An Interview with Author Patricia Sands

Donna Carbone
3 days ago
3 min read

Episode 75

What happens when a passion for travel, friendship, and embracing life's changes becomes the heart of unforgettable stories? In this episode, award-winning author Patricia Sands shares her journey from indie publishing to traditional success and the inspiration behind her novels set in the South of France. We discuss her latest release, The French Effect, the themes of friendship, reinvention, and aging that resonate throughout her work, and how she's built a career spanning more than a decade. Patricia also offers valuable insights into the writing life, publishing, and finding your authentic voice. Whether you're a writer or an avid reader, this conversation will leave you inspired to embrace change and write the stories only you can tell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFxQZIHdWTI

SHOW NOTES:

Bio & books

The French Effect

Inspiration

Writing and travel

Narrating an audiobook

Process & Research

Writing advice

Patricia's BIO:

Originally from Toronto, Canada, the pandemic caused Patricia and her husband to move two hours north to The Blue Mountains with Georgian Bay in their “front yard” and ski hills 8 minutes away. An admitted travel fanatic, Patricia can pack a bag in a flash and be ready to go anywhere… particularly the south of France, for her annual visit.

As of January, 2015, along with being an indie author, Patricia has also published with Lake Union Publishing, the women’s fiction arm of Amazon Publishing.

With a focus on her love for the South of France, worms issues and ageing, her stories celebrate the feminine spirit and the power of friendship. Encouraging women of all ages to stare down the fear factor and embrace change, Patricia heard from readers (men too!) ages 20 to 83.

Her award-winning debut novel The Bridge Club was published in 2010 and the audiobook, read by Patricia, is available on Audible.

November 2025 brought readers her much-anticipated stand-alone novel, The French Effect. Patricia has been interviewed on CP24 Breakfast, CHCH Morning Live and featured in The Toronto Star, to name a few.

BOOKS:

The French Effect (2025)

Lost at Sea: A Standalone Novel (2023)

The Secrets We Hide (2022)

The First Noël at the Villa des Violettes (2018)

The Bridge Club: Tenth Anniversary Edition (year not specified)

The Promise of Provence (Love in Provence Book 1) (2015)

QUESTIONS:

Where did the idea for The French Effect come from?
Reinvention in midlife is central to Nora’s arc. What inspired you to write about starting over at this stage, and what risks or rewards did you want readers to wrestle with?
Pleasure and sensuality through tango, food, and Parisian rhythms play a role for Nora. How did you balance portraying sensual joy as both healing and a possible escape?
The novel features vivid Parisian and Provençal settings. Which specific places, experiences, or sensory memories from the south of France kept returning to you while writing?
Can you tell us about the tours you’ve led in France centered around your novels?
How do you approach research for novels that weave history, place, and sensory detail together?
Your books frequently explore women’s issues, aging, friendship, and embracing change. Which of these themes feels most personally resonant for you right now, and why?
The Love in Provence trilogy and the Villa des Violettes novellas revisit beloved characters. What draws you back to those characters and that setting?
With over 12,000 Amazon reviews, what’s one memorable piece of reader feedback that has stayed with you?
What have you learned the hard way?