Travelogue: May in England

 My annual return to Great Britain took place in May. It was, as usual, a multi-purpose trip, a combination of personal (family, friends) and professional (book promotion, research) activities.

At London's Ritz Hotel, setting for scenes in A Change of Location

My base for the first week was a farm in a West Sussex village where an ancestor of mine had lived. It was perfectly situated for revisiting favourite gardens and country houses and castles. 

Sussex farmhouse

View from the terrace

A church where many of my ancestors were baptised, married & buried

Petworth House, a baroque masterpiece

Arundel Castle gardens

A Sussex pheasant, posing for me

Mural at Wakehurst Place

The fine weather followed me to London, where my schedule was considerably more packed, and the flowers were just as beautiful.

Lobby arrangement at the Langham Hotel

The Hyde Park Rose Garden

Queen Mary's Rose Garden, Regent's Park

I spent a lot of time in art galleries. 

The new portrait of King Charles by Jonathan Yeo

Angelica Kauffman exhibit at the Royal Academy

I spent a morning at Westminster Abbey, touring the Jubilee Galleries and paying respects at the grave of characters in my next historical biographical novel.

In Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey

Spending time with friends was a highlight of my time in London. I met an author friend for lunch at the Royal Academy. Dined at the historic, beautifully renovated home of another author friend. And enjoyed an evening of delicious French food and conversation at Brasserie Zédel.

Brasserie Zédel

Chanteuse and musicians

The Ritz Hotel and its Rivoli Bar will appear in the next contemporary novel, as in A Change of Location.

The Long Gallery, Ritz Hotel

The Palm Court, Ritz Hotel

Entrance to the Rivoli Bar, Ritz Hotel

As it was last year, the wisteria was blooming everywhere ... making possible this juxtaposition of my book's cover and the lovely purple fronds.

Now it's June, and the roses and perennials in my own garden are bursting forth. I'll be revising the completed follow-up novel to A Change of Location and incorporating recent research into the next historical manuscript.

I hope everyone has a wonderful summer!

Book Launch Week

On release day, I went downtown to see A Change of Location on the shelves of our local independent bookstore.

Front window poster

Books on the store shelves

Last night I returned for my launch event. 

Coordinating my outfit with my book cover!

I'm so grateful to the many friends and fellow writers who came to hear me talk about the process of creating my 16th novel--my experiences and other events that inspired it, my work habits, and more.

Introduction by Elisabeth, the Events Coordinator

Reading

Talking

And of course, my gratitude extends to those who purchased a copy at the event or as a pre-order, and had it signed for themselves or someone else. Autographed books make great gifts!

Signing

I'm glad people enjoyed sampling the Eton Mess and the English cheese from Somerset, and everything else. I gave out recipe cards so others can create the dessert and a main dish from the story.

Food Table

The other handout was a map of the (fictional) Milver Vale. Suitable for colouring, or as a reference when reading the novel.

Map of Milver Vale in Somerset

An amazing double rainbow that appeared during the Q&A made the event even more memorable!

Rainbow #1

Rainbow #2 begins to show on the left.
Fantastic backdrop!

The promotional campaign is ongoing. A Change of Location is featured in a Virtual Book Tour, with instagrammers and bloggers.

Anyone who would like the digital versions of the recipes and/or the map, can request them by clicking HERE. Please put "giveaway" in the MESSAGE section and be sure to include an email address. 

Springtime is showing its face in my part of New England. I look forward to seeing more spring flowers on my next trip to England, where I'll be researching and writing my next novel, and enjoying all the usual activities.

A Change of Location . . . Publication Day!

 

Hannah Ballard's most successful relationship: her career.

     Her superpower is an uncanny ability to discover perfect movie settings while avoiding the limelight herself. She's involved in pre-production for a film based on a bestselling historical novel when a chance meeting with an aristocratic landowner leads her to Somerset and his estate in picturesque Milver Vale--the ideal backdrop for a period drama.

     Martin Latimer, Marquess of Milverston, believes the release of a high-profile motion picture can increase tourism and bolster the local economy. And he hopes to spend more time with its intriguing location manager.

     But Hannah's discovery that Martin is a magnet for the scandal-hungry press forces her into a painful and damaging decision. Powering through heartbreak is hard. Especially when coping with unemployment--and dealing with members of her fractured family. For their protection, she must part from the nobleman asking her to stay with him. Who makes her believe that, at long last, she actually could be falling in love.

AVAILABLE FROM YOUR FAVORITE RETAILER or E-TAILER

Autographed paperbacks can be purchased from Gibson's Bookstore.

Order the paperback from: Bookshop.org (Indiebound), Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Books-a-Million, Walmart, Target, Books and Books,
Waterstone's (UK), Hatchards (UK), Bokus (Sweden).

Order the ebook from: Kindle, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, FNAC (France), Booktopia (Australia)

Reviewers Say: 

“Porter has perfectly captured the romance trope of finding unexpected love while traveling to new places. The author also deftly portrays the machinations of a twentysomething career woman who's somewhat closed off to romantic intrigue. Porter skillfully immerses readers in the fictional Milver Vale and vividly evokes British village life, from pubs to fun characters to countryside exploits . . . A charming sojourn to the English countryside for readers who enjoy smart love stories.” Kirkus Reviews

“Hannah's ability to navigate and analyze unfamiliar surroundings and people becomes a driving force in a novel that explores her international sojourns, matters of the heart, and the people and places that motivate her to step away from her former successful patterns and into different relationships and milieus . . . A revealing novel of new possibilities and life that covers unemployment, romance, heartbreak, other cultures, and new lives . . . The perfect ticket for a warm account of movie-making and personal magic.” Midwest Book Review

“A triumph! A Change of Location hits its marks perfectly on both sides of the pond. I had so much fun with Porter's quirky, thoroughly lovable characters that I couldn't put the novel down.” Leslie Carroll, author of Royal Affairs.

“Perfect for romantics who adore stately homes, all things England . . . and delicious budding romances. . . . Highly recommended!” The Literary Redhead

HAPPY READING! 

ANNOUNCEMENT: A Change of Location, my first contemporary novel!

I'm thrilled to announce that A Change of Location, my sixteenth book--and my very first contemporary novel--arrives in April 2024.

A great deal of personal experience went into this story, although it isn't actually autobiographical. It takes readers to areas in Somerset that are very familiar to me (only slightly fictionalized), and is based on some of my own past activity in film and television.

Hannah Ballard’s most successful relationship: her career. Her superpower is an uncanny ability to discover perfect movie settings while avoiding the limelight herself. She’s involved in pre-production for a film based on a bestselling historical novel when a chance meeting with an aristocratic landowner leads her to Somerset and his estate in picturesque Milver Vale—the ideal backdrop for a period drama.

Martin Latimer, Marquess of Milverston, believes the release of a high-profile motion picture can increase tourism and bolster the local economy. And he hopes to spend more time with its intriguing location manager.

But Hannah’s discovery that Martin is a magnet for the scandal-hungry press forces her into a painful and damaging decision. Powering through heartbreak is hard. Especially when coping with unemployment—and dealing with members of her fractured family. For their protection, she must part from the nobleman asking her to stay with him. Who makes her believe that, at long last, she actually could be falling in love.

Some advance reviews:

“Porter has perfectly captured the romance trope of finding unexpected love while traveling to new places. The author also deftly portrays the machinations of a twentysomething career woman who's somewhat closed off to romantic intrigue. Porter skillfully immerses readers in the fictional Milver Vale and vividly evokes British village life, from pubs to fun characters to countryside exploits . . . A charming sojourn to the English countryside for readers who enjoy smart love stories.” Kirkus Reviews

“Hannah's ability to navigate and analyze unfamiliar surroundings and people becomes a driving force in a novel that explores her international sojourns, matters of the heart, and the people and places that motivate her to step away from her former successful patterns and into different relationships and milieus . . . A revealing novel of new possibilities and life that covers unemployment, romance, heartbreak, other cultures, and new lives . . . The perfect ticket for a warm account of movie-making and personal magic.” Midwest Book Review

“A triumph! A Change of Location hits its marks perfectly on both sides of the pond. I had so much fun with Porter's quirky, thoroughly lovable characters that I couldn't put the novel down.” Leslie Carroll, author of Royal Affairs.

“Perfect for romantics who adore stately homes, all things England . . . and delicious budding romances. . . . Highly recommended!” The Literary Redhead

Pre-order links are already live on retail and e-tail sites. They can be found HERE.