Behr Facts and When Adam Fell Awarded Honorable Mention

Behr Facts and When Adam Fell were awarded Honorable Mention citations for the 2016 Rainbow Awards. I'm so pleased!

Wow!

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2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention

I'm honored to report that both Behr Facts and When Adam Fell have been awarded Honorable Mention for the 2016 Rainbow Awards. In December 2016, the winners of the Rainbow Awards will be announced.

All Four Foothills Pride Novellas in One Paperback Edition

On August 17, Foothills Pride Stories, Vol. 1, will be released by Dreamspinner Press. The paperback volume will include What's in a Name?, Redesigning Max, Behr Facts, and When Adam Fell, the first four Foothills Pride novellas.

What’s in a Name?: Barista Jimmy Patterson falls for bartender Guy Stone. Do coffee and booze make a happy ever after?

Redesigning Max: Interior designer Fredi Zimmer remodels Max Greene’s mountain cabin and the outdoorsman himself, but everything’s not peaceful as they find love.

Behr Facts: When someone tries to scam contractor Abe Behr, accountant Jeff Mason comes to the rescue. Big, burly, bearish Abe never thought he’d come to rely on anyone else, much less handsome Jeff.

When Adam Fell: TV Chef Adam de Leon left his longtime lover in San Francisco. Now David is back saying he’s no longer a junkie and is ready for forever this time. Can David be believed?

When more information becomes available, I'll post it here. To buy the novellas individually, use the links on the titles or at the right of this post.

And Thank You to These Wonderful Reviewers Too!

Here's the second half of the reviews I promised in my last blog post. Thank you so much to all the reviewers who took the time to read and respond to When Adam Fell. I can never convey how much your time and consideration mean to me.

Three Chicks After Dark:

Pat Henshaw can pull me through a story like no other. When Adam Fell is the fourth book in her Foothills Pride series and is just as interesting as the others.

Molly Lolly: 4/5

I loved that we get to see Adam’s story. He was intriguing when we saw him in previous books with his quirky mountain bistro that’s only open seasonally. But I so didn’t expect what we got. It was heartwarming to see this second time around story go so well.

The story is just enough to get your teeth into it and connect with the characters. I love these Foothills Pride novellas. I want more of them so we can see how the town evolves and develops and so all of my favorite characters can get their happily ever afters. The one I want the most next is John’s story. He’s intriguing with how tight lipped about his private life he is.

MM Good Book Reviews: 4/5

I simply love returning to Pat Henshaw’s world of the Foothills Pride series, where a community in Sierra Foothills near San Francisco is the location for a small group of gay men to settle and call home.

If you’ve been reading the Foothills Pride series this is another satisfying instalment. If you’ve not read the books, while this reads well as a standalone, I think it would be nice to go back and read the first three – if not for anything else you get to read about other charming characters such as Fredi, Max, Jimmy and Guy.

Bike Book Reviews: 5 double fudge brownie/5

It is no secret that I love this series, I have loved the guys of Foothills Pride from day one, and I knew I would love this book too, and boy did I! Pat Henshaw outdid herself on this one!

Love Bytes: 4 1/2/5

I loved the continuing tale of Stone Acres and how these two men fit in with the other men and background characters we’ve met in previous stories.  I really feel like Stone Acres, California is a real place, and I could stop by and visit.

I would highly recommend you pick up this series.  The novellas could probably be read as standalones, but take my advice, read them in order.

I highly recommend this book, and the entire series.  Enjoy.

Joyfully Jay: 3 1/2/5

Overall, this was a nice addition to a great series. While not my favorite of the series, I got a chance to meet back up with some of my old favorites. If you are a fan of this series, you don’t want to miss this one.

Boy Meets Boy Reviews: 3 ½ /4

On the other hand, I enjoyed the plot of Adam trying to reestablish himself in the town he grew up in. I liked the quirky drama and the way it was resolved. The overall story was promising, and I enjoyed it.

Oh My Shelves: 3 1/2 / 4

Seeing David and Adam work together, to learn how to be with one another after being apart and yet having the history they do between them was bittersweet. I kept wanting them to give in and do more than just lie on a bed while mattress shopping, I wanted these to heal and be together again.

Jessie G. Books: 3.75 / 5

…ultimately, I liked Adam and Jason/David. I like that they found each other again and were able to love each other again…

Making It Happen: 3.5 / ?

This is the first book I've read by Pat Henshaw, and I'll definitely be reading more by this author in the future.  When Adam Fell is a good, quick read and is a second chance romance.

V’s Reads:

It’s breezy and shiny with a “we’ll conquer their town!” spirit that’s just a shade light. I’m always happy to see bullies and bigots get shafted, and you can expect that happens here.

Thank You for These Terrific Reviews for When Adam Fell

I've been remiss in sharing all the wonderful reviews When Adam Fell has gotten since it was released. This is partly due to having been under the weather, partly due to having traveled to Orlando and back for the Dreamspinner author event, and partly due to finishing #6 in the Foothills Pride series, Short Order.

But now that I'm back online somewhat (I'm going into edits very soon for #5 of the Foothills Pride stories, Relative Best, I thought I'd better share the half of the great reviews Adam has received. So here's the list--with links so you can read more than the sentences I include here. The other half of the list is coming in the next blog post.

Bayou Book Review: 5 / 5 stars

Definitely a fantastic addition to a fabulous series! Well written, emotional and all around fantastic! Very recommendable!

A.M. Leibowitz: 9 / 10 fountain pens

I don’t have a lot of books that are an automatic read, but this series is in that club. I’ve been following the intersecting lives of the characters since the first story, and I get a little thrill when I see there’s a new one.

Inked Rainbow Reads: 4/5 stars

This was a nice story of learning to retrust and love someone for a second chance at love. I do like Pat Henshaw’s story because it’s not all sex, they have wonderful meaning to the stories.

Rainbow Book Reviews:

Another excellent, fun, sexy romance with appearances by many of my favorite characters. I would've loved this story to be longer, as I think forgiveness, on both Adam and David's side, might have taken longer in a real-life setting, but overall the author did a very good job. This was a sweet and loving look at second chances. Thank you, Pat.

Prism Book Alliance: 4/5 stars

Another sweet and thought-provoking addition to the Foothills Pride series.

Divine Magazine: 4/5 stars

When Adam Fell is a heartwarming, thoroughly enjoyable, story…. the journey they took and the way the story came together made for a compelling 4 star read.

On My Shelves: 3.5/4 stars

When Adam Fell is a lovely story about redemption and learning to love again.   It’s a story about forgiving the ones who hurt you and forgiving yourself for your part in the hurt. It’s a story about being strong enough to lean on someone for support and being there for that same someone, so neither of you fall.

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words: 3.75/5 stars

I love this series and each couple that has come about.  The Foothills Pride series is rich with wonderful stories, believable people and moving romance.  When Adam Fell is the fourth, grab them all up!  I highly recommend them all.

BFD Book Bag: 3/5 stars

I was a bit disappointed in this one. Just like with book 3, I thought this story was incomplete and rushed. There were big gaps in the story.

Unquietly Me:

I enjoyed this quaint, adult, second chance MM romance. It was a quick, easy read–low on angst, honest, and heartfelt.

More reviews to come in the next post.

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.

Play List and Terrific Review for When Adam Fell

Inked Rainbow Reads posted a wonderful review of When Adam Fell today.

Also included with the review is my playlist for the book, including such goldie oldies as Walk, Don’t Run by The Ventures, Things We Said Today by Dwight Yoakam, and House of the Rising Sun by Eric Burden and the Animals, among lots of others. Check it out for a list of old hits.

And if you'd like to buy a copy of the book, here's where it can be found:
Dreamspinner

Amazon

AmazonUK
Kobo

Barnes&Noble

AllRomance Ebooks

Boy Meets When Adam Fell

Boy Meets Boy Reviews looked at When Adam Fell and reviewed the book.

Take a look at what the guest reviewer had to say about it.

Buy a copy of the book at
Dreamspinner
Amazon
AmazonUK
Kobo
Barnes&Noble
AllRomance Ebooks

Support, Please!

At the beginning of When Adam Fell, Adam is given a check from his former lover and a list of GLBTQ organizations to which he can give the money should he decide not to accept it.

I got the idea about this list from Elisa Rolle, whose Rainbow Awards are a big part of the GLBTQ writing year. I asked her if I could share her list, and she graciously agreed.

I'm a supporter of three organizations (PFLAG, Sacramento PFLAG, and Lambda Literary), and I urge all my readers to support the organizations of their choice. We can't do enough to support equality for everyone.

Click here to see Elisa's wonderful list (as well as the Rainbow Awards information).

And if you'd like to read about Adam and his true love in When Adam Fell, you can get a copy from these online retailers:

Dreamspinner

Amazon

AmazonUK

Kobo

Barnes&Noble

AllRomance Ebooks

Oh, My! It Sounds Like....Me?!

 

Vance Bastian and Jayne Lockwood interview me on a WROTE podcast that went live today. We talk about why I write gay romance and a bunch of other things.

And it all happens just in time for the February 24 release of the 4th Foothills Pride story, When Adam Fell.

Preliminary Stone Acres CA Map

 

 

Confession time: When I wrote What's in a Name? I never envisioned it as the first book in a series.  So I made up a town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains—a conglomeration of the cafés, shops, and sights I’d mentally gathered over many years as we took weekend trips and took photos for the photography class we joined.

 

It never occurred to me to keep a record of the fictional places or the people I created in the first book—or the second (Redesigning Max)—or the third (Behr Facts, coming late October 2015).  Shows what a novice I was (and am) at being a serious writer.

 

But as the Foothills Pride series grew and I was writing the fourth book (When Adam Fell, coming February/March 2016), I realized I couldn’t remember what I’d made up.  I needed not only a map of the fictional town of Stone Acres, especially Old Town, but also of the various characters, some of whom had duplicate names over the series.

 

So I’ve spent the weekend getting Stone Acres together before I finish writing the fifth book, Short Order, aptly titled by Frederick Eugene Feeley, Jr.  (Thanks, Fred!)

 

Now I not only have the map as you can see but also have a annotated list of people, places, and things in each book.  I’m armed to finish the fifth book and plan the sixth book as well.

 

Whew!

 

If you’d like to visit Stone Acres, California, you can buy the books at the following places and wherever eBooks are sold:

 

What’s in a Name?

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon USA

Amazon UK

Barnes and Noble

Redesigning Max

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

Amazon UK

Amazon Canada

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

All Romance Ebooks



The Foothills Pride Series Grows

I just signed a contract with Dreamspinner Press to publish the fourth of the Foothills Pride stories, When Adam Fell.  The tentative publication date is February or March of 2016.

In case you haven't read the first two in the series or are wondering about the third in the series, here's a list of the titles, when they published, and which folk tales they are very loosely based on:

* What's in a Name? published in January 2015, a riff on Rumplestiltskin
* Redesigning Max published in July 2015, a riff on Cinderella
* Behr Facts to come late October 2015, a riff on Goldilocks
* When Adam Fell to come February/March 2016, a riff on the phoenix legend

I'm currently working on the fifth book, tentatively titled Cookie, which is a riff on Tom Thumb.

If you haven't read the two published books, you can buy them online at Dreamspinner, Amazon, and wherever eBooks are sold.  You can also use the links on the right side of this post.

Enjoy!

Writing and Submitting

Good grief!  Has it really been that long since I got back from beautiful downtown Pacific Grove?  The time seems to have sped by.

Since I last wrote a blog piece, I've been busy.  I submitted When Adam Fell to Dreamspinner Press.  Adam is the fourth in the Foothills Pride series and has to do with celebrity chef Adam de Leon's past coming back to haunt him. 

When Adam worked in San Francisco, he was living with his high school lover, who'd become a drug addict.  After he tries everything to help his lover and fails, Adam leaves the man down and out in the Mission District and returns home to Stone Acres, California.

Imagine Adam's surprise when he finds his lover, looking better than ever, at his door one morning.  But Adam's suspicious.  Has the love of his life kicked his habit like he says he has?  Or is the man just signing up for another free ride and bringing Adam more grief?

Stay tuned to find out if Dreamspinner wants the story or not.

Coming in the next post: what Dreamspinner did want.

If you haven't read the first two of the Foothills Pride series, What's in a Name? or Redesigning Max, you can use the Amazon links to the right of this blog piece or click on the titles to order them.