Patricia Sands

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February Newsletter

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Newsletter #75                              

Bonjour!

This letter is full of book love for all of you! For starters, the February sale of the Love in Provence trilogy is almost over and I don’t want anyone to miss out. As you know, these novels are my love letters to France and j’adore sharing them at this price with you! If you already have your own copies, pick some up for friends by clicking the “Give As A Gift” link on the Amazon page. Easy, peasy!  At this price you can’t go wrong. Click here for the link to lead you to all three books.

Moving on, what is going on in your world? Have you been feeling some extra love this month? The way some things are in the world today, we probably all could use a little more attention to the heart.

These words are a gift from Victor Hugo, my favourite French writer from the Romantic Movement: “What a grand thing, to be loved! What a grander thing still, to love!” Feel free to use this quote, share it, and to remind us all to feel and show love in so many simple ways. Let’s all work on it.

February, of course, is the month when hearts and flowers and mushy love songs are celebrated on Valentine’s Day.  But it should not be forgotten that there are many girls and women around the world who receive none of those. At the other end of the spectrum the vitally important messages of One Billion Rising should also be front and centre.

One Billion Rising is an international campaign to end the exploitation of women. Here’s a way we can all make a contribution, “Like” the Facebook page.  Follow on Twitter.  Let’s all do our part!

Here’s a song that is worth watching, that too is about love. This infectious anthem shares a universal message. Share it everywhere you can. Help break the chain of violence towards women and girls.

Click here to see the video. BREAK THE CHAIN.

In an entirely different way, there is a lot of love and joyfulness in the air on the French Riviera this month with festivals in many town. On the Côte d’Azur, once February arrives in Nice, you know Carnaval is not far off. Revellers arrive from around the world to join in the celebration that lasts for two weeks. This year’s theme is the King of Fashion.

Parades, floats, flowers, bands, magicians, fireworks, presentations, and food … all this and more! Festivities take place day and night for 15 days with a variety of themes and more than 1000 musicians and dancers. The enormous papier-maché configurations are spectacular, including the famous Grosses Têtes ~ the Big Heads. The amount of work that goes into the preparations is impressive. Click here to see a short video that gives you an idea of just how labour-intensive it is. Even though the video is in French you clearly get the idea.

 Gigantic balloon figures dominate the daytime spaces and breathtaking fireworks over the Mediterranean turn every evening into a pyrotechnical fantasy world. It’s loud, crazy fun!

If you read Book two of the Villa des Violettes series, A Season of Surprises, you will already be familiar with what goes on during this celebration. I had great fun reliving Carnaval as I wrote about it and hope you felt like you were there too. 

My friend, Kathy Foreman Schlitzer, is staying in Nice this month and she posted several photos from her time at Carnaval. The following three photos are courtesy of Kathy. Click here to see her entire post. You might want to follow along on her adventure. Kathy was one of the 16 wonderful women on our 2018 South of France Memories Tour and after that she decided to spend two months this winter in Nice and Aix. She writes the experience is even better than she anticipated! No surprise there!

And watch out for silly string! Really? To read more about the long (and often hilarious) history of this carnival, please visit this post by Margo Lestz. She always uncovers the most fascinating details!

When Victor Hugo speaks of love in his quote at the beginning of this letter, he refers to many things. One common love subscribers to this newsletter share is to all things French! To celebrate this Francophile amour of ours this month, eight … yes, EIGHT! … special author friends have joined in this exceptional collection of giveaways. I’m delighted to share them with all of you!

It’s a SOUTH OF FRANCE FEBRUARY LOVEFEST BOOK BONANZA! HERE WE GO! ON Y VA!

Giveaway #1 ~ From Kristin Espinasse, one print copy of Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France. We all love Kristi through her French-Word-A-Day blog. Steeped in French culture but experienced through American eyes, in this book she shares the early years of her adjustment To follow Kristi, click here.

Giveaway #2 ~ The creator of the fabulous website and ezine, The Good Life France, Janine Marsh is offering one ebook of her delightful memoir, My Good Life in France.Good news! Book Two continuing the saga will soon be out!  You can click right here to pre-order this sequel, that we know will be as entertaining as the first.

To follow Janine, click here.

Giveaway #3 ~ Let me introduce you to Carole Bumpus, a freelance food/travel writer from California. She is offering one ebook and one print copy of her recent delicious-in-every-way, part culinary memoir and part travelogue, Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table, Book One.

To follow Carole, click here.

Giveway #4 ~ Award-winningBritish author Deborah Lawrenson, writing with her husband, Robert Rees, under the nom de plume, Serena Kent, is offering one print and one ebook of Death in Avignon. This is the second book in the charming mystery series set in Provence, featuring the unflappable amateur sleuth Penelope Kite. It’s described as perfect for fans of Peter Mayle and Agatha Christie.

To follow Deborah, click here

Giveaway #5 ~ Mystery and murder in the south of France, solved by the intrepid Maggie Newbury, are featured in #16 of this popular series, Murder à La Mode. USA bestselling author Susan Kiernan-Lewisis offering two ebooks of this story set in a fictional village in Provence.

To follow Susan, click here

Giveaway #6 ~ Canadian author, Laura Bradbury’s Grape series takes the reader on a romantic adventure into the heart, soul, and people of the beautiful Burgundy region. An almost fatal health issue kick-started Laura’s writing journey that has become prolific. Don’t miss her inspirational blog and entertaining stories based on her own experiences with her French husband and his warm-hearted family … and wait until you see what she offers as a possible prize on her website! Laura is offering 2 print copies of My Grape Year, Book One in her Grape series.

To follow Laura, click here

Giveaway #7 ~ Writer Margo Lestz lives between England, France and Italy, and loves to dig deeply into the culture of France (and other places), discovering the most fascinating details. She is offering two ebooks of Berets, Baguettes and Beyond.

To follow Margo, click here

Giveaway #8 ~ Ex-pat Gayle Smith Padgett has written a memoir, in a humorous personal style much like a diary. She shares the experiences encountered as she and her husband followed their dream and settled into life in charming Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. One print copy and one ebook are offered of Passion for Provence: 22 Keys to La Belle Vie.

To follow Gayle, click here

As always, to enter simply send your email to patriciasandsauthor@gmail.com. This month let us know what you love most about reading stories set in France. Please specify your choice of book and if you wish to win an ebook or paperback. All winning names are randomly drawn. Good luck! Bonne chance!

Doing these giveaways each month is a pleasure. I thought offering you a jumbo giveaway of books this month, fit into the theme of love … and would be époustouflante (one of my favourite French words) … amazing!! Something different that reinforces our love of all things French!

I hope you enjoy meeting authors who might be new to you and to connect with those you already follow. Savour their books, find out more about the writers and pass along their information to your friends. Write a short review, thanks! The best way to hear about a good book is by word of mouth from dedicated readers like you.

Thanks to Denise Birt, of Wild Sage Book Blog, who designed this wonderful graphic

And now a little something chocolatey that also fits in with the love theme this month. Moelleux au chocolat ~ molten chocolate cakes or as described here “Dark Chocolate Lava Cakes with Runny Hearts”. This recipe is from one of my favourite food bloggers and Instagrammers, Jill Colonna ~  Paris-based of course, @madaboutmacarons. And it’s a dessert I often order when I’m in France. Is it a favourite of yours too?

Click here to go to Jill Colonna’s Mad About Macarons for the recipe.

Bon appétit!

Before I say au revoir for this month, here’s one more addition to our billet-doux. Deborah Bine and I would love to share our passion for the south of France with you on our 2020 Memories Tour. There are just a few places left. Click here for details and join us!

Stay well, my friends, be kind to one another, read a lot and appreciate every single day. Profitez de tous les jours! I’m reminded on a regular basis that the best part of being an author is hearing from readers. I value the messages i receive from you. Thanks also for sharing my books with your friends and for the reviews you write. It’s all most appreciated and inspiring. See you next month!

January Newsletter ~ with links to our 2020 South of France tour!

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Do you subscribe to my monthly newsletter? There’s a sign-up link to the right of this post. In case you missed it, here is my letter from January.

Newsletter #74   January 25, 2020

Bonjour 


With all the crazy weather patterns floating around and many people being visited by a polar vortex or two, I thought some sunshine from the stunning Côte d’Azur might be in order. This header photo was taken looking down on the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer, just east of Nice. The ancient old town is one of my favourite places to wander and photograph.

Feel the warmth! 

Even though I won’t be back to France until June, once the new year began my thoughts definitely turned in that direction. I know the time will fly by and I’ll be on my way. But more on that as we get closer to June.

 This month my husband and I relocated to our winter getaway in Naples, Florida. We feel fortunate to spend time here and definitely appreciate the great weather … even when there is a “cold spell”. In Florida that’s quite a different thing than up north!

In the meantime, no matter where I am, there’s much work to be done.

  I’m happy to say that Lavender, Loss and Love, Book 3 in the Villa des Violettes series has just been published. The cover reveal happened on Friday.

Since I have indie published the three novellas, it’s been fun to work on each of the covers. It’s such a collaborative venture. I talk with Donna Fedele and Clare Strohman in the beginning about the story and the details I would like on the cover. After that, they work their magic. Donna creates the drawing and her BFF, Clare, then paints in the colour.

I know I have mentioned this before with the previous covers, and hope you don’t mind if I repeat the story. Donna and Clare were on our 2018 South of France Memories Tour. One morning as we were on our private coach going to explore another charming village, I mentioned I was going to need original covers for this series. They asked a lot of questions, as artists do, and then offered to take on the projects and … voilà! I’m very grateful to them.

It was one of life’s surprising coincidences that occur when we least expect them. You just never know what’s around the corner …

This book is a tad behind schedule as that lovely cover with the autumn overtones was supposed to publish in November. I know I mentioned to you then that I was stepping back a bit from writing, as I was struggling with the loss of several dear friends. It’s taken a while to get back on track and feels good to have it out in the world now. Here’s the Amazon link and the book is also on Kobo and Nook.

Thanks to everyone who has already helped Lavender, Loss & Love at the Villa des Violettes acquire one of Amazon’s golden banners!

Since I mentioned the South of France Memories Tour above, I’ve got more to share with you about it. I’m thrilled to say that Absolutely Southern France Travel is ready to receive registrations for our 2020 tour. The dates are from September 28 to October 10 … we Canadians will get home in time for Thanksgiving!

All the information is available at this link and Deborah Bine and I are excited to greet this year’s group and share our love of France with them! You can see from previous testimonials that the tour is always a great success. It is so satisfying for us to see each group of women become such good friends!Why don’t you join us? On your own, with your BFF, your book club (!), sister, daughter, mother ~ whatever works for you. We guarantee wonderful memories that will last a lifetime!

In fact, today I am having lunch in Fort Myers with five women who were on our 2018 tour. I can’t wait! Of course, we will talk about France … and Katherine, Philippe and the gang … and reminisce about the memories we made.

And now for this month’s fabulous giveaways!

Giveaway #1 ~ Rochelle Berger Weinstein has an exciting new release, This Is Not How It Ends, and she is offering one ebook and one print copy. Please specify which format you would like. Rochelle is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of emotionally driven women’s fiction, including Somebody’s Daughter, Where We Fall, The Mourning After, and What We Leave Behind. She lives in south Florida with her husband and twin sons (when the boys aren’t away at college). She is also one of my sister Lake Union authors. When she’s not writing, Rochelle loves to hike, read, and find the world’s best nachos. She is currently working on her sixth novel.

Blurb: This Is Not How It Ends is a tender, moving story of heartbreak and healing that asks the question: Which takes more courage—holding on or letting go? When Charlotte and Philip meet, the pair form a deep and instant connection. Soon they’re settled in the Florida Keys with plans to marry. But just as they should be getting closer, Charlotte feels Philip slipping away. As a hurricane passes through Islamorada, stunning revelations challenge Charlotte’s loyalties and upend her life. Forced to e-examine the choices she’s made, and has yet to make, Charlotte embarks on an emotional journey of friendship, love, and sacrifice—knowing that forgiveness is a gift, and the best-laid plans can change in a heartbeat.

Connect with Rochelle here at her website.

Giveaway #2 ~ Sara McFerrin is offering two ebooks of What She Saw, a humor-filled cozy mystery from the popular Trunk Doctor series. Sara writes wonderful southern humour and cozy mystery novels. Be sure to try some of the excellent stories from her extensive backlist! She is a five-star, number one best selling author on Amazon and lives in the Florida panhandle with her husband and a sixteen year old Spaniel named Freckles. An avid fan of the Food Network, cooking is her favorite pastime.

Blurb: You never know what lurks among the treasures hidden in an old trunk that has been locked for thirty years. The Trunk Doctor, aka Jix Haynes, discovers a decades-old diary in a customer’s heirloom trunk. The ever curious Jix finds more excitement than she bargained for as time-worn secrets turn to real and present danger in her own life. As she sifts through the dreams, wishes, and fears of a teenage girl, mystery and danger pave a path leading to a face-to-face confrontation with a cold-blooded killer.

Connect with Sara here at her website.

Giveaway #3 ~ Peggy Lampman’s new novel, The Ruby of the Sea, will release on February 5th and she is offering two ebooks. Her passion is writing novels that break down familial and cultural barriers. For her, creating a cast to populate a story is one of the great, cathartic joys of writing.  She was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, but moved back as an adult to Ann Arbor, her college town. Peggy is also a sister Lake Union Author! Her free time is spent reading, binge-watching NetFlix, herding kids and indulging in her fascination with Big Green Egg cult cookery and other deliciousness on her popular website dinnerfeed.com

Blurb:  Lush with devastating secrets, lies, romance and psychological drama…”You tell me about a family without some sort of dysfunction, and I’ll tell you that family is lying.” 

After aimlessly traveling the country for fifteen years, Linnea Chandler returns to her hometown of Key West, Florida keeping the genesis of a life-altering phobia to herself–not a good idea, as she comes to find out. The 19th Century lighthouse that she, her parents and two sisters call home also has a troubled past, carrying the frightening myth that eerily mirrors the mystery of her younger sister today. Should Linnea run while she can? 

The women must decide to what extremes they are willing to go to protect their secrets. Ignore the brutality behind the retrieval of spoils from a fatal shipwreck in 1857? Defy a 2017 hurricane threatening to pummel their town? And when their world is upended, do the women have the strength to move forward?

Connect with Peggy here at her website. Also please visit dinnerfeed.com.

Doing these giveaways each month is a pleasure. I hope you enjoy meeting authors who might be new to you and to connect with those you already follow. Savour their books, find out more about the writers and pass along their information to your friends. Write a short review, thanks! The best way to hear about a good book is by word of mouth from dedicated readers like you.

As always, to enter, simply send your email to patriciasandsauthor@gmail.com. This month enquiring minds want to know your favourite winter beverage to drink while reading. Are you a coffee, tea, hot chocolate fan or does a relaxing glass of wine hit the spot?

This month’s winter recipe is one I shared a couple of years ago with you. Fans of Drawing Lessons will recall this soup being served in the story.  🙂 This soup is a popular family recipe and is often served on a cold winter’s evening as an entrée (remember that is the first course in France). Enjoy Potage Parmentier or Leek and Potato Soup. Here’s Julia Child’s recipe and also some suggested variations.

Bon appétit!

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

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Wherever you are, I hope you are warm and safe. There are so many crazy weather patterns in the world today, we never know what is coming next. I hope this photo brings a little Côte d’Azur warmth to you!

Looking down on the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer, one of my favourite towns to wander and photograph … and eat, by the port!

But I do know what is coming next in my writing world … Book 3 in the Villa des Violettes series. The cover reveal is happening today on a few special Facebook pages like the buzzabulous A Novel Bee, the exciting book review group The Write Review and my book loving reader group, Patricia’s Readers’ Rendezvous. I’ll share more details about the new book in the next few days. I’m happy to be bringing the Love in Provence characters back to you again for a visit.

Bon weekend tout le monde!

January 6th ~ la fête du roi in France

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Eat cake like a king!

If you are in France (or Louisiana, hello N’awlins!), it’s again time to celebrate  … oui …  bien sûr … more food! Don’t you love it? This time it’s all about a rich, almond cream (frangipane) enveloped by layers of light, flaky pastry (feuilleté).

Another joyful opportunity to bring friends and family around the table to share La Galette des Rois/The Kings’ Cake, takes place on the first Sunday of January or January 6th and recognizes Epiphany, the arrival of the three wise men (Magis). The history of this special pastry can be  traced to Roman times.

If you read my Love in Provence series, Kat first finds out about the tradition in Book #2, Promises to Keep.

During the French Revolution, the name was replaced with ‘Gâteau de l’Égalité’ (equality cake), as the word ‘king’ was a little out of fashion!

It’s so popular, many patisseries make the scrumptious cake through the entire month of January.

The cake is cut in the specific number of slices for the people present, with one extra symbolic slice for the first poor person passing by. The youngest child  (or the most innocent adult, if no children are present, which can result in great hilarity) goes under the table and calls out who will receive each slice to ensure fair distribution. The greatest excitement comes when one person discovers la fève (a lucky charm) hidden in a single slice. Just don’t accidentally bit down on it … they’re usually a small porcelain or plastic trinket!

Bon appétit!

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Click here to read an excellent account of the history and traditions of this special fête by my friend, Margo Lestz.

NEWS FLASH! The ebook of Drawing Lessons is on sale for January ~ $.99 ~ I love it when Amazon offers our books to more readers by putting on promotions. If you haven’t read this engaging story, set around Arles and the Camargue, now’s your chance! If you are one of thousands who have read and enjoyed it, pick up a copy or two for friends. It’s so easy to gift from Amazon. Happy reading! Bonne lecture! Eat it with cake. 🙂