Today marks the final day of Titanic Week, but more importantly, it is the centenary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic.

Melanie Dent and I would like everyone reading this post to assist us in honoring those who perished. Please visit the Titanic Victims List and read through the names…and imagine.

On April 15th at 2:05am, the final lifeboat was lowered into the ocean. Over 1500 people still remained aboard the RMS Titanic, and at 2:17 the captain announced, “Every man for himself.”

Imagine… Just days ago, even the steerage passengers were feeling invulnerable as they climbed aboard the Ship of Dreams. For those traveling to America to begin a new life, they hugged their families close and looked forward to a bright future that never came.

Imagine…You are on the Titanic. Can you feel the moment of disorientation when you’re awakened from your bed? The gut-wrenching fear when you’re told to don a life vest, gather your loved ones, and prepare to disembark?

Imagine… You are one of those who are told to wait.

Imagine… You are prodded and herded above deck, separated from those you hold dear. Women and children prepare to board a lifeboat, while the men prepare to meet their watery grave.

Imagine… You are one of the 1500 left behind when the final lifeboat is lowered into the ocean.

Imagine… The freezing cold water pouring in, covering the deck, soaking your clothing, while you pray to God for mercy. Screams of terror and desperation fill your ears. And, then it happens. The ocean overtakes you and the monstrous, sinking boat pulls you under with it. You fight to break the surface of the water. It is dark, frigid. Your limbs are heavy. You can’t quite get your bearings, but it doesn’t matter, because there’s nowhere to go.

Imagine… It is nearly two hours before help arrives. The Carpathia picks up the first lifeboat at 4:10am. It is too late for many. Of the 2,227 original passengers, only 705 survive.

Over 1,500 people died. Men, women, children. Please remember those who lost their lives. When you read a book about the Titanic, or watch James Cameron’s Titanic on the big screen, remember.

To help commemorate Titanic Week, Melanie is hosting a special giveaway. Her novels, The Lynchcliffe Cuckoo and Eye of the Storm, are available for free in eBook format through April 17th. For more details, please visit the Facebook event page: Titanic Centenary Giveaway or the official Lynchcliffe page.

Melanie and I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who has helped us commemorate Titanic Week. To everyone who has visited my site, the official Lynchcliffe site, and the Facebook event page, we want to thank you. To the members of Night Reading, thank you so much for your participation, encouragement and support. And, to all my readers and Melanie’s fans, we couldn’t have done this without you. Thank you all!

A special note from Melanie Dent: As the author of the Lynchcliffe series I am thankful for the support that has been shown for my work throughout the last few days. I am thankful to Tricia for allowing me to hijack her blog and website, and for her faith in and appreciation of the series from the start.

I would like to end Titanic week by sharing a quote from The Lynchcliffe Cuckoo Vol 3: Making Peace with the Past.

“It is hard tae live when you are not at peace with the dead.” – Dr Hamish George to Helena, Lady Lynchcliffe..

I think that Hamish is right and this applies not merely to those whose loved ones perished on the Titanic but to everyone who has ever lost someone they loved.

Special Links for Titanic Week:

The Lynchcliffe Cuckoo on Amazon.com

The Lynchcliffe Cuckoo on Amazon.uk

Eye of the Storm on Amazon.com

Eye of the Storm on Amazon.uk

Titanic Timeline

Encyclopedia Titanica

Join the Titanic Week discussion on Night Reading

Lynchcliffe Novels on Facebook

Titanic Movie Facebook Page

http://www.uscitizenship.info/titanics-immigration-to-the-united-states/