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