Category Archives: Alderney

Genuine Emails or More Phishing with AI?

I have had many emails recently about several of my books. Here are two examples which write such flattering things about my first novel Riduna:

viewbook.at/Riduna

John writes:

“I came across your book Riduna on Amazon, and I was captivated by how vividly you bring Alderney to life as both a setting and a character. Harriet and Edward’s intertwined journeys set against love, loss, and the pull between home and distant dreams promise a heartfelt and immersive historical tale.

I’d be glad to connect and hear what inspired you to tell this beautiful story of devotion and place.”

Patricia writes:

“It’s inspiring to see how Riduna began with such a strong local presence in the Channel Islands and southern England. That authentic sense of place gives the novel a rare depth that modern readers still crave.

I work with a network of active book clubs across both the UK and the US, helping authors like you connect with readers who love thoughtful, character-driven fiction. These clubs enjoy novels with emotional resonance, history, and a strong setting  exactly what Riduna offers.”

It is flattering to read such emails but the dilemma is getting greater by the day. With A1 able to generate more and more seemingly authentic copy, can I tell the difference?

It’s a tricky world out there!

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Filed under Alderney, Author Diana Jackson, Book reviews, Marketing your novel, Riduna

Janus ~ Gateway to Heaven on Earth by Patricia and Arthur Jackson

Review by historical fiction author Tony Riches on his exceptional blog

Review by Ian K Pulham:

“This novella is in the main a snapshot of life on Alderney just after the Napoleonic wars, although there are brief snippets describing London around that time and the contrasts between the two. The story’s genesis came through Diana’s parent’s research into their family history on the island. It includes descriptions of the island’s inhabitants and their behaviours, rules and ways of life. Examples being the custom whereby young ladies would be frowned upon if found consorting with men they weren’t engaged to, or the major event the instillation of gas fuelled street lights became.
Like all families, there are good times and very sad times too. And the fact it is all bases on actual lives lived makes it all the more poignant.
I highly recommend.”

Also available at Waterstones and The Great British Bookshop

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Filed under Alderney, Book reading, Book reviews, Channel Islands, Family History

Fort George ~ Inverness

It was poignant to visit the area where John Taylor, my step Great Grandfather was born, brought up and subsequently joined the army. We arrived at Fort George, near Inverness, which is on a peninsula jutting out into the Moray Firth, Scotland, opposite Rosemarkie on the Black Isle.

Fort George is apparently the strongest fortified fort in the British Isles.

It seemed so familiar to me, but that is hardly surprising since it reminded me of the many forts around Portsmouth and Gosport, near where my parents lived and grew up.

It was a perfect blue sky day. Since there were still army personnel about, it was not hard to imagine John staying in barracks there.

If you’d like to read his story of how he came to live and work on the island of Alderney, Channel Islands in later life, my parents wrote a novella set in the mid 19th century which describes in fiction, life in those days, both at Fort George, Scotland (and Guernsey too) and subsequently on Alderney.

Click on the picture below for possible purchase links:

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Filed under Alderney, Book reading, Channel Islands, Family History, Scotland