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Patricia Sands

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travel

April in Paris … come on along

April 25, 2015 by Patricia Sands

If it’s Friday, it must be France …1.DSC07107

I’ve been off the radar a bit, attempting to catch up on everything  in my writing life, after the fabulous Indie ReCon 2015 last week. I hope you had a chance to drop by some of the sessions and any you missed can still be accessed. Congratulations to ALLi (the Alliance of Independent Authors) and everyone involved all around the globe for a job well done!

Once again the worldwide community of indie authors demonstrated that contagious spirit of collegiality and information sharing that defines them!

But now I have to admit there’s only one thing on my mind!

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Tomorrow my husband and I leave for our annual stay in the south of France.  We’ll kick it off with a few days in Paris and a road trip to some places we’ve wanted to visit for ages. Ask me if we’re excited!

I’ll be researching and taking photos and writing and savouring every moment. So come on along with me! I’m hoping to post a special image every day on Instagram and Facebook, if I don’t totally mess up the technology. Unlocking my phone this week was a challenge!

This week has involved a lot of family time for goodbye hugs along with organizing, packing, and taking care of all those details we all have when we’re about to go on a trip. That was all squeezed in whenever I was able to tear myself away from working on my Love In Provence Book #3 (okay, we’ll have a title contest in the next newsletter like we did for #2 ~ get ready!)… all I want to do right now is write! Some of our stops on this trip will be part of the story, but I’ll tell you more about that on the road. It’s going to be magnifique having you along!

Do you subscribe to my monthly newsletter? If you haven’t yet, you can do so by clicking right here or over in the column to the right .  If you are one of the enormously supportive and enthusiastic subscribers (who inspire me every day!), I wish you good luck with this month’s giveaway of a box set of 7 novels … yes, SEVEN  !

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The talented writers of Triskele Books generously offered this for my April giveaway. Here are the details … and, may I say, each of these books is an excellent literary experience,  spiriting readers to exotic locations and capturing imaginations with unique story lines.

Crimson Shore by Gillian Hamer
Rats by JW Hicks.
Behind Closed Doors by JJ Marsh.
Wolfsangel by Liza Perrat.
Delirium: The Rimbaud Delusion by Barbara Scott-Emmett.
The Rise of Zenobia by Jane Dixon-Smith.
Ghost Town by Catriona Troth.

Pop on over to their website for more information. Details of the draw are in my April newsletter. Bonne chance!

unnamedI’ll end this post (because I really should be sleeping …) with the surprise news I received last week. I had forgotten The Promise of Provence was entered in the eLit Book Awards 2015, and was pleased to discover a Silver Award in Popular Fiction and a Gold Award in the category of Travel-Essay! It’s always satisfying to have your work recognized! Congratulations to all the prize recipients and also to everyone who entered! If you’ve published a book, you’re already a champion! Write on!

We’re still having the odd snow shower in Toronto! How’s April in your part of the world? I hope you’ll join me for a few days of April in Paris! On y va!

1.Paris - 2009

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, France, General Travel, If it is France..., News, Photo blogs, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: A Time And A Place, ALLi, April in Paris, eLit Awards 2015, France, IndieReCon2015, Paris, photography, The Promise of Provence, travel, Triskele Books

Spring has sprung! Honest!

March 20, 2015 by Patricia Sands

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Happy first day of the Spring Equinox … even though March 20 is being referred to as Freaky Friday by some! In spite of some unusual occurrences including a solar eclipse and a supermoon, there is no denying it IS the first day of Spring.

Photo from Pinterest
Photo from Pinterest

Oh! It’s snowing where you are? Again? Désolée!

Just keep thinking Spring … I’ll keep thinking that for you too! It really is here, but I’ve heard the news is a little slow arriving in some places.

I’m celebrating the arrival of the end of winter by beginning my countdown to arriving in France for our annual stay on April 26.

I’m sorry, but I just can’t wait … 37 more sleeps …

Here’s our first stop and I’ll be taking all of you along with me. No packing. No waiting in lines. You are invited to simply sit back, relax and take a vacation in your most comfy spot! It’s going to be magnifique!

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To help get all of us in the mood for France, I’m giving away two books by the talented and much-loved Kristin Espinasse, to two of my newsletter subscribers. You haven’t joined us yet? Well, this month I will let you see what you’re missing! Click right here, enjoy the newsletter, and enter the giveaway! There’s a link to subscribe right here ====> in the column, if you don’t want to wait!

Let me know if you are making Spring getaway plans too. You know I love to hear all about your travel experiences! If you’re going to France and have questions, don’t hesitate to ask me. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll know someone who does!

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Thanks for joining me today. If you like today’s post, please use the share buttons below. It all helps!

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, Contests, France, General Travel, If it is France..., Photo blogs, Writing Tagged With: France, Kristin Espinasse, newsletter, Paris, Patricia Sands, solar eclipse, Spring, Supermoon, travel

Lunch with Journeywoman!

October 23, 2013 by Patricia Sands

Some days are a little more special than others and yesterday was one of those!

Some people you meet are a little more special than others and the woman I met yesterday was indeed one of those!

Evelyn-bio-picEvelyn Hannon, aka Journeywoman, and I spent a couple of hours  yesterday chatting over a light lunch we picked up in Whole Foods at Hazelton Lanes in Toronto. Seriously … just the two of us … lucky me!

Through a conversation we were having online about promoting The Promise of Provence on her site, the next thing we knew we were arranging to meet. I am so delighted we did. As smart, funny and down-to-earth as Evelyn appears in her writing online, she is even more so in person.  This is a woman experiencing life to the max and sharing her energy and enthusiasm with all of us. Lucky us!

In a word: INSPIRING.

I loved the fact we share the same philosophy that age should not be a deterrent to anything you wish to do in life. We looked at each other and laughed as we agreed that getting older is simply an opportunity to have time to follow more of your dreams. Just do it!

No wonder Time Magazine included Evelyn in a list of “this century’s most innovative thinkers”. As a woman way ahead of her time, she recognized the power of the internet and began blogging about travel for women in 1997, expanding her reach from the magazine she began in 1994. She now has over 70,000 subscribers to her newsletter and over 30,000 avid followers on Twitter.

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Click right here to read how her personal journey began.

As a serial traveler, I’ve followed Evelyn’s Journeywoman.com website for several years and always found interesting, helpful and/or entertaining travel information there. Although the website is geared to women traveling on their own, the information is valuable for anyone planning a trip or, truly, for people interested in learning more about this wonderful world of ours.  The number and variety of articles on this site will keep you engaged for a very long time.

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Just ignore the fact I’m in my track suit as I dashed over right after tennis!

I’m pleased and proud to have The Promise of Provence occupying a little space of its own on Journeywoman.com for the month of November. We’re also going to talk about the WomensTravelNetwork ‘Promenade in Provence’. I will be on the tour … will you?

If you haven’t yet discovered Evelyn’s Journeywoman.com site, I am suggesting that you get yourself over there as quickly as you can. Here you go … CLICK!  You will be writing me to say thanks. I know it!

Filed Under: Blog, General Travel, News Tagged With: Debbie Ross, Evelyn Hannon, France, Journeywoman, Patricia Sands, Provence, Susan Sommers, The Promise of Provence, travel, Womens Travel Network

Come to France with us next June!

July 12, 2013 by Patricia Sands

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Eze Village-PSandsPhotos
Eze Village-PSandsPhotos

When I wrote The Promise of Provence, it never occurred to me that an opportunity like this trip would arise. I’m a writer. I love what I do and my greatest reward is hearing from readers. As you know from this blog, I also love to travel. To combine these two loves in my life is beyond exhilarating, so please excuse me if my excitement is showing!

51fxI-husZL._AA160_Susan Sommers is a fellow author and my partner in our Sommers & Sands speaking engagements. She is also my very good friend.  A non-fiction writer, her latest book is Power Source for Women:Proven Fitness Tools, Strategies and Success Stories. If you are looking for realistic ways to get yourself in shape, it’s the book for you.

Women’s stories comprise the common element in our writing. Sharing these stories is what inspires and motivates us. That’s why we had no hesitation in joining forces with Debbie Ross and her fabulous Women’s Travel Network. Debbie and her enthusiastic, knowledgable, team of tour leaders love to help women make their travel dreams come true. They listen to where their clients would like to travel and then plan the trip of a lifetime to that destination.

She knew she had clients who wanted to visit Provence and the Côte d’Azur.

She knows how much time I have spent in that part of the world and how I love to share it with friends.

Say no more!

I’ve been thrilled to hear from women who said they are coming because they read my novel. How much fun is that? Check with your BFFs, your daughters, your mothers, your sisters or simply come on your own. It’s going to be magnifique!

11 days, 14 women, memories to last forever!

In a last-minute telephone conversation with Debbie last night, she let me know this new information. Woohoo!

June 12 to June 22, 2014    Only a few spots available!
2nd Tour Added!  June 25 – July 05, 2014

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French Riviera  & Provence
June 12 – June 22, 2014
LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE
Only 5 spots left!
Greetings!

Join novelist Patricia Sands and visit the charming towns depicted in her newest novel The Promise of Provence.
Patricia writes about Katherine’s experiences in Provence and her eagerness to feel renewed by her surroundings: endless rows of lavender and fields of sunflowers flow in golden waves among vineyards and olive groves overlooked by ancient hilltop villages.

Our tour co-leader, Susan Sommers, is a “Fitness over 45” Motivational Speaker and Strategist, two-time Marathoner (at 61 & 63), and co-author of Power Source for Women.
During your daily outings in Provence, Susan will show you how easy it is to take 10,000 steps while enjoying exquisite scenery.
It’s the picture perfect place to become passionate about fitness
.

Enjoy the cultural, historic and natural heritage of Nice & Provence during our visits of Eze, Monaco, Les Baux, St Remy, Arles and Avignon to name a few. Take a stroll through the local market brimming with spices, fruits, veggies and local wares. Visit one of the best-preserved Roman ampitheatres “Les Arenes” where bullfights still carry on the tradition. Learn the secrets of French Provencial cuisine during a hands on cooking class.  Taste fine wines, indulge in gourmet meals, and relax in the warmth of the Provencial sunshine.
  
This unique tour is limited to 16 travellers.  

French Riviera & Provence
June 12 to June 22, 2014


Itinerary:

Day 01: Depart Toronto or other gateway
Day 02: Arrive in Nice
Day 03: Eze, Monaco
Day 04: Nice
Day 05: St Paul de Vence, Grasse
Day 06: Avignon
Day 07: Cooking class
Day 08: Les Baux, St Remy
Day 09: Arles
Day 10: The Luberon, Roussilon, Bonnieux
Day 11: Depart to Toronto or other city.

 

What’s included:

  • Nice, 4 nights at Hotel Beau Rivage or similar
  • Provence, 5 nights at Hotel Novotel Avignon Centre or similar
  • Transportation throughout by private mini coach
  • Breakfast daily
  • 8 dinners with wine
  • Services of an English speaking guide
  • Services of a WTN Escort throughout
  • Hotel taxes and service charges
  • Wine tasting and Olive Mill visit
  • Perfume making class, Aromatherapy workshop
  • Cooking class in Avignon
  • Visit of Aix en Provence
  • Guided visits of St Paul de Vence, Grasse, Avignon, Les Baux, St Remy, Arles, Luberon towns- Roussilon and Bonnieux
  • Entrance fees to all sites visited
Are you travelling alone?
Don’t worry, we will match you with a roommate.
Single rooms are available if preferred.
Additional cost $1425 CA
Nice
Lavendar fields of Provence
France narrow streetsProvence shopping
Enjoy, art, culture, gastronomy and shopping on this wonderful tour of Nice & Provence.

June 12 to June 22, 2014
Price:
 CAD $3750 per person, double occupancy

Learn More

Click here for tour itinerary:

 French Riviera & Provence
Hurry, space will be sold out soon.Call Now to reserve your spot!Contact:
Womens Travel Network
Phone: 905-771-8338
Toll free 1-888-419-0118
Email: info@womenstravelnetwork.ca

Check out photos from past trips to France. 

Click here!

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Filed Under: Blog, France, General Travel, If it is France... Tagged With: France, Nice, Provence, Susan Sommers, The Promise of Provence, travel, Womens Travel Network

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