Patricia Sands

Author

the value of laughter

Writers and sun signs … what do you say?

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Do you believe in Astrology? Do you check your daily horoscope and then make a decision whether to get out of bed or pull the covers back over your head?

Last September my sun signs were reviewed by the lovely and talented Shaz, the resident astrologer for the fabulous collection of authors and reader/reviewers belonging to LoveAHappyEnding.com.  I did tweet this interview then and put it on Facebook but for some reason I missed sharing it on my blog … I’m sure that forgetfulness has something to do with where the moon and stars were aligned on that particular date … I’ll have to check with Shaz!

Shaz’s Stars talks to Patricia Sands

Category: Shaz’ Stars

Shaz’s Stars – Welcome to the regular feature on ‘The Buzz’ of Shaz’s Stars

Using sun sign astrology I have been interviewing loveahappyending.com Authors to see how the traits of their sun sign affect their craft.
Authors share with us how they’ve used positive characteristics as well as advice on how they’ve overcome negative ones.
I hope you enjoy getting to know our new Authors as much as I’ve enjoyed interviewing them.

Shaz

Twitter @shazjera: http://bit.ly/m4lPE2
Website: http://jerasjamboree.wordpress.com

In the hot seat today I would like to welcome Patricia Sands!

Hello Patricia, thank you for letting us have a peek behind the scenes. Your sun sign is LEO.

Q. A typical Leo loves glamorous locations and adventure. Have you ever researched an idea on holiday? Or taken a trip purely for research?

That’s a timely question Shaz! Are you psychic as well? As we speak, I’m spending 4 months in the south of France where I’m writing my next novel. A good portion of the story is set in this area. My husband and I arrived in Antibes on May 15 and we will be here until the end of September when we’ll return to our home in Toronto. I’m having a wonderful time feeling like I actually live here and if it weren’t for missing our family (particularly adorable grandchildren), we would stay forever!

Q. Leonine people set themselves high standards. When you edit your writing, can this become a problem and cause you frustration?

You’re right about that! I do set high standards in everything I do and sometimes need to be reminded to ease up. As a former schoolteacher, grammar is a major issue with me and I have radar that can spot a typo or a spelling error a mile away. I always like to have a proper editor go through my work as well and find the process extremely worthwhile.

Q. Leo’s love drama. A typical Leo will dislike safety. Do you take risks in your writing projects?

I’m not sure about the drama part ( I love to watch it!) but I am a risk-taker. I do have a comfort zone when it comes to the topics about which I write but within those topics I’m prepared to push the limits. In the final chapter of my novel, The Bridge Club, I address a topic that is controversial as well as current. I was initially concerned that some readers might be offended but I felt so strongly about the subject matter that I knew I had to write about it. I’ve received very positive feedback about it and book clubs have enjoyed the discussion it generates. It’s always nice to discover that the risk was worth it!

Q. Leo energy generally expresses itself as positive thinking – positive thinking attracts opportunities. Are you a positive thinker? Can you share with us a time when positive thinking brought a blessing?

I am a positive thinker through and through. One of my alter egos is Pollyanna Patty and I’m often teased about it! I’m thankful to my Leo energy for this and although I can’t pinpoint a specific example, I feel that I have been blessed through my life as the result of an optimistic attitude. I was widowed at 43 and gained an ever more positive outlook through that devastating experience. I truly believe that every day is a gift to appreciate and give as much to as we possibly can.

Q. In romance, Leo’s have high aspirations and are idealistic. Do any of your lead characters fulfil these expectations?

In The Bridge Club several of the characters had experienced very different dimensions of romance in their relationships but that wasn’t the main focus of any of their stories. In my next novel, still untitled, romance is very much at the forefront (spoiler alert) and the main character realizes she is only just discovering romance for the first time in her fifties. At the beginning of the story she thinks her life is pretty much over in many ways and subsequently discovers it is only just beginning. It’s never too late for romance!

Q. Smaller problems are not an issue for those ruled by the Sun which enables them to see the bigger picture. Are you able to focus on your writing projects as a whole? Does this help when you find things may not be going so well?

I tend to be a “pantser” in my writing, rather than a planner but even so I generally have a clear idea of the bigger picture. Part of the fun of writing is seeing where the characters lead you as they begin to take on lives of their own. I’m often very surprised to discover twists and turns in the story. If things aren’t going well, I step away from my writing and go for a walk or play a game of golf. When I sit down at the computer again I’m usually ready to get right back to it.

Q. The Sun, your ruler, bestows life and light to all. Leo’s get an inordinate amount of pleasure from helping others enjoy life as much as they do. Leo’s love to be in the spotlight and to shine! Do you think this energy motivates your ambition to write?

I’ve been a storyteller all my life through photography. So in that regard, I like to put others in the spotlight but my ego is constantly patting me on the back for the brilliant photo. Does that sound like a Leo? My family and my friends are the most important things in my life and making sure we are all happy and enjoying life to the fullest is what drives me. I’m really not sure what motivates me to write. What I do know is that I love the experience! (An unexpected side benefit to this adventure of being a writer is the amazing global community of writers that one meets. The amount of information sharing is without measure and the wonderful connections made are priceless.)

A perfect example is the fact that I’m sitting here with you! Thanks so much for inviting me over, Shaz, it’s been great fun!

Hop on over to Shaz’s website. This multi-talented lady is also a Reiki Master who is currently studying for a crystal healing diploma. She also teaches literacy to children with dyslexia. Pretty awesome!

What is your astrological sign? Have you ever had a reading to see how your sign impacts your personality and the choices you make? Were you surprised by what you learned or do you tend to ignore the zodiac and its implications? Let’s hear about it!

 

A warm welcome to Bonnie Trachtenberg

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Today I’m delighted to have author Bonnie Trachtenberg as a guest. We’ve become friends through our connections with the awe-mazing WoMen’s Literary Cafe and also the fabulous Love A Happy Ending, both of which are sites you should definitely visit as a writer or a reader.

 Here’s an idea of the type of woman she is. If you were having a bad day and wanted to call a truly reliable friend who would listen to you, give you good advice, and make you laugh … no matter what …then you would call Bonnie. She just has that way about her.

To quote from her website:

“Bonnie Trachtenberg graduated from New York University with a major in Film and Television Production. She promptly found a job on a B movie you never heard of. Four days later she retired from her film career after working the craft service truck and throwing her back out while attempting to lift a man-sized coffee urn.

Realizing she was meant to be a writer, Bonnie worked 4,749 crappy jobs (give or take) on two coasts before being published in a national magazine.”

See what I mean? She is hilarious! She went on from that not-so-illustrious beginning to write seven  children’s book adaptations, countless magazine and newspaper articles, and recently published her  award-winning novel Wedlocked.  All of her contact information can be found below and when you have finished reading her novel, be sure to let her know how much you enjoyed it. That kind of feedback means more to us writers than anything!

Before she shares some information with you, here’s just one of the many excellent reviews Wedlocked has received.  Oh, and by the way, you will laugh out loud when you read the story. I did!

“Wedlocked is a delight, filled with humor and heart. You’ll surely cheer as you follow Rebecca Ross’s trials and triumphs as she navigates her way to finding her true self—and true love—at last.”
—Francine LaSala, author of Rita Hayworth’s Shoes

Take it away, Bonnie!

7 Splendid Things You Should Know About Wedlocked: A Novel

by Bonnie Trachtenberg

  1. Wedlocked: A Novel is inspired by true events. In 1999, I had a brief, disastrous marriage, the events of which were so bizarre I knew they had to be turned into a book. Wedlocked, my debut novel, is the result. As difficult as that time in my life was, I was able to transform the unfortunate episode into an entertaining romantic comedy—my way of turning lemons in lemonade!
  2. The most unbelievable scenes in the book were not out of my imagination, they were taken from actual incidents. When I later conveyed the goings-on of my honeymoon to friends and family, I got used to seeing wide eyes and dropped jaws—another clue that convinced me the story lent itself to literature.
  3. Wedlocked was an award-winning finalist in USA Book News’ “BEST BOOKS OF 2011” (Women’s Lit/Chick Lit). It also made it onto Amazon’s Bestseller lists for Literary Fiction and Literature.
  4. I appear, phone in, or Skype in to book clubs who read my book in order to answer questions and talk about the story—as well as the story behind the story. I find that people are fascinated with determining the truth from the fiction and I am happy to oblige.
  5. Wedlocked’s biggest selling tool is word of mouth. I find this a huge compliment as it means that I’ve done my job well in creating a book that people not only enjoy, but enthusiastically recommend to friends, family and in their posted book reviews.
  6. Wedlocked is available in hardcover, softcover and ebook. You can now Kindle or Nook a copy for only 99cents. This is a limited promotion designed to encourage readers all over the world to familiarize themselves with my work and hopefully become fans!
  7. Wedlocked is available for sale at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Booksamillion.com and many other channels.

BIO:

Bonnie Trachtenberg is the award-winning, bestselling author of Wedlocked: A Novel. She was senior writer and copy chief at Book-of-the-Month Club and has written seven children’s book adaptations. She has also written for three newspapers and penned countless magazine articles. Trachtenberg lives on Long Island with her husband, four cats and a dog. Her second novel will be released in early 2012.

You can learn more about Bonnie and read her blog at: http://www.BonnieTrachtenberg.com.

Find her on Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/BonnieTrachtenberg and http://www.Facebook.com/Wedlocked

Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/writebrainedny

Buy Wedlocked on Amazon:

http://ning.it/qC1y2V

Buy Wedlocked on Amazon UK

http://ning.it/sEStFV

Buy Wedlocked at Barnes and Noble

http://ning.it/pPRGvC

You know from my tagline, I always say everyone has a story. Some are more unbelievable than others and it takes a strong character to turn some of life’s personal disasters into entertaining tales. There isn’t always humour to be found in many experiences but whether the situations have been good or bad, there are always lessons to be learned. How do you feel your story is going? May the next chapter be the best yet!

Choopy’s Cupcakes and Coffee Shop

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

I love success stories, don’t you? The reason I’m a little late posting this is because I took a few hours this evening to watch the movie The Help with my DH. As well as being an important and well-told story,  author Kathryn Stockett’s backstory about writing The Help is one everyone should hear. It’s a true success story.

She received 60 rejections over a five-year period before one brave agent with an eye for a good story saw the truth in it. Click here to read it from my archives, in case you missed it. She’s hilarious and her personal journey is inspiring to all of us who believe in our writing.

Okay, I’m getting off topic … as I do … this post is about France and it’s about success. It’s about a young couple I met in Antibes whose story also inspired me.

Meet Julie and Victor, the owners of Choopy’s,  who are natives of nearby Nice and about as sincere and delightful a young couple as you could ever hope to meet. This warm and welcoming shop is in the old town of Antibes, through a short archway off Rue de La République.

I have to admit I’m not a true coffee drinker, unlike my DH who is an espresso afficionado.

I am … full confession here … a faux-coffee drinker. I need chocolate in it . Give me a Café Mocha or a Moccacino and I’m in heaven. I appreciate how seriously the French take their café and I know it’s kind of bad manners to even think of having anything but a café (i.e. espresso) or a café crème so I had been pretending for several weeks that I was cool with that (plus a LOT of sugar). But I wasn’t.

So … Choopy’s was new and had a cosmopolitan ambiance AND they had free wifi – bonus! I wandered in one day to see if possibly they might have one of these North American aberrations on their menu. They didn’t. “Pas de problème!” said Victor with his wonderful smile. “Explain what it is and I’ll make you one.” I did and he did. Magnifique!

Julie, a beautiful and engaging young woman, is a graduate of a prestigious 5-year culinary program. Vincent has a degree in business and finance. Soon after graduation they began working. It took no time for Julie to realize she wanted to be in contact with people and Vincent knew he preferred baking cakes to crunching numbers. Their quest began to figure out just what it was they could do to make this happen.

Like so  many other young people, they packed up and had an adventure working and traveling in Australia and Bali. All the while they were on the lookout for something that might be a sign as to what sort of business they should open. It didn’t take long for the sign to appear and surprisingly it was in the shape of … CUPCAKES! 

It seemed as if every coffee shop in Australia also served cupcakes. Mon Dieu! Qu’est-ce que c’est? Who had heard of cupcakes in France?  Not many. You can find more types of pastries in France than practically anywhere else in the world … but not cupcakes!

Visiting cupcake bakeries in Australia before they left, they were convinced that this was their future.  A bit of research back home indicated only one bakery in Paris was making cupcakes. Amazing. I mean, seriously, who doesn’t enjoy a good cupcake … or two?  Julie has become a cupcake goddess and every kind I sampled through the summer was über-delicieux!

Along with the ever-changing selection of cupcakes there are several other equally delicious choices to accompany your coffee. Victor’s banana bread with it’s mouth-watering crunchy topping has already established it’s own reputation.

Lunches and Sunday brunches are also served with all ingredients fresh from the daily market. Get there early as the space fills up quickly. The word has spread and this bright, hard-working and absolutely delightful young couple are seeing their business become a most successful venture.

It was always a pleasure to stop in and see how busy they were. Their energy and commitment to their business is evident in everything they do. Customer service is their focus and after just a few months it was obvious they were becoming a very important part of the charming old town in Antibes. Never too busy for a smile and a friendly exchange, make sure you stop by the next time you are in the neighbourhood!

The strawberry cupcakes are to die for … but then, so are the chocolate … and  … um, well, the Cupcakes De Noël are out now too. Just try them all!

And ask them how they decided upon the name of their shop … very cute …

Here’s their Facebook link. Stop in and “like” them – they deserve it. Merci beaucoup!

What are some success stories that have inspired you? Have you ever done your homework, taken a big breath and begun something completely new and different in your life? Would you do it again?

Toronto’s Famous People Players Inspire And Delight!

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FPP’s Mission Statement: “OUR MISSION is to inspire people to achieve more. To instill in the hearts and minds of everyone that dreams can come true when you believe in yourself.”

 

On Saturday three generations of our family laughed and applauded our way through the afternoon performance of the Famous People Players holiday presentation. Never heard of them? Prepare to be inspired.

In 1974, Diane Dupuy had a dream and a vision. Today Diane and her Famous People Players continue to live the dream loud and strong bringing joyful entertainment to audiences in Toronto and around the world. Click here to visit their website.

FPP proudly states it is a non-profit organization which employs people with physical and intellectual disabilities. Those individuals share duties in dining room management, arts administration, and theatrical and visual arts performances. With requests being received from around the world, one troupe remains in Toronto and another tours. Do yourself, your family and friends a favour and get on over to catch a meal and a show.

HISTORICAL MILESTONES:

1980 – Famous PEOPLE Players were chosen by New York’s Radio City Music Hall to choreograph, the first stage production of the “Sorcerers Apprentice”. This was a very important event, as the Famous PEOPLE Players would be officially reopening this famous Hall.

1982 – Famous PEOPLE Players was the first western group to be invited to perform in the People’s Republic of China.

1984 – Joe Cates, a highly regarded producer for television, saw Famous PEOPLE Players at Radio City Music Hall and signed them on the spot for a CBS two-hour movie of the week, “Special People”.

1985 – FPP appeared for a one-hour special on the Phil Donahue Show which was the highest rated Donahue show.

1986 – Famous PEOPLE Players opened on Broadway at the historical Lyceum Theatre. “A Little Like Magic” earned rave reviews.

1994 – New York beckoned the company once again and Famous PEOPLE Players returned with “A Little More Magic” at the Belasco Theatre. After lengthy tours, the Famous PEOPLE Players needed to settle to a place called home.

February 18th, 1994 – Famous PEOPLE Players opened the first dinner theatre dedicated to people with special needs where the veteran performers who no longer perform could further enhance their life skills. Actor Paul Newman who had become a big supporter and fan of Famous PEOPLE Players, generously underwrote the restaurant through the sales of Newman’s Own products.

Phil Collins, saw the company perform in Toronto and was ‘wowed’ by their artistic ability and interpretation of his music on stage. Meeting Phil Collins became such a major force of inspiration to the Famous PEOPLE Players that they now call him “Uncle Phil” and their theatre is called the Phil Collins performance workshop.

In 2009, FPP moved to its current spacious location (bonus – tons of free parking!) in Toronto’s west end. The walls of the new dinner theatre are covered with photos of famous celebrities who have visited and supported this exceptional group.

The black light theatre performances provided by this troupe never cease to amaze. With a variety of shows throughout the year, if you are lucky you  might still be able to snag a ticket to the current holiday production. All the details are included in the following video. Hurry – make your plans now! You will be so pleased you did.