Truly Wicked with Randy Overbeck

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Join me in welcoming Randy Overbeck back to Wicked Wednesday on Discover... Always a great guest post.

Sadly, there is no shortage of wicked in our world. All you have to do is look around. The news with the latest homicide or the newest political scandal. And what’s with everyone’s fascination with true crime…and serial killers. Not to mention, mysteries and thrillers are the second most popular genre for readers—behind romance, who doesn’t love a romance? We are fascinated by wicked, though we prefer it tugged safely in the pages of our latest read or captured on the screens of our phones or 58’ television.

Wicked is okay as long as it is…out there.

With my newest title, Red Shadows at Saugatuck, I have tried to give readers what they want—some wicked inside the pages of the novel—and, at the same time, cross the line into the reality of truly wicked. This new novel is the fourth entry in my Haunted Shores Mysteries, the bestselling series which has captured twelve national awards, including BEST BOOK AWARD (Chanticleer) GOLD AWARD (Literary Titan) and MYSTERY OF THE YEAR (ReaderViews). Each tale is mystery and a ghost story and each revolves around a murder connected to some larger wicked. Earlier entries have tackled such wickedness as racial injustice (Blood on the Chesapeake)  and human trafficking (Crimson at Cape May).

Red Shadows at Saugatuck (2025) follows in these well-trod footsteps. This time the narrative is set on the west shore of Lake Michigan, on what’s known as the Art Coast. Like Cape May and Crystal River, Saugatuck is a quaint, charming resort town in Michigan visitors flock to in the summer. And for this entry, I chose to entangle the murder mystery in a wicked beyond belief, a wicked  that would come to be known as MMIW, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women—though that label did not yet exist at the time the story is set in (2007).

Through my research for the novel, I learned some shattering truths about this wicked—

·       Ten times as many Native women and girls disappear as white females each year (and Natives make up 1.1% of the US population compared to 60.6% for whites)

·       In 2023 (the latest year with stats) more than 16,000 Native women and girls are reported missing

·       Because of lack of coordination between local, state and federal authorities, the numbers of kidnapped, abused and murdered indigenous women and girls are most certainly higher than even these numbers

·       And these atrocities have been going on for decades (at least) because until recently there was little effort to collect this data and follow up on reports

·       Also, the US is not alone. Canada is confronted with the same wicked, as their numbers of MMIW are just as staggering.

Talk about sobering statistics of a real life wicked.

When readers dive into the pages of Red Shadows at Saugatuck, they will not only discover another beautiful resort town nestled against the fresh waters of Lake Michigan, they’ll get a tale about family and love and relationships sparked by a spunky five-year-old named Leo. And they’ll encounter another satisfying ghostly whodunit like the earlier entries, which won Mystery of the Year honors. But, perhaps most important, they will be confronted with the reality of a truly horrendous wicked, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. 

I think Red Shadows at Saugatuck is my best work yet and early critics agree.

“Thoughtful, deeply human and low-key terrifying.”—Literary Tita

“Mesmerized from the very first page right up to the last.”—ReaderViews

“A paranormal mystery while stole my heart and took my breath away. Truly, one of the finest books ever written.”—N N Light Bookheaven

Here’s a bit about Red Shadows at Saugatuck.

Darrell Henshaw hoped he was past it all. After all, no ghosts had visited him for years. Instead, he learns his five-year-old-son, Leo has inherited his “gift.”

Now, they both can see ghosts.

This time, Darrell drives his young family 800 miles to celebrate his Aunt Gertrude’s 80^th birthday. But, once in the resort  town of Saugatuck, Michigan, their participation gets derailed by the spirit of a Native teen who went missing weeks earlier. When he and Leo inquire about the girl, the locals dismiss their concerns—"Those girls run away all the time.”  Still, as questions pile up and threats grow, Darrell senses they may have stumbled onto something far worse and even more evil than one missing teen.

Can Darrell continue to pursue justice for the girl if it places his wife and five-year-old son in danger?

You can check out more information on Red Shadows at Saugatuck and all my works at my webpage—http://authorrandyoverbeck.com

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author, speaker and podcaster. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades and has mined that experience to create captivating fiction, authoring two series, the bestselling series, “The Haunted Shores Mysteries,” and the award-winning series, “Lessons in Peril.” His novels have won critical acclaim and garnered national awards including Mystery of the Year (ReaderViews) Best Book Award (Chanticleer Books and Reviews) and the Gold Award (Literary Titan) and amassed hundreds of 5-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Dr. Overbeck also hosts the popular podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual and sometimes strange backstories of famous authors, directors and poets and can be heard wherever listeners get their podcasts. He is a speaker in considerable demand, sharing his popular presentations about ghosts and the world of book publishing with hundreds of audiences all over the U.S.

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 Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop.

When he’s not researching, writing, speaking or podcasting, Randy enjoys traveling with his wife Cathy and visiting both his far-flung family and the scenic locations around this country, often in search of inspiration for his next great story. 

More info about his novels, programs and podcast can be found at his website www.authorrandyoverbeck.com

randyoverbeck@authorrandyoverbeck.com 

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorrandyoverbeck

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OverbeckRandy/media

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorrandyoverbeck/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/randy-overbeck

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Randy-Overbeck/e/B07QQHW7DM

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4825632.Randy_Overbeck

 

 

 

 

Love, Jealousy, Rage Wicked Wednesday by Lori Matsourani

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Hey readers! Join me in welcoming Lori Matsourani to Wicked Wednesday on Discover... Murder and Ghosts with a dash of Romance makes for a great Wicked Wednesday. And read to the bottom for a Goodreads giveaway!

Do we ever know who’s really capable of murder? Is it the thug with the tattooed face who despises rival gang members? The distraught father, furious with the sadistic husband who abuses beloved daughter? Or the ex-lover, angry at the new man who replaces him in the bedroom?

Rage and jealousy have existed since the beginning of time. Especially when stemming from the desire for a woman. It’s conceivable these emotions can transcend the passage of time... and perhaps, corporeal existence. After all, can love, jealousy, or rage ever be erased?

Not for eighteenth-century plantation owner Samuel Watts, the husband of beautiful Ariella. His jealousy cost him the love of his life. His rage demanded an even higher price: his own life. And despair over his loss condemned his forlorn spirit to roam his plantation home on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for centuries. Until he encounters Bethany Hendren, a love-wary guest in his house (now a B&B known as Horatio House).

Samuel reaches out to Bethany for help in unraveling the outcome of his fight with Frederick Howard, the man with wicked intentions regarding Samuel’s wife. The details are hazy, and Samuel wonders if murder was involved. His ghostly intrusion leads Bethany to reluctantly join forces with Nick Dorsey—the first boy she ever loved and the first one to break her heart—and help Samuel with his quest. As Bethany and Nick follow Samuel’s clues, sparks from their long-ago romance start to flare, but Bethany shuns the idea of reigniting the flame. Nick ghosted her years ago, and she can’t bring herself to trust him with her heart. But it’s Samuel’s revelations about relationships and trust that encourage her to open up to the possibility of love and happiness with Nick.

And what about Samuel? Can he use his wisdom in matters of the heart to find his own peace? Or is he doomed to continue roaming the halls of Horatio House as a bereaved spirit for eternity, which would be a wicked shame.

 

Blurb:

When her fiancé’s infidelity prompts Bethany Hendren to map out a new path forward, her plans are disrupted by an unexpected encounter with Nick Dorsey, who convinces her to help search for the remains of a troubled eighteenth-century ghost. Nick is the handsome summer boyfriend who ghosted her years ago, and now he wants to rekindle their relationship.

Despite her reluctance to trust him, Bethany discovers he’s still the funny, caring person who captured her heart as a teen, but giving him a second chance is risky—it could lead to love and happiness or result in another devastating heartache.

Although Bethany wants a happily ever after with Nick, does she have the courage to trust him with her future?

 

Excerpt:

He opened the door and motioned her inside the large room. A vintage wrought-iron bed, as well as a nightstand with a tray of wine, cheeses, and stemware, occupied the wall on her left. An enormous stone fireplace, with an antique painting of a woman mounted over the mantel, dominated the opposite side of the room.

Nick studied the portrait as he set down the suitcase, then peered at Bethany. “Oh, wow. You look just like her.”

The woman, dressed in eighteenth-century garments, appeared to be about Bethany’s age. They had the same oval face, narrow nose, chestnut-brown hair, and caramel eyes.

“I see the likeness,” Bethany said. “Who is she?”

“One of the Worthingtons. I’m sure Aunt Margaret knows her name.”

She stepped closer to study the centuries-old canvas and encountered a cold spot in the room. A shiver coursed through her. “Is this room always so chilly?”

He frowned. “Not usually. I’ll check the thermostat.”

Bethany hoisted her suitcase onto the bed, impatient to end this unwelcome encounter with Nick. Then, without thinking, she pivoted away from the mattress and almost collided with him. He threw out his hands to steady her, his face inches away as his fingers clutched her upper arms. His dark eyes locked on hers.

“I turned up the heat.” He maintained his grasp and her breath caught as she stared back, captivated by the richness of his almost-black irises.

“Thank you.”

“And there’s something else.”

“What’s that?” Her heart pounded, sending a rush of blood to her ears. She couldn’t look away. Was he going to apologize? Explain why he’d ghosted her after that summer?

“Even though the family completely redid the inside and outside of the house, the ghost still haunts this place.”

That’s what he wants to tell me?

With a sigh, she shook off his grip and stepped out of his reach, disappointed in him for dodging the chance to explain what happened back then and frustrated with herself for letting him get to her. She’d conquered her feelings for him a decade ago and was determined to squelch any residual heart flutters.

“If you’re trying to spook me, it’s not going to work.”

 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9XCPLYD/thewildrosepr-20

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/ghosted-lori-matsourani/22722837?ean=9781509262540&next=t&affiliate=114419

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghosted-lori-matsourani/1147463084?ean=2940184606941

Books A Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781509262540

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/ghosted/id6746414091

 

Bio:

Lori Matsourani is a romance addict. Give her stories with a touch of heartbreak and a spark of joy, and she’s happy. Throw in characters with a huge helping of heart and soul, and she’s up reading all night in romance heaven! While currently a Texas resident, Lori grew up near Baltimore and often draws on the historical flavor of Annapolis and Maryland’s Eastern Shore to inspire her story settings. She authored her first fiction story at twelve and has been hooked on writing ever since. Early on, her writing career focused on articles for magazines and newspapers before shifting to her first writing love—fiction. For Lori, connecting words to tell a story is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle, and she loves the challenge of creating every piece.

Social media links:

Website: https://lorimatsourani.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lori.matsourani.author/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lori.matsourani/

 

Goodreads Giveaway: Runs from August 1 to August 30

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/418301-ghosted

From Lawyer to Film to Crime Novels by Arthur Coburn

MUSE MONDAY

Join me in welcoming Arthur Coburn. His is a fascinating story. 

Tell me, Arthur, how did you go from law to film to novels? You obviously found your Muse.

After graduating from Harvard Law School, I quit my law firm job the day I passed the bar. And worked in film in Seattle. I moved to Los Angeles and became a film editor. After working in various capacities in film, I found I could translate what I knew into writing fiction novels. I also learned the advantage of being willing to fail. I used to try lots of solutions, discarding the ones that didn't work and improving the ones that did. I learned to trim down scenes to a fighting weight. In Murder in Concrete, I used much of what I learned in film. This story takes place on a low budget zombie thriller movie set in Barstow, California.

Let's hear about your book, Murder in Concrete.

A small-town murder unravels a teenage girl’s life as she tries to discover who is responsible for killing her mother and learns that everything she thought she knew might be an illusion. 

Charlie Purdue was just another small-town teenage girl until she discovered her mother’s dead body at home after school. All signs point to her father, who has disappeared, but his cryptic final words to Charlie have always left her wondering. When she spots him in a film months later, she’s shaken to her core and dead set on going to Los Angeles to find him and unearth the truth of what really happened that horrible day. 

What follows is a gripping odyssey through the underbelly of LA’s film industry, where everything Charlie thought she knew about her life is suddenly, and shockingly, brought into question. 

AMAZON BUY LINK

Arthur Coburn grew up in New Jersey, went to Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, passed the Washington bar, exam spent two years in the U.S. Infantry as a first Lieutenant, and survived a three-year law career, before bailing out and landing a job for King Screen Productions, a filmmaking Division of the KING Broadcasting Company in Seattle. His first assignment there was to make a chart of all the proposals for peace in Vietnam.  He progressed to directing commercials, industrials and documentaries; later to writing educational film scripts for the same company. When the division closed, he worked as a freelance writer doing environmental impact statements, and as a freelance still photographer. He has written five novels: Murder in Concrete (published in 2024) Murder in Madrona (currently in revision); and several awaiting care and review: Boys Will Be Boys, Mostly (general fiction),  Rough Cut (a thriller).

ARTHUR'S AUTHOR PAGE ON AMAZON

Dogs and Coffee: Full of Hope by Neil C. Plakcy

MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome Neil Plakcy to Muse Monday on Discover... He's sharing his spot today with Betty Martinez, the owner of The Smiling Dog Cafe. Neil has a wonderful series full of hope and doggies and coffee. All three of which are my favorite things. Today is release day for the third book in his series, Grounds for Hope. I have it cued on my reader and can't wait to dive in. Meanwhile, enjoy Betty's delightful lesson on coffee...

Betty’s Guide to Coffee Beans
A Smiling Dog Café offering
 

Welcome, Friend.

There's a reason you're holding this guide right now. Perhaps you're looking for a deeper understanding of the coffee you drink each morning. Maybe you're searching for that perfect cup that brings comfort on difficult days. 

Whatever brought you to these pages, welcome. I'm Betty Martinez, owner of the Smiling Dog Café in Brooklyn, and I believe that coffee, like healing, is both science and art. It requires precision and patience, but also intuition and heart. 

In my thirty years as a grief counselor before opening the café, I learned that people need different things at different moments. The same is true of coffee. Sometimes we need the bright clarity of a light roast to help us face new beginnings. Other times, we need the deep comfort of a dark roast to hold us through difficult nights. 

This guide focuses on coffee beans - their origins, characteristics, and the stories they carry within them. The beans are just the beginning of our journey together, but they're the foundation upon which every meaningful cup is built. 

Understanding Coffee Beans: The Heart of Every Cup

Coffee beans aren't really beans at all. They're the seeds of coffee cherries, fruits that grow on small trees in specific regions around the world. Like people, these seeds carry the legacy of their origins - the soil that nourished them, the rainfall that quenched their thirst, the sunlight that warmed them through seasons of growth. 

When we roast these seeds, we're helping them transform their stored potential into something that can nourish others. The heat reveals qualities that were always present but hidden, brings forward notes of chocolate or fruit or spice that tell the story of where they came from and how they grew. 

Every coffee bean carries its own particular wisdom. Learning to listen to what each one has to tell us is part of the journey toward that perfect cup - the one that speaks directly to you, in your own language of comfort and joy. 

In Colombia, I met Dona Clemencia, who told me, "You already know the most important thing—that coffee is medicine for the soul before it is anything else." 

When I asked what she meant, Doña Clemencia invited us into her modest home, where she prepared coffee using a method I'd only seen my grandmother use—cloth filtered, with a patience that modern brewing rarely allows. The kitchen filled with an aroma so complex it seemed to have its own vocabulary. 

"In Colombia," she explained, "we say that coffee has memory. It remembers the soil, the rain, the hands that picked it. And when we drink it mindfully, it helps us remember too—not just the painful things we try to forget, but also the joyful things we shouldn't." 

The Colombian beans I brought home from that trip—particularly those from high-altitude farms in Huila and Nariño—carried complex notes of red fruit, chocolate, and a pleasant nuttiness with a clean, bright acidity. But their true value lay in what they taught us about healing. Not the American model of "getting over" grief, but the Colombian understanding that some griefs remain with us forever, becoming integrated into who we are, like the flavor of the soil becomes part of the coffee bean. 

I discovered that Colombian coffees seemed particularly effective for people struggling with transitions—those caught between past and future, between pain and possibility. The beans' balance of brightness and depth mirrored what we were learning about healing: that acknowledgment of darkness makes the light more appreciable, not less.

The finest Colombian coffees still carry that perfect tension between acidic brightness and comforting warmth—a reminder that healing doesn't mean forgetting, but finding balance between remembering and moving forward. 

When I brew Colombian beans at the café, especially for someone navigating life's thresholds—graduation, career change, relationship endings—I think of Doña Clemencia's weathered hands, showing us that nurturing growth requires both tenderness and strength. 

These memories infuse the coffee I serve, invisible but present, like the altitude and rainfall that shaped the beans themselves. This is what I learned in Colombia: that coffee, at its best, is not just a beverage but a bridge—between past and present, between cultures, between people seeking to understand each other across the chasms of different experiences. 

Selecting Your Coffee Beans

When choosing coffee beans, consider what you're seeking in this moment: 

For Mornings of New Beginnings

Reach for lighter roasts from Ethiopia or Kenya, where bright, citrusy notes can help you greet the day with clarity and purpose. These coffees awaken the senses and remind us that each day offers fresh possibilities. 

For Thoughtful Afternoons

Medium roasts from Colombia or Costa Rica provide the perfect balance for contemplative moments. Their harmonious flavors create space for reflection without demanding too much attention.

 For Evenings of Comfort

A medium-dark Guatemalan or a sweet Brazilian offers warmth and grounding as the day winds down. Their gentle sweetness soothes without overwhelming. 

For Moments of Transformation

A dark Sumatran or robust Vietnamese coffee can accompany you through times of intense change. Their bold presence reminds you of your own strength even as you transform. 

 A word from Neil:

You are always welcome at The Smiling Dog Café, down a Brooklyn side street, where the coffee’s brewing, and the dogs are waiting to help you with your own healing process. To read the stories that have come before you, you can find The Smiling Dog Café, The Bridge Between Us, and our newest offering, Grounds for Hope, available on Monday, August 4, 2025. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4Z5VHTC

GROUNDS FOR HOPE:  At a quiet Brooklyn café watched over by painted dogs and warmed by just the right cup of coffee, two teenagers arrive—lost, hurting, and unsure where to turn next.

In this deeply compassionate third entry in the Smiling Dog Café series—fully enjoyable as a standalone—author Neil S. Plakcy shares two powerful novellas about grief, resilience, and the unexpected ways we find our way home.

In Grounds for Hope, Miguel is alone on the streets after his father is deported back to their violence-plagued homeland. Cold, hungry, and nearly out of hope, he’s led to the café by a mysterious pit bull named Baxter—and taken in by Betty, the wise café owner whose coffee and compassion help restore his sense of safety and purpose.

In Finding Grace, Tanya is reeling after her mother’s decision to walk away from their life to “find herself.” Angry and unmoored, Tanya is gently nudged toward the café by Kiyomi, a calm, three-legged Samoyed—and slowly begins to rediscover her strength, her voice, and her path forward.

This tender volume celebrates how healing begins—in community, through ritual and memory, and with the quiet guidance of a dog who always knows exactly who needs help next.

Come in from the cold. The coffee’s brewing, and the dogs are waiting.

AMAZON BUY LINK

I’m proud that since the first book was released in January, we have already garnered nearly 200 four- and five-star reviews from satisfied customers. 

Neil S. Plakcy is the author of over 70 novels in mystery, romance, adventure and healing fiction. His website is www.mahubooks.com.

Book Catalogs to Complete Your Summer

Stock up your readers up for the rest of the year...or at least long enough for those cooler autumn days to descend. These catalogs have some great offerings to get you through the last dregs of summer.

Kids are starting back to school. Get your new readers into some great chapter books! 

Click the photo to be taken to the catalog

Romantic Suspense in this August Catalog that is also Kindle Unlimited.

 

 
Click the photo to be taken to the catalog

How about a Romantic Escape in this Catalog of Books...oh, yeah, find your next Book Boyfriend

                                                Click the photo to be taken to the catalog

Cozy and Sweet...the Perfect Combination for Some Great Reads!

Click the photo to be taken to the catalog

Life's Adventures: Trips and Trauma

This summer has been a real mixed bag of highs and lows. 

On the high side, one of my books was chosen for a BookBub Featured Deal. Now that was a trip. I've tried numerous times, but they only let 20% of the submission pay the outrageous price for the one day ad. The thing is, that one day equals lots of exposure. This is the book: The Art of Love and Murder, Wild Horse Peaks book 1 

On the low side, our granddaughter is preteen and not inclined to spend a week with us on her summer break. 

On the high side, she loves spending time with us in general so we snatched her for a day of fun in Phoenix. 

And another high side, is she and I had a girl day of shopping and laziing around a hotel that night. 

We talked and laughed so much.

On the low side, FDW had to schedule numerous medical appointments for an upcoming surgery.

On the high side, we managed a trip for a hotel stay and dinner at a very fun place in Scottsdale. This interactive dinner show has locations all over the U.S. I recommend them. Kind of pricy, the food is good, and the
show is fun. 

You get to cheer for your knight in armor too! Ours won.

On the high side, got my trip to Prescott for a chocolate martini with my sister to celebrate her birthday.

On the low side, FDW's shoulder replacement surgery was a miserable day. We were the first ones in at 6 a.m. and the last ones out at 4:00 p.m. Little things like the bloc didn't take so the pain was off the charts when he woke up. They shot him up with opioids which he has reactions to. They finally gave him a second bloc which took. But about the time he was relaxing with less pain, the opioid reactions set in and he was sick. 

On the high side, the reactions passed. The surgeon said the new shoulder looks great. All went well. So...all will be great in a few months.

On the low side, since his right arm is out of commission, I am doing all those things he normally does around here. Wow! Do I need this guy.

On the high side, my exhaustion and grumpiness is temporary. We're heading into the last day of summer. If you haven't heard...I HATE SUMMER. But yes, it is on the way out.

And...the 4th book in the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery books is up for preorder (eBook) and print is available now. We're told it's the best one yet!  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK3P31T5

Books, Books, and More Books

Stock your readers up for the rest of the year. These catalogs have some great offerings...

A New Catalog of Amateur Sleuths
and Cozy Mysteries
You'll Not Want To Miss Opening in July

 

Click the photo to be taken to the catalog

 

 

Kindle Unlimited Romantic Suspense for You
in This July Catalog of Books

 
Click the photo to be taken to the catalog



Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense free books in this July Catalog of Books



Click the photo to be taken to the catalog