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Patricia Sands

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Poisson d’avril! April Fool’s Day in France

April 1, 2022 by Patricia Sands 4 Comments

In many countries April begins with April Fool’s Day. Do you indulge? For those who haven’t heard before, you may be interested in knowing how April 1st is celebrated in an altogether unique way in France.

images

Imagine my surprise the first time I saw children sticking paper fish on each other’s back, whispering and giggling, and then hollering, “Poisson d’avril!”

Excusez-moi? Fish?

As Wikipedia explains: “In Italy, France and Belgium, children and adults traditionally tack paper fishes on each other’s back as a trick and shout “April fish!” in their local languages (pesce d’aprile!, poisson d’avril! and aprilvis! in Italian, French and Flemish, respectively). Such fish feature prominently on many late 19th- to early 20th-century French April Fools’ Day postcards.

April-Fools-vintage-Image-TheGraphicsFairy.com

April-Fools-vintage-Image-TheGraphicsFairy.com

I had no idea where the tradition began and, after a bit of searching, found this explanation on France Travel Guide.

“Although the origin of April Fools is obscure and debated, the most widely accepted explanation actually credits the “holiday” as starting in France. The most popular theory about the origin of April Fool’s Day involves the French calendar reform of the sixteenth century.

The theory goes like this: In 1564 King Charles XIV of France reformed the calendar, moving the start of the year from the end of March to January 1.

However, in a time without trains, a reliable post system or the internet, news often traveled slow and the uneducated, lower class people in rural France were the last to hear of and accept the new calendar. Those who failed to keep up with the change or who stubbornly clung to the old calendar system and continued to celebrate the New Year during the week that fell between March 25th and April 1st, had jokes played on them.

Pranksters would surreptitiously stick paper fish to their backs. The victims of this prank were thus called Poisson d’avril, or April Fish—which, to this day, remains the French term for April Fools—and so the tradition was born.”

poisson d'avril

Poisson d’avril

Boulangeries and patisseries deliciously get into the spirit with fish-shaped goodies. Oh … and did I mention the chocolatiers? Schools of fish of all sizes fill shop windows, the larger ones often filled with smaller treats. To a chocoholic, fish never tasted so good!

Since Easter often falls around the same time, fish feature predominantly in shop windows through that holiday as well.

On  The Good Life France   (amazing photography and articles ~ you know I’m a huge fan!), there’s another article by Margo Lestz about April 1st in France.  Margo writes perfectly-researched articles, as well as entertaining books about some of the quirky history and traditions of France.  Click here to visit her website!

Whether you celebrate April Fool’s Day or not, I think we all feel some relief in the Northern Hemisphere that April truly heralds the arrival of spring. Although, as we know, Mother Nature often likes to fool us with a few random snow storms in some areas.

While I’m on the blog, I’ll leave you with this … NOT an April Fool’s joke. A Season of Surprises, Book Two in the Villa des Violettes series is on sale for just $1.99 and it’s a great way to celebrate spring! Click here for your copy.

I love how readers tell me they feel they are right there in the pages of the story! That’s my hope when I write them. Guess what? You can be there! If you are longing to be in the south of France in person to stroll the streets of my stories with me and my bff, Deborah Bine aka #barefootblogger_france, grab one of the few remaining spots on our 12-day September Memories Tour! ✈️Sept 19 – Oct 1 ✈️ Happiness and joie de vivre guaranteed! 💕🇫🇷💕🇫🇷💕🇫🇷💕 #bookclubs receive free books 💕📚💕📚💕 At the moment there are a few spots remaining but they won’t last long. Click on this link for all the details!

THIS COULD BE YOU IN SEPTEMBER!

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, France, General Travel, Writing Tagged With: Absolutely Southern France, April Fish Day, April Fool's Day, Barefoot Blogger, book clubs, Deborah Bine, France, Nancy McGee, Patricia Sands, south of france memories tour 2022, women's friendship, women's travel

Reviews, sales, gratitude …

October 24, 2018 by Patricia Sands 9 Comments

Every book review is of value to an author and always appreciated. There are times when thoughts are expressed that go straight to an author’s heart. They provide inspiration and motivation … encouragement to keep writing.

Since all my books set in France are on sale for one more week (thank you, Amazon!), I wanted to share two recent reviews with you: one for The Promise of Provence and another for Drawing Lessons.

Thank you so much, Denise Birt of Novels & Latte Book Club for this first one.

BOOK REVIEW:
The Promise of Provence by Patricia Sands
As an avid reader, I have enjoyed so many wonderful books, in just this year alone…..but once in awhile a story comes too us that leaves such an impression that it becomes part of us. This is a story so rich and wonderful and a must read for any woman who feels she has seen and felt hurt, abandonment, a sense of not belonging – life’s sting of failed relationships, loss and her own restraints which hold her from moving forward.
Looking at the cover of Patricia Sand’s, The Promise of Provence, which is delightful in its own right, you might think it to be a cozy romance or even a sweet little story of sugarey-delight….but this story holds much more than you would expect.
Patricia writes of strength, new beginnings, new experiences, family and it’s history, strong friendships along with the insertion of the most beautifully described scenery and old-world charm that will make you actually feel it’s presence.
The writing is fluid and impeccably executed. The characters are written as real and believable.
I am not one to write reviews too include spoilers and with this particular story, I feel it imperative to hold true to that.
The Promise of Provence will make you feel and experience all emotions. It is smart, funny, sassy, sad, superbly researched and of course, a most gratifying and meaningful read. A scenic stroll through life itself.
I feel this story exudes the very meaning of being true to one’s self. It wasn’t just a book I read, it was an experience.
The Promise of Provence; Book one in the Love in Provence series
5 Stars ☕☕☕☕☕
#PatriciaSands #ThePromiseofProvence
Novels N Latte Book Blog
Novels & Latte Book Club

And the same gratitude to Lynn Olsson for this heartfelt review of Drawing Lessons.

‎Lynn Olsson‎ to Patricia Sands
October 19 at 6:05 PM ·
I was lucky enough to win a copy of Drawing Lessons from Patricia Sands and I thought I would share my thoughts with you on finishing the book. Usually I race through a book to get to the end. But with Drawing Lessons I found myself almost rationing the number of pages I read each night. I didn’t want the fun to end. This is a heartwarming story of a woman faced with the tragedy of living with her huband’s dementia and who finds a way back to reconnect with her own self. Before she was a wife and mother, she was an artist. And this is her journey in rediscovering the artist she thought she’d lost. A beautiful story. Treat yourself to this one.

5*****

TO THE END OF OCTOBER:

THE PROMISE OF PROVENCE, PROMISES TO KEEP, I PROMISE YOU THIS ~ ebooks are $1.99   paperbacks are half price 🙂

DRAWING LESSONS ~ ebook $1.99   paperback $6.95

 

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, France, News, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: book clubs, Drawing Lessons, Novels & Latte Book Club, Patricia Sands, reviews, sales, The Promise of Provence

Book Club Wisdom

December 4, 2012 by Patricia Sands 8 Comments

I know I keep mentioning the fabulous online community of literati – writers, bloggers, readers, editors, reviewers, designers –  the list goes on – and it’s such a buzz to be connected with all of you. Yes, YOU – because dear readers, you are an equally important part of the equation!

It’s always a pleasure to welcome a visitor and today author Bette Lee Crosby is popping by. We actually got to meet in person last week, to enjoy a delicious lunch, and to talk, talk, talk. What a fabulous time! Bette is as sweet, genuine, and full of laughter as you might imagine from the delightful stories she writes.

Her books are very popular with book clubs and for good reason. Today she is sharing her views about them. Bette’s links are further down the page and … here’s a suggestion … make yourself comfortable when you visit them. You’ll be there for a while deciding which to read first!

With a lovely trumpet fanfare, here’s Bette!Bette Lee Crosby

First, I’d like to thank Patricia for having me as a guest on her blog. I consider myself fortunate to count her as both a friend and a colleague. Patricia and I met in a group of authors that is not unlike a book club. We are a group with a common interest – books. We share family stories, benchmark achievements and industry news…but we also inspire one another. The group has no bylaws, rules or regulations, but what we do have is that all-important bond of friendship.

Half the people you know probably belong to some sort of book club. Most love it, some tolerate it, some claim they’re far too busy to read a book every month, and others find fault with the quality of books selected.

Still the number of book clubs in existence continues to grow, as does their popularity. Why? Although I can’t speak for all groups, I can tell you a bit about my book club. Our members almost never miss a meeting unless it is absolutely, positively, on-your-deathbed unavoidable. Everyone reads the book, and we discuss it at length. We don’t simply decide we liked or disliked it. We study the characters’ actions and alternatives, compare their experiences to our own, laugh at the similarity of missteps and sometimes shed a tear because of their plight. At times a meeting will start with a negative comment about the book but, even that, inevitably leads to an exploration of the protagonist’s motives and ultimately a greater understanding of the story.

Although I am a voracious reader myself, my book club buddies have introduced me to a number of new authors and wonderful stories that I probably would not have discovered on my own. We have over twenty women in our group, and several others waiting to join, but members seldom leave, because book club is more than just a discussion group, it’s an afternoon of unbridled friendship. Of letting go of things you may not have talked about for years and knowing that not one of your friends will think less of you, or carry the tale elsewhere. It’s having a glass of wine, and conversation that is thoughtful, intelligent and stimulating.

Cupid's ChristmasBook club is having twenty wonderful friends, any one of whom you can turn to for help, even in the dead of night. Sure, there have been occasions when I was so rushed that I barely had time to shower before dashing out the door, and we’ve read a few books that were rather forgettable …but I still would not have missed the experience of a single meeting. The books we’ve shared have taken me to places I may never visit, introduced me to people I will never know, and with the turn of a page they’ve transported me back and forth through time. If you’re not already a member of a book club, I urge you to join one. You may not like every book, but you’ll love the experience. Oh, and if I might make a suggestion…select Patricia Sands’ novel “The Bridge Club” for one of your book club picks…I did, and my book club loved it!

Thanks for dropping by, Bette, and for the endorsement! You can take a look at all of Bette’s books by clicking right here on Amazon. Pour yourself a cup of tea, glass of wine, or fruit punch and enjoy perusing. I just finished reading Cupid’s Christmas and it was delightful. A funny, heartwarming holiday read! When you are through there, pop on over to her blog and visit for a while. Another cup of tea, perhaps?

Do you belong to a book club? Mine is an important part of my life and even when some of us are traveling we are able to attend the cocktail party and gabfest meetings via SKYPE. I love that! Online book clubs are also flourishing so even if you don’t have a group of friends nearby that like to read, you can join one of those.  An excellent place to begin is Goodreads.com where you will find communities of readers for more genres than you thought possible. It’s a friendly, welcoming and unbelievably informed website. Hurry on over!

 

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog Tagged With: bette lee crosby, book clubs, Goodreads, The Bridge Club

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