UPDATE: The winner is…Cindy!
*~*~*

I’ve had tons of fun writing stories within Elle James’s Brotherhood Protectors world. The last two books, Gunn’s Mission and Tyson’s Mission, were especially fun because the task was to write about a mission in a foreign country. In Gunn’s Mission, I sent poor Gunnar into the Arctic Circle on an ice floe. Tyson went to the Yucatan jungle to guard a woman working on an archeological dig. Both stories required quite a bit of research, which was challenging and added interesting complications to the characters’ journeys. I hope you read both, but if not, maybe you’ll win one of these or another of the BP books I’ve written. Keep reading…

Tyson’s Mission

A former Navy SEAL is tapped to provide security for a team of archeologists working to uncover a Mayan temple deep in a Mexican jungle that a local drug cartel is targeting.

After surviving a catastrophic helicopter accident, former Navy SEAL Tyson Quigley is taking well to his new life with the Brotherhood Protectors in the Yellowstone, Montana, office. Life’s looking up. He’s working with old teammates and loves volunteering in the national park.

Then he gets a call from his university professor brother, who is worried about a colleague working on an archeological dig in southern Mexico. The team has had problems with thefts of equipment and supplies and has received veiled threats from a drug cartel because their dig is in their territory. Now, one of the dig team members has been kidnapped and held for ransom, but they quickly figure out the finger they were sent in the package demanding payment is from an already dead person. Now, they have no idea whether their team member is alive or dead, and they think the labor they’ve hired to work on the site is on the cartel payroll, too.

After a quick conference with his Brotherhood Protector teammates, Ty heads down to Mexico to pose as his brother’s friend’s boyfriend to provide her protection for the remainder of the dig.

Cara Woodward doesn’t need a babysitter. Sure, things have gotten scary since her friend’s abduction, and she doesn’t like the fact the university wants to leave her recovery to the local police. However, Tyson’s everywhere she is, and it’s getting on her nerves. His looming presence is distracting, to say the least. He’s too handsome, too intense. Thankfully, after arriving on site, the lead archeologist on the dig quickly puts Ty in charge of overseeing site security which splits his attention.

As the dig team continues documenting their work before they pack up and leave, they suffer another theft and an attack—this time, too close to Cara for Ty’s comfort. He’s locking her down, with no daylight between them for the duration.

Read an Excerpt Here

All the Brotherhood Protectors stories I’ve written so far…

Click on the covers to learn more about them!

  

  

Contest

For a chance to win one of the stories shown above, tell me whether you’ve read any of these, and what settings you prefer!

UPDATE: The winner is…Krystal!
*~*~*

We have several trees around our house. It seems we “grow” more trees, large and mostly small, every year. Many of the ornaments are ones we’ve inherited or collected over the years. Some are handmade by the children. All hold memories.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, and then tell me about one ornament you have that you cherish!

Open Contests

1. Memory Puzzle: Dead Horse Bounty Hunters (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win a FREE book!
2. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Turkey Day is Coming! — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Anna Taylor Sweringen/Michal Scott: Alice Ruth Moore Dunbar Nelson — More Than a Famous Poet’s Wife (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Gabbi Grey: Audio Love (Contest) — Win a FREE audio book!
5. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Advent begins tomorrow! — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. November into December (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Charlene!
*~*~*

Yes, Thanksgiving is barely over, and I’m already looking toward Christmas! Thanksgiving was lovely here. The daughter outdid herself so far as the meal was concerned. We’re eating the last of the leftovers today. Tonight, we’re eating Haluski because we can’t face another day of “buzzard” leftovers. Don’t know what Haluski is? It’s so simple—egg noodles, fried cabbage, and kielbasa sausage all mixed together. We add some Frank’s sauce to spice it up. Yum! Simple, but filling. Then we’re watching a Christmas movie, probably Jack Black’s Dear Santa.

Every day, counting down from the 1st to the 24th of December, I’ll give away a small prize on my Friends page on Facebook. If you aren’t already a friend, you can head over here to join: Delilah’s Friend Page. You can also join Delilah’s Corner group and post your entries there. When you comment on my daily FB advent posts, you’ll be entered to receive a small, simple prize, whether it’s a signed book, a hand-painted (by me!) bookmark, or a pretty beaded pen.

Let me know if you plan to follow the daily giveaways for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card here! Enjoy the puzzle!

A quick note: I’m healing well from my surgery to remove my chemo port. My daughter has to change out my bandages, including packing the chest wound (it is as gross as it sounds) twice daily. Other than that little bit of discomfort (PAIN!), we’re going about business as usual. I see the oncologist again next Monday to see when chemo resumes.

UPDATE: The winners are…the first 8 commenters! 
*~*~*

Hello Delilah!  Thank you for hosting me again.  I’ve come today to share my love of audiobooks.

First my story.  I started listening to audiobooks around 2008. I had some CDs about Buddhism.  Then I moved to philosophy.  Then I discovered Diana Gabaldon.  That’s right – my audio journey into fiction really started with Outlander.  For the first few minutes, I wasn’t convinced.  I never really enjoyed first person (oh, the irony).  I wasn’t enjoying the content…but I held on.  And…MAGIC.  I was transported to 1740s Scotland just before the Jacobite rising.  I was like…I know nothing about anything, but wow, is this ever amazing.

I cobbled together the rest of the series available to that point on CD and listened avidly.

Then I found out I could buy audiobooks on iTunes.  Then I discovered Audible.  Then I discovered my library’s audiobook collection.

My world has never been the same.  I listen to audiobooks all the time.  ALL THE TIME.  Walking the dogs, doing chores, driving in the car, taking public transit… So much listening that I joined a blog and a review service so I could get free audios.  I’ve spent thousands of dollars and have more audiobooks than I’ll probably ever listen to.

Okay, so I’m an audiophile.  An audio addict.  A true fan.

When I started publishing, I really wanted to put my books on audio.  A naïve little me had NO IDEA what was involved.  I joined Facebook groups of my favorite narrators.  One day, Michael Ferraiuolo was doing a fireside chat, and in the chat, I asked him if he could do a Scottish accent.  He gave me a few lines in Scottish.  He didn’t realize that was his audition.  I hired him to narrate my first novella My Past, Your Future with a history professor from Scotland and a dead Civil War soldier ghost set in Vermont.

He was amazing.  So, I had him do another story of mine.

I then approached Michael Dean about narrating a couple of novellas set in Canada for me.  He agreed and I got those two completed.

Now, I worked massive hours of overtime to pay for those projects.

I was hooked.  I have worked a ton more overtime.  I have snapped up the money from sales of previously released books.  I might’ve even used a credit card or two.  All to put out 18 audiobooks.  I will tell you that, for me, earning out has been tough (making back what you spent).  I have a good job that enables me to make the audios.  Eventually, I’ll make back that money and pour it into more productions.  I have one book by the brilliant Robert Hatchett (Grant’s Gambit).

The rest of my audios are split between Michael Dean and Michael Ferraiuolo.  I call them my Michaels.  I have been blessed to work with two amazing narrators.  Every performance is amazing, but I will say that Love Furever narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo and Sleigh Bells and Second Chances narrated by Michael Dean are two of my favorites.

Especially Sleigh Bells.  One of my main characters stutters.  Michael Dean and I went back and forth about the best way to portray that.  In the end, I think we settled on something that works so well.  Reviewers and fans are loving the audio.

So that’s my journey – from fan to author to publisher of my audiobooks.  I am in love with the entire process and have more planned for the new year!

As a thank you for having me, I’d like to give away an audiobook to a commenter.  I have Audible US and UK codes for several of my new releases.  If you don’t listen to audiobooks, I can swap out a book from my backlist from any of my three pennames.  To win, just leave a comment.  Do you listen to audiobooks?  How do you choose which one to try?  And remember, all my older stories are available to libraries, so please consider asking your librarian to include them in their shelves.  Comment away!  A winner will be chosen by Random.  Good luck.

Love Furever

Colin

Being rejected by family hurt like hell, but I kept my head high, left my toxic relatives behind, and moved across the country to Gaynor Beach, CA. Luckily, I have great furry company. My French bulldog puppy, Widget, was dumped on me for not meeting my parents’ ridiculously high standards either, so we’re comforting each other. With a nice rental house and a new job, Widget and I were ready for a fresh start—until I got a devastating diagnosis. I can’t take care of Widget properly while trying to save my own life, and I expect a long, hard road. I’ll have to break both our hearts and put her up for adoption, for her sake. Right?

James

I’ve wanted a pet forever, but my family circumstances didn’t allow it. Now I’m away from my masses of relatives and on my own, and I’m ready to take on a furry companion. My friend, a guy who never says no to an animal in need, introduces me to Colin and his beautiful puppy Widget. I’m horrified Colin feels he needs to give her up just because he’s sick, but I’m happy to take Widget as a temporary foster. I’m also happy to offer support to the new guy in town who is so very alone during a time of crisis. Helping someone in need comes naturally to me. But what if that temporary help turns into me wanting a forever relationship?

This is a gay romance slow-burn novel about new beginnings, found family, unconditional love, and a puppy named Widget. This middle-angst story has a guaranteed happily ever after.
Links:
Audible US: https://www.audible.com/pd/Love-Furever-Audiobook/B0DNGCLLR2
Audible UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0DNGD7CHC
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C3RLR7RW

Sleigh Bells and Second Chances

Ryan

The moment I landed in that war zone, I knew I’d made a big mistake. I wasn’t a soldier, and my good intentions almost got me killed. Being wounded and shipped back home to Canada was both a blessing and a curse. I’m safe now, but I can’t stop thinking of the men I left behind. My therapist claims Healing Horses Ranch will help heal my wounds—physical and mental—but I’m not sure how much tranquility and wholesome fresh air I can take. But then I meet a beautiful, shy man who makes moving forward seem almost possible. Can I let go of the past and reach for a future with Simeon?

Simeon

I’ve made peace with being different from the folks around me. I love my home in Mission City, and if anyone needs something fixed, I’m the guy they call. When the owner of the therapy ranch hires me for a big project, I’m excited to get started. I always work alone, but one of the patients keeps hanging around, and I can’t bear to send him on his way. I can see how much he’s hurting. If helping me helps him, that’s a win for us both. As we share the work, something about that wounded man draws me deeper and deeper in. I’m no therapist, and I have my own issues, so am I a fool to be thinking about a future with a guy who’s likely to leave once he’s healed?

Sleigh Bells and Second Chances is a slow-burn, age-gap, hurt/comfort, mid-angst, gay romance novel with a shy handyman, a reckless former gamer, a precocious borrowed kid, and a therapy dog named Tiffany.

Links:
Audible US: https://www.audible.com/pd/Sleigh-Bells-and-Second-Chances-Audiobook/B0DJH8SSLH
Audible UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sleigh-Bells-and-Second-Chances-Audiobook/B0DJH88PNP

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/
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

UPDATE The winner is…Kerry Jo!
*~*~*

Alice was born in 1875 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her mother was a former slave, and her father was White. She wrote, taught and/or lectured everywhere she lived: Louisiana, New York, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., Delaware, and Pennsylvania. She received her education from Straight University in Louisiana and Cornell University in New York. After graduating from Straight in 1892, she began teaching in the New Orleans public schools.

Her teaching career included working at the White Rose Mission in Manhattan and co-founding a reform school for girls in Delaware. Her later activism led to her being removed from her teaching position at Wilmington Delaware’s Howard High school in 1920.

In 1895 her first anthology, Violets and Other Tales was published by The Boston Monthly Review. A poem she wrote in the Review brought her to Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s attention. Several resources cite their romance as being the African American equivalent of Robert Browning’s and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s courtship. However, disagreements on how to handle race in their writing and her same gender loving relationships with women shows me their relationship wasn’t always idyllic. Dunbar became increasingly physically and emotionally abusive. She separated from him in 1902 and was still married to him when he died in 1906. During their marriage she published her next piece, The Goodness of St. Rocque and Other Stories in 1899.

 Besides poetry she wrote articles on race relations, the limitations placed on working women, civil rights and suffrage in magazines, church related publications, academic journals and newspapers. These were topics on which she lectured as well. In 1914, she published Masterpieces of Negro Eloquence, which contained speeches made by men and women of African descent born in the US, Europe and Africa. From 1926 to 1930 she wrote a column for the Washington Eagle. She also kept a diary addressing the issues of her day. She wrote prolifically despite encountering lots of rejection because she addressed oppression and racism in her writing.

She married two more times. The second to a fellow teacher which ended in a friendly divorce. The last to Robert J. Nelson in 1916, a poet and activist to whom she remained married until her death and with whom she was active in politics, campaigning for anti-lynching laws. Like many African Americans of her day, she was a republican but not a chauvinistic one. When the republican senator from Delaware refused to vote for an anti-lunching bill, Alice campaigned and got twelve thousand new voters registered, leading to the senator’s losing reelection.

Alice died in Philadelphia in 1935 due to a heart condition at the age of 60. Having learned all this about her, I will think of her as a poet, critic, journalist, and activist who also happened to marry a famous poet. I hope that’s how you’ll think of her too.

A Portrait of Alice Dunbar

For a chance at a $10 Amazon gift card, share your impressions of Alice in the comments.

“Take Me To The Water” by Michal Scott

Report Card

Last week…

1. I finished one author’s edits and will complete another’s today! So, a productive week, even if I didn’t write one word for myself.
2. I attended the annual potluck at my art guild. It was lovely seeing friends! I was good until just after I finished eating, then I felt as though a curtain fell and I was instantly exhausted. You can see the moment in the picture. Unfortunately, I couldn’t leave immediately because my dd, SIL, and the girls were busy hanging donated wreaths around the center after the meal. When I got home, I crawled straight into bed and slept like a rock. The food was good BTW. 🙂
3. I had a Doppler scan of my port area. The doctor wanted to rule out blood clots as the cause for the swelling. No clots! But also no explanation for why my port area is still swelling and sore. I also had a blood draw to make sure I’m good to go for infusions on Monday!
4. I watched the romcom Hot Frosty this week on Netflix. So I got in one Christmas movie! It was really cute! I’d recommend.

This next week…

1. Chemo is tomorrow! I’ll be there bright and early in the morning and sitting in the chair until around 3 PM. It’s a long day, but they start it off with a bag of Benedryl, so I get a long nap, too. Silver linings, folks!
2. I have no plans to do ANY WORK AT ALL this week.  I’ll likely be miserable and sleeping most of the week anyway, but without the stress of working. My holiday gift to me.
3. Despite the fact I’ll be in my worst phase of recovery from chemo on Thanksgiving Day, I’m still looking forward to spending it with my family. Maybe I’ll sleep in the recliner in the living room rather than in my bed so I can hear the chatter and be closer to the kitchen and dining room. Fewer steps to walk! I do love the holiday meal!!!
4. I do plan to putter around my office a little bit during the week to clear out some clutter. Mostly to get in some movement, if not real exercise. Clutter tends to accumulate without my even noticing, but I’m noticing now because my In Box is so tall it’s teetering, and there’s dust on my bookshelves. So, there’s a goal.

Open Contests

Be sure to check out these posts and enter to win the prizes that are still up for grabs:

1. A Poll! Advent Countdown Giveaways (Contest) — This one ends tomorrow night! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. It’s Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day! (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win a FREE book!
3. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Your Christmas Movie List! — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Flashback: Brian (Contest–3 Winners!) — Win a FREE book! THREE winners!
5. Gabbi Grey/Gabbi Powell: Why mental health is so damn important (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Memory Puzzle: Dead Horse Bounty Hunters (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
7. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Turkey Day is Coming! — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Linda Rhoden!
*~*~*

It’s the Saturday before Thanksgiving! This year, the schools gave the kids the entire week off! So, we’re covered in kids (well, the three), and we couldn’t be happier to have them at home. My daughter has all the things purchased for the meal other than the fresh produce she’ll pick up this week. We all love her Thanksgiving feast.

The turkey is always the centerpiece, even though turkey isn’t our favorite meat. Is that you, too? We tend to look for a smaller turkey, around twelve pounds, because we really, really don’t like endless leftovers. We also have a small ham, and that’s a preference for me and the 15-year-old. We freeze whatever’s left over for soups or other meal ideas later. Not the turkey though. It’s a once-a-year thing for us because we’re just not that into turkey except for Thanksgiving Day.

How will we fill the days until then? Good meals, for one. Last night, the 20-year-old took over the kitchen and made handmade corn tortillas, which we stuffed with shredded, smoked pork (my SIL manned the smoker!), cilantro and onions, and her special, homemade hot sauce (so much better than store-bought). Sooooo delicious. We’ll have some leftovers today, and then who knows?

My dd is going to man a table for the art center for the downtown Holiday Open House on Sunday. There’s Black Friday sales she and the girls are going to do on Friday. I’m sure we’ll watch a holiday movie or two. The 11-year-old is dying to see Moana-2 in the theaters, so that might happen, too. I’ve been dying to see Wicked, but I don’t want to face the crowds just yet. Masking up is a pain—and how would I enjoy my popcorn? I might wait until it streams, which is a shame because it looks like a delicious spectacle.

Anyway, those are our plans. Maybe I can talk the fam into hitting the flea market this week. That’s low-key and few people—and one of my favorite things to do.

Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you love the bigger turkey and all those leftovers. What do you do with them? And do you have big plans for the week?