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Patricia Sands

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cycling

A visit to The French Village Diaries

July 6, 2013 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

Courtesy of The French Village Diaries
Courtesy of The French Village Diaries

Yesterday I hung out with Jacqui at her French Village Diaries website where she posts great bits about cycling in her beautiful area of Poitou-Charentes, delicious recipes and other interesting vignettes about life in France. She also reviews books that have a French theme.

Did you see what she had to say about my new novel? Click here if you missed it. Her giveaway is still on so it’s not too late join in!

If you haven’t visited her blog yet, I highly recommend you do.

Here’s the chat we had!

Friday, July 5, 2013

France et Moi with author Patricia Sands

Courtesy of The French Village Diaries
Courtesy of The French Village Diaries
Welcome to ‘France et Moi’ where this week, continuing on from my Book Worm Wednesday review of The Promise of Provence I am talking to author Patricia Sands about what France means to her, as part of her virtual book tour. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway to win a Kindle ebook copy of this book. Just email FrenchVillageDiaries@gmail.com with The Promise of Provence as the email subject by Wednesday 10th July when my Dad will pick the winner from the hat during our final aperos of their holiday.
FVD: Firstly, I think France is a special place and it is famed for many things including its cheese, wine and diverse holiday locations plus, dare I say it, strikes and dog poo littered streets. What do you think makes France so very unique and ‘French’?
Patricia: Where to begin? There are so many special aspects to this beautiful country and culture! What constantly takes my breath away is how centuries of history surround me wherever I go. Obviously we see it in the architecture of towns and villages but also in the traditions, religious and otherwise, that continue to be celebrated, in songs that are sung, stories that are told, in the markets and even in the games of boules/petanques that continue to be a focus in the town squares. I love that!
2) What is your fondest memory of time spent in France?
Patricia: Ha! Every visit is memorable but in 2011 my husband and I lived in Antibes for five months, just on the edge of the old town. We seldom needed a car as we could walk everywhere or hop on the coastal train just up the street. My heart is still there!
3) Your second novel The Promise of Provence is set in Provence so would this be your favourite holiday location in France?
Patricia: I do love the pastoral countryside of Provence but truly my first choice is the Côte d’Azur, Antibes in particular. The Mediterranean adds another dimension to life there. Having a beautiful beach just a few minutes’ walk away or taking a boat cruise along the coast are lovely options to have on a hot summer day.
4) When did your love for France start?
Patricia: After university, I spent a year backpacking around Europe with friends and working from time to time. I was 21 years old and fell madly in love with France. I lived in Quebec for a few years as a child so already had a slight grasp of the language, which helped. I was simply captivated by the beauty everywhere we went and amazed that one country could offer so much variety from one departement to the next. I have been fortunate to return many times throughout my life. Forty-five years later that love has only grown!
5) How does France inspire your writing?
Patricia: I know I see France through the eyes of a romantic, as my French friends constantly tell me, but I see beauty everywhere including the crumbling ruins, peeling paint and uneven cobblestones. I’m also a photographer and the photo ops are endless. I love all the old doors and ancient keyholes! It all galvanizes me to sit down and write. When I was writing in Antibes for five months, as I sat at my computer I looked out over the harbor, across the Baie des Anges to Nice and the Alps beyond. That view with the spectacular changing light was more inspiring than I can describe.
6) Imagine you are sitting outside a French café at 10.00am on a sunny morning watching the world go by, what do you order from the waiter?
Patricia: Un cappuccino, de l’eau, un croissant, s’il vous plait.
7) What is your favourite thing to buy in a Boulangerie/Patisserie?
Patricia: a.m. – Pain aux raisins   p.m. – Tarte aux citron meringuée.
8) France has many different cheeses, a silly question, but which French cheese are you? A hard and mature Tome, a soft, fresh and lively goat cheese, the creamy and rich Camembert or maybe the salty and serious Roquefort?
Patricia: I guess at this point in life I would have to be an ‘entre deux’ Cantal that has aged a little longer! Its strength and taste increase with age and I like to think that way about life.
9) Can you describe your perfect French apero for us the drink, the nibbles, the location and the company?
Patricia: Bien sur! Pastis (Ricard) served with lightly salted peanuts on a terrace in a shaded square of a town or village, with my husband and other friends, chatting and laughing as we watch the late afternoon activity or local boules contests.
10) Do you have any plans to visit France again soon?
Patricia: I am counting the days to September 12 when we will spend a month in Nice. I am going to have a book launch party at the English Book Shop in Antibes and am excited beyond words about that! Come and join us! (FVD: now wouldn’t that be lovely, having read your book, I need to visit Antibes!) In 2014 we hope to spend an extended time in France once again and will work it around the 10-day women’s tour I will be leading in June.
11) Do you have any current projects you would like to tell my readers about?
Patricia: I have had many readers ask when my next novel will be out so I am motivated to make progress on that. The story is simmering now and will be partly set in the south of France once again. There is just so much to write about!
Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about France and you.
Patricia: It was great fun! Thanks for asking!
Promise of Provence Banner
You can find Patricia on her blog, website, Facebook,Facebook page, Twitter and Goodreads.
It is such a buzz talking about places we love to visit. Where is your favourite spot and what makes it that? You know I love to hear your stories … I’m waiting …

 

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog Tagged With: Antibes, cycling, France, France Blog Tours, Poitou-Charentes, Provence, The French Village Diaries, The Promise of Provence

Heroes and books …

May 28, 2013 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

Members of the Wounded Warriors of Canada joined other servicemen and women from the U.S. and Britain to begin this ride from Paris, France yesterday, May 27th. They will reach London on June 2nd after cycling past historic battlefields from World Wars I and II and paying homage to all who sacrificed for our freedom. In London 1,300 other riders taking part in the 2013 Hero Ride will join them, cycling to the capital from all corners of the country.

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While we are talking about heroes, I also want to shine a spotlight on a couple of literacy programs. logo-rtfRead To Feed is a school-based program whose tag line is “Teaching Children to Be Everyday Heroes”. It delivers a reading incentive service-learning agenda that offers global education opportunities and fosters in children a love for reading, a passion to help others and a motivation to make a difference in creating a better world.

As students read through teacher-organized programs, they collect pledges that will be collected as they reach their reading goals. As the website attests, “No matter the size of the gift, the impact is great. Just $20 buys a flock of chicks, which can provide a family protein through eggs and an income. For $60, students can buy trees to provide fruit for a family and at the same time help protect the soil. For $120, students can give a family a goat, which provides milk for the home and to sell for income to pay for school fees, medical care and to use to build a better, more hopeful life.”

Equally as important are programs that benefit those in our own countriesRetouched_NNP_2-338x348 and Project Night Night is one. No one needs to be reminded that children are the innocent victims of so many situations that forever impact their life. This organization works with 10,000 volunteers each year to provide homeless children with a “night-time comfort package” which includes a stuffed animal, an age appropriate book and a security blanket. Here’s how you can get involved.

Recently, a friend in Toronto told me about a birthday party her ten-year-old had attended where the guests were asked to bring a new book or two as their gift. These were all donated to the Children’s Book Bank, an organization that ensures books are made available to children who otherwise might go without.

logoThe birthday girl and her parents delivered the books to the Book Bank’s office the following weekend and a thank-you card was sent to each child who had donated. I thought it was one of the best birthday ideas I had heard in a long time! If you have heard of similar opportunities that encourage children’s involvement in charitable undertakings, let me know. I love passing news like this on!

BookExpo America begins tomorrow in New York City. Bookaholics rejoice! The biggesbook-expo-americat event in North America for the book publishing industry, it brings together publishers, editors, agents, authors and readers. The public is welcome to attend and discover the newest books and authors from around the world. It’s a regular Lollapalooza for book lovers!

Next year one of my goals is to be there in the midst of all the exciting book buzz. Are you going?

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog Tagged With: Children's Book Bank, cycling, literacy, Patricia Sands, Project Night Night, Read to Feed, Toronto, Wounded Warriors

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