Michelle Willingham Shares Her Inspiration!

Today I am delighted to introduce Michelle Willingham as my Word Wenches guest. Michelle is the author of seven novels and three novellas for Harlequin Mills and Boon Historicals.  Her most recent release, The Accidental Countess was available in the UK this past January. Most of Michelle's books are set in Medieval Ireland and her website at www.michellewillingham.com has a wealth of fascinating historical detail. It's the sort of site where I can happily lose myself browsing the articles, links and photographs. Today Michelle is talking about a different historical period, however, and treating us to an insight into the background to her current US release, The Accidental Princess.

Michelle writes:

"I don't think I'm the only woman who has a fascination with The Titanic.  Even after seeing the Leonardo DiCaprio/Kate Winslet version, I watched National Geographic specials about unearthing the secrets of The Titanic.  It was fascinating to see such luxurious ship quarters with crystal chandeliers, gilded furnishings, and rooms devoted to leisure.

When I wrote my historical romance The Accidental Princess, I knew the hero and heroine would journey
on board a ship to the fictional country of Lohenberg (nestled between Germany and Denmark).  I was a little wary of steam travel, having visions of tiny boats and horrendous conditions.  I contacted the Mariner's Museum of Newport News, Virginia, and made an appointment to look at historical photographs of 1855 steamships.  To my surprise, even back then, steamship travel could be a true luxury, particularly in transatlantic voyages.

Although my characters only traveled from England to Germany, I took the liberty of using a larger ship.  I used a combination of two real-life vessels to create my own steamship.  The first ship, The Great Britain , was completed in 1845.   The promenade deck was sheltered by the upper deck, giving passengers a way of walking around and getting fresh air within a sheltered space.  The first class state rooms had berths built into the walls, one on top of another, for passengers to sleep in.  There were also furnishings bolted into the floors, such as dressers and tables. 

In The Great Britain, the dining rooms could seat up to three hundred guests.  The high ceilings, oil paintings, column supports, and exquisite place settings provided nothing but the best accommodations and meals for passengers.  Potted plants were set upon the tables, along with crystal decanters and white tablecloths.  

Another ship, The Great Eastern, was begun in 1854 and finished in 1858.  Although primarily used for
transatlantic voyages, I used the interior of the Grand Saloon for another story scene.  The room was 63 feet long, 47 feet wide, and 14 feet high.  Mirrors disguised the funnels, and the floors were carpeted.  Velvet sofas and green marble-topped tables adorned the space, and gilt chandeliers hung from the ceilings.  No expense was spared.

I wanted the characters of Lady Hannah and Lieutenant Michael Thorpe to grow closer during the voyage, and since parlour games were popular among the passengers, I used a real game called Forfeit in the story.  Passengers would surrender up a personal item, and whoever bid upon it could have the forfeit of their choice (singing, nonsense behavior, or something scandalous!).  I'll let your imagination figure out what sort of forfeit Lady Hannah gave to the Lieutenant!

Although they aren't nearly as luxurious nowadays, I can only imagine that historical ships provided the inspiration for modern-day cruises.  Have you ever been on a cruise before?  Where did you go?  From the comments, I'll draw one lucky winner to receive a signed copy of The Accidental Princess (available in North America now and in the UK this November).

Michelle, I love the opulent sound of the background to this book and I'm looking forward to reading Hannah and Michael's story very much! I've visited the Great Britain and it is fascinating to step into such a different world. Thank you for giving us an insight into your inspiration. There's much more information on Michelle's website and don't forget to comment for a chance to win a copy of the book!

Comments

[Janice]

I've never been on a cruise, but once I went on one of those sea wildlife watching trips to an island off Santa Barbara. We were told to be there at 6 am, so I got up at 4 and drove for 2 hours in the dark. We were all there waiting ... and waiting ... until the boat people showed up 2 hours later.

By the time they got the boat started, we had missed the tide. We didn't see any whales but we did see seals and whatnot - well, I didn't see them because I was always looking the other way or something.

We arrived at the island and I was so zonked on the antiseasickness pills my boss had talked me into that I fell asleep on the beach while the others climbed up to see some rock circles where the Santa Barbara Indians had once lived. The island does not get cable so wisely they had moved on.

When it was time to leave, we were so out of phase with the tide that we couldn't use the easy on/off where we had come in, but were told we had to climb down a steep cliff path with no handholds.

I don't like heights.

I was standing at the top, thinking they could just send the Coast Guard heli for me, when a little old lady (she must have been 80, she walked with a cane all bent over) behind me said well, Harry, I'm going to give it a try - and she did, skipping down that damn cliff like an aged mountain goat, with Harry following (I sort of think Harry followed her most places). After that I could hardly hang back, so I groped my way down, not looking, which is when I got the 4 inch cut in the palm of my hand that bled all over my favorite sweater.

The highlight for me was seeing how the Prince fared on the way back. That's what we called him - this man had boarded the boat like Warren Beatty with his scarf, and with his entourage of 2 women walking behind him and carrying all the stuff, including an expensive picnic basket with champagne and all. He spent the return trip spreadeagled on the deck, sick as a dog, moaning all the way back, while we passed around all the good stuff his minions had brought.

After that experience you really couldn't get me on a boat again unless you told me I'd have Brad Pitt for a roommate.

[Michelle Willingham]

Janice--oh no! What a nightmare of a voyage. I don't blame you one bit for not setting foot on a boat. You made me laugh when you described the older lady and "The Prince."

I wonder about Brad Pitt, though. Only if he doesn't bring all of his children! :)

[Linda Banche]

The only time I've been on a cruise was a trip around Boston harbor for a few hours. They gave us lunch, and we watched Boston go by.

The best part was, the company paid for it and it was on company time.

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks for such an interesting post, Michelle. I love your Irish books, and am really looking forward to reading the Victorian!

The ship details are fascinating—travel these days is not quite so stylish.

I took a golf cruise around Ireland, which sounded like such fun . . .unfortunately seas can be rather rough in that part of the world, and the ship was a small cruise ship (only made for 120 people) And am I am prone to seasickness. Soooo, there were a uncomfortable passages. Also, as we were stopping at small towns where the ship couldn't dock, we had to go ashore in Zodiac dingies. With all the complicated logistics, we rarely got a chance to wander around the towns or enjoy the pubs and music, which was very frustrating to me!

Have decided I am not a cruise person!

[Nicola Cornick]

This is one of those occasions when I wish I had been born in another era so I could experience the luxury of ships such as the Great Britain (though in real life I imagine I would have been steerage rather than First Class!) Thank you for the vicarious pleasure, Michelle!

I've been on two cruises, one around the Arctic, which inspired my next Regency historical, and one whale watching cruise in the Sea of Cortez on a tiny boat that I've written about here before. Both were amazing experiences except that like Cara/Andrea I am very prone to sea-sickness and so spent a lot of time feeling rather unwell. I remember one evening when the sea was quite rough and the chef had prepared fresh fish for dinner... Unfortunately only 6 of the 26 passengers could face it!

[Michelle Willingham]

Linda--we took a cruise on Boston harbor on one of the "Duck" boats. It was great fun!

Cara--I agree; the sea around Ireland can definitely be rough. The hour-long ride to the Aran Islands was not exactly comfortable.

Nicola--that's my one fear about cruises; that I'd be too seasick to enjoy it. The Arctic sounds amazing, though!

[MJ]

In 2000, our family sailed on the SS Norway, which began life as the SS France. The France was one of the last "luxury liners" built ala the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary, etc. We celebrated my daughter's high school graduation and our 25th anniversary in the Grande Salon with the group of friends we'd made. The Salon looked like it was decked out for a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie and the band played the same type of music. As my husband and I danced, he said "This is just the beginning of the next wonderful 25 years." Awwwww, what a sweetie! (We're up to 33 years this year.)
Unfortunately, the SS Norway's engine boilers blew up later that year, causing several deaths. The proud old ship was too expensive to be repaired and now sits in a salvage yard somewhere.

[Michelle Willingham]

MJ, it sounds like a very romantic night! So sorry the ship had a bad ending, but at least you have that wonderful memory.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1544509004]

I've been on a number of cruises, some very good and some not so great. I've cruised in Alaska, to and around Hawaii from California, done the 3 Scandinavian Capitols and St. Petersburg, gone down to the Carribean, and gone up to New England and Canada. I'm not prone to sea sickness, fortunately, as I appear to take after my father rather than my mother (and my brother) in that respect.

[Jo Beverley]

Hi Michelle, welcome to the Wenches.

I love stories set in fictional countries squeezed somewhere into Europe.

I remember being surprised by how early steamships came to the Great Lakes.

Jo

[theo]

I've never been on a cruise. The closest I've ever been was to live for a summer on a houseboat which was great fun, or driving speed boats.

Well, wait, I take that back. Would the trip from the port in Detroit to Bob-Lo island for the highland games count? ;o) That was many years ago when I was a young girl and has been discontinued for a long time. But it was great fun.

I've often thought though, if I ever won the lottery, I'd love to buy a condo on the Residensea and spend part of my year doing that.

I LOVE your site!

[Fedora]

Hi, Michelle!! I've only been on a brief cruise of part of the Yangtze River before they flooded parts of it. It was lovely, and we'd love to go on a longer ocean cruise sometime, but have been waiting until the kids are a smidgen older and can enjoy more of the shipboard activities (so we parents can, too!) :D

[Patricia Rice]

I'm fascinated by the steamship research. I've done it for the grand era on the Mississippi River and wonder how much the transatlantic ships differed from those palaces!

I love small boat cruises and my husband and I take any offered wherever we travel. We'll be taking our first medium-sized ship cruise this summer, but somehow, spas and pools don't have the romantic connotations of elegant passengers auctioning off forfeits. "G"

So glad you stopped by to visit!

[NinaP]

Hey Michelle! It's Nina from facebook. (I love reading your fb posts) Congrats on the new release.

I've never been on a cruise. There's just something about traversing a "land" inhabited by large-jawed creatures who'd eat me at first chance that keeps me firmly grounded.

But your book sounds awesome. A great way to get my feet wet, without the risk.

:-)
Nina

[Lyn S]

The only cruise I have been on was a 4 day cruise through the Caribbean with my daughter's Girl Scout troup. 5 of the 8 girls had been together since 1st grade and were graduating. The decided they knew how to camp so wanted something different. They had a blast. Teen only night clubs and unlimited soft ice cream. I basked on the deck in the shade and read. It was the most fun chaperoning I ever did. I would love to do an elegant adult cruise though. There are all these neat ones with academic lectures. Maybe the Wenches can present the Yale course on the high seas.

[Michelle Willingham]

An Alaskan cruise sounds wonderful. I'd love to see the snowy mountains. Sigh.

Jo--I need to be a fan girl for a moment. The Shattered Rose is still one of my all-time favorite medievals. LOVE IT. Back on topic...fictional European countries are so much fun because you can make up your own rules. And with Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm, I simply had to make my setting nestled between Denmark and Germany. Perfect for fairytales. :)

Theo--thanks! If you could cruise anywhere, where would you go? For me, it would be a cruise of the Mediterranean. Greek and Italian isles, exotic places in North Africa...sigh.

Fedora--now the Yangtze River would be fascinating!

Patricia--I think travel back in those days was an experience in itself. If you look at the old trains, the first class accommodations were an incredible luxury. It's a shame that nowadays flights and trains are more like cattle cars.

Nina--you're too funny! :)

Lyn--now that is one trip I would LOVE to chaperone. Wow. Much better than camping!

[Fedora]

It WAS pretty amazing, Michelle! There are so many incredibly beautiful parts of China--I would definitely love to go back :)

My parents went on a Mediterranean cruise several years ago and LOVED it. They've gone on quite a few cruises since then, including one on that new ginormous ship, the Oasis of the Seas.

[Andrea Penrose]

Michelle, one of the highlights of my Irish cruise was a visit to the Aran Islands, which I thought was well worth the sea-sickness. Aren't the stones everywhere amazing? And that walk up to the cliff! It's a really interesting place, very rugged and bleak, but hauntingly beautiful.

[Michelle Willingham]

Fedora--China definitely has that mystique! :)

Cara--The fort at the top of Inismore in Ireland--Dun Aengus--was one of my favorites. For those of you who have never been there, here's a photo: http://www.michellewillingham.com/images/dunaengus2.jpg .

[Ann Stephens]

What an enjoyable post, Michelle, and your website looks fascinating indeed. My hubby & I went on a couple of whale-watching cruises when we lived in So. Cal -- was seasick on both of them, though I didn't have Janice's horrendous experience. We've also sailed around Long Beach on a friend's boat -- seasick again. I fear the closest I'll come to a cruise is the honeymoon in my next book, lol.

[Donna Killian]

I think steamboats are fun, I went to Hannibal and road on the Mark Twain down the river a short way and back. I think travel by boat would be relaxing, just watching the scenery go by, and the wind in your hair, now its cars and pollution, to bad. Can' wait to get your new book, wasn't at the store in town yet.

[Danielle Yockman]

I did the Bahamas for my honeymoon. It was nice, but not over the top luxurious. However I did not notice since I was usually face first in the buffets!

[theo]

Well, since they don't have cruises through Scotland that I know of (I *will* get there one day, it's where my gran and mother were from) I think I'd like to cruise up the west coast to Alaska. I have friends that did that and Loved it!

[JudiDW]

This post was very topical for me--we are planning an Alaska cruise in June to celebrate a high school graduation, a college graduation, and two 50th birthdays! We did a Baltic cruise some years ago on a huge ocean liner--not quite as elegant perhaps as the ships you describe, but reasonably opulent in its own way. Your book sounds like great cruise reading!

[Michelle Willingham]

Ann--I think whale watching could be an amazing experience if the right ones came along. We have dolphins at Fort Story, not far from where I live. Last summer we watched the baby dolphins swimming with their mothers.

Donna--I hope it gets there soon! And like you, I love river boat rides. It's the ocean waves that can sometimes be rough for me.

Danielle--I've never been to the Bahamas, but it sounds amazing. :)

Theo--I wonder if they'd have cruises to the Orkney Islands on the north coast of Scotland? Maybe...

JudiDW--enjoy that cruise and take lots of pictures!

[Deb]

Hi, Michelle. You are a new-to-me author and I heard about you from a friend's blog as well as Bev Kendall's site The Season.
I've never been on a cruise, but I have been in a kayak and "cruised" down a lazy river before! LOL!
Congrats on your new release!

[Michelle Willingham]

Hi Deb--

Good to see you here, and thanks for the congrats!

When I was eleven, I learned to kayak on a school adventure week (okay, learned to CAPSIZE is more like it). I think I capsized three times in an hour. I'm glad you had more success than I did!

[Sherrie Holmes]

Sherrie,here. Great post, Michelle! I've never been on a cruise ship, but would dearly love to. My sister and BIL went on an Alaska cruise a few years ago and totally loved it.

Then last year they went on another cruise in the opposite direction--to Mexico. While everyone else headed off for the tourist areas when they arrived, my sister and husband headed for the jungles with a guide who knew all the non-touristy neat places.

On the ship, they said it was like 24-hour grazing on delicacies. Food available all the time, and lots of entertainment. This year they are plannning another cruise, this time to Belize. After hearing their wonderful cruise stories, and reading your entertaining post, I soooooo want to go with them!

[maryjoputney]

Michelle, I totally do not get the appeal of the Titanic (or of Leo whatshisname, either), but the post and the book look fabulous!

I've been on a number of cruises since it's convenient to unpack once and let the floating hotel take you to different interesting places. The classic Caribbean cruises are good for sunshine when the weather is awful at home, and an Alaskan cruise is totally gorgeous.

We also cruised through the Panama Canal, which was fascinating, a riveboat cruise in Portugal (Peninsular war sites, yessss!!!!), and a Lewis and Clark cruise along the Columbia and other rivers.

No crystal chandeliers, though. *g*

[maryjoputney]

BTW--Theo, there are cruises through Scotland, following Loch Nesss and the canals. Take a look at the National Geographic Lindblad cruises. They also do a great itinerary around all the Scottish Isles--Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkneys, Shetlands, even Fair Isle, I think.

Like Pat, I prefer small boats, but medium sized ones are okay, too. Not seasick so far, at least!

[Patricia Barraclough]

I've not been on a real cruise, yet. I actually spent today checking on a 2 night cruise from Florida to the Bahamas. My husband gets seasick so it has taken some convincing to try it out. I figured a short trip would be our best bet. He has wanted to take one of the Alaskan cruises and this will be a small indication of whether or not he can do it.
We have done dinner cruises on riverboats, but that really doesn't count. They have riverboat cruises on the Mississippi and in the Northwest. Both sound like a lot of fun.

[Minna]

Well, I've gone to Sweden by a cruiseferrie a couple of times.

[Nicola Cornick]

Oh, yes, Mary Jo, the Scottish cruises would be wonderful! I've been to all the islands and I'd love to see them from the sea. Mind you, the waters around Fair Isle are notorious for their roughness. It's a 4 hour crossing from Shetland and people stagger off the boat looking very green! That was my first experience of the dreaded seasickness, actually. My dh comes from seafaring stock and skipped off the boat as fresh as a daisy. I did not!

[Michelle Willingham]

Sherrie--wow, they were brave! I think I'd be worrying about the creepy-crawlies in the jungle.

Mary Jo--oooh, Portugal! I'll bet there were some fascinating war sites there. BTW, I really loved your book River of Fire from back when.

Patricia--I'll bet that a two-day cruise would be a nice way to try it out. He could take some Dramamine beforehand and see if that works for him.

Minna--how was the scenery? I've heard of cruises of the fjords. Did you go that way, or was it more of a ferry crossing?

Nicola--when we saw the sea around the Giants Causeway on the north coast of Ireland, I caught an idea of how rough it would be in that region. No amount of money would get me onto a boat in that region. It was crazy how strong the waves were.

[theo]

MaryJo, I'll definitely have to look into that.

Oddly enough, for someone who almost drown when I was a kid and have never had a desire to learn how to swim, I love boats :D

[Lyn S]

Somebody mentioned honeymoon cruise and it made me remember mine (the Girl Scouts was just more recent). We got married our senior year of college and went canoeing for our honeymoon. We call it our economy cruise.

[Minna]

What fjords? I didn't go to Norway, just Sweden and Stocholm for day trips (I'we done that twice, now). I saw a beautiful archipelago, both here in Finland and in Sweden.

[Michelle Willingham]

Lyn--love the economy cruise. :)

[Mariska]

well, i haven't been in any cruise before *grins*
living in a small island and only go to other country with a boat, can i call it cruise ? :)

i just found this blog, wow, i think i had missed so many great Author books!

[Elspeth]

I've been on a couple of Caribbean cruises with a group of friends; we are currently planning a European river cruise for our next outing in 2011. The only problem I have with the cruises I have been on, is that they really want you to stay on the ship. I think European cruises might provide longer shore excursions. Next month, my husband and I are going to Australia, and we are hoping to do a two- or three-day sailing ship cruise with scuba and snorkelling in the Whitsunday Islands . . .