Meeting the Authors in Nice

Seven authors came to Nice to present their books…and present their books they did…to a SRO room at the Cuban restaurant, La Havane, in Nice.

Ella Dyer started the event in 2014 and then the Covid-19 pandemic interfered in the ability to offer it. So, for two years she patiently waited for the right moment to start it up again.

Ella is an author in her own right—having written Nice in Nice! Over the past 35 years, Ella’s varied career path has taken her from working at the Playboy Mansion to earning an MBA from The International University of Monaco. As author of Nice in Nice, she founded END Publishing to assist other authors. On top of it all, Ella is also one of the our most celebrated property consultants having worked with hundreds of clients to find them special properties in and around Nice.

Ella had her pup with her, La Petite Simone, who sat patiently in her arms while she gave her presentation. Simone was dressed to the nines in a brand new frock—pink of course, to match Ella’s own pink dress—the one seen on the cover of her book, and the signature of her style.

I emcee the event every year, which is just plain fun. Patty Sadauskas assumed an administrative roll checking everyone in as they entered and took a seat among the palm trees, rattan chairs and kitsch lighting of La Havane. She took many of the photos you see here while I was introducing each of the illustrious wordsmiths, who had only about 15 minutes each to present their books and their stories.

Oliver Gee at Meet the Authors

Debra Moffitt at Meet the Authors in Nice

Craig Carlson at Meet the Authors in Nice

The attendance of about 50 Anglophones was mostly made up of people from our “community”—Expats who we’ve helped find property here and a variety of other friends who have landed in Nice, for short or long term. The authors came from Nice, Paris and as far away as Toronto, Canada, just to speak for their 15 minutes. After Ella spoke, I called up each of them—in reverse alphabetical order—and then at the very end, they all gathered on the podium for a Q and A: Patricia Sands, Jeanne Oliver, Debra Moffitt, Janet Hulstrand , Oliver Gee, Craig Carlson and Lisa Anselmo.

Jeanne Oliver at Meet the Authors in Nice

Patricia Sands at Meet the Authors in Nice

Niçois singer and friend, John Garland Jones, was on hand to manage the microphone and technical issues. Before we even got started, the hand-held mic ran out of battery, so we had to resort to another mic, but John got it worked out for us without much delay. He sat on stage as our backdrop sporting a very beautiful mustache for the occasion.

John Garland Jones and Patty Sadauskas

At the end of the event, the participants had an opportunity to purchase books and get signed copies! The authors left with very few books to take home—I scored two myself that I didn’t already have, both by Debra Moffitt. I look forward to reading them while on the beach.

A special thanks goes to all of the authors for doing such a fine job! And to all who joined us taking their beautiful Saturday afternoon away from the beach to participate! Also thanks to La Havane for allowing us to fill their space and drink their drinks, but especially thanks goes to Ella Dyer for coordinating and hosting this special event!

With all the things there are to do in Nice on a Sunday, nothing was going to stop me from going to the beach for the first time this summer season. First, as is tradition, we breakfasted on the Cours Saleya, bought a bit of fruit and then headed to the beach in the afternoon.

It takes some organization to amass all the necessities for the beach, but once done, I’m ready for the entire season. Into the beach bag goes the towel, water shoes (an absolute necessity to maneuver the Nice beach “galets” without killing yourself), suntan lotion, visor, water bottle, and a few other things that just stay there until the next time…which will be next Sunday. I have lightweight aluminum lounge chairs that are easy to carry down to the beach, a “noodle” (called a “frite de piscine” in France) so I don’t drown (that has a sling chair to create the perfect float).

The weather, the beach and the sea were PERFECT. I had a front row seat and stayed until my skin was beginning to get crispy. The temperature was low 80’s with a small breeze, the water was calm and a stunning rich aqua and not too cold. I hated leaving my cushy seat, but knew it was the smart thing to do, else risk serious sunburn. Thanks to Biafine,* my skin will survive the first day at the beach.

* For those who want to have young looking skin forever, apply Biafine to your face daily and watch the little age lines disappear! I swear by it. The pharmacists don’t even know this little beauty secret, but we do!

Today I am on the train back to Paris and looking forward to Après-Midi with David Andelman on Tuesday…so don’t miss it! For more information, visit our website.

A la prochaine…