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Patricia Sands

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Susie LIndau

October = Breast Cancer Awareness

October 6, 2014 by Patricia Sands 6 Comments

b5bb4558d363e958a28f657ce57bdbfb

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month but really every day we need to keep our thoughts focused on battling this disease that affects so many of us, in so many different ways.

UnknownMeet my friend Erin Arbabha, a lively, lovely, energetic and engaging woman.

Her book, I Have Survived: One Woman’s Ten-Year Journey As A Breast Cancer Survivor,  is a powerful resource that contains helpful guidelines for cancer patients, caregivers, family, friends, and employers.

 

As Erin battled breast cancer she had the foresight to record the details of her journey, never thinking she would ever use the information for anything more than her own needs. As time passed, she became aware of how her story might benefit others.

Endorsed by The Komen Foundation, this book is part memoir and part helpful guide518yhqJY8OL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_ for family, friends, employers as well as patients and healthcare providers. With the help of meticulous notes kept throughout the hills and valleys of her battle, Erin has been able to provide readers with a comprehensive guide as well as a touching, inspiring story of resilience, strength and promise.

To connect with Erin, click below:

Website

Facebook 
Twitter  

ANOTHER SITE NOT TO BE MISSED IS THE FABULOUS BLOGGER/AUTHOR SUSIE LINDAU’S WILD RIDE WEBSITE ~ BOOB REPORTS ~ Her candid chronicles about her battle with breast cancer are laced with wit and humor as well as poignant moments and valuable information. Susie shared her journey online in real time and took all of her followers along for an experience none of us will ever forget. The good news is she also has a heartfelt story of survival.

Unknown-2 For answers to many questions you may have about breast cancer, please click on this link to the NationalBreastCancer.org. 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Early detection is vital!

I’ll be sharing other breast cancer websites I believe will be of interest, as the month progresses. Stay tuned and be informed!

 

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Filed Under: Blog, News, Social issues, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: breast cancer, Erin Arbabha, I have Survived, National Breast Cancer Month, Patricia Sands, Susie LIndau, The Komen Foundation

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

Travel Theme: Distance

August 30, 2013 by Patricia Sands 21 Comments

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

As you know, photography and France are two of my favourite blogging topics and occasionally I have the opportunity to combine them. Like today!

“Distance” is the theme on Ailsa’s Where’s My Backpack  and this photo is one I took on an early May morning when my husband and I were on our way to the Nice airport to pick up visitors. The air was cool and crisp, offering us perfect visibility past the iconic Marina Baie Des Anges condos, over the city of Nice, across the lower hills of l’arriére pays and up to the summits of the Alpes-Maritimes that run into Italy.

Biot/Route de mer-PSandsPhotos
Biot/Route de mer-PSandsPhotos

Next is a morning sunrise shot with the overnight ferry from Corsica in the distance covering the last few kilometres to Nice .  I would pause to to take in this scene most mornings as I worked on my first draft of The Promise of Provence. Before I began writing I seldom saw a sunrise!

Antibes sunrise-PSandsPhotos
Antibes sunrise-PSandsPhotos

And then this classic shot taken from the castle ruins at the top of the Jardin Exotique in the perched village of Eze, which shows the beauty of the distance one sees along the Côte d’Azur. This same shot can probably be found in millions of photo albums around the world, taken by every tourist who has visited there. I smiled when I saw it on my friend, Susie Lindau’s blog after her recent trip overseas. (If you haven’t stopped by to wish Susie well with her recent surgery, now is the time!)  I know I’ve shown this photo to you before so thanks for indulging me one more time!

From Eze-PSandsPhotos
From Eze-PSandsPhotos

Part of the fun of these photo challenges, is visiting other blogs to see what has been posted. Here are couple of my favourites this week:

http://esengasvoice.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/travel-theme-distance/comment-page-1/#comment-9151

http://travel-monkey.me/2013/08/30/ailsas-travel-theme-distance/

http://vosperdruiter.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/distance-ailsas-weekly-travel-theme/comment-page-1/#comment-3795

You never know from where in the world the photos will be. It’s always a trip and so much fun!

And that, dear friends, is my segue to letting you know … speaking of trips … that The Promise of Provence is featured on the Travel Novels website this week. Click right here to stop by and have a look, leave a word, or share. Merci beaucoup!

If you have some favourite photos that would fit in with the “distance” theme, why not post them and join the challenge. The more the merrier!

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Filed Under: Blog, France, If it is France..., Photo blogs Tagged With: Ailsa's Where's My Backpack, Antibes, distance, Eze, France, Nice, Patricia Sands, Susie LIndau, The Promise of Provence, travel theme

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