Guest Blog & Spotlight: The Promise of Provence by Patricia Sands

How Do You Like Your Chocolate?

Is there anything you like better than reaching for a piece of chocolate as you turn the pages of a good book? To me, the two just go together! The only difference is that there’s no limit to the pages you can turn.

We’ve all heard it said that you are what you eat, so I did a little investigating as to how that applies to chocolate. Here’s what I discovered.

The flavor of chocolate you prefer reveals your core personality. If you like:

Milk Chocolate …
You are a kid at heart ! There’s an innocence about you that others adore. You are very nostalgic but have tendency to live too much in the past.

Dark Chocolate …
You are the problem solver ! Always looking ahead, you are a true visionary. You have a love and appreciation for worldly things but can be materialistic at times.

Bitter Chocolate …
You are the connoisseur ! You are authoritative and well respected by many. You are determined and unwavering but often inflexible and stubborn.

White Chocolate …
You are the eternal peace keeper ! You seek truth and fairness in the world and with others. Keeping all options open, you rarely close any doors, occasionally making you a bit of a fence-sitter.

All Chocolate …
You are the social butterfly! Always hip and well liked by others, you are flexible and know how to roll with the punches. You seek to please but can lose sight of yourself from time to time in doing so.

Now I’m not saying this a study backed with years of scientific research … but it’s fun!

Ohhhh … after writing about chocolate, I’m developing a major craving … back in a minute!

Alright! I’ve got my new favourite snack here and am going to share with it with you right now. It’s easy to make and healthy. BONUS! So you can eat them, guilt-free, while you read your books!

A good friend passed this recipe on to me last year and I’ve shared it with several others, so please do the same. That’s just one of the fabulous things about friends, right?

If you have a favourite chocolate snack you would like to share, please send it to my website at http://patriciasandsauthor.com/. I would love to hear from you!

Cocoa Dusted Almonds

2 c. whole, raw almonds
1/4 c. honey pinch of salt
1 1/2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 to 2 T. powdered stevia
cinnamon powder (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.

In a small saucepan heat honey and salt over medium heat until warm. Add almonds to saucepan and heat until bubbling, stirring occasionally. Spread the almonds out in the prepared baking dish in a single layer. Quick before they stick!

Roast in preheated oven for 10 minutes, STIRRING TWICE throughout that time to prevent burning. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Place cocoa, (and cinnamon, if you wish) and powdered stevia in a medium size bowl. Add roasted almonds to cocoa mixture and stir to coat. Dust off extra cocoa & enjoy!


Title: The Promise of Provence by Patricia Sands
Publisher: Patricia Sands
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Length: 472 pages

Summary:

Surprise, shock, and a shift in life as she knows it tumble into Katherine Price’s world when least expected. The future she envisioned suddenly vanishes, leaving little to focus on beyond her career and the caregiving her elderly widowed mother might require.

Fate has other plans for Katherine.

June in Provence is full of promise when Katherine arrives from Canada, eager to feel renewed by her surroundings. Endless rows of lavender prepare to burst into pink and purple blooms. Fields of sunflowers flow in golden waves among vineyards and olive groves. Ancient hilltop villages beckon. It’s the postcard setting she envisioned, but is that all she needs?

After a year of heartbreak, Katherine has impulsively agreed to a home exchange in the south of France. Colorful locals, a yellow lab named Picasso, and the inspiring beauty of the countryside breathe new life into her days.

Seeking to shed the pain of betrayal and loss, she struggles to recapture her joie de vivre and searches for the answer to a haunting question: is it too late to begin again?

As Katherine explores the romantic cobblestone lanes of medieval towns, the beautiful boulevards of Paris and the sun-kissed Mediterranean coast of the Côte d’Azur, unimagined possibilities present themselves.

An enduring story of hope and change in life’s later years is woven through the author’s love-letter to France. Like a well-travelled friend, Patricia Sands invites readers into a world she loves and entices them to linger.

and then Steena’s blurb

“Be prepared to fall in love with Provence! This is a story that will draw you in with its vibrancy in setting and characters. A must read for any woman with a desire for romance and travel.” Steena Holmes, author of Amazon bestseller Finding Emma

Purchase Links: Kindle * Amazon.ca * Amazon.co.uk * Amazon.co.fr


Author Bio:

Patricia Sands lives in Toronto Canada most of the time, Florida some of the time, and the south of France whenever possible. With a happily blended family of seven adult children and, at last count, six grandchildren, life is full and time is short. Beginning with her first Kodak Brownie camera at the age of six, she has told stories all of her life through photography. Her debut novel, The Bridge Club, was published through iUniverse in August 2010 and her second novel, The Promise Of Provence, will be released in early 2013. Her stories celebrate the rewarding friendships of women and examine the challenges life often throws in our paths. Becoming a published author at this stage of her life was not on her agenda but she knows now she will never stop writing.

Patricia is a popular speaker with women’s groups on the subjects of writing and self-publishing. At other events (as one half of Sommers & Sands) along with her speaking partner, author Susan Sommers, through keynotes, workshops and conferences, audiences are encouraged to embrace change and see challenges as opportunities. “It’s never too late to begin something new,” she enthuses. “As the saying goes, just do it! Be a possibilitarian!”

Website * Twitter * Facebook

2 Comments

Filed under Guest Blog, Patricia Sands, The Promise of Provence

2 Responses to Guest Blog & Spotlight: The Promise of Provence by Patricia Sands

  1. Eileen

    I love milk chocolate. Always have and probably always will. Wouldn’t it be great to live abroad? I would jump at the chance.

  2. Milk chocolate is my favourite too! If living abroad is a dream of yours, don’t give up on it! Bonne chance!