Title: SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER
Author: Randy Overbeck
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Book 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.
Excerpt:
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 into the back. He screamed, “Luis!”
Darrell wrenched farther around to look and his leg bumped the steering wheel. He heard an ugly thump. Too late, he jerked back around to see the car careen over the berm. In three seconds, it slammed into a tree. He heard another explosion and was slammed back against the seat.
Everything went dark.
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What makes your featured book a must-read?
An early reviewer called SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER “a cold-case murder mystery wrapped in a ghost story served with a side of romance, all set in a stunning resort location.” That says it all.
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally.
Runs April 9 – April 17, 2024.
Winner will be drawn on April 18, 2024.
Author Biography:
Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author and speaker. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades and has turned that experience into captivating fiction, authoring the bestselling series, the Haunted Shores Mysteries, winner of nine national awards. This past fall, the Wild Rose Press released his newest work, an atmospheric amateur sleuth mystery, CRUEL LESSONS, which has captured two national awards already. He hosts the popular podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual and sometimes strange backstories of famous authors, directors and poets. He is also a speaker in much demand, sharing his multi-media presentations, “Things Still Go Bump in the Night,” “A Few Favorite Haunts,” and “Everything You Wanted to Know About Publishing” with audiences all over the US. 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.
More info about his novels, programs and podcast can be found at his website www.authorrandyoverbeck.com .
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