Today I am so pleased to welcome Pat Henshaw to Joyfully Jay. Pat has come to talk to us about her latest release, Redesigning Max. She has also brought along…. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

 

Pat has written some questions and answers to share about how she has been doing the past few months. 

  1. How have you been doing during the lockdown?

Like I think everyone else, I panicked at first. The whole idea of not leaving the house, not being able to go out whenever and wherever I wanted scared me. But since I’m a writer and spend a lot of time sitting at a keyboard daydreaming and writing down the stories my mind sees, I realized my days wouldn’t probably change all that much from what they had been. So once the initial panic subsided and I got a mask to wear, I calmed down and am now rolling with the punches. I just wish everyone else wouldn’t take so long to figure out this is a serious situation, and we should all get with the program.

  1. What have you been doing during the lockdown?

Back in February and March, I had great plans. Our kids and grandkids had been here right before the lockdown began, and we’d started a jigsaw puzzle, but hadn’t finished it. I was gung-ho on finishing it. (It’s still in pieces on the card table.) I was having troubles with my former publisher and was splitting from them. I was trying to make up my mind whether I wanted to find a new publisher or self-publish. (I’m now with JMS. This fall they are republishing the entire Foothills Pride series, and I couldn’t be happier.) Back in the beginning of the year, my health was getting out of control, and I didn’t know why. I had to work to get myself stabilized. (Everything is fine now.) Like everyone else, I’ve had a lot to do in the past half year.

  1. What have you been eating during the lockdown?

Aren’t we all funny? When I panic, I revert back to childhood basics like PB&J and roasted chicken. For the first month, we ate like teenagers. The store ordering page became a real list of temptations. We ordered a zillion kinds of cookies. We ordered several kinds of ice cream. We even ventured out using the order online and pickup options at places like Panera and our local Jack’s Urban Eats and LaBou. At Panera we splurged on muffins and cookies as well as salads and soups. Because I was ill (and didn’t know it), I lost about twenty-five pounds despite eating poorly. Then we came to our senses and went back to the balanced plate meals we’d been cooking before the pandemic hit. My health problems ended, and I feel much better now.

  1. What have you been watching during the lockdown?

We subscribe to BritBox and Acorn streaming services, so in addition to watching Jeopardy! every night on cable, we’ve been watching a lot of British, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand shows like The Great British Baking Show, Midsomer Murders, and Doc Martin. It turns out that I’ve been planning for a pandemic for a while by buying DVDs of our favorite movies. I think that started when Blockbuster closed and Netflix started rotating out its movie offerings. Because of that we have the Jason Bournes, X-Men, Jesse Stone, and other movie sets to watch. Now we can watch our favorites anytime.

  1. Are you a computer gamer?

Yes, and no. I’m a casual gamer, not an online gamer. I used to play Diablo online with a guy from New Zealand. It was difficult what with the time difference between NZ and California, but we did it for a year or so. But when he started seriously courting his wife-to-be and then got married, that went by the wayside. Now I play solo games that depend a little less on instant hand-eye coordination like match three and hidden object games. I love Big Fish and Game House games. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the Adventure Trip games by Zylom and Point 8 because I love the soothing soundtracks and brilliant graphics they use. These days I use the games to recharge my mind while I’m writing.

  1. Speaking of writing, what can we expect to see coming up?

My new publisher, JMS Books, is republishing the Foothills Pride series with new covers and minimal editing from now through October. Then in November and December, they’re reissuing Blame It on the Fruitcake, The Orpheum Miracle, and Making the Holidays Happy Again, my previously published holiday stories. I also hope to have a new holiday story out then too. I guess the biggest news is that I’m working on additional novellas in the Foothills Pride series for 2021. There’s a lot coming and a lot in store for my readers.


Blurb

Renowned interior designer Fredi Zimmer is surprised when outdoorsman Max Greene, owner of Greene’s Outdoors, hires him to revamp Max’s rustic cabin in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Fredi is an out-and-proud Metro male whose contact with the outdoors is from his car to the doorway of the million-dollar homes he remodels, and to Fredi, Max is a typical straight man’s man.

When Max blatantly and clumsily flirts with Fredi, Fredi’s stereotypical view of Max is shattered. Is this a build-up to a gay bashing? Cautiously believing Max is closeted and is trying to come out, Fredi decides he’s game to put a little spice into Max’s life, whether it’s in the colors and fixtures he’ll use to turn Max’s dilapidated cabin into a showplace or over one of the many lunches and dinners they share talking about the remodel. Who can blame a guy for adding a little sensual pleasure as he retools Max’s life visually? Besides, Fredi has a backup plan if he’s wrong about Max’s intentions.

Life would be all wine and roses if it weren’t for Max’s former friends and their conservative families. Alarmed with Max’s obvious infatuation, they make it their business to save him from sliding into hell.

With the battle on, will Fredi and Max win the fight for a life of happiness together?

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Bio

Pat Henshaw, born and raised in Nebraska, has lived on the U S’s three coasts, in Texas, Virginia, and now California. Before she retired, she held a number of jobs, including theatrical costumer, newspaper features reporter and movie reviewer, librarian, junior college English instructor, and publicist. She also loves to travel and has visited Canada, Mexico, Europe, Egypt, and Central America as well as almost all fifty US states.

Now retired, she enjoys reading and writing as well as visiting her older daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren on the East Coast and playing havoc with her younger daughter’s life in NorCal. She thanks you for reading her books and wants you to remember that every day is a good day for romance.


Giveaway

Pat has brought $10 JMS Books gift card to give away to one lucky reader on her tour. Follow the Rafflecopter below to enter. 

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