A Ship of Dreams ... That Didn't Sink

 

The romantic adventurer in me sometimes wonders what it would have been like to cross the ocean in a grand ship like the Titanic, only one that didn't sink and end in tragedy.

In Crumpets and Cowpies, the first book in my Baker City Brides sweet romance series, Oregon rancher Thane Jordan reluctantly travels to England to settle his brother’s estate. He arrives to find he’s inherited much more than he could possibly have imagined, including a niece and nephew he didn't know existed. They live with their incredibly beautiful and maddeningly proper aunt.

 Lady Jemma Bryan has no desire to spend a single minute in Thane Jordan’s insufferable presence much less live under the same roof with the handsome, arrogant American. Forced to choose between poverty and being separated from the children she adores or marriage to the man, she travels across an ocean and America to reach his ranch in Oregon. 

The solicitor who handled Thane's brother's estate booked the newly formed Jordan family in first class accommodations on a ship called Teutonic.

Researching the Teutonic gave me hours of delight as I learned about this incredible ship.

  

Sister ship to the Majestic, both keels were laid in 1887 as part of the White Star Line. The Teutonic was built under the Auxiliary Armed Cruiser Agreement. An extremely fast ship, she set a transatlantic crossing record twice. Teutonic was the first armed merchant cruiser and one of two White Star Line vessels ever armed with guns. The Teutonic was one of the first ships in the White Star Line to offer second class accommodations. The ship was in service from 1889-1921.

 

This staircase reminds me of Titanic (also a White Star Line ship). Teutonic sailed on the route from the home port of Liverpool, England, to New York City. Each week a ship sailed from Liverpool on a specific day, commonly Wednesday or Thursday. 

From there, they would stop at the small port of Queenstown, Ireland, to pick up more passengers. As many as eight hundred Irish immigrants might board in the single stop. After Queenstown, the ship would then begin the long voyage to New York, almost 2,500 miles of open sea. Once passengers were disbursed at either the White Star Line pier in New York or the immigration center at Castle Garden, the ship would be prepared for her return voyage.

This is one of the staterooms from the ship. Look at the side rails on the bed and the beautiful furnishings.

 

And this was the first class dining saloon. In the story, this is where Thane, Jemma, and the children took their meals, unless they ate in their room.

 

Here's a Second Class menu card from 1907.

 

 I confess, I spent hours and hours admiring photos of the Teutonic, dreaming about what it might have been like to be a passenger on such a grand ship.

~*~

“Goodness gracious.”

The awe resonating in Jemma’s tone caused Thane to glance down at her as they followed a white-coated sailor to their stateroom aboard the Teutonic. The grand staircase, constructed from tempered and mellowed English oak, loomed before them as an impressive sight.

“It’s quite something, isn’t it?” Thane bent slightly and whispered in her ear as the sailor led them down a hall to their room. When Thane asked Weston to make their travel arrangements, he assumed their friend would book second-class staterooms, since the Teutonic was the first ship in the White Star Lines fleet to offer an option between first class and steerage. Much to his surprise, the man reserved them one of the best staterooms on the ship, or so their guide proclaimed.

~*~

You can read about Thane and Jemma's experience onboard in Crumpets and Cowpies. 

Through Sunday, you can get the digital download for FREE! 

A hopeless romantic with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure, Shanna Hatfield is a USA Today bestselling author of sweet romantic fiction written with a healthy dose of humor. In addition to blogging and eating too much chocolate, she is completely smitten with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

Find Shanna’s books at:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple | Audible

Historic Details in Every Day Life

by Shanna Hatfield

I truly enjoy history and researching it. It's fun for me when I begin writing a new book to dive into historical details that will help add depth and breadth to the story.

I especially think it's important when including historical tidbits to see them through the eyes of the characters in a story. How would the news of a major event cause them to react? What would they think about the event? How would it impact them? By sharing the character's reaction with readers, it helps draw them deeper into the story because it adds another layer of realism to the book.

When I began writing my soon-to-be-released sweet historical romance Quinn, I didn't set out with a plan to include one of the most talked about events in history.

 However, since the opening scene of the book is in early April 1912, right after Easter, it seemed important to include details about the  Titanic sinking.

I dug through issues of the newspaper in the town where the story takes place, Pendleton, Oregon. In the days leading up to the ship's departure, there were articles about the Titanic. Anyone who read the paper would have known it was touted as an unsinkable ship.

The Titanic struck an iceberg late the evening of April 14 and sank into the Atlantic ocean in the early hours of April 15, 1912.

The evening paper ran numerous tidbits of news gathered from articles printed around the world. And those first stories that appeared didn't mention the ship sinking. Most of the news centered on the ship being towed to safety and all passengers being accounted for.

It wasn't until the following day when the news broke that the ship had actually sank and many lives were lost.

The heroine in my story is a newspaper reporter. She would have been elbow-deep in the news, particularly when her editor asks her to take charge of reading the wire messages they received throughout the day and writing headlines.

For weeks, newspapers around the country (and world) ran articles about the Carpathia bringing the survivors to New York, who was at fault for the Titanic sinking, the coffin ships heading out to reclaim the dead, and the hearings that followed in both America and England. 

And people still wanted more. They were hungry for more details, more hope, more humanity from the tragedy.

I found a clipping in the newspaper a month after the Titanic sank from one of the moving picture show houses, advertising a Titanic reel that would show photographs of survivors, the coffin ships and more.

In  Quinn, I have a group of them go to see the reel and share the reactions to what they saw through the eyes and hearts of the characters.

She’s waging a war for women’s rights,

     He’s fighting a battle to win her heart…

There’s nothing typical about Quinn Fairfield. The outspoken suffragette spends her days writing sensational headlines as a newspaper reporter and indulging her natural curiosity. She’s much more likely to be found riding a bicycle around town than learning the social graces at which her sister, Caitlyn, excels. When Caitlyn announces her plans to wed a man Quinn doesn't trust, she sets out to find a reason to break up the happy couple. In the process, she finds herself falling for an intriguing, kind-hearted man.

After spending several years in Portland at college, Walker Williams returns to Pendleton, eager to make his mark on the world. He’s determined to become a legendary architect despite the challenges that arise from his upbringing on the nearby Umatilla Reservation. When a feisty red-headed newspaper reporter catches his eye and captures his heart, Walker fights his growing feelings for her. He’ll do anything to shelter Quinn from the prejudices aimed at him and his heritage.

Can the two of them overcome their fears, set aside the burdens of the past, and surrender to the sweet romance blossoming between them?

Filled with laughter, adventure, and historical tidbits from 1912, Quinn is a sweet historical romance brimming with hope and love.

Today, you can get three books for the price of one!

 AUNDY (Pendleton Petticoats, Book 1) is available for FREE downloads on Amazon today. https://amzn.com/B00D1FYKUM

 MARNIE (Pendleton Petticoats, Book 4) is available for just 99 cents. https://amzn.com/B00KN4TFQ8

QUINN(Pendleton Petticoats Book 9) is available for pre-orders for the special price of $2.99 through April 19, when the book releases. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BYD45W2

~*~

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes character-driven romances with relatable heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.” Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, this hopeless romantic is out to make it happen, one story at a time. When she isn’t writing or indulging in chocolate (dark and decadent, please), Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna loves to hear from readers. Follow her online at:

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