Today’s Pat Henshaw’s turn at the wheel!
- What genre that you haven’t written before are you thinking about delving into in the future?
Each of my books has a teenager lurking somewhere in it, so I’m very interested in writing a YA book. I thought about telling each of the existing books’ stories from the teens’ points of view, but now have decided I’d rather have different characters tell their own stories—probably in first person novella format since that comes easiest for me.
- What advice would you give your 17-year-old self?
Write and write more. And submit. Yes, rejection is difficult and you feel like parts of your soul are being stabbed, but do it anyway. Why? Because in the end, someone will like your writing and will hire you. So the more experience you have, the easier the process will get. (I’ll give you a peek at the future: You make your living writing and teaching writing. So get good at it now.)
- What is your favorite procrastination method?
I love to play stupid, time-consuming video games like Jewel Quest and Tradewinds and listen to music—right now the songs of The Dead South, a Canadian group that writes and sings about the American Civil War. I can’t play immersive games like Diablo because I never would write if I did—though sometimes I’ve been known to play a few rounds of Nox if I set an alarm to limit my time with it.
- You’ve been invited to a party being held by your boss. Which of your characters will you take with you as your guest?
Great question! I’d try to take Abe Behr from Behr Facts, but I doubt he’d go with me since he’s not very social. His younger brother Ben, from Waking the Behr, would go and be the hit of the party in his good-old-boy, aw shucks ma’am way. But I think I would have the most fun with Zeke Bandy of Relative Best. Since he’s dealt with so many types of people from all over the world through the Gold Rush hotel he inherited and runs, he and I would have a lot in common and a lot to talk about. I’m intrigued to find out more about the music he writes and sings.
- Describe one time someone surprised you.
Dreamspinner Press has an annual retreat for its authors. I’d been reading DSP books long before I became one of its authors, so I was eager to go to the retreat and meet some of the authors whose books I loved. I’d met a lot of authors before in my newspaper and freelance writing days, so I was prepared to meet a group of people who would look down on me as not one of them. But I was totally surprised when I met four people in particular: Rick Reed, Ben Thomas, Jamie Fessenden, and you. All of you were so nice and wonderful, truly greeting me as a fellow author. The Dreamspinner weekend was truly a surprise for me.
- One of your characters writes a poem to his beloved.
Doubtful, very doubtful. While all my characters read, most aren’t ones for whom creative writing is even of passing interest. In What’s in a Name? Stone runs a bar, and Jimmy owns two coffee shops where he’s the creative barista. Both create in their own ways, but not as far as poetry goes. In Redesigning Max, Fredi paints and Max writes non-fiction bird books. But neither is a poetry buff. Construction company owner Abe and accountant Jeff of Behr Facts are precision men, but not poets. Celebrity chef Adam of When Adam Fell and sous chef/restaurant manager David create through giving customers the perfect dining experience, so there’s no poetry there. In Relative Best, hotel owner and entertainer Zeke Bandy writes his own music, so I think that’s as close to poetry as any of my characters are going to get.
- Aside from writing, in what ways are you creative?
I create dollhouse miniatures in quarter inch to the foot scale. Uh, yeah, this is tiny. I used to have a lot more creative pastimes before I got serious about writing. Now I listen to music, write, read, play computer games, and take photos as I travel with my husband.
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Book blurb:
Both Ben and Mitch think they know exactly what they want. Turns out, they don’t even know their own hearts.
Good old boy Ben has dated women his entire life, while gay nightclub owner Mitch has never considered unsophisticated country boys his type. But after they start hanging out, the small-town contractor and the urban entrepreneur are both stunned by the electricity sparking between them.
As they step outside their comfort zones to spend time together, Mitch finds he enjoys rural car rallies, and Ben is intrigued by the upscale bars Mitch owns in San Francisco. When they share their lives and grow closer, they start to question the way they’ve always defined themselves. Then they kiss and fling open the door to love. Now they must step up and travel the road that may lead to happily ever after—even if that path isn’t one they ever expected to walk.
Book buy links:
Dreamspinner: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/waking-the-behr-by-pat-henshaw-8865-b
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36099055-waking-the-behr?from_search=true
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/d/Waking-Behr-Foothills-Pride-Book-ebook/B075D86H87/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505008586&sr=8-1&keywords=waking+the+behr
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/waking-the-behr
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/waking-the-behr-pat-henshaw/1127058298?ean=2940158850714
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Pat_Henshaw_Waking_the_Behr?id=wUQwDwAAQBAJ
Author bio:
Pat Henshaw, author of the Foothills Pride Stories, 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.
Pat was born and raised in Nebraska where she promptly left the cold and snow after college, living at various times 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.
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 contacts:
Website: http://patbooked.blogspot.com
Website: www.pathenshaw.com (under construction)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pat.henshaw.10
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: patoisca@yahoo.com pat@pathenshaw.com