While living in Blagoveshchensk, Russia, I ran into a number of things that were amusing. Some I didn’t understand; some were just interesting. The two books in the Adventures on the Amur series (affiliate link) were explanations for me to understand the history of the area in the first, and a cultural moor in the second.

Every time I’ve visited a new country, I’ve had to adapt to the local culture. Sometimes, I’ve just had to accept the way things are. After all, I wasn’t going to change a whole culture overnight, or even in a couple of years. Others, I’ve had to fight against, like boofing in Africa during my stint in the Peace Corps (affiliate link to “My Life in the Peace Corps”).

The Treasure of Nikolai Nikolaevich

The first thing that piqued my curiosity was the fact that China gave Russia access to the Amur River, which allowed its river towns and shipping to reach Vladivostock. This important concession made it much easier for Russia to move supplies from inland to the coast and vice versa. When I did some research, I found out that the treaty was negotiated by Nikolai Nikolaevich Muraviov-Amursky, a man who many Russian bureaucrats at the time thought was too young to be governor over such a large mass of land.

How did he negotiate the treaty? What did he say to the Chinese to give their largest rival in the area access to the Amur River? The people I asked didn’t have an answer, and the only book that I saw, which could contain the answer was about six inches thick, written in old-style Russian, and in the local museum. So, I came up with my own story: The Treasure of Nikolai Nikolaevich.

The Curse of the Golden Kopeck

Growing up, I was always told, “See a penny pick it up and all the day, you’ll have good luck.” I would pick up coins all the time, and I was good at spotting them. When I went to Russia and found a 50-kopeck piece on the ground, my wife was appalled that I picked it up. She told me to throw it down and not to pick up coins. I didn’t understand why until someone told me about the magic that can be used with coins. The second in the Adventures on the Amur is loosely based on the Russian superstition of coins on the ground.

I wrote the Adventures on the Amur in the style of the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew mysteries with a little touch of Indiana Jones. Come to Lincoln City Archery, and I will be happy to sign them. Or order them online at Amazon (affiliate link).

Lincoln City Archery and Books

At Lincoln City Archery, we have a wide variety of books written by self-published writers, including my own. These are books that you generally wont’ find in larger bookstores that rely on publishing house distributors. Many of our books are written or edited by local authors (including the range leader at our location).

At Lincoln City Archery, we provide archers the opportunity to increase their knowledge of traditional archery and practice their skills at our indoor archery range in Lincoln City, Oregon. Like traditional archery, reading books takes focus and concentration. Turning off your electronics and reading a book for an hour will improve your focus and concentration. If the story is good enough, it won’t even seem like practicing. Plus, it’s a great way to pass the time when you can’t make it to the range. Happy shooting, happy reading, and let’s get on target.

Affiliate links used in this article allow us to earn a small commission on your book purchase while costing you nothing. Thank you. If you would prefer to order your books directly from us, we will be happy to ship them directly to your home for $3 plus shipping if they are available.