MONTEREY, Calif., Feb. 25, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Christy Ogden had no job and no prospects. An invitation from an old friend to a sailing trip proved to be heaven-sent. It is 1939 and the world is on the brink of war, but Christy needed a break from her humdrum life. It turns out to be a fateful decision as she embarks on an unforgettable trip in Ride the Scorpion, a novel authored by Lyndall Baker Landauer.
Christy knows little about sailing and does not know Jean Dryden very well, but she is determined to take whatever opportunity to get away from home. Together, they take off in Jean's beautiful sailing yawl called the Queen, heading towards Santa Cruz island. Along the way, Jean teaches Christy how to sail. Christy wonders why Jean invited her and she eventually reveals she is on a mission to determine if Japan is all set to invade the U.S. mainland. As proof, she mentions a number of transmissions she heard on the marine band radio.
Some time later, while Jean is still away from the boat attending a picnic, Christy discovers a book on the shelf in the boat's salon. Called Riddle of the Sands and published in 1903, she begins to read this fascinating story. It does not take her long to realize that the plot is similar to the trek Jean and Christy have been living. In light of the evasions and half-truths Jean has told her, Christy does not mention the book yet. When they meet again, Jean mentions that the broadcasts she has heard are in Japanese and Christy is the only one she knows who could understand the language.
As soon as they intercept a new broadcast, somebody sabotages their boat. Who could it be and what will happen next? Follow this riveting tale as the exciting events unfold in Ride the Scorpion!
About the Author
Lyndall Landauer is a historian, writer, wife, mother and college professor who has earned several degrees in History. She taught World and California History for years in California colleges. Her biography of an early Californian was published in 1985 and The Mountain Sea, a comprehensive history of the Lake Tahoe area in California in 1995. In collaboration with her husband, she wrote Pearl, A History of the US Navy in Hawaii . Two novels have been published as well as numerous articles for newspapers, newsletters and encyclopedias. She lives in Lake Tahoe and Kauai, Hawaii with her husband, also a college professor and writer.
Ride the Scorpion * by Lyndall Baker Landauer
Publication Date: February 1, 2000
Trade Paperback; $21.99; 276 pages; 978-0-7388-0837-6
Cloth Hardback; $31.99; 276 pages; 978-0-7388-0836-9
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