blog, Pat! Thanks for sharing Randy’s blog tour with us!

  3. HI Pat, great to see Randy here with this post. I agree that words definitely matter and can hurt people far more that a physical action can. Thanks for hosting his book tour today.

  6. Linda Mims – Midwest, USA – Educator, Author, Blogger, and supporter of Independent Writers. One mystery novel, The Neon Houses, http://amzn.to/2kSqdPX. Find me on Twitter @boom_lyn.
    Linda Mims says:

    Congratulations on Scarlet at Crystal River, Randy! It seems to have everything readers love. I can’t wait together into it Thanks for hosting, Pat.

  7. pdoggbiker – Sterling Heights, MI USA – I'm a Vietnam Veteran and author of six books - 3 about my experience during the war in 1970 / 1971 and 3 other memoir type short stories. My website includes everything "Vietnam War". You'll find 500+ personal narratives, photos, videos, music from the era, book reviews, and book trailers about the #VietnamWar. Read our stories and engage with other vets...we all had a hand in shaping history during that time.
    pdoggbiker says:

    Randy, I loved your ‘WORDS’. The trailer was cool too, I’ll download a Kindle version after typing this. I did enjoy Cape May and look forward to reading this new story. Thank you, too, Pat for being a gracious host. Great day to all!

  8. Bette A. Stevens – Central Maine, USA – "I'm a writer inspired by nature and human nature!" ~ Bette A. Stevens Bette A. Stevens is a retired teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of five. Stevens lives in Central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and childhood literacy and for monarch butterflies, an endangered species. Stevens’s children’s activity book, THE TANGRAM ZOO and WORD PUZZLES TOO! was first published in 1997 by Windswept House Publishing, Mt. Desert, ME; a second edition was self-published by the author in 2012. AMAZING MATILDA , Stevens's second children's book, self-published in 2012, won a 2013 Purple Dragonfly Book Award (Honorable Mention for Excellence in Children's Literature - Ages 6 and older category) and placed #9 on The 2013 Gittle List TOP 10for Self-published Children’s Picture Books. Stevens has written articles for ECHOES, The Northern Maine Journal of Rural Culture based in Caribou, Maine. In 2013, the author published her first book for the YA/Adult audience: PURE TRASH, a short story of a boy growing up in rural New England in a family whose poverty and alcoholism mark him as a target for bullying by young and old alike. This short story is a prequel to Stevens's debut novel, DOG BONE SOUP, A Boomer’s Journey released in January of 2015.
    Bette A. Stevens says:

    Congratulations, Randy! Thanks for shedding light on a timely social issue in your book. Sharing!

  9. I love that Randy tackles social issues within his stories. He does a wonderful job of bringing important issues to the forefront while also telling a capturing story. Thanks for hosting today, Pat! 🙂

  10. Gwen M. Plano – United States – Over the expanse of many years, I taught and served as an administrator in colleges in Japan, New York, Connecticut, and California. Between travels with my husband and visits with family and friends, I write poetry and novels. I'm currently working on my fifth book. Though writing is an accomplishment of no small measure for me, my greatest treasure and most profound source of joy has been and is my four adult children. It is they who have guided me through life’s mysteries.
    Gwen M. Plano says:

    Congratulations, Randy. Like you, I don’t just write stories. Fiction or nonfiction, there is always a deeper purpose. All the best to you, and thank you, Pat for hosting him today.

      1. Gwen M. Plano – United States – Over the expanse of many years, I taught and served as an administrator in colleges in Japan, New York, Connecticut, and California. Between travels with my husband and visits with family and friends, I write poetry and novels. I'm currently working on my fifth book. Though writing is an accomplishment of no small measure for me, my greatest treasure and most profound source of joy has been and is my four adult children. It is they who have guided me through life’s mysteries.
        Gwen M. Plano says:

        Shalom, my friend.

  11. Shirley Harris-Slaughter – I love old buildings and history. That's why I ended up writing about the history that surrounded me all of my life - "Our Lady of Victory, the Saga of an African-American Catholic Community." Plus our church had closed and the school is torn down, so I felt it was imperative that we preserve the history or it would be lost forever.
    Shirley Harris-Slaughter says:

    Hi Randy. Have a great tour today. Congratulations!

    Hi Pat. Nice place you have. Always good to see you supporting the members.

    2. Thank you, Shirley for the compliment on my blog and thank you for coming by to support Randy.
      Shalom aleichem

  12. Rox Burkey – Professional background includes over 25 years in technology with multiple manufacturers. Rox is recognized as a renowned customer experience, business architect optimizes customer solutions on their technology foundation. She loves doing speaking on technology, customer experiences, or with authors. Within her field she is recognized as a subject matter expert, interviewer, instructor, and author of technology documents, as well as co-author an award-winning TechnoThriller books of The Enigma Series. It was revealed a few years ago that writing fiction is a lot more fun than white papers or documentation and Rox was pulled into that fun. As a child she helped to lead the other kids with exciting new adventures built upon make believe characters. An active Girl Scout until high school she also contributed to the community in the Head Start program. Rox enjoys family, learning, listening to people, any kind of travel, outdoors, sewing, cooking, and imagining the possibilities.
    Rox Burkey says:

    Randy has this wonderful way of delivering a story that makes your toes curl and get screams stuck in your throat. I enjoy his stories that always hit the target–dead center. I lvoe the trailer Thank you for hosting, Pat.

  13. When I pick up a book, I want to be both entertained AND informed. Randy’s book seems to do just that: offer a compelling plot + enlighten readers about an often ignored social issue: the plight of migrant workers.

    Congratulations to Dr. Randy and to Pat for promoting this fine author. (Now to check out the trailer!) 😀

  14. Author Jan Sikes – Texas – I am an award-winning author. I love creative writing and I love music. I've published four books that are true stories written in fiction format. They are entertaining like fiction, but everything did actually happen. I've also published a book of poetry and art, nine fiction short stories, and a paranormal romance series (The White Rune Series). I enjoy promoting other authors and Texas music artists!
    Jan Sikes says:

    A huge congrats to Randy on all of his amazing successes with these books! He is such a talented author and while I’ve only read book 1, the others are sitting on my Kindle patiently waiting. Thank you for hosting, Pat!

    2. Thank you, Jan. Yes, he does have amazing successes and thanks for coming by to support him.
      Shalom aleichem

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