Sidmouth: The Setting of my Upcoming Series

To me, choosing the setting for a novel is like designing an effective stage for the “actors” (in my case, fictional characters) to perform or live out the drama to come.

My new novel, The Sisters of Sea View (December 2022) is Book One in a new series called ON DEVONSHIRE SHORES. I liked the setting and characters so much, I decided to stay there for at least two more novels.

While I often fictionalize the settings of my novels, this one is set in the real seaside town of Sidmouth on the south coast of England in the county of Devon (more commonly known as Devonshire in the 19th century).

Jane Austen, her sister, and their parents visited this fashionable resort town in the summer of 1801. Some say she fell in love there and many believe the visit inspired her unfinished novel Sanditon. (You may have seen the recent miniseries based on it. See my review of Season 2 here).

Jane Austen’s connection to Sidmouth is one of the reasons I chose this seaside town for the series setting and I hope you will enjoy traveling there as well—at least through the pages of this book!

Sidmouth has grown and changed a lot since the early 19th century but here are a few more historical images of this beautiful place to help you visualize it as it used to be.

Which image is your favorite? Does this setting appeal to you? I truly hope so!