Hello Delilah!  Thank you for inviting me to visit you today.  I’m always grateful for the invite, but even more so today as I’m anxious to share my new release.

Yorkie to My Heart is the sixth book in the multi-author Friends of Gaynor Beach Animal Rescue series.  I’ve written several of the books, sharing the space with some amazing authors.  We’ve had iguanas, Pomeranians, performing cats, French Bulldogs, and huskies.  Now, with this book, I’m adding a Yorkie to the mix.

I had two motivators to finish this book.  To give you an idea of how dedicated I was, I started writing the book November 3rd and the formatted book was ready to be uploaded to Amazon on December 22nd.  I’ve never done anything like this.  My beta reader, editor, proofreader, and formatter all worked their butts off to help me achieve my dream.

The dream?

A Christmas Day release.

Now, I had no idea what sales might be like on Christmas Day.  I knew I’d send out a newsletter to my subscribers and put out some social media, but I didn’t have any idea of what reach I might have.  That didn’t matter.  The specific day did.

Twenty years ago, on Christmas Day, my best friend died.  She hadn’t been sick very long, and I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye.  She was just…gone.  I didn’t have a great affinity for Christmas anyway (the year my dad divorced my mom, our Christmas tree fell over, breaking many of the ornaments — I took that as a bad sign).  Losing Heather kind of broke me.  To top it off, my family celebrates Christmas on Boxing Day due to scheduling conflicts.  The consistency is great.  Being alone every Christmas Day isn’t so much.  I console myself by writing, drinking eggnog, and messaging with friends who generously take time during their celebrations to keep me company.

As the twentieth anniversary of my friend’s death neared, I realized I wanted a good Christmas memory.

Heather was always supportive of my writing, and I know she would’ve been so proud of all I’d accomplished — both in life and in my writing journey.  I decided if I could release a book on Christmas Day, that I could celebrate that accomplishment every year going forward.  As I said, it took a dedicated team to make that happen — but we pulled it off.

The second reason was this book was at the request of a friend.  We were talking about my books, and she said that although she loved my Love in Mission City series, that she really wanted another animal rescue book.  She’s never asked me for a book before — despite being my editor for nearly ten years.

So, I wrote this book in part for her.

As for the actual book?  I found an image of a guy holding a Yorkie on a stock photo site.  I loved it, but my cover designer said she couldn’t make that work.  But she showed me one that she could — the one we wound up using.  That’s Jeremy holding Wally.  I knew I had one hero and my rescue.

I didn’t have much else.

As always, Plot Whisperer stepped up and helped me work out a simple plot.  A feel-good story.  Life was perfect.

Except, as I was preparing to write the story, a friend started sharing some of her journey as the mother of an autistic child.  I’d long suspected that would be a tough life, and her candid offerings confirmed it was.  As I started to write Yorkie, I realized Jeremy had a free spirit nibblet.  Nibblet is the non-gender specific term I use for niece and nephew.  Raphael, although young, is very certain they are neither boy nor girl.  They are also a free spirit.  Likely on the autistic scale, but I didn’t want a formal diagnosis to take away from the heart of the story.  An uncle doing everything to support his nibblets and his sister.  A man who didn’t go looking for love…but found it anyway.

My friend beta read the story and provided invaluable insight.  I believe she’s happy with the result.  The book is dedicated to her and her son.

Phillip, my other hero, is a bit of a wounded soul.  He’s struggling after leaving a bad relationship. He’s struggling with his weight.  He’s struggling in a new town where he doesn’t know anyone.

And then he meets Jeremy.

I really like this simple love story with characters I hope are relatable and the most adorable dog.  Wally, like Phillip, is overweight.  They both need to get healthy, and they embark on that journey together.  Of course, there’s a Gabbi Grey happy ending as well as cameos from many other characters in the Gaynor Beach world.

Anyway, that’s my story!  Thanks for having me visit today!  I would love to give away either an ebook or an audio book of one of my previous Gaynor Beach books (Love Furever, Hugh, Xavier, or Anthony).  To win, help me name the cat in my forthcoming book.  She’s a black stray who has taken up residence in a rugby player’s home.  What would you name her?  Random will select the commentor.  Good luck!

Yorkie to My Heart 

Phillip

Devastated at being dumped by the guy I loved, I’m struggling to put my life back together. My social worker suggested a new start in an LGBTQ-friendly town where I might make friends and meet people like myself. A new town doesn’t mean I suddenly become great with people, but Wally, an overweight Yorkie in need of love, prances into my life, like a dog version of me. Taking care of him is healing, and I want to forge a new future for us. Who needs men anyway?

Jeremy

When I nearly trip over my solitary new neighbor and his adorable dog, I’m smitten. But getting past his guarded aloofness won’t be easy. Phillip could clearly use some friends, and I’m always happy to open my circle here in my hometown of Gaynor Beach. No one should be that alone. The guy’s rescue of Wally the Yorkie makes my heart melt, and the more time I spend with the two of them, the more I find myself falling for the shy man. Will I be able to break through Phillip’s walls, or are we destined to only remain friends?

Yorkie to My Heart is a slow-burn, age-gap, opposites attract, gay romance between a shy man with a heart of gold and the gregarious, outgoing man who might just love him.

CW: mention of previous suicide attempt.

Links:
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRDHWF91
Universal Book Link:  https://books2read.com/Yorkie
KOBO:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/yorkie-to-my-heart
Apple Books:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/yorkie-to-my-heart/id6739855371
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/yorkie-to-my-heart-gabbi-grey/1146750717
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gabbi_Grey_Yorkie_to_My_Heart?id=bHg6EQAAQBAJ&gl=US
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1668772
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222944782-yorkie-to-my-heart

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.

Personal links:
Website: https://gabbigrey.com/
Newsletter sign-up:  https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbigrey/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gabbi-grey
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15456297.Gabbi_Grey
Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Gabbi-Grey/e/B07SJVFX1M
Audible Profile:  https://www.audible.com/author/Gabbi-Grey/B07SJVFX1M
Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey

2024 was such a big, eventful year for me, but we’re not going to dwell on the big, black cloud that descended at the very end of July. Instead, I want to remind you of the stories I put out into the world in 2024. Sixteen stories (with wonderful covers provided by my talented sister, Elle James!). Some of them were refurbished stories I republished. Some were brand-new stories I wrote. For the first half of the year, I chugged along, happy with the way the stories flowed from me. There were exciting new bounty hunter stories and fun adventures that featured my Dead Horse townspeople, even a sexy ex-military protector book. I persevered through my treatments to put together another Boys Behaving Badly anthology. So many words and adventures. I hope 2025 will be as filled with achievement.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, let me know whether any of these stories interest you and what you might like to see more of in 2025!

January 2024

Unbound by the Amazon

A pair of Army soldiers travels back in time to retrieve a powerful ancient artifact of alien origin from the queen of the Amazons…

Army Lieutenant Farideh Kalani expected her time-traveling assignment to ancient Scythia to retrieve an ancient artifact would be difficult, but gaining the trust of Amazon warriors and their legendary ruler, Queen Hippolyta, is easy compared to being partnered with Sergeant First Class Caleb MacAvoy. The soldier is too smug and sexy for her peace of mind. Posing as a warrior seeking a place among the royal guard and her devoted personal servant, the pair succumb to their attraction just as they discover another seeks the treasure they’ve sworn to find.

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February 2024

Malcolm
Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT, Book 10

Two fiercely independent bounty hunters must fight their attraction while learning to trust each other as they work together to bring in a dangerous skip.

Former SEAL Malcolm Winslow was looking for a change. He’s been bounty hunting on his own since leaving the teams and has missed the camaraderie of fellow warriors, so he accepts a job with the Montana Bounty Hunters. His first hunt takes a turn when the MBH team discovers that another lone hunter has found their target first. Not wanting to infringe, they stand by just in case their competition needs help.

Darleen Crockett has things well in hand. Sure, she’s alone, without a weapon (because where would she hide it in her skimpy outfit?), and the skip she’s determined to take down is one mean MF, but Darleen likes to ride that dangerous edge between victory and disaster. She’s an admitted adrenaline junkie.

When her skip attacks, she has things well in hand but is suddenly rescued by a rugged, tattooed man who makes her heart pitter-patter. What’s up with that? She’s quickly recruited by Malcolm’s agency and finds herself on the biggest hunt of her career. Denying her attraction to her temporary new partner isn’t possible when they spend so many hours alone, but what she doesn’t expect is finding something more with the equally footloose and independent Malcolm. Things get thorny between them when Malcolm can’t seem to get past the fact she’s a woman to trust that she can handle herself.

When the agency prepares to track an old adversary preparing to flee justice, Malcolm and Darleen are quickly folded into the team heading to Lander, Wyoming, to find their dangerous skip.

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March 2024

What Happens in Bozeman
We Are Dead Horse, Book 3

What happens in Bozeman stays in Bozeman…unless it’s a cowboy!

Stranded in Bozeman, Montana, for the night while snowplows clear a mountain pass, Kelly Willis decides to throw caution to the wind. After being jilted by her college sweetheart, she’s determined to have one no-holds-barred night, her way of seeking revenge against a lifetime of conformity, before she settles down in a new town to live a very circumspect life as an elementary school teacher. She chooses another stranded motorist, propositioning him with the offer of a no-strings, no-names night of pleasure.

No one is more shocked than rancher Ryan Mobley when he appears at his daughter’s parent-teacher meeting to discover the angel he’d made love to is his daughter’s new teacher. Now that she’s here, he’s going to do everything he can to convince her they have a real connection, something they can build a lifetime on.

While she wrangles the class bully and he tries to figure out who’s rustling his cattle, the two of them grow closer with the help of a classroom full of mini matchmakers.

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April 2024

Tyson’s Mission
Brotherhood Protectors: Team Eagle

A former Navy SEAL is tapped to provide security for a team of archeologists working to uncover Mayan ruins deep in a Mexican jungle that a local drug cartel is targeting.

After surviving a catastrophic helicopter accident, former Navy SEAL Tyson Quigley is taking well to his new life with the Brotherhood Protectors in the Yellowstone, Montana, office. Life’s looking up. He’s working with old teammates and feeling stronger and more himself every day.

Then he gets a call from his university professor brother, who is worried about a colleague working on an archeological dig in southern Mexico. The team has had problems with thefts of equipment and supplies. Now, one of the dig team members has been kidnapped and held for ransom, but they quickly figure out the finger they were sent in the package demanding payment is from an already dead person. Now, they have no idea whether their team member is alive or dead and worry that the attacks on the site aren’t over. After a quick conference with his Brotherhood Protector teammates, Ty heads down to Mexico to pose as his brother’s friend’s boyfriend to provide her protection for the remainder of the dig.

Cara Woodward doesn’t need a babysitter. Sure, things have gotten scary since a team member was abducted, but she thinks having a bodyguard is overkill. Their sponsors are pulling the plug on the excavation due to the kidnapping, so they’re working furiously to close the site for the season. Tyson’s everywhere she is, and it’s getting on her nerves. His looming presence is distracting, to say the least. He’s too handsome, too intense.

As the dig team continues documenting their work before they pack up and leave, they suffer a series of attacks—this time, too close to Cara for Ty’s comfort. He’s locking her down, with no daylight between them for the duration.

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May 2024

Five Ways ‘Til Sunday
Delta Heat, Book 1

A Memphis cop bent on marrying an unconventional woman turns to his friends to tick every sexy item off her bucket list to get her to “yes”…

The more Marti Kowalski tries to convince Memphis PD Officer Jackson Teague she’s not the right woman for him, the more he wants to marry her. It’s crazy, and he won’t listen to reason. Of course, she’s tempted, but there are things she wants to experience before she ties the knot. All sorts of kinky things that involve knots—just not the marital kind. And she’s written them down.

When Jackson finds out what’s on Marti’s mind, he knows just what to do. He calls on his brothers in blue, four men he trusts with his life. Between the five of them, he’s sure they can check off each and every item on Marti’s bucket list in one wild, wicked weekend.

Of course, Marti has to agree to follow through, and he has to decide if he can bear to share her.

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Fournicopia
Delta Heat, Book 2

Forget the sugar. Send her the spice.

Gus Taggert knows a setup when he sees one. The doughnut shop his police officer buddies have sent him to, Cornucopia, is too frilly, too pink. Then the woman behind the counter serves up a mini-lesson in submission that leaves him ready and willing to obey her order to see her tonight at La Forge BDSM club.

The large, burly cop is exactly the kind of alpha guy that newly minted Domme Aislinn Darby has been dying to tie up and spank. Yet after she puts him through his paces, she finds herself eager to let him take control—something she’s never before enjoyed with a man.

Determined to find out once and for all if she has what it takes to control a scene, she orders him up for one more go. Only this time, she intends to ensure he remembers who’s in charge. She’s even willing to offer a little bribe: accept her dictates, and his reward is her—any way he wants her.

Except when it’s time for payback, it comes with several twists she never sees coming.

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A Perfect Trifecta
Delta Heat, Book 3

When Craig Eason plays switch in front of an audience at La Forge BDSM club as a favor for a friend, it’s supposed to be a one-time thing. But the cop catches the attention of an enigmatic, powerful Dom watching from across the room—a man who may be the one to help Craig test the boundaries of his own sexuality.

Firefighter Aiden Byrne has strong S&M desires he keeps firmly in check. His sub, Jennifer, thinks she likes it rough, but he’s never been able to let go the way he longs to with her. When a defiant stare from a handsome man on the La Forge stage causes Aiden’s most dangerous need to ignite, he wonders if he’s found someone he can truly let go with.

Jennifer is on board, as long as she can be an active participant—but none of them is prepared for the scene that will shake them all to the core and change everything.

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June 2024

Twice the Bang
Delta Heat, Book 4

Beau wants Pansy for his own. After a BDSM party thrown by his friends to celebrate their new throuple status, Beau decides it’s time to stake his claim. He’s been taking it slow with the sexy sub, but when he sees he’s not the only one vying for her attention, he realizes a long seduction was a mistake. A handsome fireman has caught his woman’s eye.

Billy may be new to the lifestyle, and a submissive like Pansy is probably out of his league, but he’ll do whatever it takes to have her, even if he has to share her with a cop whose confidence contrasts with Billy’s inexperience.

Pansy’s stuck between a rock and a hard place—or rather, stuck between a smoking-hot firefighter with ice-blue eyes and a dark, mysterious cop who can give her goose bumps with just a look.

Of course, she could refuse to decide between them and let both pursue her and, perhaps, if she’s very lucky, they’ll play dirty.

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Once is Never Enough
Delta Heat, Book 5

Mondo Acevedo is a legendary Dom and Master at the La Forge club. He’s helped his Memphis PD friends navigate the BDSM world and find the women of their dreams. Now, the vice cop and Dom is the last single man standing. But Mondo’s waiting for the right woman, one strong enough to match his dark passions, and he’s sure a timid grade school teacher definitely won’t make the shortlist.

Sunny Boudreau is content with her somewhat vanilla life, But when a trio of lovers moves in next door, she’s drawn to them and their group of friends, especially a certain tall, dark, and dangerous Dom.

Mondo tries to warn Sonny off, but her first taste of the club only whets her appetite and ignites her desire to prove she’s exactly the woman Mondo needs.

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July 2024

Burning Up Memphis
Delta Fire, Book 1

When firefighter John Cooper accepts an invitation to go to Club LaForge with his friends, he didn’t expect the sights and sounds of the BDSM club to have such an effect on him. Far from being turned off, he’s surprised to find himself thinking this lifestyle might just be what he needs—especially if Moira, his luscious guide for the evening, is willing to teach him everything he wants to know.

Moira Blessing is an experienced BDSM trainer, and she senses that Coop is not only a Dom in the making, but he could also be the man she’s looking for—someone to be her lover and her Dom. But Coop’s best friend just died on the job, and he’s not interested in anything serious right now. Good thing Moira thinks going slow can be sexy when done right…

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Hotter With a Pole
Delta Fire, Book 2

Noah Turner hopes buying the classic ’68 Camaro from a fellow firefighter’s widow will ease some of the grief weighing down his heart. When a noise under the hood sends him looking for a mechanic, he finds so much more. Big and burly Hoyt grabs Noah’s attention right off, and not just because of his bad-boy biker looks and ice-blue eyes. The fact Hoyt is a Dom and a member of Club LaForge certainly interests Noah.

Hoyt Freeman never thought he’d feel that rush with a man again after his partner died, but his body certainly reacts to meeting Noah. LaForge seems like the perfect place to meet and work off some energy and explore this sudden flood of desire. The heat between them starts to burn through their emotional barriers, whether the men are ready to make a deeper connection or not.

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Cyrus
Montana Bounty Hunters: West Yellowstone, MT, Book 1

The first new hire of the Montana Bounty Hunters: West Yellowstone, MT, isn’t much of a team player and isn’t sure he’s ready to stick around until he meets a pretty park ranger as independent and stubborn as he is.

Former Army Ranger Cyrus Walsh signs on with the competition when he sees the handwriting on the wall. The Montana Bounty Hunters are moving into his territory, and he can either join them or move on. So, he’ll give them a try but soon discovers he doesn’t mind so much riding with a new partner or working within the confines of an agency that respects their hunters’ strengths.

While chasing a skip in the nearby national park, he and his new partner encounter the skip and a park ranger, facing down a grizzly bear. The park ranger’s actions save the day, and he finds himself intrigued by the woman, who under normal circumstances, he’d never give a second glance. It’s not like he’s looking for a relationship; he’s not an easy man to be around. But her understated beauty and fiercely independent nature draw him closer, and he finds himself, reluctantly, asking her out.

Milly Bauer knows she’s not in the same league as the burly, handsome bounty hunter, but she’s eager to let things play out between them. There’s something she wants from him, experiences she’s denied herself. Something tells her Cyrus is just the man to provide what’s been lacking in her life, if only for a while.

While they get to know each other and find themselves inextricably drawn closer, their dangerous jobs make them wonder whether they can share a future together.

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Secret Identities
Boys Behaving Badly, Book 8

Inside Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, you’ll find stories by some of the hottest romance writers out there for readers who crave mysterious, enigmatic men and women who may not be who they claim to be. Perhaps they’re the new next-door neighbor with a secret mission, an alien from a far-away galaxy looking for his fated mate, or a spy trying to catch a foreign agent. Whatever their secrets, intrigue and passion follow…

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August 2024

Rapid Entry
Delta Fire, Book 3

Firefighter Gage Eastwood doesn’t hesitate to race into his neighbor’s apartment to put out the fire there. Of course, some hesitation might have given him the time to realize he was buck naked. He’s a professional, so he can overlook the fact she’s in her underwear, but after a nosy neighbor snaps some pictures of them, the fire and his naked heroics go viral.

Shy Viviana Moore is a bestselling romance author. She might write about kink, but she’s never done anything kinky. So when her hotter-than-hot savior invites her out to his sex club, La Forge, she doesn’t admit at first to her lack of actual kinky experience. Soon, she has more than enough material for a whole new series as well as some hands-on experience of her own, and Gage is wondering if she’d let him be her muse…permanently.

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September 2024

Once Upon a Legend

When budding dime novelist Prudence Vogel travels west to meet legendary lawman Jake White Eagle, she discovers he really is the tall, handsome hero of her novel. Flustered and out of her element, Prudence is determined to shadow the handsome sheriff to lend authenticity to her next story.

While Jake certainly finds Prudence attractive, her constant presence is distracting. When things she has written seem to be coming true, he decides to get closer to see whether she’s part of a criminal enterprise he’s been trying to uncover.

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November 2024

The Demon Lord’s Cloak

After awakening in a castle, bound and at the mercy of her captor, Voletta has every reason to fear the mysterious man holding her in his arms. Instead, his brooding presence intrigues her, and his hard body excites her. However attracted she is, she must escape before he discovers her dark secret…but then she learns he has one of his own.

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Do you like YA contemporary novels with second chance romances, soap stars, college basketball players, strong female friendships, cinnamon roll heroes, and cute banter? Plus, there’s the added high stakes of a soap opera star up for an award and her first love, Davis, playing in a college basketball tournament. If this sounds like your kind of book, then pick up Stars in the City for free from December 28^th-29^th on Amazon.

Check out the blurb here:

Valeria Joseph seems to have it all: career as actress on the soap opera, Charmed Lives, and everyone wants to be her. Her so-star, Cecily Taylor, fixes her up with a rising pop star named Dex Doyle and suddenly Valeria has a bigger spotlight on her.

Then, on the busy streets of New York City, she runs into her first love, Davis, who she never got over. Davis is a college basketball player who is dealing with high pressure stressors of his own and they find themselves supporting one another and falling back in love.
​            But, just like being on a daytime soap is full of drama—so is the publicity that surrounds Valeria. Throw in a pop star who’s crazy about her, an award show event that trends on social media for all the wrong reasons, and tons of swoony moments. Can Valeria find true love in the big city?

Read an excerpt here:

Davis was sweating and not having his best game, but he managed to put up twenty points.

“The other team is not letting up.” Paige clutched one of my throw pillows.

“I’m sweating.” Cecily pulled her shirt away from her body. “I don’t even follow the sport

much, but I’m dripping like I’m on the court right now.”

I nodded. “I have so much adrenaline going through my body that I think I could play. Put me in, coach.” They cracked up.

“Yeah, I feel I could go in right now and take the game-winning shot. Somebody stop me

before I try out for basketball down at the university.” Paige shook her head as she reached for

the popcorn.

I put my hand up. “Do not put popcorn in your mouth right now because you keep shrieking each time somebody does something. You’re going to choke on that popcorn, and I’m sorry, but I need to watch this game, so I can’t be calling for help or performing CPR or the Heimlich maneuver, which I don’t even know how to do. I’d probably end up breaking all your ribs anyways because I’m so pent-up with adrenaline and nervous energy.”

She put the popcorn bowl down as we continued to watch.

Cecily bounced up and down on the coach. “Why am I more nervous for this than I was my first audition?”

Paige started yelling then. “That guy pushed Rashad.” She stood up and yelled at the screen. “Get in there and rip his head off and bring me his skull to use as a ladle.”

I laughed and threw a pillow at her. “Didn’t Walker write a song about you called, ‘The

Sweetest Whispers?’”

She laughed. “Shh, no talking about Walker in front of Rashad. I don’t want to distract him.”

The rest of the game flew by.

“You guys, this is it. We’re almost out of time.” Paige jumped up from the couch. She put her hands over her mouth. “Oh my goodness, Rashad, you can do this. You can do this, baby. I love you so much right now, Rashad. I know I’ve never met you, but right now you’re my very best friend in the whole wide world, and I think you might be my boyfriend.”

Time was running out, and it all came down to one time-out. Davis got ready for the tip-off. He took a big, deep breath in and exhaled slowly, and I knew he was doing the breathing exercise I showed him. I watched as he slowed down his breathing and focused. I clasped my hands together and continued praying. I prayed that he’d know he did his best no matter what happened. That he’d have the strength to carry on feeling good about what he did and how he supported his teammates. Then I prayed he wouldn’t get hurt, and that he’d come out of this a stronger person who was able to be more compassionate to his teammates.

The referee blew the whistle and threw the ball up. I saw Rashad go up in the air and come down hard. He started to fall, but he tossed the ball to Davis. Davis tore down the court, and I saw him pass the ball. It went whizzing so fast I didn’t know how the other guy even saw it, but he caught it. The next thing I knew it went sailing toward the basket just as the buzzer went off. Paige sucked in her breath as we watched the ball like it was going in slow motion toward the basket.

What readers are saying: “Amazing YA Romance. This is a fast-paced story, that will have you on edge with your feelings. Great story line and the characters are on point. This one has it all drama, love and friendships, that will engage you to the end. I recommend for all readers young and old, who likes all the drama.”

“Sweet, charming YA romance perfect for summer. A lovely, sweet book about missed and second chances! Valeria has everything a girl could want, except the one that got away…

Written with a strong voice in the very popular first person, this book is a breezy, easy read with a sense of humor that keeps the pages turning. You care quickly about this cast of characters. I wanted the entire group to find happiness, including the antagonist. I would’ve loved this series in my late teens – it has all the gilded drama of Sweet Valley High without falling on too-adult themes. It’s a simple story of a second meet-cute that actually lasts.”

Get it here FREE Dec 28-29th:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Stars-City-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B0C19THWX3
Amazon CAN: https://www.amazon.ca/Stars-City-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B0C19THWX3
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stars-City-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B0C19THWX3
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/Stars-City-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B0C19THWX3

About the Author

Krysten Lindsay Hager is a bestselling author of YA and contemporary romance. She writes romance because she loves bringing people swoony moments and hope-filled happily ever afters. She writes about falling in love, fame, fitting in, frenemies, first loves, and finding your way in the world. She loves reading, watching movies, and lipstick.

Website: https://www.krystenlindsay.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/krystenlindsay/

When I pastored in Brooklyn, visiting members at the Susan Smith McKinney Rehabilitation Center and Nursing Home was a regular part of my week. I never gave much thought to the woman for whom the care center was named. This month, I make up for that oversight.

Susan Smith McKinney Steward was born in the black Brooklyn town of Weeksville in 1847. Her father was a prosperous pig farmer and fierce abolitionist. Her eldest sister, Sarah J. Garnet, who I blogged about in December 2023, became the first African American female public school principal in New York City.

In 1870, Susan graduated valedictorian from medical school and became the first African American woman doctor in New York State and only the third African American female doctor in the country. From 1870 to 1895, she practiced medicine in Brooklyn serving patients of all races. She co-founded the Brooklyn Women’s Homeopathic Hospital and Dispensary. She served at as well as helped establish other hospitals for African Americans and the aged. She continued her medical education, becoming the only woman in the 1887-1888 post-graduate class at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn. She focused on homeopathic medicine and gained a reputation for her work treating malnourished children. She was elected into the New York Homeopathic Medical Society in 1896.

In 1871, she married Reverend William G. McKinney and had two children. Four years after his death, she married Theophilus Gould Steward, chaplain of the 25th U.S. Colored Infantry. She continued to practice wherever he was stationed. In 1898, Wilberforce University hired Dr. Steward as a resident physician. She taught health and nutrition there until her death in 1918.

No surprise Susan had talents that extended beyond medicine. Early on, she was organist and choir director at two prominent black Brooklyn churches, Siloam Presbyterian and Bridge Street AME. In politics, she was active in the Equal Suffrage League of Brooklyn, and as a member of the Women’s Loyal Union, she lobbied Congress from 1894-1895 to investigate lynching. In social reform, she served as president of her local chapter of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. In the 1880s, she published two papers, one on a pregnant woman’s incorrect diagnosis and the next on childhood diseases. In 1911, at the Universal Race Congress in London, she presented a paper on famous African American women, and in 1914, she gave a speech to the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs on the history of women in medicine from Biblical times to 1914.

Dr. Susan McKinney Steward died aged 71 in Ohio on March 7, 1918. Her body was returned to Brooklyn and buried in the famous Green-Wood Cemetery. Hallie Quinn Brown, the subject of my February 2024 and October 2023 D.D. blogposts, delivered the eulogy.

Writing this blogpost has taken me back to the streets of Brooklyn where I, like she, served as a community leader. I hope I left a legacy of work as impactful as hers. For a chance at a $10 Amazon gift card leave a comment about Susan or another woman you’ve found inspiring.

“The Patience of Unanswered Prayer” by Michal Scott
from Cowboys

Kidnapped and destined to be another victim of Reconstruction-era violence, a feisty shop owner is rescued by a trail boss whose dark secret might save them both

Excerpt:

The sounds of horse hooves clopping, drunken laughter, and saloon music had faded long ago. Only chirruping crickets, croaking bullfrogs, and Sheriff Radcliffe’s lies penetrated Eleanor’s covering. Where were they taking her?

The wagon wheels creaked with every rut they hit. Eleanor wheezed, desperate for fresh air. Nausea roiled at the base of her throat. Would she die choking on her own vomit? Fear squeezed her chest as yes flitted through her mind like a lightning bug.

The wagon lurched to the right. Her nausea intensified.

“Mind how you go there, boy. We don’t want to be accused of mistreating the prisoner.”

Being arrested on false charges didn’t count as mistreatment? How about being abducted by ones sworn to uphold the law? Eleanor’s agony mirrored that of Christ’s on the cross.

My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?

She moaned, her spirit smothered by despair. The pressure at the small of her back eased only to be followed by a sharp jab to her spine.

“Shut up, damn you,” Radcliffe snapped. “Your days of troubling me will soon be over.”

“What was that you said, Sheriff?”

“Thank God this trouble’ll soon be over. We’ll have delivered her safe and sound to the county seat tomorrow.”

“Safe and sound,” Deputy Jim Flyte said. “Thank the good Lord.”

His tone, full of innocence and ignorance, penetrated Eleanor’s cloth prison and killed all hope that he’d be of any help. She stifled a groan lest her tormentor kicked her again. Flyte was too young to know that safe and sound to Sheriff Hobart Radcliffe meant only one thing: Eleanor’s death.

Buylink:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zfDpo2

Christmas decorations are still up, but it’s time to make some plans for the New Year!

Is this something you like to do? Do you set resolutions? Plan to join Weight Watchers? Sign up for yoga classes at the local rec center? Set a budget to improve your finances? Maybe plan a trip or two?

Every year, always, I set plans in motion. Some goals I achieve, some I lose interest in working on by mid-January, but others, are a constant work in progress. I love the process of planning for a new year—and it always begins with my writing goals. Seeing as I abandoned writing in August due to my diagnosis, I’m a bit wary of setting goals too far in the future, and I have tons of self-doubt about whether I can ever achieve my former productivity, but I am going to set some goals anyway as something to shoot for. And I’ll go for pie-in-the-sky because I’m an optimist, and if I have to adjust later, ah well. I have to have goals and starting points to remain motivated.

So, for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle to keep that gray matter functioning, then tell me whether you have any goals for the new year, big or small. 

All my Advent calendar doors have been opened now! Aren’t they adorable? My daughter bought me a calendar when she bought the kids theirs because she knows I’m just as thrilled (well, probably more so) than they are, opening my daily windows to see what I got. Now I have all these little figurines and I’m trying to figure out what to do with them. I can’t display them because I already have soooooo many Marvel and DC figurines scattered all over my office.

I’m thinking, I might treat them like I would a daily tarot card draw. I could put them into a decorative bowl on my desktop, then close my eyes and draw one to see whose superpowers I’d assume that day. What do you think?

As well, I posted the last Advent giveaway on Facebook. The day after Christmas, we’ll have to head to the post office to get the last of the items shipped to winners. It’s been fun, and my bookshelf was denuded of a few books and my stock of bookmarks needs replenishing just in time for 2025’s #100daychallenge. Any excuse to pull out the paints and play.

Tonight is Adult’s Christmas, and the kids get to open one gift. Then we’ll be up in the wee hours of the morning to watch the kids open their Christmas gifts. It’s always fun.

But for now, I have a puzzle. Do you remember our Halloween black kitten, Binx, that I posted about after my daughter rescued her from school traffic? Well, she’s gotten a little bit bigger and is always in trouble. The 20-year-old keeps her in her garage apartment. The puzzle picture is of her getting into a bit of trouble. She nearly toppled her tree.

Solve the puzzle, then for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, just pop in and share a holiday message. Spread the cheer!