31 Days of Halloween with The Kelly Society Day 18 Paranormal Author Randy Overbeck
31 Days of Halloween with
The Kelly Society
Day 18
Hello everyone! We are your hosts today - Donna and Roger from Luna Books. As everyone knows in Half Moon Bay, we supply the community with metaphysical and paranormal non-fiction books, but we also carry paranormal fiction. Today we are spotlighting one of our favorite authors, Randy Overbeck. He sure knows how to spin a compelling, haunting tale!
His newest book, Scarlet at Crystal River is receiving great praise, as well as his previous works:
And, now a bit about the man himself:
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.
Our interview with Randy:
Each day when you get up in the morning, what is it about the mystical, ghostly, and unexplained realm that keeps you riveted to write about it?
For years, I’ve been fascinated with ghosts, with the possibility of ghosts, with the suggestion of ghosts, with the belief in ghosts. In grade school religion class, I remember reciting warnings about how ghosts interfere in our lives. In high school I read Shakespeare’s stories of ghostly phantoms—and later, as a teacher, I taught lessons about Shakespeare’s and many other writers’ beliefs in ghosts. I’ve visited enough haunted locations to even sense their presence, though nothing like my protagonist, Darrell. But after I met a few actual ghost hunting teams and saw their evidence of actual spirit haunting, my sense, my belief took on the hardened edges of certainty.
So, when I decided to write a series of tales about unsolved, cold-case murders, the inclusion of a bit of the paranormal seemed completely apropos. I mean, what could give my amateur sleuth more incentive and drive than actually encountering the victim? In my narratives, when these ghosts speak to Darrell seeking justice, he can’t back out, no matter how dangerous and threatening the situation becomes. I believe the ghost story and mystery evolve into a perfect marriage of eerie suspense and puzzling whodunit.
Reviewers seem to think this combination works as well.
“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
“An absolutely chilling ghost story wrapped around an even scarier piece of history - or perhaps it’s the other way around.”—Chanticleer Reviews
What was your best Halloween ever?
I have a good many memories of Halloweens past, both as a child and as an adult, many fun and frolicking and a few scary encounters—or so I thought at the time. But without a doubt, my most memorable experiences have come with my grandkids. For more than fifteen years, I’ve trick-or-treated with my three grandkids, tramping up and down their expansive sub, knocking on doors and collecting candy. Watching their fascinated eyes, enjoying the crazy costumes of the other kids and adults, admiring the eerie, haunting decorations of the neighborhood as we hit every one of the 300 homes—these conjure up all my best feelings of the holiday.
Thank you, Randy!
To follow Randy and order his books, we've got all the information for you:
Social Media Handles
Tik Tok @authorrandyo
SCARLET Purchase Links
PURCHASE LINKS—CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY
PURCHASE LINKS—BLOOD ON THE CHESAPEAKE
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-on-the-chesapeake-randy-overbeck/1130410017?ean=9781509223282
Well, that wraps another 31 Days post for us! Have a chilling, delightful, and spooky Halloween everyone!
Donna & Roger
The Kelly Society
