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bette lee crosby

Party time on the Women’s Fiction Fans FB page

March 27, 2017 by Patricia Sands 36 Comments

Hey everyone! Join all of us who host the Women’s Fiction Fans FB page on Tuesday, March 28th, for our spring fling! We love to connect with our readers and share thoughts and comments about books you love or simply about reading in general … or anything else that’s on your mind. Ask us questions at the party, enter all the great giveaways we have planned and feel free to invite your friends!

Don’t forget to keep refreshing your FB page. That’s how you can keep up with the conversation threads. I know it gets a bit crazy at times …  but you all make it so much fun!

Here’s what the schedule looks like … see you there!

Enter the special code word from the party in a comment here, for a chance to win a free audiobook of The Bridge Club! Good luck everyone!

The winner will be announced in my April newsletter. Have you subscribed yet?

The link is over there in the column to the right ============>

 

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, News, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: Andrea Hurst, Ashley Farley, Barbara Hinske, bette lee crosby, books, Christine Nolfi, Dete Meserve, giveaways, Grace Greene, Nancy Naigle, Patricia Sands, women's fiction fans, women's fiction fans spring party

Celebrate this new release by Bette Lee Crosby!

January 10, 2017 by Patricia Sands 4 Comments

Having just finished the first draft of my next novel … yes, really, I did type “The End” and now it will go off to my Lake Union editor … I know how satisfying and exciting it is to reach the best day of all ~

RELEASE DAY

and today we are celebrating the beloved author BETTE LEE CROSBY!

Bette Lee Crosby has done it again! If you pre-ordered your copy, I’ll bet you are already buried in the pages of this gripping story.

Today is the release day for Beyond The Carousel!

Here’s a little taste for what awaits you:

Laura Wilkes has everything a woman could want when she snaps the carousel picture. Her daughter, a happy little five-year-old, is holding the brass ring and smiling at a daddy who adores her. Each time the carousel circles around Laura snaps another picture, seven in all. This is a day of unforgettable happiness; one of the few Laura has left.
In the months following the stock market crash, Franklin Wilkes is killed; gunned down in senseless act of vengeance. The police know who did it, but the man has disappeared. It’s the height of the depression and there are hoards of nameless, faceless men living in freight train yards and back alleys. The murderer is never caught, but Laura and Emory, her father, never give up hope of finding him.
Now, twenty-five years later, Laura’s daughter has fallen in love with Jack Mahoney a policeman working crowd control with the strikers at the Telephone Company.
Right now Mahoney is a rookie, he has little or no power, but Emory is hopeful he is the one person who can ultimately find Franklin’s killer and deliver the justice the family has long awaited.

Readers of the other Wyattsville books will welcome the chance to get to know the kind-hearted Spare Change detective as a young man about to fall in love.

Purchase Beyond the Carousel on Amazon or iBooks.

 To celebrate Bette is giving away four signed paperback books.

There will be 3 copies of the USA Today Bestseller Spare Change, which is book one in the series, and 1 copy of “Beyond the Carousel”.

To enter, go to Bette’s FB page by clicking right here and leave a comment on the thread for the giveaway.

A random draw will decide four lucky winners.

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Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby brings the wit and wisdom of her Southern Mama to works of fiction—the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery and romance along with a cast of quirky charters who will steal your heart away.

“Storytelling is in my blood,” Crosby laughingly admits, “My mom was not a writer, but she was a captivating storyteller, so I find myself using bits and pieces of her voice in most everything I write.”

Crosby’s work was first recognized in 2006 when she received The National League of American Pen Women Award for a then unpublished manuscript. Since then, she has gone on to win numerous other awards, including The Reviewer’s Choice Award, The Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal, FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medal and The Royal Palm Literary Award.

Crosby originally studied art and began her career as a packaging designer. When asked to write a few lines of copy for the back of a pantyhose package, she discovered a love for words that was irrepressible. After years of writing for business, she turned to works of fiction and never looked back

Find out more about Bette’s books on her Amazon author page … don’t forget to click on the link to “Follow” her, while you are there. That way you won’t miss any exciting news!

Visit Bette at her website for more news, information, and good fun!

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, News, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: bette lee crosby, Beyond The Carousel, new release, novel, womens fiction

A cocktail conversation

October 7, 2016 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

This week I’m having a lovely blog visit over on the website of my dear friend, Bette Lee Crosby, known to readers the world over for her popular women’s fiction novels. Every so often she invites an author to sip a cocktail or two with her. I hope you’ll have time to sit back and join us. We’ll be chatting about France and wishing we could pour a glass of champagne for you too!

Cocktail Conversations – Patricia Sands

 October 5, 2016  Bette Lee Crosby  #fanfun, Cocktail Conversations  0

Cocktail Conversations – Patricia Sands

My readers are in for a delicious treat because today’s guest is my friend and fellow author Patricia Sands. In case you haven’t yet met Patricia, you are missing out on some wonderful stories. It was Patricia’s novel “The Promise of Provence” that inspired me to do a home exchange and spend three wonderful weeks in Paris. When it comes to Women’s Fiction, her books are always at the top of my list.

Patricia is a world traveler, who spends her summers in France, soaking up the culture and snapping breathtakingly beautiful pictures. She then translates the things she has seen and done into stories that make readers feel they have journeyed along. Today we will talk about her Love in Provence Series and perhaps learn a bit about the new series she’s is currently working on.

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So pull up a virtual chair and join in as Patricia and I begin our celebration of all things French with a Kir Royale. We’ll start with what is on the table…French cuisine, of course. Patricia has made foie gras on thin slices of toasted baguette. (Yes, we will include recipes for both the food and drink)

Foie gras on toast for cocktail hour
1 6-ounce (180 g.) jar or tin of foie gras entier
1/2 loaf of white bread, preferably a baguette
2-3 tbsp. fruit preserves
sprig of fresh basil or mint leaves for garnish
a chilled bottle of Champagne or a top-quality sweet white wine like Monbazillac or Sauternes

Patricia: ~Pours crème de cassis in the bottom half of flute glasses~ I thought this would be the perfect drink for today because as you know the French love champagne. This berry liqueur is the perfect addition for a special celebration!

Bette: ~pops cork on champagne bottle~ I am delighted to have you here today, and super excited to have my followers learn more about your Love in Provence Series ~Fills the remainder of the glass with champagne~ Something I think many people don’t realize is that the series started with “The Promise of Provence” which was originally written as a stand alone novel. Can you share why you decided to turn it into a series?

Patricia: Bette, it was a surprise to me! I received so many requests from readers to continue the story I realized I wanted to know what happened too! It was very satisfying for me to keep developing Kat’s story and pull it all together in Book 3, I Promise You This.

Bette: ~Sips Kir Royale~ I’m glad you suggested this drink; it’s absolutely delicious. Even more festive than champagne, if such a thing is possible.
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Patricia: ~Smiles and passes plate of foie gras appetizers~ The French see food and wine as an art, not a necessity, which is one of the reasons I’ve fallen in love with the country. I especially love the market squares with their fresh vegetables and lovely flowers.

Bette: Going back to the Promise of Provence. It is such a tribute to your writing skills to have readers fall in love with the characters and want more. When you created Katherine and Philippe were they based on any person in particular?

Patricia: Katherine stepped out of my imagination, but I love how I happened upon the character of Philippe. I was standing in the daily market in Antibes (a truly wonderful market!) waiting to buy some cheese. I watched the fromager speaking with a customer about a sample of cheese he was holding on a paper on his hand. He was SO passionate and emotional about it that I fell in love with him right there and knew Katherine had to do the same.
I got to know him and met with him several times early in the morning before the market opened so he could answer questions for me about cheese and how one goes about becoming a fromager. It was a real education for me … and a delicious one!

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Bette: I know the Love in Provence is a trilogy, but I hate the thought of Katherine and Philippe not returning; will they be included in any other books you have planned?

Patricia: I receive emails from readers almost every day asking me to keep telling Kat’s story and it would be my pleasure to do so. I’m working on a stand alone novel now that is set in a different part of France. Once that is published I hope to get back to visiting with Kat and Philippe and friends.

Bette: Another thing I love about your books is how vividly you paint a picture of each locale. This past summer I’ve followed your travels through the gorgeous pictures you’ve posted on Facebook, so I have to ask, will those places be used in your new novel?

Patricia: Oh yes indeed and I’m excited about that. We spent two weeks in Arles, and have been there before a couple of times, so I was able to do a lot of research. As you know, I love to take photographs and they are very important to me as I tell a story. Great writing prompts! This novel will be set in and around Arles and also in the very unique Camargue area to the south of the town.

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Bette: Sounds exciting. Which came first – Did you decide on the locations for the new novel and then book home exchanges in those areas or did you plan the home exchange first and create the story around the location?

Patricia: In this case, the exchange came first. When I realized we were going to spend time in Arles, this story began to develop in my head. It just felt right. As I strolled those ancient streets, I could feel the main character, Arianna, becoming more alive.

Bette: When you are writing a scene, do you take out the pictures you took in that particular location and refer to them for the detail in your description?

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Patricia: Absolutely! As I mentioned above, the photos remind me of details and also of feelings I had when I was in a certain area. It’s surprising how they can help move a story along by providing a small reminder of something that might have slipped my mind.

Bette: ~Nibbles on foie gras~ I know that sampling different cuisines is part of your travels, do you collect recipes and try to replicate them once you are back home?

Patricia: Well, you are right about the first part of your question, I love to sample different cuisines when we travel. Isn’t this foie gras delicious! I particularly love to put a little fig jelly on it. I do collect and share recipes but would rather write than cook when I am back home! Fortunately I have an understanding husband who tells me I “buy” great dinners. *smile*

Actually, I love photographing the food at French markets. For example, don’t you think these radishes are beautiful? J’adore the way the French like to serve them simply with softened butter and fleur de sel, the caviar of sea salt! Just dip them lightly and enjoy the crunch! Having a fresh baguette to accompany this can turn it into a nice addition to lunch.

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Bette: Now for some of the fun stuff that readers love to hear, can you share a secret tidbit about yourself and your interests?

Patricia: Well, this isn’t really a secret … but it’s one of the things I love best aboutimg_3804 life. We have six grandchildren, ranging in age from seven to (yikes!) twenty-one. I love sharing our travels with them. The young ones love to visit us in Florida. This year our teenage granddaughters came to France on their own for a week with us. This selfie is one of my favourite photos of the summer as we took the girls to the places we love.
img_4083Our older granddaughter spent a week with us later when she was traveling after graduation as a registered nurse. It was a delight to have her in Antibes with us for my birthday.

Bette: And how about upcoming trips? Are you already planning your home exchanges for next year and will they be a tie-in to another new book?

Patricia: Of course we will be back in France next year. For part of that time I will be leading another women’s tour based on my Love In Provence books. I’ve done two tours in the past and they were great fun. Most of the women had read my books and were eager to see the places I wrote about. We take 16 women and spend 6 days in Nice and 6 in Avignon. Then we do day trips to Antibes and all the other lovely villages in the stories. It’s great fun getting to know readers personally too. I believe there are two spots left if any of your lovely readers would like to come! The information is on the Travel page on my website and we’re going from June 6 to 18. I can’t wait!

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Bette: Oh how I wish I could get away and join you, but the timing is no good for me. Readers – I would urge you that if you have ever wanted to explore France, do it on one of Patricia’s tours. They are wonderful and you’ll see the real France, the one the tourists so often miss. Patricia is the person who encouraged me to try a Home Exchange and spend some time in Paris. She said I’d love it, and she was absolutely right.

Time flies when you’re spending it with friends and while our time with Patricia has come to an end for today, you can keep up with her adventures by following along on her blog and newsletter. I do and it is always fun to find one of her lovely newsletters in my in box.

Here is a list of places where you can find Patricia:
Website

Amazon

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Facebook Page

Pinterest

Youtube

Google +

Patricia: I hope you enjoyed our chat. I wish I could pass around a plate of these macarons to each of you. Bon weekend!

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: bette lee crosby, books, cocktails, conversation, France, Patricia Sands, The Promise of Provence, travel, writing

Bette Lee Crosby is in the house!

May 4, 2016 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

Small head shotI have a treat for you today! USA Today Bestselling and Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby has dropped by to spend some time with us. Bette’s women’s fiction novels are described as ““Well-crafted storytelling populated by memorable characters caught up in equally memorable circumstances.” I love her stories!

One of the nicest women you could ever know,  I first met Bette Lee Crosby a few years ago when I was getting ready to publish my second novel, The Promise of Provence. Bette is a fine story-teller as well as a smart, experienced marketer and she is beyond generous at sharing her knowledge. Besides that, she’s never without that bright smile and her sunny Southern disposition.

One of the best things about being part of the writing community is the opportunity to become friends with someone like Bette. Now here’s a chance for you to get to know her better too:

PS ~ Was it always your desire to be an author or was there one time in your life when you realized this was the path you would take?

BLC ~ Actually I studied to be an artist. My very first job was as a packaging designer – working primarily with soft goods such as pantyhose. I asked one of the salesmen for copy to go on the back on the package and he told me to ‘just make something up’ – I did, and a new career was born. I ultimately went from design into marketing and found I enjoyed writing much more than I did designing.

PS ~ That’s a great story in itself! Do you draw from past experiences in your own life when you develop ideas for your novels?

BLC ~ Often I do. Sometimes my own life, sometimes the lives of friends who so generously share their stories with me. These incidents give me food for thought but I generally end up with a story that is still quite different from what actually happened.

PS ~ Your Memory House series has a clever theme linking each novel. Why do you think readers are so drawn to these stories?

BLC ~ I think most people would like to believe there is a bit of magic to life – things that seem like coincidence, but just might be ordered by someone much higher up than we are. Ophelia Browne of Memory House finds this type of magic in the memories other people leave behind. I have had so many reviewers say, “This makes me wonder if the memories you leave behind actually can be found by someone else…”

PS ~ Do you have a favorite character or particular story that gave you the most pleasure to write?

BLC ~ I have a great fondness for Ethan Allen of Spare Change. He is an eleven-year-old boy modeled after the way I imagined my mom was at that age. She came from a large West Virginia family and had a tough childhood. But she was a survivor who overcame the odds, which is how Ethan Allen deals with the challenges he encounters in the story.

PS ~  Your stories are filled with rich detail, emotion and humor, and such a variety of settings. How do you begin to plan these tales and are you a plotter or a pantser?

BLC ~ This is a question I often ask myself. I have tried both but I guess I have to say the pantser method is more in keeping with my style of writing. On the few times I did do a truly comprehensive outline, the characters drew the story in a totally different direction. The one thing I do before I actually start writing is really get to know my characters. I get inside their head and start to think the way they’d think, then I know when I stumble down the wrong pathway they will let me know quickly enough. When I try to make characters do something that is not of their nature, the action becomes stinted and almost impossible to write.

PS ~  Your special assistant and muse, Sugar, is such a cutie.13102827_10206802488045525_3909355318178293556_n Along with tossing her toys, how do you spend time when you’re not writing?

BLC ~ Reading, laying by the pool and thinking of new stories, dinner dates, movies and occasional dances with hubby, long walks with Sugar, shopping with girlfriends. I spend so much time writing and with all the side jobs that are part and parcel of publishing a book, that I tend to content myself with moments of pleasure whenever there is time. When you love what you do, it’s not the same as really working and with living in Florida it’s like I am always on vacation.

PS ~ Congratulations! The good news is out that you have completed you next novel, The Regrets of Cyrus Dodd. Would you tell us a bit about the story, please?

The Regrets of Cyrus Dodd - Ebook SmallBLC ~ Since I just yesterday finished writing the description for this book, I will include it here. THE REGRETS OF CYRUS DODD…The Wyattsville Series, Book 4 Revenge, death, deception… These are the things Cyrus Dodd has to overcome if he is to give Ruth the life he’s promised her. The problem is he’s got a prideful nature and when a seemingly innocuous argument leads to a bitter feud with his neighbor, his life changes forever. The plans he has fall by the wayside and before he finds a way to fix it, he comes to understand the meaning of regret. In this early twentieth century family saga, two men come up against each other—both are iron-willed and stubborn. One will lose his farm; the other will lose his family. In a tale of betrayal, murder and revenge two West Virginia farmers will discover that being right does not necessarily mean being happy. Believing he has lost everything Cyrus Dodd is forced to start over. He promises Ruth that this time it will be better, but the truth is he doesn’t know if it’s a promise he can keep.

PS ~ Bette, that’s sounds like another fascinating story! I can’t wait to read it!

Thank you for all the wonderful stories you bring to readers around the world. Thanks also for stopping by and visiting here. It’s always a pleasure to spend time with you.

BLC ~ Thank you for having me, Patricia. I always look forward to the times when you are in Florida and we can get together for a face-to-face afternoon. It is so good to share thoughts and ideas about this fun crazy book business.

Ditto, Bette. Every visit with you is sheer pleasure … plus you serve delicious lunches!  Some of the best times are when you host a group of writer/friends during the winter. Everyone has already begun looking forward to the next!

You can connect with Bette at her website, on FaceBook, and her Amazon Author Page.

(Here are a few memories from past good times with … can you spot them (?) … Diane Capri, Jillian Dodd, Christine Nolfi, Karla Darcy, Steena Holmes, Leona DeRosa Bodie, and Bette’s always-a-good-sport husband, Dick.)

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, News, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: authors, award-winning, bestseller, bette lee crosby, Patricia Sands, womens fiction

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