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Patricia Sands

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East of Malaga

Take off, eh?

May 15, 2014 by Patricia Sands 36 Comments

canstockphoto16657101Ahhhhhh … I can feel it now … there’s something about the takeoff of a plane that is both exhilarating and calming for me. I LOVE IT!

The whirlwind of the past month will slowly dissipate at I settle into my seat on our flight to Zurich, Switzerland, later this afternoon. I’ve felt a touch of guilt (it’s part of a writer’s lot in life, I have come to learn … ) for not posting for almost two weeks here but life has been crazy. The best remedy for me? TRAVEL! And here we go!

First a quick recap:

I’m still processing all the helpful and exciting information picked up at the PubSmart conference in Charleston, SC, last month and blogger extraordinaire, Molly Greene, is PubSmart_logo_290publishing a post I sent her about it. I’ll share that with you here as soon as I get the link later today, so pop back if you are interested. There’s a photo of me with the talented and handsome young Hugh Howey … I was feeling my age when I realized I felt like a proud mother listening to him speak. He truly is a great voice for indie authors!

In the few weeks we were home in Toronto, we had five family birthdays to celebrate plus Mother’s Day. Just catching up with our wonderful, large family, and shmoozing with friends before we leave again, was a challenge! But we did it!

Not realizing what I was getting into, I spent three days at MetalWorks Recording Studios IMG_2013 (… talk about feeling like a rock star when you walk into their studios … that will be another post …what an experience!) creating an audiobook of The Bridge Club. I’ll have to go back and finish in August but I can’t say enough for the very patient sound engineer who has been guiding me along. I now have tremendous respect for the artists who do these recordings as their craft! I ended up sitting on my hands for hours so I wouldn’t wildly gesticulate, as I apparently do!

My new manuscript is with my editor and I am eagerly awaiting her comments. I love this part of the process!  The same accomplished artist who created the cover for The Promise of Provence is at work on the cover for this new novel and he showed me the almost completed work this week. I’m thrilled! At the moment, I feel we are on track for a July release of the ebook and the print will follow.

The subscribers to my newsletter are helping me decide on the title and I love having the involvement of these enthusiastic and supportive readers. There’s a link on the right side of this page or click right here if you would like to join us!

IMG_2042And then there was a terrific all-day writers’ workshop with novelist/blogger Chuck Wendig of the edgy Terrible Minds website. I thought it would be fun for us to say “Hi” to my friend, Colorado writer Susie Lindau, who I knew had met Chuck at the Pikes Peak Writers Conference just a few weeks ago. Chuck does get around!

It was great to reconnect with a lot of local writing friends and, in particular to congratulate Sherry Isaac who, the previous week in Chicago, won the prestigious Fire and Ice award for Women’s Fiction with Romantic Elements. In 2009, Sherry also won the Alice Munro Short Story Award. If you haven’t read any of her work, you should. You’ll find links to all of her exceptional writing on her website.

Okay … so back to travel … which I told you a bit about in my last post. My camera is ready to go to work (I can feel it pulsating … seriously … it’s been almost seven months …) and I have a new iPad Air, so I can try out some video blogs!  I’ll check in with you from Switzerland, France and Vienna and knowing you are keeping me company makes the travel even more pleasure-filled!

While we are on the topic of globe-trotting, here’s a bit about Spain. When I read Marianne’s post this morning, I knew I had to share it!

Here’s the preamble.

My wonderful, adventuresome sister lives in a small village south of Granada (now THERE’S a story … some day …) and I love to spend time with here there. It’s been a few years now but next year it is on the books for certain! I’m not sure why I just told you this … I guess because I have Spain on my mind at the moment and here’s why.

I want to share this link from Marianne’s blog, East of Malaga … a favourite of cartel2014_enmine. A gifted blogger and photographer, she shares her part of the world with us every week and now you can be as overwhelmed as I was with the floral opulence and glory of her visit to Cordoba’s recent Patio Festival.

Cordoba is a “must-see” destination at any time, in particular to revel in the spiritual and architectural splendour that is the Mezquite. Now you can consider planning a visit to coincide with La Fiesta de Los Patios de Cordoba.

Can you imagine watering all those pots?

If you haven’t visited Spain yet, be sure to add it to your wish list. Like every other European country, the history, beauty, food and culture leave you with unique and lasting experiences.

In two weeks, my Friday France posts will be back … on location … OOH LA LA  … be still my heart … from Nice! In the meantime I hope you enjoying hanging out with me wherever I happen to be. I can hear those Swiss cowbells clanking softly now …

Hmmm – it has been a busy time! Do you have any travel planned this year and how do you feel about flying? Even if you are staying home (and sometimes that’s the best place to be!), any time you want to take a trip you can do so from your armchair these days with a good book or a video. Rick Steves’ travel videos are among my favourite ~ just click that link, choose your destination of choice and away you go! Bon voyage!

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Filed Under: Blog, News Tagged With: Chuck Wendig, East of Malaga, France, Hugh Howey, Metalworks Recording Studios, PubSmartCon, Sherry Isaac, Spain, Susie LIndau, The Bridge Club, The Promise of Provence, Toronto

CBBH Photo Challenge: Ancient & Modern

August 13, 2013 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

You know how I love photo challenges! When I saw this month’s topic on the CBBH Photo Challenge on Marianne’s East of Malaga blog, I knew precisely which photos I wanted to use.  In all of our travels, nowhere was the contrast between ancient and modern more vivid to me than in Rome.  With the blink of an eye, the new contrasted with the old no matter where you looked.

First, then …

Forum/Rome-PSandsPhotos
Forum/Rome-PSandsPhotos
Colosseum/Rome-PSandsPhotos
Colosseum/Rome-PSandsPhotos

Where the price of entertainment could be your life …

Colosseum/Rome-PSandsPhotos
Colosseum/Rome-PSandsPhotos

And now …

Via Condotti/Rome-PSandsPhotos
Via Condotti/Rome-PSandsPhotos
Via Condotti/Rome-PSandsPhotos
Via Condotti/Rome-PSandsPhotos

Where the price of entertainment could still be your life …

Rome-PSandsPhotos
Rome-PSandsPhotos

Part of the fun of this challenge is visiting other participants’ blogs to see what photos they have chosen. Here are just a couple of my favourites!

Don’t miss this fabulous post~secrets of Paris revealed! Theurgetowander.com

And a look at ancient and modern in Scandinavia – Forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com

This challenge got me thinking about what might be good subject matter for ancient and modern in my own back yard. It’s not so obvious in a young country like Canada but I’m taking my camera one of these days and thinking outside the box. Where would you look?

 

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Filed Under: Blog, Photo blogs Tagged With: ancient, CBBH PHOTO CHALLENGE, Denmark, East of Malaga, modern, Norway, Paris, Patricia Sands, Rome, The Bridge Club, The Promise of Provence

CBBH Photo Challenge: Windows

October 21, 2012 by Patricia Sands 14 Comments

NICE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
NICE-PatriciaSandsPhotos

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Okay, I know it’s Sunday, not Friday, … life is crazy but I am still managing to keep track of the days … honest!

Out of respect I wanted to leave my post about Amanda Todd in place all last week. Thus and therefore, I’m a tad late with my Friday post. This week I’m combining it with some new photography fun.

I’m hooked into another photo challenge! Oh yes I am. I was introduced to it through the friendly MegTraveling blog I follow and couldn’t resist, especially when the subject for October is “windows”. This challenge is monthly and it originates from the fabulous East Of Malaga blog. I still want to do the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge too so I will have to see how I can fit it all in. You know how I love to share my photos and enjoy yours.

Here are two  brilliant photography blogs I recommend: Chronicles of Illusions and artistic.  After you finish peeking through my windows, hurry on over to visit them.

You also know by now that I’m a self-confessed travel junkie and have been taking photographs since I was six years old. It’s a deadly combination when I’m on a trip … the shutter simply gets steaming! In Europe, doors and windows are irresistible to me.  Here are a few of my contributions to this challenge and … um, no surprise here … guess from where …

NICE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
NICE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
MOUGINS-PatriciaSandsPhotos
MOUGINS-PatriciaSandsPhotos
PatriciaSandsPhotos
PatriciaSandsPhotos
ST.CESAIRE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
ST.CESAIRE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
NICE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
NICE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
GRASSE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
GRASSE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
ANTIBES-PatriciaSandsPhotos
ANTIBES-PatriciaSandsPhotos
NICE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
NICE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-MER-PatriciaSandsPhotos
VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-MER-PatriciaSandsPhotos
GRASSE-PhotosPatriciaSands
GRASSE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
GRASSE-PatriciaSandsPhoto
GRASSE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
NICE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
NICE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
VALBONNE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
VALBONNE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
NICE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
NICE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
GRASSE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
GRASSE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
GRASSE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
GRASSE-PatriciaSandsPhotos
ANTIBES-PatriciaSandsPhotos
ANTIBES-PatriciaSandsPhotos

ANTIBES-PatriciaSandsPhotos
ANTIBES-PatriciaSandsPhotos

Do you take photos of windows when you travel? If you were strolling down the street below, would those green shutters have captured your imagination? I have some good friends who don’t take any photos when they travel! Imagine! What’s your pleasure?

ANTIBES-PatriciaSandsPhotos

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Filed Under: Blog, If it is France..., Photo blogs Tagged With: Antibes, Cote D'Azur, East of Malaga, France, Grasse, Nice, Patricia Sands, photography, travel, Valbonne, Villefranche-Sur-Mer

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