Hello all my Campfire friends! Starting next week we're going to have a new fangled campfire blog. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have putting it together. There still will be camping stories, author interviews and books many books. Sometimes you need to freshen things up. If you haven't signed up for my monthly newsletter that goes out tomorrow November 1st you still have time. Here's the link mailchi.mp/cebf7ab2f016/what-day-is-it Let me know if you want a 2022 Calendar from Wild Rose Press with Rock House Grill. Now lets get to it. My guest today has a ghost story for you. And what's better around the fire than a tale of specters and spirits. Take it away Randy. I'll be peeking out the window.​👻

Not scared yet? Check this out www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLhuf7RGtCs

Scarlet At Crystal River
A Haunted Shores Mystery
by
​Randy Overbeck

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.


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. 
https://www.amazon.com/Scarlet-Crystal-Haunted-Shores-Mysteries/dp/1509237879/ref=sr_1_ 
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scarlet-at-crystal-river-randy-overbeck/1139873947?ean=9781509237876 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57841458-scarlet-at-crystal-river?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=RTpsYLU6mO&rank=3
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-KOC0LH2GQRSAjwxOFr5rg 
Tik Tok @authorrandyo
   
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
 
About Randy 
​​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/ 

Welcome to my campfire. I'm glad you stopped by. Here you will find out not only about me and my Glamping Adventures, but other authors and their books. Starting on November 1st the format will be a bit different but I not to much and I'll be interviewing a wider group of people in not only the publishing world but camping and the world in general. Now without further yada yada pull up a chair, pour a beverage, let your worries and cares go for a few minutes. Oh, we haven't done this for a while so lets put our imagination cap on. No matter where you are, try to picture a campfire. Listen, do you hear the children laughing and giggling? Someone has the grill going and whatever it is smells amazing. A couple of sites over a fellow is playing guitar.  Are you there yet? Okay, here's a little help.

Camping in Lancaster is one of our favorites. This year we went full circle. In 1998 Pete, my son R.J., and I camped at the Mill Bridge Campground in Ronks, Pa. We returned 24 years in our 5th Wheel. It's a tiny camp tucked away in Lancaster County. Being so late in the fall (for camping anyway in the Mid-Atlantic) one of the hazards was the raining acorns and walnuts. When a stiff breeze blew, people ducked and covered. Sounds of them bouncing off of campers or crunching under tires was a new experience for us. Hali was enthralled by the horse and buggies when we took her out for rides.
Some antiquing at cackleberryfarmantiquemall.com/ scored me a couple of owlish decorations and vintage Christmas stuff for Pete. 
Breakfast at the Agape Café a particular treat. Don't tell Pete's doctor he had the stuffed French Toast. Check out the website at agapecafeandgrille.com/ followed by a train ride via the Strasberg Railroad was fun and relaxing. We met a wonderful family from Indiana who were camping nearby as well.  
The trip wouldn't have been complete without a trip to reallancastercounty.com/local-eats/local-pa-dutch/zooks-homemade-chicken-pies/  where we picked up some tasty treats and then off to reallancastercounty.com/shops/food-fresh-healthy-natural-organic-seasonal/local-dairies/lapp-valley-farm-dairy-ice-cream/
​We grabbed vanilla, coffee and some pumpkin pie ice cream. 
The Green Dragon Market is only open on Fridays. Now with retirement we were able to go. So much to see and taste. www.greendragonmarket.com/

One of my random thoughts is about Christmas. So many folks are worried about giving gifts with so much product stuck on a boat somewhere. I remember one of my son's friends many years ago was asked by the local newspaper what he remembered about his favorite Christmas. Guess what? It wasn't wrapped under the tree. His best memory was walking in the snow with his family. This was a twelve year old boy. Several years ago DH and I began a new tradition with our son, his wife and our grands. Instead of toys that break or clothes they grow out of we decided to give memories. Each year they receive a family gift of a camping gift card. So far they've been to Gettysburg, Texas and Tennessee. They don't have a camper yet so stay in the camp cabins. For birthday's they get complimentary gifts like a fishing pole or sleeping bag. As a family they now have the camping bug and will be buying a camper in the near future. Let me tell you the joy we get from the pictures they send or the phone calls about what fun they are having are priceless and could never come from a box. 
So, are you looking for a gift and wondering what to do? Look around you. What experience and memories can you give? Does she want a horse but lives in a city? How about looking for a nearby stable that offers lessons. Does he like trains? Is there a train station that offers scenic tours? 
Stuff gets old and broken. Clothes get torn and grown out of. Memories last forever.
Tell me about one of your favorite memories or experiences you've gifted someone.

Happy Saturday everyone! ​Before I tell you about all my recent adventures, I have some exciting news. Jazz House is under contract! Whoot! Whoot! It's been a long time coming. I'll keep you posted of any developments. Now let's light the fire.

D. V.'s Glamping Must Haves
To be a true glamper there are things that have to be on every trip, at least for me. My list does vary depending on season and destination but I'm never without the following

1. Coffee. I have many fallbacks in case of emergency. Yep the regular drip pot is always ready to go. But what if there's no electricity? The old blue and white ceramic stovetop Corning pot is ready to roll, or perk. Sometimes while traveling I get the hankering for a cuppa. Purchasing coffee on the road can go many ways from great to awful. This is where the French Press comes in. Boil the water on the gas stove, pour it into the grounds, stir, wait (or go potty) and press. Voila! Delicious every time.
2. Books.  There's a Kindle app in my phone and before we head out I make sure a couple of books are down loaded. You never know when you will have cell or Wi-Fi. Sitting around the fire late into the night reading is one of my favorite pastimes. There's also a few physical books waiting just in case. 
3. Speaking of sitting around the fire, sometimes it just won't light. Wood is damp or the campfire sprites are mischievous, you never know. In my tool box is a propane torch, yep, I cheat. Fire up that puppy and snap, crackle, flame.
4. Misc. other always haves. Hubby, because who else is going to back up the 41' behemoth and get rid of spiders?  Hali, my doggo, because she's adorable.

These are a few of my must haves on any trip. What do or would you find necessary?

We had a lovely time the past week traveling. First off we hit Seneca Falls, NY. Hubby's favorite question is, "Why did we go to Seneca Falls?" If any of you know his birthday is December 6th, which is also St. Nicholas Day. He loves all thing Christmas and builds outside displays for favorite Christmas classics. We have Snoopy's doghouse among others things. So Seneca Falls is the inspiration for one of the pictures below. Can you guess which?

We also enjoyed visiting a few wineries. My sister and I up until the the pandemic were fans of the Finger Lakes Wine Festival in Watkins Glen NY. After the first couple of times, instead of doing shots of wine in the tents, knew what our favorites were.  We'd grab a bottle (or two) from those wineries and head over to the park for the live music and food trucks. So, my designated driver, Pete, brought me to a few of my favorites. Not because I like owls, well I do but for this conversation it's not important what is, is the Thirsty Owl Wine Company has a great selection. My favorite is Snow Owl. Here's the link if you want to check them out. www.thirstyowl.com/
We also visited Swedish Hill Winery, I love the Riesling at swedishhill.com/our-locations/swedish-hill-winery/
and  finally Miles Wine Cellars has a white called Ghost Wine AND a ghostly history.
mileswinecellars.com/  I'm sipping a glass of this at the time of this writing.

After visiting the museum and area we drove over to Vermont. The state is gorgeous at this time of year. I'm sure other times as well, but we are Autumn people. Time spent at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science was amazing. I think I had more fun there than anyone at the time and even climbed the tower above the canopy. Pete's not a fan of heights. vinsweb.org/

I hope you enjoyed today's campfire chat. We have another trip coming up in Lancaster Pa. Some of you may know it's one of my favorite places. We're going full circle this trip. In 1998 Pete and I took our first camping trip to Lancaster in a borrowed Pop-up trailer.  We're going to be back at this campground later this month. I can't wait to see all the changes, so stay connected. 
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Driving to destinations can be a long and tedious day. What makes it fly by for me? Audio books. This summer I enjoyed The Chronicles of Narnia in it's entirety. From The Magician's Nephew to The Last Battle Kenneth Branagh, Alex Jennings, Michael York, Lynn Redgrave, Derek Jacobi, Jeremy North, and Patrick Stewart kept me engaged and entertained. 33 Hours and 45 minutes covered it. Whether you are an adult or child this is a timeless set of stories that is as fresh and relevant today as when it first became published in the 1950s.

I was chastised once for using the term RV to encompass all sorts of campers besides tent. Tough luck. My camper my rules and if I want to call the darn thing a RV deal with it folks there are many more important issues of the day.
Now that's off my chest, back to what is it about them. If you follow me you know my rig is called 2HOOTS. Yep, many of us name not only the camper but the truck. Our truck I call Beast or "mine" when hubby and I have a good natured argument about whose name is on the pink slip. Silly man, trucks are for girls. Back to the topic.

She's a 5th wheel. That means the hitch is in the bed of the truck not pulled by a pin behind. Think like a tractor-trailer. What that does for us is give a more stable type of tow. 5th Wheels don't tend to sway. They do however "Porpoise". Think how a porpoise swims the surface in an up and down movement. 

Having a "fiver", another nick name for it, also gives a lot more room. Since hubby and I plan not only to travel but are looking to Snowbird in Florida we need space. Especially nice is 2Hoots has a bunkhouse. This doubles as my office when there are no grandkids sleeping in the bunks. It also has a tiny extra bathroom attached to it. I can shut the door to the main living area and disappear into my author world.

What else besides being a camper/winter home/office is she? Also the guest house and Lifeboat. She is always ready to hit the road or accommodate overnight guests. 2HOOTS has also been our sanctuary when the lights go out as they are apt to do often in Northern NJ. Sometimes for days and even a week or so. We have a small generator that will run everything but the air conditioners. If you live in the country and aren't hooked up to town or city water, no power, means no H2O. 

We returned recently from Cape May, NJ for the annual N.J. State Firefighters Convention and will be heading soon to Seneca Falls, NY. My DH is a Christmas fanatic. (He was born on St. Nicholas Day) Seneca Falls is the inspiration for a classic holiday movie. Can you guess which one? If you know put it in the comments and I'll draw a name from the correct answers for a prize. After spending a few days we're off to Vermont and camping with friends. Our last trip is to Lancaster, PA, one of our favorite haunts. The fall foliage should be amazing for these outings. 
If we don't get a spot in Florida this year the sad day will come when we have to winterize the big girl. I hope we get to the sunshine state.
Here are some fun camping facts

• Over 42 million Americans, 14% of the U.S. population, go camping each year
• Millennials go camping more than any other age group. They cite a love of outdoor activities, an appreciation of nature, a love of music festivals, and a love of sharing photos on social media as motivations for camping
• Around 68% of adult campers in the United States are married or living with a partner, which suggests that camping is a family activity
• Though I've done it, no longer is this ole gal doing it but the most popular type of shelter among campers is a tent
• The average camper travels 190 miles to go camping
• There are almost 9 million families owning an RV
• In 1972 RV/MH Hall of Fame opened in Elkhart Indiana. And I'm going there next year.

I hope you enjoyed todays post and found it informative. So until next time-May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Blessings
D. V.