As you might have guessed, this is not a picture of the UK!!! I’ll explain below!
Welcome again as part of our January 2021 Retrospective and Prospective. We talked about having this series this January because last year was such a rollercoaster of a year that it seemed a good idea to remind our readers that there was something good to be salvaged from it, and to talk a bit about the WIPs we are busy writing so you can know what to look forward to in the New Year.
So without much ado, let me share with you the two highlights of last year.
LOOKING BACKWARDS
First Highlight of 2020
The first one was — a journey. I love travelling, and I have family scattered all of the place, so like many of you, I’m sure, I miss getting on that plane and going to places. But I was lucky enough to go on a lovely trip early last year. For my Christmas present in 2019, my husband surprised me with tickets to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary in March 2020. This was a double surprise. He had never surprised me by giving me airline tickets before, so I was really thrilled. And to make it even better, the tickets were to a brand new destination. The trip was to the Canary Islands, and the windblown island of Lanzarote.
Thanks to the suggestion from BillR below, I’ve managed to put these pictures up. It’s great to have the help of such a great JAFF community! Yay!
It was a journey of discovery. I knew nothing about Lanzarote at all, but quickly found out it was unique in so many ways, the most noticeable being that much of it is covered in lava after a series of volcanoes. Six years of volcanoes from 1730-1736 effectively wiped all vegetation from the island. Six years! The result is a very unique moonscape with tens of small volcanoes dotting the island and black lava boulders on the coast. It feels like a different world. It has its own harsh beauty, but growing anything on the island is a constant struggle. It couldn’t be more different from the quiet verdure of Jane Austen’s England!
I took this picture from a viewpoint perched high up at the tip of the island.
It was hard to capture the lunar-style volcanic landscape, but it at least this gives you an idea. 
You have to go there by bus and the craters are really much higher than they look and the roads pretty narrow. I don’t have a head for heights, so my palms were sweating most of the way! When we reached half-way, we ate at a barbeque restaurant where the meat was cooked with the heat of the volcano. The views were spectacular, with and endless line of volcanoes in the distance. The picture below wasn’t mine, because it didn’t come out right when I took it, but it’s just outside the restaurant.
By Andreas Tusche – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=178676
Looking through photos of that trip makes me smile now. Apart from it being an unexpected romantic getaway, our trip took place literally ten days before before the first lockdown in the UK and the airport in London was closed.
We managed to return home by the skin of our teeth, just two days before all planes were grounded. I still shudder to think what would have happened if my husband had booked the flight just two days later. All the hotels closed suddenly in Lanzarote and some tourists were forced to live out of vans. But that’s another story.
Second Highlight of 2020
The second highlight of the year also took place in March. After a two-year hiatus in my writing, I published Fortune and Felicity!
Monica Fairview Fortune and Felicity
And what better result can an author hope for than to end the year and start the new one with discovering that Fortune and Felicity was chosen as one of the top books of the year by two of the top JAFF blogs: Austenprose and From Pemberley to Milton!
It’s such an honour to be selected, especially since there are so many brilliant JAFF authors out there!
LOOKING FORWARD: CURRENT PROJECTS
I’ve given you the views, now it’s time for the news.
I’m really excited to announce that I have not one, but TWO new books in the works, and they’re both coming out very soon!
ENTANGLED:
A short variation that is going through edits at the moment. It’s a light comedy, a quick and easy read that is perfect for times like this. It takes place just before Darcy and Bingley are about to leave Longbourn.
DANGEROUS MAGIC:
A full-length novel I finished back in November. I read the prologue at JAFF in January. It’s a forced marriage scenario set in the familiar world of Pride and Prejudice, except that it’s magical. : )
I was planning to release Dangerous Magic in January, but as the situation here in the UK suddenly took a turn for the worse and we entered a dismally gloomy lockdown, it didn’t seem like a good time to celebrate a release. So I’ve put it off a bit, probably until March.
What about you? What bright spots did you have last year? Do you have something special to look forward to this coming year?
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A tip on uploading photos (typically JPEG format) for use on the web. First, make a copy of the photo. Do not work on the original. Open it in a graphics program like Paint or Photoshop or Graphic Convertor (on a Mac) or … Use a Scale or Resize command to make a picture that is 1024 x 768 pixels, or maybe 800 x 600 pixels. Upload this one instead. The file will be much, much smaller in size than the original photo from a modern phone or camera.
Looking forward to your next books.
Author
Thank you, BillR. That’s helpful advice. I’ll keep that in mind. 🙂
I’m so glad you managed to get your holiday! What a relief for you.
I spent most of last year isolating and after the lockdown I only managed to see my little twin grandsons once in person. I’m still isolating and I’m having a few health issues at the moment, waiting for an operation. Hopefully that will go ok.
I know it will be at least next year before my daughter and family can consider visiting from Australia so fingers crossed for then.
I look forward to both your new stories, I do love getting my Darcy and Elizabeth fix!
Author
I know, Glynis. We came back just before the lockdown. When we left for the trip, we had no idea things were going to be so bad.
Yes, we have been self-isolating most of the time, and now basically don’t go out except for short walks around the neighborhood. I feel your pain. It’s so hard when you can’t see family and friends. I hope you’ll get to see your daughter soon.
I hope the operation comes through soon, Glynis. Hopefully the NHS will contact you shortly. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you. Take care of yourself. Hugs!
What a wonderful gift you received! I just checked out the website and WOW! I had no idea, and they have wineries and stunning scenery…especially the beaches. Btw, how was the wine? Like the rest of the world we have been in lockdown, but back in August our son got married. Between canceling the original date and rescheduling before the second wave would hit, they had a small wedding (45) at a Quebec winery. We all went in healthy and we all came out healthy. That was the only time last year I saw our grandchildren. So that was a very bright time in a turbulent year. So excited to see you have 2 books in the works! Loved ‘Fortune and Felicity’! It was also wonderful ‘seeing’ you on Zoom during the conference! Stay safe and hang in there everyone!
Author
It was, Carole! It was a lovely surprise and couldn’t have been more timely! Congratulations for your son’s wedding. The winery sounds lovely.
We did taste the wine. It’s very good but more importantly, it’s very precious. The combination of volcanic rock and constant trade winds means the top soil doesn’t have a chance to settle, so each individual vine has to have an individual wall built around it. It’s pretty amazing.
I’m so glad you were able to have a decent sized wedding, and you got to see your grandchildren as well.
Thank you for your kind words about Fortune and Felicity, and it was great to see you in JAFF in January. Hope to see you on Zoom again soon!
The pictures from the Canary Islands look amazing! I’m looking forward to your new releases.
Author
Thank you, Robin! I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures.
I am curious about your new book, Dangerous Magic. Is the magic. Fairy tale type, or Harry Potter type? Thank you
Author
Hello Frances — good question. The novel is set firmly in the Regency period. There are no magical creatures. I would say it’s more fairy tale than Harry Potter, but it isn’t like either of them. It’s a Jane Austen Variation but with characters who do magic. I will put out the description soon, and hopefully that should give you a clearer idea.
We already had a ‘No Visitors’ sign on our door, due to my husband’s health issues. And that was prior to COVID restrictions. Since I am a full-time caregiver, I only go out for supplies. I am so glad you were able to get your vacation before the world closed down. Bless your heart. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Author
I’ve been trying to stick to the positive, J.W, since things are so grim. 🙁 It’s difficult to be a caregiver in the best of times. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be when you can’t go out and get a bit of break!! Stay safe and hopefully things will get better soon.
I have read and enjoyed 6 of your stories and eventually will read the others. I am looking forward to your new releases. We lost my father-in-law (99) and my brother (73 – Glioblastoma) last year and my only pet, a parakeet, also died. We isolate a lot and miss seeing our four grandchildren. I grocery order online and my husband picks it up at a scheduled time. I do go out for doctors’ appointments and have run to the post office several times. Getting my first vaccine on Feb. 2nd. Glad you got your vacation in and beat the closure of the airports.
Author
Sheila, I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with so many losses. It sounds like it was an awful year for you. I hope you are taking good care of yourself. You must miss your grandchildren terribly. We are ordering grocery online as well. So happy to hear you are getting the first shot of the vaccine. Hopefully that will help you.
I am very pleased you’ve read so many of my novels, Sheila!