UPDATE: The winner is…Roxie A Jones!
*~*~*

I just began my third Montana Bounty Hunter series, this time set in West Yellowstone, Montana. When I started I had no idea how much fun they would be to write. But I’ve already filled up two offices in Bear Lodge and Dead Horse, so, I either needed to move out of state or find another Montana town I wanted to “visit.”

Thank you, by the way, to everyone who picked up their copy of Cyrus!

I have a process I go through before I start a book. First, I need a name. Then, I need a picture to go with that name. The name and the picture inform me about who the person I’m about to write is. The name, Cyrus Walsh, seemed a little old-fashioned like he could’ve been a gunslinger in the Wild, Wild West, and the photo I found with his narrow-eyed squint told me that was how he looked out at the world, with a hint of suspicion and need to figure out who he was facing. If you’ve read the story, you know how much Milly, the woman who captures him, loves that narrow-eyed glare.

Now, the problem is finding more hunters to people the office in West Yellowstone. Take a look at the previous two series cast of characters…

Bear Lodge, MT

Dead Horse, MT

Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, suggest some names for bounty hunters so I can begin my process of figuring out will fill my cast of characters in West Yellowstone!

Word Seach Puzzle

And I added a puzzle because we need one of those right about now, right? Enjoy!

UPDATE: The winner is…Debra Guyette!
*~*~*

If you’ve visited this blog lately, 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 very, very busy! We’re running a campaign now through the release of our latest collection, Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology on July 30th. It’s a fun way to get to know the authors who’ve written stories for the anthology—maybe you already know them, maybe you don’t! But did I mention there will be multiple opportunities to win prizes or pick up some freebies?

Now back to those images… They represent the current 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!

A reminder about what’s releasing tomorrow!!

Pre-order your copy now!

It was a productive week once we got past the AC issue on Monday. You really, really appreciate your conveniences when they aren’t there. It was a busy week. I tend to write best when I’m under a hard deadline, and I really felt the pressure to complete Cyrus, so the story flowed all the way up to the day before I had to upload it! I wish my muse was more disciplined, but that’s just not how it works. I have to let go and let it do its thing. When I surrender and take myself out of the process, that’s when the good stuff comes. And I know that’s more crazy author talk, but if the shoe fits… Anyway, here’s my report card for last week’s work and my plan for the upcoming week. Sharing these “report cards” does help because I feel like I have to accomplish things or I look lazy. LOL

Report Card

Last week…

1. The AC was fixed on Monday! By Tuesday, the temperature inside the house, including my basement office, was at last livable! Yay!
2. I completed writing/editing Cyrus. It was formatted and uploaded for its release on Tuesday!
3. I worked on the last edits of the stories inside the Secret Identities anthology.
4. I gave up on the short story I was trying to write for Secret Identities and started another, but it’s not working either even though I’m 3/4 of the way into it. I might have to reject my own story for the anthology because it’s just not good enough. There’s a first time for everything, and I have to be honest with myself. I think the theme just didn’t work for me, and after reading the great stories that are going to make up the new volume, I’m not going to embarrass myself. 🙂
5. I swam every day, sometimes twice a day!
6. I’m still complying with Weight Watchers, despite the week from hell when we ate fast food at least once a day. I’ve maintained a 5.5-pound loss.

This next week…

1. Cyrus releases this week! Early Tuesday morning to be exact! You know I’ll be promoting the heck out of the first West Yellowstone bounty hunter book!
2. I’ll finish editing stories in the Secret Identities anthology. Then I’ll compile the stories into the anthology and ready them for publication on the 30th!
3. I will begin editing another author’s manuscript!
4. I’ll begin work on my next novel, Built Like Mack, the next We Are Dead Horse story.
5. I’ll continue swimming and counting those points on Weight Watchers!

Open Contests

On the Delilah’s Collections website!

1. GETTING TO KNOW BRENT ARCHER (CONTEST) — Last day to enter! 2 winners! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. GETTING TO KNOW CINDY TANNER (CONTEST) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. GETTING TO KNOW AVA CUVAY (CONTEST) —  This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!

Here, on this site!

1. Gabbi Grey: Pushing Boundaries (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win a FREE book!
2. It’s getting hot in here! (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Saturday Puzzle Contest: I’ve been through the desert… — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Gabbi Grey: Avoiding the Middle Book Slump (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Word Search: Things to See in Yellowstone… (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Caviar and Frogs…whuuutt? (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
7. Gabbi Grey: Something a Little Different (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
8. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: A Grizzly Beginning (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Eileen McCall!
*~*~*

Yes, I’m pitching another book—meaning, I have a new one coming out on Tuesday that I hope you’re going to love. I certainly do.

Cyrus and Milly were so much fun to write. You’ll think it’s crazy writer fantasy stuff when I say that characters reveal themselves to me rather than I create them. I wait for inspiration to tell my fingers what to type. Often, I see the story appear like a movie reel in my head, and I’m simply the person typing as fast as I can to capture what I see and hear. I pay attention to the clues, as they appear, about what makes my characters unique. I don’t like writing the same book with the same hero and heroine, just changing the names. And I may be starting a new Montana Bounty Hunters series, but I’m hoping the stories inside the stories are just as unique for every book as the two main characters.

Cyrus wrote himself. In the beginning, we meet him, and he’s not much of a team player. He’s irritated that MBH is moving into West Yellowstone and contemplating moving on to the greener pastures. Working with MBH doesn’t really change him. It’s meeting the one woman in the world who was meant to be his other half that convinces him to stick around. You’ll see. Milly is… You’ll see.

The adventures they both have together and apart keep the story moving along and add a lot of the humor and excitement. This story is stuffed with stupid criminals doing criminal things. That will be familiar to you if you’ve read other MBH stories. The takedowns are always fun.

I knew the day when I sat down to write the “meet-cute” scene, that Cyrus and Milly were going to meet. *duh* However, I didn’t know how they’d cross paths until this guy appeared. And yes, I had to find the words very quickly to describe this facial expression.

That’s all I’m going to say. The scene didn’t end the way I thought it would. Let’s just say, Milly made quite the impression on Cyrus. 🙂

That’s all I’ve got for today, folks. I hope I piqued your interest enough you’ll go pre-order Cyrus. Here’s the link to make it even easier: PRE-ORDER CYRUS HERE. See that? Super easy.

Puzzle-Contest

Solve the puzzle then tell me about any memorable wild animal encounters you’ve had for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card. If you can’t think of one, make one up! Your story does not have to be long or even any good. Just have fun.

UPDATE: The winner is…Jennifer Beyer!
*~*~*

Hello Delilah!  Thank you for welcoming me here today!  I’m happy to share news about my latest anthology project.  Protect My Heart has brought together a dynamic group of authors writing romantic suspense stories!  The premise for these short stories is simple—heroes and heroines.  Who doesn’t love a good hero or heroine story?

Naturally, I had to put a twist on that.

Probably not surprising to anyone who knows me and has read my stories—especially the newer ones.

I summoned my Plot Whisperer (and dear friend) and offered her the parameters—some kind of bodyguard/cop/firefighter…something like that.  15k words.  I wanted to write a gay romance.  I write these because I’m pretty good at it and because I love inclusion.  Love is love.  Love Without Limits is my personal tagline.

Plot Whisperer…did her magic.  And I wound up writing a rom-com with a dash of suspense.  It’s not what readers might expect, but it’s certainly something I hope they enjoy!  After all, a bodyguard tasked with protecting a Ming vase on a film set isn’t an everyday story.  Throw in a designer who doesn’t have a brain-to-mouth filter and sexy times ensue.

Protect My Heart

Protect. Defend. Love?

What do firefighters, bodyguards, marines, and Texas Rangers have in common? They do whatever it takes to keep us safe.

But when Cupid has them in his sights, our protectors land neck deep in trouble. They willingly risk their lives, but dare they risk their hearts?

Protect My Heart is a steamy collection from USA Today best-selling and award-winning romance authors curated by The New Romance Café.

Authors:
Kalli Dean
Sharon Michalove
Rubi Jade
Chelle Pimblott
Bella Paige
Harper Michaels
Angela Breen
Bonnie Poirier
Heather Osborne
Lisabel Chretien
MacKade
Angelica Kate
Amy Stephens
Annee Jones
Serafina Jax
Ryleigh Sloan
Gabbi Grey
Toni Denise
Sophia Vincent
Elizabeth Salo
Michelle Moncrieff
Emma Marie Cormier

The anthology will only be available for a limited time.

No Rough Handling by Gabbi Grey

Hallstein

Here I am, a highly-skilled professional bodyguard who’s never lost a client, guarding…a vase. That’s right, home decor. It’s Ming Dynasty and worth a cool three-million, but this TV-show assignment has me bored out of my skull. The set decorator, however, has definitely caught my eye.

Myles

Adding a real Ming vase to my set was brilliant, bringing my legendary flair into play. Of course, the cost of the vase requires a stuffy, all-business, unfairly hot and attractive bodyguard. The urge to tempt Hallsy into some shenanigans is irresistible. Question is, can he resist me?

Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/TNRC2024ProtectMyHeart
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Protect-Heart-Protector-Anthology-Collection-ebook/dp/B0CJ8PG4M8
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199017137-protect-my-heart

Anyway, I love writing these shorts—something to keep my mind occupied between the longer books—of which I write plenty as well.  I really hope readers will nab this limited time anthology and smile as they read the huge variety of books.

Thanks for hosting me, Delilah.  I’d love to give away a $5 Amazon gift card to one lucky commenter.  What’s your favorite setting for a book?  Or, what setting would you love to see more of?  I’ll randomly select one commenter for a prize!

About the 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.

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!