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Patricia Sands

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French Riviera

Six more days!

January 25, 2022 by Patricia Sands 2 Comments

January 31 is the final day in the Kindle sale of the three novels in my Love in Provence series. I hope you have taken advantage of this great deal!

I have no control over when Amazon chooses my books for discounts and am always delighted when I receive an email from their Marketing people informing me. Discounts on books has nothing to do with the literary value and everything to do with inviting new readers to enjoy the work.

As I often mention, if you already have this series in your library, it’s very simple to gift ebooks to friends and even have them delivered on special dates. You simply click on this link when you go to buy the ebook online.

One of the great rewards for me from writing these stories is opening my email to discover messages from readers sharing how they related to the stories … how they had experienced something similar to Kat at the beginning of The Promise of Provence. Hearing people explain how they were inspired to make changes or to take chances and explore new possibilities in life is absolutely priceless to me. I’m so grateful readers take the time to share their thoughts and experiences.

If you have not read the series, here is a bit of history.

The Promise of Provence was my second novel and I wrote it as a stand alone story. You, the readers, turned it into Book One of the series. You wanted more details about Kat’s journey and it was a pleasure to write the next two books … and then the Villa des Violettes series, which is not finished … I promise!

When I knew I was going to set the story of The Promise of Provence in Antibes, my husband and I rented an apartment there for five months.

Overlooking the old town, the harbour and all the way to the Baie des Anges and the Alpes Maritimes beyond, the view was as inspiring as it was breathtaking. We really lucked out finding the unit.

Although I had the bones of the story outlined, I had not settled on exactly who Katherine would meet there. Each morning I would take my panier, my camera, and a dictionary and wind my way through the oldest ruelles to the famous daily Provençal market.

Needless to say, my camera shutter steamed on a daily basis … and no wonder we have returned year after year to this special town.

As I stood in line at the most popular cheese stand one morning, shortly after we arrived in town, I watched the busy fromager discussing a wedge of cheese with a customer and was immediately attracted … not just because he was *ahem* gorgeous.

The passion on his face and his enthusiastic body language made it obvious how much he loved his work … and the character of Philippe was born. In my halting French a few days later, I explained to the fromager about the book I was writing. For several mornings at 7 a.m., before the market opened, he was gracious about spending some time with me answering my questions and giving me a quick education on his craft. Sadly he is no longer at the market, but lives on in my novels. (I’ve always loved that he brought Katherine cheese rather than flowers on special occasions.)

And let us not forget the character, Nick, also a popular favourite with readers. Walking past the harbour each morning, his story came alive.

Now back to the market … I would take my time filling my panier with flowers, olives, fruit, veggies and whatever the dinner menu called for.

Next I would pop into one of many fine boulangeries … say no more …

And my final stop would be at Le Vieil Antibes for a café crème at my favourite table where I could take notes on village life and read the morning edition of Nice Matin, with my trusty dictionary close at hand.

My head spinning with inspiration and ideas, I would rush home to spend hours writing. How I miss those days!

Thanks for spending a few moments with my memories and the story of how Book One ~ The Promise of Provence came to be, followed later … thanks to demand from readers … by Book Two – Promises to Keep and Book Three – I Promise You This.

Please feel free to let your friends know about the sale!

Happy reading! Bonne lecture!

I love sharing the trailer for the series … let it take you away.

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, France, Photo blogs, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: Antibes, award winner, bestseller, Côte d'Azur, follow your dreams, French Riviera, I Promise You This, Kindle Daily Deal, Patricia Sands, photography, Promises To Keep, Provence, The Promise of Provence, womens fiction, writing

Pain, Amour et Chocolat

February 15, 2019 by Patricia Sands 11 Comments

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Where else but France would a Valentine’s lovefest include bread? Some might look at the title and think “pain” = heartbreak, considering the love connection, but nope, not here …  le pain is the French word for bread.

This weekend, this three-day show will tempt crowds celebrating love and all its pleasures in Antibes which, as many of you know, is my favourite place on the planet. It was my home for 4 months in when I wrote the first draft of The Promise of Provence. My husband and I have returned every year since.

More specifically this show focuses on the simple pleasures of bread, love and chocolate. Click here for the 2019 information.

This may sound crazy to some but, for me, stepping into a French boulangerie (bakery) is the same as finding yourself in the most intoxicating chocolate shop.  Seriously, the display of goods in some French bakeries is like that in an art gallery.

IMHO, no one does baking better than the French – from the basic baguette, brioche, and croissant to the morning superstars of pain au chocolat and pain au raisin to the variety of round, flat and long loaves to the cakes and pastries that scream to be eaten at any time of day or night. Delicieux!

Bread has always been a staple of the French culture but nowhere was its political significance greater than at the beginning of the French Revolution. A shortage of grain due to droughts and poor farm management caused the price of bread to increase way beyond the means of the  poor who were also being taxed outrageously while the aristocracy cavorted. For some, bread was the only meal of the day. In response to growing unrest, one government leader suggested the peasants should eat straw … hmm, not a wise move … he was soon found hung in the square, his mouth stuffed with straw.

Bread riots spread and when a rumour suggested the government was hoarding flour at Versailles, the palace was stormed. Read about The Women’s March on Versailles, October 5, 1789.  King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, went by carriage back to Paris followed by an enraged mob that grew to tens of thousands, all hell broke loose and the rest is history.

This was one of the earliest events  of the French Revolution and, although it has grown into a bit of a post-Revolutionary urban myth, it proved to be a defining moment along with the  storming of the Bastille three months earlier.Click here to read more about the French Revolution and other political and social issues that brought it about.

This is a typical lineup at least twice a day, at one of my favourite boulangeries in Antibes.

After the revolution, the government made certain bread would always be affordable for even the poorest family and, as a result, bread is surprisingly inexpensive in France. Bakeries are found in every town, down to the smallest hamlet and bread is baked twice a day. Lineups are part of the tradition and very social although you need to know what you want to order when your turn comes up. Dawdling is not a good idea!

Every region of France has its own remarkable and unique stye of cuisine and that includes bread. Virtually every meal includes bread but no side plate for it … so don’t ask for one!

So here’s to love and chocolate and … well, why not … at least if you are in France … to bread!

I don’t usually eat a lot of bread but when we are in France it’s a different story and one of my mantras is “Vive le pain” as I waddle trot off to  join the lineup for our daily supply. Fortunately visiting that part of the world also involves a lot of strenuous walking and hiking so you can fool convince yourself you’re working off that croissant! Here’s a shot of our bread board on a typical day.

How do you feel about bread? Is it part of your normal diet or a once-in-a-while treat? Do you or have you ever made your own bread or pastries? Back in the day, my grandmother and my mother made bread every week. When you travel are there places you visit that serve traditional food  you love to eat?

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Filed Under: Blog, France, If it is France..., Uncategorized Tagged With: Antibes, France, French Riviera, Patricia Sands

Think warm, please!

February 24, 2018 by Patricia Sands 11 Comments

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

I’m hearing from my friends in Nice that it is ch-ch-chilly and une vague de froid, a cold wave, is in the weather forecast. The annual Carnaval de Nice is well under way and it’s not nearly as much fun having to be bundled up to brave the elements.  So let’s think warm for everyone there!

To read about all the colourful craziness of this festival, which began in 1830, click on the following link. Margo Lestz shares the history and entertaining details in “Carnival Kings, Silly Strings, and Blooming Things”.

Even if we can’t be in Nice now, just reading about it will make you laugh. An air of warm hospitality fills the town … and, of course, temptations abound ~ such as the traditional treats les bugnes or beignets de carnaval. Deep fried pastry flavoured with orange flower water, they are simply melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Today’s post sends out vibes of warm moments in Nice, in the hopes Mother Nature will change her plans for all the eager celebrants. Surely this year’s Roi de l’Espace, King of Space, seen in this short video, must have some influence on the elements.

And even though the beach umbrellas are all stored away until summer arrives, I hope these sunny memories help stir a little warmth.

Are you having a cold wave in your neighbourhood too? Whatever you are doing, I hope you enjoy a bon weekend! 

 

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Filed Under: Blog, France, If it is France..., Uncategorized Tagged With: Carnaval de Nice, Cote D'Azur, France, French Riviera, Nice, Patricia Sands

Dreaming, I’m Always Dreaming …

January 15, 2016 by Patricia Sands 22 Comments

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Even though January is only half through, my thoughts keep floating ahead to June when we will head back to France. Here are a few things I’m dreaming about:

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The jacaranda trees will be in bloom and so will the fields of sunflowers,

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and the lavender … I can smell it now! My shutter finger is already beginning to twitch …

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There will be two glorious weeks back in Arles, following the footsteps of Van Gogh and being a flâneur … making notes … taking photos …

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And then … be still my heart … back to Antibes to discover more about Katherine and Philippe and Simone and Nick … and who knows what else …

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And Nice … oh yes, Nice … days in Nice with friends and French lessons and the turquoise waters of the Med … and more notes for stories …

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Yup, dreaming … I’m always dreaming …

Have you begun dreaming about how 2016 will be for you? Even if it’s not going to happen, it never hurts to dream. Dream along with me! I’ll take you with me on the blog and bring you to the south of France in another new novel. Avec plaisir … 

Bon weekend, everyone!

Okay, I have to admit something now. From the minute I wrote the title for this post, a song has been playing over and over in my head. You know how that happens sometimes? It has absolutely nothing to do with France … and comes from waaaaaaay back in the day for me. Probably before your time!  So I had to find it and share it … ah, yes, memories of the Friday night Teen Town dances … a great jive song too! Excusez-moi while I have a little burst of melancholy!

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Filed Under: Blog, France, If it is France..., Photo blogs, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: Antibes, Arles, Cote D'Azur, Dreams, France, French Riviera, lavender, Love In Provence, novels, photography, sunflowers, travel, trip fiction, Van Gogh, writing

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