Patricia Sands

Author

The Bridge Club

La Dolce Vita with author Barbara Conelli

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Enjoy this interview with Barb Conelli who understands exactly how to help everyone experience la dolce vita.

Congratulations on the publication of your delightful novel Chique Secrets Of Dolce Vita! I think a lot of readers are going to be making plans to visit Italy once they read it. Tell us what you have been doing in the past two months.
First of all, I’d like to thank you, Patricia, for inviting me to your wonderful blog! The past two months have been beautifully, amazingly hectic. The Kindle edition of my book has become an Amazon.com bestseller in the travel category (#8, but I hope to get to #1 during the book tour thanks to the support of my fans), and I’ve been receiving wonderful feedback from my readers. I’ve been humbled by their encouraging words. Also, I’ve been working on this book tour, and I’m very grateful for this opportunity to get closer to my readers.

How did you first begin writing about la dolce vita and all things Italian? Obviously you have a family history.

Yes, my grandma was Italian, born in Milan, and the Italian influence has been big in our multicultural family. My Grandma made sure I knew and loved everything about Italy – the culture, the architecture, the nature, the history, the people, and of course the food! I keep and treasure Grandma Lily’s book of family recipes and each time my friends come to visit me, we have a real Italian feast! I’ve been writing short stories, essays and articles about Italy for as long as I can remember, and last year I decided to write a book where I could share my personal, intimate, passionate encounters with Milan.

Have you spent much time in Italy?

Yes, my Dad did lots of business with Italy, I spent there a large portion of my teenage years, I studied there later on, and I’ve always loved coming back to see my friends and family. Of course, I also had my heart broken in Italy a couple of times – in a very Dolce Vita way (wink). Those lost loves belong to my favorite memories.

There are some wonderful characters in your book. Are they real?

Yes, the characters are very important because they create the stories, the atmosphere, the zest and the vibe of the book. They are real – I just changed a couple of names to protect the privacy of my friends and relatives. I wanted to bring Italy into the homes of my readers through the hearts of real people, especially women, who have been creating the face of Milan without being famous or living in the spotlight. I love talking to people when I travel, and for some reason strangers love chatting with me! Which is a great asset when you’re writing a book – it makes research very easy and fun!

And the restaurants? Can they in fact be found by visitors to the areas?

Yes, the restaurants are actually my favorite restaurants that I visit each time I find myself in Milan. I love the people and the food and the atmosphere… And of course, the personal memories that come with them. But honestly, I think Italy is the only country in the world that has no bad restaurants. Whether it’s a family trattoria or a Michelin restaurant, you’ll eat like a Chique queen. So whenever you’re hungry, just open the door of the nearest ristorante, and you won’t be disappointed.

I was surprised to discover that Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita is a book to be enjoyed by everyone but particularly anyone planning a trip to the areas on which you focus. It’s a “must” to take along on travels as you share so much great information that most people would never discover on their own. Were you aiming at any particular reading audience?

Thank you, Patricia! I was definitely aiming at women who love to travel and explore the world, but also at those who dream of traveling the world and who are in love with everything Italian. I didn’t want to write a travel book, and I don’t consider myself a travel writer. Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita is not a travel guide, it’s a book that reveals the secrets of Italy and allows you to indulge in your own Dolce Vita no matter where you are in the world. It’s a book about sunny days, kind people, values that we sometimes seem to forget in today’s hectic world, and the art of finding pleasure in little everyday things.

Your blog is such fun and informative and leaves readers in a very upbeat frame of mind. Has this always been your approach to life?

Absolutely! You know, I believe that life is too short to worry about what may happen, and to be blue about what has already happened. I’ve had a fair share of disasters in my life but I always try to look at the sunny side of everything and look forward to the future with optimism and expectancy. I’m an adventurer, and I’m also very spiritual. I believe we are the creators of our own life, and everything that happens is here to teach us something. Life is beautiful, and I dare to say I’m happy even when I cry. And I know that when life feels like too much to handle, I can always catch the first plane to Italy.

What are some future plans you might share with us?

Lots and lots of travels, of course. I’m working on my new book that’s going to be published in October – my readers can look forward to another passionate dose of Dolce Vita. To me, writing is like breathing, and Italy is a place I can’t live without. Put these two together and you have a very Chique life purpose. I love my life, and I hope my joy and passion shines through the pages of my books and turns my writing into a highly contagious happiness bug! Patricia, thank you very much for this interview. You are a very Chique woman, and I’m honored to know you. I love The Bridge Club and I look forward to your new novel!

My thanks to you, Barbara. Your bright outlook and philosophy on life shine through in everything you do! It’s a pleasure to know you. Keep those blogs coming so we can continue to enjoy all the fantastico information you share. Can’t wait for your next book!

Further to my last post …

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Continuing with the subject of finding the balance between social media and writing, I wanted to give this next website it’s own separate post. First I want to thank my friend and fellow author Patricia Caviglia for forwarding the link to me in the first place.
At the risk of repeating myself, the online writing/publishing community provides an astonishing number of excellent blogs and websites. Kristen Lamb’s is a standout! She is a an author, a blogger, and a woman who offers inspiration and encouragement to all writers. She is talented, articulate, candid and very funny – unless she has me and many others completely fooled! As well as frequently laughing out loud, which I love to do, I’ve learned a lot from every one of her posts since I began following her a few months ago. What I like best about her is that she keeps things real. This particular post about the concept of T.E.A.M. as it applies to the effective use of social media is a fine example. If you are still attempting to find the balance, as I am, do read it. I’m betting you will subscribe to her blog as quickly as I did!
For your added enjoyment, guaranteed laughs, and in further praise of Kristen, check this site out Educlaytion by Clay Morgan.

Finding the balance between writing and building an author platform

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Time is a precious commodity of which there never seems to be enough. There are seldom nights I fall into bed (the best feeling !) that I don’t wish there had been a few more hours in my day. I always see this as a positive though, that my day was so good I want more of it, even if I didn’t have time to accomplish everything. I feed off the challenges and opportunities each daybreak presents.
Since serious writing became a part of my life five years ago, the distribution of time in my day has changed dramatically. Never in my wildest imagination had I any idea of the demands as one steps, tentatively or boldly, into the world of writing and publishing. When I think of it now I always envision a Pandora’s jar (often mistranslated, apparently, as a box) kind of scenario, opened out of curiosity with a seemingly never-ending release of everything I didn’t know about what I now need to do. In Pandora’s case it was evil spilling out. In mine it’s all the rest of the “stuff” that becomes part of a writers’ world if I so choose. I’m not a good enough blogger, nor do I have the t i m e to list it all here. Read Patricia Caviglia’s fabulous blog to learn in detail about everything that came tumbling out. She gets it. She doesn’t miss a detail and in the series of her posts offers truly helpful information to writers beginning their journey who have yet to open that jar. In the end when Pandora put the lid on it, so to speak, Hope was left in the bottom. I believe Hope remains in mine too. It is an important aspect to life and drives much of what I do.
What sparked my thoughts on this today was a post I happened upon on one of my favourite websites, The Creative Penn. I have subscribed to Joanna Penn’s all-encompassing and informative site since I discovered it in my early days of writing. The content is incredibly helpful. This particular post engages its readers in offering really thoughtful feedback about the pros and cons of how a writer’s time is best spent. It’s a question that certainly occupies my mind a lot and the post and responses are well worth reading. I hope it offers you the same food for thought.
Time’s up! At least for this part of my day. Now I’ve got to find a few hours to write before I … and then … oh yes, and then … oops, I almost forgot about … but first I have to … I know you get the picture. Onward!

2011 BookExpo America – what’s new and what’s next!

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There’s a lot of book buzz in The Big Apple this week! The largest annual book fair in the United States is being held May 23 to 26 in New York City. Commonly referred to as BEA, BookExpo America is the book industry’s premier trade show in the USA. Locations sometimes vary but each spring booksellers from across the country are provided with an opportunity to preview publishers’ upcoming titles, as well as take part in education and information sessions, author breakfasts and lunches, and other special events. Networking rules! In addition, authors, editors, librarians, buyers for book retailers, and the literati in general get to immerse themselves in a three-day bookfest visiting booths and exhibits and socializing with colleagues. Somewhere in that mix and amongst thousands of other books, The Bridge Club is being exhibited on a bookshelf and in catalogues. It’s a thrill and an honour! Perhaps one of these years I’ll actually get to be there as well. It never hurts to dream!
Click here to read about all of the exciting events.