UPDATE: The winner is…Amy Fendley!
*~*~*

Today is one of those days when I have no plan for what I’m going to talk about. Some may wonder, why bother? But I have a ready answer. Yes, my blog is my way of connecting with people, hopefully readers, but in the end, friends. I’m a solitary person by nature. Yes, I spent years in the Army, years in the corporate world, I taught, I worked at a non-prof. All those jobs required me to interact with enthusiasm with people. And I do like…people. However, I really, really, really like my mole hole office with my big white screen that’s empty until I fill it with words. Sometimes, I know, I’m talking to myself, but the act of opening a screen and just letting my fingers connect to my brain without much interference from me is my therapy and my way of priming the pump before I start to write. *takes a deep breath because those were a lot of words to simply say I like my solitude*

So, the daily habit of opening my blog each day is part of my writing habit. Wow, I could’ve just started with that, right?

I usually have some notes about what I want to do, a place to start. I didn’t do that for today. I just visited one of my favorite idea-generating websites, “Fun Holidays,” but today’s “Caviar Day” didn’t generate any thoughts except for a memory of my one and only trip to Russia shortly after The Wall fell. The group of U.S. tourists I was with were served caviar and champagne at every meal—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And wouldn’t you know it, the only person in our 10-person cohort who loved caviar was me. So, every meal, they’d send their little plate of caviar down the table for me to gorge on as much as I could manage to eat. I can only imagine the hundreds of dollars I scraped onto my plate every meal. And I prefer red to black caviar by the way because it’s generally larger and you can press it against the roof of your mouth and make it pop.

But that’s not enough for a blog and not all that interesting, right?

So I went to my favorite photo site and typed in random words, starting with “cringe” thinking I could generate something from a picture. Nope. I eventually typed in “animals” and found this picture.

He’s so cute. Which reminded me I’m the frog whisperer of the house. We live in the country, and while letting dogs out to do their business, bugs and little critters can find their way inside. If it’s a bug, we yell for the 15-year-old because she loves to prove she’s braver than anyone else in the house. When it comes to repatriating frogs or toads back into the wild, they call me, because I don’t mind picking them up, no matter how slimy or bumpy they are. I love them. In fact, just last night, I rescued a tiny, 1-inch-long baby toad and was able to catch his fast little self before he hid under something.

But I’m rambling again, and I’ve written enough about nothing at all, right? My fingers and my mind are all limbered up, ready to tackle The End of my story. So, how can I make this about you and not me?

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you’re a fan of caviar or frogs? Do you have a personal story to share?

UPDATE: The winner is…Christine!
*~*~*

Wrapping up the story coming to you next Tuesday, I’ll have to say I’ve done as much research into Yellowstone and its surroundings as I have archeological digs in the Yucatan jungle or research facilities situated on an ice floe in the Artic. I hope you have the book pre-ordered, because I think it’s going to be a fun addition to my bounty hunter world. If you haven’t, follow this link: Pre-order Cyrus

I thought all that research might be worth at least a fun puzzle, so here goes…

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift car, solve the puzzle, then tell me what sights you have or would love to see in Yellowstone National Park!

First, the big news (for me)! We have AC! Yeah, the repairman finally brought out the new compressor and installed it yesterday afternoon (I was nice to him, promise). It took hours to cool the house down from 85 degrees, but we all got to sleep in our own beds; the slumber party was over. I slept like a baby last night, and a good thing, too, because I have a book to finish before Thursday! Wish me luck.

In the meantime, another story in the Delta Fire series was released late last night!  It’s a gay romance—and another erotic romance with BDSM elements. I know, I don’t do those often unless there’s a woman involved somewhere, but Noah and Hoyt were perfect for each other and needed each other very much. They were both suffering from a loss. Happy reading! ~DD

Hotter with a Pole

Order your copy now! | Read an excerpt!

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.

Note: This book was previously published.

UPDATE: The winner is…Flchen!
*~*~*

Hello Delilah!  Thank you for inviting me here to share news of my new release!  Cole’s Reckoning is the second book in my Bonded By Love trilogy, and I’m thrilled to tell your readers all about it!

Initially, this trilogy began as one book—Caressa’s Homecoming. Pretty early on, though, I realized I couldn’t tell Caressa, Cole, and Michael’s story in just one book.  The best friends-to-lovers story deserved more than that.  The three grew up in horrific poverty and came from abusive homes.  Their lives diverged in huge ways—and Caressa suffered more trauma.  Trauma she never shared with her best friends.  Because of some of that, she went overseas as a nurse to volunteer with Médecins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders).  She came back to Canada even more traumatized.

Her best friends saw that.  And Michael was there first—to both comfort and to admit his feelings had changed for her.  In turn, she realized her feelings for him had deepened as well.  Friends-to-lovers is a tricky trope.  The evolution has to feel like it works—like the progression is natural and was always meant to be.  I tried to portray it as accurately as I could.

Cole, however, didn’t want to be left behind.  Because when Caressa left, he realized he loved both his best friends.  He’s bisexual (although in the closet about his dalliances with men).  Michael’s straight. This set up an interesting dynamic for me to work with.  Oh, and Cole’s into BDSM—something Caressa and Michael know nothing about.  Caressa’s Homecoming ends with Caressa having discovered Cole’s dungeon and confronting Cole…after he and Michael have exchanged some pretty steamy kisses.

This second book was a challenge for me.  I needed a pivot point.  Something that would push their relationship along.  Something that wasn’t artificial.  I realized early on what that would be.  I wrote the story and then sent it out to my editor and proofreaders—asking them to read the story blind—without having read the synopsis.  All three admitted they didn’t see the twist coming.  All three admitted it made sense and, as I’d hoped, deepened the dynamic of the relationship between the members of the triad.

I’m excited to release the book because I’m hoping readers will enjoy the twist.  Will find the book isn’t the saggy middle novel of a trilogy—which can sometimes happen.  Often, readers read a trilogy and think, “That could’ve been two books instead of three.”  Now, I have a different throuple for my conclusion—so stay tuned.

Thank you, Delilah, for hosting me.  I love sharing my books, especially the ones that pushed me.  MMF definitely does that!  I’d love to give away a $5 Amazon Gift Card to a commenter chosen by random.  Have you ever read a good menage book?  One that stuck with you?  If not, is it something you would consider, or are you happy with just a couple? Let me know and you might win!

Cole’s Reckoning

Three inseparable friends—now three insatiable lovers?

Actor Cole Hamilton has finally convinced the two people he loves most in the world, Caressa Klein and Michael Dubois, to move in, join him in a throuple relationship, and set his bed on fire. But he fears his secrets—his real self—will drive them away.

Michael is stressed by his latest engineering project, but his two best friends turned hot lovers worry him more. Cole is too reckless, and Caressa keeps him guessing.

Caressa adores her two sexy men, but her past and tragedies in her nursing profession haunt her.

Can their love and friendship survive secrecy and the reopening of old wounds?

Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/ColesReckoning
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Coles-Reckoning-Bonded-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B0D3KCG7QG
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coles-reckoning-gabbi-grey/1145488881
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/coles-reckoning/id6502349359
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/cole-s-reckoning
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213029211-cole-s-reckoning

About Gabbi Grey

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

There will be no heat-whining today. I’ll refrain. However, I will say the beast will remain leashed inside if the repairman shows up with the part tomorrow. ‘Nuff said. This coming week is going to be a bear as it is, work-wise. I have to hunker down and keep focused on what’s important!

Report Card

Last week…

1. The big news was all the stuff that wasn’t work-related—the severe Hurricane Beryl-relate weather, the fried AC compressor, the excessive heat in the house… No whine.
2. I continued work on Cyrus.
3. Today, I’ll finish work on one editing job for another author.
4. I continued editing the Secret Identities short stories for the anthology.
5. I swam every day, sometimes twice a day!
6. I continued, despite all the fast food runs we made (no one’s cooking in a mid-80-degree kitchen!) Weight Watchers and have lost a total of 5 pounds. It’s sooooo slow…

This next week…

1. I’ll finish, revise, format, and upload Cyrus!
2. I will work on another author’s manuscript!
3. I’ll finish editing stories in the Secret Identities anthology. Then I’ll begin to compile the stories into the anthology!
4. I’ll finish my short story for SI!
5. I’ll continue swimming and counting those points on Weight Watchers!

Open Contests

On the Delilah’s Collections website!

1. GETTING TO KNOW D.S. DEHEL (CONTEST — TWO WINNERS!) — Last day to enter! 2 winners! Win a FREE book!
2. GETTING TO KNOW A.J. HARRIS (CONTEST)— This one ends soon! Win a FREE book!

Here, on this site!

1. Gabbi Grey: Puppies and kiddos (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Sliding Puzzle: Happy Independence Day! (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Reina Torres! My New Military Romance Series! (Contest–Two Winners!) — This one ends soon! Win a FREE book!
4. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: At the movies… — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
5. What do these images all have in common? (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Gabbi Grey: Pushing Boundaries (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
7. It’s getting hot in here! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
8. Saturday Puzzle Contest: I’ve been through the desert… — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Debby!
*~*~*

I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name…

I don’t know why that song is playing through my mind today. Okay, so maybe because it’s so dang hot in this house. I’ve stopped looking at the thermostat. Only, this heat isn’t desert-like. It’s swamp-like. I should’ve hunted for a swampy picture for the puzzle.

Since I’m still whining today, you know that our AC hasn’t been fixed. The repairman tells us it will likely be Monday. He’s not my favorite person right now.

I’m tired of the slumber party every night in the 20-year-old’s room. The girls are lovely—my favorite people and wonderful chaos, really. But I’m ready to be a hermit and retire at night to my own bedroom. I was up at 3-ish this morning and tried to go back to sleep, but everyone, including the 20-year-old’s cat, was snoring. So, I snuck downstairs to my office, turned on every fan, and pointed it toward my desk, and here I shall remain until the heat fogs my mind, and I have to throw in the towel. Probably just after noon.

Whine-whine-whine. Whine some more. Okay, I’m done.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me something uplifting today. A quote. A funny story. Your choice!

UPDATE: The winner is…flchen!
*~*~*

What a hellish week!

On Monday, the remnants of Hurricane Beryl barreled through Arkansas in the evening. We were under a Tornado Watch then a Tornado Warning. Everyone had their phones tuned to weather watchers, and even though we had some terrible thunderstorms, we dodged that bullet in my area.

Or so we thought.  By midmorning the next day, we knew we had some issues with our AC. It took until Monday night, when we could finally find one of those 24-hour guys who charges an arm and a leg for house calls to come out and assess our problem. It appears Hurricane Beryl’s lightning caused a power surge which fried our compressor—so not a quick or cheap fix. We had to wait a day after that to hear whether our AC unit is still under warranty. Thankfully, it is so it’s only going to cost a $1000 to repair it. The bad part of that is that the manufacturer has to ship the replacement part.

So, here we are, it’s Friday, during a horrible heat spell, and we have no AC! And it looks like a real possibility we won’t get the part in until Monday!!!!!!

How are we coping?

The 20-year-old has a converted garage bedroom with its own mini-split. So, the three girls and I are sleeping in there at night. My dd and SIL broke down and bought a window unit for their bedroom yesterday. My office is in the basement, and for the first couple of days with every fan I could run, it stayed acceptably warm. But the heat has been building down here. I set my alarm for early morning and work as long as I can—usually until early afternoon—before I have to head up to one of the oases of cool in the house. Which means, my work schedule is hosed! And did I mention we have 4 inside cats and 7 dogs we have to keep cool, too?!

The pool has been a godsend. Mid-morning, we hit the water, and the mid-80s water feels like an ice bath. In the evening, once the sun is off the pool, we swim again, and that helps lower our body temperature so we can feel comfortable for the evening in our rooms. There’s been no cooking going on! Tons of takeout—because turning on a stove in an already stuffy 85-degree kitchen is unbearable.

So, I’m whining. The girls have been troopers. They roll with everything. The nights spent in the 20-year-old’s bedroom are like a slumber party. My dd and I are the ones doing the most complaining. The constant heat is very wearing. Especially for me, being of a certain age. The house stinks with no circulating air. Wah-wah-wah.

So, I’m sure others out there have faced trials like this. I’d love some ideas for how to cope with the heat. Comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!