What if you found yourself on the Titanic?
The ship sinking… seawater coming higher and higher on each deck. What would you do?
Grab your cell phone. Call or text for help.
If wasn’t that simple back in 1912.
The wireless was the only means of long distance communication between Titanic and other ships (the Morse lamp was used for ships within visual range as well as rockets) as well as land.
Much has been written about the Marconi wireless and how novel it was to the passengers on the ship. Who can forget the scene when operator Jack Phillips ‘yells’ back to the operator on the nearby Californian, ‘Shut up, shut up! I’m working Cape Race.’
Cape Race was the first wireless station in Newfoundland and the only land station to receive the Titanic’s distress signal.
Frustrated, the operator shuts down his wireless and goes to bed. No further communication with him was possible that night.
He didn’t hear the ‘CQD’ or the ‘SOS’ after the Titanic hit the iceberg.
The Californian didn’t know until it was late the ship was sinking.
According to newspaper reports at that time, CQD was the British landline operators’ signal (‘CQ’ for “all stations”) with the addition of ‘D’ by the Marconi company for added emphasis (danger).
‘SOS’ was adapted because of its distinctive Morse Code pattern of three dots… three dashes… three dots with the Titanic’s call letters: MGY.
The Titanic had a first rate wireless room and could receive signals as far as 400 miles during the day and seemingly unlimited range at night.
Which meant they weren’t the only ones sending messages back and forth (the Titanic had sent 250 messages during the voyage).
According to the NY Herald, April 18, 1912, something had to be done to regulate the wireless lest more disasters at sea take place because their distress signal wasn’t heard. ‘Wireless meddlers’ crowded the airwaves with messages and a Senate bill was drawn up to set up to regulate operators with a license.
No post about Titanic and the wireless would be complete without mentioning the two Marconi operators and their dedication to duty.
J.G. Phillips, 25 years old, was the chief operator and had served on the Mauretania and the Lusitania. He had been with the company for seven years and did not survive.
Harold Sydney Bride, 22 years old, had only been with the company twelve months and did survive. (He was on the same overturned lifeboat along with the hero in my Titanic historical fiction novel ‘The Runaway Girl’, Captain Lord Buck Blackthorn.)
It was Phillips who sent the famous wireless message to Harold Thomas Cottam, the sole wireless operator on the Carpathia:
‘It’s CQD, old man. Distress call.’
Mr. Cottam was off duty and had not gone to bed when he heard the distress call. He insisted on waking up Captain Rostron. Because of his actions, 705 people survived that cold, bitter night.
Why was Mr. Cottam listening to the wireless if he was off duty?
He was hoping to catch the Saturday night football scores broadcast from Cape Race.
His alertness was a touchdown, if ever there was one.
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AUDIO PREVIEW:
Ava is a fine lass on the run from the law… find out why in this terrific audio excerpt.
I love Laurel Lefkow’s reading of my nasty villian, Lord Emsy…
Then see what happens when Ava runs away and boards the Titanic in Queenstown, Ireland in my video below.
Her sailing to America is a stormy one… one filled with adventure and romance with the dashing Captain Lord Buck Blackthorn…
———–
The Runaway Girl Want more audio? Listen to a different ample on Amazon at: amazon.com/dp/B084MM1D4R
——————————
Next time on Titanic Tuesdays: Titanic and the Pig
Two women hold the keys to his heart. Only one will survive that fateful night…
When Ava O’Reilly is wrongly accused of stealing from her employer, she has no option but to flee Ireland. The law is after her, and she has only one chance at escape – the Titanic.
Aboard the ship of dreams, she runs straight into the arms of Captain ‘Buck’ Blackthorn, a dashing gentleman gambler who promises to be her protector. He is intrigued by her Irish beauty and manages to disguise her as the maid of his good friend, the lovely Countess of Marbury. Little does he realise, that the Countess is also in love with him.
As the fateful night approaches, tragedy strikes further when Ava is separated from Buck, and must make a daring choice that will change her life forever…
————
A sweeping, emotional historical romance set aboard the Titanic, perfect for fans of Gill Paul and Suzanne Goldring.
This is a revised and fully updated edition of a novel previously published as Titanic Rhapsody.
————
What readers are saying about The Runaway Girl:
‘A fantastic Titanic take woven in with a great portrayal of love, friendship, and even forgiveness. I would have rather seen this as a movie than the Jack and Rose story!!!’
‘Oh how I adored this story… From start to finish I was enchanted with the story and the characters and all the finer details describing the ship, clothes and scenery.’
‘This book was so well written and such vivid descriptions were used that I really did feel as though Jina had put me in a time machine and sent me back to 1912,’
‘A breathtaking romance that is sure to stay with you long after reading’
‘Perfect for historical fiction and romance fans.’
‘A mesmerizing romance that is sure to sweep you off your feet and take you away to another place, another time.’
‘A fabulous book you won’t want to miss’
THE RUNAWAY GIRL:
———–
US:
Kobo.
Ava is a fine lass on the run from the law… find out why in this terrific audio excerpt.
I love Laurel Lefkow’s reading of my nasty villian, Lord Emsy…
Then see what happens when Ava runs away and boards the Titanic in Queenstown, Ireland in my video below.
Her sailing to America is a stormy one… one filled with adventure and romance with the dashing Captain Lord Buck Blackthorn…
———–
The Runaway Girl Want more audio? Listen to a different ample on Amazon at: amazon.com/dp/B084MM1D4R
——————————
Next time on Titanic Tuesdays: Titanic and the Wireless: What does MGY mean and why it was so important
Two women hold the keys to his heart. Only one will survive that fateful night…
When Ava O’Reilly is wrongly accused of stealing from her employer, she has no option but to flee Ireland. The law is after her, and she has only one chance at escape – the Titanic.
Aboard the ship of dreams, she runs straight into the arms of Captain ‘Buck’ Blackthorn, a dashing gentleman gambler who promises to be her protector. He is intrigued by her Irish beauty and manages to disguise her as the maid of his good friend, the lovely Countess of Marbury. Little does he realise, that the Countess is also in love with him.
As the fateful night approaches, tragedy strikes further when Ava is separated from Buck, and must make a daring choice that will change her life forever…
————
A sweeping, emotional historical romance set aboard the Titanic, perfect for fans of Gill Paul and Suzanne Goldring.
This is a revised and fully updated edition of a novel previously published as Titanic Rhapsody.
————
What readers are saying about The Runaway Girl:
‘A fantastic Titanic take woven in with a great portrayal of love, friendship, and even forgiveness. I would have rather seen this as a movie than the Jack and Rose story!!!’
‘Oh how I adored this story… From start to finish I was enchanted with the story and the characters and all the finer details describing the ship, clothes and scenery.’
‘This book was so well written and such vivid descriptions were used that I really did feel as though Jina had put me in a time machine and sent me back to 1912,’
‘A breathtaking romance that is sure to stay with you long after reading’
‘Perfect for historical fiction and romance fans.’
‘A mesmerizing romance that is sure to sweep you off your feet and take you away to another place, another time.’
‘A fabulous book you won’t want to miss’
THE RUNAWAY GIRL:
———–
US:
Kobo.
So pleased to post this amazing review from Just Katherine —
‘I urge you to read this beautiful novel. I have watched Titanic more times than I’m able to count but it grips at my heart every time. The Runaway Girl did the same.’
Thank you so much, Katherine, for your lovely words!
Jina
via The Runaway Girl: A Titanic Love Story @BoldwoodBooks @bookandtonic
There were 13 honeymoon couples on the Titanic
‘
Imagine you’re on your honeymoon and you’re sailing home on the Titanic.
Four days – and four passionate nights – at sea with your man.
Cozy afternoons in the lounge reading a book… slipping your hand in his. Knowing that later you’ll be in each other’s arms.
Long strolls at night on the deck, looking at the starry sky overhead.
Forget the bitter cold. He has his arms around you to keep you warm.
On a drizzly Sunday morning, you attend services with your man, then look forward to an informal dinner and another night of passion–
Until 11:40 p.m.
It’s the night of April 14th, 1912.
Your honeymoon comes to an abrupt end when the Titanic hits an iceberg.
According to Titanic Story, there were thirteen couples aboard the ship of dreams celebrating their honeymoon, though some sources report the number was twelve. The new young bride of Col. John Jacob Astor, pregnant with their child, was among them and escaped in lifeboat No. 4 (along with Ava O’Reilly, the heroine of my Titanic novel).
Here’s what went through her head when Ava, an Irish emigrant, found herself in the company of these women:
Ava held her head in her gloved hands. It wasn’t that the fear of death was all around her, but that she was here in the lifeboat and not the grand gentlemen married to these ladies.
First cabin ladies.
Wearing fur coats and teardrop diamond earrings and big, feathered hats with silver hatpins. Smelling of lavender. Not the salty sweat of steerage.
Dressed in the pink of fashion, they looked as out of place in the lifeboat as perfect plump prawns tossed into a fisherman’s dirty pail. Bickering among themselves about keeping their part of the boat for their kind only. Making comments about the sailor at the tiller smoking. And generally being what they were.
First cabin ladies.
Ava couldn’t stop peering at them through the dark. Such a curious eye she had, she missed nothing. Like a fine new broom she was, its hay bristles sharp and pointy and with a passion for sweeping.
Col. Astor did not survive and unfortunately, several honeymoon couples met the same fate.
A couple who did survive, John and Nelle Snyder, had left from Southampton and were returning home to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
According to a story in the Daily Mail, Mr Snyder said he owed his life to his wife’s insistence that he get out of bed and check to see what happened when they felt a ‘bump’ on that fateful night.
They were among the first to get into the lifeboats (they were in lifeboat No. 7 along with three other newlywed couples, according to one news source) and were later photographed in the clothes they wore that night. They were quite an elegant couple, according to the photo in the Daily Mail story referenced above.
They lived for many years afterward (Mr Snyder was 71 when he died and Mrs Snyder was 94), but their letters and photos have only now surfaced, engaging us with their wondrous escape.
The Titanic continues to fascinate us with its elegance and romance. It’s comforting to know that for the Snyders, their Titanic honeymoon had a happy ending.
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The Runaway Girl Love audio? Listen to the fab Laurel Lefkow reading a sample on Amazon at: amazon.com/dp/B084MM1D4R
——————————
Next time on Titanic Tuesdays: Titanic and the Wireless: What does MGY mean and why it was so important
Two women hold the keys to his heart. Only one will survive that fateful night…
When Ava O’Reilly is wrongly accused of stealing from her employer, she has no option but to flee Ireland. The law is after her, and she has only one chance at escape – the Titanic.
Aboard the ship of dreams, she runs straight into the arms of Captain ‘Buck’ Blackthorn, a dashing gentleman gambler who promises to be her protector. He is intrigued by her Irish beauty and manages to disguise her as the maid of his good friend, the lovely Countess of Marbury. Little does he realise, that the Countess is also in love with him.
As the fateful night approaches, tragedy strikes further when Ava is separated from Buck, and must make a daring choice that will change her life forever…
————
A sweeping, emotional historical romance set aboard the Titanic, perfect for fans of Gill Paul and Suzanne Goldring.
This is a revised and fully updated edition of a novel previously published as Titanic Rhapsody.
————
What readers are saying about The Runaway Girl:
‘A fantastic Titanic take woven in with a great portrayal of love, friendship, and even forgiveness. I would have rather seen this as a movie than the Jack and Rose story!!!’
‘Oh how I adored this story… From start to finish I was enchanted with the story and the characters and all the finer details describing the ship, clothes and scenery.’
‘This book was so well written and such vivid descriptions were used that I really did feel as though Jina had put me in a time machine and sent me back to 1912,’
‘A breathtaking romance that is sure to stay with you long after reading’
‘Perfect for historical fiction and romance fans.’
‘A mesmerizing romance that is sure to sweep you off your feet and take you away to another place, another time.’
‘A fabulous book you won’t want to miss’
THE RUNAWAY GIRL:
———–
US:
Kobo.
Thank you to Ginger Book Geek for this amazing review of THE RUNAWAY GIRL A Titanic love story
Here’s just a part of it…
‘This book was so well written and such vivid descriptions were used that I really did feel as though Jina had put me in a time machine and sent me back to 1912,’
I’m so excited to present Julie’s amazing review of THE RUNAWAY GIRL!
Two women hold the keys to his heart. Only one will survive that fateful night…
When Ava O’Reilly is wrongly accused of stealing from her employer, she has no option but to flee Ireland. The law is after her, and she has only one chance at escape – the Titanic.
Aboard the ship of dreams, she runs straight into the arms of Captain ‘Buck’ Blackthorn, a dashing gentleman gambler who promises to be her protector. He is intrigued by her Irish beauty and manages to disguise her as the maid of his good friend, the lovely Countess of Marbury. Little does he realise, that the Countess is also in love with him.
As the fateful night approaches, tragedy strikes further when Ava is separated from Buck, and must make a daring choice that will change her life forever…
REVIEW
A sweeping historical romantic read rich in atmosphere, emotion and intensity…
View original post 492 more words
UPDATE!!
I found the pot ‘o gold! THE RUNAWAY GIRL e-book is now live on Amazon and e-tailers’ sites listed here… Yay!!
Ooh… it seems a mischievous leprechaun has put a wee bit of a spell on my Titanic love story The Runaway Girl for St. Patrick’s Day.
The E-book is not ready till next Tuesday, March 24th, but the paperback and audio book are up!
And here’s a special treat:
My Princess video for St. Patrick’s Day – my heroine Ava in THE RUNAWAY GIRL is based on this book-loving princess who wants to find a guy who respects her love of learning!)
Meet Ava O’Reilly and the handsome Captain Lord Buck Blackthorn:
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Next time on Titanic Tuesdays: Titanic and the Honeymoon Couples
THE RUNAWAY GIRL e-book pubs next week!
Two women hold the keys to his heart. Only one will survive that fateful night…
When Ava O’Reilly is wrongly accused of stealing from her employer, she has no option but to flee Ireland. The law is after her, and she has only one chance at escape – the Titanic.
Aboard the ship of dreams, she runs straight into the arms of Captain ‘Buck’ Blackthorn, a dashing gentleman gambler who promises to be her protector. He is intrigued by her Irish beauty and manages to disguise her as the maid of his good friend, the lovely Countess of Marbury. Little does he realise, that the Countess is also in love with him.
As the fateful night approaches, tragedy strikes further when Ava is separated from Buck, and must make a daring choice that will change her life forever…
————
A sweeping, emotional historical romance set aboard the Titanic, perfect for fans of Gill Paul and Suzanne Goldring.
This is a revised and fully updated edition of a novel previously published as Titanic Rhapsody.
————
What readers are saying about The Runaway Girl:
‘A fantastic Titanic take woven in with a great portrayal of love, friendship, and even forgiveness. I would have rather seen this as a movie than the Jack and Rose story!!!’
‘Oh how I adored this story… From start to finish I was enchanted with the story and the characters and all the finer details describing the ship, clothes and scenery.”
‘A breathtaking romance that is sure to stay with you long after reading’
‘Perfect for historical fiction and romance fans.’
‘A mesmerizing romance that is sure to sweep you off your feet and take you away to another place, another time.’
‘A fabulous book you won’t want to miss’
THE RUNAWAY GIRL:
———–
US:
Kobo.
Women and children first…
This was the cry heard on that cold, bitter night of April 14, 1912. Earlier that Sunday morning passengers of all classes had attended divine services and offered prayers for a safe crossing.
At 11:40 pm the Titanic struck an iceberg and she was sinking fast.
Everyone scrambled to get to the lifeboats.
‘Women and children first,’ called out the ship’s officers.
Why then, when lifeboat number 5 was lowered (capacity 40), were there only 2 women and 10 men aboard?
If the call was for women and children first, why were gentlemen permitted to get into the boats on the starboard side?
While no male passengers were allowed to enter a lifeboat on the port side of the ship when there were women and children about?
And who can forget the look of pain on faces of the Irish family – the da, mum and three children – who fought their way up from the bowels of the ship only to discover there were no more lifeboats?
No more lifeboats.
With only a rosary and prayer and their arms wrapped around each other, they faced the end bravely.
Still, the question, persists, why were there not enough lifeboats?
Some put the blame on J. Bruce Ismay, the Chairman and Managing Director of the White Star Line, who insisted the number of lifeboats be cut from 48 to 16 (in addition, 4 Englehardt or collapsible lifeboats were stored on the Boat deck) because they ‘cluttered’ the deck.
For the record, Mr. Ismay escaped the sinking in collapsible lifeboat C.
The White Star Line argued that it had followed the British Board of Trade regulations that dictated for a liner the size of the Titanic (using a specific formula based in tonnage), sixteen lifeboats was more than the number of boats required.
Here is a model of the Titanic decks and lifeboats showing rigging and funnel so you can get an idea of what the upper deck looked like. This rule was hopelessly outdated when the Titanic was launched.
But no one seemed to notice.
Until it was too late.
It does me heart in, as my heroine Ava O’Reilly would say, to write this post, knowing so many more passengers could been saved if they’d had more boats. As it was, several lifeboats were lowered half full or less. (The first lifeboat left with only 28 people–it could hold 65).
Again, there is some confusion as to why this happened. The lifeboats had been tested and could hold forty to sixty-five people, but the captain decided to lower them half full, then fill the boats with passengers from the lower gangways.
That never happened. The doors were never opened.
As the lifeboats rowed away, the horrified passengers in the lifeboats watched the heartbreaking scene.
Was Ava among them in the lifeboats? Or fighting for her life in the cold, freezing sea?
Find out in THE RUNAWAY GIRL
——————————
Next time on Titanic Tuesdays: Titanic and the Honeymoon Couples
THE RUNAWAY GIRL pubs next week!
Two women hold the keys to his heart. Only one will survive that fateful night…
When Ava O’Reilly is wrongly accused of stealing from her employer, she has no option but to flee Ireland. The law is after her, and she has only one chance at escape – the Titanic.
Aboard the ship of dreams, she runs straight into the arms of Captain ‘Buck’ Blackthorn, a dashing gentleman gambler who promises to be her protector. He is intrigued by her Irish beauty and manages to disguise her as the maid of his good friend, the lovely Countess of Marbury. Little does he realise, that the Countess is also in love with him.
As the fateful night approaches, tragedy strikes further when Ava is separated from Buck, and must make a daring choice that will change her life forever…
————
A sweeping, emotional historical romance set aboard the Titanic, perfect for fans of Gill Paul and Suzanne Goldring.
This is a revised and fully updated edition of a novel previously published as Titanic Rhapsody.
————
What readers are saying about The Runaway Girl:
‘A fantastic Titanic take woven in with a great portrayal of love, friendship, and even forgiveness. I would have rather seen this as a movie than the Jack and Rose story!!!’
‘Oh how I adored this story… From start to finish I was enchanted with the story and the characters and all the finer details describing the ship, clothes and scenery.”
‘A breathtaking romance that is sure to stay with you long after reading’
‘Perfect for historical fiction and romance fans.’
‘A mesmerizing romance that is sure to sweep you off your feet and take you away to another place, another time.’
‘A fabulous book you won’t want to miss’
THE RUNAWAY GIRL:
———–
US:
Kobo.
With the sailing of the Titanic in THE RUNAWAY GIRL nearly upon us, I’ve been wondering what Christmas 1911 was like for my heroine, AVA O’REILLY, and the other Irish emigrants and passengers who would later board the Titanic in April 1912.
I remember a story I read in an Irish newspaper about a letter to Santa written in 1911 by children who hid their wish list in a chimney.
When it was discovered many years later, it was barely touched by time.
As if nothing could douse the hopes and dreams of children adrift on their magical adventure of writing to the man in the North Pole.
Most likely the passengers who booked passage on the Titanic were just as excited about the ship’s upcoming maiden voyage.
It was an unusually cold winter in 1911. What was it like on that Christmas Day?
Did Irish widow Margaret Rice knit extra mittens for her five boys?
I wonder if Father Browne – then a theology student – received his new camera on that Christmas morning?
Imagine the joy in the heart of young Swede Dagmar Bryhl when her handsome fiancé presented her with a lovely watch.
Or the Irish holiday feast of turkey and ham and mince pie enjoyed by Nora Keane when she returned to Limerick to visit her mother.
When they raised their voices in O Holy Night on that Christmas Eve, they had no idea what part they would play on the ship of dreams when they set sail on the Titanic.
Father Browne sailed on the Titanic for two days and got off the ship at Queenstown on April 11, 1912. A wealthy first class couple offered to pay his passage to New York, but his uncle, the Bishop of Cloyne, ordered him off the ship. The future Jesuit priest took the last pictures of the Titanic and her passengers.
Margaret Rice was a steerage passenger. She and her five sons never made it to a lifeboat and perished in the tragedy. A surviving photo of her and her boys was taken before she left and has only recently resurfaced.
Dagmar Bryhl was traveling to visit an uncle in America in second class. She survived, but her brother and fiancé both perished. She was wearing the watch her beloved gave her on a chain around her neck when she boarded the ship.
Nora Keane decided to stay longer in Ireland than planned, but she had trepidations about traveling on Titanic’s maiden voyage. Her brother convinced her to book passage as a second class passenger. She survived the sinking, thanks to a ship’s officer who banged on their door and ordered her and Edwinna Troutt up on top. Nora was shocked when four hundred people showed up at the train station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to welcome her home.
These are a few Titanic stories from that Christmas of 1911.
As Ava O’Reilly would say, ‘May the hand of an angel be upon your shoulder to guide you in your dreams.’
And Ava? She was working hard in a grand manor house in service with her sister, Mary Dolores, but dreaming of going to America. She has no idea that her love of books and a diamond bracelet will set her on that course in a way she never imagined… and she’d meet a most dashing gentleman lord gambler who steals her heart in THE RUNAWAY GIRL…
————-
Next time on Titanic Tuesdays: Where have all the lifeboats gone?
THE RUNAWAY GIRL, is on schedule for a March 17 pub date.
Two women hold the keys to his heart. Only one will survive that fateful night…
When Ava O’Reilly is wrongly accused of stealing from her employer, she has no option but to flee Ireland. The law is after her, and she has only one chance at escape – the Titanic.
Aboard the ship of dreams, she runs straight into the arms of Captain ‘Buck’ Blackthorn, a dashing gentleman gambler who promises to be her protector. He is intrigued by her Irish beauty and manages to disguise her as the maid of his good friend, the lovely Countess of Marbury. Little does he realise, that the Countess is also in love with him.
As the fateful night approaches, tragedy strikes further when Ava is separated from Buck, and must make a daring choice that will change her life forever…
A sweeping, emotional historical romance set aboard the Titanic, perfect for fans of Gill Paul and Suzanne Goldring.
This is a revised and fully updated edition of a novel previously published as Titanic Rhapsody.
———————
What readers are saying about The Runaway Girl:
‘A fantastic Titanic take woven in with a great portrayal of love, friendship, and even forgiveness. I would have rather seen this as a movie than the Jack and Rose story!!!’
‘Oh how I adored this story… From start to finish I was enchanted with the story and the characters and all the finer details describing the ship, clothes and scenery.”
‘A breathtaking romance that is sure to stay with you long after reading’
‘Perfect for historical fiction and romance fans.’
‘A mesmerizing romance that is sure to sweep you off your feet and take you away to another place, another time.’
‘A fabulous book you won’t want to miss’
THE RUNAWAY GIRL is now up for pre-order:
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US:
Kobo.
Listen to my 'Scare in the Air' on the Spotify GOOD DAY Podcast
Once upon a story... 