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!

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.

Get your copy here!

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

UPDATE: The winner is…Deb Brown!
*~*~*

What indeed? If you’ve visited this blog during the past couple of weeks, you know that there’s something fun happening over at another website I run, Delilah’s Collections. It only gets active for a few months a year, but when it does, it’s like a firehose of activities!

We’re running a little campaign now through the release of our latest collection, Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, which will drop on July 30th. It’s a fun getting to know the authors activity, filled with interesting tidbits about them and multiple opportunities to win prizes or pick up some freebies.

Now back to those images… They represent the first four posts from the authors who are eager to meet you!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, let me know whether you’ve been over to the Collections website to “meet” our new authors!

UPDATE: The winner is…Diane Sallans!
*~*~*

Before we get into the contest… 

I just wanted to remind everyone, that we’re doing a “Getting to Know You” thing on the Collections website. We’re running contests and giveaways. You’ll meet authors who might be new to you! Be sure to follow this link to check it out. The posts will continue until the release of Secret Identities at the end of this month!

Now, onto today’s little ramble…

The 19-year-old turns twenty today! Our little college girl/pom squad member/school ambassador/future teacher. We’re so proud of her. So, her mom, I, and the 10-year-old are taking her to the city for a meal and a movie—Inside Out 2. We all love a good animated picture. 🙂

So, I’ll be away from my desk for most of the day. Today will be the one break I’ll give myself until I finish the book due out later this month! I hope everyone has a wonderful day, too. Be sure to catch up on the contests still open here and on the Collections website. Enjoy the puzzle!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you are a fan of animated movies. Do you have a favorite? Any recent favorites? The 10-year-old and I adore Moana and probably watch it once a month together just because. 🙂

Domenico Pallas is stationed at Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Base on the island of Oahu. On a usual night alone, he ventures into a bowling alley with a late-night cafe and bar. There he meets a beautiful woman, born and raised in the fiftieth state. It doesn’t take long for him to realize that she’s not just a beautiful woman, he finds himself drawn to her in a way he’s never been drawn to a woman before.

Kawehi Phillips isn’t on the lookout for handsome guy. She’s been trying to put her life back on track. When she meets Domenico, she’s surprised how easy it is to spend time with him and how quickly he’s bringing down her walls. A horrible relationship had turned her off being around any man as more than a friend, but the patience that Dom shows her and his earnest emotions make her want to open her heart to him.

His team leader joked that the men were destined to be Bachelors in Paradise, but with the way Pallas is falling for Kawehi, the rest of the men are taking bets about how long it’ll be until he puts a ring on her finger.

But she’s trying to rid herself of the last man she was involved with. Thanks to help from friends at the base, everything looks like it’s finally going her way… until he comes back with a vengeance. And it’s going to take help from Pallas’ team to save the day.

Get your copy here!
It’s FREE in KU!

What aspects of Hawaiian life, culture, local life, & traditions would you like to see discussed and explored in this series of amazing Marines & Airmen? Two winners will have their pick of an ebook from these books (A Hero for Ku’uipo, A Hero for Olena, A Hero for Samira, A Hero for Lilinoe, A Hero for Tehani, or A Hero for Mahina).

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary Preston!
*~*~*

Hello Delilah! Thank you for inviting me to join you and your readers today.  I’m super excited to share my new release with you, Husky Love.  This is the fourth book in the multi-author series, Friends of Gaynor Beach Animal Rescue set in the fictional town of Gaynor Beach, California.

I was part of the original series, The Single Dads of Gaynor Beach, with three books (because I love single dads?).  I loved writing Hugh, Anthony, and Xavier.  All three were interracial gay romances with varying degrees of angst.  I mean, a single dad’s usually got a story behind that.  Anyway, I loved writing those books, and I also loved being in a community of writers with true depth and range.  We all came from different backgrounds and even different parts of the world.  We all wanted to do something great. I think we did, and the 17-book series is now complete. Just over a year ago, someone asked about a rescue shelter in our fictional town.  Our group chat blew up and within a day, Friends of Gaynor Beach Animal Rescue was born.

I wanted to write the first book really badly and had an idea ready to go. Love Furever came out in March and readers have really loved the book.  Plus, putting a cute guy holding a bulldog puppy in his arms on the cover proved a good idea as well.  In the writing of that book, I had a scene where two secondary characters met, and I went…OMG—these two need a book!  I didn’t have any notion of how or when I would write the book…I just knew I had to.  Fast forward several months and a slot opened up in the series.  I leaped at the chance to bring Rob and Danny’s story to life.  Danny is the younger brother of James (cover guy) from Love Furever.  I had an image of Rob in my mind, but finding the right photo was tough.  In the end, I found the husky hugging the guy.  From there, all the pieces, including the double entendre, all came together.

I had a book.  I lovingly sent it to my beta reader, my editor, and my proofreader.  Finally, several weeks ago, I sent it to reviewers.  All through the process, I’ve worried whether readers would enjoy the book.  Also…this is an animal rescue book…what are the kids doing there?  Turns out I needed the kids to tell the single dad story as well as that gorgeous husky named Trouble.  And you really have to read the book to find out the evolution of Trouble’s name.  Well, my book’s out in the world.  I’ll sit back and desperately hope readers enjoy it as much as I loved writing it.  This wasn’t an easy story—Rob’s a survivor of domestic violence. This is a book about resiliency and finding another chance at love.  It’s a slow burn with moments of humor and moments of dark contemplation.  And, of course, a happy ending.  Oh, and Zeus. Must mention Zeus.

Thank you for hosting me today! I’d love to give out a $5 Amazon gift card to a random commenter.  So far, Friends of Gaynor Beach animal rescue have a couple of dogs, an amazingly talented cat who does tricks, and an iguana.  Is there an animal you would love to see rescued?  Let me know.  If inspiration hits, I might just write that book!

Husky Love

Danny

I may be young, but I’ve done a hell of a lot of growing up in the past year. I watched my big brother deal with the challenges of loving someone, went through some medical stuff myself, and changed my career plans and ultimately, my city. Gaynor Beach is smaller than where I was, but it has two attractions—my brother’s big new house, where he’s letting me live for now, and Rob Dunn. When I met Rob, just, damn. Like my brother, I wanted to help that sweet, stubborn guy and his cute kids get back on their feet. Maybe the rescue husky wasn’t the right gesture, despite Rob’s connection to her, but a dog is love on four paws, and I plan to be there to help all the way.

Rob

I fled my abusive husband with my two kids and the clothes on our backs. I’m grateful every day for the support the Gaynor Beach folks have given us…okay, I’m not sure I’m precisely grateful for the rambunctious young husky Danny Reynolds gave us, but Trouble makes my kids smile, and that’s a big win in my eyes. I’m determined to get back on my feet. I hate relying on other people to help us, but somehow it doesn’t bother me as much when it comes from Danny. It’s nice to have a real friend after all those isolated years, but do I want to keep him in the friend zone?

This slow-burn small-town gay romance novel is about fresh starts, accepting help, two sweet kids, and an adorable husky named Trouble.

Links:
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/Husky-Love-Friend-Gaynor-Animal-ebook/dp/B0CT5SGK5S
Universal Book Link:  https://books2read.com/Husky
KOBO:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/husky-love
Apple Books:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/husky-love/id6504550093
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/husky-love-gabbi-grey/1145838658
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1579491
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/206097250-husky-love

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
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabbiGrey
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/gabbigreyauthor/
Facebook (personal): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009821772591

This month will be a firehose of books coming at you! Yay!

The first two are re-releases of stories in a series of three, and I’m writing the fourth and final book, which comes your way in September. The books are hot—like smutty, erotic hot. If you’re into that, you don’t want to miss them. And who doesn’t like hot firefighters?!

Pre-order your copy!

Pre-order your copy!

Next up, is the first book in the new Montana Bounty Hunters: West Yellowstone series! Cyrus is sexy if a bit, reserved (grumpy). The woman who sets her cap for him will find coaxing him into better humor, and into her bed, quite a challenge.

Pre-order your copy!

Finally, Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology will close out the month! I hope you’ll follow along as we introduce you to the authors who’ve contributed their wonderful stories to this volume! We’re running contests on the Collections website that you won’t want to miss!

Preorder your copy!

Open Contests

1. Getting to know Cameron Allie! (CONTEST + 2 FREE Reads!) — 10 Winners! FREE reads for all!
2. We’re gearing up for the release of Secret Identities! — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Meet me on the bridge… — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway (Contest) — Win a signed book + some hand-painted goodies!
5. It’s my birthday, but I’m giving away the gift! — Everyone, get your FREE copy. This offer ends soon!
6. What’s Coming Soon & the Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Orange you glad you stopped by? — Win an Amazon gift card!
7. June into July (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!