Patricia Sands

Author

ForeWord 2010 Book Of The Year Finalist

Women – It’s Your Choice

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Sunday, January 22, 2012 marks the 39th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that decriminalized abortion throughout the United States. As a result, generations of women have had the right to safe and legal reproductive choices.  Anti-choice forces and politicians never quite working to overturn this decision and to pass laws and regulations that make abortion more difficult to obtain.

PRO CHOICE PIN BUTTON BADGE LOT FEMINIST RIOT GRRL GIRL - eBay (item...

PRO CHOICE PIN BUTTON BADGE LOT FEMINIST RIOT GRRL GIRL – eBay (item… (clipped to polyvore.com)

In Canada the Roe Vs. Wade decision inspired Dr. Henry Morgentaler to openly challenge the Canadian abortion law by publicly announcing in 1973 that he had performed more than 5000 abortions at his Montreal clinic. This caused Morgentaler to be subjected to a long judicial process that finally ended when the Supreme Court of Canada declared the abortion law invalid in 1988.

In 2012 abortion access is relatively good across Canada, but some provincial governments have tried unsuccessfully to obstruct efforts to establish abortion clinics.

The court decisions in the US and Canada have optimized maternal health, protected women’s health, eliminated the dangers of illegal abortion, and increased the well-being of children. For every woman who cares about these issues, it’s vital to speak out and support these gains to ensure they are not lost.

For every important cause, voices must be heard!

If you support Pro-Choice, make your voice heard. Women deserve the right to choose. Mutual respect between Pro-Life and Pro-Choice supporters is the answer. It’s personal.

Writers and sun signs … what do you say?

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Do you believe in Astrology? Do you check your daily horoscope and then make a decision whether to get out of bed or pull the covers back over your head?

Last September my sun signs were reviewed by the lovely and talented Shaz, the resident astrologer for the fabulous collection of authors and reader/reviewers belonging to LoveAHappyEnding.com.  I did tweet this interview then and put it on Facebook but for some reason I missed sharing it on my blog … I’m sure that forgetfulness has something to do with where the moon and stars were aligned on that particular date … I’ll have to check with Shaz!

Shaz’s Stars talks to Patricia Sands

Category: Shaz’ Stars

Shaz’s Stars – Welcome to the regular feature on ‘The Buzz’ of Shaz’s Stars

Using sun sign astrology I have been interviewing loveahappyending.com Authors to see how the traits of their sun sign affect their craft.
Authors share with us how they’ve used positive characteristics as well as advice on how they’ve overcome negative ones.
I hope you enjoy getting to know our new Authors as much as I’ve enjoyed interviewing them.

Shaz

Twitter @shazjera: http://bit.ly/m4lPE2
Website: http://jerasjamboree.wordpress.com

In the hot seat today I would like to welcome Patricia Sands!

Hello Patricia, thank you for letting us have a peek behind the scenes. Your sun sign is LEO.

Q. A typical Leo loves glamorous locations and adventure. Have you ever researched an idea on holiday? Or taken a trip purely for research?

That’s a timely question Shaz! Are you psychic as well? As we speak, I’m spending 4 months in the south of France where I’m writing my next novel. A good portion of the story is set in this area. My husband and I arrived in Antibes on May 15 and we will be here until the end of September when we’ll return to our home in Toronto. I’m having a wonderful time feeling like I actually live here and if it weren’t for missing our family (particularly adorable grandchildren), we would stay forever!

Q. Leonine people set themselves high standards. When you edit your writing, can this become a problem and cause you frustration?

You’re right about that! I do set high standards in everything I do and sometimes need to be reminded to ease up. As a former schoolteacher, grammar is a major issue with me and I have radar that can spot a typo or a spelling error a mile away. I always like to have a proper editor go through my work as well and find the process extremely worthwhile.

Q. Leo’s love drama. A typical Leo will dislike safety. Do you take risks in your writing projects?

I’m not sure about the drama part ( I love to watch it!) but I am a risk-taker. I do have a comfort zone when it comes to the topics about which I write but within those topics I’m prepared to push the limits. In the final chapter of my novel, The Bridge Club, I address a topic that is controversial as well as current. I was initially concerned that some readers might be offended but I felt so strongly about the subject matter that I knew I had to write about it. I’ve received very positive feedback about it and book clubs have enjoyed the discussion it generates. It’s always nice to discover that the risk was worth it!

Q. Leo energy generally expresses itself as positive thinking – positive thinking attracts opportunities. Are you a positive thinker? Can you share with us a time when positive thinking brought a blessing?

I am a positive thinker through and through. One of my alter egos is Pollyanna Patty and I’m often teased about it! I’m thankful to my Leo energy for this and although I can’t pinpoint a specific example, I feel that I have been blessed through my life as the result of an optimistic attitude. I was widowed at 43 and gained an ever more positive outlook through that devastating experience. I truly believe that every day is a gift to appreciate and give as much to as we possibly can.

Q. In romance, Leo’s have high aspirations and are idealistic. Do any of your lead characters fulfil these expectations?

In The Bridge Club several of the characters had experienced very different dimensions of romance in their relationships but that wasn’t the main focus of any of their stories. In my next novel, still untitled, romance is very much at the forefront (spoiler alert) and the main character realizes she is only just discovering romance for the first time in her fifties. At the beginning of the story she thinks her life is pretty much over in many ways and subsequently discovers it is only just beginning. It’s never too late for romance!

Q. Smaller problems are not an issue for those ruled by the Sun which enables them to see the bigger picture. Are you able to focus on your writing projects as a whole? Does this help when you find things may not be going so well?

I tend to be a “pantser” in my writing, rather than a planner but even so I generally have a clear idea of the bigger picture. Part of the fun of writing is seeing where the characters lead you as they begin to take on lives of their own. I’m often very surprised to discover twists and turns in the story. If things aren’t going well, I step away from my writing and go for a walk or play a game of golf. When I sit down at the computer again I’m usually ready to get right back to it.

Q. The Sun, your ruler, bestows life and light to all. Leo’s get an inordinate amount of pleasure from helping others enjoy life as much as they do. Leo’s love to be in the spotlight and to shine! Do you think this energy motivates your ambition to write?

I’ve been a storyteller all my life through photography. So in that regard, I like to put others in the spotlight but my ego is constantly patting me on the back for the brilliant photo. Does that sound like a Leo? My family and my friends are the most important things in my life and making sure we are all happy and enjoying life to the fullest is what drives me. I’m really not sure what motivates me to write. What I do know is that I love the experience! (An unexpected side benefit to this adventure of being a writer is the amazing global community of writers that one meets. The amount of information sharing is without measure and the wonderful connections made are priceless.)

A perfect example is the fact that I’m sitting here with you! Thanks so much for inviting me over, Shaz, it’s been great fun!

Hop on over to Shaz’s website. This multi-talented lady is also a Reiki Master who is currently studying for a crystal healing diploma. She also teaches literacy to children with dyslexia. Pretty awesome!

What is your astrological sign? Have you ever had a reading to see how your sign impacts your personality and the choices you make? Were you surprised by what you learned or do you tend to ignore the zodiac and its implications? Let’s hear about it!

 

A busy week in the Blogosphere

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Here we are again! I swear these weeks keep getting shorter … or perhaps it was just all the time it took me this week to figure out TRIBERR.COM. Thank you Jenny Hansen for the instructions on your blog this week  including that unbelievably helpful video (which I watched about 358 times). Big hugs of gratitude to Wana711 blogging buddies Natalie Hartford and Jillian Dodd whose never-ending patience kept me sticking to it. Now that I’m in the site I don’t know what took me so long … oh, maybe it’s because I’m seriously tech challenged …

Anyway, to get fired up and back to writing I played a little of one of my favourite French singers, Zaz. You may have seen this during the summer when I first discovered her … if so, enjoy encore une fois! She’s energizing!

Here are a couple of the other reasons it was a busy week (which prevented me from spending all my spare ~ha!~ time daydreaming about France).  But wait, first I’ll just sneak in one photo to give you Francophiles something to think about until next week. This is one of my most favourite views, looking over Eze Sur Mer and St. Jean Cap Ferrat from the hilltop village of Eze. I took this shot from the castle ruin above the village. You climb up through the most amazing Jardin Exotique that was created by hand after WW2 – one stone at a time, there’s no other way! The view is worth the climb, n’est-ce pas?

Okay, where was I? Oh right, this busy week …although I have been trying to stay focused and diligent with my WIP schedule, there’s always something just way too tempting to refuse.

I was delighted to be invited to help the fabulous Marcia Richards celebrate her One Year Blogbirthday with chocolate cake, balloons and the hilarious Jess Wilkins. Hop on over to her Sexy, Smart, From The Heart website and take a look at what she forced  asked us to send her … it’s so much easier to write about others than it is ourselves. But what a party we had!

Next I channeled myself across the ocean to the U.K.. to spend some time with medium and clairvoyant Richard Holmes on his uplifting Bloggin’ With Rich site.  It was a pleasure to recount a cool memory of a rather spiritual encounter that my real Bridge Club experienced as a result of an unplanned stop one morning on a beach on Vancouver Island. You’ll find yourself in another world when you stop in at Rich’s blog. Astral traveling anyone?

Oh, and Myndi Shafer? Your Leave A Caption post on Saturday had me laughing out loud all day. The captions are priceless!

This world of writing and blogging offers incredible opportunities to come in contact with the most diverse, fascinating, amazingly ordinary people who connect and share their thoughts and experiences in unpredictable and surprising ways. Creative, humorous, thoughtful, helpful, challenging, hilarious, touching, authentic people. A community. Don’t you just feel like breaking out into a chorus of We Are Family? What a ride!

And now back to work or novel #2 will never get completed.

How do you feel about the community in which you live or work or just spend most of your time? Don’t forget to take a few moments every day to let people you value know just that!

Life – the bitter and the sweet …

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Sad news last week. Our beloved neighbourhood bookstore, The Book Mark, is being forced to close. The oldest remaining independent bookstore in Toronto will cease to do business at the end of January after 47 years in the west end Kingsway area.

In spite of the competition from the large-scale chains and online retailers, The Book Mark was managing to hold on and continue offering the personal, informed service readers truly appreciate. Loyal customers showed their appreciation through four decades, often one generation following another.

With a quiet but inviting and warm atmosphere, this is a store staffed with intelligent, avid readers who know the books they sell. There was always someone who could answer your questions and provide reliable advice. You don’t find that too often any more.  Sue Houghting, her assistant manager Sarah Pietrosky,  and their incredibly personable staff will be missed .

I am personally enormously grateful to The Book Mark. When my debut novel, The Bridge Club, was first published in the fall of 2010. I took a deep breath and asked if they would consider putting it on their shelf. Unfailingly polite, they offered to have some of their staff read it and get back to me. I was so pleased unbelievably thrilled and excited … no kidding … when they called to ask me to bring in a supply. For the past 14 months they have restocked The Bridge Club on a regular basis and sold more copies than any of us had imagined. I can’t thank The Book Mark enough for their vote of confidence in my writing and the enthusiastic support they have consistently offered.

It was heartbreaking to drop by the shop to say thank you and farewell. A constant flow of customers has been expressing sadness and frustration with the situation and gratitude for all the years this was a special shop to visit.

Oh, and the reason they are closing? The city taxes are bad enough but their landlord is asking for a 26% rent increase! Ask me who is one very unpopular person in the Toronto area right now?  I have just made a note of the name I will use for the next villain I create in my writing.

Now let’s temper this bitter local news with some sweetness from Walk Off The Earth, local (well, Burlington, Ontario is just outside Toronto) musicians whose AWE-mazing video has been viewed by over four million – OMG, now it’s almost nine million! – just this week and rocketed them into the kind of visibility they deserve.

Check out their Facebook page where they have posted this message which might well  apply to indie writers too. WE CAN RELATE!

“To all the independent musicians out there. I hope this shows that you can make a name for your band with no help from record labels and management and next to no money. Stay true to your dreams and your passions, whether they be music related or not. Don’t wait for people to help you because they never will. The only time the music industry will want to help you is when you have done all the work yourself!”

Way to go Walk Off The Earth! Here’s to continued success!

Are you still fortunate to have an indie bookstore near you? As much as e-books are a big part of authors’ lives these days, bookstores still provide a special service and I am sad to see them close. How do you feel about this? Many say it is inevitable and part of the changing times in which we live.

And then … how about Walk Off The Earth’s video? Cool or what?