Easy as 1 - 2 - 3

It's easy as 1 - 2 - 3 at Dreamspinner this weekend! 

$1 for What's in a Name? 

$2 for Redesigning Max 

$3 for Behr Facts. 

What could be easier? Click on highlighted titles to link to Dreamspinner Press.

They're all part of the Foothills Pride series at Dreamspinner.

Another Terrific Audio Review

I'm not quite sure how to keep up with the audio reviews because when I do a Google search, it seems I find another one. Which is great--don't get me wrong!

But still, I wish I knew about them as they ran so that I could tell everyone about them.

The latest is an audio review of Redesigning Max, #2 in the Foothills Pride series, from TTC Books and Review. The reviewer calls is an "allover good romance" which really made my evening.

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.

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.

An Incredible Way to End 2015

Thank you, Brad Lewis, for bringing this to my attention! I would never in a million years have looked at this list and expected to see my novella. You are a wonderful friend, and I hope to see your name on the list in 2016.

What am I talking about?  Read USA Today's Becky Condit's Best Books of 2015 list.  My book's on it.  Unbelievable!

Coming in 2016: When Adam Fell. We're working on the cover now!

Works in Progress:
--Bandy's Best Shot (5th Foothills Pride story)
--Short Order (6th Foothills Pride story)
--The Long Road to Love (full length gay romance novel)
and probably other stories I haven't even thought of yet!

Fredi and Max Have Been Nominated for an Award

Congratulations, guys!

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

I answer the often-asked author question: Where do you get your ideas? today at Molly Lolly where I talk about house remodeling.

One house remodel = ideas for two books: Redesigning Max and Behr Facts.

Check it out!

Runner Up at Romance Lives Forever

I'm honored to be the runner-up in Romance Lives Forever's Top Blogger contest for September 2015.

I love the gems and the site itself.

Now if only I can get a real one!

Thanks, Kayelle and everyone who helped me in!

And now for the hard sell on my books....

You can use the Amazon links to the right of this blog piece to order your copy of What's in a Name? and/or Redesigning Max. And to preorder a copy of Behr Facts go to the Dreamspinner Press store.

Happy reading, everyone!

Dreamspinner Sale Continues

Yesterday I posted the preliminary map of fictional Old Town Stone Acres, California, where the Foothills Pride novella take place.  I'm trying to decide whether to color code the places on the map with primary locations for the books or not.  If you have an opinion, I'd love to hear from you!

But for those who haven't read the first two books, What's in a Name? followed by Redesigning Max, Dreamspinner Press is making it even more attractive to buy them at the Dreamspinner website store.

The third book, Behr Facts, releases on October 29, so if you've been thinking about dipping into the series, this would be the perfect time to do so!

Happy reading, everyone!

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



Dreamspinner Press Weekend Sale

If you've been thinking about catching up with the Foothills Pride series, this is a great weekend to do it.  Both What's in a Name? and Redesigning Max are on sale at the Dreamspinner Press site.

Just click on the titles above to go to the Dreamspinner store.

Enjoy!

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!

Romance Lives Forever with Redesigning Max

Today I answer 5 Easy Questions at Romance Lives Forever.  What are the questions?  Well, you'll just have to visit to find out!

I will give you a hint, however.  This video is in one of the answers.  Enjoy!

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.

I'm Relegated to Sit in the Comfy Chair

Blogger and author Elin Gregory doesn't know this, but I once met the wonderful John Cleese while I was working in Washington, DC.  So when I saw her feature, The Comfy Chair, I knew I was going to beg to be a guest to sit in it.

Lost you already, have I?  Well, the Comfy Chair column is a spin-off of this Monty Python quote: Now — you will stay in the Comfy Chair until lunchtime, with only a cup of coffee at eleven! You can find out more about the Comfy Chair here and see the sketch here.

At any rate, begging seems to have worked!  Today I'm a guest and getting way too comfortable sitting in Elin's Comfy Chair.  Whatever the magic there, I ended up spilling all--confessing to all sorts of crime and misdemeanors.

Have a look!  And, no, you can't sit here until Elin tells you it's your turn!

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.

I'm Back and Doing a Little Happy Dance

After a wonderful five days at Pacific Grove, California, where I wrote chapters in the fifth next Foothills Pride story, came up with a Stone Acres Old Town map, and generally relaxed in between, I came back to find this wonderful review by MM Good Book Reviews!

Wow!  That's all I can say.  Talk about take my breath away!  Here's part of what the reviewer says,

When I read book 1 of this series, What’s in a Name? I had no idea that it was the start of the series. Now that I’ve devoured book 2, Redesigning Max, it is official, I love Pat Henshaw’s books.

As if that weren't good enough, the review gets even better!

Thank you, Prime!  I really appreciate your kind words.

If you haven't read either What's in a Name? (the first Foothills Pride story) or Redesigning Max (the second, but not sequel), you can order them from Dreamspinner Press by clicking on the titles above, from Amazon using the links on the right of this post or from anyone selling eBooks online.

Scattered Thoughts about Redesigning Max

Wonderful dog logo from
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words blog

 

Wow! Melanie M of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words likes Redesigning Max!  Here's some of what she said:

Do you love contemporary M/M romance?  Not familiar with Pat Henshaw and her Foothills Pride series?  I can recommend them both.  They don’t have to be read in order. You will get people from each book mingling in the others, so much fun. Pick them up and  enjoy them both.

Thank you, Melanie!  You made my day.

To read the rest of the review, just click on the name of the blog in the first paragraph.

To buy your copy of Redesigning Max, use the Amazon link to the right of this post, click on one of the links below, or go online to any site selling eBooks:
Dreamspinner Press
Amazon
Amazon UK
Amazon Canada
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
All Romance Ebooks

Molly Lolly Likes Fredi and Max

 

Fredi and Max of Redesigning Max are visiting Molly Lolly's blog site today and are having a great time.

First off, Molly gave them a great review, so Fredi's going wild and being his extra flamboyant self.  Max really is trying to hold him down, but without a bed, it's pretty difficult.

Secondly, Fredi is regretting some of the things he said in his interview.  You never know when you might need a good word from a past employer, so burning his bridges publicly is starting to look like a bad idea to him.

Last, they'd love to have you join them at Molly's!  Jimmy from What's in a Name? might even provide you with some coffee--if you enter the Rafflecopter giveaway, that is.

For your copy of Redesigning Max or What's in a Name?, use the Amazon links at the right or order your copy from anywhere eBooks are
sold.

USA Today and Other Reviews

This has been a banner day for Redesigning Max, the second of the Foothills Pride novellas after What's in a Name?

First, Becky Condit reviewed the book for USA Today and said some very, very nice things about it.  She made me cry at the end when she said, "I recommend Redesigning Max as a fun, enjoyable romance with memorable characters, good and bad, and I recommend Pat Henshaw as a romance writer to follow."

Not only did she like Max, but she also recommended the first book, What's in a Name?  How wonderful is that?

As if that weren't enough for one day--and it is terrific!--Max was reviewed in two other places: Two reviewers give their opinions of the book at Inked Rainbow Reviews, one with a 5-star and the other with a 4-star review.

And Lucy at Hearts on Fire pins 4 stars on the book with her lovely review.


Where can you buy a copy of the books?  Well, there are always the links on the right side of this blog piece and the titles above are linked to the Dreamspinner Press online store.  Or you can buy the books wherever eBooks are sold.

One of Those Days...And Then Wow!

A stunning 5 Apple Cinnamon Bread Rating
for Redesigning Max

When Adam Fell, my work in progress, is a mess--a total and utter mess.  Chapters in the wrong order, timeline out of sequence, the worst case scenario for a writer.  True, it has to do with having my focus completely shot because of my brother's health problem.  But still...

So I'm struggling to get it into shape and still can't focus.  Redesigning Max came out on July 29th and like every other author, I hope that readers will like it and maybe even get my point.  (Another blog on that later.)

And like every author, I have one eye to the reviews as I unscramble Adam.  Unlike other authors, I'm rejoicing that I'm a 10 for 10 match as a blood marrow donor and waiting for when I need to be at Mayo's for the PBSC transfer.  In other words, I'm frayed around the edges.

Then Bec at Bike Book Reviews hits me with an absolutely wonderful (and insider joke funny) review of Redesigning Max.  It's amazing how quickly my day brightened and became less frustrating.  Thank you, Bec!

The book is also featured on Elisa's website today without a review.  I'm bummed that I can't even enter the 2015 awards because my books are strictly eBooks and not available in print.  Ah, well.  Rules are rules, right?  Maybe in the future she'll accept the E's.

But even with that bit of downer, Bec and her review have buoyed me up and kept me going today.

You can buy Redesigning Max at the following places and wherever eBooks are sold:

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

Amazon UK

Amazon Canada

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

All Romance Ebooks

The Tour Has Begun

Thanks to Will Parkinson of Pride-Promotions, the release tour for Redesigning Max has begun!

These are the wonderful sites where book information and interviews have appeared so far.  Thanks to all of these bloggers for having me on their sites:

Bike Book Reviews

 

Rainbow Gold Reviews

Hearts on Fire

Nephylim

Bayou Book Junkie

 

Parker Williams

 

Thank you all!