Patricia Sands

Author

Social issues

June 8th Extravaganza for Women’s Fiction Day

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Join readers all over the world in celebrating WOMEN’S FICTION DAY! It’s a pleasure to be part of the festivities with WOMEN’S FICTION WRITERS ASSOCIATION. 


The Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) was founded in 2013 as a professional, non-profit organization for women’s fiction writers and publishing professionals. With more than 2,000 international members and growing, WFWA is the premier organization for Women’s Fiction. WFWA fosters an online community of inclusion and opportunity, and provides resources, professional development, networking, and support for aspiring, debut, and published women’s fiction authors. Learn more at www.womensfictionwriters.org. Twitter: @WF_Writers Instagram: womensfictionwriters

CLICK HERE on June 8th to be connected with the list of all the amazing giveaways!

I am happy to offer a signed copy of my award-winning novel THE SECRETS WE HIDE plus a $20 Amazon gift card. This novel was the winner of the 2023 Book Excellence award for Women’s Fiction … truly an honour!

To enter for a chance to be the lucky winner, simply leave a comment on this page and let me know which of the following you chose to do …feel free to do both!

Follow me on Instagram by clicking here @psands.stories ~ I love posting my photos, mainly of France … no surprise . … and I will be happy to follow you.

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Sign up for my monthly newsletter by clicking here https://www.subscribepage.com/v3p4z6g.

Have you ever wondered exactly what the definition is for “women’s fiction”? Here’s a graphic with all the answers.

Other Ways to Celebrate Women’s Fiction Day
Visit www.womensfictionwriters.org and search the list of authors offering free books and giveaways.
Attend one of the many book signings held nationwide on June 8th.
Visit www.womensfictionwriters.org and subscribe to the free Read ON! Newsletter where you’ll be kept up-to-date on new women’s fiction authors and titles.
Visit the WFWA Goodreads bookshelf and Pinterest boards to find hundreds of titles.
Download the Hear Us Roar debut authors’ podcast
Visit your local library and/or indie bookstore to discover new authors and novels.
Follow WFWA on Twitter @WF_Writers or Instagram womensfictionwriters.
On social media, #bookstagram your favorite book and include a photo or stack with #womensfictionday.

My grandpup is a fan of women’s fiction … especially my stories that include some lovable dogs and cats! And, if you know me, I’ll use any excuse to post a photo of this adorable muse of mine. I actually thought of the title for my next novel while I was chilling with her! She’s my tonic.

Have fun participating in this day of celebration and good luck winning at least one of these very special prizes!

Happy reading!

November 11th ~ Remembrance Day in Canada

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Lest we forget ~

Tomorrow at the 11th hour of the 11th day in this the 11th month, Canada will pause for two minutes’ silence to remember those  heroes who have given their lives and in respect of all who offer their service … in every country. 

We owe so much to so many. 

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I have posted this page in years past on this date. Since there are many new followers of my website, I want to share it again for those who haven’t seen it. For others, I hope you don’t mind the repetition. I feel these stories can never be shared too often.

In 2010, my husband and I went on a journey to locate the grave of my Uncle Harry whose Lancaster bomber had been shot down on June 13, 1944, near Cambrai, France. All six crew members  perished.

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We discovered they are buried in a small Allied cemetery in the middle of farmland, rather than in one of the major cemeteries in France.

It was quite an experience just finding it, but that’s a story for another day. When I inquired as to why they were in that location, the Office of Military Affairs explained that they had been buried there by the nearby villagers at the time and so would remain close to where they had died. The cemetery was immaculately tended … and watched over by curious cows.

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Coincidentally, just a week before our visit, another relative of one of the crew had visited the cemetery. He left a note in the guest book (found in metal boxes at every cemetery) that gave us some personal information about the day these men died. They had been on a bombing raid over the rail yards in Cambrai. The war was being won. The men were heading back to their base in England to make it in time for the local dance that evening.

Sadly, they did not arrive.

Learning this small piece of personal information, made our visit that much more emotional and intimate.

As a child, I had always been intrigued by stories about my Uncle Harry, the youngest of 5 boys, and only 20 years old when he died. There were framed photos of him in his uniform with a dazzling smile in my parents’ and grandparents’ homes. You could feel his pride. And theirs.

When we went on our mission to ‘find Uncle Harry’, we also spent a few days in Normandy and did the tours of the WW2 landing beaches, something I recommend to everyone who has the opportunity.

It’s an emotional experience as the history of the war becomes vividly presented by guides who must take courses in this information and pass exams before receiving a license to guide. The French take the preservation of this history very seriously and are to be commended for doing so.

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As we toured the museums and memorial centres, it struck me that in so many of the photographs of men and women in service for their country, pride was stirringly evident in their expressions. It seems to go with the wearing of the uniform and the understanding of what that represents.

Thank you to every one of the members of armed services – past and present – for putting yourself in danger for your country and taking on that onerous task with such commitment. We are proud of you and eternally grateful.

Thank you, Uncle Harry.

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Wear your poppy proudly. Please make certain to preserve and keep alive the stories of the members of your families who have served in the armed forces. Always remember.

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No matter what our country, hearts are touched by the selfless giving of all who serve. The museums and preserved landing beaches of Normandy offer an emotional lesson in history to all who have the good fortune to visit that part of France.

Most Canadians proudly wear a poppy for a week or so before November 11th to show their respect for veterans. Click here for an  excellent explanation of how the poppy came to be such a strong symbol of remembrance.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Have you preserved stories of your family’s service? Please do before it is too late.

Our wonderful autumn weather seems to be slipping away. I’m getting the snow tires put back on next week … we know what is coming soon! So it’s a good time to stock up on some excellent books for those indoor days!

Happy Thanksgiving in Canada

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I hope you won’t mind if I post a similar message to past years. It’s the message I want to share at this time every year … every day, really …

I just returned from another of my tours in the south of France a week ago and each year I am reminded of how fortunate I am to have that opportunity. Just one of many blessings for which I am grateful. Make a list of yours.

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Thanksgiving. No shopping for anything but dinner ingredients. No lists of gifts. Bags of food being filled for the Food Banks. Volunteers serving turkey dinners at homeless shelters. Quality time spent as families and friends gather to share memories, love and laughter. An attitude of gratitude prevails. I am so thankful for the life I have. I hope you feel the same about yours.

As we consider our individual blessings, let’s remember those who struggle with hunger, illness, poverty, war and a multitude of other challenges in our own backyards and around the globe. The refugee crisis is heartbreaking. Let’s try to make the sentiments of Thanksgiving a part of every single day.

What a good feeling to see the food donation bins overflowing today. If you can’t get out to help, here’s a way you can play a part without leaving home! Click right here.

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I’ve written about these sites before, but they are always worth mentioning from time to time.  All you have to do is go to TheHungerSite.com  once a day and click on the button — sponsors give free food. You are not put on any list or bombarded with spam. There are other links to click where sponsors donate for appropriate benefits: Breast Cancer ~ remember it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month; Child Health; Literacy; Rainforest; Animal Rescue and a few others. All of this has been verified as legit by Snopes years ago. I pop in every day. Why not?

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While we are at it, have you ever played FREERICE.COM? ~ This is a unique way to increase your vocabulary and donate rice to needy countries. Play it with your children as there are 60 levels. It’s a great place to learn new words for Words With Friends … ahem, my addiction when I need a few minutes off from writing. It’s such a fun way to keep connected with friends too.

One big personal thank you to the readers who take the time to contact me. I love hearing from you and appreciate every single message. Thanks for subscribing to my newsletter (just click on the link in the column to the right) and for sharing my books with your friends. You light up my life!

This month the ebook of my new novel, THE SECRETS WE HIDE, is in a special October sale for just $.99. If you already have your copy, now is a great opportunity to pick up a few for friends. It’s easy to do on Amazon. The ebook is also available on Kobo and Barnes & Noble.

Also, a reminder that this giveaway below is still going for a few more days. Enter as often as you like! Good luck!

It seems like the giveaway season has begun! Be sure to let me know when you win something so we can all celebrate!

The more followers an author has on BookBub, the more often BookBub shares our work to readers all around the world. The beauty of subscribing to BookBub for readers is that this gives you access to information about great book sales. Think of it as an enormous library!

Just click here to enter to win 40 bestselling novels AND an eReader! How cool is that? Good luck to everyone who enters.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

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#writersforukraine

The following post is NOT SPONSORED but I wanted to share the Activated Authors charity drive in aid of Ukraine.

I HAVE COPIED & PASTED THIS DIRECTLY FROM THE MASTRESSOFNONE website so you can read all of the information right here. I hope you will feel compelled to join with everyone in this #writersforukraine fundraising event with four days left to go!

We cannot thank you enough. Please read on:

“As you know, there has been no secret made about the atrocities currently being undertaken on the European country of Ukraine. Since its unfounded invasion of Ukraine on Thursday 24th February, things are steadily getting worse.

As a member of a European country we, at Activated Authors, have been watching events unfold with more anxiety than we’ve ever felt at global news. And, as writers, we’ve found that the last week our member writers have been unable to focus on work, wondering where the hell fiction writing fits into the grand scheme of things while so many Ukrainians are suffering, and Russia threatens the “Nuclear” button on a near-daily basis. It seems a strange ordeal to be concerned about character names and fictional worlds while increasingly more Ukrainian refugees are without a homeland.

This is why we decided to take some kind of action and to levy our platform in a way that could not only support Ukrainian refugees, but to also activate the independent writing community in a way that could make a real difference. So far we’ve already seen unity from The Alliance of Independent Authors, Mark Leslie Lefebvre, Jenna Moreci, J Thorn and Crys Cain from The Author Success Mastermind, Katlyn Duncan, Sarra Cannon from Heart Breathings, MiblArt (who have artists in Ukraine), The Writer’s Mindset, The Other Stories podcast, and I’m in the final confirming stages with more widely revered authors, podcasts, and organisations, and we’d be honoured to have you involved, should you wish.

Writers for Ukraine: The One Million Word Challenge

From Wed 9–Tues 15th March, we’re running a global challenge for writers to hit a combined total of 1,000,000 words written (in 7 days), to raise a minimum of £10,000 for the Ukrainian crisis. 

The process is simple: writers and authors of any level, genre, and experience can sign up for the challenge, make their donation, and get involved simply by heading over to www.activatedauthors.com/Ukraine. Total word counts from each author can be updated on the live word tracker sheet, with a tally totalling the overall amount as the challenge progresses.

All proceeds and profits will go directly to British-Ukrainian Aid, a charity with their feet on the ground, supporting those refugees who need it most, with donations made through our GoFundMepage.

What can YOU do?

We are calling on any and all support from writers, publishers, and creatives from all genres and backgrounds to get involved. No matter how big or small your contribution, it would be greatly appreciated.

Below I’ve listed a few ways that you can get involved to help have a real impact in these trying times.

  1. Join the challenge: You can sign up and get involved over our 7-day challenge, adding your word count totals to our sheet to help us reach our 1 million. Just sign up HERE
  2. Make a donation: Donate as much or as little as you can to our GoFundMe page and help us reach our target of £10,000. You can find our donation page HERE
  3. Pledge your support: We’d love to make this a united effort from across the writing community. With your permission, we’d love to share your logo or artwork on our website and social media as a “Supported by” affiliate to show that you’re contributing to this worthwhile cause.
  4. Spread the word: We’ve made it real easy to spread the word. By using #writersforukraine, we’ll be able to share and amplify the support from the community. We’ve also put together a small package of artwork that you can download and use on your platforms, for your convenience. Find a Google Drive folder HERE.
  5. Put me in touch with authors and influencers who may be interested in finding out more.

I realise that the turnaround on this is fast, but it’s a rapidly evolving situation. It’s rare that we reach out to the wider writing community like this, but the time is now, and support is desperately needed.”

Once again, everything you need to know can be found at www.activatedauthors.com/ukraine 

(On behalf of Daniel Willcocks, International Bestselling Author, Award-winning Podcaster, and Founder and Author Coach at Activated Authors)

https://patriciasandsauthor.com/2022/03/12694/