Where did it all start? Location, Location.
The idea for Made In Portugal came from one single location that appears on the book, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Cape near Cape Espichel. Google it and you’ll see how beautiful the place is. From there you can see miles of uninterrupted beach along the coast.
All the locations featured in Made In Portugal are real and you can visit them all, from the Chapel of Bones in Évora to the beautiful Óbidos and the Caparica beach.
When I was a kid we used to ask my parents to take us to see the castles and museums at the weekend. We loved going for a drive somewhere and get lost in the rich history of the country.
Now as an adult I get to visit these places with a new pair of eyes.
Made In Portugal is a mix of my childhood memories, described in Joel and David’s moms’ travel journal, and my experience as an adult seen through Joel and David’s eyes.
Here’s an excerpt from Joel’s POV when they arrive at one of the locations on the book.
It took us one and a half hours to get to Santarém where we’d planned to visit the gardens with a viewpoint called Portas do Sol. It was another one of the locations our moms visited on a school trip, and while they had only spent their lunch hour there, after some research, we decided we wanted to watch the sunrise from there.
It wasn’t difficult to find parking so early in the morning. The city felt like it was still asleep, so we strolled quietly towards the gate that gave entry to the gardens.
It was that time of day when it wasn’t nighttime anymore, but it wasn’t quite daytime. The temperature was still cool, but you could feel it warming up with the light of the sun, and the air smelled fresh.
There wasn’t even a breeze, which could only mean it would be another scorching day. I’d read that Santarém often had higher temperatures than the surrounding areas.
The gardens were nondescript, there were some trees, some areas with grass but it certainly wasn’t something to write home about. The gardens were part of the old castle, and the tall, thick walls surrounding it had probably served the purpose of defending the city from invaders.
As we’d driven into Santarém, we’d crossed the river Tagus and noticed how high up the city is but now from this strategic viewpoint, we could see why the viewpoint was called the Sun’s Gates.
Unlike the rolling hills of the Alentejo, this part of the country was like a patchwork of colors. Shades of green and brown fields separated in some areas by lines of trees. We could see villages in the distance where we could spot church bell towers taller than the buildings around it, and of course, the river snaking around the land making its way from Spain to Lisbon. The tide was low and the water was so clean we could see the sandbanks beneath it. It was truly breathtaking.
We took a seat on the east side of the wall, facing the sun as it was rising. It felt warm on my face. There was something about the sunrise that had always appealed to me more than the sunset. Maybe it was that it was the sign of a new day rather than the ending, it was full of possibilities. I was glad we had our travel journal because suddenly I felt like I needed to write.
At 10 years old Joel was uprooted from his home and everything he knew in Portugal to start a new life in the States. At 26 he finds himself returning for the first time in thirteen years. So what if looking into the eyes of his childhood best friend again still makes his heart race out of his chest?
Living in sunny, laid-back Portugal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. For David, dreams of being a pastry chef come second to working in his family’s café where his renowned custard tarts draw in the crowds. Seeing Joel brings old feelings back. Feelings he’s not sure he’s brave enough to acknowledge to anyone other than himself.
With the inspiration of an old travel journal, the two friends embark on a real journey through memories in a country where looking back into the past runs as deep as the blood that courses through their veins.
Falling in love was never meant to be a stop along the way, but maybe inevitable when you have the adventurous spirit and courage to pursue what you want, make love under the stars, and even figure out how to jumpstart an old Citroen 2CV in the middle of the Alentejo countryside.
June 5 – Katie’s Book Corner, June 6 – The Novel Approach, June 7 – BooksLaidBareBoys, Bookaholic & Kindle, Love My Reads, Open Mind For A Different View, June 8 – Love Bytes, June 9 – Mainely Stories, The Geekery Book Review, June 11 – MM Good Book Reviews, June 12 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, June 13 – Making It Happen, June 14 – Mirrigold: Mutterings & Musings, Valerie Ullmer, Reading In Sarah’s Corner, Wicked Reads, Virginia Lee, June 15 – Bayou Book Junkie, June 18 – Joyfully Jay, June 20 – Gay Book Reviews, June 22 – My Fiction Nook, June 25 – Diverse Reader, June 27 – Two Chicks Obsessed
Ana Newfolk was born in Portugal where she grew up surrounded by sunshine and countryside. She has always had a deep love of reading, and ever since she can remember her favorite presents and treats have always been books. She would often be found in her not-so-secret spot reading her favorite adventure books (when she was younger) and romance novels (when she discovered boys). At 20 years old she moved to the UK where she has lived since.
In 2015 Ana stumbled across her first MM romance novel by chance, and she was hooked. She loves reading about men falling in love, hard, fast and ever so sweetly. This new found love for LGBTQ+ romance has opened a new world for Ana, and in 2017 she decided to finally listen to the voices in her head and write them down.
In addition to the time she spends reading and writing Ana has a full-time job that involves meeting lots of people with interesting stories to tell. She also loves baking as much as she loves watching people eat what she creates, much to the delight of family, friends and work colleagues alike.
You can follow Ana on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or through her blog for up to date news of her book releases.
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