Book 7 — The Mount Saint Helens Affair

The Story Behind the Story

Who hasn’t needed to be rescued once in a while? Me, for sure. It’s no fun.

Have you ever been abandoned by your date? I have. That’s no fun, either. It made me angry enough to slam my fist up and under his jaw. I did. He hit me back and smashed the curlers I was wearing in my freshly laundered hair. I didn’t go out with him ever again.

Have you ever heard and felt a volcano erupt? I have. It’s scary. I and Shelly, my coworker, thought a farmer had put too much dynamite in the stump to blow it to smithereens. We wondered where the farmer was and if he was in smithereens, too. We were a couple hundred miles away to the north.

Was your mother in the line of the fallout? Mine was. That’s heart dropping, too. At least she called me so I knew she was accounted for.

There is much truth and a multitude of pictures in this book. Angebelle Louise Olena Snider (Alo for short) makes her debut. Alo Snider is a conglomeration of my imagination, my mother, my sister, and a little old lady who owns a 1930’s era tiny travel trailer that she lovingly calls her ‘lamb’. The trailer is still parked at a corner of my property. She’s missing.

And these events are how The Mt. St. Helens Affair came to be.

The Mount Saint Helens Affair – Volume 7 with ALO Snider

“No, I’m fine,” the scraggly haired lady slouched behind the steering wheel in the extreme camping outfit said.  “I just need somewhere to crash and gather my wits for a few days – do you know of anyplace?”

That’s how I met Alo Snider, the wannabe Geologist that wasn’t really a widow and wasn’t really a client.  Or was she? 

I built a client file on her because she landed at my winter sanctuary in the Sonoran Desert in the middle of the night when the county park I directed her to was besieged with smugglers and agents.

In case you missed the memo, I’m Joan Freed, the rebel life coach and nutritional therapist that you may–or may not–have heard about.  I do my best to keep a low profile for my own sake as well as that of my clients.  And Rule #1 is to never let anyone know where you live!  But what else was I to do?  Sometimes rules have to be broken.

Alo has a Ring of Fire obsession and the files to prove it.  The love of her life vanished on a Mt. St. Helens expedition, leaving her with his Jeep and trailer that goes anywhere and camp is set with a pop and a swoop.  He also left her with an urgency to conquer Mt. St. Helens.  However, she needed a new partner and proceeded to groom Jenny and I as her team, whether we wanted to be or not.  But then Alo vanished under the cloak of night without us.  Until my cell phone rang at the entrance to Bloody Basin Road – a spooky place I always wanted to explore….

True to the Joan Freed Mystery/Adventure Series, this story is a journey to propel personal growth, learning about stuff – in this case heavy on the volcanoes, and making decisions.  It’s a full spectrum emotional journey and worth the trek. 

If you like mystery and adventure, secure your copy of ‘The Mount Saint Helens Affair, settle in, and buckle up for the ride…

Also From A.L.O. Snider – The Nature On The Move Series

Available in Paperback and Audible from Amazon.com

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