Inspirations and Influences

Dark Days Blog Tour: Claudia Gray’s Recommended Titanic Reading

Hello everyone and welcome to the second week of our stint on the official Dark Days Blog Tour, a celebration of the upcoming fall lineup of paranormal and supernatural YA titles from Pitch Dark Books at Harper Teen! We have the great honor of hosting Dark Days author Claudia Gray for four weeks, as she shares with us some of her favorite films, books, and influences for her her new novel Fateful.

Please give a warm welcome to Claudia Gray!

Claudia Gray’s Recommended Titanic Reading

1. A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Walter Lord

The definitive book about the disaster. Walter Lord was really the first person to investigate all aspects of the disaster as a historian, and the huge majority of his findings have stood the test of time. He interviewed many survivors back in the 1950s, so you get a very solid account.

2. 1912 FACTS ABOUT THE TITANIC, Lee Merideth

This book is less a narrative or a history, more a collection of interesting facts, but what a collection it is! This was an invaluable source for me while I was writing FATEFUL because it contained some information hard to find anywhere else — for instance, what happened in each lifeboat between the time it was launched and the time they were rescued by the Carpathia?

3. LOST VOICES FROM THE TITANIC, Nick Barratt

This is a collection of eyewitness accounts. The author doesn’t tell you who’s right or wrong, doesn’t correct any errors, just lets you read each person’s version of what happened. More for the dedicated buff than the casual reader, but still, pretty fantastic stuff.

4. DISTANT WAVES: A NOVEL OF THE TITANIC, Suzanne Weyn

While I was plotting out FATEFUL, I discovered there was already a YA novel about the Titanic, which gave me cardiac arrest until I read this for myself and realized our stories were very different. It turns out there are no end of adventures that can take place aboard the ship! And this book largely deals with the heroine’s life before her voyage, with tons of cameos from historical figures.

5. THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC, Logan Marshall

This was researched and written shortly after the sinking, so while some of the theories about the disaster no longer hold up, the eyewitness accounts are fresh and “uncorrected” by other people’s impressions. This includes tons of great detail, and even a photograph of what many people believe to have been the actual iceberg that struck the ship.

About the Book:

Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.

Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him — and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

In Fateful, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray delivers paranormal adventure, dark suspense, and alluring romance set against the opulent backdrop of the Titanic’s first—and last—voyage.

Download an excerpt HERE and check out the trailer below:

For More About The Dark Days Fall Tour…

Make sure to check out the official Facebook App which includes all sorts of extras, including the official Dark Days Trailer. Plus, check out the Fall 2011 Tour Dates below:

Brace yourself for the DARK DAYS ahead! Meet HarperTeen authors Claudia Gray (FATEFUL), Kiersten White (SUPERNATURALLY), Amy Garvey (COLD KISS), Anna Carey, (EVE), and Jocelyn Davies (A BEAUTIFUL DARK) as they visit the follow cities:

Wednesday, October 12th
7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
19401 Alderwood Mall Parkway
*Lynnwood, WA*
with Claudia Gray, Kiersten White, Amy Garvey, and Anna Carey

Thursday, October 13th
7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
7881 Edinger Avenue
*Huntington Beach, CA*
with Claudia Gray, Kiersten White, Amy Garvey, and Anna Carey

Friday, October 14th
7:00 PM
Tattered Cover
9315 Dorchester Street
*Highlands Ranch, CO*
with Claudia Gray, Kiersten White, Amy Garvey, and Jocelyn Davies

Saturday, October 15th
1:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
2999 Pearl Street
*Boulder, CO*
with Claudia Gray, Kiersten White, Amy Garvey, and Jocelyn Davies

Sunday, October 16th
2:00 PM
Anderson’s
123 West Jefferson
*Naperville, IL*
with Claudia Gray, Kiersten White, Amy Garvey, and Jocelyn Davies

Next Week with Claudia Gray: Claudia’s Recommended Titanic Movies

3 Comments

  • Kailana
    September 23, 2011 at 7:48 am

    This is great! I enjoy books set on or with mention to the Titanic. People know this and one time someone bought me two books by Diane Hoh: The Long Night and Remember the Titanic. It has been years since I read them, but they were pretty good. They are the only two that come to mind at the moment.

  • Elizabeth
    September 23, 2011 at 2:53 pm

    There are a lot of great Titanic books for younger readers, too. My kids grew up with this one. They also had a submersible model from the Museum of Science and Industry that had a little iceberg gash that opened, filling the hull, which caused it to break in half. One half sank before the other, as with the real Titanic. Gruesome, but a phenomenal bath toy.

  • these shoes are certain to add style to any outfit with which they are worn-spun
    June 19, 2013 at 4:44 am

    Amazing! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a completely different subject but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Excellent choice of colors!

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