“In Where Treasure Lies by Amanda Tru, the main characters arrive in the Suamalie Islands thirty years apart, but they both have epically lousy first days on the island paradise. Nothing goes according to plan.”
Have vacation or even business travel plans gone awry for you?
It’s hard to believe it was twenty years ago, but in 2003, I was making a combined business and vacation trip to Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia Beach, VA.
My first stop was Sandy Cove, Maryland, where I was to check out the conference center for a future conference. Within a few hours of arriving, the beginning of Hurricane Isabel hit the area. They sent all the conference staff home except those who lived on site. As the only non-staff person there, I was invited to “hang out” with the staff.
As the weather worsened, I called my colleagues in Hershey, Pennsylvania, to get their advice. They said they would come pick me up and take me home with them. A seventy-five-mile trip took them three hours to get to me, and I think it took even longer to get back to their home as the storm increased. I was so grateful for the rescue.
I had made plans to meet friends in Washington D.C. between the Maryland and Virginia legs of the trip. We were to take a White House tour, the first tour scheduled after 9/11, and it was my birthday. Unfortunately, the hurricane shut down D.C. and obviously cancelled our tour. (I still haven’t been on a White House tour.)
So, I remained with my Hershey friends until we were due at a conference in Virginia Beach. We set out in their car, driving along roads with debris everywhere and few open services, except the occasional gas station. It was spooky. (Before we left Hershey, we got the last two flashlights in their town!)
Arriving in Virginia Beach, we were delighted to find our conference hotel was the only one operating with full electricity. At least something was going right.
The drama wasn’t over. When I went to fly home from Virginia Beach, I was told my reservation had been cancelled because I didn’t show up for my flight from Washington D.C. to Virginia Beach! How was I supposed to know if you miss one leg of a flight, they think you’re cheating and cancel you? (I hadn’t even thought of calling to cancel my flight. I assumed they already canceled all flights.) After much negotiation, I got another flight home.
Hurricane Isabel was the deadliest, costliest, and most intense hurricane of the 2003 Atlantic season. It was the strongest hurricane until surpassed by Irma in 2017 and Dorian in 2019.
And I’d been right in the middle of it.
God was good, and I was so thankful that He put it on the hearts of my Hershey friends to rescue me. But I stay far away from hurricanes now.
Don’t miss this just released Book One of the 2023 Suamalie Islands series to read how Scott and Tavia’s trips intersect with intrigue, danger, and a maybe even a real treasure.
And don’t miss the giveaway!
Enter the giveaway for a $5 Amazon Gift Card & eBook copy of Where the Treasure Lies.
Link: https://promosimple.com/ps/24afe/where-treasure-lies-susan
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