This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Randy Overbeck will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Welcome to It's Raining Books. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?
I’ve been a mystery lover for a long time. Well before I penned my first novel, I read Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allen Poe, then later Agatha Christie and Robert Parker. The idea of deducing who the culprit was has always intrigued me and I wondered if I had the skill to pull off a believable whodunnit. Now, four award-winning mysteries later, I think I found the answer. “Cruel Lessons is one the best mysteries of 2023.”—ReaderViews
What research is required?
If an author wants to write convincing fiction, I believe research is one critical element. Cruel Lessons takes place in 1994 in a small school district in a rural Midwestern town. In order to render the setting correctly, I needed to research the happenings, the language, the school customs of that time and place, as well as extensive research on areas like the possible effects of drugs, how an automobile would function in a rollover, small town arrest procedures, just to name a few. Readers and reviewers often remarked on how authentic my settings are—and I believe that’s due largely to research.
Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.
Both the hero (Ken Parks) and heroine (Stacy Thompson) of Cruel Lessons have a tainted past. Both have personal tragedies in their past which still haunt them decades later. Through the story and their unmasking of the drug dealer, both Stacy and Ken find a way get beyond the problems of their past and move forward. Since many of us have something in our past that weighs us down—and that includes me—this is a lesson we can all learn.
Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?
I’m not sure I have any habits that would count as “quirky.” Outside my vivid imagination, I’m a pretty boring guy. I’m not very superstitious anyway, though I’ve been known to pick up a lucky penny.
How about this? I can write pretty much anywhere. Give me a little time and a space and I’m typing away on my laptop. Waiting while my wife completes her PT—writing. Sitting while they change the oil in my car—typing up a storm. Sitting in the doctor’s waiting room—inventing some of my best stuff. Grabbing a quick meal out by myself—my keyboard is getting crumbs on it. Give me a few undisturbed minutes and I’ll have words flowing onto the page. Writer’s block is almost never an issue for me. There are always more words, more ideas, more plot turns ready to spill from my brain onto the keyboard.
Are you a plotter or pantser?
I’ve found I’m somewhere between a plotter and a pantser. I often start my story with some basic structure points that I’ve “outlined” in a very loose manner, I’ve determined main characters (for which I have a character board) and I’ve laid out some other plot details. Since creating accurate settings is critical, I also have copious notes on these. From there, I let the muse take over.
Look to your right – what’s sitting there?
On the right is the leg of my beautiful, L-shaped wooden desk. A little farther right is a wide window which looks out on a pond and the woods beyond. It makes for a comfortable and inviting writing space.
Anything new coming up from you? What?
My latest project is a new writing direction for me. I’m putting the finishing touches on a historical suspense about the Culper Ring, Washington’s spy organization during the Revolutionary War.
Do you have a question for our readers?
How do you choose a new book or new author to read?
Readers have a tsunami of books flooding towards them everyday. According to the latest data from 2022, today alone 11,000 new titles will hit the market, the vast majority from unknown authors. Sorting through all these new offerings can be overwhelming.
How do you decide which title would be worth checking out?
On a school camping trip, fifth graders experiment with a dangerous new hallucinogen and die in a horrific accident, their deaths shattering the quiet town. Assistant Superintendent Ken Parks, hoping to redeem a fatal mistake from his past, grasps the opportunity to conduct the district investigation of how students are getting the drugs. Almost before he begins, the cops make a stunning arrest. But Parks battles on, convinced the real pusher is still out there, poisoning more kids until he receives an anonymous threat: if he continues, those close to him will pay. Is Parks willing to risk those he loves for a chance at redemption?
Read an Excerpt
Struggling desperately to force her mind to think, Amanda tried to consider her options. It was all happening too quickly. The next treacherous turn came at her fast. She had no way to slow down. White knuckles gripped the steering wheel.
The bend ahead showed a hard curve to the right, not quite as tight as the last one, but steeper. And she felt the car accelerating, though she hadn’t touched the gas pedal. Right before the car hit the curve, Amanda spun the steering wheel. The car lurched around the bend. The driver side of the car lifted up. Halfway through the long bend, Amanda watched the hood tilt in the turn until it was almost vertical. No seat belt on, she was catapulted down the leather seat, crashing into the passenger door.
“Hell!” she cried, reaching to grab her bruised shoulder.
She froze as the two wheels still on the ground shuddered in the gravel, sliding off the small road. Slammed against the side door, she heard the tall weeds and low branches whip against the body. But the car didn’t slow. Blood streamed from a gash on her forehead. For an instant she lay there stretched across the passenger door, holding her breath.
Then she sensed the car teetering. The front tire bumped something hard. Amanda stared, unbelieving, as the car began to flip. As the Regal made the first revolution, she screamed.
About the Author
Website: http://www.authorrandyoverbeck.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorrandyoverbeck
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OverbeckRandy/media
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorrandyoverbeck/
BookBub: ttps://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
Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1924616/10983135
SERIES PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B5TGPX9
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Randy%20Overbeck
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great interview questions. I hope your readers enjoy getting to know me.
ReplyDeleteHow long on average does its take you to write a book?
ReplyDeleteI'm a deliberate, not a fast writer and I do a good deal of research for my fiction. But actual writing time can range from 6--18 months.
DeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteI'll look forward to reading what you think after you've read the novel.
DeleteThis looks like a great book!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the post. Sounds like a good story.
ReplyDeleteI'll be anxious to read what you think of the novel once you have a chance to read it.
ReplyDelete