Voyage of the Dreadnaught: Four Stella Madison Capers (24 page)

Sailing to Alaska has been a dream the
Captain and I had for many years. So many, that when the
opportunity finally presented itself, it had long since began to
fade. But as the idea of fulfilling this long-lost dream renewed
its hold, we found ourselves invigorated with new hope and energy,
in spite of our “advanced years.” That is: advanced as far as
hauling up sails, manning the helm for endless hours, and traveling
through long stretches of wilderness areas—alone—were concerned. We
have always loved adventuring.

We named our thirty-two foot ketch
Glory
B
. It was a name that most described not only our constant awe
at the many wonderful experiences the Lord had blessed us to enjoy,
but our philosophy of life, as well. To be honest, when we first
began to plan the voyage, I pictured it mostly as one long idyllic
vacation that would present the spectacular scenery of the Alaskan
wilderness to us in ways few people are privileged to see. All
while I was floating along in my own little world, and writing
stories.

What a shock to discover how huge the world
really is... and that it is home to so many hazards. I think maybe
if I had known what a grueling struggle against strong currents,
choppy seas, and twenty-foot tidal changes it would be, I might
have had second thoughts. I did have second thoughts. Except, by
that time, it was just as far to go on as it was to go back. And we
certainly couldn't spend the rest of our lives on some remote
Canadian island. Not to mention, by that time, I was sure many of
my friends and business associates thought I was either lost, or
dead.

There were also many disasters. Incredible
disasters we didn't even see coming. But the Lord had us covered on
those, each step of the way, considering we actually did make it
all those hundreds of miles north, to Alaska. In spite of broken
propellers, leaky shaft seals, and literally bumping over rocks on
a couple of occasions. There were fogs that overcame us faster than
we could sneak into some cove to hide in, as well as gale-force
storms that kept us at anchor in remote wilderness places for many
days, as we waited for them to pass. I think I learned more French
(a lifelong goal) listening to Canadian weather channels than all
my years of checking out foreign language tapes from the
library.

Meanwhile, I was busy finishing up my
little series of
Stella Madison Capers
: this collection of
stories about a rag-tag group of senior citizens who were chasing
dreams similar to ours, and traveling along the very same route. To
say I literally lived in those stories is true in more ways than
one. And there came a time when I wondered if I was somehow,
subconsciously, influencing our journey by my own overly-active
imagination. Because before the trip was over, we certainly
experienced
Sea Trials
, came face-to-face with a
Pushover
Plot
, got
Lost in the Wilderness
a couple of times,
and—at one point—even had to use our
Last Resort
. All the
details of which will have to wait to be told in our true-life
account of that voyage:
Glory B! The True-Life Adventures of
Lilly Maytree and The Captain
.

However, the recurring thread that runs
through all those stories is the vital importance of the scripture
which states:
“Call out to me in your day of trouble, and I will
rescue you.” (Psalms 50:15)
. And considering my propensity for
trying out the same activities as the characters I write about (to
see if they are humanly possible), and the fact that we survived
every one of the accidents and disasters we encountered (believe
me, I never called out to God so much in my entire life)...

I guess you could say we are living proof
of that very truth. The Lord truly does hear us when we call out to
Him in our day of trouble, and saves us. He makes no stipulations
on that promise, either. There is not even an “except for idiots”
clause. And sometimes I think it's those of us who continually get
tangled up in stupid things that need Him the most. He even
clarifies this fact by saying,
“ALL who call on the name of the
Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
. A thought I find
extremely comforting in times of stress. Because, while I may not
always know exactly where I fit into this great sea of humanity we
live in, I at least know I'm human, and that the word “all”
includes even me.

Thank you, God!

And many thanks to you, dear readers, for
following along with us on these adventures.

Lilly Maytree

November, 2014

Thorne Bay, Alaska...still aboard the
Glory B.

About Lilly Maytree...

Lilly Maytree
is the author of
Gold Trap,
The Pandora Box,
and
The Stella Madison Capers
. Books that sent
her careening along on her “Mystery Tours” with her captain husband
aboard the
Glory B.
She loves sharing these adventures with
readers. It has even been said that she time-travels (but that’s
probably just a rumor). To find out about her current adventures,
simply visit:

www.LillyMaytree.com
.

You can get in touch with her by sending an
email to:
[email protected]
.
It might take a few days if she is adventuring far away... but she
always comes back sooner or later.

Other Books by Lilly Maytree

The Stella Madison Capers...

Home Before Dark

(Caper #1)

Here is the first of the Stella Madison
Capers, the story of how everything started, and how she escaped
from a catastrophe that seemed to come out of nowhere. Which is the
nature of catastrophes, but it's so hard to be logical when you're
in the middle of one. It's also the story of how she met the
colonel (if you're interested in that sort of thing).

A Thief in the House

(Caper #2)

Stella Madison is back, this time with a
bevy of friends. But just how far should a person go when it comes
to sticking by their friends? There's a thief in the rambling old
mansion she moved into. And while it was someone who was quick to
lend help when Stella needed it most, how can she possibly return
the favor without jeopardizing herself along with them? No person
is obligated to go that far... right?

Novels...

Gold Trap

Megan Jennings is headed to Africa for high
adventure and divine appointments, until she makes a small wrong
turn. But what is faith, if not to strike out against impossible
odds believing you will win? Or leap out into the dark knowing
someone will be there to catch you? Someone does catch her... but
it isn’t who she was expecting.

The Pandora Box

Journalist D.J. Parker learns the location
of a famous cache of diamonds that were stolen during World War II.
What she doesn't know is—the federal government has been following
the case for years. With an old journal to lead the way, she sets
out aboard a yacht that once carried the infamous Herman Goering. A
thrilling treasure hunt that could prove to be the adventure of a
lifetime... or her worst nightmare.

For Writers...

Unspoken Rules

Popular books (those stories everyone likes
no matter what the subject) all have certain things in common. And
what they have most in common is what they DON'T do. Within the
following pages, dear writer, you will find the three most
important "don'ts" of popular fiction that I learned when I was
studying the masters. Why? Because I love research… and I never
mind sharing my notes.

Writing Rules!

(a mysterious student handbook)

A mysterious little desktop handbook that
can help anyone (well, almost anyone) with writing rules.
Especially if you are a student and have to write things all the
time.

***

Thank you for reading this story! May you
be specially blessed, knowing that you have blessed others, simply
by doing so.