About the Book

Book: Reunion Crossing: The Underground Book Readers (Book Seven)

Author: Terry Overton

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction

Release date: January 7, 2025

Leena, Kahn, Casey, and the other Underground Book Readers continue their journey to the free land. They encounter strangers in the forest, discover new mysterious towns, and face new challenges for their safety. Their travels lead them across treacherous landscapes and through enemy territory, where danger hides deep in the forest and valleys. Weathering harsh conditions, encountering unexpected allies, and enduring long, perilous paths, the Underground Book Readers rely on their faith and each other to persevere. Their goal is to reach parts of the United States not under the control of the World Force. They long to find a place to live in peace and see their families. But as they approach the mysterious Reunion Crossing, one question remains: will they finally reach the free land—and what will be waiting for them when they arrive?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Terry Overton is a retired university professor of educational and school psychology. She has an Ed.D. in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Psychology.

Her professional experience includes teaching public school, teaching at the university level, and being a college dean.

She has two children, seven grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.

Her previous writing and publication experiences include textbook and journal articles in the fields of special education and school psychology. She now seeks to answer God’s call to share the good news and grow the church by writing Christian books and devotionals.

Over the years, Terry’s books have won the Mom’s Choice Award, Christian Indie Award, Firebird Book Awards, American Writing Winner Awards, Bookfest Winner Awards, Pencraft Award, Reader Views Silver Reviewers Award, and International Book Award Finalist. Her writing examines real world events with a Christian worldview. She enjoys writing for young children, middle grade readers, YA fiction, and adult level novels.

Terry’s background in teaching adults and children shine through her stories that often include a character with educational or learning challenges. Her Christmas series, The Oddball Ornaments, features a box of misfit ornaments who first learn the meaning of Christmas and then discover the meaning of forgiveness. In The Underground Book Readers series, one of the main characters is on the autism spectrum yet is one of the leaders of the group of teens. Book one of a new series, The Messiah Brigade, features an awkward middle school nerd who helps his school turn around a bully gang of kids. Adoption and family issues are the focus of her new book, Charlotte McMaster and the Messenger Angel.

More from Terry

This book is book seven of The Underground Book Readers series. The series was inspired by talking with librarians about the concept of book banning and how Christian books are no longer predominantly displayed in school or community libraries. The series is designed to place kids in a different world where many things we take for granted or no longer available: books, schools, churches, freedom, and even parents. The book series stresses Christian family values and weaves Scripture in with the dystopian action-adventure series.

This book is being used in homeschool classrooms and church schools. A learning guide and free worksheets will soon be available to guide parents and teachers through the series.

Author Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect from your books?

The plots of my books, whether for children or adults, highlight the importance of unity, support, and Christian fellowship. Readers will find characters who face trials such as persecution, loss, or personal hardships. The books are written so the readers will find characters whose strength is through faith as they rely on God during their challenges.

What is the greatest advice you have ever been given about writing?

The best advice or comment I had was from a fourth-grade teacher. Teachers do influence children in unbelievable ways. All she said was “You have a gift of writing.” That thought has played in my mind many times over my life.

What book made you fall in love with reading? Reading was just fun. It was such an escape from a less than wonderful childhood. It made me curious-especially about travel.

Can you share 5 random facts about this book?

Hurricane Helen happened as I was writing the books, and it is mentioned in the book as a fact of history (because the book takes place in 2031).
The kids cross Iron Mountain which has most recently been mentioned as the place where all government retirement documents are stored (in an abandoned limestone mine).
The kids learn how to calculate a calendar when no calendars are available by figuring out the Doomsday Rule. It is a fun calendar trick to predict the day of the week of any date in the future. It is explained in the book and activities for these types of concepts are included in the study guide for The Underground Book Readers Series.
There are places in the small region of VA, NC, and TN where a person on a hike could easily get lost or turned around (yes-learned that from experience of traveling there)
During the writing of this book, it became clear to me a study guide would be helpful because there are so many events in history and the Bible that are covered throughout the series.

What was the inspiration behind it?

The inspiration for this book, like the series, is to help kids understand and appreciate history and the Bible.

Can you share something interesting or surprising you learned while researching for the book?

I figured out how to apply the Doomsday Rule!

What was the most challenging part of bringing this book to life? 

At this time, the biggest challenge was our move to a new house. I am still looking for things. I have been pretty disoriented in a new office and new house. This meant my book was delayed for over a month with no writing whatsoever. Writing is my happy place and as you might have guessed, I have not been too happy with this long interruption!

What was the most rewarding? Finishing the series AND the study guide within the same month!

What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

I would hope readers would see how kids can be engaged in learning history and Scripture through action-adventures and interesting relatable characters.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Before you go, where can readers keep up with what’s next?

Thank you for hosting! Here are my links.

https://www.authorterryoverton.com

https://linktr.ee/overtont