A Titanic Event...

Hello, dear readers… today I have the pleasure of visiting with Janice Thompson, on this very special day when her wonderful new book, QUEEN OF THE WAVES, is released from Summerside Press, in the new American Tapestries Series. Welcome, Janice, I'm glad you could stop by.

Thank you, Lilly, it's good to be here.

Well, considering your'e best-known for your "Love, laughter, and happily ever afters," how did you come to write about such a serious subject as the sinking of the Titanic?

Well, my agent asked me to put together a story idea focused on the Titanic. Since he caught me on my way home from the theater, where I direct musicals, I quipped: "Only if I can throw in a song and dance number involving an iceberg!" He laughed and responded with, "No, we have to play this one straight."

At first, I wasn't sure if I could come up with a serious plot line, but twenty-four hours later, I had the story idea and the first chapter. My editors at Summersside (Rachel Meisel and Susan Downs) read the idea and loved it. When they saw me at the ACFW conference, I got the news that they were going to publish it, and I was especially thrilled to hear that my book would be among the first to release in the new line. What a privilege!

It certainly is. Congratulations! I understand this year marked the 100th anniversary of the Titanic. Why do you think we're still so fascinated with the so-called "unsinkable" ship after all this time?

You know, Lilly, I would imagine that people five hundred years from now will still be interested. It's such a tragic story, and one that affected thousands of people. Meeting Cathy Peeling (whose great-uncle was the captain of the Titanic) really put this in perspective for me. Her uncle passed away that night. This completely changed the make-up of her family. And she's just one person out of thousands. 

Generations of people were affected by this tragedy. And so many feel a connection. Ship builders. Dress designers. Modern-day cruisers. The rich. The poor. The dreamers. Those who long to travel. We can all envision ourselves aboard Titanic on that fateful journey. Perhaps the greatest lesson to be learned from it is this: We cannot put our trust and confidence in man-made things; only in the Lord.

That is so true, Janice, and something I think is just as pertinent for us today as it was a hundred years ago, too. Isn't it odd, though, that for such a tragic moment in history, so many stories are told of finding love on the Titanic? What do you think makes it so romantic?

I think it's the "unknown variable" that makes it all so interesting. It's the fact that we can only speculate. Who were those people? What were they feeling? What were their hopes and dreams? What were they feeling before the ship set sail? After? How strongly did they feel it? Who did they feel it with? These are the questions that motivate us. 

As I sat to write this story, I envisioned people from every walk of life, all converged in one small world for a brief moment in history. Together, in that place, emotions surely ran the whole gamut (from exhilaration, to distress, and grief). Placing a love story in the middle of all of that emotion just seems to make sense.  

It definitely adds to the appeal, that's for sure. But what a writing change for you! Especially since historically accurate novels take a lot of research. How much time and effort did you actually put into that?

Oh, my goodness! Talk about a lot of work. Not only did I spend months researching Titanic's story (reading every available book and watching every conceivable documentary), I also drove from Houston to Branson, Missouri, to the Titanic Museum. Talk about an eye opener! The exhibit covers everything you could imagine, and includes all sorts of artifacts from the ship. 

When you write about an event such as this, particularly one that has been so well documented in movies and books, you need to get your facts right. Even the "little" things (like, how long did it take to load everyone onto the ship) can bog the writer down. Dozens and dozens of times, I would stop writing just to look something up. And don't even get me started on the clothing and hats! I created a board on Pinterest to study 1910 fashion!

That's amazing. Is there a spiritual thread that runs through the story? Some message that you hope readers will come away with?

Absolutely. Several of my characters (primarily Tessa) face their own destiny. They come to grips with the brevity (and value) of life. They see first-hand what's truly important, and what isn't. In my story, Tessa learns that her picture of God has been skewed (since childhood). She discovers a relationship with Him while aboard the ship, but that relationship is tested the night the ship goes down.

Well, it sounds like a marvelous story, and I can't wait to read it. It's been a pleasure having you stop by to talk with me about it, and you can bet I'll be posting a review over on Lilly's Book Club page as soon as I finish. 

Thank you, Lilly. I always love hearing from readers, but as you can imagine, I'm especially interested in hearing how they like QUEEN OF THE WAVES, because it was a real change of pace for me. 

I'm headed out to get my copy, now. Meanwhile, here's a bit about the book, and a link to your website where people can find out more about you and your other wonderful books...

When pampered Jacqueline Abington secretly elopes with the family gardener, she asks another woman to take her place on the much-anticipated maiden voyage of the Titanic.Tessa Bowen hails from a poor corner of London but has been granted the opportunity of a lifetime—a ticket to sail to America aboard a famed vessel. But there’s a catch; she must assume Jacqueline’s identity. For the first time in her life, Tessa stays in luxurious quarters, dresses in elegant gowns, and dines with prestigious people. Then a wealthy American man takes an interest in her, and Tessa struggles to keep up the ruse as she begins falling for him. When tragedy strikes, the game is up, and two women’s lives are forever changed.

The MYSTERY TOUR continues... aboard the RMS TITANIC

Well, we are off, dear readers...  and by the time you read this, we will be nearly to Queenstown, Ireland. Our last stop to take on passengers before crossing the North Atlantic. Yesterday, was more than eventful. We nearly had a collision right out of the dock, but thank heaven that was avoided. Our cruise director, Tessa, gave a good account of it over on the QUEEN OF THE WAVES, site, and I'm sure you probably even heard about it on the nightly news. Can you believe the TITANIC is still making news?

Why on earth do you think that is?

I have some ideas, but I'm saving my final conclusions until the end of the voyage, because I haven't interviewed even half the people I want to talk to, yet. I'm slipping up to first class, today, to get a look at how the other half lives. I'll let you know what I find out, tomorrow. Meanwhile, there are some fascinating personalities that seem to defy all classes, that I take a closer look at in my column ON THE PROMENADE. After that, I hope you will head over to the QUEEN OF THE WAVES site and do some investigating, yourself. Too many things going on to list, so I hope to see you there. Oh, yes, and if you guess what this "mystery picture" is, I'll put your name in the Captain's hat for a prize. Just put your answer in the comment section, here.

But be careful... you could very well end up in my column...

Go here to read ON THE PROMENADE

A TITANIC IDEA...

This year marks the 100th year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. It occurred in the waning hours of April 14, 1912, and carried over into the early hours of the fifteenth, as well. Disasters on such a grand scale seem to hold a lot of fascination for the entertainment industry. Between museums, books, and even a cruise ship that will be undertaking the same route at the same time, with exactly the same amount of people on it, there will be a lot going on. So, why am I telling you all this?

The truth is, I've been getting wrapped up in one of those projects, myself. It all started when Janice Hanna Thompson, who is writing a Titanic novel titled QUEEN OF THE WAVES which will be released through Summerside Press, later this year, came up with one of the best ideas, yet. A "virtual voyage" that will begin April 10, and run all the way through the fateful days of the disaster. People are already choosing someone to represent from the original passenger lists, or a famous character out of a novel that was written about it. I have even heard that the person representing the captain, is an actual descendent. But more about all that later, dear readers, because I will be covering the event over the coming weeks, and bringing you interviews and stories of all that's happening.

Meanwhile, I thought I should open the festivities by interviewing Janice Hanna Thompson, herself, so we can find out more about this idea... 

So, hello, Janice, and welcome! First thing I just had to ask: what is it about the TITANIC that made you want to write a book against that backdrop?

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Well, I love stories that are set at the turn-of-the-century. That time period is very special to me. My book HURRICANE (about the Galveston hurricane of 1900) was one of my favorites, and it’s (in part) because of the time period. I’m also fascinated with disaster stories. When I pitched my HURRICANE story back in ’03, I wanted to do a whole series of stories built around disasters. When the offer came to write a book about the Titanic, it met my criteria for the ideal historical: a romantic story set in my favorite time period, focused on a disaster! Voila! 

A perfect match, for sure. You must have been interested in that era for a long time to have written so much about it, already.

Yes. Some might be surprised to learn that all of the historical romances I’ve written take place between 1900 and 1920. I’m just nuts about the Edwardian period. I love the clothing, the surge of industrialism, the manner of speech. I love the independent spirit that gripped America during this season. And I’m crazy about the fact that the old world and the new world merged during this era. What better time and setting to place a story? 

I agree… and you definitely won't be running out of research material any time soon. Speaking of which, have you come across any particular facts or unusual survivor stories that stand out to you more than others during your research?

A couple stand out. When I went to the Titanic museum in Branson Missouri a couple of weeks ago, I was given the boarding pass for a little girl who actually traveled on the Titanic. Her name was Manca Karun (from Slovenia) and she boarded the ship with her father and her uncle. There’s an amazing tale of her survival (climbing down the ship to the lifeboat). Miraculously, her father survived, too. 

I enjoy hearing survivor stories, especially if they have miracles attached. Just out of curiosity, do you like boats in your "real" life, too?

I love to go on cruises. Does that count? 

Definitely.

Well, I’ve always been fascinated with large ships, going back to the original Poseidon Adventure movie. There’s something about a floating palace/hotel that just gets me excited. I’ve been on multiple Caribbean cruises. My favorite was aboard the Voyager on the Royal Caribbean line. Talk about luxurious! I loved every minute, including my excursions in the various ports. I’ve also been on a Norwegian cruise liner, as well as a Princess ship. I’d love to take my whole family on a Disney cruise someday, too! 

I should also mention that my dad owned a yacht several years ago and we traveled from Dana Point to Catalina Island, in California. Had a blast! Oh, and I have a funny story about a 90-pound tuna that my dad caught aboard a fishing boat in the Bahamas when I was seventeen. Spent most of that trip battling sea-sickness!

I would love to hear those stories. I've spent a lot of time between Dana Point and Catalina, myself, and I know there's a lot that can happen in that twenty-six miles of ocean between those two points. And there's nothing like a good fish story, too. 

Janice, I know you've explained how you came up with the idea of the Titanic virtual voyage over on your blog, but I was wondering what your goal for it is, and what you would like participants to take away from it.

My primary purpose is to raise awareness about the 100-year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic (April 15^th, 2012). I want to make my readers feel that they’re actually traveling aboard the real Titanic. That’s why I asked everyone to choose a passenger name and a first, second or third-class boarding pass. 

What exactly will people be doing during the virtual voyage? Are there activities and events online that people can interact with?

Already the 135 passengers who’ve signed up are choosing their dinner attire (and bathing suits for the pool). We’re chatting about our upcoming trip non-stop! Starting April 1^st I will begin a day-by-day program of sharing with passengers where the real Titanic was on that day, what the workers were doing, where the ship was headed, etc. On the morning of April 10^th, we will all “set sail” together. I will “blow the bugle” to let people know when they can go to dinner, etc. It’s going to be great fun! We’ll talk about the menus aboard the ship, what people did for fun each day, even what the dogs were doing! Then, as we approach that fateful day when the ship struck the iceberg, we will talk through the adventure in “real” time. It should be quite an experience. (And how adventurous!)

I couldn't agree with you more, and I don't mind saying this will be my very first "virtual voyage" ever, and I will look forward to talking more with you over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, can you tell us a bit about QUEEN OF THE WAVES?

Sure! QUEEN OF THE WAVES, is my novel about the Titanic that I am currently writing. It’s a twisted tale about a young woman (Jacquie Abingdon) who, without her parents’ knowledge, convinces a friend (Tessa Bowen) to board the Titanic in her place. The story is really mostly about Tessa (pretending to be Jacquie). While onboard the Titanic she meets and falls in love with a young man who has a few secrets of his own. 

That’s all I’m willing to share at this point, but I will say that this story is quite different from my usual light-hearted romantic comedies. No funny business here! (Not much, anyway.) I think readers will really appreciate the amount of research that has gone into this story and into the details of the clothing, food and so on. I can’t wait to see the book in print!

And neither can I. It's been great visiting with you, today, Janice, and here's wishing you all the best with this exciting interactive adventure you've dreamed up to go along with it. Since I am an advocate of "armchair traveling," myself, I think it's a fabulous idea. 

There you have it, dear readers. If you would like to "sign on" for this passage, yourself, I hear there are still some names on the list that haven't been taken, yet. You can get involved by visiting:  The Queen of the Waves Group. Next Monday, I will begin interviewing passengers who already have "their tickets," so be sure to stop back by and meet them!

About Janice Hanna Thompson...

Award-winning author Janice Thompson also writes under the pseudonym, Janice Hanna. She has published nearly eighty books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children’s books and more. She particularly enjoys writing light-hearted, comedic tales because she enjoys making readers laugh. In addition, she enjoys public speaking and mentoring young writers. Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing. Her tagline, “Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters!” sums up her take on life. You can find out more about her by visiting

 her website.