WHITE STONE, the place behind Love Me For Me by Jenny Hale

I’ve been thrilled by the response I’ve had to Love Me for Me, but I was surprised to see how many people are quite interested in the setting of the story. Love Me for Me is set in a small village called White Stone, located on Virginia’s Northern Neck Peninsula. I’ve had people from all over the world mention how they’d like to visit White Stone; I even have close friends contacting me about it. So, today, I’m going to let you in on a few secrets and tell you what only an insider knows about Love Me for Me’s White Stone, Virginia.

1. The White Stone in Love Me for Me is really a mixture of three towns that are all but a few minutes’ drive from each other: Kilmarnock, Irvington, and White Stone. There’s only so much driving one can do in a book before readers lose interest, so Pete and Libby’s White Stone is a combination of all the best parts from those three towns.

2. The coffee shop and winery are real! But they’re actually in Irvington, about a 3 minute drive from White Stone. The coffee shop is really the best place to get uninterrupted wireless service, just like the book said. I can hardly get service from my cottage in White Stone, which makes posting to Facebook and Twitter very frustrating. And, as for the winery, I don’t know if they have fireworks on the 4th of July like the book, but they do have tours and an inn!

3. White Stone isn’t a huge vacation destination. Most people live there year round. There are a few—very few—cottages to rent. The public beaches are quite small, and there are no public restrooms at the ones I’ve visited. (I use my best friend’s bathroom—she lives there.) However, Irvington does boast one tourist location should anyone want to plan a visit: The Tides Inn. (http://www.tidesinn.com) The rest of the town is quite rural.

4. Pop’s cottage is based on the cottage that I rent when I visit White Stone. It has a long yard and its own beach, just like Pop’s.

5. Most of the places like the hardware store and Miller’s restaurant are made up, but the River Market is real. They really do have muffins like the ones Libby bought on the way to Jeanie’s, and they are so nice that they gave my own children free chocolate chip cookies for their trip home. If you’re ever in town, you should stop by!

I hope you’ve enjoyed Love Me for Me’s White Stone, Virginia. To find out about the girl who lost it all and had to return to White Stone, the one place she never wanted to be again, the place where she left the love of her life, and the place where she finds him, visit Amazon and buy your own copy of Love Me for Me!

Book links:

US: http://amzn.to/1lGIpEV

UK: http://amzn.to/1i76unc

About the author:

When I graduated college, one of my friends said, “Look out for this one; she’s going to be an author one day.” Despite being an avid reader and a natural storyteller, it wasn’t until that very moment that the idea of writing novels occurred to me.

Sometimes our friends can see the things that we can’t.

While I didn’t start straight away, that comment sowed a seed and several years, two children, and hundreds of thousands of words later, I completed a novel that I felt was worthy of publication. The result is Coming Home for Christmas - a heart-warming story about friends, family, and the magic of love at Christmas.

I am currently at work on my second novel, also under contract.

When I’m not writing, I’m a District Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages, a mother of two boys, and a wife to a very supportive husband.

Jenny on Twitter: @jhaleauthor
Website: http://itsjennyhale.com