I've been telling stories through photography all of my life, so the segue into writing fiction felt quite natural although it was not on my agenda.  The Bridge Club is based on the real life story of my own Bridge Club - ten of us in our sixties and good friends for almost 50 years. Women's friendship is an important theme in my work and so is travel. I first fell in love with France in 1967 as a backpacking 20-something. For the past 15 years my husband and I have lived for extended periods in the south of France and that is what influenced The Promise of Provence. Here's my most recent bio: Patricia Sands lives in Toronto, Canada, when she isn't somewhere else. An admitted travel fanatic, she can pack a bag in a flash and be ready to go anywhere ... particularly the south of France.  Her award-winning debut novel The Bridge Club was published in 2010 and her second novel, The Promise of Provence was an Amazon Hot New Release in April 2013, a USA Best Book 2013 Finalist and a 2013 Finalist in Literary Fiction, National Indie Excellence Awards. In 2015, eLit Books Silver Award (Literary Fiction) ~ and ~ eLit Books Gold Award (Travel Fiction). Due to tremendous reader response, The Promise of Provence became Book #1 in the Love In Provence series. Promises To Keep ~ Book #2 was released in Summer 2014. I Promise You This ~ Book #3 was released in May 17, 2016. The series explores a mid-life coming of age and allows readers to lose themselves in the beauty of the south of France without leaving home. Patricia was invited to join the Lake Union imprint (Women's Fiction) of Amazon Publishing in January 2015. Celebrating the rewarding friendships and bonds women share, her stories examine the challenges life often throws in our paths. Location features prominently in all of her novels. Her philosophy is that it's never too late to begin something new, to seize each day and be a possibilitarian! As the saying goes, just do it! Hearing from readers (both men and women, from ages 20 to 84) is her greatest reward. (Patricia is represented by Literary Agent Pamela Harty of The Knight Agency.)  

The Bridge Club has received several writing awards (listed on my website) and The Promise of Provence was an Amazon Hot New Release in April 2013, a USA Best Book 2013 Finalist and a 2013 Finalist in Literary Fiction, National Indie Excellence Awards. In 2015, eLit Books Silver Award (Literary Fiction) ~ and ~ eLit Books Gold Award (Travel Fiction).