After two of the most difficult years I’ve experienced, my husband and I managed to get away for an actual real genuine vacation. It even involved an aeroplane! With international travel a bit uncertain, we decided to explore some of our own country, and we spent two weeks in Newfoundland, Canada. We planned to do a lot of hiking, which we did, but we also discovered some real gems in the towns and communities that dot the island.
I won’t bore you with too many photographs, but here are just a few.
- Western Brook Pond, an inland fjord
- Somewhere to sit at Green Point, Gros Morne National Park
- Sunset at Twillingate
- Around the inlet at Ferryland
- The harbour at Twillingate
- The Battery in St. John’s
What we weren’t expecting, although we should have done so, was the wealth of historical sites in the province. We knew about L’Anse aux Meadows in the far north, where the Vikings had a settlement around the year 1000CE, and we spent a day there, wandering through the site and the recreated settlement. (Did this spawn a plot bunny? Perhaps it did!) But we didn’t know about a couple of other sites much closer to St. John’s, the capital city.
Our first discovery was the Colony of Avalon at Ferryland, which was established in 1621 by Sir George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore who went on to establish the city bearing his name in Maryland. The site is an active dig. You can wander through the remains of the old buildings and walk on the cobblestone lane laid out by those early men and women who sought to settle in this vast New World and make their livings on the fish that teemed in the Grand Banks.
The second place we stumbled onto was at Cupids, a fishing village just north of St. John’s. It was first settled in 1610, only 3 years after Jamestown in the United States, and unlike Jamestown, it has essentially been inhabited since then with a gap of only a few years in the late 1700s when the French decided to burn things down. We didn’t get to the actual site because the time was getting late, but the museum near the site was amazing and we’re itching to get back. The town itself has moved a little bit over the years and the original site was discovered when a potato farmer kept finding 16th-century clay pipes in his soil.
- A recreated Viking dwelling at L’Anse aux Meadows
- A dig in progress at the Colony of Avalon at Ferryland
More plot bunnies? Lizzy and Darcy in Newfoundland? Perhaps the Dashwood sisters had to go further afield than Devonshire. I have so many ideas bubbling at the back of my head. Perhaps one or two will become stories.
But I have other news as well – a cover reveal!
I was looking for art for the cover of my upcoming release, Much Ado in Meryton, and happened upon a lovely painting by Paul Sandby, titled Tea at Englefield Green. Sandby (1731-1809) was a map-maker turned landscape painter. He and his older brother Thomas were among the founding members of the Royal Academy in 1768. He was a gifted artist, as these paintings attest.
- A Distant View of Maidstone by Paul Sandby
- Music by Moonlight by Paul Sandby He was quite the Romantic, wasn’t he?
Englefield Green itself was a hamlet until it began to expand in the mid-19th century. It lies about 20 miles west of central London in Surrey, near Windsor. It is also the site of the last fatal duel fought in England in 1852, between two French refugees, Frederic Constant and Emmanuel Barthélemy. The estate that Sandby painted was at that time called Elvills (now Castle Hill), designed by the architect Stiff Leadbetter (c.1705-1766) for Sir John Elwill, 4th baronet, between 1758-63. It is a fine example of the Gothic Revival style.
But back to the landscape I fell in love with. This particular watercolour is housed in the art collection of the Nottingham Museums and Galleries, where Sandby was born. For the first time, I found myself inquiring after rights to use the image and corresponding with the representative there. I am so thrilled they agreed to my request.

I loved the image of the elegant people strolling on the lawns, heading to tea. Perhaps the season is off by a month or two, but on a fine autumn day I can perfectly imagine my characters doing just this. It seemed like Mr. Sandby knew exactly what I would want, over 200 years later, and painted it just for me.
Imagine Mr. Bingley hosting a house party, where people drift in and out all day to entertain invalid Jane, stopping for tea and wandering through the beautiful grounds. Imagine Elizabeth and Charlotte huddling in the middle of such a group, chatting about everything and eyeing their host’s severe guest. And imagine Mr. Darcy, lurking – skulking even – around the perimeter, casting a disapproving look upon Miss Elizabeth Bennet and an alarmed one on the dastardly George Wickham, who we know has to show up as well.
And so, without further ado, here is the lovely cover artist Mae Philips’ creation for the cover of Much Ado in Meryton, which I hope to release by the end of September.

What places have you visited that stirred your soul? What stories do you dream about? Tell me about it.
Thanks for sharing your vacation and cover reveal.
I love all your covers, but I think this new one is absolutely the best. I love it. And I’m so happy to discover a new artist, my goodness those are some beautiful examples of his work. I am very eager for the new book to come out. Best of luck!
Your trip sounds just wonderful. I really understand that desire to get back to the U.K., but you really made the best of needing to stay closer to home. Your pictures are inspiring. I’d love to visit the historic dig, I really was impressed that they encourage visitors to come and participate. And the museum you got to see sounds fascinating.
We felt very fortunate to be able to go to Oregon in June for our son and daughter-in-law’s wedding and to do a little sight seeing. It was iffy there until we were fully vaccinated and the numbers had gone down significantly for COVID cases. We realize just how lucky we were, now with the Delta variant on the rise. But Oregon is so beautiful, we love it.
What lovely pictures! My husband and I would love to visit Newfoundland in the future. Currently, too many projects on the home front that we are working through. Absolutely love the painting for your new cover! I can visualize your thoughts perfectly with it! As for what places I have visited that have stirred my soul…Scotland, especially Inchmahome Priory on an island in Lake Menteith (the only lake in Scotland…all other are lochs). It is the most peaceful place I have ever been to.
If you do have the chance to get to Newfoundland, I would really recommend it. We had dinner with friends last night (at opposite ends of a long table on their very large deck) and talked about the place. They have also been on a few occasions, and just love it there. We mused about selling our Toronto homes and moving… it won’t happen, but it’s a lovely thought.
Your priory sounds so serene. Scotland is high on my list of places to visit again, so hopefully before TOO long we’ll make the trip. I’ll certainly keep Lake Menteith in mind.
I am so happy you were able to go somewhere and unwind with your husband. My husband and I have visited two places that “stirred our souls”. First, Crater Lake in Oregon. Second, and our favorite, Redwood National Park in northern California. We drove to both, so no airplanes were involved, but they were both magnificent. Congrats and best wishes on the new release!
I’ve been to Crater Lake, but not to the Redwoods. From the photos I’ve seen, though, the place is magnificent. We’re lucky to have access to places where we can recharge our batteries, aren’t we?
Wow, lovely pictures…Love them! So feel free everytime to post such captivating sites. Love particularly the charm of natural or daily scenes.
Congratulations on your new book. Great cover, I can feel the daily activities happening in such place.
Thank you. It’s hard to take bad photos of some places. It was really lovely there.
I hope to have more info on the book soon. I hope you’ll love it when it’s out.
How wonderful! It looks like your trip was productive, as well as pleasurable. Thank you for sharing the lovely photos. And congratulations on your new book. I love the cover!
Thanks. I didn’t go looking for plot bunnies, but as you surely know, they come hopping along when least expected. We spent one very long drive plotting out what might become a short series of fantasy novels.
My daughter took me to Edinburgh one year and me and Mum to Bath another time! Fabulous! We visited the fashion museums in Shambellie House in Dumfries and the Assembly Rooms in Bath. We also visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London many years ago which also had an amazing fashion section! Loved them all.
I have a real preference for stories where Darcy and Elizabeth don’t have too many misunderstandings and get together sooner rather than later. I prefer them to sort problems and unpleasant people together as a couple. I also prefer it when Elizabeth doesn’t believe Wickham! (Obviously as you see my stories must be about Darcy and Elizabeth!!)
I can’t wait till international travel is a thing again. We have such plans! I’d love to get back to Edinburgh and we also want to spend more time exploring Wales. But that will have to wait.
This story has a rocky start for E and D, but they get together sooner rather than later. And Elizabeth certainly has mixed feelings about Wickham. There’ll be more details as I get the story closer to a publishable state. I’ve got some rewriting to do, but hopefully by late September I’ll have a release date.
I’m in New Brunswick and love Newfoundland too. I haven’t been there since the mid-80’s, but had a wonderful time. I love your book covers. Their consistent look, yet different every time are uniquely you and easily identifiable. I love that. Looking forward to to reading this upcoming release.
We just love NB. We’ve spent a few holidays there and we have friends in Saint John and Fredericton, and have camped throughout the province. It’s one of my favourite places to visit.
Thanks for your comment on the cover. That’s exactly what my cover artist and I hoped to achieve. The fun is finding the perfect image and the colours to set it off to its best advantage.
We go to the beach in the summer. The sound of the ocean is always soothing and the scenery beautiful! Your pictures are pretty as is the cover for Your book! Can’t wait to read it!
I love the beach for exactly the reasons you said. It’s so soothing and beautiful, especially when the sun rises or sets over the water. Those are special times.