NL #108 February 14, 2024

Bonjour! This is my Newsletter #108 for those of you who are not subscribed. Here’s the link if you are interested.

That header photo is my dream at the moment. Call me crazy but I like having a cold, snowy winter. We’re halfway through February, in the blink of an eye, and in southern Ontario we are still waiting for winter to arrive! It’s like spring here at the moment with no snow in sight. Many of my friends are happy about this but … you know I love to see snow in the winter. I have only skied twice so far and that is just plain disappointing. (I have to add here, that the day after my NL was sent out we had a fabulous snowstorm! I’m happy to tell you that winter finally arrived and skiing yesterday was perfection. No more whining from me!)

What’s happening in your corner of the world?

For one thing, no matter where we are, there is a never-ending flow of great new books to read in every genre and get us through the winter! No reader is left behind. My TBR is tipping precariously and if you follow me on Instagram, you will see a lot of great books I’ve been posting about recently.

Right now, I want to share some love with all of you since February is the month where we see hearts and words of love floating around. So why not here?

You all are the reason I keep writing and I hope you feel the love from me more than once a year. Thanks so much for the fabulous response to the release of Deck the Halls at The Villa des Violettes in December. I’m happy to let you know the print copy of the books is now available. Just click here for your copy on Amazon and on Barnes & Noble.

Now here are some other links I hope you will love too.

First of all, I’m loving that the countdown has begun for our 2024 South of France Memories Tour, September 2nd to 14th. The photo below is from our 2022 Tour. I love it because it truly shows the joy that everyone feels, not just in stunning Eze, but everywhere we go. Trust me!

You will probably notice me mentioning the Tour frequently these days, since we like to have all the spots filled by spring. I love posting reels on Instagram and I wish I knew how to share them here. You can also see Tour photos on my website.

We always sell out and would love to have you and perhaps some of your friends or family come along … or your book club, fitness group, whatever. You will find all of the details here. Nancy McGee, owner of Absolutely Southern France Travel, has been busy securing our two luxury hotels (just two, as we only move once, from Nice to Arles) and fabulous restaurants. She takes care of all the logistics and makes certain everything is in place for us to have amazing experiences every single day.

If you have any questions, contact Nancy McGee through the website or DM me on Facebook or email me at patriciasandsauthor@gmail.com. We would be so happy to have you join us!

Now I’m excited to announce that Deborah Bine, one of my BFFs who I love to travel with, also known as Barefoot Blogger, has an exciting new website loaded with great information about her life in France.

As she says: “Ten years ago, I started writing the blog as a “letter home” to keep my friends and family updated on my life as an American expatriate in France. It was intended to document my new reality through stories and pictures, capturing the events and emotions I encountered.

To my delight, people began to follow my adventures. Over time, The Barefoot Blogger found a special place in the hearts and minds of those who dream of living abroad, particularly in France.

As a solo female, who still has challenges speaking the language, my ups and downs continue to encourage others to reach beyond their boundaries. To be curious. To say “yes, I can” for as long as I can. Along with you, I continue to explore, to laugh, and to learn about my new home, Uzès, and France — the land of castles, chateaus, and champagne.”

Click here to follow Deb’s adventures with her adorable dog, Fanny. You will love the stories she has to tell and if you are traveling in France you will find priceless information about many areas that may call to you. If the information isn’t there, just ask her.

Next, I want to give you the link to the website of my friend, author Jan Crossen, who writes heartfelt and educational stories for children about the animals on her farm as well as other wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. A former educator, Jan has a heart of gold and I highly recommend her books for families everywhere.

Her Farm Adventures Series is a collection of eight books written for readers ages 6-9.

Children under age 5 enjoy shorter versions of these same stories. These read aloud picture books have interactive questions, and a couple even have fun songs to sing! These titles are in the Farm Stories for Wigglers’ Series.

Jan is in the process of developing companion products which are perfect for classrooms and homeschooling families. These additional materials provide engaging activities for multiple age groups and can be used for science, language, and social studies.

Find out more and sign up for her Animal Krackers at Jancrossenauthor.com. They receive tips of caring for their pets, interesting information about domestic and wild animals, and fun activities to do with their kids.

Giveaway #1
Jan is offering one print copy of whatever book you choose. For more details of her many books, please click on this link to help you choose.

Giveaway #2
One of my very favourite authors, Maddie Dawson, is offering two ebooks of her upcoming release LET’S PRETEND THIS WILL WORK. It’s publishing June 1,2024. I love all of her novels, each one filled with love, humour, surprises and lessons about life in all the best ways. I’ve just finished reading an ARC of this and LOVED it! You will too!

Here’s the blurb: The search for happiness turns a woman’s life upside down in a warm, quirky, and bighearted novel about the joys and chaos of finding love by the bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners.

Contact Maddie here. Follow her on Instagram.

Giveaway #3
Paulette Kennedy (a Blue Sky Book Chat writing sistah!) has a new release coming to you March 5, 2024 ~ THE DEVIL AND MRS. DAVENPORT. I just finished an ARC of this as well … set in the 1950’s and completely the opposite of Maddie’s book BUT equally a great read. Paulette’s story introduced a genre new to me … gothic fiction, historical thriller, psychic suspense … what a ride! As she says, she writes “dark books with happy endings”. I was mesmerized by Paulette’s fine writing and obvious research. I highly recommend it. She is offering two ebooks.

Here’s the blurb: The bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil mines the subtle horrors of 1950s America in a gripping novel about a woman under pressure—from the living and the dead.

The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices.

Contact Paulette here. Follow her on Instagram too ~ she’s publishing great reels of recipes from the 1950’s to get us in the mood for her story. So clever!

You all know how my giveaways work. Simply send an email to patrciasandsauthor@gmail.com and let me know which book you would like to win and why. Bonne chance! Good luck!

It’s a pleasure to offer these giveaways from my writing friends. Thanks for the great response each month. I’m glad you appreciate them and are so keen to enter. I hope you enjoy meeting authors who might be new to you, and connecting with those you already follow. Savor their books, find out more about the writers and pass along their information to your friends.



The best way to hear about a good book is by word of mouth from dedicated readers like you. If you have time to write a short review, even better, and always appreciated.

I hope you spend all of February celebrating love and all good things … and then just keep doing that through the rest of the year. The recipe I’m sharing is from a cocktail that I LOVE in France.

And there’s a surprise giveaway involved. If you notice it, email me your answer! I’m reposting this from my newsletter two years ago.

My recipe for you today is an apèro I fell in love with all over again at the fabulous Bistrot du Paradou on the last night of our June 2022 tour. We had the most wonderful ending there with the tremendous combination of joie de vivre of our wonderful group of women and always delicious food! The staff, the service and the ambiance here are beyond compare. The menu is Michelin rated!

Enjoy this Lillet Spritz ~ mine was made with Lillet Rosé but I understand Lillet Blanc is much the same. My garnish was mint and lemon but a strawberry sounds good too! (Book Club question ~ who remembers in which book Philippe first introduced Kat to Lillet? There might be a prize for the person who gets the answer right! In fact, there WILL be a prize. Send your answer in an email to patriciasandsauthor@gmail.com.

Oh the joy of happy memories. As we work on bringing balance to our lives, let’s do our part to help those less fortunate and in parts of the world under siege … whether it is somewhere in our own country or elsewhere around the world. Let’s spread love not hate.

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.

Á bientôt!

If you have read the The Bridge Club or any of the Love in Provence books or any of my novels and can find a minute to leave a short review on Amazon and Goodreads, I thank you in advance.

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