Drawing Lessons

by Patricia Sands

  I cannot state deeply enough my gratitude to my gracious friends in Toronto who shared their experience with dementia-related illness in their families. In particular, I want to thank (with her permission) Lynda Douglas for so generously and candidly guiding me through her ongoing journey with her husband, Ron. She feels strongly that these painful stories need to be told. Thank you also to the health professionals I spoke with for their advice and knowledge. I offer my deepest respect to anyone whose life is touched by such challenges.

  Friends and family are my rocks. My husband’s patient support, encouragement, and eager first look at my words mean everything to me. And this time, I’m also grateful to him for coming up with the book title! Yes, he did . . . and now is demanding royalties!

  Thanks to dear friends (you know who you are) who happily shared personality traits and experiences that added color to this story. You prove in so many ways that everyone’s story should be heard.

  I feel so fortunate to have advance readers who offer honest, helpful comments and read all my rewrites without losing their sense of humor. In particular, I owe big bouquets of gratitude to these honest, critical, and reliable advance readers: Terry Murphy, Gail Johnston, Martha Paley Francescato, Marie J. Maher, Pat MacDonald, May Anis, Yasmin McNeilly, and Des Chabot, to name just a few. I so appreciate the time you took to read my work and offer your valued comments. If I’ve forgotten someone, please accept my apology and know I value the help everyone offers.

  Special thanks to artists Jo-Ann Sanborn (Marco Island, Florida), Patricia Reason (Toronto/Mexico), and Tessa Baker (Paint Provence with Tess) for their insight and sharing of appropriate details, and also for taking me inside the psyche of an artist to help me better understand that world. A special note to Irish artist Patrick McCarthy. Our chance meeting at the home of mutual friends on their stunning property with its panoramic view over the Côte d’Azur was serendipitous. When you unexpectedly sat on a stool, took out your tin of paints and art journal, and in a few strokes with your pen sketched your interpretation of that view, you opened my eyes to the world I needed to enter for part of this story. I referred often to the photos you allowed me to take of you as you worked. Many, many thanks.

  Ida Young-Bondi, my friend and eFrenchCafé instructor from Nice, applies her expertise where needed and knows how much it is appreciated. Merci mille fois, Ida!

  Thank you to Christian, from Arles, dedicated photographer, who drove me around and shared his knowledge of the Camargue.

  It’s serendipitous how things happen at times. It was my good fortune to connect a year ago with Heather Robinson, a woman with a special soul and a true artist in every way. She graciously shares her intimate knowledge of Arles through her Lost In Arles website and she offered particular details in response to my questions.

  Thank you to Amazon’s Lake Union Publishing for being the best home for an author. The support, experience, and enthusiasm offered by my developmental editor, Amara Holstein; editors Danielle Marshall and Miriam Juskowicz; and the entire Lake Union team headed by (the always available) Gabriella Dumpit are priceless. The work of my copy editor, Michelle Hope Anderson, and proofreaders, Ginger Everhart and Nick Allison, was stellar.

  Thanks once again to my PA, Amy Cooper, and to Barb Drozdowich (my tech angel), for their dedication, wise advice, and active involvement in all I do.

  Thank you to my agent, Pamela Harty, of the Knight Agency for her knowledge, guidance, and warm friendship.

  My deepest gratitude to the amazing community of authors and readers, bloggers and reviewers, who make me proud, happy, and inspired to keep writing.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Photo © 2015 Carmen Blike

  Patricia Sands lives in Toronto, but her heart’s other home is the South of France. An avid traveler, she spends part of each year on the Côte d’Azur and occasionally leads groups of women on tours of the Riviera and Provence. Her award-winning 2010 debut novel, The Bridge Club, is a book-group favorite, and The Promise of Provence, which launched her three-part Love in Provence series (followed by Promises to Keep and I Promise You This), was a finalist for a 2013 USA Best Book Award and a 2014 National Indie Excellence Award, was an Amazon Hot New Release in April 2013, and was a 2015 nominee for a #RBRT Golden Rose award in the category of romance. Sands also contributes to such Francophile websites as The Good Life France and Perfectly Provence, and she appears as a public speaker for women’s groups. Visit her online at www.patriciasandsauthor.com.