So, You Need an Escape by Randy Overbeck #getaway #vacation

 MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome Randy Overbeck to Discover... We can all use an escape, and Randy can help! 

            Right about now—ten long months into this pandemic, still not able to do much—could you use a getaway? The vaccine is coming to you and yours soon, but in the meantime could you use a getaway? Couldn’t you just picture yourself on an sun-drenched beach, toes in the warm sand and a frosty drink in your hand? Or maybe sailing across blue green waters, waves lapping peacefully at the sides of your sailboat with the shoreline around you exploding with color?

I’m right there with you.

That’s why, when I decided to write my new series,  the Haunted Shores Mysteries, I decided to set each story in a great getaway location. But not just any getaway. I mean, everyone knows about places like Hilton Head or Malibu or Daytona Beach. For my stories, I was searching for unique, even unforgettable locations that I could introduce readers to, places that would leave a lasting impression.

For me, my first choice was obvious since it’s been a favorite destination of ours for years. The setting for BLOOD ON THE CHESAPEAKE is, well, the Chesapeake Bay. Or to be more precise, the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, which I believe is one of the undiscovered gems in the country. Thousands of miles of undulating shoreline, some of the best seafood you’ll ever eat, and
sunsets over the water that would melt your sheltered, hardened heart. Not to mention the scene of variegated foliage covering she shores that can match even peak autumn in New Hampshire. If you close your eyes, you might be able to picture yourself in the middle of the Bay aboard a two-masted sailboat, rocking gently on the waters. Or you could just let my novel take you there.  Here’s a brief excerpt from BLOOD.

A few stray clouds chased each other across an azure sky which turned the water to an aquamarine. A light breeze filled the two white and gold sails and stirred the water, creating only small waves which rocked the sloop gently. Across the horizon, a few white sails punctured the beautiful blue that wrapped around them. Gusts of wind filled the two triangle sails and flapped the four-square Maryland flag at the rear. Along the rock-strewn shoreline, charming Cap Cods with Adirondack chairs in front competed with two-story Colonials wearing their white clapboard siding and green sloped roofs like their Sunday best. 

Don’t you wish you were standing on the deck of that sailboat right now? Well, you can almost.

For the second entry in my series, I went for something quite different, but just as intriguing in its own way. CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY is set in a quintessential resort town, with expansive white sand beaches for the sun-worshipper, a famous getaway for more than 150 years. With over a hundred unique Victorian houses and mansions—think “the painted ladies”—lining the shore and filling the streets of this quant town and you have a setting and a sight unmatched anywhere in the U.S.  And, the fact that the town is the most haunted seaport on the Eastern Seacoast made it a no-brainer for the setting for my second narrative. A few pages into this novel and I promise you’ll forget the present doldrums of Covid-19 and find yourself in another place and time, one you’ll enjoy. Here’s just a sample.

They crossed at the light, and Darrell took in the sight ahead of them—a near perfect, expansive sandy beach edged by crystal blue water that seemed to stretch on forever, merging with a perfect azure sky. Smudges of white dotted the heavenly canvas, and small curls of white-topped breakers were sprinkled along the waters farther out. Quiet waves gurgled up upon the sand before leaking back into the watery expanse. Throw in the meticulous architecture of all those Victorian mansions and B & B’s and you have resort few places could match. 

Of course, my novels are far more than mere escape reads. Both include a cold-case murder mystery, a haunting ghost story and a bit of romance, all with some unforgettable characters.

Perhaps, one of the Amazon reviewers put it best: 

“Was your vacation canceled this year? I know ours was put on the back burner, but I can recommend a great get-away that won't cost much. Read the book Blood on the Chesapeake: A Cold Case Murder Mystery. It's a vacation to a beautiful seashore with characters you'll love and some you'll hate. Of course, everyone wants a vacation with a happy ending, and I won't spoil the book for you, but you'll smile about the ending after you put it down.”—Tami A, an Amazon reviewer 

            If you haven’t had the chance to discover either, click any of the links below to grab your copy and escape the present.

            Here are just a few things reviewers and readers are saying about these ★★★★★ and award winning novels.

·       “So engrossing it had me hooked from the very first page.” ★★★★★—Nana’s Reviews, Greece

·       “Overbeck’s pace is spot on and makes for a thoroughly engaging and quick read… A Gold Award Winner!” ★★★★★—Literary Titan

·       “An absolutely chilling ghost story wrapped around an even scarier piece of history - or perhaps it’s the other way around. Recommended. BEST BOOK!” ★★★★★—Chanticleer Reviews and Media

·       “This book was riveting and full of mystery, romance, and suspense. I could not put this book down once I was past the first chapter. I would find myself reading late into the night telling myself "just one more chapter"- just one more chapter would turn into 50 or 60 pages. Excellent book with a hint of history lessons to enrich our lives.”—An Amazon reviewer

·       “Thrilling! Haunting! Convincing! Loved it as much, if not more, than “Blood on the Chesapeake!” Began reading the book on Monday and finished it at midnight on Tuesday!”—an Amazon reviewer  

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Cape-Haunted-Shores-Mysteries/dp/1509231633/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1BCBKCDPQRK3L&dchild=1&keywords=crimson+at+cape+may&qid=1599856137&sprefix=Crimson+at+Cape+May%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-2 

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 

Randy Overbeck

randyoverbeck@authorrandyoverbeck.com

www.authorrandyoverbeck.com

@OverbeckRandy

FB: Author Randy Overbeck 

BIO

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, writer and speaker who has earned recognition in the Midwest and beyond. 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. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9nWiaGO-KM