Title: Mayday
Author: Sue C Dugan
Genre: Middle Grade Adventure
Book Blurb:
Jessica “Jessie” Holbrook and her father Adam are flying to a favorite vacation spot in Bermuda in her father’s Cessna for spring break. During a rouge storm, Jessie’s father bangs his head and is seeing double. Jessie will have to fly the plane and safely land if and when they see an airport.
Jessie spots land, but it doesn’t look like Bermuda. Have they blown off course to someplace in Central America or Mexico? The people they encounter seem friendly enough, but one in particular, a boy about her age seems interested in Jessie.
The clock is ticking for them to leave and get home, but they need fuel and with the language barrier, it’s hard to convey their wishes. How and when will they get home? The situation seems hopeless.
Excerpt:
She pulled herself back and concentrated on flying the plane, and part of her duties as the pilot was looking for others in the sky. She scanned the horizon, but there were only a few clouds. They flew this way for about 20 minutes until she felt cold and shivery. Everything changed—the sky darkened in a blink, and the wind ruffled the water below and vibrated the plane.
According to the ASOS recording they had listened to before leaving the house, they were supposed to have the perfect day, not the perfect storm.
She scrunched her mouth into a pout and said, “A storm?”
“Looks like it.” Her dad frowned. “Might not be anything.”
A gust of wind rocked the plane, and the sky darkened further.
“My controls,” Dad said when the plane shimmied. His voice was sharper than usual.
Jessie reluctantly turned the controls over to him. He was better at this than she was. Stupid weather wrecked everything!
“This could be a rogue storm,” he said.
“Are we in the Bermuda Triangle?” Jessie asked, her teeth chattering as if she was cold, but beads of sweat prickled on her forehead.
“Yes, but I don’t think it’s any more dangerous than anyplace else.”
“But the stories…” She remembered stories of planes and ships disappearing without a trace.
“All mumbo jumbo. There’s nothing scientific about the Bermuda Triangle theory. This is another rogue storm.”
Then why were there rumors about this place if there wasn’t some truth to it?
She knew that rogue storms came out of nowhere. Her eyes scanned ahead where the horizon should have been, but only dark, boiling clouds churned. They had never been in a storm like this before. Is this what happened in the Bermuda Triangle? She knew her dad didn’t believe that, but what if it was true?
Dad massaged his forehead before pressing the button to summon the control tower. “Fort Lauderdale Tower, Skyhawk one-two-seven Foxtrot Romeo, permission to return to the airport.”
Shoot, if we turned back, we’d have to wait out the storm and try for Bermuda when it passed. They listened for the tower to confirm or deny. Jessie’s dad adjusted the volume—nothing.
“Put on your shoulder harness,” Dad said when another gust of wind shook the small, lightweight plane. Jessie blew out her breath, glad her dad couldn’t hear her frustration, and dutifully put on the shoulder restraint, usually needed only for takeoff and landing.
Another shake, and they dropped in altitude. Jessie’s stomach caught in her throat, making her gasp for air. In slow motion, she watched Dad’s head slam against the window. She screamed. The cabin smelled of iron shavings and tangy perspiration.
“Dad!” Jessie cried. “Are you okay?”
He blinked at her and moved his head around. “Everything’s blurry. Call the tower again, would you?”
She reached out with shaking fingers and pressed the button to talk. “Fort… Fort… Lauderdale, can…” she stammered, “can you hear me?” All was quiet. She held her breath and waited for someone to respond. “Hello? One-two-seven Foxtrot Romeo!” Still no response.
The plane dropped again, and her stomach jammed further into her throat. She rarely got sick on bumpy rides, but this was different, and she swallowed back the sour bile.
“You’re going to have to take the controls,” Dad said, rubbing his eyes. “I can’t see to fly.”
Usually, Jessie loved flying, but now, she had to fly the plane, or they crashed. At that moment, she had to do it to save them. There was no other way. Her brain froze—she couldn’t remember what to do.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
OVERDRIVE
BOOKBUB
GOOD READS
BOOKTRIB
What makes your featured book a must-read?
S.O.S. (Save Our Ships) was awarded the Gertrude Warner prize through Chanticleer, a Golden Wizard Award, and a 5-star LitPick review.
The 2nd book in the series, Mayday has received a 5-star LitPick and a 5-star review through Chanticleer as well. Here is a blurb from Chanticleer:
The most enjoyable aspect of Mayday is experiencing the adventure from a young girl's perspective as she becomes lost in an unfamiliar, possibly hostile place with a sick father. This story’s rough and wild plotlines will introduce children to some risk, chaos, and challenges that inspire critical thought, reasoning, and sleuthing.
Mayday: Land, Sea, and Air Series Book 2 is a pioneer in the middle grade mystery and fantasy genre.
Mayday increases in tension from start to finish, using an enthralling narrative to tug at the reader's emotions. Get a copy and let the lovely words of Sue C. Dugan mesmerize you!
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally.
Runs September 10 – September 17, 2024.
Winner will be drawn on September 18, 2024.
Author Biography:
Sue writes five-star LitPick novels that keep readers of all ages turning pages long into the night. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, attending author events, or walking her dogs. She has two children and five grandchildren. Snack wise, Sue is a salty-type gal, but wouldn’t say no to an occasional chocolate kiss or two! She isn’t sure she’s a reincarnated author, but if she was, she’d want to be Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, or Emily Brontë. When her novels are run through author comparison sites, she gets Anne Rice through Mark Twain—quite a wide spread which makes for interesting reading (Tom Sawyer was a Vampire?).
Social Media Links:
Sue C Dugan Author and Sue C Dugan Writer Books – Facebook
Scduganauthor – Instagram