Historical Flavor: The Sinking of the Lusitania

RMS Lusitania coming into port, possibly in New York, 1907-13 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Part of being a writer is research. Part of being a historical writer is going back in time to find those little tidbits that make a story interesting and factual. 

Shows like Downton Abbey have revived an interest in the early years of the 20th century, particularly the World War I era. Added to that was last year’s 100-year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. I remember learning about the ill-fated ship as a child.

But I also learned about the sinking of the Lusitania, and for some reason, that one truly stuck in my mind. What I didn’t know, or didn’t remember, was the mystery surrounding the sinking—one that is still being explored today.

The Lusitania was a British passenger ship of the Cunard line, the sister ship of the Mauritania, and had its maiden voyage in September of 1907. On May 1, 1915, it left New York on its way to Liverpool with 1,959 people on board—159 of them Americans.  

Its last day came a week later, on May 7, when it was struck by a torpedo from a German u-boat eight miles off Ireland’s coast. It sank in eighteen minutes. The death toll was 1,198—128 Americans. An especially sad note: there were 35 infants on board. All but four perished.

Due to the German u-boats that terrorized the Atlantic during World War I, ships’ captains were instructed to travel at the highest rates of speeds possible and zigzag their way through the water, always on the lookout for submarines.

Two explosions rocked the ship that day, and some survivors said they saw more than one submarine. The Germans claimed they fired only one torpedo and that the ship carried munitions—the suspected source of the second explosion—and that made it a legitimate military target. For years the British (as well as the American) government denied knowing anything about war materials being on board, but the captain and other naval experts said one torpedo would not have sunk the ship without it striking explosive materials.

In 2008, Gregg Bemis, an American who owns the rights to the shipwreck, financed an exploration of the Lusitania that discovered almost 4 million rounds of .303 Remington bullets (U. S. made). An April 30, 2013 article in the Irish Times referred to a possible future exploration by Mr. Bemis, who wants to discover what else might have been on board that ship that could have contributed to its rapid sinking.

So the question remains: Were the excessive amounts of butter, lard, and cheese on the manifest really butter, lard, and cheese?

This is just an overview of the sinking of the Lusitania, but it’s these mysteries of the past that make researching novel settings so interesting. 

Whether you’re a writer or not, what event in history stands out to you, and have you discovered something fascinating about it that you hadn’t realized before?

You can find more information at websites like www.lusitania.net.

 

Guest Post: The Battle of New York City

As a New Yorker, author Kathleen L. Maher takes great interest in the history of her state’s participation in the Civil War. So I asked her to provide some background into the incident she uses for her novella, Bachelor Buttons, releasing on May 1. Welcome, Kathleen! 

It’s been 150 years since Civil War battles were fought on American soil. 1863 was considered the high tide of Lee’s Army, and the South never reached the same altitude again after the North’s famous victories at Vicksburg and Gettysburg that July 4. But later that same month, in New York City, a violent struggle erupted that few have ever heard about. 

After the heavy casualties that year at Chickamauga, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, Lincoln issued a controversial Conscription Act to rebuild the Union army. Every able bodied man from 20-45 had to serve if their number came up in the draft. Every able bodied man that is, except for those wealthy enough to buy their way out. And every able bodied man except for freedmen, who weren’t yet considered citizens.

No exception was given for recently emigrated men who had come to America in hopes of starting a better life, however. Feeling disenfranchised by policies that threatened their already-challenged job outlook, many newly emigrated Irish mistakenly blamed the freed blacks who competed for laboring jobs. The Emancipation Proclamation heightened tension, but the tipping point came with the draft.

On Saturday July 11, the first draft lottery was held in Manhattan, and though peaceful, it struck a spark that would burn like wildfire throughout the borough all week. On Monday, incensed Irishmen set fire to the Provost Marshal’s office.  They then attacked the New York Times and several other Republican papers and businesses, looted stores, and even burned a black orphanage.  But not all Irish participated in such heinous acts. In fact, in a few neighborhoods, some Irish protected freedmen from the violence. All told, there were hundreds of casualties, up to 150 black people murdered. A dozen black men were lynched from lampposts. Dozens of public buildings, churches, and private properties were burned or damaged. The Draft Riots, also called the Battle of New York City, finally ended when troops were sent up from Gettysburg to restore order.

To commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, Helping Hands Press and Murray Pura have collaborated on Cry of Freedom, a collection of short stories and novellas by 15 different authors. As a part of this series, my debut novella Bachelor Buttons has just released.  

About Bachelor Buttons: The daughter of immigrants who fled the Irish Potato Famine, Rose Meehan longs for a better life than the tenements of New York City. Courted by two men–a young doctor who represents material security, and a poor violin instructor who has captured her heart–she must choose between a life of advantage-grabbing or a life of faith. When Manhattan explodes in mob rule following Lincoln’s unpopular draft, the heroic action of one suitor brings provision for Rose’s loved ones, and reveals God’s plan. 

 ~~~

Kathleen L. Maher’s novella Bachelor Buttons releases through Helping Hands Press 

in May, 2013 as part 

of a Civil War sesquicentennial collection. Her Civil War manuscript won the historical category of ACFW’s Genesis contest in 2012. She has finaled in several writing contests since 2009. Represented by Terry Burns of Hartline Literary Agency, Kathleen blogs about New York State history and enjoys reading and writing reviews for historical CBA releases.  She and her husband live in a 100-year-old farmhouse in upstate NY with their three children, two rescued Newfoundland dogs and a tuxedo cat.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mahereenie?ref=tn_tnmn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mahereenie
Blogs: http://kathleenlmaher.blogspot.com
http://fictionaddictionfix.blogspot.com
http://christianfictionhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com
http://colonialquills.blogpost.com

 

Historical Flavor: Bad Luck or an Act of God?

While looking for information on the website of the U. S. Department of the Treasury, I came across this little tidbit of history I found interesting.

On January 30 of 1835 an unemployed painter named Richard Lawrence tried to assassinate President Andrew Jackson. Standing before the capitol, in point-blank range of the president, the man’s pistol misfired. After a second pistol did the same, Jackson beat his attacker with his cane. He was furious and convinced the Whigs had tried to kill him. I read accounts that others in the party who assisted in Lawrence’s capture included Davy Crockett and Washington Irving. After claiming to be the centuries dead Richard III (and/or king of the United States, depending upon which account you follow), the man was institutionalized for the rest of his life.

The interesting part came in the 1930s when the Smithsonian test fired each weapon—both went off without a problem. It was estimated the odds of both pistols misfiring at the same time were 1 in 125,000.

Um, excuse me, but I think the odds were higher than that.

Have you heard this story or others like it before? What do you think—luck (good or bad) or intervention?

 

Guest Post: David Stearman

I’m welcoming David Stearman today to talk about his debut novel Hummingbird and why he set it in Mexico. Welcome, David!

My first novel Hummingbird grew out of my experiences traveling as a missionary. Years ago I was doing evangelistic work in the Banderas Bay region of Western Mexico, when a man approached me offering free use of one of the condos he owns and manages. “Whenever you might need it,” he added, so I said “Wow. Yeah. Thanks!” I took him up on the offer a year later, and have been going back regularly ever since.

During recent years, the media has painted an ugly picture of this exotic land. You’d think there were drug lords lurking on every corner. My time spent in this fascinating country has taught me what coastal Mexico is really like: blue seas, pristine beaches, jungle-clad mountainsides, and the most generous people you’ll ever meet.

And so begins my novel: Southern Californian Lexa Morales feels like a misfit. She grew up in a rough neighborhood surrounded by the worst elements of society. And yet her heart yearns for kinder places and greater things.

Forced to commit a crime, she flees south of the Border, where, pursued by a bounty hunter with a personal grudge, she seeks redemption and a second chance. Does she find it? You’ll have to read Hummingbird to find out. But here’s a hint: the answer lies in a tiny seaside village where migrating hummingbirds rest their wings.

 

David Stearman is a Contemporary Christian Music songwriter and recording artist with many published and top-ten-charting songs to his credit. He is a missionary who has worked extensively in a number of third-world countries, including the settings portrayed within this story.

When not writing, out on the road singing, or doing missionary work in some hidden corner of the world, David enjoys outdoor sports, breeding parrots, and gardening. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky with his wife Diane and a small menagerie.

Hummingbird is David’s first novel.

What exotic or unusual location(s) have you visited that you would like to read about (or write about) in a novel? What is about that place that struck you as a perfect setting for a book?

I have received no compensation for this post and have no material connection with any product(s) mentioned. Embedded links are strictly for the convenience of my readers.

 

Pastime or Addiction? And How Real Virtue Came To Be

Katy Lee’s new novel, Real Virtue, deals with online gaming and its possible affects on real life. She’s written the following post to tell us about it. Welcome, Katy!

Thank you, Sandra, for inviting me to your virtual home today to talk about the gaming aspect of my novel, Real Virtue.

 

Did you know video game addiction is becoming an increasingly difficult problem with the youths in America today? It can affect the everyday life and social situations of children through young adults. Video game addiction can hinder a child’s learning skills, cause real life problem solving to become more difficult, and cause a child to spend far less time with family and friends. 

In Real Virtue, the story opens with my heroine, Mel Mesini, reaching the highest level in this online interactive game she plays. A game that promises her a life she can love. She’s playing while she is supposed to be working. She plays because she doesn’t feel so great about her real life. She plays because it’s a world she can control. 

Or so she thinks. 

During my research, I read many interviews with gamers, mostly teens and young adults, where they admit to preferring their virtual lives over their real ones. Video games can become super appealing, especially if their real life is not so great. In a game, a player can zap out of a situation they don’t like. They can’t do that in real life. In a game, a player is rewarded for beating the next level or quest. In real life, it’s hard to accomplish things, and even when you do, people don’t always notice, or for some, care. 

And that is where my character, Mel Mesini, comes in, and this is how Real Virtue came to be: 

So there I was, flying cross-country, when the older gentleman to my right asks me if I have a second life. 

“A second what?” came my reply. 

He then continued to explain the details of his job of creating virtual possessions that gamers on interactive game sites can purchase for their avatars.  

“Seriously? People spend money on a fake character?” And apparently enough for this guy to make a living on. 

So, the remainder of my long flight was spent plotting out the story that would become Real Virtue. 

My questions to myself were what would happen to someone who took their virtual life just a little too far? What would happen if that said someone lost all these possessions to, say, a villain bent on revenge? How far would someone go to protect their virtual life? Would they be willing to give up their real life for it? Just what would drive a person to do it? Who would this person be? 

And since I write romance, my next question was just what kind of person would be their perfect match? And Voila! Mel Mesini and Jeremy Stiles were born.

 

BLURB:

In a virtual reality game where she can fly, someone’s aiming to take her down.

Mel Mesini is a New York City restaurateur and an avid, virtual reality world traveler. She’s risen above her misfit life and now bears a striking resemblance to her glamorous, gaming avatar. But her successful life—both online and in reality—takes a swerve the night her father is seriously injured in a hit-and-run. Mel is careened back to her judgmental hometown, where being the daughter of the town’s crazy lady had made her the outcast she was. To make matters worse, Officer Jeremy Stiles, the man whose harsh, rejecting words had cut her the deepest, is heading the investigation. 

Jeremy knows he hurt Mel and attempts to make amends by finding her father’s assailant. When he realizes she’s the actual target, his plan for reconciliation turns to one of protection—whether she wants his help or not. What he wants is answers, especially about this online game she plays. Is it a harmless pastime as she says? Or is she using it to cover something up? As a faceless predator destroys the things that matter to her, Jeremy knows he’s running out of time before she loses the one thing that matters most—her real life. 

                      

Real Virtue is available now in ebook from www.Amazon.com and www.BN.com and from my publisher, www.SoulMatePublishing.com. Paperback coming this fall! 

Thank you, Sandra, for having me on your blog! Readers, I love comments and would love to hear from you. 

And please keep in touch with me at my website: www.KatyLeeBooks.com

You will see links for Twitter and Facebook and Goodreads. Let’s connect and get to know each other! 

 ”So then we are no longer strangers, but members of the household of God.”

                                                                    ~Ephesians 2:10

 

Katy Lee writes higher purpose stories in high speed worlds. As an inspirational author, speaker, home-schooling mom, and children’s ministry director, she has dedicated her life to sharing tales of love, from the greatest love story ever told to those sweet romantic stories of falling in love. Her fresh and unique voice brings a fast-paced and modern feel to her romances that are sure to resonate with readers long after the last page. Her debut novel Real Virtue is a finalist in many writing contests, and took second place in the 2011 Georgia Maggie Award of Excellence. Katy lives in New England with her husband, three children, and two cats.

http://www.amazon.com/Real-Virtue-ebook/dp/B007SHM5AQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1334628132&sr=1-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1110011399?ean=2940014205566

http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/real-virtue/

  

Thanks for telling us about your new novel, Katy. It’s an intriguing book with a sobering premise. 

As Katy alluded to, techonology has its advantages, but can be misused. Have you ever tried one of these online games, or known anyone who has gotten so caught up in a virtual life that their real life suffers?

   

         

I have received no compensation for this post and have no material connection  with any product(s) mentioned. Embedded links are strictly for the convenience of my readers.