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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

A Romantic Setting


One of my favorite things about my new book, BEGUILING THE BEAUTY, is that a good bit of the story takes place during a transatlantic crossing, on a luxury ocean liner.  The year is 1896, the ship is the Rhodesia, based on the RMS Campania and the RMS Lucania, sister ships of the Cunard Lines which, at the time, were the titans of speed and elegance on the high seas.

Life on board is quite leisurely.  The gentlemen, in their smoking lounge, would wager on the ship’s progress for each day.  Starting at an expected average speed of, say, five hundred thirty-five knots, they would place their bets on how far under or over average the liner would travel in twenty-four hours.  The next morning, the actual distance the liner had covered would be posted, the gentlemen would settle their bets and start again.

Ladies, in their own lounges, wrote letters, read books, played card games, and made new friends among the passengers.  When weather permitted, everyone would stroll the decks and watch for dolphins.  By the time I am writing, transatlantic crossings were so short—usually less than a week—that few elaborate activities were planned.  But on longer routes, such as those going from London to Cape Town, passengers organized into teams—ladies vs gentlemen, single vs. married--and played cricket matches that lasted for days.  And perhaps there would even be a costume ball on the last night on the voyage to celebrate the imminent arrival at the port of destination.

For me, there is such romance to ocean travel, I can’t think of a more perfect place for a man and a woman to meet and fall in love than on a ship.  I’d love to hear your idea of a most romantic place to meet, whether in real life or in a story.  One commenter will receive a copy of BEGUILING THE BEAUTY.
        
BEGUILING THE BEAUTY:

When the Duke of Lexington meets the mysterious Baroness von Seidlitz-Hardenberg aboard a transatlantic ocean liner, he is fascinated. She is exactly what he has been searching for—a beautiful woman who interests and entices him. He falls hard and fast—and soon proposes marriage. 



And then she disappears without a trace… 



For in reality, the “baroness” is Venetia Easterbrook—a proper young widow who had her own vengeful reasons for instigating an affair with the duke. But the plan has backfired. Venetia has fallen in love with the man she despised—and there’s no telling what might happen when she is finally unmasked…

Sherry 
www.sherrythomas.com

***Sherry's winner is Karen H in NC!!  Please email me at totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing details!***

16 comments:

girlygirlhoosier52 said...

Rather like a floating county house party, except that the 'guests' are more likely unknown to each other at the outset..
But it does seem like a wonderful way to travel, mostly because I hate packing & unpacking...

Di said...

A boat, and perhaps a small island, or remote lodge are like self contained worlds where a couple can spend a lot of time together, learning about each other with less interference than in a busy city.

Barbara E. said...

I think an ocean liner sounds like a fantastic place to meet and fall in love. Maybe traveling on a train would be fun too, it's a fairly leisurely way to travel so it would give you time to get to know one another.

Mary Preston said...

I equate ocean travel with being sea sick, so I would rule it out - for me. Beautiful setting for a story though.

I agree with Barbara E. about trains. Very romantic.

Laurie G said...

I think the most romantic thing is to just "meet by chance" across a crowded room in a restaurant, a bar, a library, a grocery store, a party, a park, or walking down the street. You feel that instant attraction and interest.

I met my husband when he dated my roommate. We met again a year later, walking home from college classes.

host said...

It sounds so romantic, especially compared to today's instant travels :)

TashNz said...

Hi Sherry. I think the most romantic place to meet and fall in love would be in the heart of Spain. The language, the people, the food, the weather, maybe the the beachside, you're enjoying brunch and you look up and BAM... in my imagination, this is it :)

Karen H said...

When I was a kid in the 50's, ocean liners were still the big thing to do for the ultimate vacation. It still is IMO. I would love to take a Transatlantic cruise on a Victorian Era ship!

Leah Weller (leahluvsmedieval) said...

I met my DH 9 years ago in the least romantic way.....online while playing a game in POGO. I think a romantic way to meet would be running into them by fate somewhere in Scotland or France. Oh, so many variations are wandering around in my head. Things straight out of a romance novel, LOL! Sadly, life rarely hands you things like that.

Maureen said...

I think a European tour would be a romantic way to meet someone.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com

Eli Yanti said...

Hi Sherry,

Love reading your PI :)

I always thought that met at masked ball without knowing the indentity each other is the mos exicting and romantic :)

Jo's Daughter said...

A boat can be romantic. I always thought that meeting in a beautiful park is also romantic, sitting on the same bench and striking up a conversation while basking in the sun...

Mary Anne Landers said...

Thank you for your post, Sherry. Yes, an ocean liner would be a romantic setting for me, if I could meet someone the way Deborah Kerr met Cary Grant in "An Affair to Remember". But with my luck, it'd probably be more like Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in "Titanic"!

*yadkny* said...

I can definitely see the romantic appeal of the ocean, which is why I would say the beach is my romantic setting. The water has such a calming and sensual affect.

yadkny@hotmail.com

Sherry Thomas said...

Thank you everyone for the lovely comments!

Karen H said...

WOW...thanks so much! Just saw my name as the winner of Sherry's book. Going to enjoy reading her latest. Thanks again!