UPDATE: The winner is…Mary McCoy!
*~*~*
Hello Delilah! Thank you so much for inviting me to join you today. I have a new release I’m excited to share with you and your readers! Sun, Surf, and Surprises is a short story I just had to write! My publisher put out a call for beach reads. I didn’t have a book lounging about neglected on my laptop, and I didn’t have time to write the story that came to mind—but I did have time to write a short story and to get it in for the deadline.
As always, I consulted my plot whisperer. I said: movie industry, Los Angeles, beach, gay short story. She asked what the most stressful job on a film set is. I said probably executive producer since the buck stops with them. She gave me Jerome. Then she proceeded to give me the story of how he hires an escort to help him unwind during a forced hiatus…and how things go sideways.
Sounds simple, right? I wrote the story, polished it up, and sent it to my editor. She read it, sent it to the senior editor, then came back to me. Turns out (and I didn’t know this) hiring an escort for sex is illegal in California. I was like…uh… (me speechless). Many a gay romance has this plot. And I’m certain a few other romances as well. My editor was firm she didn’t believe Jerome would do anything illegal. She made a persuasive case. More importantly, I’d written this story for them. For this series. I suspected mine would be one of only a handful (if any) of inclusive and diverse stories. I loved Jerome and Alex so much that I made the edits. It didn’t change the essence of the story—a mistaken identity. Working within what was legal in California didn’t take away from the central romance.
I also had to work hard to keep another scene I really liked. That meant adding an additional one which completely didn’t bother me. More writing? Bring it on! Anyway, I’ve patiently waited five months to get Jerome and Alex in front of readers, and I’m thrilled they’re finally here! I hope readers have as much fun reading their story as I did writing it.
Thank you for having me! I would love to give out a copy of my book Valentino in Vancouver. Valentino and his husband, Seamus, have a cameo in Sun, Surf, and Surprises, and I’d love to share that book (or another one from my back catalog). To win, just drop a comment. Is mistaken identity a trope that you enjoy? That you’ve never tried? That you believe has been done too often? Leave a comment and you might win a book!
Sun, Surf, and Surprises
Sometimes a wrong can make a right.
I hate downtime. Detest it. So when our film production shuts down for a week and my boss sends me off to an LA beach house, I’m bouncing off the walls. Hiring an escort to keep me company seems like a creative way to make the time pass faster. And boy, does Alex help me forget about my troubles. He’s sweet and smart, and I’m more hooked on him with every passing hour. Then reality comes crashing in, and I’m afraid I’ll lose him forever.
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/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabbiGrey
Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gabbi-grey
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15456297.Gabbi_Grey
