Today’s featured book is What’s in a Name by Pat Jenshaw.

Tell us about
yourself, please.

(Ahem!) My name is Stone. I’m the owner and bartender of Stonewall
Saloon in Old Town Stone Acres, California. The bar’s been in the family from the
frontier days when my great-grandpa entertained Wild Bill Cody and other famous—and
sometimes infamous—characters who roamed the West. You don’t believe me, all you
need to do is look at the pictures on the walls of the saloon. I’m big, burly, the
kind of guy who rides his Harley in the hills to let off steam. Mostly, though,
I’m pretty laid back. Ya gotta be to run a saloon where motorcycle gangs and gay
men hang out. Until I met Jimmy Patterson, the guy who opened the coffee shop a
couple doors down from the saloon, nobody asked what my first name was. Everybody
just called me Stone. But Jimmy had to push it. But in the end, after he’d weaseled
the name outta me, he agreed to call me Guy, his Guy.

Authors call what
you want but cannot have “the conflict” — what is yours?

For the longest damn time, I wanted Jimmy, but he’s was living
with this creepy fuck. So I kept my hands off because it just doesn’t sit well with
me when I see guys coming on to other guys’ men. It just ain’t right. You know?
So I played it cagy and talked to Jimmy whenever his “boyfriend” was chatting
up other guys. You know, playing it cool. And hoping a lot. Don’t know if you can
call that conflict. Or do you mean Tommy Thompson and his group of rough-housers
who were always picking on the queers in high school? Yeah, they’re still a problem,
but we’re working on them. You can read about it in the book.

What inner doubt
causes you the most difficulty?

Jimmy’s like smart, book smart and friendly, sometimes I think
too friendly. He sees everyone as good. Running a bar, I don’t. I know some guys
are just plain rattlesnakes inside. But sometimes, you know, I’d like Jimmy to be
right. I look at some crusty old drifter and I want to see somebody good and decent,
not somebody looking for another free drink. Sometimes I wonder if I’m seeing the
real world or Jimmy is. Of course, then another drifter walks into the bar and I’ve
got my doubts again.

In the story world
your author created, explain what it is you fear most and why.

No, see, you got it wrong. I’m the person everyone fears. Probably
the bald head and the beefy body, you know? Cuts down on a lot of damage to the
bar if everyone’s just a little uneasy about how unhappy I could get if things get
outta hand. Mostly what I fear is some good-looking, smooth-talking, better-than-me-stud
is going to walk into Jimmy’s life and he’s gonna compare us and find me wanting.
If that happens, I’ll probably turn into the old drifter cuz Jimmy is my life.

Tell us about your
significant other, that person who makes living worthwhile.

Jimmy? Well, you heard a lot about him in what I’ve already said.
But I wanna add a couple a other things. Jimmy and the coffee shop’s co-owner Felicity
had a hard life before they moved here. Jimmy’s happy all the time, so he gets stomped
on a lot. He’s funny and sweet—and God knows I’ve never gone for sweet in a guy
before—but realistic. He’s strong even though for the past year or so he says he’s
been leaning on me. But don’t listen to that. He and Felicity have started two businesses
and kept them going. People think by looking at me that I’m the strong one in this
relationship. Not hardly.

Why are you happy
(or not happy) with the way your story ended?

See, here’s the thing. Jimmy and me? We’re the real deal. The
story is a hundred percent. We’re in it for the long haul. If that Pat Henshaw person
had ended the story any other way, we’d have had some words about that. Fortunately,
she saw the truth, so I didn’t have to get tough.

About the Writer

Pat Henshaw, author of the Foothills Pride Stories, was born
and raised in Nebraska and has lived at various times in Texas, Colorado,
Northern Virginia, and Northern California. Pat has visited Mexico, Canada,
Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and now enjoys trips to Vermont,
Oregon, and Arizona to see family. Pat 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.

What was your biggest
challenge in writing this book?

LOL. Actually writing it. I’ve always wanted to be a
published author—not to be confused with a published writer, which I’ve been
since my 20s. I’ve written about nine full-length novels, but never had one
published. I always promised myself that when I retired, I would get organized
about writing books. So actually sitting down and doing what I’d promised
myself was the biggest challenge I’ve overcome.

Why did you choose
this character for the interview today?

What’s in a Name? is written from the viewpoint of Jimmy,
but a lot of my readers are captivated by Guy Stone. So I thought it was about
time Guy had his chance to explain himself and share what he thinks about
Jimmy.

Are any sequels
planned for this book?

This is the first in the series and came out in January
2015. The second in the series, Redesigning Max, published in July 2015, and
the third, Behr Facts, comes out in October 2015. I’ve submitted the fourth Foothills
Pride novella, When Adam Fell, to the publisher, Dreamspinner Press, but
haven’t heard anything back yet. I’m currently working on the fifth book in the
series. Although all the books have characters and setting in common, they can
be read independently.

Why should readers
who haven’t picked up one of your books before give this one a try?

Because my books have no explicit sex, they are perfect
starter books for traditional romance readers who are curious about the new
trend in gay romance. My books are about love, not sex, and while gay romance
and m/m romance books have been called erotica in the past, my books wouldn’t
fit into that category at all. Readers looking for sex shouldn’t read my books.
Readers looking for love and happy endings should read them.

Is there anything
you’d like to say to your readers?

This has been a whirlwind year for me. My experiment to see
if I could be a published author has been a success. As of the end of December,
I will have published around 100,000 words with Dreamspinner and am blown away
when I think about it. I want to thank my readers for making this possible and
wish to pass on to them success in fulfilling their dreams.

Title What’s in a Name?

Genre Contemporary gay romance

Author Pat Henshaw

Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG

Barista Jimmy Patterson thinks it’s a good idea to get
rip-roaring drunk on his birthday after he’s dumped by his boyfriend. When the
burly owner of Stonewall Saloon rescues Jimmy, the night starts to look up.

Now Jimmy just wants to know the bartender’s first name
since he’s worn a different name tag every time Jimmy’s seen him.
“Guy” Stone gives Jimmy seven guesses, one for each night he takes
Jimmy out on a date.

While Jimmy’s trying to come up with his name, he’s
distracted by the destruction of his coffee shop and what looks more and more
like a hate crime.

Publisher http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5965

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Name-Foothills-Pride-Stories-ebook/dp/B00SE34146/ref=pd_sim_351_18?ie=UTF8&refRID=042DY2TE367NQ632Z3F1

Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whats-in-a-name-pat-henshaw/1121096573?ean=2940149919833

ARe https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-what039sinaname-1718386-149.html

Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/what-s-in-a-name-24