The scene is set, for this mid 19th century novella, in North East Scotland in the small village of Dunphail. The story leads us to the Channel Island of Alderney, off the coast of Cherbourg.
This is my parents’ novella, edited by myself, released in memory of them both.
It is the prequel to Riduna and Ancasta.
Janus ~ Gateway to Heaven on Earth
is released on Kindle today ~ 21st February 2025
Filed under Alderney, Ancasta, Book launch, Channel Islands, Family History, Historical Fiction, History of Alderney, Riduna, Scotland
Choosing a book title is a personal thing. Some authors know the title before they begin to write, in fact it appears miraculously as they are doing their research.
Others wait until they have written the first draft. On reading and editing it a title appears as being an obvious choice.
Then there are some novels which arrive at the publishers and one of the team, it could be the editor doesn’t like the chosen title and persuades the author to choose a different one.
My parent’s original title of their novella was simply ‘Heaven on Earth’ so why did I think fit to amend it? Firstly it is a prequel to my Riduna Series, set from the late Victorian era through to WW1 and on to 1920. For both books in the series I chose names which reflected the setting but added an air of mystique.
Riduna, my first novel, is allegedly the ‘Roman’ name for the island of Alderney. Although some researchers have cast doubt over this more recently, Riduna was once seen on shop fronts and as the name for the local rugby team. In fact, folks from Alderney used to call themselves Ridunains.
Ancasta, from my second book Ancasta ~ Guide me Swiftly Home, is the Goddess of the River Itchen, Southampton, from which this novel flows, before, during and after WW1.
Thus, when I decided to publish my parents’ novella I thought it would be quite nice to continue the theme. Janus is said to the the ‘door’ or ‘gateway’ to another dimension. Since my parent’s little book was titled ‘Heaven on Earth’ I felt that Janus would be a perfect Gateway to the island life thy described therein.
Janus ~ Gateway to Heaven on Earth is available in paperback on Amazon. It will soon be available to order from any good bookshop too.
Filed under Alderney, Author Diana Jackson, Channel Islands, Research, Riduna, Writing a novel
Janus ~ Gateway to Heaven on Earth by Patricia and Arthur Jackson, was released last week.
MY PARENT’S RESEARCH INTO OUR FAMILY HISTORY
My parents began to write their novella at the same time as I was writing my debut novel Riduna. Having done a great deal of research into our family tree, they chose two main characters, who intrigued them. Harriet is Dad’s grandmother:
Thus, this story is part truth, part fiction, as my parents unravelled our family history, visiting London, Liverpool, Alderney, Guernsey and Southampton in their quest.
While my parents gathered their lengthy research I was researching my great grandmother Harrriet’s story. I was fascinated by all I discovered about the island of Alderney back in the Victorian era, at the time when the many forts were built around the island.
Filed under Alderney, Channel Islands, Family History, Historical Fiction, History of Alderney, Riduna
MISSING Past and Present
Diana Jackson 