Six Questions with Sandra Miller: Author of Trove and Creator of The Trove Armchair Treasure Hunt

Trove by Sandra Miller will capture your attention in more ways than one! Her style of writing weaves you in and out of the many adventures she has experienced throughout her life, and her honesty keeps you never knowing what she will say next! This sharing is something to truly admire. It reaches into all corners of the heart and helps you find your own treasures there.

NOTE: THE TREASURE HUNT HAS ENDED

What is more is the book is part of an actual Armchair Treasure Hunt! Sandra hid a treasure valued at over $2,200 dollars somewhere in New England! She is releasing clues on her website to help someone discover this amazing prize. Will you be the one to find the treasure? You certainly could be! Let’s learn more about this and more.

Enjoy!

Six Questions with Sandra:

1Q)I love how you used a treasure hunt to weave us readers in and out of your many different experiences, from past to present. I have to say I discovered many treasures through the pages, hidden within myself, because of this, and I thank you for them. Will you share some of what inspired you to write Trove, and then involve it in a real life treasure hunt?

I’m thrilled to hear you say that you discovered treasures in the book because that’s my intention for it. I want my own story of discovery to make others more compassionate and alert to their own search—inside and out. As for why I wrote a memoir about approaching life as a treasure hunt, it’s because in order to write about my life, I had to tell this story. This really is my story. Since I was a girl, I’ve been interested in the hidden and the obscure, in seeing clues everywhere in everything. That’s my personal lens on life.

When I got involved in armchair treasure hunting several years ago, that took my searching to a new level. I was looking for $10,000 as part of the We Lost Our Gold hunt in New York City, but it led me to a search for so much more that had to do with my family, my creativity, and my need to finally make a connection to my mother who was very ill at the time. That armchair treasure hunt was not just a blast—digging for gold in Brooklyn is always a good time–but it had a profound impact on my life. So, I wanted to write a book that did three things: Told a powerful story about longing; inspired readers to make an internal journey; and encouraged people to go out in the world and hunt for treasure.

2Q)How did you get involved in the treasure hunt, We Lost Our Gold, mentioned in your book? Had you worked on other treasure hunts before this one? Is that type of hunt something you would like to do again (or are doing), when time allows?

My friend David is an amazing armchair treasure hunter and was working on one when I met him. As a treasure hunter of a different variety (one who saw clues in the world but didn’t specifically go on hunts) I was completely intrigued by this hobby. I must have asked David a million questions and showed enough interest that, a few years later, he invited me to try it with him. That was We Lost Our Gold, the hunt that I go on in my memoir. Anyway, we drove to Brooklyn that first day with our shovels and “treasure map”, and I was hooked. Maybe even obsessed. I loved the idea that there was this treasure chest full of coins buried in New York City, and we could be the ones to find it. Your day is always livelier when you wake up and remember that you’re looking for treasure.

3Q)When thinking of what treasure you wanted to give away as a prize for Trove, what made you decide on a silver bracelet with embedded jewels? Had other thoughts or ideas for a treasure passed through your mind? Do you think it will be difficult to give a way? How do you think you will feel handing it to the winner?

I wanted the prize to be beautiful and special, and for a long time I couldn’t think of the right thing. I considered airlines tickets that I could offer along with an old Spanish coin necklace that a boyfriend gave me years ago. But I lost the papers saying that it was from an actual shipwreck, and it didn’t quite feel right or valuable enough to be a prize. Then I realized I have all of these gorgeous rings and pendants that I no longer wear but that relate to stories in my book, and I realized that they would make a beautiful custom piece of jewelry.

When I went to one jeweler, she didn’t quite see what I was trying to do–maybe because I didn’t have a clear vision. So I went to another woman, Winnie, who instantly appreciated my jewels and helped me create a vision for them. It was her idea to customize a sterling cuff bracelet, and we worked together to choose stones and design it. While it will be hard to give up because it’s so stunning, the bracelet doesn’t belong to me. I made it for the person who wins the Trove Treasure Hunt and will give it to them with pleasure and appreciation for their persistence.

4Q)Can you share how your treasure hunt for the incredible jeweled bracelet works? What are readers to expect? Can you offer any advice on how to go about solving the clues and looking for such a beautiful prize?

My first advice to anyone who is interested in the Trove Armchair Treasure Hunt is to read the book like a reader, not just as a treasure hunter searching for clues. In the memoir, I go on my first treasure hunt, and I learn a whole lot from that experience. Basically, I apprenticed under David on that hunt, and anyone who reads the book will get their own armchair treasure hunt tutorial of sorts. So, that could be helpful for people who are trying this for the first time. Another thing is this: I set up my hunt to reflect the way I approach treasure, and even the world. The Trove Armchair Hunt is about playful language, being alert to what’s around you, and exploring. Less logic more looking. That said, you’ll still have a few puzzles to contend with!

5Q)Life is full of surprises…..I love the one in your book, which isn’t revealed for readers until the end! I won’t spoil it, but it seems to show how so many things in life happen for a reason, and in its own time. What amazes you most about these type of experiences?

What amazes me most is how I’m almost not surprised anymore by the surprises because I’ve come to expect them. What I once would have called coincidence, I know see as confirmation that there is magic at work in the world. I’m always delighted when amazing things happen, but I’m not astounded the way I used to be. (Although the big surprise I reveal in the book still makes me laugh and shake my head!) But I’ve learned to expect wonderful, even unbelievable, things, and—no surprise–they come to me all the time. That’s not to say that I don’t have struggles because we all do. But I’m an incurable optimist, and I’ve always put faith in the power of the unseen. I’m actually far more interested in what’s happening in the world that we can’t experience with only our five senses. It’s one of the reasons I love hunting for hidden treasure, although my astrologer friend would say it’s the Scorpio in me!

6Q)Some books have ways to nudge the heart, make themselves felt, and demand to be written. Was your book Trove like this? Are there any other books in the works? Or what plans do you have now Trove is published? Congrats by the way. Trove is already one treasure given to all.

Thank you for saying so! And yes, this book absolutely nudged my heart. It was achingly painful to write because of the hard stuff about my family. But I also couldn’t not write this. In fact this book shoved more than it nudged, I now realize. And not just because I had to tell my story, but because I think a lot of people—while they might not identify as treasure hunters—are looking for something. We are in pretty turbulent times right now, and there is a lot of longing everywhere as far as I can tell. I see it in so many of my friends who are also in mid-life. They are wondering what now? Or what do I do for my third act? Or how come I’m 50 and still haven’t found my “treasure.” So, I wanted to share my story with the hope that it would encourage people to keep looking for whatever it is they want to find. I promise you, your treasure—and many unexpected ones—are out there. Keep digging!