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Patricia Sands

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October 13, 2025 by Patricia Sands

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

October 13,2025 

We have enjoyed a beautiful autumn long weekend in Canada. Just the kind of weather we hope for as we celebrate this special holiday.

I returned a week ago from five weeks in France with my close friend, Deborah Bine aka Barefootblogger_France. Our trip was planned for a variety of reasons but one thing that stood out to us was that every single day at one point or another we voiced how grateful we were to be there visiting places we love and write about, spending time with friends (and each other!) and meeting up with authors we previously had only known online, and many more reasons to numerous to mention. It truly was all about gratitude.

I hope you won’t mind if I post a similar message here to past years. It’s the message I want to share at this time every year … every day, really …

I know we all find it hard to be giving thanks when so many people just like us are faced with war, famine and shocking events of Nature beyond anyone’s control. I understand that we have to look at the blessings in our lives and try to do whatever we can to help others. Donating to the Red Cross International is just one of many organizations at the forefront of assisting around the world.

Take a few minutes to make a list of the blessings in your life … or scroll through your photos for some reminders. May your heart be warmed.

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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. The recent storms in the USA have left so many lives in turmoil. 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.

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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?

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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 am grateful for every single message. Thanks for subscribing to my newsletter (just click on the link in the column to the right) and for sharing my books with your friends. You light up my life! I’m excited … and thankful … to share more with you about my new book releasing in November, but I’ll save that for the next post.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Filed Under: Blog, Social issues, UncategorizedTagged With: Canada, Canadian Thanksgiving, donate, family, food, help others, Patricia Sands, Thanksgiving

https://patriciasandsauthor.com/2025/10/14021/

Filed Under: Blog, General Travel, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: barefootblogger_france, Canadian Thanksgiving, France, Patricia Sands, Thanksiving, the power of friendship, travel

It’s launch day! New release!

November 15, 2018 by Patricia Sands

I’m excited to introduce this first book in my new mini-series, featuring those beloved characters from the Love in Provence series.

Christmas markets, French pastries, family, friends, all come together after unexpected challenges threaten a joyeux Noël or a merry Christmas. Then there are those two adorable Chocolate Lab pups! Spend time on the stunning Côte d’Azur as Kat and Philippe deal with one crisis after another.

It was so much fun to get back on the pages with all of the characters! Stay tuned for Book Two of the Villa des Violettes series in May and Book Three in October.

I hope you love the cover as much as I do! In September, when I was co-leading our South of France Memories Tour with my BFF, Deborah Bine (aka Barefoot Blogger), two women on the tour offered to help design the cover. Talented artists and good friends, Clare Strohman and Donna Fedele, worked with me to create the cover I envisioned … and they made it even better!

(May I just add how amazing these two women are in every way? And we were not intentionally colour-co-ordinated for this photo. Just sayin’! Our entire group of 16 women on the tour were a dream to travel with.)

Then, with the help of literary/tech assistant Carolyn Ring, fonts and placement of the title and my name were chosen and … badda bing, badda boom … the cover was born. My gratitude to each of those clever women.

Kate Rock and Tonni Callan, the founders of Literally Connected, made magic happen behind the scenes. A bouquet of thanks to them.

Also, thanks to everyone who helped make this happen today. Mille mercis! I’m grateful to each and every one of you.

Click here for the Amazon link.

Here’s the blurb:

THE LOVE IN PROVENCE CHARACTERS ARE BACK …

Everything was going so well in Kat and Philippe’s life together. Then suddenly it wasn’t.

Roman ruins delayed the work on the Villa des Violettes. The Russian drug gang might be back in the neighbourhood. On top of that, Kat had worked herself into what Molly classified as a full blown “Christmas conundrum.” Kat wanted the holidays to work perfectly as she blended a Canadian Christmas with a Provençal Fête de Noêl for the first time in their new home. Now she’d lost her confidence and, with it, the holiday spirit.

Philippe hoped a weekend trip to the famous Christmas markets of Strasbourg would solve everything.

As it happened, things were about to get worse.

Are you feeling ready to embrace the holiday season? Have you started to decorate or do you wait until December arrives?

Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, France, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: book launch, Christmas, Cote D'Azur, holidays, new release, Noël, Patricia Sands, Provence, publication day, The First Noël at the Villa des Violettes, travel

Memories Tour/18 ~ Day 2

September 13, 2018 by Patricia Sands

And away we go! Day #2 began with us exploring the old town of Nice with guide extraordinaire, Stephanie.

We ended the morning at the popular Promenade du Paillon.

Le dejeuner ~ This Niçoise favourite was a  newly discovered taste sensation by many in the group! Pan bagnat is often described as a salade Nicoise on  a bun. Nom! Nom! Miam! Miam!

After lunch it was time to climb aboard the Hop On-Hop Off Bus and travel further afield.

From the Promenade des Anglais to breathtaking Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Then back to Nice again, through the heart of the city, up and down the hills to Cimiez before returning to the sea … an impressive overview of this stunning area.

La Chaise Bleue ~ the official symbol of the Ville de Nice. To learn the history behind it, click here.

Rolling along from Nice and the Baie des Anges …

… to Villefranche-sur-Mer!

Back to Nice just in time for an apéro in the quiet ambiance of the bar of the iconic  Hotel Le Negresco. The original walnut woodwork dates from 1913 and the walls are adorned with an ancient tapestry as well as fine artwork.

Hanging out in the Royal Lounge with a melange of classical and contemporary artwork like this sculpture by Nicky de St-Phalle .

Going back to home base, Beau Rivage Hotel, in style!
And a good night to all! These night owls outlasted the others!

For more photos and additional details, please check the Barefoot Blogger’s website. My bestie, Deborah Bine, and I are having a blast sharing our love of France with the enthusiastic Francophiles on this trip … all 16 of them!

For more information about this tour and to sign up to join us next year,contact Absolutely Southern France Travel Company. It’s easy … just click on this link.

 

 

Filed Under: Blog, France, General Travel, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: Absolutely Southern France, Barefoot Blogger, Deborah Bine, Memories Tour, Nancy McGee, Patricia Sands, travel

So much to do, so little time …

July 6, 2018 by Patricia Sands

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Bienvenue juillet! July … here so soon! So many photos and so little time to organize them.

Setting aside the Promenade and the Med for now, I’m fascinated by the details of the splendid Bourgeois, Belle Epoche and Art Deco architecture in Nice. Strolling around each day, never fails to bring a new discovery.

And then there was a day in intriguing medieval Entrevaux … another peek … If you recall, that’s the town where I set the beginning of Book 2, Promises To Keep. After my husband and I accidentally visited there, I couldn’t take this village out of my mind. I just had to write about it. It was great fun to go back this past week with friends and find it has not lost its mystique.

 

And I haven’t given you a peek from Antibes yet, but I’ve got to get back to writing! Next week, Antibes.

I’ve realized I should put all the photos into their own albums or slideshows and then make them available for those who want to see them. Another project! Are you finding your summer is filled with projects too?

Filed Under: Blog, France, If it is France..., Photo blogs, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: architecture, arriere-pays, Entrevaux, France, Nice, photography, travel

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