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Patricia Sands

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PubSmartCon

Take off, eh?

May 15, 2014 by Patricia Sands 36 Comments

canstockphoto16657101Ahhhhhh … I can feel it now … there’s something about the takeoff of a plane that is both exhilarating and calming for me. I LOVE IT!

The whirlwind of the past month will slowly dissipate at I settle into my seat on our flight to Zurich, Switzerland, later this afternoon. I’ve felt a touch of guilt (it’s part of a writer’s lot in life, I have come to learn … ) for not posting for almost two weeks here but life has been crazy. The best remedy for me? TRAVEL! And here we go!

First a quick recap:

I’m still processing all the helpful and exciting information picked up at the PubSmart conference in Charleston, SC, last month and blogger extraordinaire, Molly Greene, is PubSmart_logo_290publishing a post I sent her about it. I’ll share that with you here as soon as I get the link later today, so pop back if you are interested. There’s a photo of me with the talented and handsome young Hugh Howey … I was feeling my age when I realized I felt like a proud mother listening to him speak. He truly is a great voice for indie authors!

In the few weeks we were home in Toronto, we had five family birthdays to celebrate plus Mother’s Day. Just catching up with our wonderful, large family, and shmoozing with friends before we leave again, was a challenge! But we did it!

Not realizing what I was getting into, I spent three days at MetalWorks Recording Studios IMG_2013 (… talk about feeling like a rock star when you walk into their studios … that will be another post …what an experience!) creating an audiobook of The Bridge Club. I’ll have to go back and finish in August but I can’t say enough for the very patient sound engineer who has been guiding me along. I now have tremendous respect for the artists who do these recordings as their craft! I ended up sitting on my hands for hours so I wouldn’t wildly gesticulate, as I apparently do!

My new manuscript is with my editor and I am eagerly awaiting her comments. I love this part of the process!  The same accomplished artist who created the cover for The Promise of Provence is at work on the cover for this new novel and he showed me the almost completed work this week. I’m thrilled! At the moment, I feel we are on track for a July release of the ebook and the print will follow.

The subscribers to my newsletter are helping me decide on the title and I love having the involvement of these enthusiastic and supportive readers. There’s a link on the right side of this page or click right here if you would like to join us!

IMG_2042And then there was a terrific all-day writers’ workshop with novelist/blogger Chuck Wendig of the edgy Terrible Minds website. I thought it would be fun for us to say “Hi” to my friend, Colorado writer Susie Lindau, who I knew had met Chuck at the Pikes Peak Writers Conference just a few weeks ago. Chuck does get around!

It was great to reconnect with a lot of local writing friends and, in particular to congratulate Sherry Isaac who, the previous week in Chicago, won the prestigious Fire and Ice award for Women’s Fiction with Romantic Elements. In 2009, Sherry also won the Alice Munro Short Story Award. If you haven’t read any of her work, you should. You’ll find links to all of her exceptional writing on her website.

Okay … so back to travel … which I told you a bit about in my last post. My camera is ready to go to work (I can feel it pulsating … seriously … it’s been almost seven months …) and I have a new iPad Air, so I can try out some video blogs!  I’ll check in with you from Switzerland, France and Vienna and knowing you are keeping me company makes the travel even more pleasure-filled!

While we are on the topic of globe-trotting, here’s a bit about Spain. When I read Marianne’s post this morning, I knew I had to share it!

Here’s the preamble.

My wonderful, adventuresome sister lives in a small village south of Granada (now THERE’S a story … some day …) and I love to spend time with here there. It’s been a few years now but next year it is on the books for certain! I’m not sure why I just told you this … I guess because I have Spain on my mind at the moment and here’s why.

I want to share this link from Marianne’s blog, East of Malaga … a favourite of cartel2014_enmine. A gifted blogger and photographer, she shares her part of the world with us every week and now you can be as overwhelmed as I was with the floral opulence and glory of her visit to Cordoba’s recent Patio Festival.

Cordoba is a “must-see” destination at any time, in particular to revel in the spiritual and architectural splendour that is the Mezquite. Now you can consider planning a visit to coincide with La Fiesta de Los Patios de Cordoba.

Can you imagine watering all those pots?

If you haven’t visited Spain yet, be sure to add it to your wish list. Like every other European country, the history, beauty, food and culture leave you with unique and lasting experiences.

In two weeks, my Friday France posts will be back … on location … OOH LA LA  … be still my heart … from Nice! In the meantime I hope you enjoying hanging out with me wherever I happen to be. I can hear those Swiss cowbells clanking softly now …

Hmmm – it has been a busy time! Do you have any travel planned this year and how do you feel about flying? Even if you are staying home (and sometimes that’s the best place to be!), any time you want to take a trip you can do so from your armchair these days with a good book or a video. Rick Steves’ travel videos are among my favourite ~ just click that link, choose your destination of choice and away you go! Bon voyage!

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Filed Under: Blog, News Tagged With: Chuck Wendig, East of Malaga, France, Hugh Howey, Metalworks Recording Studios, PubSmartCon, Sherry Isaac, Spain, Susie LIndau, The Bridge Club, The Promise of Provence, Toronto

The countdown is on …

May 2, 2014 by Patricia Sands 26 Comments

If it’s Friday, it must be France…

Excusez-moi! I’ve been a little off the radar on the blog this past week. There’s been a lot going on in my writing world. How’ve you been?

I spent some time processing all the fabulous writing and publishing information generated at the PubSmart Conference, I attended in Charleston SC, April 16, 17, 18. There will be a blog post  about it  soon. Wow, did I learn a lot !PubSmart_logo_290

The conference was also a great opportunity to mingle with and meet so many interesting and energizing people who are committed to sharing information and working together to get better at what we do! It was SO good to  spend some time in person with some of my online “besties”. Making connections with people who motivate and inspire you is such a buzz, isn’t it?  Have you had the same experience lately? I’d love to hear about it!

Next I took a big load off my shoulders when I hit “send” and fired my manuscript off to my editor. With any luck, we will be good to go for a July 1st release and I’m excited! The cover art is in the works as well!

There’s always a moment of what I refer to as “extreme anxiety” when an author sends a new novel off to their trusted advance readers. These are avid readers who have promised to be completely honest and candid in their comments about your new work. Their word is their bond and we trust them implicitly! Their comments are the best way to make our work even better. Here’s the thing, we’ve lived with the story for months or years and we feel good about it and we hope everyone else will too … but … what if they don’t … egos must be set aside. It’s all part of the process … and I love it!

But, zut alors, it’s Friday and I want to be talking about France!ilovefrance

The countdown is on … 31, 30 … in 29 more days my husband and I will be back in Nice, France.  It feels more like going home than going on holiday and we are always thrilled to be there!

Here’s how our first morning will play out:

~ Walk along the Promenade des Anglais, just minutes from our apartment, pausing for a croissant and café au lait at a beach restaurant.

Nice-PSandsPhotos

~ Dip our feet in the Med and plan to come for a swim in the afternoon.

Nice-PSandsPhotos
Nice-PSandsPhotos

~ Stop in at the fab daily market in the old town and pick up some cheese, fruits, veggies, and a big bouquet of flowers.

DSC00707

~ Attempt to limit the number of photographs I take on my first day!

~ Write for an hour or two and then meet friends for lunch. From that point on … who knows?

Bon weekend, tout le monde!

You know I love to spend time in the south of France and write about this breathtaking area on my blog and in my novels. I’ll be researching my next novel as well as spending part of each day writing, and I hope you will enjoy my reports.

Better yet! Come and visit for yourself. For part of June, my friend and fellow author, Susan Sommers and I will be leading a tour of the south of France for women, organized by the Womens Travel Network .  There are two spots open in the first tour from  June 12 to June 22. The second tour from June 25 to July 5, is sold out. Call your BFF, your mom, your sister, or just come on your own as you will find great company in our group of travellers. I know at this point it would be a spur of the moment decision, but those are often the best kind!

Have you been to the south of France? If so, please tell us your favourite spots to visit! Any questions? Fire away! I’ll be happy to find the answers for you.

And, by the way, this is another home exchange for us. I keep saying what an affordable and friendly way this is to travel. Try it! You’ll like it!

Nice-PSandsPhotos

 

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Filed Under: Blog, France, If it is France..., News Tagged With: Charleston SC, France, Nice, Promenade des Anglais, PubSmartCon, Toronto, vieille ville, Womens Travel Network

PubSmart Conference and a repeat meander …

April 17, 2014 by Patricia Sands 11 Comments

Bonjour! I am in Charleston, South Carolina, attending the 3-day PubSmart Conference and I can tell you there has been a lot of excellent information to absorb.

 

PubSmart_logo_290

Here’s a quick explanation: “PubSmart is about introducing new models that lead to smart decisions about how to seize opportunities in today’s transformed book marketplace”.

The keynote speakers, Jane Friedman,  Hugh Howey, and CJ Lyons were superb and the coolest, most down-to-earth people to chat with.

BONUS! I have a fabulous new free app especially for readers that I will share with you next week and I’m very excited about that!

Making this conference even more special was the opportunity to spend quality time with my friends and fellow authors Steena Holmes, Christine Nolfi, Leona Bodie, Bette Lee Crosby and of course, Bette’s charming husband and publisher, Dick. As always, when the literati gather, there were opportunities for wonderful connections to be made and new friendships established. The fact that PubSmart was limited to 200 attendees offered unique opportunities to mingle and chat with everyone! Truly a very special time!

This stop in Charleston fit in nicely with our trek back to Toronto from south Florida, but tomorrow afternoon we will hit the road again and be home by Saturday evening. Hopefully there will be no snow to greet us!

If it’s Friday, it must be France

Entrevaux-PSandsPhotos
Entrevaux-PSandsPhotos

Along with attending the writer’s conference … which has been exciting, innovative and energizing … I have also been tweaking the final details in my MS so I can send it off to my editor this weekend. One of the chapters involves Katherine and Philippe visiting with some friends in this intriguing village of Entrevaux. I had such a good time writing about it, I decided to share my post from last November with you again. There is a slideshow of a walk through the narrow passageways and, as I wrote, I kept those photos on my screen to remind me exactly how it felt in that ancient and mysterious, semi-abandoned village. I hope my husband and I will have time to return there this summer.

I hope you enjoy your return visit! Click here to take another Medieval Meander.

Next week I will have my act together again and bring you a new post. Thanks for your patience!

Bon weekend, tout le monde!

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Filed Under: Blog, News, Writing Tagged With: bette lee crosby, Charleston, Christine Nolfi, Entrevaux, Hugh Howey, Jane Friedman, Leona Bodie, Patricia Sands, publishing, PubSmartCon, Steena Holmes, The Promise of Provence, writing

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