The Writing Life with Dr. Randy Overbeck, Author of 'Blood on the Chesapeake'

Dr. Randy Overbeck is a writer, educator, researcher and speaker in much demand. During his three plus decades of educational experience, he has performed many of the roles depicted in his writing with responsibilities ranging from coach and yearbook advisor to principal and superintendent. His new ghost story/mystery, Blood on the Chesapeake, will be released on April 10, 2019 by The Wild Rose Press. As the title suggests, the novel is set on the famous Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, home to endless shorelines, incredible sunsets and some of the best sailing in the world. Blood is first in a new series of paranormal mysteries, The Haunted Shores Mysteries. Dr. Overbeck’s first novel, Leave No Child Behind, a thriller about the terrorist takeover of a Midwest high school and one teacher’s stand against the intruders, won the 2011 Silver Award for Thrillers from ReadersFavorite.com. Dr. Overbeck is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and an active member of the literary community. You can follow him on Twitter @OverbeckRandy, friend him on Facebook at Author Randy Overbeck or check out his webpage, www.authorrandyoverbeck.com

INTERVIEW:

What got you into writing?

I’ve been writing most of my professional life—lesson plans, grant applications, newsletters, professional articles, etc. In the last decade plus, I decided to return to a love I had as young man and channel my writing toward more creative pursuits. I found that I enjoyed it and, after several hundred thousand words, have started to get better at it, I hope.

 What do you like best about being an author?

That’s easy. I write for myself, because I have something to say. But nothing in my writing life has brought me more joy than seeing how much my readers LOVE my work. After my first book, Leave No Child Behind, was published, I received scores of emails from readers telling how much they enjoyed it and how it scared them to death. (It’s supposed to scare them.) Several years later, I still keep re-read those emails.

When do you hate it?

When I’m stuck. Writer’s block is not usually a problem for me. But occasionally, when I’m at a certain point in the narrative, I’ve been stymied at just how to get my character to do A or how to get him/her to B. Most of the time I’ve been fortunate. I can usually work on another part of the manuscript and my mind subconsciously works out a solution. I’m able to work through it, but while I’m in the midst of the problem, it can be pretty thorny. 

What is a regular writing day like for you?

I don’t often have a “regular writing day,” and that’s okay because I thrive on variety. I’m fortunate that I’m able to control my schedule most of the time, so I can choose when I want to write. That’s most often in the late morning and midafternoon, but the muse has also struck me in while watching a movie, in the middle of the night as well as at the break of dawn. I thrive on these differences and find I get different inspirations at different times.

Do you think authors have big egos?

I can only speak for me and I can tell you the members of my writing group keep me humble. My guess is that writers are just like the rest of the population and come in all colors and flavors. I can tell you that I’ve been moved by the several famous writers I’ve met and learned from at writing conferences. To a person, they have been genuine and generous with me.

How do you handle negative reviews?

I’d be untruthful if I said I didn’t care or wasn’t concerned with them. I was fortunate with my first novel that I didn’t receive many negative reviews. But, after I gave myself some time and distance, I try to go back and revisit any negative comments to see if there is something I can take from them to benefit my future writing efforts. Also, I try to remember people are different and my writing and my treatment of subjects is not for every reader.

How do you handle positive reviews?

As I mentioned above, positive reviews—whether from critics, fellow authors or readers—buoy me and keep me writing. I still have a letter, almost twenty years old now, from my then agent apologizing for not being able to place my first manuscript. He was saddened by the fact that he hadn’t been able to find a home for a writerwith such potential. When I begin to doubt myself, I pull that letter out and read it again.

What is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?

This introduction has never failed to draw an interested response. They always want to know what genre I write, do I have anything published, would they likely to have read my work? Such an exchange is both gratifying and humbling. Even though my first book earned rave reviews and won a national award, they almost never have heard of me or my work. 

What do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break?

Those days I call brainstorming days. In each book I write there are always sections where I’m struggling to decide how to resolve a conflict, catch a suspect, lay a trap and I often use these off days—while I’m physically engaged doing something else—to brainstorm options to move the story forward. Usually I find such “off days” can also be very productive.

Any writing quirks?

I’m sure I have plenty of quirks, writing and otherwise, though nothing that would fall into the suspicious category. (Strange, I know for a guy who writes ghost stories.) How about this? I really enjoy revising and editing. Like other authors, I’m never thrilled to have to “kill my darlings,” but I actually enjoy the process of revising and editing—usually with some good help and input—and watching my best writing appear on the page. I don’t know if that’s quirky, but that’s me.

What would you do if people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby?

No problem. Although I certainly care about what my readers think of my writing, the rest I try not to concern myself with. In participating in writing conferences, I’ve met authors in all stages of readiness from full time commitment to hobbyist. The literary world is a huge tent and there is plenty of room for writers of all stripes.

Some authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?

Sure. Most of the time I really love what I’m doing when I’m writing, when the words are flowing, the plot is unraveling, the characters are talking. But the rare times when the characters won’t talk to me, when I can’t decide the next turn of the plot, when the words just won’t come, those time I hate. Fortunately for me, this doesn’t happen often.

What’s on the horizon for you?

I’m currently finishing the second installment in the Haunted Shore Mysteries series—tentatively titled Crimson at Cape May, another ghost story/mystery, this time set in the beautiful, historic resort town of Cape May, which also happens to be the most haunted seaport on the eastern coast. The Wild Rose Press already has first rights to the book and I expect this second novel in the series to be released sometime in 2020. Also, a third book in the series is in the planning, this time with nefarious happenings and help from beyond at a sunny resort in the Bahamas. At the same time, I’m working on a stand alone mystery about a drug dealer and murderer who preys on middle school students. You could probably say, I’m keeping busy.

Leave us with some words of wisdom about the writing process or about being a writer.

Many writers say that writing is a solitary act, just you and the computer. While I can’t argue with that, I need to add that my writing would never have risen above the minimum without help from outside. I’ve participated in several really good writing conferences—Killer Nashville, Midwest Writers’ Conference, Sluethfest—and have found these experiences invaluable for “priming the pump” and getting me to think beyond my boundaries. Not to mention all the connections I’ve made with fellow writers. But I have found the greatest asset to my writing has been my regular participation in a really great writing group. These fellow writers have been both kind and cruel to my words and my writing has improved as a result.

Genre: ghost story/mystery 

Author:  Randy Overbeck

Website:  www.authorrandyoverbeck.com              

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Purchase link:  https://www.authorrandyoverbeck.com/books 

About the Book: 

Blood on the Chesapeake—Wilshire, Maryland seems like the perfect shore town on the Chesapeake Bay—quiet, scenic, charming—and promises Darrell Henshaw a new start in life and a second chance at love. That is, until he learns the town hides an ugly secret. A thirty-year-old murder in the high school. And a frightening ghost stalking his new office. Burned by an earlier encounter with the spirit world—with the OCD scars to prove it—he does NOT want to get involved. But when the desperate ghost hounds him, Darrell concedes. Assisted by his new love, he follows a trail that leads to the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and even the Klu Klux Klan. Then, when two locals who try to help are murdered, Darrell is forced to decide if he’s willing to risk his life—and the life of the woman he loves—to expose the killers of a young man he never knew.  

On the Spotlight: 'Honolulu Heat' by Rosemary and Larry Mild

Honolulu Heat, Between the Mountains and the Great Sea

By Rosemary and Larry Mild

(ISBN 978-0-9905472-3-5, Trade Paper and e-Book, 298 pages, $14.95)

Website: http://magicile.com/

Find out more on Amazon 

Honolulu Heat, the latest mystery by Rosemary and Larry Mild, is a tantalizing tale brimming with action, suspense, and intrigue.

About Honolulu Heat:  After surviving Hurricane Iniki on the island of Kauai, Alex and Leilani Wong move to Oahu for safety and peace of mind. Fate, however, is unkind. Alex and Leilani anguish over their son, Noah, an idealistic teenager who teeters on both sides of the law. Noah’s life takes an unexpected turn when he meets his dream girl, Nina Portfia. But Nina has dangerous family ties—and the romance turns ugly when she and Noah unwittingly share horrific secrets.

Facing a murder charge, Noah flees and finds himself swept up in a bloody feud between a Chinatown protection racketeer and a crimeland don who, ironically, is Nina’s father.

Violence cuts a wide swath in the Island paradise, leaving in its wake innocent real estate agents, a Porsche Boxster Spyder, a stolen locket, and an odd pair on a freighter to Southeast Asia. Noah, now relentlessly pursued by two mob leaders and the police, is in grave danger. Torn between loyalty and betrayal, only he can unlock his own freedom and bring peace to his family—and Honolulu’s Chinatown.

With its compelling cast of characters, pulse-quickening plot, and to-die-for setting, Honolulu Heat sizzles.

About the authors:

Rosemary and Larry coauthor the popular Paco & Molly Mysteries and the Dan & Rivka Sherman Mysteries—and most recently, Unto the Third Generation, A Novella of the Future. They call Honolulu home, where they cherish time with their children and grandchildren. The Milds are members of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and Hawaii Fiction Writers. Find out more about their books on their website.

Interview with Sheila Lowe, Author of 'Written Off'

Like her fictional character Claudia Rose, Sheila Lowe is a real-life forensic handwriting expert. As the mother of a tattoo artist and a former rock star, she figures she’s a pretty cool mom. Sheila lives in Ventura, CA with Lexie the Very Bad Cat, where she writes the award-winning Forensic Handwriting series. But despite sharing living space with a cat, Sheila's books are psychological suspense, definitely not cozy. So if you are offended by profanity, some violence and a sprinkling of sex, they are probably not for you. On the other hand, if you enjoy delving deep into the psyche and motivations of the main characters, give them a try.

Sheila also writes non-fiction books about handwriting: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Handwriting Analysis, Handwriting of the Famous & Infamous, and Sheila Lowe’s Handwriting Analyzer software. Stop by the dedicated website and sign up for notices: www.claudiaroseseries.com. For information about handwriting analysis: www.sheilalowe.com

Find out more on Amazon.

INTERVIEW:

Mayra Calvani: Please tell us about Written Off, and what compelled you to write it.

Author: It’s the seventh book in the series. I start with a title and build a story around it. This time, I wanted to write about a female serial killer in prison and what brought her there. I decided to set it in Maine in winter, which seemed to be an appropriately bleak setting to tell the story of Roxanne Becker.

M.C.: What is your book about?

Author: In the dead of winter, handwriting expert Claudia Rose journeys to Maine to retrieve a manuscript about convicted female serial killer, Roxanne Becker. While searching for the manuscript written by Professor Madeleine Maynard, who was, herself, brutally murdered, Claudia uncovers a shocking secret: the professor’s explosive research into a group of mentally unstable grad students selected for a special project and dubbed “Maynard’s Maniacs.” Was Madeleine conducting research that was at best, unprofessional—and at worst, downright harmful, and potentially dangerous? Could that unorthodox research have turned deadly?

Claudia finds herself swept up in the mystery of Madeleine’s life—and death, soon realizing that Madeleine left behind more questions than answers, and no shortage of suspects. The professor’s personal life yields a number of persons who might have wanted her dead—and her academic success and personal fortune clearly made her the envy of fellow faculty members.

The University anticipates being the beneficiary of Madeleine’s estate—but when a charming stranger, claiming to be Madeleine’s nephew, turns up, brandishing a new will, all bets are off. The local police chief prevails upon Claudia to travel into town to examine the newly produced handwritten will. Later, rushing back to Madeleine’s isolated house to escape an impending storm, Claudia becomes trapped in a blizzard. With a killer.

M.C.:  What themes do you explore in Written Off?

Author: The underlying theme seems to be what happens to children who have had a bad start in life. There are so many paths an abused child might follow. Despite similar backgrounds, one might develop a multiple personality, another becomes a serial killer. Yet another might use their bad experiences to propel themselves into success.

M.C.:  Why do you write?

Author: Writing is a compulsion. When people say, “oh, that must be fun!” It’s sometimes hard to answer politely. They often don’t recognize that writing is a job, like being a doctor, lawyer, or, yes, a handwriting examiner. So, I am lucky enough to have two careers. I can’t say that I like writing, but I do love having written.

M.C.:  When do you feel the most creative?

Author: Honestly, I don’t feel creative at all. But I guess making up characters and the world they live in is a form of creativity.

M.C.:  How picky are you with language?

Author: I can be very picky when it comes to word usage. I go into my editor mode when I’m reading a book that uses wrong words or spelling. But here’s an irony—I came to the US from England when I was fourteen, and many of the word choices I make even now tend to be Britishisms that my publisher asks me to change.

M.C.: When you write, do you sometimes feel as though you were being manipulated from afar?

Author: I wish! Actually, now that you mention it, there are times—not very often—when I’ve written something and wondered “where did that come from?” I would love for it to happen more.

M.C.:  What is your worst time as a writer?

Author: Time, as in time of day? Or process? I tend to write late at night, after I’ve done the paid assignments for my handwriting examination practice, and then frittered away the rest of the day on Facebook or other websites. It’s often ten pm by the time I think, Oh! I’d better get some work done on the book. Hey, maybe I’m improving, it’s only 8:30 tonight.

If you mean process—the worst time for me is the beginning—coming up with the right plot. I wish I were like my friend, Raul, who can churn out ten ideas in an hour. For me, I need to get A Big Idea, and then work it out in my head until I finally, weeks or months later, get it down in an outline.

M.C.:  Your best?

Author: Process-wise, it’s writing The End, and then going back to edit and expand and make sure everything makes sense.

M.C.:  Is there anything that would stop you from writing?

Author: I’m 67 and so far, nothing has.

M.C.: What’s the happiest moment you’ve lived as an author?

Author: Opening a box of my first published book from Penguin. And even better than that, opening a box of mysecond published book! Seeing them on the shelves at Barnes & Noble was pretty cool, too.

M.C.:  Is writing an obsession to you?

Author: Writers have to write. Is that an obsession? Maybe. It’s just something I do. Because I have a day job as a forensic handwriting examiner I don’t work on my books all the time, but I am always writing something.

M.C.:  Are the stories you create connected with you in some way?

Author: My character’s work mirrors my own. Claudia is not me, but she takes the same kinds of assignments that I do. Of course, I’m not as brave (or foolhardy in some cases) as she is. In the first four books, the stories do have some connection to actual events in my life. They are not about those events, but they started with a kernel of truth and grew out of that.

M.C.:  Ray Bradbury once said, “You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” Thoughts?

Author: I only wish I had a scintilla of Bradbury’s talent. I’m unfortunately far too pragmatic to allow reality to destroy me—and trust me, it has tried. I do become very involved with my characters in my head and heart, but in the life I live, I have to maintain some separation. Otherwise, it would be difficult to get on the witness stand and testify in court!

M.C.:  Do you have a website or blog where readers can find out more about you and your work?

Author: Yes, and I would love readers to visit and sign up for my infrequent—once or twice a year—newsletter:www.claudiaroseseries.com or contact me with comments: sheila@sheilalowe.com

Excerpt reveal: The Prom Dress Killer, by George A. Berstein

Title:  THE PROM DRESS KILLER

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Author: George A Bernstein

Website:  http://www.suspenseguy.com

Publisher: GnD Publishing

Find out more on Amazon

Beneath the blazing sun and sizzling streets of Miami, a cold-blooded killer is at work.  His victims?  Young, auburn-haired women—four, so far—kidnapped and murdered.  These victims show no signs of trauma, but all bear the distinct hallmarks of a serial killer.  And this serial killer leaves behind a sickening calling card:  each victim is found clad in a prom dress.

Homicide detective Al Warner is on the case but this killer has left shockingly few clues, leaving Warner with more questions than answers.  Why were these girls taken…and then killed?  Is this psychopath intent on killing redheads, and why?  What, if anything, connects the victims?  Why were the bodies arranged in peaceful repose, wearing prom dresses?  How does that square with his leaving these carefully-arranged bodies in dark alleyways, discarding them as if they’re trash? And how long until this killer strikes again?

Sadly, one question is answered quickly when promising young attorney Elke Sorenstan captures the killer’s deadly attention and becomes the fifth victim. All signs say the killer is escalating—and that can mean only one thing:  the killer is bound to strike again, and soon.  With the stakes mounting and every tick of the clock marking that fine line between life and death, Al Warner doggedly pursues the ruthless killer before another victim falls prey. Warner’s worst fears are realized when newly-minted Realtor Shelly Weitz finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Al Warner will have to act fast: the clock is ticking in this deadly game…and Shelly Weitz is dangerously close to dancing with the devil himself—a dance that will surely be her last.  But as Detective Warner gets closer to stopping the madman behind these murders, he’ll risk losing everything—including his life.

A mesmerizing Miami mystery that ratchets up the suspense from page one, The Prom Dress Killer will leave readers breathless. Resplendent with pulse-pounding action, nail-biting suspense and unexpected twists, turns and surprises, The Prom Dress Killer is an outstanding new mystery that takes readers on a high-octane quest to catch a killer.  George A Bernstein has crafted an eerily real, masterfully- plotted mystery that delivers thrills and chills from beginning to end.

About the Author: A native of Chicago, George A Bernstein is a retired president of a Chicago manufacturing company. After leaving Chicago for South Florida, George started a world-wide fishing and hunting tour service, Outdoor Safaris. He is a world class fly-fisherman who has held 13 IGFA World Records and authored the definitive book on fly-fishing for pike and musky, Toothy Critters Love Flies.  He and his wife of 57 years, Dolores, live in South Florida. George is also the author of two previous Detective Al Warner suspense novels, Death’s Angel and Born to Die. He is currently at work on the next Detective Al Warner novel, as yet unnamed.

 www.suspenseguy.com / http://facebook.com/georgeabernstein                                 https://plus.google.com/114243818981488647845/ /                             http://twitter.com/georgebernstein

Chapter 2

“What d’ya got, Jack?” Al Warner asked, settling his lithe, hard muscled six-foot frame on the corner of his ex-partner’s desk.

“Not much, Al. The criminalists swept the entire area of the parking lot, but they didn’t come up with anything.” Jack Harris flipped through his notebook, shaking his head.

“We know for sure she was snatched in the lot?” Warner asked.

“Yeah. Security cameras picked her up, entering from the library. There’re two cams on every deck, but unfortunately, Miss Williamson was parked where there was no real coverage, and we never saw her leave.”

“Terrific!” Warner said, his fingers gently probing the spot at the back of his skull, more itchy than tender now, under the mat of thick curly black hair.

“That whack on the noggin still bothering you, Al?” Jack asked.

“Nah, not really. Just habit. Good thing I got a hard head.” Warner picked the crime scene report from Harris’ desk.

“Yeah, lucky for you. Not so lucky for the guy who beaned you … or his two nasty partners.” He grinned, delivering a little punch to Warner’s arm. Harris marveled at the steel hardness of his friend’s forty-year-old body.

“Easy, there, bud,” Warner said, his lips ticking upward. “So no video of the snatch …?”

“If it was one. I ain’t so sure.” Harris stood, coming around the desk.

“The third redheaded gal to go missin’ in the last three months? No longer a coincidence, Jack.” Warner self-consciously dropped his hand from another visit to his itchy scalp.

“If it’s the same perp,” Warner continued, “which now seems damned likely, we got five, maybe six days to find her alive. This guy’s got a timetable, and he sure doesn’t waste much time between vics. He drops one in an alley and has usually swiped the next within two weeks, max.

“Did the cameras at least pick up auto traffic in and out? We need something, Jack.”

“Sure, they got every vehicle coming and going. Problem is, we don’t have an exact timeline when she went missing. She left the library at about five p.m., and we got no shot of her leaving the garage.”

“Let’s review the tapes, startin’, say, at four-thirty, through about six. Look for the same vehicle comin’ and goin’ durin’ that time. He had to drive in and out. Maybe we’ll get lucky,” Warner said.

“Okay, boss, but he coulda followed her there and just waited for her to come back.”

“Good point. So look for her arrivin’ about three p.m. ID the next three or four vehicles behind her, and then look for one of them leavin’ right after we think she was snatched.”

“That’s kinda thin, boss … and it’s gonna give me a lot of sore eyes.”

“What else we got, Detective? Put one of the techs on it, if you’re gettin’ too old,” Warner said with a mischievous grin.

“Shit, you think I’d leave something like that to some nerd punk. I got a bottle of Murine.”

“Yeah, I figured. So get your lazy ass in gear. Let’s try to find this gal before the sands run out. I’m gonna zip by the parkin’ lot again, just in case we missed something. Her car been towed to the lab?”

“Yep. The Tech boys are about done.” Harris had returned to his desk, tilting his chair back. “I thought you might wanna take another peek at the scene. It’s still taped off, all the markers in place, and we got two full-time blues on the spot, so nothing gets disturbed.”

“Okay. Give me a copy of your interview notes of the lot’s attendants, and get on that film ASAP.” His voice raspy, he leaned forward, balancing on his arms, fingers spread like claws braced against the top of the desk.

“I don’t want a third pretty young corpse, all dolled up in a fancy prom dress, lyin’ in an ally somewhere. Not the goddamned Angel of Death, all over again.” Warner’s face contorted, as he slammed his fist down hard enough to spill the pencil container.

“Easy, boss.” Harris pushed away from his desk. “We’re doing the best we can, with what little we got.”

“Well it’s not fuckin’ good enough.” Warner straightened, catching himself from reaching for his last head wound again.

“I’m goddammed sick and tired of serial-killers around here. Three in the last three years is three fuckin’ too many! Let’s get this bastard before this last gal becomes his third vic, and before he takes a fourth.”

“We’re doing what we can, Al. He’s gotta make a mistake soon. I just hope we can do it this time without ya catching a bullet or rock off the noggin. Ya gotta stop playing those sympathy cards.”

Warner glared at the smaller man, but couldn’t contain his laughter, bubbling up, erupting like a ruptured dam … which in a sense, it was.

“Goddammed little shit! You always know how to cool my fuse when it gets too hot.”

Harris grinned. “Someone’s gotta chill ya out. You’re the best cop I know to solve these things, if ya don’t get too emotional about the vics. Never knew a detective who cared as much as you do, boss.”

“Thanks for the bucket of cold water, Jack. I get too wound up and I could miss something. Can’t afford to do that, ’cause this perp’s on a serious mission. I’m pretty sure bodies of pretty young redheads are gonna keep pilin’ up if we don’t nab ’im soon.

“Anyhow, get on that film, and get one of the techies to help. Two sets of eyes are always better. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. I‘ll wanna go over the patrol canvas reports, too.”

“Gottcha. Is Doc Guttenberg working on a profile?”

“Not yet. I’ll see Eva tonight and see if she can come up with something that might help.”

“Right. That’s real tough duty!” Harris grinned. “At least you two getting together is one thing good coming outta the last caper.”

Warner smiled. “Always lookin’ for the silver lining, huh.”

“Gotta be some perks in this job. I’ll call ya if anything comes outta those videos.”

Warner nodded, scooping up the file from Jack’s desk and heading out of the Miami-Dade Homicide Department. Something had to break, but time wasn’t on his side.

It never was, with a nut out there, killing innocent victims. Three years ago, it was teenagers. A year later beautiful young women … almost including Sharon. Now this nut— just sixty days after he snagged the perps with all those SIDS infants dying … and him taking a small boulder on the noggin in the process.

It’s redheaded women this time, meticulously groomed and dressed to the nines. Each was smothered, dying peacefully while apparently in a chloroform daze. It looked like the Unsub didn’t want them to suffer, but that seemed at odds with him laying them out in dark alleys like so much trash.

He hoped Eva could come up with something other than the killer seemed conflicted over his vic’s care. If nothing else, the lovely doctor would at least manage to drain off his tension.

He grinned, in spite of his anger. How was he so lucky to have that beauty love him? He thought briefly of Sharon, fleeing to Buffalo after her near deadly encounter with the Angel of Death. And then the blonde angel, Casey, consumed by the SIDS deaths of all those baby boys. That case eventually brought him to lovely Dr. Eva Guttenberg … and how lucky was that!

Will love last this time? He didn’t give it freely, and was too hard-case to receive it back very often. He was using up a lifetime of opportunities, and he didn’t want to screw this one up.

Unlocking his gray Dodge Charger coupe, he slid in, tossing the file on the passenger seat. He lingered, eyes focused on some distant, invisible spot, fingers tap-dancing on the leather cover steering wheel, considering the current serial lunatic.

This psycho wants something specific from these girls, and when they can’t feed his need, he discards them, cleaving to some unique, personal ritual, and looks for another. The fact they are in their twenties and redheads of similar size and build has a special meaning, but so far nothing has conjoined these gals except age group and hair color.

He sighed, firing up the engine, enjoying the rumble of its power.

“Better figure it out soon,” he mumbled, “or more bodies are gonna start pilin’ up. We’re one or two redheads away from city-wide panic.” Shifting gears, he drove out of the police lot, shaking his head.

They needed a break … and soon.