 Photo source https://www.theex.com/ Hello my friends, I love centering my novels around real places. In The Perfect Hand, the characters spend a lot of time in Washington, DC. People who have read it thought I had lived in DC, which I never did, although I have visited many times in my youth. Actually, at the time I wrote the book, I had two friends living there and I’d ask them, “What roads and buildings do you see when driving from here to there?” They gave me the route and even sent pictures of an area so I could better describe the geography to my readers. Sister Innocent takes place in downtown Toronto at a law firm, in the same building where I had worked. My main character, Rebecca, goes for a walk along Queen Street West, and the restaurants and stores she passes are genuine locations. I often took that walk on my lunch break. I also describe other Toronto spots in the book as she moves around the city. In Murder at the Canadian National Exhibition, the CNE is real. I relate the various attractions like the air show, the dog show, and the rides. One definite draw is the food because it’s all deep-fried and delicious. You have to try as much as possible. The descriptions of the place are authentic because I have been there, although I should have taken pictures. It didn’t occur to me at the time. It’s the biggest community event in Canada, founded in 1879 as an agricultural fair, and for the last 145 years, it has been located at the Exhibition Place grounds just south of Toronto. It’s held the last eighteen days in August ending on Labour Day in September. People vow to go every year, and there’s something for everyone. The CNE is vibrant, chaotic, and nostalgic, but it’s the worst place for a murder. Many families attend, and it would be horrible for children to witness someone dying. Also, people are there to have fun. A death would be too real for people to deal with. So, why did I write about a murder at the CNE? It wasn’t planned. A friend and I went to there and I came home and had an epiphany: murder at the CNE. It just seemed like a diverse, distinctive, and unique location for a murder mystery.
Patty www.pattylesser.com 
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 To my Canadian friends, this one is for you. To my American friends, please don’t take offense. To my friends in other countries, do you empathize with us? Thanks to Trump, Canada has come together like never before. We are bonding faster and making new friends easily. On the nightly news, people are interviewed at the grocery store promoting Canadian-made items and declaring they won’t buy American. Even if they have to pay more attention, spending time reading labels, or if items are harder to find, they accept the task to buy only Canadian. When you drive down the street, you see large signs declaring their business is Canadian, and lots of Canadian flags are flying on their roofs. Every business who proclaims themselves Canadian are making themselves more popular. My novel Murder at the Canadian National Exhibition is completely Canadian. I discuss the Group of Seven, the fried foods at the CNE, an Indigenous artist, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and becoming a Snowbird. But, since I have travelled the world, I also include many stories occurring in other countries. If you’re from Belgium, you will find a few stories about your country. Frankenmuth, Michigan, is a popular spot to go. I wrote a few stories about Australia and England. But it’s a mystery. Someone dies and no one can figure out who did it.
Have a great day, Patty www.pattylesser.com  Hello my friends, I have to proclaim my love for carnivals, fairs, and country markets. I love the various events like agricultural, dog, horse, and magic shows, and a variety of crafts for sale. They provide entertainment, culture, and an economic benefit for the locals and bring the community together in a positive, fun atmosphere. While there, I have to check out the rides. I love roller coasters. I remember one visit to a friend’s house in Vancouver, B.C. We went to a carnival in town with a new roller coaster. We must have ridden it at least six times. We got on, went around, came back, moved closer to the front, and went around again. We did that until we were able to get that first seat position. Roller coasters are truly an incredible experience depending on where you sit. The ride seems to move faster and wilder from the front seat. A friend from San Francisco came for a visit and I took him to a local country fair. Everybody was shocked to have someone from San Francisco at their little fair. He introduced me to the deep-fried Oreos. I have never tasted anything like that. So absolutely decadent and what flavour! You can only get them at the fairs. I find it irresistible to walk through the crafts area full of local artisans. I love to see what people create like pottery, candles, leather items, jewelry, and artist’s paintings. Many are so talented these days. I think Covid helped centre people’s tasks to perfection because they had the time to work on everything. Covid was great me for me. I published four novels and including my joke book Joke’Aholic (98 dirty jokes from all over the world). Now for some news. I have written a murder mystery novel that takes place at the Canadian National Exhibition, which occurs in Toronto every year. It’s only open the last two weeks of August until Labour Day. It’s known as the end of the summer, but it’s a tradition, and people go every year. A friend and I went last August, and when I got home, I had an epiphany: Murder at the CNE, so I wrote it. It will be launched on Monday, August 4, 2025. Above is the cover. What do you think? If you’d like to be reminded about when the book comes out, please check out the QR code. Please like my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pattylesserauthor/ Have a great day, Patty Sign up for my Advanced Review Team!  Volunteering has always been a constant element in my life. When I was 12 years old, my mother brought me to a fundraiser at the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind), and I fell in love with the place. I enjoyed assisting the residents, who were not only blind but developmentally handicapped. My favourite position at the CNIB was taking the blind kids (they were in their late teens-20s) to the SPCA to meet the cats with the hopes of adopting one. We would sit on the floor in a big room and play with cats. Wonderful job, eh? But it was the look on those kids’ faces when the cat would come to them. It was like sunshine, which made me feel great that I could be a part of this. If they didn’t feel like that cat was right for them, they would try another. Most would adopt one, and I’d accompany them home and help them set up the cat dishes and the litter box in a safe place. Every time, in the evening around 9 p.m., I’d get a call from them and they’d whisper, “She’s on my lap and she’s purring.” I cried every time. Those kids suffered. They knew they were blind and developmentally delayed, but they were smart, hard-working people who never complained about their lot in life, just how to make it better. Most were working toward living independently. My greatest moment was when a blind friend got a guide dog. I met her in Long Island, NY, at a guide dog facility. She always walked with a cane, looking down, with a constant frown. When she got a dog, she walked with her head held high and smiling from ear to ear. What a brilliant transformation over a very special dog. Now, I must get to my news. My new novel, Murder at the Canadian National Exhibition, is in its final stages and will be released on Monday, August 4th. I’ll be revealing the cover in my next newsletter. My excellent marketer has developed a QR Code. If you download it, you will be the first to know when it’s for sale on Amazon. I will be featured in The New Canadian Stories magazine for their June issue. www.thenewcanadianstories.ca It’s a real magazine which will be mailed to you. It’s filled with people’s short stories, and you can carry it everywhere. The first 1300 words of my first chapter will be printed along with an interview. I hope you check it out! Have fun, Patty   You might be asking yourself, “Who is Patty Lesser? I can’t remember who she is.”
Let me reintroduce myself. I’m a world traveler, an animal lover, and a self-published author of 11 novels and 2 non-fiction books. I have been writing all my life, although I didn’t start publishing until about 20 years ago. As soon as I could pick up a pencil, I’ve been writing. At the early age of 7, I started writing poems about dragons. I loved dragons. During high school, I wrote a few more poems (some on my website) and then short stories, but I wasn’t very good at short stories. When I was 19, I left Canada and backpacked around the world (Middle East, England, Europe, Caribbean, Ireland, USA, and Australia) for 25 years. I have also been across Canada. Many have asked me why I haven’t written a book about my travels. One reason: they were a long time ago and travelling has changed so much. But in my latest novel, Murder at the Canadian National Exhibition, I do describe places I’ve travelled and things I’ve done on my journeys. I love to tell stories from my trips because I have been lucky to do some incredible things like bungy jumping in Cairns, Australia. But I was so scared during the jump, I didn’t remember it, so I went back up and jumped again. It was great! When I returned to Canada, I found work as a legal assistant. I loved the law, but the work was never ending. After working in a few law firms, I wanted to write a book about legal assistants. There are lots of novels about lawyers, but no one writes about their secretaries. But I needed a plot. Then it hit me, a murder mystery because I had a few co-workers I would have loved to kill, see my novel Sister Innocent. I was one of the few people who loved Covid. In 2020, I had 4 volunteer jobs (I could never say no) and I played tournament poker 3 days a week. I was exhausted and burnt out, but couldn’t stop any of it. Then Covid came and I got my break from the world. During that time, I wrote and self-published 5 books. It was truly an inspiring time for me. Now, I live in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. I moved to this city 8 years ago, but I have only lived in this house for 2 years. I’m never moving again. I stopped counting at 50 places I’ve lived, and this is my first house, having mostly lived in apartments and townhouses. It’s the perfect house for me with a big backyard and lots of trees. I love trees. Unfortunately, I just lost Odo. He was a beautiful grey/white cat of only 5 ½ years who only loved. He never did anything wrong, and just wanted to cuddle. I woke up last Sunday morning and he was dead. He was fine on Saturday, so this was a great shock. His brother Sisko seems okay, but he’s always been stoic. Molly, my Golden Retriever, played often with Odo. I have many pictures of them together. I’m considering getting a female kitten who might bring some light back into our house. Odo was a big presence because he was so playful and sweet. One word for him was sunshine. That’s a little about me. Tell me about you and comment on this post! Have a great day, Patty  🎉 NEW RELEASE!!! — Where True Beauty Lies Buy in Ebook or Paperback on AmazonAre you hoping to buy a house? Is the real estate market crazy where you are? You’ll probably answer, “Yes!” Houses are highly over-priced, and it seems like everyone is moving. Places are getting 20 or more offers, and the seller just chooses who he likes best.
I moved to Brantford 5 years ago, even though I had never been here before. I didn’t know anyone who lived here or where anything was located. I chose to rent because I didn’t know where would be the best place in the city to live. Now, I know where I want to live. I want to stay in this neighbourhood, so this is where I’m trying to buy a house. Last March, my landlady’s daughter-in-law called me and threatened to evict me because they were selling. I immediately contacted a lawyer and learned they can’t evict me if they are selling. The new owner can evict me, but only if he or his family moves in. If he plans to rent, he must rent it to me. But that was last March, and I haven’t heard a whisper from the landlady or her family. I had a short conversation with my neighbour who seems confident that she won’t be selling these townhouses, but I don’t trust her or my landlady, so I have to look for a house. If I get evicted, I have nowhere to go. This move will be my LAST. I sat down one day and tried to figure out how many places I’ve lived in since I left my parents’ home at 19. When I reached 50 homes, I stopped counting. I’m so tired of moving; it’s so much work. One last time. The biggest problem is I’m looking for a house that everyone else wants as well: a 2-3 bedroom bungalow with a garage or carport and a backyard. That’s my perfect house, and many are like that in my neighbourhood, but I haven’t found one for sale yet. Saw one last Thursday, but it was old and needed to be gutted to start all over. I want a house I can move into after just some painting and cleaning. I don’t have the money to pay for major repairs. Are you having the same problem? Tell me about it. Have a great day, Patty  How’s it going? Covid fatigue setting in? Still working from home?
Maybe you should sit down and read the Coma Kids series. A 3 ebook set has been published. www.amazon.com/dp/B09BMBYYMW “During the night of their thirteenth birthday, ten children from all over the USA and Canada fell into a deep coma. When each child awakened three days later, they could hear people’s thoughts, so they reached into the darkness to discover if anyone else was telepathic. With no clue why they were granted with this gift, the kids form deep bonds and soon realize their differences are unique pieces of a much larger puzzle. To protect themselves, the kids work to enhance their skills and create a new society, but an arrogant doctor seeks to unmask their secret talents. While they hide from the world, an advanced alien race makes contact to explain why they are telepathic. In Book 2, the ten Coma Kids are rescued by the Thorans who fly them to a moon orbiting their planet in a faraway galaxy. Here they meet five other species from various planets with whom they work to develop their telepathic powers and to face fighting off the Yarm, overcoming a life-threatening illness, and escaping from aliens who attempt to enslave them. But through their various trials, the kids do amazing things with their minds. When one of the Coma Kids disappears at the beginning of Book 3, the rest fear the worst until they realize she walked through the Sphere and returned to Earth. Deciding to follow her, the teens pass through the Sphere and return to their parents’ homes. But back on Earth, there are many challenges like new jobs, pregnancy complications, romantic breakups, tragic accidents, and terminal diseases. The evil forces that caused the group to escape Earth in the first place still threatens their lives as the teens are put to the test. The novels weave together stories of friendship, teamwork, growing up, new relationships, extraordinary abilities, and uniting in the face of danger.” Interested? Please check it out on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B09BMBYYMW Have a great day, Patty Would you like to write a novel, but you can’t get started or got stuck somewhere? Do you have lots of ideas, but don’t know how to organize them? Are you enthusiastic about writing a book?
I had an epiphany. Since I’m having so much success at helping some people improve their writing, I thought, Why don’t I become a writing coach? Christa wrote after she received my notes about her short story, “Thanks for the advice, Patty. I love what you did with the beginning. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. You're right about the names too. I'll work on that.” When people show me their work, I have great ideas about how to improve it because I have years of experience writing and learning from the editor’s comments. Every novel I’ve published has been edited by a developmental editor, a copy editor and a proofreader. Each time, I read through my book making the corrections, and finding a few more errors of my own. I know how to start a story and to perfect that important first chapter. I know how to get to the next chapter and on to the end. I’m willing to work with you to get that novel finally out of your head and onto a computer screen. I won’t be charging the usual high rates because, of course, I’m just starting out coaching, so we can work out the hourly rate. I have a degree in English Literature, ten years writing 9 novels and 2 non-fiction, and I promise to give the singular attention you need to help you achieve your goal. There are lots of “methods” out there about how to write a novel, and I have read them all, but I think every author is unique and needs individual attention. Each author has their own writing style and each needs specific advice. For free, you can send me your outline, first chapter, whatever you’ve written, and I will evaluate it for you. After you’ve reviewed my suggestions, we can discuss working together. And if I coach you, you will have access to a developmental editor, copy editor, proofreader, formatter and cover designer. All these people are professionals with years of experience, and they are the best in their fields. If you’re interested, write me at [email protected] The third book in the Coma Kids series (Through the Sphere) will be published soon, and then a 3-ebook-box-set will be available. Anyone fascinated? Have a great day, Patty Are you a writer looking for a writing group?
Why don’t you try Writer’s Mastermind? You can join for free for a month to give you the opportunity to see what it’s like. We have weekly Zoom meetings and guest speakers in all areas in the writing sphere. Check it out here: letsgetpublished.com/online-writing-group/ Have you written a short story and would like to enter it in a contest? Check out this short story contest: letsgetpublished.com/short-story-contest/ Which do you prefer: Coke or Pepsi? I’ve always wondered which I’d prefer, so I bought a can of each and drank from both alternating between the two until I had a winner. It took until half a can to realize I preferred Pepsi over Coke. How do you feel about manners? Since Covid, I’ve realized people appreciate the “please” and “thank you” much more. I’ve always been someone who said please and thank you to whomever does me a service, even if it just the person at the intercom of a drive-thru. Do you get bags at the grocery store or bring your own? I like getting bags from the grocery store from time to time so I have something in which to throw out my garbage, but usually I take material bags to the store with me, putting anything from grocery to pet food. We’re supposed to be getting rid of plastic. Any travel plans after Covid restrictions are over? I’ve booked 10 days in Jamaica, near Montego Bay, at a resort from January 7th to 17th, 2022. I’m hoping we’ll be stable Covid wise by then. I’m sure the airline and resort will ask for proof of the vaccine which isn’t a problem, but I hope I don’t have to get a Covid test by then. But, if I have to, I will. Nothing is going to stop me from going to Jamaica because I’ll be celebrating my 60th birthday there. Do you press on the accelerator while driving when a song you like comes on the radio? Always when Adele comes on the radio, I go faster. Then I realize I’m going above the speed limit and slow down. My favourite driving song is “So What?” performed by Pink. She has some enthusiastic songs. As a quick update, Devouring Time, a murder mystery, is with the formatter. It will be published by the end of May. The third book in my Coma Kids sci fi series, Through the Sphere, is with the proofreader. That hopefully will be published by the beginning of July, and then a 3 box set will be available. Anybody interested? If you have a moment, reply to this email and let me know what you think. Have fun and stay safe, Patty |
Patty Lesser
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