Today's Guest Is Mystery Author Randy Overbeck.

Welcome, Randy. Camp is about hospitality so what’s your preference, coffee, tea, cocoa, wine? The camp fridge is like the Starship Enterprise, you speak it, you get it.
It depends on my mood and the time of day. I don’t do coffee but enjoy the rest. Since it’s a little on the cold side today, let’s go with cocoa.

Hot cocoa it is. Tell us have you ever camped, or as I call what I do, Glamp. If you’re not the camping type. Tell us about your favorite adventure or vacation. What made it special to you.
have to admit I’m not much at camping and haven’t camped for years. I married a woman years ago whose idea of getting away is to be waited on, so Hilton here we come. As for a favorite vacation spot, that would probably be the Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay in fall. Breathtaking scenery, just enough of the comforts with being too touristy and some of the best seafood anywhere. It’s also where the inspiration for my series was born.

Sounds beautiful. I love the Chesapeake. The sound of water. The smells, yes even the fishy ones. So, Randy, tell us about your latest project and if there are any things on the horizon.
My most recent work is a ghost story/mystery entitled CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY and book number two in my new Haunted Shores Mysteries series. It was released late this summer—in somewhat crimped style thanks to Covid—and has done fairly well thus far, gaining a national award and 5 star reviews from four different national and international reviewers. I’ve been working hard on book number three which will be a Christmas ghost story mystery. Great fun.

Do you have a tagline? Life Motto? The value of our life can be measured by the impact we have on others. Were their lives better because they intersected with yours.
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Oh, I love that. How long did it take you from conception to publication?
That’s a little hard to say. The origin book in the series, BLOOD ON THE CHESAPEAKE, which set the parameters for the series, took about three years from concept to release. Because I had some of the parameters established and some research groundwork already laid, this second entry, CRIMSON, took only about eighteen months.

Are there any mentors, authors, or books, other than yours, you would like to give a shout-out to?
Without a doubt, that would be William Kent Krueger, author of the best selling Cork O’Connor series and winner of the Edgar award. Early on in my writing journey, I was fortunate enough to meet him at a writing conference and he gave me much good advice. We connected several times since and he was very supportive of my writing efforts. He even wrote a blurb for the first book in my series. We still stay in touch.

Literary success means different things to different people. What does that look like to you?
Like a lot of other authors, I’d love to see my name on the best selling list, though I’ve come to realize that may be a bridge too far. I think for me literary success is when I’m able to create a work that transports the reader for a few hours and helps them sees their world a little more clearly. When I receive that kind of response or review from my readers, then I feel I’ve succeeded with my pen—okay with my computer.

Life Hacks for Authors. Do you have any tips, tricks, or anything you specialize in that you would share with others. How you have been managing your life and writing with COVID-19.
During this challenging year, I’ve found writing to be a life and sanity saver. In the darkest days of the pandemic—and yes, that may be now—I found, when I could go into my office and sit down and write, everything else disappears, at least for a while. Since my writing is historical, I could get lost in the times brought to life by my writing. At my desk, I was able to jettison the anxiety, fear and uncertainty of the “real” world and live within the pages of my creation. As a bonus, I was also able to get more writing and revising done then at any time in my life.

Good for you. This affects creative muses differently. I'm glad you are able to embrace the situation and make the best of it.
Now for the fun questions

• If they made a movie about your life, what would the title be and who would play you? “He Made A Difference” Matthew Mcconaughey
• What is your favorite mug or teacup if neither T-shirt with graphic or Meme? I have a mug and a Tervis and a tee shirt with the words “My favorite people call me Papa”
• Years ago, there was a commercial that talked about a “Kodak Moment.” It’s a moment in time you catch in a picture. One you never want to forget. What is yours? My extended family is dispersed all over the country. Before Covid, we would get all fifteen together every other year at some fun location like Nashville for a few days of fun and take some photos to capture these precious moments. My favorite is the last group picture with everyone laughing and smiling. It beams back at me on my desktop.
• If you could only choose one song to play every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life, what would it be? How about James Taylor’s “You Got a Friend.” My daughter and I even danced to that at her wedding.

• Favorite childhood book? Because of my family circumstances growing up, I don’t remember too many books from then. I made up with that with my own children. I think our favorites would have to be some of the Roald Dahl books like James and the Giant Peach or the BFG.​ ​

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No matter how far you run, you can never really escape a haunted past. 
Darrell Henshaw—teacher, coach, and paranormal sensitive—learned this lesson the hard way. With his job gone and few options, he heads for Cape May to coach a summer football camp. The resort town, with gorgeous beaches, rich history and famous Victorian mansions, might just be the getaway he needs. Only, no one told him Cape May is the most haunted seaport on the East Coast. One resident ghost, the Haunted Bride, stalks Darrell, begging for his help.
He can’t refuse. 
Joining forces with Cassie, a street-wise teen and another sensitive, he investigates the bride’s death and discovers her murder is connected to a far greater horror. But can Darrell and Cassie expose those behind the crimes before they end up being the killer’s next victims? 

What others are saying
“A haunting, yet fast-paced whodunit that captures the reader’s attention from page one. A wonderful book!”—Alexandra Ivy, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

“Delivers an unpredictable mystery along with a powerful look at people…Completely engaged by the intrigue.”—Long and Short Reviews

“With both elements of mystery and suspense, readers across genres will find this second book about Darrell Henshaw intriguing…I highly recommend it.” ★★★★★--Literary Titan
“It’s a ghost/mystery story filled with suspense and action. The plot is so engrossing it had me hooked from the very first page.” ★★★★★—Nana’s Reviews, Greece
“The well-plotted storyline keeps a steady pace through two-thirds of the book and then gradually ups the ante, adds tension, grit, drops more pieces of the puzzle then explodes.”—V. Williams, Rosepoint Publishing 

More about the author
Dr. Randy Overbeck is a veteran educator who has served children as a teacher and school leader. For more than three decades, his educational experiences have included responsibilities ranging from coach and yearbook advisor to principal and superintendent and he’s lived the roles of many of the characters in his stories. An accomplished writer, he has been published in trade journals, professional texts and newspapers as well as in fiction, with his third published novel. 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 That Go Bump in the Night,” he’s spending time with his incredible family of wife, three children (and their spouses) and seven wonderful grandchildren.
Randy Overbeck
[email protected]
www.authorrandyoverbeck.com
@OverbeckRandy
FB: Author Randy Overbeck

Get a copy today
www.amazon.com/Crimson-Cape-Haunted-Shores-Mysteries/dp/1509231633
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crimson-at-cape-may-randy-overbeck/1137088608
https://www.bookbub.com/books/crimson-at-cape-may-by-randy-overbeck
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9nWiaGO-KM

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