There's nothing like seeing a real viking ship for inspiration for my Treasure Hunter romantic thriller series.
In December 2019, I had the chance to do just that when my husband and I visited the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, Sweden for my 50th birthday. As an avid history buff, I was thrilled to witness this remarkably preserved 17th century marvel. Even my less enthusiastic husband couldn't help but be captivated by the sheer scale and craftsmanship of the Vasa
The Vasa is a 17th century Swedish warship that sank during its maiden voyage in 1628, just minutes into its inaugural journey. The colossal, ornately decorated vessel had been doomed from the start, because its top-heavy design caused it to keel over and plunge into the Stockholm harbor. Now that's a colossal error!
For over 300 years, the Vasa lay preserved in the cold, oxygen-deprived waters, slowly sinking into the soft, muddy seabed that would ultimately protect it from deterioration.
In 1961, a massive salvage effort finally raised the Vasa from the depths, revealing a ship in remarkably intact condition. The painstaking conservation process that followed allowed the museum to display the Vasa in all its glory, a testament to the skilled 17th century shipwrights who created this marvel of naval engineering.
As my hubby and I ascended the museum's multi-level atrium, we were awestruck by the sheer scale of the Vasa. Check out its towering, intricate wooden hull, it's truly incredible. We spent hours exploring the exhibits, learning about the doomed maiden voyage, the ship's construction, and the meticulous recovery and preservation efforts.
Thousands of items were discovered inside the Vasa after she was salvaged, and sadly so were the skeletons on 15 unfortunate souls went down with the ship.
The ancient artifacts caught my attention and the story behind the Vasa became great inspiration for my Treasure Hunter's series, where my Aussie treasure hunter - Archer, and Rosalina, a feisty Italian chef search for a haul of treasure that went missing during the plague that decimated Europe in 1348. The vast treasure was put onto 3 ships, however none of them arrived at their destination.
The complete Treasure Hunters Series features a protective alpha hero who'll do anything to save his woman and a kick-ass heroine with secrets of her own, and their deadly quest to find ancient treasure in exotic locations like Egypt, the Greek Islands, Brazil, the Caribbean, and Archer’s luxury multi-million-dollar yacht.
Treasure hunter, Archer Mahoney’s talent for finding lost treasure is almost as good as his talent for finding trouble. When he finds a clue to a vast sunken treasure, deep in the Mediterranean sea, Archer's deadly past catches up to him. But he will do anything to keep his woman safe from his buried secrets.
“Dan Brown meets Indiana Jones with romance thrown in.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Caroline's review.
Binge read the complete 7 book Treasure Hunters Series this weekend.
Check out more of my book inspiration blog posts here.