Guest Post by Dr. Randy Overbeck

At a recent writers’ conference, I heard the best-selling author, S. J. Rozan, share with the audience, “Non-fiction is about reality; fiction is about truth. Or at least it should be. Truths can sometimes be revealed in fiction far better than in any non-fiction forum.”

This insight struck me. At the time, I was embarking on what would become my “writing career”—getting my creative process flowing, my writing process organized, and my electronic presence established.  Now, with five traditionally published novels and two more in the process, I realize Rozan’s words have been a mantra inside my head. When I write and commit words to electronic paper, I’m writing to engage and entertain, but I’m also aiming to inform and even inspire my readers, or at least use my words to reveal a truth they may not have known.

Now, don’t misunderstand. I’m not naïve. I realize readers don’t choose a mystery, a thriller, or even a romance because they are searching for insight or revelation. James Patterson is not a bestselling author because of his philosophical outlook on life. Fiction lovers are not browsing bookshelves in bookstores—okay, checking out Amazon or BookBub listings—because they are searching for the meaning of life. They want to be entertained, scared to death, drawn in, forget their world, or maybe to fall in love inside the pages of their newest discovery.

I try hard not to forget I’m a fiction writer first.

As such, I must assemble the essential ingredients to capture readers’ attention—a plausible storyline (mostly), credible characters, a setting readers can see and experience, and, most importantly, a compelling narrative. But I also believe if I am fortunate enough to command my readers’ attention for hours of their precious time, they should come away with more than just solving the mystery, seeing the bad guy captured, or even making their hearts race. At its best, fiction should convey a truth, sometimes even a truth that can’t be conveyed via nonfiction—at least not as well.

Fiction is about truth.

For each of my novels, I chose my “truths” as carefully as my settings, protagonists and action sequences. Blood on the Chesapeake, the first in the Haunted Shores Mysteries series, is set on the Chesapeake Bay’s Eastern Shore. I chose this location because it is a beautiful setting with a rich history that is half progressive and half still stuck in the Confederacy. The cold case murder mystery at the heart of the narrative involves a teen killed three decades earlier because of the color of his skin. Set in 1998, my protagonist, Darrell Henshaw, must battle misconceptions and discrimination to get to the uncomfortable truth of racial injustice. A truth that is as poignant in 2025 as it was in 1999 or 1964 when the murder occurred.

In Crimson at Cape May, the second in the series, my hero tries to unravel a five-year-old murder of a young bride in this scenic resort town on the Jersey shore. When he does, he learns the woman’s death is connected to a human trafficking ring, and he must battle forces that will do anything to keep him from uncovering the truth. The tale is set in 1999, and, as Darrell discovers, these activities enslaving young women are largely ignored by the public and authorities. Sadly, the same is true today. Most readers—including me—are woefully uninformed about the ugly realities of human trafficking. I use my protagonist’s discovery of these horrors to peel back the truth of this scourge on our society.

In my latest offering, Cruel Lessons—the first in a new series called Lessons in Peril—my protagonist, Ken Parks, must confront the problems of student drug experimentation and abuse. Ken serves as an administrator of a district where four young students get hold of hallucinogenic drugs and die. He is tasked with the responsibility of finding and stopping the drug pusher before more kids die. Set also in the 90’s (I like the decade) the tale serves as an apt metaphor for the struggle schools and society are facing today with the opioid epidemic. His investigation forces him to confront the uncomfortable truth about the role of drugs in our country.

The truth in each of these novels is as central to the stories as the whodunit, the protagonist, or the setting. More importantly, using fiction has allowed me to illuminate these truths without preaching or didacticism. Fiction has allowed my readers to explore these truths in the comfort of a good mystery. And I think it works. After twelve national awards (Best Book—Chanticleer Reviews, Gold Award—Literary Titan, Mystery of the Year—ReaderViews) and two bestsellers in the group, readers and reviewers seem to like the approach.

I hope my fiction portrays the truth. I believe that’s an important responsibility. More than success or popularity or fame, I hope my words matter.

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author, speaker, and podcaster. As an educator, he served children for over three decades. He has mined that experience to create captivating fiction, authoring two series, the bestselling The Haunted Shores Mysteries series and the award-winning Lessons in Peril series. 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. When he’s not researching, writing, speaking, or podcasting, Randy enjoys traveling with his wife Cathy and visiting his far-flung family and the scenic locations around this country, often searching for inspiration for his next great story

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