Titanic author at Waterstones on Saturday

The book is a fast-moving adventure story with the fascinating true story of the Titanic as its backdrop. The main character of the book Samuel Joseph Scott really existed and up until recently he was buried in an unmarked grave in a Belfast cemetery.

But, thanks to Nicola, Councillor Tom Hartley and Danny Morrison of the West Belfast Festival a headstone was finally erected marking Samuel’s grave on 30th July 2011.

Sadly, both in real life and in the story, fifteen-year-old Samuel plunges to his death whilst building his beloved Titanic. Now, as the greatest ship the world has ever seen crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Sam finds himself on board: as a ghost. His spirit roams from the glamour of the first class quarters to the party atmosphere of third class. Amongst the people he encounters are Frederick Fleet, the young look-out who spotted the iceberg and survived in a lifeboat with ‘the unsinkable’ Molly Brown; Howard Hartley Wallace, the heroic band-leader who played ragtime music as the freezing waters lapped at his feet; and Harold Bride, the junior radio operator whose messages echoed on, long after the ship had disappeared to its icy grave. As Titanic is sinking Sam finds Jim, Isobel and his family, en route to a new life in America, but they are trapped behind locked gates. Can Sam’s spirit reach out and save them as time runs out?

Nicola will be giving a reading, talking about her research for the book and answering questions at Waterstones Bookshop in Fairhill Shopping Centre, Ballymena, on Saturday 14th April at 12.30pm. Spirit of the Titanic is published by The O’Brien Press and is available from all good bookshops and online at www.obrien.ie