by Randy Overbeck
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GENRE: Mystery
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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.
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EXCERPT ONE:
Darrell started, “Like I said back there, it’s complicated. We—”
Erin’s side window exploded. The fractured glass shot slivers across the front seat. The sound of an explosion followed a beat behind. Erin screamed. Something stung Darrell’s right arm. He grabbed a cut on his skin and then looked across the seat. Damn. Erin’s arm was bleeding, bad.
He couldn’t breathe. “Erin?” He stared at her for a second and then jerked his gaze back to the road and straightened the car.
Something hit the rear window. Luis yelped. The glass shattered and a second later, another crack followed. Luis fell forward. Was he hit? Darrell’s gaze jumped from the road to Erin to the back seat. Luis had fallen to the floor. Darrell couldn’t see him.
“Luis?” Erin called.
No answer.
Dragging his eyes from the road, Darrell shot another glance at Erin. Her entire arm was now turning red, the edge of her short sleeve wicking up the scarlet. The fingers of her left hand gripped tight around her right arm, the knuckles turning white. The blood still seeped through.
Dragging his eyes from Erin for a second, he turned in his seat to try to look.
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GUEST POST:
THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT?
Are you searching for that perfect Christmas gift for the readers on your list? A gift that will give them hours of enjoyment and one they will remember long after the tree comes down and the holiday decorations are put away?
If you’re like me, you try to select a gift that matches the person. So, before I make my suggestion, let me pose a few questions about your reader friends.
Do they enjoy solving the puzzle of an
intriguing whodunit?
Will they savor a nice thread of romance
in the tale?
Do they prefer books that whisk them off
to beautiful resort locations?
Are they drawn to stories with
compelling characters?
Do
they appreciate a little “woo-hoo” in their reading, not enough to keep them up
at night, just enough to make it
interesting?
When
they finish a book, do they want to come away having learned something new?
Are they a sucker for a great Christmas mystery?
If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, I have a recommendation for you. My humble suggestion for this perfect Christmas gift for your reader friends is a copy of the new release, SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER, the third entry in my award-winning Haunted Shores Mysteries series.
But don’t take my word for it. Check out what the professional reviewers are saying about SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER.
“Scarlet at Crystal River is a suspenseful paranormal novel with compelling characters and an enigmatic mystery that drives the story to a riveting conclusion.” ★★★★★—Literary Titan, Gold Award
“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
“A ghost story with a twist, Scarlet at Crystal River is a bestseller in the making. Brilliant descriptive narration sucks the reader in and doesn’t let go until the end of the story. Paranormal and mystery readers will love Scarlet at Crystal River. If you’re looking for a spine-tingling mystery, pick up Scarlet at Crystal River. Highly recommend!” 5+ Stars—N N Light Bookheaven
“Scarlet at Crystal River” is a rollercoaster of a mystery, hurtling up and down hills and around sharp corners until the very end, when the reader is left slightly breathless, waiting for their hearts to beat back to a normal rhythm.
One thing that is particularly special about Overbeck’s books is that they unabashedly tackle social issues within their plots. “Scarlet at Crystal River” forces readers to confront…the dangers of racism and xenophobia. ★★★★★—ReaderViews
“Overbeck’s writing transports you into real-life landscapes and imagined locations with a seamlessness that makes it hard to tell one from the other. The beauties of the Florida Gulf coast, the swampy growth that borders the greenery of well-fertilized fields, the posh interior of an ag magnate’s two story, all create a land that is seen, heard, smelled and felt.”—KRL News and Reviews
I think they pretty much said it all. What are you waiting for? Click the link below to check the book out yourself. Then order those copies today. Happy Christmas shopping!
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AUTHOR BIO:
Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author and speaker. As an educator, he served children for more than three 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 and Crimson at Cape May 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.
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CONNECT WITH RANDY:
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Tik Tok @authorrandyo
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
https://www.amazon.com/Scarlet-Crystal-Haunted-Shores-Mysteries/dp/1509237879
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scarlet-at-crystal-river-randy-overbeck/1139873947
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57841458-scarlet-at-crystal-river
https://www.bookbub.com/books/scarlet-at-crystal-river-by-randy-overbeck
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Randy will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.**This post contains
affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small
commission to help support this blog.
This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous
community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting me and giving me a chance to make my pitch for the perfect Christmas gift.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your guest post and book details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work and am looking forward to reading your stories
ReplyDeleteLet me know how you find my new release.
ReplyDelete