Patricia Sands

Author

Kristen Lamb

Support your local bookstore … please

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Ben McNally Books – photo courtesy of BlogTO

A few weeks ago I wrote about our beloved local bookshop, The Book Mark, being forced to close.  Every time I walk by the empty store, I feel SO sad! There aren’t many inviting bookstores left with character and warmth in Toronto and those we do have need our support.

If you are downtown, plan to spend some time at Nicholas Hoare Ltd., 75 Front Street East, or Ben McNally Books at 366 Bay Street.

Both shops offer a warm, welcoming atmosphere with beautiful wood floors and shelving reminiscent of an old library. Comfortable chairs invite customers to take some time considering their purchases and informed staff are only to happy to offer assistance. If they don’t have what you want, they’ll make certain they soon have it in the store.  Another bonus, when you are ready to pay there aren’t 20 people in front of you. Have you lined up at our local big chain booksandeverythingelse store lately? Yikes!

Ben McNally also hosts fabulous Author Presentations with a brunch at the King Edward hotel on a regular basis. All the information is on their website and, seriously, you should add them to your calendar.

Nicholas Hoare Ltd. – photo courtesy of their website

In spite of the convenience of shopping online 24/7, there is so much to be said for still having the opportunity to browse in a proper bookstore. Let’s all do our part in at least attempting to keep this option alive in the areas where we live. Libraries and bookstores are a vital link in encouraging the ongoing development of literacy in every demographic of our community. It’s so easy for kids, in particular, to be sidetracked by the digital world. If family members make certain that visits to these centres are part of children’s routines, we may have a chance at helping ensure these guardians of our literary culture don’t go the way of the dinosaur.

In  a short burst of shameless self-promotion, I’ll just add that The Bridge Club is available at both of the above locations. *waving pompoms*

 Do you find that you are doing most of your book-buying online? As a Kindle convert, I have to admit to that but I make a concerted effort to drop into indie bookstores on a regular basis too. It’s really a conflicting situation! Do you have a prediction as to how it’s all going to end?

For readers who are also writers, you’ll be doing yourself a favour dropping in on:

Our fearless blogging and social media leader,Kristen Lamb, who this week talks about how Writing Is More Than Writing

And for sheer entertainment value as well as a ton of excellent information, please continue to visit members of the blog roll down the side of this page. You’ll be glad you did!

Listen to Kristen … then just do it!

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Happy New year everyone!

As 2012 gets under way, I’ve been immersed in reading other blogs about whether or not to make resolutions.It’s kind of a natural topic du jour at the beginning of January.

I stopped thinking about New Year’s resolutions years decades ago. Don’t wait for the beginning of a new year to reflect. Do it every night before you fall asleep. Personally, each morning is when I remind myself of what I want to accomplish for that day (call it setting goals, if you like) and as the mornings roll by I can usually see progress as life ebbs and flows.

I’m not saying it isn’t good to set goals, because it is absolutely necessary to do that. Set them at other times than New Year’s though – as you see the need begin to logically appear not because it’s January 1st. Set them every day. I’m just saying …

Setting small goals will lead to great success. Believe in yourself and let the little engine that could be your inspiration. You CAN do it!

Then I read Kristen Lamb’s blog post from yesterday, 2012 AND PLANNING FOR SUCCESS IN THE NEW YEAR.  I was totally blown away!  Hurry, go there now – click right here – and take it all in. She has laid it out as clearly as I have ever seen it before.  You can apply the six steps she outlines to whatever you do in life.

For those of us who write: read it and believe.

Then just do it!

Thank you, Kristen, for all you give to the writers following you.

If you are a writer and haven’t read Kristen’s best-selling books, order them now –  We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media and Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer . Both books are recommended by the hottest agents and biggest authors in the biz. Trust me, they will change the way you approach your writing and give you a bigger boost than you ever imagined possible! You only have to read the comments left on her blog to see how true this is.

After you have read Kristen’s post, I hope you will come back and leave a comment. Will you take those six points and use them as your guidelines?

 

 

Post-Thanksgiving Thankfulness

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The Thanksgiving weekend weather in southern Ontario could not have been more perfect.  This holiday is my favourite.  I love it no matter what the weather but it’s even more fun counting your blessings when the sun is shining!

Taking time to be thankful every day is a habit I have long cultivated and the … ahem … older I get the more I think about it. We all have days when issues drag us down into negative territory. That’s life! I like to recognize each day for the gift it is, grab on to it and make it the best I can.

Before  I do anything more with this fine day, there are some friends I need to thank … in fact, I should have done this some time ago.

Thanks to Social Media Goddess and Mighty Fine Lady, Kristen Lamb, whose blogging course a number of people took a few months ago, a group of bloggers came together in quite an extraordinary way. A unique cyberbond was formed. (I need to interject here that Kristen is running the course again so if you haven’t signed up … do it! Go! Right now! I’ll wait for you to come back. Click here for the link.)

Now for the overdue thanks. Recently, Tameri Etherton(A Cup Of Tea and Sorcery) , Kate MacNicol (Hanging by A Moment), Carrie Spencer (Smartass Romance) and Natalie Hartford (Life Out Loud), talented bloggers all, on separate occasions honoured me with the Liebster Blog Award. I was thrilled. It’s always fun to receive awards. Thanks to all of you! For you readers, when you have time, click on those links. You will be glad you did!

However with everything else that’s been going on in the past few weeks I am only now getting around to passing on the award. The whole point of this is to pay it forward and build community. Liebster, by the way, is a German term of affection. Very sweet.

Ok, then, these are the *rules*: this award is meant to highlight newer blogs. So the blogger receiving the award links back to the blogger who awarded him/her, and tags 3-5 people. For those I am about to award, I should also point out there is no obligation to continue this award. If this is not your cup of tea, don’t worry.

Naomi Bulger, Messages In A Bottle, author of Airmail, a wonderful quick read that is quirky, magical and thought-inspiring … just like her unique blog. Don’t miss it!

Linn B. Halton, author of Touched By The Light and founder of the fabulous loveahappyending.com website which brings together writers, readers, reviewers and literati in general around the world.

Barbara Conelli, author of Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, who writes about Italy in a way that makes you feel you are there!

Patricia Caviglia, author of Masks, and a young woman who speaks to the reality of juggling the demands of parenting, the day job, and being an author.

Congratulations ladies! Pick up the award and put it on your website. This award means you deserve to be recognized.
Do with it what you will!

Then – tadaaaaaa – last week this award arrived from my friend and fellow blogger, Angela Orlowski-Peart, who writes from the heart and has the best smile ever!

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated me.
2. Share seven random facts about myself – which I did here.
3. Pass the award along to deserving blogging buddies.
4. Contact those buddies to congratulate them.
I’m passing this award on to Amy at Everything But The Kid, who puts more energy into every single thing she does than anyone else I know … and always with the cheeriest attitude.
Thanks again all of you, for your thoughtfulness, support, and enthusiasm. Blog on, my friends!

I have a confession to make …

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Okay, here are my excuses for not having a post organized for today:

1. Our wifi was down for five days.

2. Every time I went to an internet cafe I was distracted by all the cool stuff going on around me. Even in the quietest location it was all just happening … um, maybe my timing was off … happy hour is always happy, isn’t it …

3. I’m packing and organizing to return to Toronto after our four and a half months in Antibes.

4. Our French friends keep organizing “au revoir” moments (Seriously, my hairdresser is even closing her shop so a few of us can share lunch there tomorrow, how sweet is that? It will be my last opportunity to stumble through a social engagement entirely in French with three women whose laughter is contagious and who patiently explain until I get it too.)

5. With the internet unavailable at home the “distraction quotient”, a common writer’s issue, was greatly reduced. I got on a roll with my manuscript and made great headway this past week. A few unexpected characters  found their way into the story and I’ve been having a fine time developing them. I like it when that happens. I feel energized about the story and hopefully will be able to stay on track and complete it by December.

Now that I’ve shared my list of excuses, I hope it explains why this video has nothing to do with anything except entertainment. One of our kids sent it to me a few months ago and I watch it from time to time (did I mention the “distraction quotient”?) because it is just so much fun. It’s been around, so whether you are viewing it for the first time or the umpteenth, enjoy!  Then send it on to someone you know who will smile just as much when they watch it. Tillman rocks!

This week helped remind me that I need to spend less time on internet demands and more time on actual writing. I’ve got to keep Kristen Lamb’s words ringing in my ear!  If you are a writer or a blogger and haven’t taken her awesome blogging and social media online course, click here and sign up now. She puts it all in perspective.

Enjoy these last few days of September!