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!

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. 🙂