Three Foothills Pride Books on Sale December 18 Only

Use these links for sale books:
Relative Best
Frank at Heart
Waking the Behr

Throwback Thursday Post at Grace R. Duncan Blog

Hey, there! Today my Throwback Thursday blog piece featuring Relative Best and its overriding theme of making a family that works for you is up at Grace R. Duncan's website.

I wrote this book for those whose biological families have abused or abandoned them in order to give them hope. There is a family out there looking for you or even better you can gather other people who are in a similar situation and make your own family.

The bottom line in this novella is that no one has to be alone in life, but it's up to us to find a caring, loving circle of people who support us in our endeavors.

Peace.

You can buy Relative Best at:

Amazon
Amazon UK
Dreamspinner Press
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Google Play

Playing with Photoshop Elements Today

I used to create all sorts of art projects with Photoshop before it became impossible for me to understand it. So today I started playing with it again. Here's what I came up with to promote the latest in the Foothills Pride series.

So far I think I'm happy with them and will try them out on Facebook to see how they look.

You can purchase Relative Best at the following retailers and wherever eBooks are sold online:

Dreamspinner Press
ARe
Amazon
Amazon Canada
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

What's in My Press Kit?

Press kits came up on Facebook today, and I thought I'd throw my two cents into the pile. I was surprised that buy links and basic book info didn't come up on the original short list at the beginning of the article. How could an author forget to add these selling tools?

So I decided to make my press kit for Relative Best available for anyone interested to use as a template for his/her kit. Hey, you can even use it for your blog and help sell my book if you wish! (Yes, I'm kidding. Why would you do that?)

At any rate, here's what the press kit for Relative Best looks like:

Press information

Title: Relative Best

Author: Pat Henshaw

Series: Foothills Pride #5 (can be read as standalone)

Genre: Contemporary gay romance

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Publication date: August 17, 2016

ISBN-13: 978-1-63477-571-7

ASIN: B01J79O0L4

Pages: 80

Words: 25,109

Cover Artist: AngstyG

Buy links:

Dreamspinner: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/relative-best-by-pat-henshaw-7364-b

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Relative-Best-Foothills-Pride-Stories-ebook/dp/B01J79O0L4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469732292&sr=8-1&keywords=relative+best+by+henshaw#nav-subnav

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Relative-Best-Foothills-Pride-Stories-ebook/dp/B01J79O0L4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469732387&sr=8-1&keywords=relative+best+by+henshaw

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/relative-best

Barnes& Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/relative-best-pat-henshaw/1124212016?ean=2940156741595

All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-relativebest-2081432-149.html

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Pat_Henshaw_Relative_Best?id=A9CvDAAAQBAJ

Blurb:

Sometimes love sneaks up when you’re least looking for it….

Zeke Bandy, owner of Bandy’s Finest Hotel in Old Town Stone Acres, California, is too busy for love. Not only does he oversee the operations of the historic hotel and uphold his family’s tradition of offering refuge to strays and runaways, Zeke also sings and plays down-home music two nights a week at the Stonewall Saloon and for occasional celebrations. Then Zeke meets Victor Longbow, the man of his dreams.

Vic isn’t looking for love either. In fact, because of his upbringing in a strict, white foster family, Vic’s not sure he believes in love. He’s in Stone Acres to open a branch office of a national brokerage firm. He’s also hoping to find a vintage photo of what might be his Native American ancestor.

After their paths cross, they become friends, then more. Connected by their experiences as orphans raised by flawed fathers, Zeke and Vic realize that some men must find love, hone it, and create families for themselves.

Author bio:

Now living in Sacramento, California, Pat Henshaw, author of the Foothills Pride Stories, was born and raised in Nebraska. She  promptly left the cold and snow after college and has subsequently lived in Texas, Colorado, Northern Virginia, and Northern California.  Pat enjoys travel, having visited Mexico, Canada, Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and Europe, including a cruise down the Danube.

Pat has spent her life surrounded by words:  Teaching English composition at the junior college level; writing book reviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites; helping students find information as a librarian; and promoting PBS television programs.

Her triumphs are raising two incredible daughters who daily amaze her with their power and compassion.  Fortunately, her incredibly supportive husband keeps her grounded in reality when she threatens to drift away while writing fiction.

Author media links:

Website: http://patbooked.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pat.henshaw.10

Facebook Foothills Pride group: https://www.facebook.com/foothillspride/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Twitter: https://twitter.com/phenshaw

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pat-Henshaw/e/B00BPDEDEA/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1436131610&sr=8-1

Email: FoothillsPrideStories@comcast.net

Excerpt: (1,109 wds.)

“I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight. You’ve been a great audience.” The couple at the center table looked up at me with almost identical grins. Despite this being an extra gig in a very busy week, I’d enjoyed playing for their bachelor party—even if it made me feel my loneliness more sharply.

“I’ll leave the happy couple with these words from an old Native American chief who, if he was smart, said them to his other half: ‘I will fight no more forever.’” I raised my glass of water and shouted over the noisy crowd, “To Sammy and Ned—may they have a long, happy, peaceful life together!”

The raucous audience at Stonewall Saloon whooped and hollered through my words and got even louder after my last sentence. Rising from their seats, Sammy and Ned raised their clasped hands like boxers who’d won a particularly hard bout but now were on their way to a great wedding.

As they gushed about how happy they were that everybody could make it to their wedding, I started to pack up my banjo and guitars. Tonight I’d left the fiddle backstage because I was so tired. I’d been burning too many candles from both ends. After locking away the instruments in the storeroom and breaking down the mic and the amps, I caught the end of Sammy’s speech.

“If you enjoyed Zeke Bandy’s guitar and banjo playing, remember he’s here at Stonewall Thursday and Friday nights. We’re honored to have him play at our wedding.”

When the crowd cheered, I stood, turned, and waved to the fifty or sixty bobbing heads on the other side of the stage. Whistles and catcalls joined the shouts and cheers. I had my fans and a lot of regulars in the audience.

“See ya tomorrow, Red! I love you!” some drunk yelled, and the crowd cheered louder.

“Oh, cut it out, guys! You’re making me blush.” And they were, with all their yells and waves and hoots and hollers.

A cry went up about more beer from one side of the room, and the night proceeded like all the others when I played. Attention spans flew out the window as the beer and hard drinks flowed. Completely sober, I put away the rest of the equipment and shut off the power on the platform that bar owner Guy Stone had designated as a stage.

Jimmy Patterson, Stone’s significant other and owner of Penny’s coffee shops here in Stone Acres, California, waved at me as I returned to the barroom from the storage area in the back.

“I got a table!” He was trying to shout over the noise.

As I limped toward him, men slapped me on the back and told me how much they enjoyed my playing. I kept moving, even though guys tried to stop me and give me requests for Thursday night. One guy even grabbed my face and kissed me, which would have been really flattering, even hot, if he hadn’t stopped, stared at me, and said, “You’re not Tom.”

I turned to walk away, only to hear him shout, “Red, you’re cuter than Tom.” I didn’t turn back but heard him yelp like he’d been hit.

I ended up sitting at a big table in the corner of the drinking area with a decent view of the tiny new dance floor. At the table with Jimmy sat four guys—flamboyant designer Fredi Zimmer and his husband, staid, reliable Max Greene, both of whom I knew fairly well, and two guys I didn’t know.

My eyes were drawn to the one who had strong cheekbones, long blue-black hair, and vibrant adobe-colored skin. He could easily have been a poster boy for the California Native American Heritage Commission. If I could pick a guy to kiss me unexpectedly, he’d be my choice. The libido I thought dead from overwork rose from its grave.

While the guys wrangled over who was paying for the next round, I took in the other man to the left of my preferred eye candy. This guy flaunted nearly white-blond hair, startling blue eyes, and a California tan, like the ultimate surfer dude. He did nothing for me, but I appreciated the effect he’d probably have on a lot of other guys here tonight.

I could easily see the humor in the three of us sitting at the same table, though. Considering I’ve got bright red hair, porcelain white skin with a thick spattering of freckles, and cornflower blue eyes, this table covered a large portion of the rainbow.

Jimmy introduced us while he partially stood to get Stone’s attention. “Zeke, these are two of the groomsmen, Vic Longbow and Hayden Weller. Zeke Bandy.”

Both of them nodded, a nod I returned.

“Hey, man. Nice pickin’ up there.” Hayden, the beach god, waved his nearly empty glass of beer at me.

“Thanks.” I never knew what to say when someone complimented me after a performance. While part of me was floating on the post-performance high, the rest of me was critiquing what I’d done and what I’d like to do over.

“Are you recorded?” Vic’s voice was low and soothing, the kind of sound that oddly created a center of calm in the middle of the barroom noise. I gladly stepped into the peace and took a deep breath.

I looked down, fleetingly taking in the scarred tabletop, and balanced momentarily on the pinpoint of serenity Vic had presented me.

“No, no recordings. I haven’t ever had the time or energy.” I shrugged. I owned and ran the historical hotel in downtown Stone Acres. When was there time to record?

“Where do you get the songs? Are they yours?” Vic was focused on me so much that the rest of the table dimmed.

“No. God, no. They’re all old tunes that have been knocking around forever, mostly by bluegrass and folk groups. I take it you don’t listen to this kind of sound?”

He smiled. “You’ve opened up a whole new door for me, and I can’t wait to explore what’s inside this new music room.”

His look caressed me enough that my dick perked, and suddenly I dared to believe my dream of finding a boyfriend and possibly a husband wasn’t as nebulous as I’d always thought. If someone this fine could look at my skinny ginger self and respond even half as much as he was, I was on the right path. I grinned at him and he at me.

Yeah, he was too hot for me with his high cheekbones and exotic hair, but I could practice on him and dream, right?

I Was in a Stagecoach Robbery!

It's true. When we visited Columbia State Park in Columbia, California, we paid to ride on a stagecoach.

As we progressed out of town....well, wait a minute! I tell this story on the Love Bytes blog today. Why retell it here?

I also include a photo of the stagecoach as well as one of the robber so you can identify him quickly too.

The historic town of Columbia is in the same area of the foothills as the Foothills Pride series. And the Columbia City Hotel is somewhat like the Bandy Hotel in Relative Best. You could call City Hotel the seedling of the Bandy.

Four Wonderful Release Day Reviews

Relative Best released today, and three terrific blogsites gave it good reviews! Let's concentrate on those today, shall we? You can read the full reviews by clicking on the names of the blogs.

MM Good Book Reviews gave the book 5 stars and said these very nice words about it:

"This is an enjoyable story and a great addition to the series. I found this to be full of emotion and fully relatable."

Hearts on Fire Reviews: 4 stars

"When Vic finds the picture he was looking for and has a pretty bittersweet moment about it, Zeke gets to come to the rescue with his words and it was a lovely, lovely speech. 'To two puzzle pieces completing the world’s smallest puzzle.' I loved that.

"This is a sweet, pretty angst free story, easy to read and quick."

MM Book Escape: 4 stars

"I enjoyed the story, however, I think I would have liked it better had the author given more page time to Vic and Zeke and maybe less history of the hotel."

Passionate Reads and Reviews: 4 of 5 stars

"Overall, I enjoyed reading Relative Best; it’s a heart-warming story in a rustic contemporary setting that feels authentic and is well-suited to the storyline. The characters are relatable, the villains are believable, and the supporting cast has a delightful quirkiness to it. The story is not sexually explicit, so for first-time M/M readers, it makes for a great introduction to the genre."

Thank you for the wonderful release day reviews!

For those who want to buy a copy to read Relative Best for themselves, you can purchase it at the following retailers and wherever eBooks are sold online:

Dreamspinner Press
ARe
Amazon
Amazon Canada
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Where Do Some of My Ideas Come From?

Today I talk about the not very secret places where I found inspiration for the latest Foothills Pride release, Relative Best, at two blog sites:

At Alpha Book Club, I talk about searching for the perfect bar songs for narrator Zeke Bandy to sing at the Stonewall Saloon. For this I did a bunch of Internet searches and finally came up with a list that looked somewhat promising. Is your favorite bar sing-along piece one of those listed?

Then over at My Fiction Nook, I spill the beans about where I came up with the historic Bandy Hotel that's central to Relative Best.

To buy a copy of the 5th book in the Foothills Pride series, Relative Best, go to one of these sites or wherever eBooks are sold:

Dreamspinner Press
ARe
Amazon
Amazon Canada
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Amazed and Humbled

So, today as I started the next book in the Foothills Pride series (Seared, #8), I got to a stopping place after about 1000 words and needed to do a little research before I continued. Always curious, I went to Amazon to see if Foothills Pride Stories, Vol. 1 was listed or not, and in the course of that, see how Relative Best is doing.

I was absolutely shocked to see the Relative Best, which doesn't release until August 17, was #9 on Amazon's Hot New Releases in Two-Hour LGBT Short Reads. Wow.

I'm not sure how all this is calculated or comes about, but I'm humbled to be on the list with other titles that have been published already.

At any rate, this takes my breath away. Thanks to those of you who've made this possible!

Preorder Relative Best and Foothills Pride, Vol. 1

Want to read the next Foothills Pride story, #5 Relative Best, as well as get a paperback edition of the previous four books in the series, AND save money at the same time? Well, Dreamspinner Press is making your dreams come true today and tomorrow (July 19 and 20) by discounting everything in their store.

For Relative Best, #5 in the series, click here.

For Foothills Pride, Vol. 1, click here.

And I'll see you in the foothills!

Foothills Pride #5 Coming Soon

Relative Best, the latest Foothills Pride story, is releasing from Dreamspinner Press on August 17, 2016. And I am so excited to announce this!

Here's what the book's about:

Sometimes love sneaks up when you’re least looking for it….

Zeke Bandy, owner of the Bandy’s Finest Hotel in Old Town Stone Acres, California, is too busy for love. Not only does he oversee the operations of the historic hotel and uphold his family’s tradition of offering refuge to strays and runaways, Zeke also sings and plays down-home music two nights a week at the Stonewall Saloon and for occasional celebrations. Then Zeke meets Victor Longbow, the man of his dreams.

Vic isn’t looking for love either. In fact, because of his upbringing in a strict, white foster home, Vic’s not sure he believes in love. He’s in Stone Acres to open a branch office of a national brokerage firm. He’s also hoping to find a vintage photo of what might be his Native American ancestor.

After their paths cross,  they become friends, then more. Connected by their experiences as orphans raised by flawed fathers, Zeke and Vic realize that some men must find love, hone it, and create families for themselves.

There are no ARCs or preorder links at this time, but I'll be sure to add preorder and any other information as it trickles in.

Just Because It's Funny

It's been way too long since I updated my blog, but I've been busy doing what I love best--writing. The edits for Foothills Pride #5, Relative Best, are finished, and I'm writing a holiday story to submit to Dreamspinner's call for the holiday anthology. Then on to writing Foothills Pride #6, The Right Stuff, nicknamed Nailed and Screwed because it's about the owner of the hardware store in Stone Acres, California.

But until that gets done, I had to share this graphic that I got from Facebook the other day. I think Guy Stone, bartender at and owner of Stonewall Saloon, would proudly wear this when he was in his 60s. I see him as the kind of guy with a great sense of humor, especially about things near and dear to his heart like his motorcycle.

Oh, by the way, if you're reading this and have read any or all of the Foothills Pride series, may I ask a favor of you? Would you please rate and comment on the books you've read at Amazon, Dreamspinner, or wherever you bought the book/s? I'd really, really appreciate it! Thank you!

And if you haven't read the books but have been meaning to buy one and read it, why not do that now? It's summer! The books are novellas, so they're perfect lying out in the sun reads. They'll also make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside--perfect for a lazy summer day. You can buy the books online here and wherever eBooks are sold:

Amazon
Dreamspinner
Barnes and Noble
ARe
Google Play

Tired, Coughing, But Writing

After going to Orlando with many other Dreamspinner authors at the beginning of March, I got the airplane cold when I got back. Ugh.

Since I work better under deadline--I started off writing for metropolitan daily newspapers right out of college--I was so happy to get to talk to Lynn, one of the DSP founders, and set up a deadline for the books I'm writing on spec.

We decided I'd send in the 6th Foothills Pride series (Short Order) on May 1. Then I'd turn in my addition to the States of Love novella series (tentatively titled Big Red Love) by May 15.

Before then, edits on the 5th Foothills Pride story (Relative Best) begin April 7.

All of this sounded easily doable in Orlando at the beginning of March. Then I flew home to California.

The plane ride to Florida was a flying can of cold germs as was the flight back. I was sitting in an incubator and breathing in lungful after lungful of contaminated air.

Having a lower than average immune system, I came down with a cold March 10
. Though it started off looking like it might be benign, this cold has worked itself into being a contender. I'm sleeping in the recliner in the family room and taking a doctor-prescribed Sudafed with codeine so that I can sleep.

So instead of writing during a coherent block of time, I'm now writing by fits and starts--in between naps, coughing fits, and trips to the bathroom.

When I dreamed of becoming a fulltime writer and getting my work published someday, as I graded essays and reviewed books, I never imagined being a fulltime writer would be like this. My lack of imagination in this astounds me!

New Growth for Stone Acres, California

The Foothills Pride gay romance novella series set in Stone Acres, California, was never planned to be a series.

No, in fact, it was planned as a single novella, What's in a Name?

I had retired from teaching English composition part-time at City College and had always promised myself that when I retired I would become an author. I'd been a book reviewer for quite a few years and had often thought to myself, "I could have written a better book than that," which, granted, is a pretty puffed up thing to say when I hadn't even published a book before.

Notice, I didn't say I hadn't written a book before. I had. I'd written nine of them, tried to get agents for two of them, self-published one of them, and let the rest sit on a bookshelf behind my writing desk like tombstones.

But for some reason, I kept writing. It definitely wasn't because of the accolades my work was getting.

So I wrote a novella and sent it to Dreamspinner, who miraculously bought it. Their claim that they were where dreams came true was no idle boast as far as I was concerned.

Because I'm ever the optimist, I wrote a second novella, Redesigning Max, and sent it in. Was I really an author? Had I finally stepped into another writing realm? The answer was yes, yes, I had.

I just signed the contract for #5 in the Foothills Pride series: yesterday. Relative Best will release, as will a paperback edition of the first four books in an anthology edition, in late summer/early fall 2016. I'm happy, proud, and busy. I'm an author.
For those who want to know, Relative Best is the story of Ezekiel Bandy, owner and proprietor of Bandy's Finest Hotel which backs up to Stonewall Saloon in Stone Acres, California. Zeke is intrigued with Victor Longbow, who's looking for a photo of his Navajo ancestors to validate his existence. But complications at the Bandy Hotel complicate Zeke's search for love just as Vic's obsession does his.

Until then all four books (What's in a Name?, Redesigning Max, Behr Facts, and When Adam Fell) are available online wherever eBooks are sold.