Patricia Sands

Author

Wolfsangel

For your shopping pleasure …

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Well, in fact, it’s Thursday, December 11, and a major snowstorm in Toronto is causing mayhem with flight schedules … and so we sit in the departure lounge of Fort Lauderdale International Airport … and wait … and wait …

There are times when hanging out in an airport departure lounge for 8-1/2 hours, after two flight cancellations, can be a positive. Lots of work gets done! And that’s a good thing because tomorrow will be a busy one in Toronto … if we get there by then … we’re told that our departure time will be 1:30 a.m.. That means we will arrive at 4 a.m. … hmm … it’s been a while since I pulled an all-nighter, but this might just be the time!

Let me have another piece of chocolate and then get down to business. Mmmm ~ Cadbury’s Milk Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bar hits the spot!

How is your holiday shopping going? If some people on your list love France like I do, you might consider these books by a few friends of mine. They are all on my bookshelf or iPad and I love  spreading the word about them.

THE FRENCH RIVIERA: A LITERARY GUIDE FOR TRAVELLERS ~

So much more than a travel51TZhczufQL._AA160_ guide! Assisted in extensive research by his absolutely charming wife, Joan, and combining a love of literature and familiarity with the Côte d’Azur, Ted Jones offers readers a lively and fascinating report. I love this book and reread sections before I go traipsing off to different towns.

My copy is lovingly dog-eared and filled with post-it notes and comments! Even if you never plan to visit France, this is a great read!

 

imagesFIRST FRENCH ESSAIS ~ The latest by Kristin Espinasse, combining words and photography from her enviable life in the south of France.

I’ve been following Kristin’s French Word-A-Day blog for years and have enjoyed all of her books.

I’m featuring this one because her photography is a delightful bonus!

 

TAKING ROOT IN PROVENCE ~ You’ve heard me (many times here on my blog) talk about this 51+2pqiizuL._AA160_wonderful collection of stories about life in Provence by my friend Anne-Marie Simons.

Here’s what I said in a review: “Taking Root In Provence is a delightful anthology, engaging all the senses in a portrait of Provence painted in vivid brushstrokes of words and feelings. Ms. Simons’ background as a journalist is apparent in her insightful observations and comfortable writing style. She invites us into the heart of the life they now enjoy and leaves us wanting to move in with them … or at least next door!”

Start packing!

41REtTMfrML._AA160_WOLFSANGEL ~ Liza Perrat was featured here on my blog recently but, if you happened to miss that, here’s another chance to find out about this gripping WW2 novel.

I couldn’t put it down and am making plans to visit the preserved site when we are in France next year.

It would make a treasured gift for the historical fiction fan on your shopping list.

CHRONICLES FROM CHÂTEAU MOINES ~ YA! For the young readers in your life! Author Evelynechateau_fc_fnl_lo1 Holingue was born and raised in a small town in Normandy. Since 1990 she has lived in the USA and is now settled with her family in central California.

Through her fiction, Evelyne shares her affection for her native and adoptive countries. In addition to the French settings, she incorporates a few French words and short sentences or expressions, all easily understandable and a perfect introduction to France for young readers. Find out more on her website.

 

51jjfMOUddL._AA160_Oh! In case you haven’t heard, the print edition of Promises To Keep is now available! I know, I know! It took me long enough!

I’ve mentioned before that the learning curve in this business is a veeeeerrrrry long one for me and there most definitely were a few lessons learned by yours truly in the process!

I’m so grateful for the knowledgeable and patient team that guides me along the way!

AND NOW FOR A SUPER GIVEAWAY!

 

41J9slR82iL._AA160_FRENCH HOLIDAYS & TRADITIONS ~ Francophile Alert!!!

This is a new release by the peripatetic Margo Lestz, compiling many of the celebrations one finds in France along with some fascinating facts.  Margo makes her home in Nice when she isn’t off exploring.  Her blog posts on The Curious Rambler are always informative and entertaining!

Leave a comment here if you would like your name included in a draw for a free copy of Margo’s book! Check back next week to see if you were the lucky winner. I’ll announce it here and then Margo will contact you. Bonne chance tout le monde!

I’ll be popping back here next week. Will you? In case we miss each other, I want to extend my warmest wishes to all for a joyful holiday season with the hope that the New Year brings the best of health and happiness to you and yours. Peace on earth always tops the wish list .

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Calling all historical fiction fans!

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

As I was working on my WIP this morning, my characters were lingering (on the pages) over a delicious lunch and a few glasses of rosé, in one of my favourite villages. I began thinking about joining them! Right there in this inviting little square! Do you know where we (… in my dreams …) are?

If you think you know, please leave a comment below.  Even if you don’t know, leave a comment anyway because I have a very special giveaway that you aren’t going to want to miss. We’ll do a random draw from all the names and if you guess the correct name of this village, your name will go into the draw three times.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, you’ll be pleased to know that my friendWolfsangel_CoverFinal_EBOOK Liza Perrat is offering an ebook of her WW II novel, WOLFSANGEL today on my blog. I read it last month and simply could not put the book down.  Coming from me, it’s no surprise to discover it is set in France. Oui?

“A beautifully laid-out spiral of unfolding tragedy in German-occupied France; a tale of courage, hardship, forbidden love and the possibility of redemption in times of terror.’ Perry Iles, proofreader and author of A Dictionary of Linguistic Absurdities.”

We also offered a giveaway of this in my latest newsletter, so if you are a subscriber and entered there, you can enter again here too. Bonne chance! (And if you aren’t a subscriber, you can be by clicking right here!)

lizaFor more information about the talented Liza Perrat, please visit her website. Originally from Australia, she lives my dream with her family in the countryside not far from Lyon. Wolfsangel is the second book in a trilogy, but easily read as a stand-alone novel.  The story is based on the true history of events that occurred in the village of Oradour-sur-Glane in 1944.

After Liza visited the historical site, she knew one day she would write about it. In her words: “I visited the ruins several years ago, staring in disbelief at the burnt-out homes and buildings as I walked about. Tram tracks ran everywhere, but to nowhere. The car from which the village mayor was hauled and shot lay rusting by the roadside. A few items had survived the inferno: a sewing machine, plates set at a table for the midday meal, theOradour-photo credit to Dennis Nisson charred remains of a child’s doll, the blackened, crumbling façades of their homes. A rusty, flattened pram littered the church floor in front of the altar – all gruesome witnesses to a village full of living, laughing and loving people; families cut down in the midst of their usual daily routine.
Fortunately, there were barely any tourists, so I could stop and listen, and it seemed their ghostly sounds echoed in my ears – the banter of adults, the playful shrieks of children, the barking of dogs, the cries of the village artisans. The echoes of a village obliterated.”

The entire village was left as it was on the orders of General Charles DeGaulle, as a permanent memorial.

Trust me, Wolfsangel a gripping tale from beginning to end. You can also visit with Liza here:

Blog: http://lizaperrat.blogspot.com
Twitter: @LizaPerrat
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liza.perrat.5

Say hello to Liza from me if you stop by! It’s always fun to be introduced to new authors, isn’t it? Do you have a favourite historical fiction novel? Share it with us here!