Patricia Sands

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December Newsletter

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NL #90                                                                                      December 19, 2021

Bonjour

Well, here we go again with lockdowns and closures in spite of the best efforts of most people to be vaccinated and cautious. It’s so disappointing, but the way of the world right now. Most importantly we need to keep paying attention and taking care of ourselves and each other.

It has been heartwarming to hear from so many readers who shared positive thoughts about how they were planning to make the most of special festivities this month. Whether your traditions are for Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanza, or even if you simply celebrate each day as it comes, I hope you have found joy in special moments.

One thing that remains constant through good times and bad is the magic of story and the love we all share for books. Books capture our hearts, souls and minds. No matter what genre, they transport us into different worlds that inspire, encourage and often challenge us. They carry us away.

Here’s a quote from the beloved author, Nora Ephron. I’ve shared it before and I’m sure will do so again. I can see you all nodding agreement as you read it.

“Reading is everything. Reading makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something, learned something, become a better person. Reading makes me smarter. Reading gives me something to talk about later on. Reading is the unbelievably healthy way my attention deficit disorder medicates itself. Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it’s a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it’s a way of making contact with someone else’s imagination after a day that’s all too real. Reading is grist. Reading is bliss.”

I love this illustration! I think it says it all, don’t you?

BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS could truly be the theme for this newsletter because I am now going to share more than a few opportunities for you to pick up some good ones!

It gives me great pleasure to share a few links to add even more bliss to your reading.

I’m fortunate to have three books on sale this month. If you have already done your book buying for yourself, you can always gift ebooks to friends. It’s so easy! On Amazon, simply click the link below the words “buy now”, where it says “buy for others.” Choose your friend and the date to deliver their special gift!

And speaking of special gifts, here’s a chance to win a Kindle Fire! We are celebrating December with this giveaway. The instructions are simple and you can enter as often as you like.

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR GIVING … SO HERE’S SOMETHING FOR YOU ~ December Kindle Fire Giveaway! ~ ONLY TWO DAYS LEFT TO ENTER! GOOD LUCK!

Enter to win a new Kindle Fire. Click the link below to enter.

Here’s how to get optional extra entries: Buy any of my books and get 10 extra entries for each purchase … AND THREE OF MY BOOKS ARE ON SALE THIS MONTH ~ BONUS! EMAIL patriciasandsauthor@gmail.com or DM me a copy of the receipt for 10 extra entries.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS WITH FRIENDS. The contest will last for all of December so enter as often as you like.

Just click here to enter ~ https://kingsumo.com/…/kindle-fire-from-author-patricia…

I’m delighted that Amazon chose Drawing Lessons for a Literature & Fiction Kindle Book deal  this month and there are ten days left to pick up an ebook for $.99. Be transported to the south of France and wander the enchanting streets of charming Arles or be fascinated by the famous white horses of the Camargue.

Double click on the book trailer video below to be carried into the story. You’ve probably seen the trailer before, but I love to share it!

The next book on sale is The First Noël at the Villa des Violettes, for $1.99 until the end of December. This series was written thanks to all of you! After so many requests from readers of  my Provence trilogy to write more about all the characters, this Villa des Violettes mini-series evolved and this is Book #1.

Here’s the blurb: THE LOVE IN PROVENCE CHARACTERS ARE BACK …

Everything was going so well in Kat and Philippe’s life together. Then suddenly it wasn’t.

Roman ruins delayed the work on the Villa des Violettes. The Russian drug gang might be back in the neighbourhood. On top of that, Kat had worked herself into what Molly classified as a full blown “Christmas conundrum.” Kat wanted the holidays to work perfectly as she blended a Canadian Christmas with a Provençal Fête de Noêl for the first time in their new home. Now she’d lost her confidence and, with it, the holiday spirit. 

Philippe hoped a weekend trip to the famous Christmas markets of Strasbourg would solve everything.

As it happened, things were about to get worse.

I loved writing all of these books and in this first one I particularly had fun when I had Philippe take Kat to the famous Christmas markets in Strasbourg. Unfortunately they are closed this year due to Covid, but you can enjoy a little visit there in this story. Click here for the link.

Did you know December is The Bridge Club Tenth Anniversary Edition’s first book anniversary (bookiversary)? Did this year fly by or what?

Fans of this story know it is the perfect gift for your BFFs! Especially friends who love the game of bridge because included in the book are eight excellent bridge lessons contributed by Canada’s bridge guru, Audrey Grant. It’s a real BONUS for those friends, but you don’t need to play bridge to want to read this story. It’s about the friendship of these women from age twenty onward and the game of bridge is simply a side issue.

Did you read how easy it is to gift an ebook that I share earlier in this letter? In case you missed the instructions, I repeat ~ On Amazon, simply click the link below the words “buy now”, where it says “buy for others.” Here’s the link.

“A deeply touching story about the bonds of friendship, about finding our way, and the ability to dig deep to navigate the most challenging turning points in life. Patricia Sands captures readers from the atmospheric outset, drawing us in to this group of strong women. A poignant tale that left me truly grateful for my friends.” —Alison Ragsdale, bestselling author of Dignity and Grace.

While I’m on the subject of The Bridge Club, it is the perfect segue to introduce you to author R.J. Lee, who writes books that also involve the game of bridge but in a very different way than mine. His involve mystery, murder and mayhem!

J. Lee follows in the mystery-writing footsteps of his father, R. Keene Lee, who wrote fighter pilot and detective stories for Fiction House, publishers of WINGS Magazine and other pulp fiction periodicals in the late ’40s and ’50s. Lee was born and grew up in the Mississippi River port of Natchez but also spent thirty years living in the Crescent City of New Orleans. A graduate of the University of the South (Sewanee) where he studied creative writing under Sewanee Review editor, Andrew Lytle, Lee now resides in Oxford, Mississippi.

Here’s the blurb for this fourth book in his delightful series, publishing in March 2022:

BLURB ~ After receiving a mysterious message to hurry to King’s home, Wendy almost collides with the man’s real-estate rival, running out the front door insisting he found King dead when he arrived. Not just dead, it turns out, but murdered—crowned with one of his own award plaques.

R.J. is giving away two print copies. Two winners! To enter please send an email to patriciasandsauthor@gmail.com and let us know if you like to play the game of bridge … or not! Being a player is definitely not a prerequisite for enjoying this entertaining story.

Congratulations to last month’s winners ~ Donna Neale, Nora Conyers and Allison Scianna.

I am always grateful to author friends who generously offer free books each month and I am certain you enjoy meeting authors here who might be new to you and connecting with those you already follow. Savour their books, find out more about the writers and pass along their information to your friends. Write a short review, thanks! The best way to hear about a good book is by word of mouth from dedicated readers like you. And if you take a minute to thank an author when you win a free book or post a photo on Facebook, trust me, we all appreciate that more than you know.

Now we’re going to talk about audiobooks! Are you a fan? I definitely am and most particularly when I am in the car. I love to listen on long road trips but also turn on an audiobook when I’m running errands. It’s fun to listen to another chapter or two in between stops … and I can tell you I’ve spent a few minutes sitting in parking lots when I needed to hear what was happening next in the story!

My good friend, bestselling author of The Exit Strategy and creator of the Best of Women’s Fiction podcast, Lainey Cameron has put together this awesome Holiday Audiobook Giveaway with fifteen authors. Here are the details.

To celebrate the holidays, 15 authors have teamed up to give away 5 audiobooks each to three lucky winners! This is your chance to win audiobooks from among the best titles in women’s fiction.

Enter at bit.ly/21-audio-giveaway

Being featured on the Best Of Women’s Fiction podcast is an honor, because it means an author was considered among the best in the genre. And each of these audiobooks will entertain and hold your attention.

I’d love if you took the time to enter, and good luck!

Giveaway ends December 31st!

All the Details:

* Enter and see full rules at bit.ly/21-audio-giveaway

* Giveaway ends December 31st, 2021 at 11.59pm ET

* Giveaway sponsored by Best of Women’s Fiction podcast

* Giveaway is in no way endorsed or sponsored by Instagram or Facebook

* By giving your email you are agreeing to join the email newsletter of the participating authors but may unsubscribe at any time

* US residents only

* 3 winners of 5 audiobooks each will be chosen randomly after December 31, 2021

#womensfiction #holidaygiveaway #audiobooks

Good luck!

I know that is all a lot of information to process but, if you take your time exploring every one of the above offers, I’m sure you will find something of interest. I mean … how could you not? Happy shopping and good luck with any of the giveaways you enter.

Now here’s a SAVE THE DATE message from our author team at Blue Sky Book Chat. On January 8th we are inviting you to the 2nd Annual Cabin Fever Event! We had such fun with this last year and hope you will join us again . Over 100 of your favourite authors will be dropping by during the day to chat with you and offer free books and other prizes. On January 9th, one lucky name will be drawn to win the Grand Prize and choose from three options shown in the graphic below. It’s guaranteed to be a great day … invite friends to join in!

Whew! That was quite a bundle of book news! Now I’ve got to get back to writing one. I’m getting close to the end of edits and hope there might even be a spring publishing date. Stay tuned!

One thing we can do while some of our socializing is restricted this year, is stay home and bake. Do you have special recipes that you only bring out at holiday time? In our family it is my grandmother’s shortbread recipe. My mother baked these with my children and I’ve carried on with all of our grandchildren.

Here’s my Gram’s shortbread recipe. Give it a try! It’s simple and delicious!
1. 1 lb. salted butter – softened overnight
 
2. 1-1/2 cups golden yellow (brown) sugar (no substitution, Gram insisted)

3. 4 cups enriched white flour
 


In a glass or ceramic bowl, mix #1 and #2 thoroughly by hand (this is important) and then gradually add #3, again mixing by hand, until dough does not stick to bowl.

Flatten with your hand and cut cookie shapes. Add sprinkles if you like. 
Bake at 330 F for 10 to 12 minutes (depending on oven) on ungreased cookie sheets.

When cookies begin to look golden brown, they are done.
You can decide how dark you like them. Enjoy plain (our favorite) or add sprinkles before baking or icing when cool. 
 

WARNING: these cookies are extremely addictive! Let me know if you try them.

With the current disturbing news about the Omicron virus and the new restrictions we need to support, I’m a bit reluctant to talk about travel. However, it’s good to be hopeful and get excited about the possibility, right? I’ve booked my travel to France for June 2022 and will keep you posted. I hope we can all make plans to follow some dreams in the coming year.

Here are a couple of streets I hope to stroll in June.

In the meantime, we need to focus on everyone getting vaccinated, wearing masks and social distancing until we vanquish these terrible germs once and for all.

Stay well, my friends, be kind to one another, read a lot and appreciate every single day. Profitez de tous les jours! I’m reminded on a regular basis that the best part of being an author is hearing from readers. I value the messages I receive from you. Thanks also for sharing my books with your friends and for the reviews you write. It’s all most appreciated and inspiring. 

Let’s follow guidelines and continue to be kind and helpful to each other. 

Treasure the memories of past holidays and believe those times will return. Stay safe.

See you next year! 2021 be gone!

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

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Bonjour ~ how can July be here already? I just got started on June …

I hope summer has arrived in all the best ways where you are. Our thoughts are with everyone who is being hit with the extreme heat waves and also those impacted by the condo tragedy in south Florida. Here is some information on how we can help.

I hope in some small way the blog posts you receive from authors and other bloggers bring some good moments to you. I’m beginning July by sharing with you my most recent newsletter. I’m up to my eyeballs on edits for a new book and hope to share more news of that with you at a later date.

For now, please enjoy the lavender … breathe in! And enter to win an Amazon gift card! Why not?

Newsletter # 87                                            June 21, 2021

Bonjour,

Happy Summer Solstice! I know how happy we all are to welcome summer and hopefully bid a loud good riddance to the dreadful pandemic. I trust you are all safely vaccinated as the world begins to open up again. It’s hard to believe that June is well on its way to being over.


Under normal circumstances, I would be in France right now with one of our tours. We would be ready to spend some time in the enticing lavender fields of Provence, but that is still not happening. I’m counting on 2022. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a few minutes imagining ourselves there. If only I could infuse these photos with fragrance!


The header photo of this letter is from one of the most special … and favourite … places to view lavender, the Cistercian Abbaye de Sénanque. Dating from 1134, the abbey remains an active monastery run by a community of monks who gather seven times a day to pray. If you plan to visit, arrive very early to beat the crowds at this time of year. A tour of the abbey is recommended.


Just because so many of us love lavender, here are a few more shots from France. I must admit I was not a big fan until the first time I stepped out of the car beside a field in full bloom. The heady sensation breathing in those scents for the first time is an unforgettable memory.


Although, this lavender field in the last photo is small, it is the one that is most special for me. This is the garden at the back of the monastery/asylum of St. Paul de Mausole, just outside St. Remy de Provence. It’s a place we visit on our women’s tour and I write about it in Drawing Lessons. Vincent van Gogh looked out on this garden as he spent one of his final (and most prolific) years there. A visit to the monastery is always a spiritual experience and I am counting the days until I’m back there in September 2022 to share it with our tour.

While I’m on the topic of lavender, here’s some good news! Book #3 in the Villa des Violettes series, Lavender, Loss & Love, is on sale for $1.99 right now.  Click here to
order your copy.



I hope in another month or so to share some new information about that series. Stay tuned!


In my last newsletter, I offered gift cards rather than free books and that idea was very well received. I still want to share books by author friends and will do so again in the autumn. For the summer, I am going to continue with gift cards … and who doesn’t like shopping for a new book or two?


I’m in the midst of editing my next novel and this one is LABOR INTENSIVE, let me tell you. So I’m cutting back on my summer newsletters to spend that time deep in my editing cave. I promise it will be worth it when the novel comes out. I don’t have a definite date on that yet, but will keep you posted. 


To enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card, simply send an email to patriciasandsauthor@gmail.com and tell me something special you have planned for the summer. We will let random.org software choose the winners. Good luck! Bonne chance!



Congratulations to the previous newsletter winners:
Sue Ahn, Karina Thibodeau, Diane Bryant



Recently I spent a week visiting with the great book community of Bookish Road Trip on Facebook.   On Thursday, 24th, at 7 p.m. I had a LIVE chat there with Melissa Face, author of I Love You More than Coffee. If you did not join us Live, you can always view the video at your convenience.

Before I sign off, here’s a reminder about The Good Life France’s quarterly ezine. The summer edition is out and, as usual, Janine Marsh has done a fine job! Filled with exquisite photography and excellent articles, it’s free, fabulous and all about France! What could be better? Click right here to open and enjoy.


Since I’m doing a bit of lavender overload this month, here are a few recipes you might find enticing! I’ve posted them before and would be truly interested to know if you have tried any of them. I’m always looking for new recipes using lavender, so please do share!


My wish is that you are feeling as hopeful and optimistic about the future as I am. There are still reasons to be cautious and if you are recovering from the lingering effects of Covid 19, my thoughts are with you. 

Once again, to all essential workers who sacrificed so much to keep the world turning for the rest of us, our eternal thanks.
And now, back to edits!



Stay well, my friends, be kind to one another, read a lot and appreciate every single day. Profitez de tous les jours! I’m reminded on a regular basis that the best part of being an author is hearing from readers. I value the messages I receive from you. Thanks also for sharing my books with your friends and for the reviews you write. It’s all most appreciated and inspiring. See you next month!

Here’s Newsletter #85 ~ in case you did not receive it

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Newsletter #85                                                          March 20, 2021
Bonjour!
Mea culpa ~ In response to many who asked, I did not write a February newsletter. My excuse is that it was a short month and I ran out of time. To be honest, I also had run out of inspiration … my Covid fatigue! Thanks for understanding … and for being so concerned. 
It’s official! Spring arrived today! The Vernal (Spring) Equinox apparently arrived in our part of southern Ontario at 5:37, March 20. And for our friends south of the Equator, that is of course the Autumnal (Fall) Equinox. Whichever it is for you, I hope you are happy to see the seasonal change. 
Grammar rules state emphatically that the seasons are common nouns and not capitalized, but that never feels quite right to me. They feel more important than that! Oh well … 

Even though I won’t be in France to enjoy this season again this year, I keep thinking of all the wisteria that will be in bloom throughout the country right about now. This month’s header photo is a sweet reminder of that.
And here are a few more wisteria memories from France … if you’ve seen them before, please enjoy again.

It will be a good few months before we see those blooms here. Do you have abundant wisteria where you live?
At the first house I ever owned in Toronto, there was a lovely vine that had been around a long time. I drive past that house from time to time and smile to see it is still healthy and beautiful.

Does it feel like spring in your neighbourhood? Here in The Blue Mountains of southern Ontario, it does feel like winter is on its way out. BUT … and that’s a big BUT … we’ve been known to have snowstorms as late as May, so I’m not counting more cold weather out at this point. The good news for skiers up here is that there is still plenty of snow on the hills and we are enjoying that after the hills were in lockdown until a few weeks ago!

 Have you been reading any books lately with intriguing  locations? Corsica has been on my mind recently. That’s partly because my novella, A Season of Surprises, is on sale until the end of the month. It’s Book Two in the Villa des Violettes series and in that story Kat and Philippe spend some time touring Corsica on Philippe’s vintage motorcycle. If you have not read it, now’s the time to grab a copy! $.99 US until the end of the month. Click here for the link.

My husband and I and some friends took the car ferry from Nice one summer and spent five days touring around that stunning island. I will never forget driving up vertiginous windy roads through well-forested hills and rounding a corner to suddenly see a change to a breathtaking rocky landscape. The island’s rugged beauty is as captivating as the food and culture one discovers there. Corsica is definitely well worth a visit.

And now to this month’s giveaways. It’s a pleasure to introduce you to two more of the six authors who joined me on the Pulpwood Queens panel I mentioned in my last newsletter. Bette Lee Crosby was the sixth author and we are waiting another month or two for her newest novel to be released. Then she will visit the newsletter with a giveaway. Stay tuned! If you have not read anything by these authors before, you are going to be thrilled to learn about them now. 
I am so grateful to all of my author friends who generously offer free books each month. To enter to win one of these books, you know the drill … send an email to patriciasandsauthor@gmail.com and, this month, mention the location of a story you have recently read. Good luck/bonne chance with the random draws for winners!
Giveaway #1 ~ Laura Kemp is offering 2 ebooks of her debut novel, Evening In The Yellow Wood. She is a teacher who loves to write about her home state of Michigan. She is not only a talented writer, but also a beautiful singer. You may have seen her perform with her Irish band during our St. Patrick’s Day Literary Parade on March 1th. Annie McDonnell’s The Write Review has links to all the videos of this entertaining day! When not writing, Laura enjoys musical theatre, hiking, swimming, reading and performing with her Celtic band- Si Bhaeg Si Mohr. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and children as well as her dog, two hamsters, two gerbils, ten chickens, two horses and eight (and counting) cats.

Connect with Laura here.
Here’s the blurb: Abandoned by an eccentric father on the eve of her twelfth birthday, Justine Cook has lived with her fair share of unanswered questions. Now, ten years later she leaves her life in southern Michigan and heads north to the mysterious town of Lantern Creek after seeing his picture in a local newspaper. Once there, she discovers her father had been leading a double life and meets the autistic brother she never knew—a young man who is mute but able to read her mind.

When a local girl who looks like Justine is mysteriously murdered, she joins forces with sheriff’s deputy Dylan Locke to capture the killer. But the more they dig for clues to the past, the closer they come to discovering a secret someone will kill to protect. Justine begins to show signs of supernatural power and eventually must stop an immortal enemy that has hunted her family for generations. 

Giveaway #2 ~ Diane Zinn is offering two ebooks of her debut novel, The All-Night Sun. Diane is originally from Long Island, New York. She formerly worked at AWP, the Association of Writers & Writing Programs and also created the Writer to Writer Mentorship Program, helping to match more than six hundred writers. She helped develop the #WritersServe project, which spotlights free writing workshops happening in settings such as hospitals, prisons, and shelters. Diane also taught creative writing for ten years at colleges in the Washington, DC area. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with her husband and daughter.

Connect with Diane here. 
Here’s the blurb:  Lauren Cress teaches writing at a small college outside of Washington, DC. In the classroom, she is poised, smart, and kind, well liked by her students and colleagues. But in her personal life, Lauren is troubled and isolated, still grappling with the sudden death of her parents ten years earlier. She seems to exist at a remove from everyone around her until a new student joins her class: charming, magnetic Siri, who appears to be everything Lauren wishes she could be. They fall headlong into an all-consuming friendship that makes Lauren feel as though she is reclaiming her lost adolescence.

When Siri invites her on a trip home to Sweden for the summer, Lauren impulsively accepts, intrigued by how Siri describes it: green, fresh, and new, everything just thawing out. But once there, Lauren finds herself drawn to Siri’s enigmatic, brooding brother, Magnus. Siri is resentful, and Lauren starts to see a new side of her friend: selfish, reckless, self-destructive, even cruel. On their last night together, Lauren accompanies Siri and her friends on a seaside camping trip to celebrate Midsommar’s Eve, a night when no one sleeps, boundaries blur, and under the light of the unsetting sun, things take a dark turn. 

Ultimately, Lauren must acknowledge the truth of what happened with Siri and come to terms with her own tragic past in this gorgeously written, deeply felt debut about the transformative relationships that often come to us when things feel darkest.

Good luck/Bonne chance! As always, I hope you enjoy meeting authors who might be new to you and connecting with those you already follow. Savour their books, find out more about the writers and pass along their information to your friends. Write a short review, thanks! The best way to hear about a good book is by word of mouth from dedicated readers like you. And if you take a minute to thank an author when you win a free book or post a photo on Facebook, trust me, we all appreciate that more than you know.

Congratulations to last month’s winners: Sharon Haan, Laurie Nelson, Lisa Hudson, Sharon Person, Patricia Ratcliff, Peggy Clark.

Have you joined the Blue Sky Book Chat facebook group? If not, I hope you will click on that link and become part of our book-loving community. There’s nothing for you to do except enjoy the camaraderie and great information about books and authors.

One of the entertaining things you will find on Blue Sky are great author chats and this Sunday evening is not exception. Two weeks ago Bette Lee Crosby and Kay Bratt went viral!

Now here’s what we have going this Sunday (21st) ~ check out this graphic! I know! How exciting is this? The Chicken Sisters was a recent Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and we’re excited to have K.J. Dell’Antonia dropping by! I hope you will join us. Mark your calendar and be sure to say hello. Here’s the link.

Speaking of sales, THE BRIDGE CLUB TENTH ANNIVERSARY EDITION remains on sale until the end of March. $.99 US.
With Mother’s Day coming up this is a great gift for mothers and grandmothers and bridge players too! Bridge is not a big part of the story, but at the end of eight chapters there is an in-depth bridge hand + advice for playing contributed by Canada’s bridge expert, Audry Grant. A real bonus for those who love the game!

I was lurking on Janine Marsh’s fabulous The Good Life France page and notice she had posted her recipe for Pain Perdu / French toast. Do you follow this site? If you don’t, you really should. There’s no other better place to find everything you want to know about France. I know I have shared another recipe for this before, but I trust everything Janine does. Here’s the recipe she shared! I’m going to make it tomorrow morning! Bon appétit.

I think we are all beginning to breathe a little easier as vaccinations roll out. But there’s still a lot we don’t know about Covid, so please continue to take care of each other and listen to the experts. We aren’t out of the woods yet but hopefully we are getting there.

My heart goes out to those suffering loss in so many ways.My gratitude and admiration to all those people that I see doing such thoughtful acts of kindness, day in and day out. Let’s keep believing that we will get through this by continuing to help each other
I will keep sharing this graphic until the day comes when we can all do our part again. No matter what, we will never stop saying thank you to all who keep life going for the rest of us.

Stay well, my friends, be kind to one another, read a lot and appreciate every single day. Profitez de tous les jours! I’m reminded on a regular basis that the best part of being an author is hearing from readers. I value the messages I receive from you. Thanks also for sharing my books with your friends and for the reviews you write. It’s all most appreciated and inspiring. 
Spring is here and with it vaccinations and forward movement to better things. Keep believing!

If you have enjoyed this newsletter, please share it!

January Newsletter

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Newsletter #84                                                 January 27, 2021

Bonjour!
Well, how are you doing in this new year of ours? We said goodbye to 2020 and with a minimum of fanfare, compared to most years, we welcomed 2021. We kind of had high hopes, didn’t we? And sadly … we are still clinging to those hopes as not much has changed where the virus is concerned. So we need to dig in and keep the battle going.

If I could, I would send these sunflowers to each of you with a wish they would bring you a smile and hope. Most people I hear from are feeling the effects of “COVID fatigue” … and no wonder! Who knew the virus would go on this long.

But, as I say to our grandkids, this is a war and we all have to do our part to fight it. Imagine if people in Britain during the Blitz of WWII had said, “I’m tired of this and I’m not going to use my black-out curtains anymore.” Or if people in war zones where bombs could fall on them at any moment, went out and partied because they felt like it? We are fighting an invisible enemy and must do all we can to obey rules meant to help everyone.

I hope you are doing all you can to keep yourself and others safe. And I hope that my photos of France bring a smile and a momentary escape. Like you, all I can do right now is enjoy them too. Are you spending time going through your own photo albums and reliving happy memories?

Right now in the south of France, the mimosa trees are about to burst into bloom.

MimosasMimosas I wrote about mimosas in Book 2 of the Villa des Violettes series, A Season of Surprises. Kat had never seen the spectacular fragrant blooms and went on a hike along part of the Route du Mimosa, needless to say taking tons of photos.
Here’s an excellent article from my friend Carolyne Kaiser-Abbott in her Perfectly Provence website. Take a minute to enjoy the beautiful photos and information. The Route is a perfect day trip, just 130 kilometres or 80 miles of golden bliss!


And now for some random shots that I hope bring you pleasure. I looove the rooftops of France as much as doors and windows ~

You’ve no doubt seen me post this photo (below) before as I love to share it. These are the women on our 2018 Memories Tour, when we spent a day at this magnificent mas (farmhouse) outside of Arles picking grapes in the vineyard and dining al fresco in the stunning surroundings.  It was a good opportunity to take some photos with my novel Drawing Lessons, since the story is set in that area … and the ladies were only too willing to oblige!

What a great day that was … just like the previous eleven! How Deborah Bine and I hope our tours can begin again soon. Our optimism runs high! Click here to read my article in this month’s JourneyWoman newsletter, to tempt you and other friends to join us!

I’m posting that photo again because (a) I love to as it makes me smile remembering these fabulous ladies and the great time we shared together and (b) to share the news that Drawing Lessons has been having a busy time lately.

First, the novel is one of the chosen reads for the Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys 2021 Book Club (a November bonus book).

Who? Pulpwood wha… ? You ask. Let me explain. Two weekends ago I had the opportunity to talk about Drawing Lessons on an author panel moderated by Annie McDonnell, when I attended (virtually, of course) the Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys International Book Club 2021 Girlfriends Weekend Zoomathon Slumber Party … hmm, yes … I can hear you muttering and wondering what on earth I’m talking about. You can read about it in this article I wrote for Women Writers, Women’s Books. 

And yes, we all wore a tiara for four days. It’s Pulpwood creator Kathy L. Murphy‘s rule ~ “Where TIARAS and CROWNS are mandatory and reading our good books is the ONLY rule!”  Who says authors’ lives are too serious?

This week I was delighted to receive this notification from the Womens Fiction Writers Association and BookTrib. “BookTrib is excited to present the first 2021 Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) curated list of books. Now fourteen-hundred members strong, WFWA is an international professional organization for writers of women’s fiction.

January’s list features seven stories where a mentor, some with good intentions and others questionable, shapes the lives of the characters. From historical to contemporary works, some even based on true events, this month reveals the power and influence mentors have in our lives.”

I’m particularly proud that Drawing Lessons was chosen in conjunction with six other stories that show how through friendship, support and mentoring, we help others who may be coping with challenges.

As those of you know who have read the story, the protagonist Arianna has gone to an artists’ retreat near Arles after more than a year of heartbreaking challenges with her husband’s frontal lobe dementia. Through the kindness and encouragement of the artists guiding her and through listening to their stories, she begins to see hope and promise for the future. In this time of COVID, we know only too well how important it is to help each other through challenges. Kindness counts.

Here’s a new trailer recently created for the story.

Here’s the link to Amazon to order Drawing Lessons or ask your favourite indie bookstore to order it for you. You also can have your library bring the book in if it is not there yet. It’s easy! Just ask!

And now to this month’s giveaways. It’s a pleasure to introduce you to three of the six authors who joined me on the panel I mentioned above. I’ll have the other authors in my next newsletter. If you have not read anything by these authors before, you are going to be thrilled to learn about them now. I am so grateful to all of my author friends who generously offer free books each month.

To enter to win one of these books, you know the drill … send an email to patriciasandsauthor@gmail.com and, this month, mention your current favourite read. We love to hear book tips and share them. Good luck/bonne chance with the random draws for winners!

Giveaway #1 ~ Nola Nash, has recently released two books in her Crescent City series and is offering two ebooks of Crescent City Moon, Book One. Originally from south Louisiana, Nola now makes her home in Brentwood , Tennessee, with her three children. Her biggest writing inspiration was the city of New Orleans that gave her at an early age a love of the magic, mystery, and history.
When she isn’t writing, Nola is teaching middle school English or hosting The Second Line Show – A bookish live talk show on Facebook and YouTube. She also considers tacos and coffee major food groups.

Connect with Nola here.
Blurb: Things put underground in New Orleans don’t often stay there. Even things that should – like bodies, and secrets.
How do you fight an enemy you can’t see that can kill on a whim? In 1820s New Orleans, on the eve of her twenty-first birthday, Zéolie Cheval discovers the mangled body of her father murdered in his bed and a maniacal voice haunting the recesses of her mind. When the priest sent to comfort her is killed while the house is swarming with police, Zéolie becomes entangled in a web of mystery that takes her from the French Quarter, to the Ursuline Convent in the Ninth Ward, and deep into the Louisiana swamps.
Officer Louis Saucier, who is losing his heart to Zéolie and his grip on logical reality, helps her find the pieces to her puzzle. The mother superior of the Ursulines offers assistance from a mediumistic nun and a voodoo priestess, blurring the lines between the spiritual and the supernatural.
After opening the family crypt to find it uninhabited, Zéolie realizes that her father lied about her mother’s death – amongst other things. Now, Zéolie must come to terms with magic she inherited from her grandmother and the price that comes with it.
Step inside the magic and mystery of the 1820s French Quarter to see if an unlikely menagerie can help Zéolie take down a murderous maniac while she shields the officer she loves. Can she harness powers she didn’t know she had? Or, will she make the ultimate sacrifice?

Giveaway #2 ~ Claire Fullerton offering two ebooks of her newest, multi-award-winning novel Little Tea, set in the Deep South. Claire hails from Memphis, TN. and now lives in Malibu, CA. with her husband and 3 German shepherds. She is also the author of 12 X award winning Mourning Dove and 3X award winning, Dancing to an Irish Reel, set on the west coast of Ireland, where she once lived. 

Connect with Claire here.
Blurb: One phone call from Renny to come home and “see about” the capricious Ava and Celia Wakefield decides to overlook her distressful past in the name of friendship.For three reflective days at Renny’s lake house in Heber Springs, Arkansas, the three childhood friends reunite and examine life, love, marriage, and the ties that bind, even though Celia’s personal story has yet to be healed. When the past arrives at the lake house door in the form of her old boyfriend, Celia must revisit the life she’d tried to outrun.As her idyllic coming of age alongside her best friend, Little Tea, on her family’s ancestral grounds in bucolic Como, Mississippi unfolds, Celia realizes there is no better place to accept her own story than in this circle of friends who have remained beside her throughout the years. Theirs is a friendship that can talk any life sorrow into a comic tragedy, and now that the racial divide in the Deep South has evolved, Celia wonders if friendship can triumph over history.

Giveaway #3 ~ Michelle Cox is offering two ebooks of A Girl Like You, Book One in her multiple award-winning Henrietta and Inspector Howard series. She also writes a weekly blog dedicated to Chicago’s forgotten residents. She suspects she may have once lived in the 1930s and, having yet to discover a handy time machine lying around, has resorted to writing about the era as a way of getting herself back there. Unbeknownst to most, Michelle hoards board games she doesn’t have time to play and is, not surprisingly, addicted to period dramas and big band music. Also marmalade.

Connect with Michelle here.
Blurb: Henrietta Von Harmon works as a 26 girl at a corner bar on Chicago’s northwest side. It’s 1935, but things still aren’t looking up since the big crash and her father’s subsequent suicide, leaving Henrietta to care for her antagonistic mother and younger siblings.
Henrietta is eventually persuaded to take a job as a taxi dancer at a local dance hall―and just when she’s beginning to enjoy herself, the floor matron turns up dead. When aloof Inspector Clive Howard appears on the scene, Henrietta agrees to go undercover for him―and is plunged into Chicago’s grittier underworld.
Meanwhile, she’s still busy playing mother hen to her younger siblings, as well as to pesky neighborhood boy Stanley, who believes himself in love with her and keeps popping up in the most unlikely places, determined to keep Henrietta safe―even from the Inspector, if need be. Despite his efforts, however, and his penchant for messing up the Inspector’s investigation, the lovely Henrietta and the impenetrable Inspector find themselves drawn to each other in most unsuitable ways.

Good luck/Bonne chance! As always, I hope you enjoy meeting authors who might be new to you and connecting with those you already follow. Savour their books, find out more about the writers and pass along their information to your friends. Write a short review, thanks! The best way to hear about a good book is by word of mouth from dedicated readers like you. And if you take a minute to thank an author when you win a free book or post a photo on Facebook, trust me, we all appreciate that more than you know.

Congratulations to last month’s winners: Theresa Timlin, Audrey Wick, Karen Matson, Jean MP, and Debbie Bishop

Are you a member of Kindle Unlimited? If so, you can read the three novels of the Love in Provence Trilogy for FREE! SERIOUSLY! If not, of course, each of the ebooks costs less than your favourite latte, so treat yourself to a wonderful adventure if you haven’t already.

For this month’s recipe, I’m sharing one of my favourites ~ Julia Child’s Leek and Potato soup. In fact I just made this two days ago and we devoured it with gusto, as we always do. We eat it hot in the winter and in the summer serve it cold with chopped chives on top (Vichysoisse). Also, I use chicken or vegetable broth rather than water and don’t always add the heavy cream. It’s delicious with or without. Bon appétit!

Before I close, I know I’m repeating myself here from my past letters, but these thoughts are on my mind constantly.

If your health or that of someone you know has been affected during these challenging times, I hope the road to recovery is in sight. If there has been a tragic loss, please know everyone mourns with you.

So many of you are working from home and at the same time trying to take care of your family.

So many of you are home schooling children and doing your best to keep your world and theirs revolving in some kind of “normal”. Families and friends are talking to each other more than ever before. Let’s keep that going.

So many of you have had your employment seriously impacted and are being forced to rethink how the rest of your life looks. You have strengths. Keep believing in yourself.

So many of you are taking risks every day and leaving the safety of your home to take care of the rest of us in a multitude of different ways.There are not enough words to express our gratitude and admiration to all of you, and also to all those people around that I see doing such thoughtful acts of kindness, day in and day out. Let’s keep believing that we will get through this by continuing to help each other.

I will keep sharing this graphic until the day comes when we can all do our part again. No matter what, we will never stop saying thank you to all who keep life going for the rest of us.

Stay well, my friends, be kind to one another, read a lot and appreciate every single day. Profitez de tous les jours! I’m reminded on a regular basis that the best part of being an author is hearing from readers. I value the messages I receive from you. Thanks also for sharing my books with your friends and for the reviews you write. It’s all most appreciated and inspiring. 2021 is here and with it we hope are vaccinations and forward movement to better things. Let’s follow guidelines, wear a mask where we should, and continue to be kind and helpful to each other. Treasure the memories of past moments and believe those times will return. Stay safe.