• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Patricia Sands

Author

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
    • Can I visit your Book Club on Zoom?
  • Books
    • The Bridge Club
    • Love in Provence Series
      • The Promise of Provence
      • About Promises to Keep
      • I Promise You This
    • Drawing Lessons
    • Les Villa des Viollettes series
      • The First Noël at the Villa des Violettes
      • A Season of Surprises at the Villa des Violettes
      • Lavender, Loss & Love at the Villa des Violettes
    • The Secrets We Hide
  • Travel
    • Photography, France & d’Ailleurs
  • Instagram
  • If it’s Friday, it must be France…
  • Contact me

Spain

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

October 10, 2015 by Patricia Sands 10 Comments

1.IMG_7271

Happy Thanksgiving in Canada! I’m back from Spain and deep in my editing cave working to a deadline for I Promise You This (Book 3 in the Love in Provence series). The good news is that it is joyful work … particularly because it makes me feel like I’m back in the south of France. You know how I love taking you there with me!

I know I promised photos from my travels in Spain last month (and, of course, I took a bazillion) and I feel badly I haven’t gotten to that! I will. I will! And now … seemingly all of a sudden … it’s Thanksgiving weekend. My favourite time of the year.

I hope you won’t mind if I post the same message as last year. It’s the message I want to share at this time every year … every day, really …

IMG_7305

Thanksgiving. No shopping for anything but dinner ingredients. No lists of gifts. Bags of food being filled for the Food Banks. Volunteers serving turkey dinners at homeless shelters. Quality time spent as families and friends gather to share memories, love and laughter. An attitude of gratitude prevails. I am so thankful for the life I have. I hope you feel the same about yours.

As we consider our individual blessings, let’s remember those who struggle with hunger, illness, poverty, war and a multitude of other challenges in our own backyards and around the globe. The refugee crisis is heartbreaking. Let’s try to make the sentiments of Thanksgiving a part of every single day.

What a good feeling to see the food donation bins overflowing today. If you can’t get out to help, here’s a way you can play a part without leaving home! Click right here.

logo-main

 

I’ve written about these sites before, but they are always worth mentioning from time to time.  All you have to do is go to TheHungerSite.com  once a day and click on the button — sponsors give free food. You are not put on any list or bombarded with spam. There are other links to click where sponsors donate for appropriate benefits: Breast Cancer ~ remember it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month; Child Health; Literacy; Rainforest; Animal Rescue and a few others. All of this has been verified as legit by Snopes years ago. I pop in every day. Why not?

1.IMG_2976

While we are at it, have you ever played FREERICE.COM? ~ This is a unique way to increase your vocabulary and donate rice to needy countries. Play it with your children as there are 60 levels. It’s a great place to learn new words for Words With Friends … ahem, my addiction when I need a few minutes off from writing. It’s such a fun way to keep connected with friends too.

One big personal thank you to the readers who take the time to contact me. I love hearing from you and appreciate every single message. Thanks for subscribing to my  newsletter and for sharing my books with your friends. You light up my life!

Canada has a federal election coming up on October 19th. Living in a countryUnknown-1 where we can freely express our political choices, and vote without fear of losing our lives, is truly another reason to feel thankful. Please exercise that privilege and GO OUT AND VOTE! IT’S FREE! IT MATTERS! LET’S ALL DO IT! FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR CANDIDATE AND THE ISSUES AND BE INFORMED! Click here for more information.

Oh, excuse me, I think that  might have seemed a bit loud. Sorry, but this is important for each and every Canadian. Take an active role in what happens in your country. Plan a party to watch the results on the 19th and, whatever the outcome, be proud you did your part. Let’s do it! We’re going to an advanced voting station this weekend. How about you?

20060123

vote-cartoon1

 

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • More
  • Pocket
  • Print
  • Email

Filed Under: Blog, General Travel, Social issues, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: Canada, election, family, France, Love In Provence, Patricia Sands, Spain, Thanksgiving, travel

Weekly Photo Challenge: INTRICATE

May 3, 2015 by Patricia Sands 9 Comments

This week’s photo challenge topic brought an immediate Alhambra moment to my mind, before I saw the fabulous collection of shots from there on the Daily Post Photo Challenge site. Be sure to pop over and enjoy them.

I’m willing to bet that anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting Granada, Spain, has toured this spectacular historic 11thC Moorish marvel. I would also bet it’s likely that the word “intricate” would be associated by most to the visuals that arrest and capture the eye immediately upon entering the grounds. In the gardens or within the structures of the Alhambra, intricacy abounds.

IMG_3053

IMG_3047

IMG_3045

70.The Alhambra

IMG_3038

One of the reasons I enjoy photo challenges so much, is because they cause me to spend time lingering in my albums. Pulling out these photos caused me to look at some other images I had captured during the same trip to Spain. I can’t wait to get back there in September! Hola, Ofra! 🙂

I’m hooked on rooftops wherever I go … as you’ve no doubt noticed, if you follow my travels. This shot from my sister-in-law’s rooftop terrace in her Lecrin Valley village (not far from Granada) is a favourite of mine. The more my eye wandered across the rooftops to the landscape in the background, the more the intricacies of the scene called out to me.

IMG_3092

What do you think?

And then I thought about the dessert I was served the other evening. That was kind of intricate too … and delicious! I’m blaming the soft focus on the wine … that was delicious too!

IMG_0087

What’s your interpretation of “intricate”?  

Relax for a while at the Daily Post site and stop by some of the other participating blogs to see an incredible selection of intricate images! 

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • More
  • Pocket
  • Print
  • Email

Filed Under: Blog, General Travel, Photo blogs, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: Alhambra, Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge, Granada, intricate, Lecrin Valley, Patricia Sands, photography, postaday, Spain

Come to the party!

September 6, 2014 by Patricia Sands 15 Comments

If it’s Friday, it must be France!

On Monday, September 8th … by clicking right here  … you will be able to spend time traveling with some of your favourite authors!

From 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. EST we’re having an online travel theme party on Facebook to celebrate the release of PROMISES TO KEEP , the continuation of the story begun in The Promise of Provence!  

Some of my writing friends will be sharing their favourite places in the world from their books, as well as their own neighbourhoods. Come and chat with them. There will be tons of books to be won as well as other prizes and fun to be had! Pop on by to see who’s at the party!

We can pretend we’re here …

Saint-Paul de Vence
Saint-Paul de Vence

or here …

Nice, France
Nice, France

or here …

Muskoka, ON
Muskoka, ON

or here …

Bruges, Belgium
Bruges, Belgium

or here …

Little Palm Island, FL
Little Palm Island, FL

or here …

Switzerland
Switzerland

or here …

Florida
Florida

or here …

Granada, Spain
Granada, Spain

or here …

Whistler, BC
Whistler, BC

or here …

DSC07708

or here …

Tofino, BC
Tofino, BC

or here …

Venice, Italy
Venice, Italy

or right in your own back yard …

Love the back yard!
Love the back yard!

BRING ALONG A PHOTO OF YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE AND POST IT AT THE PARTY. WE’D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT IT!

DO YOU HAVE A TRAVEL WISH LIST? WE JUST MIGHT HAVE A GOOD BOOK SUGGESTION TO TAKE ALONG … OR BETTER YET … YOU MIGHT WIN ONE!

WHAT BOOKS HAVE YOU READ THAT MADE YOU WANT TO TRAVEL SOMEWHERE DESCRIBED IN THE STORY? SHARE THE NEWS!

LET’S GET THIS POST TRAVELING TOO … PASS IT ON … INVITE YOUR FRIENDS … SEE YOU MONDAY!

PROMISES TO KEEP

 

 

 

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • More
  • Pocket
  • Print
  • Email

Filed Under: Blog, France, General Travel, If it is France..., Photo blogs, Writing Tagged With: book release party, Bruges, Florida, France, Granada, Nice, Promises To Keep, Saint-Paul de Vence, Spain, Venice, Whistler BC

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!

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • More
  • Pocket
  • Print
  • Email

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

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Join Me Here!

RSS
Facebook
Facebook
fb-share-icon
Twitter
Visit Us
Tweet
YouTube
Pinterest
Pinterest
fb-share-icon
LinkedIn
LinkedIn
Share
Instagram

Follow Me on BookBub

Follow Me on BookBub

Follow me on Amazon

Follow me on Amazon

Available from Amazon!

Available from Amazon!

Available Now!

Available Now!

Available from Amazon

Available from Amazon

Join me and 9 of your favourite women’s fiction authors

Join me and 9 of your favourite women’s fiction authors

The Good Life France Magazine

The Good Life France Magazine

Categories

Archives

Footer

Copyright Disclaimer

© 2020 by Patricia Sands. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to use short quotes provided a link back to this page and proper attribution is given to me as the original author. All photographs on this site are copyright of Patricia Sands

Follow Me!

RSS
Facebook
Facebook
fb-share-icon
Twitter
Visit Us
Tweet
YouTube
Pinterest
Pinterest
fb-share-icon
LinkedIn
LinkedIn
Share
Instagram
  • Privacy Policy

FTC DISCLOSURE

The Federal Trade Commission requires that I disclose any relationship I have between a product manufacturer or service provider when I write about a product or service. I may receive a small commission for purchases made via affiliate links on this site such as Amazon. The above does not affect my opinion of those products and services. I am committed to sharing the work of other authors with my friends and readers.

Copyright © 2023 By Patricia Sands · Theme created and maintained by Bakerview Consulting