Warren W. Van Overbeke
Author Interview - Warren W. Van Overbeke
Author of The Ripples We Cannot Contain
The Ripples We Cannot Contain is a dual-time novel that spans the late 1960s and early 2000s, tracing how one family’s quiet choices and the secrets they protect shape the lives that follow.
It’s 2001, and U.S. Senator Carrie McCarthy returns home to Minnesota after her father’s death, thinking she’ll handle the arrangements, accept condolences, and return to Washington before the dust settles. But death and grief have a way of loosening old memories, and when Carrie stumbles upon a truth her mother hid for decades, she’s forced to confront the possibility that the life she built was formed on pieces that were never quite true.
Decades earlier, in 1968, a much younger Carrie faces the cultural upheaval of her time with a heart full of conflicting desires. Her chapters reveal someone trying to reconcile who she is with who the world expects her to be. When a single choice becomes impossible to take back, she buries it deep, believing silence is the only way to protect the people she loves most.
As the two timelines intertwine, Carrie begins to see how her mother’s hidden past shaped her own ambitions, her relationships, and even the version of herself she learned to present to the world. What begins as a dutiful return home becomes something far more intimate, a woman reevaluating the legacy she inherited and the truths she never knew she needed.
Through heartbreak and grace, Carrie must decide what matters more: covering up every piece of the past or choosing to forgive her mother, and herself, even when some answers remain out of reach.
A tender and deeply human story about family, identity, and the echoes of the choices we make, The Ripples We Cannot Contain invites readers to consider how one generation’s secrets can become the next generation’s compass, or its shadow.
Author Interview - Warren W. Van Overbeke
Author I draw inspiration from:
Nicholas Sparks
Author Interview - Warren W. Van Overbeke | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
I inherited two barrel accent chairs from my grandmother. I love sitting in one and reading.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Major William Colton (A Colton Family Christmas, Judy Christenberry). We'd probably spend a lot of time talking about our experiences in the military and overseas.
Author Interview - Warren W. Van Overbeke | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I was deployed to Uzbekistan at the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom. There, I met a girl who was our translator. The thought of an American Airman and an Uzbek girl falling in love and facing the difficulties involved in building a wartime relationship seemed like a good story. It's the story I began to write on my way home after my first deployment, and the one that will hit the shelves Spring 2026.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
No hardbacks, I'm always losing the jacket. Ebook's hurt my eyes. Audio books are good for on-the-go, but there's something special about a 5.5 x 8 paperback book that I just haven't figured out yet.
The last book I read:
The Women (Kristin Hanna) I thought it was pretty good. She definitely did her homework.
Author Interview - Warren W. Van Overbeke | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
My first novels were written by hand, but after a while I switched to a laptop. I found it easier to make and track changes, as well as develop my characters. I draft a pseudo-outline of my story and characters before I begin writing. I say 'pseudo' because, in my mind, a scene may sound like it will play out well, but as I write it, it may lack something critical to the reader's understanding of why the character is doing this or that, and I will have to change it.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Taylor McAden (The Rescue, Nicholas Sparks I was a volunteer fire fighter and medic, and I believe we'd have a lot in common.
Author Interview - Warren W. Van Overbeke | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
Consultant or something to do with international relations
Favorite decade in fashion history:
the 80's by far
Place I’d most like to travel:
Alaska. I have been to all the states except that one.
My signature drink:
Furious IPA, by Surly. It's a beer brewed in Minnesota.
Favorite artist:
Music: Neil Peart. He was a master and there will never be another one like him.
Number one on my bucket list:
Become a well-read author
Find more from the author:
wwvanoverbeke.com
w. w. Van Overbeke Author Page (Facebook)
wwvan_overbeke (Instagram)
Author W. W. Van Overbeke (TikTok)
About Warren W. Van Overbeke:
Warren W. Van Overbeke
Warren Wayne Van Overbeke is an American novelist and retired U.S. Air Force Captain whose work blends emotional depth with a strong sense of place. He is the author of Tholocco’s Wake and The Ripples We Cannot Contain, with his forthcoming novel, The Cotton Flower, slated for release in early 2026.
Born in Canby, Minnesota, and shaped by the rhythms of Midwestern life, Van Overbeke draws from family history and military experience to explore themes of love, loss, and redemption. He began writing during his deployments overseas, transforming personal witness into stories rooted in humanity and resilience.
He lives with his wife, Leanne, in Benona Township, Michigan, where he writes historical fiction and spends his days with horses, grandchildren, and fellow combat veterans.
