Patricia Sands

Author

readers

The countdown is on! July 12th is the day!

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13592660_10210078334373485_1451616694865539855_nWe’re looking forward to chatting with you!

Looking to win a library of great books? Don’t miss this very special Facebook party.

On July 12th I’m joining seven other bestselling authors for a summer party with you. Since this is a virtual, world-wide event, park yourself in a comfy chair and wear whatever you please. You could be just waking up or you might be thinking about putting on your pjs.  Stop by at 2 – 4 PM Eastern Daylight Time or 7 – 9 PM Eastern Daylight Time or both times  … why not? You’ll have more chances to win great prizes! We chose those two time slots to allow readers in many time zones to participate.

Come along to chat and mingle with some of the finest women fiction authors working today:

USA Today bestseller Bette Lee Crosby weaves heartwarming stories with a Southern flair;

Experience the delightful and quirky characters in the inspiring stories by Christine Nolfi;

Visit with Barbara Hinske, awarded “Best in Women’s Fiction” by BookBub;

Grace Greene enthralls readers in two genres—Women’s Fiction and Romantic Suspense;

Chat with Andrea Hurst, the captivating author of the Madrona Island Trilogy and a highly regarded literary agent;

Award-winner Dete Meserve writes uplifting stories, and also works as a film and television producer;

And Ashley Farley, the award-winning author of stories about women facing real-life issues.

To join in the festivities, please accept your invitation to the July 12th Facebook party here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1554639554841535/

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Thanks!

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canstockphoto8136400This past month, with Canadian Thanksgiving and all the good things that are part of it, has  been one big festival of gratitude and today I’m adding this post to the celebration.

First of all, I’m thankful to every person  who purchased my novels and shared them with friends and those who took the time to write a review. Without your purchases and reviews, Amazon might not have become aware of what I was writing. There are a lot of authors to look at out there. In fact, statistics say there are between 600,000 and 1,000,000 books published yearly in North America alone. Yikes.

This month I’m grateful beyond words for Amazon’s relaunch of The Promise of Provence and Promises  To Keep. The story that turned into the Love in Provence series thanks to the enthusiastic support of so many readers and requests for more of Katherine’s ‘mid-life coming of age’ journey.

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Thanks to the amazing team at ‪#‎LakeUnionPublishing‬, led by Senior Acquisitions Editor, Danielle Marshall, for their priceless support and to all the avid readers who keep me inspired ! Book 3, I Promise You This, will be published Spring 2016. The last round of edits has been completed and I’m thankful for the guidance of my superb developmental  editor, Amara Holstein. Katherine’s journey continues!

As an indie author, I’ve been fortunate to reach a good number of readers Unknown-3 and they have proven to be inspiring and ardent. Thank you to each and every one of you. I keep repeating that hearing from readers is the best reward for a writer! I’m constantly surprised and amazed at the personal and meaningful messages I receive along with simple “I loved the story” emails. Each one is special and I know I speak for my fellow authors when I express this: Writers love hearing from readers.

The other side of being an indie author is the endless support and collegiality that writers offer each other. Self-publishing is hard work: researching and writing the book, working with professional editors and proofreaders,  and choosing cover designers is just the beginning. Books will not sell without marketing and promotion to spread the word. Did I mention it was hard work?

Thank goodness for the community of indie authors, professional editors, technical experts, virtual assistants, author service providers, book promoting websites, bloggers and reviewers who offer each other endless assistance and share information so openly.

Through Amazon I look forward to having my books in front of many more readers than I could ever hope to reach on my own. Thanks to Amazon’s amazing marketing people, I will have more time to write novels.

Yes, there is so much to be thankful for. I hope you feel the same with your life.

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Indie ReCon 2015 ~ be there or be square!

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INDIE RECON 2015

A Global Online Conference: April 15/16/17

Three packed days of advice and education about self-publishing and reaching readers. PLUS this year: a live-streamed Indie Author Fringe Festival, from the London Book Fair (Book & Screen Week).

In line with ALLi’s mission to be a global organisation for indie-minded authors everywhere, the Indie Author Fringe Festival will be live-streamed, so authors and readers who can’t be in London can take part online.

If you’re an author-publisher who hasn’t heard about Indie Recon, here are the basics:

The event is free, hosted by authors for authors.
The global online conference airs April 15, 16 and 17.
The event is packed with advice and education about self-publishing and reaching readers.

Register to attend on the Indie Recon landing page. You’ll then receive updates and links to speakers and sponsors as they make their presentations. You’ll find a detailed list of speakers here, and a listing of the schedule here.

Pop on over to the Indie ReCon Facebook page or spend some time planning your participation on the Indie ReCon 2015 website.

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Sharing my exciting news!

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Who doesn’t love a good surprise? That’s definitely what was waiting for me when I opened my gmail one day in December … and now I’m happy to share it with you.

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Just before Christmas I received a message, out of the blue ( … and nearly fainted!) from a Senior Acquisitions Editor for Amazon Publishing, saying she had read my work and would like to talk to me. To make a long story short … I have now signed a contract with Amazon’s Lake Union Imprint for the three books in my Love in Provence series (the two I have already published and the third I am working on). They will work with me to re-edit and re-release the first two in October. With Amazon Publishing’s expertise, the stories won’t change but will shine even more.

The third Love in Provence title will conclude this series, but I will have a new series next year featuring more adventures in Provence, so you won’t miss a thing!

I’m still in shock.

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It’s a tremendous opportunity for me and I feel so pleased Amazon Publishing sought me out. I’m proud of being an indie author and even prouder now to be affiliated in this way with Lake Union.

So thanks for all the support and encouragement you have offered me through the years. Thanks to my fabulous fellow writers, the supportive bloggers, editors, designers, tech and social media advisors, and others who play such vital roles in our vast writing community.

Thanks, also, to my amazing friends and family for believing, supporting, encouraging.

Most of all, thank you to the readers. Thanks for reading my books, writing reviews and telling others about the stories.

I feel every success is very much a team effort and I am so appreciative of my connection with all of you. I’m so pleased you are on this journey with me!

On we go!

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Thanks for joining me today. If you like today’s post, please use the share buttons below. It all helps!

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