Imagine risking your life to right a major wrong only to lose everything as a result. Exposing his town’s ugly secret cost Darrell Henshaw—teacher, coach and paranormal sensitive—his job, his girl and his dignity. So, the offer to coach the summer football camp in Cape May came at just the right time. The resort town, with gorgeous beaches, rich history and famous Victorian mansions, might be just the getaway Darrell needs.
Only, no one told him Cape May is the most haunted seaport
on the East coast, launching his gift of
seeing ghosts into overdrive. One resident ghost, the Haunted Bride, stalks him,
begging for help.
Darrell can’t refuse.
Joining
forces with Cassie, a street-wise teen and another sensitive, he investigates
the bride’s death and discovers an even darker secret. Can Darrell and Cassie
expose the bride’s killer and expose the shocking truth before they’re targeted?
Good
morning, Darrell, let’s begin with what made you choose teaching for a
profession? For me, teaching and
coaching is more than a career, it’s my life. I’m still young, but I plan to dedicate
my life to helping young people become the most positive versions of themselves.
I believe it’s the best job in the world. On the other hand, my paranormal
gift is just something I put up with, not something I asked for.
Knowing
what you know now, if you had it to do over again, would you stick with being a
teacher or do something different? I’m
very lucky. Even when I was growing up, teaching was what I’ve always wanted to
do. To tell you the truth, I can’t imagine doing anything else. When I’m working
with young people and I see that lightbulb go on, I’m certain I’m exactly where
I need to be.
What
is your biggest fear? I’ve got a few
fears. First, I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but I suffer from OCD, that’s
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Early in life, I had a few problems and I still carry
a lot of baggage. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and OCD is how I try to cope
with it. But my greatest fear comes from my gift. You see, I see ghosts,
at least the ones who want me to see them. They have unfinished business and
they ask me to help them. What I fear is that I won’t be able to help them…or I’ll
get myself killed trying to find justice for them.
Who
is your favorite fictional character and why? I’m a big lover of historical fiction and I’ve encountered
several memorable characters in my reading. I truly enjoyed Mr. Schuyler, the
fictional biographer for the second US Vice President in the novel, Burr,
by Gore Vidal. I think I’ve read the book three times. Through the words of this
young, naïve journalist, Gore gives readers a very different view of early
America, before and after the Revolution. Even though Burr is a
fictional novel, it was based on considerable research. I gained more real
knowledge about colonial and early America through the pages of this novel than
any textbook. I recommend it to my students.
What
is the best piece of advice you ever received? “Life is too short to be squandered doing something
that doesn’t matter.” I don’t remember who shared that saying with me but it
really hit home. I’m convinced teaching matters and every time I help some lost
soul cross over, I hope that matters as well.
Thank you for spending
time with us, Darrell. We’d now like to chat with Randy.
Which writer or
character[s], from either books or movies, [or both] have had a major impact on
your writing? I’d have to admit I’ve been
fortunate enough to learn and benefit from several great writers. From best-selling
author, S. J. Rosan, I learned the importance of using my writing—even in
fiction—to tell a truth. Edgar award winner, William Kent Krueger, has taught
me how important it is to craft memorable, credible characters and to weave critical
details of the settings into my narratives. I hold their professional works of
fiction as something to strive for. With every page I write, I aspire to the
quality of their remarkable work—and I’m still working on it.
With regard to research,
where did you start for this novel? Did that lead you down different paths,
thereby changing the original concept? The
novels in my Haunted Shores Mysteries series—Crimson at Cape May is the second
entry—have several features in common. First, each originates in a unique
beautiful resort location, so that’s where my research started. After traveling
to a number of towns, I chose Cape May because of its remarkable history, its
tradition of ghosts and the gorgeous architecture of the town, unlike anyplace else.
Next, even though my stories take place more than twenty years in the past, each
tale addresses a current, urgent social issue. For Crimson, that issue
became human trafficking. So I conducted research in this area to be sure I
could write the truth and weave it believably into the narrative. Third, I did
my research of the ghost traditions and legends of the area around Cape May,
reputed to be the haunted seaport on the East Coast. Together these areas of
research contributed to making the narrative credible and, I hope, more readable.
Tell us a bit about your
publisher. How did you hear about them; what influenced you to submit to them;
how is the submission process; what is the turn-around time from date of query
to date of release? When I was researching
publishing outlets for the first book in the series, Blood on the
Chesapeake, I was hoping to find an agent who’d recognize my vision for the
series and see its potential and who would pitch the project to a major
publisher. I queried scores of agents and several expressed initial interest. However,
in the end, none decided to take me on. Then I turned to small presses, whom I
had also researched. I selected three and queried each. Two offered me contracts
and I signed on with the Wild Rose Press. I found WRP to be very professional
and easy to work with. For the first book, the turnaround time was a little
more than a year—though I had some personal issues which extended the time a
bit. For Crimson, the second book, the turnaround time shrunk to about
seven months.
What are you reading right
now? I’m a very eclectic reader. I
read mysteries (of course), thrillers, sci-fi, historical fiction, self help
books and even some chick lit, especially romantic suspense. I just finished Ghostly
Interference by Jan Stiles, Against All Enemies by John Gilstrap and
A Column of Fire by Ken Follett. Right now, I’m in the middle of The Rising
Sea by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown and The Rope by Nevada Barr.
What's up next for you? This is really great timing. I’ve just submitted the third
entry in the series, Scarlet at Crystal River. This story follows my
protagonists, Darrell and Erin, on their honeymoon to the Gulf Coast of Florida
to another charming town where they get to swim with manatees. And, of course, Darrell
is stalked by another ghost, actually two ghosts, the spirits of two young Latino
children. You can be sure I address another social issue, this time illegal immigration.
Just to make it more fun, this tale is a Christmas mystery. No release date is
set yet, but we’re looking for some time late fall.
http://www.authorrandyoverbeck.com
@OverbeckRandy
FB: Author Randy Overbeck
randyoverbeck@authorrandyoverbeck.com
You Tube Channel: coming soon
To purchase Crimson at
Cape May, go to:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crimson-at-cape-may-randy-overbeck/1137088608?ean=9781509231638
https://www.bookbub.com/books/crimson-at-cape-may-by-randy-overbeck
Great interview!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an intriguing book, Randy! I love that you deal with social issues in each book. Yes, Cape May is a special place. I used to summer on the beaches in Delaware (Bethany Beach) and we would take the ferry to Cape May.
ReplyDeleteWonderful interview, and it sounds like a great read! All the best, Randy!
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing better than a story with ghosts!
ReplyDelete