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Canadian author Dorothy McIntosh is here!

August 8, 2018 by Patricia Sands 7 Comments

One of the best aspects of being involved in writing is the opportunity to meet and often become friends with other authors. It’s my distinct pleasure to have my friend, author Dorothy McIntosh (DJ McIntosh) visit here today.

When Dorothy is not at home in Toronto, she can be found at her beloved cottage in the wilds of the Bruce Peninsula, keeping company with her trusty companion, Bruin.

Okay, let’s chat!

PS ~ Your award-winning novel, The Witch of Babylon, published in 2012, was a Canadian best seller and the first in The Mesopotamian Trilogy.  There was obviously a great deal of research that went into this thrilling read, as well as The Book of Stolen Tales and The Angel of Eden. What inspired you to undertake this tremendous project?

DJM ~ I wanted to write about age old stories that were familiar to everyone and give them a new twist, so I thought:  why not start at the beginning with the stories of  Genesis?  After researching the bible’s first book, I learned a number of the Genesis stories were based on Mesopotamian myths written long before the Old Testament. This started me on my journey to research      Mesopotamia and I fell in   love with their history and culture. At the same time I embarked on this journey, the Iraq war broke out. I watched, dazed, as the famous Baghdad Museum was looted, precious objects destroyed and stolen. It seemed as if thousands of years had come full circle because I’d been studying the sacking and burning of the ancient Mesopotamian cities. Out of that synergy, The Witch of Babylon was born.

PS ~ There are fascinating, some even exotic, locations in those stories. Would you describe some of the literary pilgrimages you took in order to write the trilogy and any particular experiences that stand out as most significant?

DJM ~ My second novel, The Book Of Stolen Tales, featured some of our best    known fairy tales told in a new way. I learned that the first fairy tale anthology, called The Tale Of Tales, was written by a fascinating Neapolitan poet and courtier, Giambattista Basile. So off to Naples I went. My friends gave me dark warnings about muggings and mad drivers but I encountered none of that and really loved the city. Spanish style buildings and churches abounded, their beauty shining through even though the city had little   money for upkeep. The National Library where I held an original copy of Basile’s book in my hands. The ruins of Pompei where you could even see an ancient fast food café. Walking   gingerly on top of a volcano. And the best food anywhere. But what left the most lasting  impression was to stand on the harbour promenade and gaze across at green sloped Vesuvius, sitting innocently in a gentle purple haze and knowing it has lost none of its  power.

PS ~ When did you begin writing and what inspired the direction you have chosen with your novels to this point?

DJM ~ I began writing in earnest around 2003; my first novel was published in 2011. I’ve    always loved learning about culture and history in books I read and so was drawn to write historical thrillers.

PS ~ Does writing energize or exhaust you?

DJM ~ For me, writing the first draft is pure torture, but I revel in the re-writing and editing stages because that’s when you can shape the book and really let loose on narrative and language.

PS ~ How many hours a day do you write and do you have a routine?

DJM ~ I envy those authors who rise early, sit down with their coffee and bang out a couple of thousand wordsof marvellous prose. As to my ‘routine’ it is most definitely not recommended, lol! I don’t write every day, rather months might go by and then I’ll write seven days a week for many more months. As a night owl, I usually don’t start until late afternoon and carry on until midnight (the time Ialways feel most energetic).

PS ~ I feel privileged to know your current project and am excited for you to share it here.

DJM ~ Thanks so much Patricia. I’m really excited about my new novel because  it’s a subject that’s really close to my heart. It’s a departure from my previous historical thrillers; the working title is The White Wolf.  It’s the story of a rare white wolf stalked through             the Adirondacks by three trophy hunters. Raised in captivity, the wolf must learn to wild  again to survive. Here’s a brief blurb:

Unable to make ends meet, Jade Wentworth is forced to sell her family farm. When a local hunter asks her to foster a newborn white wolf, she  reluctantly agrees. She names the pup Niko. As time goes on, the wolf and the woman form a close bond and Jade realizes that caring for the little wolf has turned into a gift, making her life brighter. But for the wolf, that unnatural alliance with humans threatens to become a curse.

PS ~ Do you have a list of long-term writing plans?

DJM ~ I’d like to continue with canine themed novels and hope to start a new  one this summer and would also like to write a screen treatment for my most recent book.

PS ~ Some writers work on several projects simultaneously. Do you or do you find you focus on your current work before you move on?

DJM ~ For me, it would be too distracting to juggle several works at once.

PS ~ Who are your favourite writers for your own reading enjoyment?

DJM ~ That question always throws me into a tizzy because there are so many writers I love, it’s difficult to choose! Wuthering Heights remains one of my all-time favourites. Cormac        McCarthy’s Border Trilogy is always at the top of my list. I go back to it again and again just to marvel at his writing. These days I’m drawn to adventure thrillers especially those related to mountaineering and adore Jeff Long’s The Wall and Ronald Malfi’s The Ascent. And some older magnificent novels:  Belle De Jourby Joseph Kessel, James Dickey’s Deliverance, Cornell Woolrich’s The Night Has A Thousand Eyes and James M Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice.Those books combine maximum suspense with stunningly good writing.

PS ~ Dorothy, thanks so much for taking the time to chat here. You always bring so much good ‘book talk’ to the table!

Click here to connect with Dorothy on her Amazon authors page and please remember to click on “Following” there. This is a big help to authors and most appreciated. You aren’t signing up for anything, but you are letting Amazon know you like the author’s work. We love to have Amazon hear this!

Click here for Dorothy’s website.

Dear readers, if you have not read Dorothy’s Mesopotamian Trilogy, and you enjoy historical thrillers, I strongly suggest you do! 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: authors, Dorothy McIntosh, Patricia Sands, The Mesopotamian Trilogy, Toronto

August means it is still summer!

August 3, 2017 by Patricia Sands 4 Comments

Do you know people who start saying summer is almost over once the month of August begins? I do! I go to great pains to point out that our summer is just at the halfway mark. The warm weather season in Toronto is short enough without some folks wishing it away! So keep doing all those summery things and set the naysayers straight!

I took this shot while we were on a bike ride last week. It still looks like summer to me! What do you say?

I don’t have a post today, but I do have my July newsletter to share with any of you who may not subscribe. If you do subscribe, but did not receive this last week, please let me know. Sometimes the mail delivery system has a kink or two!

 

Newsletter #47

 

How is your summer going? I hope the answer is a resounding “GREAT” for most of you. If any of you, or your loved ones, are living in one of the areas around the world affected by the terrible wild fires, please know you are in the thoughts and prayers of many.

It’s three weeks today since I returned from the south of France. As you know from my last two newsletters, every day was memorable. However, it didn’t take too long to get settled back into life in Toronto.  After time away, it’s always so good to get caught up with family and friends. (And then get back to serious writing, of course!)

We love the view from our condo (above), but I can’t say France is far away from my thoughts! Bring on 2018!

I must admit I didn’t accomplish a lot of proper writing while I was away. What I did was a tremendous amount of observing and absorbing and note taking. My camera shutter was steaming! Details, images and memories were captured that I will use as I write more stories for you.

The header shot in this letter is one of my favourite photos from this summer. The colours, textures, and play of light/shadow were impossible to resist. I walked past this door whenever I took one of several routes to the daily marché in Antibes. It took my breath away every single time.

Our Women’s Fiction Fans Summer Party was an enormous success, and we are so grateful to all of the enthusiastic readers who joined in the fun! We can’t begin to thank you enough! Congratulations to all the winners of books, bags and macarons! Those were just some of the sought after prizes!

If you haven’t had an opportunity to join our group, just go to this page and click on “joined”.  It’s as easy as that!

I would also like to invite you to join me at our #LakeUnionAuthors page. Click on this link and be connected. Every week one of the 72 authors signed to Lake Union Publishing hosts the page. I will be hosting from August 7th to 13th and hope you will find some time to visit with me then.

With both of these groups there is absolutely no commitment on your part, except to learn about new reads, chat with authors and connect with book lovers like yourself. You can be as engaged as you like … or not. But do be part of the community! We look forward to spending time with you!

The aim of these friendly groups of authors and readers is to share thoughts and comments about books (old and new), or simply talk about reading in general … or anything else that’s on your mind. Ask us questions, enter our giveaways, enjoy our special events and, by all means, please invite your friends!

Now it’s time for this month’s giveaways!

You are no doubt familiar with my friend and fellow Lake Union author, Christine Nolfi, as we are often involved in author events together. We’ve met several times in person and will be together again at the Novelists, Inc. (NINC) writers conference in October. Can’t wait!

A few months ago, Christine gave away copies of her new release Sweet Lake. This month you have the opportunity to win one of two ebooks of the sequel, The Comfort of Secrets. Isn’t it a beautiful cover?

From an Amazon reviewer: 5 stars ~ “This is a delightful and charming story that describes the Wayfair Inn in Ohio and the quirky, complex and complicated characters. Many of the characters are the same as in the first book.”

Award-winning author Christine Nolfi provides readers with heartwarming and inspiring fiction. Her novel TREASURE ME, Liberty series book 2, is a Next Generation Indie Awards finalist. The Midwest Book Review lists SECOND CHANCE GRILL, Liberty series book 1, and the other Liberty books as “highly recommended”. Connect with Christine here.

Our next giveaway is for one of two ebooks of the exciting new release, I Wish You Happy, from another fellow Lake Union author, Kerry Anne King. I don’t know how Kerry manages all she does. She spends her days working as an RN in a clinic, spinning her tales early in the morning and in the evenings after work. She believes passionately in the idea of the “whole self” and is ever in pursuit of balancing mind, body, and spirit. She also writes fantasy and mystery novels as Kerry Schafer.
Connect with Kerry here.

From an Amazon reviewer: 5 stars “I Wish You Happy is a heartfelt book, a story that exudes warmth and feelings. The characters in this book are quirky, genuine, and a bit tortured; they are all searching not only for their own happiness but also for the happiness of the people they love.”

As always, to have your name entered for the random draw for each giveaway, send an email to patriciasandsauthor@gmail.com . This month please tell us your favourite summer activity. Good luck, everyone!

With the giveaways in my newsletter, I hope you enjoy meeting authors who might be new to you and connecting with those you already follow. Savour their books, find out more about the writers and pass along their information to your friends. The best way to hear about a good book is by word of mouth from dedicated readers like you.

If you have time to write a short review, even better, and always appreciated.  Good luck! Bonne chance!

Congratulations to the winners of last month’s giveaways: Camille Clark-Laclergue, Donna Faulkner, Cynthia Daniel, Barbara Taptich, Helen Hoadley, and Janet Graham.

Amy, my irreplaceable right hand, is always on top of things so I’m certain you have all heard from her by now. If not, please let us know.

Who wants to win a Kindle? Take a chance in this event and add some new books to your summer reading list. Good luck. Click right here to enter!

A few summers ago, we discovered this delicious drink at Le Phenecia, an excellent Lebanese restaurant overlooking the Med in Antibes. They call it Lebanese Lemonade and here’s the closest recipe I could find. At the restaurant they said they added only a pinch of sugar. To help sweeten, they added a dash of fleur d’oranger, as the French often do.

You may have to play with the recipe a bit for sweetness. Make sure the mixture has a nice frothy topping. It’s deliciously refreshing!

I took this photo one day in Antibes when I met a reader who asked me to sign her copy of I Promise You This. That made the moment even more pleasurable for me!

Stay well, my friends, be kind to one another, read a lot and appreciate every single day. Profitez de tous les jours! I’m reminded on a regular basis that the best part of being an author is hearing from readers. I value the messages I receive from you. Thanks also for sharing my books with your friends and for the reviews you write. It’s all most appreciated and inspiring. See you next month!

À bientôt!

Thanks and mille mercis to everyone who has pre-ordered my new novel, Drawing Lessons. If you still haven’t, you can do so by clicking right here! Right now I’m awaiting the final sign off on the manuscript. We’re eager to have the book available on Net Galley for everyone who is interested in writing a review. Stay tuned! I will let you know the minute it is there.

 

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: August, Patricia Sands, summer, Toronto

It’s here!

April 29, 2016 by Patricia Sands 18 Comments

 

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Bonjour! Here’s a Friday morning shot from Antibes … starts my day off right. Yours, too, I hope! This might be the street where Katherine lived in Antibes. You know that kitchen window where she liked to sit and look out into the back allée? Picture her there! In fact, it looks like she’s just disappearing around the corner on her bike … Find out more in my Love in Provence series.

And now the trilogy is complete because this box was delivered by the postman yesterday. I Promise You This, Book #3 in the series, will be launched on Amazon on May 17. In fact, it’s been available for pre-order for the last month and I can’t believe how many of you have done just that! Merci beaucoup!

You can order it online, of course, and if it is not on the shelf at your local indie bookshop after May 17th, any bookstore can order it from their distributor. I promise you this!  13087376_1090597354340024_1947364087370167836_n

I’m thrilled with the way the three novels look together!

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Gratitude. I’m filled with it.

I have a lot of thanks to share for this new addition to the series:

Thanks so much to the talented Scott Collie in Toronto for his beautiful artwork on all three covers.

Thanks to Amazon’s women’s fiction imprint, Lake Union Publishing, and the fabulous, hard-working, supportive, enthusiastic team that worked with me … Gabe, Mike, and all the gang in Seattle, my talented developmental editor, Amara Holstein, and my patient editor in New York, Miriam Juskowicz.

Thanks to Senior Acquisitions Editor at Lake Union, Danielle Marshall, who brought us together.

And the biggest thanks of all goes to every reader who has been so enthusiastic and loyal to this series! Thank you for your emails and reviews and for telling your friends and sharing your books and opinions. You made this happen!

Where would any of this be without the all-consuming beauty of the country and people of France and the region of Provence-Alpes- Côte d’Azur that provide me with constant inspiration. Nor should I forget my vibrant, much-loved hometown of Toronto, which has also played a big role in these stories.

There will be more! Because so many of you have asked, I’ve begun working on three more books that will carry forward the story of Kat’s journey … in a slightly different way. Stay tuned!

Right now I’m going to toast everyone I’ve mentioned … and lots more I haven’t … and enjoy the rush of publication. It’s a very good time to be an author and I feel blessed to be part of the incredibly collegial and connected global writing community.

p.s. Amazon is celebrating by giving away 20 print copies … TWENTY … on Goodreads. Click right here to enter!

If you are on FaceBook, join me there on May 19th, from 6 to 9 EDT. I’ll be celebrating the launch of I Promise You This with some of your favourite authors: Bette Lee Crosby, Christine, Nolfi, Jillian Dodd, Steena Holmes, Toby Neal, Suzanne Kelman, Jacquie Gauthier and from England, Linn B. Halton, and from France, Liza Perrat!

There’ll be tons of giveaways and great conversation. Join us!

IPYT FB Book Launch 3 (1)

IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN THE WEST END OF TORONTO TOMORROW, SATURDAY APRIL 30, PLEASE VISIT A NOVEL SPOT AT HUMBERTOWN PLAZA. I’LL BE THERE FROM 10 A.M. TO 11 A.M. HELPING TO CELEBRATE CANADIAN AUTHORS FOR INDIES DAY. I’M GRATEFUL THAT A NOVEL SPOT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL SUPPORTER OF MY WORK SINCE THE BRIDGE CLUB IN 2010.

Wherever you are, take a few minutes to drop into your  local independent bookstore tomorrow.  They put a lot of love into bringing you the best choices in literature. If it’s not on the shelf, they are happy to order for you. Like libraries, they’re an important part of our communities.

 

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, France, If it is France..., Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: France, I Promise You This, new release, Patricia Sands, Toronto

Opening day ~ PanAm Games 2015 in Toronto

July 10, 2015 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

PanAm_2015_Events

Let the games begin! The Pan American Games are the world’s third largest international multi-sport Games, only surpassed in size and scope by the Olympic Summer Games and the Asian Games.

Toronto is proud to be the host from July 10 to 26 for the 2PanAm Games and then for the ParaPan Am Games from August 7 to 15. Let’s give the athletes an all-Canadian welcome!

Opening Ceremony is this evening in Toronto’s Rogers Centre where, amongst other acts, Cirque du Soleil will work its magic for the athletes and viewers.

Click here for the schedule and other details.

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Filed Under: Blog, News, Social issues, Uncategorized Tagged With: athletes, Canada, Opening Ceremony, Pachi, PamAmerican Games 2015, PanAm Games, PanAm mascot, ParaPanAm, Toronto

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