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Patricia Sands

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friendship

A little taste of Italy continued …

July 3, 2012 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

Last week author Barbara Conelli dropped by and wrote a fabulous post about being a travel writer. Today she’s taking a little time out from searching for Rome’s best secrets, to answer a few questions. She’s not staying here long and I don’t blame her … in fact I’m still working on beaming myself over to Italy to hang out there with her … Who else wants to come?

PS  –  Your new book, Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore, is filled with so many fantastic tips and secrets that only a native would know. How long did it take you to compile all of this delicious and delightful information?

Thank you very much, Patricia! It’s been an ongoing process. Milan has been my long-time companion and my home away from home. My grandma was born there, I lived, studied and worked there for years, and the city is full of memories of friends, loves and delicious adventures. I’ve been collecting those urban and gastronomic secrets for years, writing them down in my travel journals. I love becoming a part of the city and simply submerging myself in its vibe and magic. When I decided to write the books, it was actually hard to choose what to use and what to leave out. I could write five more book about Milan, and I’d probably still have lots of material left.

PS –  The people who own and run the establishments you mention, must be delighted with the lovely write-ups in your book. Do you receive much feedback from them?

Yes! It’s so wonderful, and it touches my heart each time it happens. They send me beautiful e-mails, they are my fans on Facebook and follow me on Twitter, and many of them have become my friends. They appreciate the fact I have written about them with genuine love and interest, and seeing their joy is a wonderful reward. It always surprises me to hear from them, and it makes me happy.

PS –  While this book focuses on Milan, your first book Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, covered a wider range of places including Cinque Terre and Lake Como. Do you have a third book planned and is your summer stay in Rome giving us a hint as to the topic?

Yes! My next Chique Travel Book is going to be about Rome, and I have a feeling it will be even more delightful. I’ve been to Rome many times before, but this time I’m really exploring the city off the beaten track, and what I have found and discovered so far is just fantastic. I believe no book has ever shown Rome the way I’m going to show it to my readers.

PS – There are so many good things to talk about when the topic of visiting Italy arises and eating is very close to the top of the list. If you could only choose one dish to eat in an Italian restaurant, what would it be?

Oh, this is a really difficult question! I’m a gourmet, and food is my lifelong passion. I love eating out and I enjoy exploring new restaurants and dishes. Choosing just one is very hard, but right now I would say it is fish soup the way it’s made at a very special place in Rome. I’m not going to reveal it yet because it’s an upcoming topic for my blog, and maybe for my book as well, but it is absolutely one of the best dishes I’ve ever tasted, and one of the most amazing restaurants I’ve ever visited.

PS –  The blog post you wrote last week for us was filled with excellent information for aspiring travel writers … and travellers, for that matter. When you look back at your early days, is there anything you would have done differently in getting to where you are today?

Thank you for this question! You know, I totally believe that at each moment we are exactly where we are meant to be. Every single moment crafts our personality, helps us grow and become better. Looking back, I can see that I could have made different choices on many occasions, but at the same time, I understand the impact that particular choice had on my life, and I would never ever want to change that life experience. It hasn’t always been easy, as I seem to have a knack for drama ;), but it has always been delicious and very Chique; and I hope to keep it that way.

Grazie mille,Barb! Thanks so much for taking time from your very exciting stay in Rome to chat with us. I check into your blog regularly to see what adventures you have been having and I’m sure many of my dear readers will be doing the same. If we can’t actually be there right now, we can have some fun that way! I can’t wait until you move on to Venice in August! Safe travels, my friend.

Have you, dear readers, visited Italy? What is your favourite memory from there? If you haven’t made it over there yet, is there a fantastic Italian restaurant near you? Tell us about it and share your favourite Italian dish. Hmm, I’m getting hungry just thinking about it and we have a magnifico Italian bistro within walking distance. Ciao for now!

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Filed Under: Blog, General Travel Tagged With: Barbara Conelli, Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore, Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, friendship, Italy, Patricia Sands, Rome, The Bridge Club, the power of friendship, travel, travel to Italy, Women

Channeling Mr. Rogers …

June 12, 2012 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

Photo credit – Wikipedia

It’s a beautiful day in the neighbourhood, a beautiful day for a neighbour, would you be mine, could you be mine … *channeling Mr. Rogers* … and there’s a lot of blog-hopping going on today, which always guarantees a great time!

For some reason, I’ve been humming the theme song from  the Mr. Rogers show all day. But … hey … his show was all about friendship and that’s what I’m talking about with my friend Jess today.  I must be having some sort of psychic connection with Fred … goodness knows I watched at least a zillion of his shows when our children were small!

I’m hanging out at the Happiness Project with the fabulous Jess Witkins, a young woman with the most brilliant smile and a sunny attitude to match. How could you not want to rush over to a blog with that handle?

As well as spreading happiness, Jess is working on her first novel and we are all following her progress with great anticipation. Write on, Jess!

She’s been telling me recently about her fabulous book club and we got talking about friendship and  … well … click right here and hop on over to join our chat. You know I’m all about friendship! We would love to hear from you AND THERE’S A GIVEAWAY INVOLVED. See you there!

To make the day even better, best-selling author and dear friend, Steena Holmes … (um, she’s a bit on the shy side … could her photo be any smaller? Steena, we have to talk!)

Anyway, the awesome and talented Steena is here to share her exciting news! Her latest novel, “Finding Emma” has just won the 2012 Indie Excellence Award in the Fiction category. It’s a gripping, emotional story which I was privileged to read and review just as it was published and it is most worthy of all the kudos being received.

Along with that, Steena is contributing a portion of the proceeds from sales to the Missing Children Society of Canada.

If you haven’t read it yet, here’s the Amazon link. BUT WE ARE ALSO GIVING AWAY AN E-COPY HERE! Woohoo!

Steena has an amazing blog tour in progress, hosted by Women On Writing, and you can find a list of all of her stops on her website as well as details about a Scavenger Hunt … seriously!  Honestly, this woman is creative!  She has written some terrific posts that truly hit home about parenting … and the subject of chocolate does come up from time to time as well!

Just leave a comment below this post and then click here to go to Steena’s blog to leave a comment after you read her excellent post about her thoughts on winning an award. We will employ our highly scientific method of putting all the names in a hat and having my DH pick out the winner!

Ahem, pardon me for nudging Steena just a little to the side of the spotlight for a second to share the news that The Bridge Club was a Finalist in the Women’s Issues category for the 2012 Indie Excellence Awards. It was fun to find both of us there when they sent out the list of Winners and Finalists. Yay, us!

I know you are going to enjoy getting to know these two fine friends of mine. In the author/blogger community we often pop around to each other’s sites. It’s the cyber equivalent of meeting up at the local coffee emporium, martini bar, or chocolateria. Where do you like to hang out with your friends? 

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog Tagged With: 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist, 2012 Indie Excellence Book Awards, Finding Emma, ForeWord 2010 Book Of The Year Finalist, Fred Rogers, friendship, Happiness Project, honesty between friends, Jess Witkins, lifelong friendship, Missing Children Society of Canada, Mr. Rogers, Patricia Sands, scavenger hunt, Steena Holmes, The Bridge Club, the power of friendship, the value of laughter, Toronto, Women, Women On Writing, writing

Get “Hooked” Right Here!

April 24, 2012 by Patricia Sands 26 Comments

As you all know by now, sharing stories is something I love to do. Whether it’s talking about truly worthwhile causes like the new fund-raising idea for breast cancer begun by Donna Sheehan in Toronto or introducing you to one of the many wonderful writers or reviewers in our online community, it’s always a pleasure for me … a real buzz … truly!

Today I would like you to meet Tele Aadsen from Sitka, Alaska, who is not only a gifted writer and blogger on her website Hooked, but whose day (and night) job in the summer is one of the most interesting I’ve ever come across. I know you are going to agree.

I stumbled across Tele’s blog by accident last year and have been an avid subscriber ever since. An online connection grew and I’m proud to consider her a friend. After getting to know her here, I have no doubt you are going to want to check out her posts on Hooked and her partner Cap’n J’s spectacular photography on his website.

Nerka with Mt. Fairweather

Tele, you bring your days at sea to life so vividly we can almost feel the motion of the Nerka as she rides the waves. What is the average schedule of the Nerka in a year? What is your schedule like during the “season”? Are you able to do much writing while at sea or do you wait until you are back in safe harbour? Do you return every evening? How do you spend your off-season?
For 6 months a year, the Nerka is home to me, my partner Joel, and Bear the Boat Cat – our 43-foot universe. Sitka, Alaska, is our home port, and we move aboard in March to do boat maintenance and some small salmon openings. I hop on a friend’s boat in May to crew for halibut and black cod, then return to the Nerka for our primary salmon season, July-September.
Joel and I fling ourselves into a silver-scaled marathon, determined to spend as much time with our hooks in the water as conditions allow. Sometimes we’re trolling 40 miles off-shore, unable to see land, sleeping in the waves’ embrace. Other times we’re nestled against the Southeast Alaskan coastline, anchoring in protected coves, air heavy with the songs of Swainson’s thrush and the scent of the Tongass National Forest. We process and blast-freeze our salmon to be market-ready, which means we stay out until the Nerka is full – up to several weeks at a time.
This intense pace isn’t very conducive to writing. I prioritize getting a blog post up when we come back to land, but that’s a 1-2 day whirlwind of delivering fish, getting groceries, showers, doing laundry, any emergent boat projects. My best writing opportunities are in the off-season, when we’re ashore in Washington State. Our goal is to catch enough salmon that we can devote our winter to our respective passions – writing for me, landscape photography for him.
I love how you refer to Bear the Boat Cat as the Chief Morale Officer! Do you know how old she is? Have you ever had any other executive crew on board before Bear?
Growing up fishing with my mom, I always had a boat cat. Joel had never had a pet on board. We got together in 2004; he began running the Nerka the following year. I initially refused to work for him – had my own identity as a deckhand, and didn’t want to be “the girlfriend” onboard. But being on separate boats, waving to each other across the water for weeks on end, was a bit of a bummer, and negotiations took place… I said I’d be his crew if we got a boat cat!
Bear joined our crew in 2006. She’s remarkably adaptable, very forgiving of our transient lifestyle. She came from the Sitka Animal Shelter, and we think she’s about 9. Bear’s adoption is a fabulously Alaskan story that I plan to post in July – stay tuned!

When did you begin writing and what has been your experience so far? Do you plan to publish your work? Was it difficult to organize the writers’ group during the winter? There appear to be some very talented folks in it.
I’m an awkward, word-fumbling introvert in person. Writing has always been my safety net, the best way for me to process and connect. For much of my 20’s, though, I was more lapsed writer than practicing! I dreamed of the fishing memoir I’d write “someday,” but allowed fear and laziness to hold me back. In November 2010, I reconnected with my former colleague Cami Ostman, author of an inspiring memoir. Endlessly encouraging, she made me believe that I could write my book – if I was willing to do the work.
That was a turning point. So often, when we take an audacious “here goes” leap and truly give ourselves to our dreams, the pieces fall into place. I was so hungry for a writing community; Red Wheelbarrow Writers provided inspiring teachers, mentors, and gifted friends. I lacked discipline and accountability; my blog readers created a dialogue that makes me eager to engage. They’ve all infused me with a confidence and commitment that I didn’t have on my own. So yes, publication is a goal, and I’m preparing to shop that long-dreamed memoir.

Tele writing on anchor 2011

An important aspect of your blog is the way you help the rest of us gain an understanding of the delicate balance of nature viewed from your perspective, as well as important environmental issues. What are your major concerns in this regard?
Pop culture often presents commercial fishing as a catch-all-you-can, man-against-nature fury. But for me, fishing isn’t just about making a living on the water – I’m making a life, and want it to reflect values of sustainability, quality over quantity, connection with each fish and our surroundings. As a writer, I want others to experience the joys and challenges of this stunning region. A key point is that Hooked is – as you said – from my perspective. I’m not a scientist or a journalist. I’m a tree hugging, tofu eating fisherman, a woman in a male-dominated industry, sharing my experiences at sea, in a small island community, working/living in a very small space with my sweetheart.

Your partner, Joel (aka Cap’n J) is a talented photographer. Is his work published anywhere or does he sell it privately?

T and J with big glazed kings

Thanks for asking! Photography is to Joel what writing is to me; he gets his soul food being amongst mountains and forests. This is a relatively new passion – he’s been doing landscape photography for less than 2 years, and is currently building his website to market his work. Please watch for www.joelbradypower.com in the fall; until then, you can view some of his work here.

Patricia, one of the things I love about your blog is the community you’ve created around you, people coming together from such diverse life experiences, appreciating each other’s unique stories. I’m honored to be included – thank you for having me!

The pleasure was mine and my dear readers. The unique story of every single person is what makes every day such an adventure. I feel fortunate to have a platform to share these stories.

Good luck with the fishing season! We will all be looking forward to following your continuing journey both on and off the seas.

How cool is this? What’s one of the most interesting careers you have come across amongst your friends? For the writers reading this, can you imagine including settings in your work such as the ones Tele encounters? Have you ever written about the sea?

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog Tagged With: 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist, Alaska landscape photography, Cami Ostman, Canadian Breast Cancer Support Fund, Cap'n J, Donna Sheehan, follow your dreams, ForeWord 2010 Book Of The Year Finalist, friendship, Nerka, Patricia Sands, Red Wheelbarrow Writes, salmon fishing, Tele Aadsen, The Bridge Club, the power of friendship, Women, writing

Meet Claire McAlpine, Reviewer Extraordinaire

March 30, 2012 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

From the Office of Tourism website

Last Friday we spent some time in beautiful Aix-En-Provence. Today I want to introduce you to a young writer and reviewer living there. I’ve been following her blog, Word By Word, for a while now and I’m sure you are going to want to add it to your list too!

Claire McAlpine writes book reviews that are a pleasure to read as much for her own literary style as for the book. She has a fine way with words … truly magnifique!

In her own words – About Me. I am originally from New Zealand, leaving when I was 26 to travel the world, basing myself in London, England. I met my husband in Aix en Provence on my way from London to a small fishing village in Italy (where my first novel is set) and when my daughter was born we went to NZ for a few years before deciding to live in France.

 Despite a career in Marketing, I’ve always had other passions and desired a lifestyle that could include them. I studied Aromatherapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine in London which I now practice as well as teaching english as a second language to adults. I also write a monthly travel guide on the city of Marseille. I love to write fiction and continue practicing and I adore reading.

Word by Word (http://clairemca.wordpress.com) is part of my journey and where currently my reading and writing meet not just each other but that wonderful community of others like us out there.

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the French government was removing the term “mademoiselle” from all of the official forms and documents. Around the same time, Claire wrote a super-interesting post about the French language. Click here to read what she had to say.

*Drum roll and fireworks* Claire recently received The Versatile Blogger Award and posted these seven random facts about herself:

  1. I am an Aquarian.
  2. The 1600-acre hill country sheep farm where I spent my childhood was one of the Middle Earth locations in the film ‘Lord of the Rings’.
  3. 
I once worked on the 104 foot (30m) tall ship ‘The Golden Plover”. I was employed as a hydro ceramic engineer (dishwasher), except when the Captain or 1stmate shouted “all hands on deck”.
  4. I have visited more than 30 countries.
  5. I was a bridesmaid at a traditional African wedding in Lagos, Nigeria.
  6. I am married to a man who was born in a manger refugee camp in Bethlehem whose name starts with J.
  7. I like to read Buddhist philosophy.
How’s that for a good story?  Find some time to spend on Claire’s website and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Claire, and letting the gentle readers here have a peek into your world. I’ve got to dash over to your place now and see what you are reviewing – wouldn’t miss it!
Word By Word … Books I’ve Enjoyed, Journeys I’ve Loved, Places That Inspire
Don’t you love the opportunities we have in the blogosphere to hear stories like Claire’s? It’s such a pleasure to share them with you and I know you’ve got some to shout out too. Go ahead. Share them. 
A big thank you and cyber-hug to awesome blogger Amber West, once again, for the reblog of her post here last Tuesday.

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog Tagged With: 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist, Aix-En-Provence, Amber West, blogging, Claire McAlpine, follow your dreams, ForeWord 2010 Book Of The Year Finalist, friendship, living in the south of France, Patricia Sands, The Bridge Club, the power of friendship, Word By Word, writing

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