***TRIGGER WARNING***
This post contains sensitive material that some readers may find disturbing.

I’m a South Louisiana girl, and we here are no strangers to hurricanes. In fact, one of our most famous adult beverages has that titular name. What has happened the last few weeks with Francine, Helene, and now, Milton is heartbreaking. The photos and videos are nothing until you’ve experienced one of them. There’s so much that the news doesn’t show and cannot capture. So, please allow me to share some things that may not be known about surviving a tropical storm or hurricane.

Yes, it is true, that with hurricanes, residents in their path have advanced warning if they listen to news stations. But this is only partially true. Hurricanes are unpredictable and can turn on a dime. They also can strengthen and weaken rapidly. Listen, it may seem logical to relocate if a hurricane is predicted to make landfall, but relocating takes money. Many people can’t afford it or have nowhere to go. Let me relay a story that happened during Katrina. I’m using names out of respect and for legal reasons.

Anyone who tracked Katrina will remember how it was all over the place, and it turned at the last minute. People who did evacuate, only took three days’ worth of clothes and essentials because they thought that would be all they needed. And by the time some people were told to evacuate, the roads were damn near impossible to travel due to bumper-to-bumper traffic. Who wants to be trapped on a highway during a storm? Hotels were booked and had jacked up their prices. Many of the gas stations had as well. Price gauging is the term for it.

But this is the story about one family. A woman, wife, and mother of three, worked at a business that refused to close. They told her that her attendance at work was necessary due to the kind of work she did, and if she didn’t come to work, she would be terminated. This woman had many years invested in the job, and for someone with her education, it was one of the better jobs she could get. Although not the breadwinner of her family, her income was necessary for her family, and the job provided benefits. At the time, Katrina was classified as a Category 2, but its status kept jumping. The business argued that its structure could withstand Category 3 hurricane winds.

The woman needed her job and elected to stay. Her husband refused to leave her. Therefore, he stocked up the home with supplies and made all the other necessary preparations to ride out the storm. When Katrina was upgraded to a Cat 5, many people who had planned to ride out the storm decided to leave. But then it was downgraded, and people changed their minds again and decided to stay. It eventually made landfall as a Cat 3. However, the surge and not the wind that caused the most damage. And many insurance companies found loopholes not to pay—saying water and flood damage wasn’t covered. But when your home has been leveled and washed out to sea, it’s hard to determine if it was knocked off its foundation by water or blown off by wind.

In any case, this woman went to work the day Katrina hit. And her employer was correct. The structure where she worked withstood the wind and most of the water. There was some flooding. And there were generators to help backup when power was loss; however, none of it mattered. I’ll explain in a minute.

The woman’s home, on the other hand, had flooded. Her husband took their children to the high level of their home, the attic, but it wasn’t high enough. One of the children was carried out by flood water. Her body was never recovered. The father and two other children were discovered clinging to each other. They’d drowned.

The day after the storm, when the destruction left by Katrina was visible in daylight, the business where the woman worked decided to relocate. Why? Because most of the town had been destroyed and there were no resources—no power, no gas, no phone (landline or cell) service, no running water. Temperatures were still in the 90s. So, no air conditioning. Grocery stores and pharmacies were closed. Hospitals were closed except for the most critical who could not be moved. Flood debris and sludge were everywhere, bringing all types of sanitation problems. Animals who had died in flood waters were unburied. It was unsafe to drive or walk down streets due to down powerlines.

I listened to this woman tell her story and cry over her choice. At the time, she thought she was making the best choice for her family. Had the storm not been as destructive and she’d been terminated as threatened, she likely would have lost her home in foreclosure and/or not been able to feed her children. She took the risk.

The point of this story isn’t to blame the woman. I don’t victim-shame, and yes, I believe she was a victim. I write this because I’ve been hearing many people on social media saying that what has happened to persons in the path of these latest hurricanes is their own fault and that they should have known better. But again, some people had nowhere to go. Oh, but there are shelters, right?

Sometimes, there are shelters. Shelters become full, too. Additionally, not all shelters are safe. Criminals and predators evacuate, too. New Orleans was looted because law enforcement had to get to safety, too. I remember hearing the threats of martial law due to conditions being so bad. When all the good people are gone, who’s left?

One coastal location had a marker where Hurricane Camille’s waters stopped. Well, Katrina went well beyond and took what Camille spared. People never imagined a storm worse than Camille’s. But each storm is different. Over-sensationalism by the media doesn’t help either. And if you think that doesn’t happen, think again. About a month after Katrina, the forecasters were all over the screens about a major storm with straight-line winds with over 80 mph gusts. Hearing this, schools and businesses closed as a precaution. There was a run on grocery stores and gas stations for supplies. Katrina traumatized people, especially the children. The day the storm hit, there were occasional gusts of twenty to thirty mph. Yes, it was windy, but nothing near what had been predicted. And the more these types of over-sensationalized reports happened, the more desensitized people became. This mistrust of news reports isn’t all unfounded.

Again, this post isn’t to point fingers at any person, business, or organization. It is a plea to view the people who have been affected by these storms with grace. It isn’t always as simple as choosing to leave. This post doesn’t come close to discussing the complexities of decision-making in the face of a storm.

1. If you want to help hurricane victims, please do research, and vet any organization before making any type of donation. Some organizations disburse very little of what is collected to victims. Much may go to administration. There are also fraudulent organizations that have no intention of helping victims.
2. Before donating, learn what types of donations are accepted. Some organizations will only accept cash. Thus, clothing and food donations made to these places may get thrown away.
3. If you can’t afford to make a cash donation, there are other ways to help. Manpower is always appreciated to help clean up areas as well as people who have and can use chainsaws. Cleaning products and detergents are also welcome. Items such as dog food, diapers, baby formula, and feminine hygiene products are generally needed but often overlooked. The one product I needed the most after Katrina was baking soda. The smell… I can’t communicate how bad the smell was, and I had food to spoil because I left the area. It was nearly a week before roads were opened to allow people to return. I remember two whole chickens had swollen and exploded in my freezer. I needed baking soda to help rid of the smell. (Remember, there was no running water during this time so I couldn’t scrub it out properly.)
4. Medical supplies such as bandages, rubbing alcohol, and antibiotic ointment are helpful. People get injured during these things but maybe not severe enough to be seen at a hospital or clinic. Yet, they need care. Consider making a blood donation for those who are more seriously injured.
5. And speaking of manpower and medical supplies, specialty skills are in high demand. Professionals like doctors, nurses, teachers, therapists, electricians, carpenters, etc., your services are needed.
6. It may seem insignificant, but a little goes a long way. Donate books, games, and toys. When storms hit, families can be displaced for weeks. This may be especially difficult for small children as they may not understand the situation. All they know is they aren’t at home, the adults are upset, and they have nothing to do to entertain themselves. Seeing a small smile on their child’s face can bring a parent so much peace.

A special shout out to the Cajun Navy who has been out there doing their thing. Bless each of you.

Organizations that are helping:

• American Red Cross
• Salvation Army
• Americares

That’s all a wrap. Was this post helpful? Do you think you’ll ever visit? Have you visited there? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. If you like this post, please click the like button and share. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read.

Demon Rodeo

If Brokeback Mountain, 8 Seconds, Poltergeist, and Supernatural had an orgy, Demon Rodeo would be the lovechild.

Demon Rodeo is available now on Amazon. For video book trailers, visit my TikTok page. The full blurb is on my Instagram and Amazon.

Demon Rodeo is the first book in the Chasing the Buckle series but can be read as a standalone. It’s a friends-to-lovers romance set in the rodeo world. These are not your typical cowboys. It’s a widely diverse cast of characters and a mashup of genres that aren’t always seen together. If you’re looking for a palate cleanser, this may be a book for you.

Order
⇨ Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/4174852
⇨ All Stores: https://books2read.com/u/bP8RG7

Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.

If you’re not following my blog, Creole Bayou, what are you waiting for? There’s always room at the bayou.

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LOCKER ROOM LOVE

Locker Room Love Series

Are you searching for a sexy book boyfriend? You’ve come to the right place.

• Out of the Penalty Box (book #1) One minute in the box or a lifetime out.
• Defending the Net (book #2) Crossing the line could cost the game.
• Ice Gladiators (book #3) When the gloves come off, the games begin.
• Penalty Kill (book #4) Let the pucker begin.
• Future Goals (book #5) The future lies between a puck and a net.

About the Author

Hi, I’m Genevive, and I am a contemporary sports romance author. My home is in South Louisiana. If you like snark and giggles with a touch of steamy Cajun and Creole on the side, I may have your poison in my stash of books. Drop by the bayou and have a look around. The pirogues are always waiting for new visitors.

For the first time ever, this eBook is free!

UPDATE: The winner is…Christine!
*~*~*

Hello Delilah!  Thank you for welcoming me back to discuss my new book, Grindstone’s Edge. The book is part of the multi-author Road to Rocktoberfest 2024 series.  My band, Grindstone, attended last year, and readers got guitarist Ed’s story.  This year?  Lead singer Axel gets his happy ending.  I love writing these books and feeling like part of a community of writers.  I especially love cover reveal day.  It’s right up there with release day for each book.  I invite readers to head on over to catch the amazing covers!

So…dedications.  Last year I found out my favorite high school teacher had cancer.  I procrastinated about writing him, always feeling I didn’t have the right words.  So, I finally found the courage to do it, and the letter arrived the week after he died, and his widow had to deal with it.  I don’t know if it brought her comfort or if it was just another burden in a long list of things we have to do when a loved one passes.  She did reach out—very generously—and thanked me for the letter.  I asked her if I could dedicate Grindstone’s Edge to him.  She graciously agreed.  And so, I have.  The book isn’t about my high school teacher exactly, but about the influence people can have in our lives and the impact their coming back into our lives might have.

Dedications are tricky things.  For some authors, the things aren’t necessary.  They thank everyone in the acknowledgments at the end of the book.  For me, from my first story, I’ve treasured dedications as a way to show my gratitude.  Sometimes, I just thank someone for being in my life, and other times, I thank them for the help they provided on a particular book.  I’ve frequently found myself thanking beta readers, proofreaders, editors, and plot whisperers.  Often, it’s the same people over and over.  That might sound like it gets boring.  To me, it never does.  I want to thank my team.  My supporters.  The people without whom there would be no book.

And so, I keep writing.  Thanking.  Being grateful.

Thanks so much for inviting me here today, Delilah.  I’d love to give out a prize!

Everyone who leaves a comment has a chance to win an ecopy of my Rocktoberfest 2023 book, Axe to Grind.  Just let me know—if you wrote a book, who might you dedicate it to?  Random will pick the winner. Good luck!

Grindstone’s Edge

Axel

Last year, my band, Grindstone, hit the stage at Rocktoberfest, our big break at last. But in the middle of that triumph, my love life crashed into disaster. I’ve been in love with Hugo Threadgold for years, but he was once my high school music teacher, so I figured he was off-limits. Then, in Black Rock, I discovered he was aware of me too, and for a moment I thought I’d get it all. I came clean about my feelings, but my heart cracked when Hugo turned and walked away. I’m not giving up, though. I’m ready to lose my straight-guy image for him, if only I can make him believe in us.

Hugo

Ten years ago, Axel and his best friend, Ed, were my most promising students. I taught them everything I could about music, and watched them struggle to become the musicians they are today. But boys become men, and last October in Nevada, Axel told me he’d developed romantic feelings for me. I was rattled. I’d never let myself look at him that way. Now that he’s put the idea in my head, I can’t get him out of my mind. The man he’s become is someone strong and talented, determined and attractive. Someone I could fall for. But isn’t it my duty to keep things professional and walk away from the man who tempts me as no one else ever has?

Grindstone’s Edge is a book in the multi-author Road to Rocktoberfest 2024 series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why not read them all and see what antics our bands get into next? Hot rockstars and the men who love them, what more could you ask for. Kick back, load up your kindle and enjoy the men of Rocktoberfest!

Links:
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/Grindstones-Edge-Road-Rocktoberfest-2024-ebook/dp/B0D18BNKQK
Universal Book Link:  https://books2read.com/Grindstone

Link for Original song “A Different Life” by ZebF:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNjHvx1Ij4Q&t=7s

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

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

Mary Eliza Church was born September 23, 1863, to a family of the Memphis, Tennessee, Black elite. Her father, Robert Reed Church, one of the first African American millionaires, made his fortune in real estate. Her mother, Louisa Ayres, was entrepreneurial too, running a beauty salon. Former slaves, Mary’s parents never let society tell them what they could do. Neither did their daughter. Mary chose the four-year gentlemen’s course at Oberlin College and became one of the first African American women to earn a Bachelor of Arts in 1884 and then a Master’s degree in 1888 as did Anna Julia Cooper (whom I blogged about here on April 27, 2022) with whom she remained lifelong comrades in the struggle for women’s rights and racial justice.

After graduating from Oberlin, Mary taught at Wilberforce University for two years before moving to Washington, D.C., to teach Latin. There, she married Robert Terrell in 1891. They had five children. Becoming married forced her to leave her teaching job, but she heeded the advice of Frederick Douglass to remain active in the fight for African American equality.

She was instrumental in founding several civic clubs and national associations dedicated to uplifting the race: the Colored Women’s League (CWL) in 1892, the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) in 1896, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909, the College Alumnae Club (now the National Association of University Women) in 1910, and the Delta Sigma Theta sorority in 1913-1914.

As an educator, she championed education as the way up and out of the double-yoke oppression of being African American and a woman. Through the CWL in Washington D.C., she started a training program and a kindergarten before any were started in the public school system. She continued this work by founding daycares and kindergartens through the NACW. As a journalist, she wrote articles exposing the lies of lynching, just like Ida B Wells Barnett, with whom she worked. Both women had close friends who were lynched because their businesses were successful. As a suffragist, she challenged white women to recognize the vote was not the be-all and end-all for African American women. As a boots-on-the-ground activist, she fought segregation and racism through boycotts, sit-ins, picketing, and lawsuits. In 1950, aged 87, she sued a Washington D.C. restaurant for refusing her service due to her race. The Supreme Court ruled in her favor in 1953.

Whenever the doom and gloom of today’s naysayers stink up the air, I turn aside and inhale the rich odors of the history left behind by Mary Eliza Church Terrell. Until her dying day, July 24, 1954, at age 90, she lived the motto of the NACW, “Lifting as we climb.” Here’s a PBS’ Unladylike 2020 video about Mary: https://www.pbs.org/video/she-was-civil-rights-activist-and-co-founder-naacp-q3ypkj/

For a chance at a $10 Amazon gift card, share what you find inspiring about Mary or some woman you’ve learned about who inspires you to lift while you climb.

“Her Heavenly Phantom” by Michal Scott
Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology

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Forced into a marriage of convenience neither wants, a mild-mannered banker with an intriguing secret discovers his reluctant bride has a secret, too.

Excerpt from “Her Heavenly Phantom”…

“Thought your bride might accompany you tonight.”

Harold adjusted the folds of black silk attached to the brim of his hat. “Don’t be ridiculous. She knows nothing about my secret life on the stage.”

“How do you plan to keep her in the dark? Won’t she be concerned where you go at night?”

“My marriage of convenience is just that. She doesn’t want to know anything about me. I want to know as little about her.” He adjusted the fit of the face mask that covered all of his face above his nose. “What’s my itinerary?”

“You’ll have off until Easter then you head for a three-week engagement in Philadelphia then to upstate New York for another three weeks in Buffalo before returning for your farewell engagement here.” Michael shook his head. “Pity you had to marry. I will sorely miss our lucrative partnership.”

Harold scanned his dressing room table. “Speaking of missing.”

“You won’t find a letter tonight,” Michael said.

A pang throbbed in Harold’s chest. Where was the air in this damned room? “What do you mean?”

“Your lady of the balcony only just arrived at intermission. Maybe she’ll leave you one when you return.” Michael closed the calendar and stood. “I wonder why she lurks behind that Mardi Gras mask of hers.”

“The manager of The Phantom doesn’t understand that his client isn’t the only one who needs to hide his identity from the outside world?”

I’m excited that Tempting the Black Wolf, the final book in the Lone Wolf Legacy series is now available. You’ve met the white and gray wolves in the first two books of the series—Taming the White Wolf and Protecting the Gray Wolf. Now, it’s time to meet the black wolf.

Tempting the Black Wolf
Lone Wolf Legacy, Book 3

I am an immortal predator, driven to hunt and protect the wolf packs from danger—especially rogue wolves. This destiny is my blood, my bone. My will.

There are two other lone wolves—one grey, one white—but I am the strongest. The most powerful. And we all share an enemy, who set a trap for each of us: a woman with our coloring, who will draw us into danger, and make our wolves howl with need.

But I won’t give into lust or passion.

I already know the face of the woman who is my supposed bait: a stunning and powerful mage named Onyx. We’ve been circling each other, wary, fueled by deeply intense attraction and fierce distrust.

But the enemy of my enemy is my ally…for now. It’s a brief truce, laced with raw, primal hunger.

Because when this is over—if we survive—we’ll have to go head-to-head one last time.

And I never lose.

An excerpt from Tempted by the Black Wolf…

The alarms and security cameras in the castle were no deterrent. As a mage, it was minor magic for her to disrupt them, but she hadn’t had to make the effort. They’d been down when she arrived. He’d beaten her here. She prayed he didn’t have the exact location of the journal.

Going as fast as she dared, she whipped down the hallway, staying near the walls when possible, doing her best to avoid the glow from the dim security lights. No need to make herself a bigger target than necessary.

The black wolf might kill her on sight or he might not. There was no way to determine his course of action, and she didn’t want to risk it. A battle between them would not be a quiet affair and would attract attention, something she desperately wanted to avoid.

Slamming her back against the wall, she closed her eyes and lowered her head, pulling in every vestige of her magic until there was a void, a dead space around her.

“You may as well come out.” The deep masculine voice penetrated the very cells of her body, demanding that she obey.

Digging her nails into her palms, Onyx fought the compulsion. She wasn’t ready to meet him face-to-face. Already her blood was humming and she was beginning to sweat.

“You’re stealthier than most, I’ll give you that, but I’m better.” No conceit, simply a deep understanding of who and what he was.

You can do this. There really wasn’t any other choice. If she tried to run, he’d be on her in a heartbeat like the predator he was. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the room. The library with its floor to ceiling shelves filled with priceless and rare tomes took a backseat to the man standing in front of the stone fireplace.

At almost seven feet tall, Dagen Kern was an intimidating sight. His jet black eyes tracked her from head to toe, missing nothing. She fought the urge to shuffle her feet and instead met his assessing gaze with one of her own, conveying a sense of detachment that was a lie. His black hair fell to his shoulders in a silky curtain that tempted a woman to run her fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it appeared. A long-sleeved black shirt was snug against muscular arms and broad shoulders. Black pants and boots completed his ensemble. They were dressed almost identically. She’d added a cape for extra protection against the chilly winter air and had shoved her distinctive red and black hair under a knitted cap.

“So you’re the tool destined to bring me to my knees.” His cynical smile chilled her blood. He’d already judged her and found her wanting. It stung deeper than she’d anticipated, stabbing vulnerable and tender spots inside her. She swallowed back the sense of inadequacy, of never being good enough. This was not the time to fall back into old habits. She’d worked too damn hard for her independence. She was nobody’s victim but a strong mage in her own right.

Tilting her chin up, she gave a curt not. “You know I am.”

Want to read more? Find Tempting the Black Wolf here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDJCJJG7/
Entangled Publishing: https://www.entangledpublishing.com/books/tempting-the-black-wolf
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tempting-the-black-wolf-n-j-walters/1146192600
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/tempting-the-black-wolf
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/tempting-the-black-wolf/id6642709646

Taming the White Wolf and Protecting the Gray Wolf are also available:
Series Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTKCDR77/

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit her at:
Website: https://www.njwalters.com
Blog: https://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: https://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

So you might be wondering, why is “Bisexual Day of Visibility” (Sept. 23) is a big deal? The short answer is that invisibility is actually a problem for bisexuals like me and for bisexual characters in my books. If you really believe “love is love,” that means everyone deserves a happily-ever-after, but bisexuals (and pansexuals) are often overlooked, ignored, or forgotten. To fight that, we have to find positive ways to include and represent bi characters.

Bisexuality typically means a person could be attracted to any gender. But when we are seen with an opposite-sex partner, people assume we’re straight, and when we’re with a same-sex partner, people assume we’re gay or lesbian. In real life, unless you’re literally in the midst of a threesome, or wearing a T-shirt that says “No One Knows I’m Bisexual,” no one knows you’re bisexual.

Even after you’ve told people, they’ll often “forget.” I’ve been a bi activist for over 30 years, I’ve been published in Best Bisexual Erotica and Best Bi Short Stories, and I’ve won a Bisexual Book Award, and people I’ve known for decades will still forget I’m bi, because if people aren’t given constant reminders, the weight of binary assumptions (“everyone is gay or straight”) exerts a gravitational force on people’s perceptions.

Same goes for fictional bisexuals. My policy in my books is that every character is bisexual unless proven otherwise, but sometimes the subject just doesn’t come up. I sometimes try to make it obvious. For example, I once wrote a bisexual rock star hero who was obviously based on David Bowie, who mentions a male ex-lover at one point, and who drops various other hints, but I am certain that most readers never thought of him as anything but het. This was the hero of probably my best-known book, James in Slow Surrender. I thought James being bi was obvious, but apparently, I was too subtle.

Karina, James’s submissive, is also bi, she’s just inexperienced. Slow Surrender really delves into the development of the erotic relationship between the two of them. While I was writing the book, a scene just for the sake of splashing their bisexual identities on the page felt like a side trip. But if I were going to rewrite that book today, I would have probably included a scene to make their bi natures more visible. Maybe at a play party where they get together with another couple?

Sometimes even a foursome isn’t enough, though! There’s a scene in Magic University, my “grown up” magic school series, where our hero and his then-girlfriend end up in a foursome with two other students. A fanfic writer pointed out to me when that book came out, though, that Kyle and the other guy in the scene are not described touching each other or kissing. That was totally an unintentional omission on my part (it’s a short scene). I didn’t think Kyle’s bisexuality was in question, but apparently, some readers felt that him declaring in book two that he could meet the bisexuality prerequisite for majoring in sex magic wasn’t enough “proof.” (Um, no spoilers, but… books three and four do eventually provide plenty of proof!)

So, what can you do to try to prevent bi erasure and bi invisibility in your book? Here are a few suggestions for do’s and don’ts.

Do use the “b word” at some point early in the character’s arc. I probably should have argued for the word “bisexual” to actually be included in Slow Surrender somewhere—at the time, my editor had said they tried to avoid “label words” in their romances. (Then again, this editor also didn’t want me to ever use the word “crotch”…? Is there something wrong with that word that I don’t know?) If not “bisexual,” then at least use “bi.”

Second, when a character reminisces about old relationships, have at least one of those relationships be the “proof”—especially if that relationship is remembered fondly! You don’t want it to seem like they had a bad experience and this is why now they are looking for the opposite. You risk it seeming like they think bisexuality was a mistake that they are going to “fix” with their current love interest. That wouldn’t be “good” representation. This also might make it seem like they had a “bi phase” that is over now. Unfortunately, “it’s just a phase” is one of the popular myths about bisexuality we need to fight.

Third, when the love interest hears about a previous bi relationship, have it be no big deal. I know, I know, you’d think it would be more “memorable” if they flip out about it, but again, the goal is to have healthy and positive representations of bisexuality and bi characters. I do not think it’s a positive thing if their love interest has to “get over” them being bi.

Definitely DON’T decide to demonstrate that a character is bi by having them cheat. That’s another one of those dangerous stereotypes. Bisexuals do NOT actually cheat any more often than monosexuals, but the myth persists. Don’t fall into that cliché. Related to that cliché is the “anything that moves” stereotype bisexual/pansexual. (Think Captain Jack Harkness.) I’ve written plenty of this type of bi, but they’re not typical. Probably the one with the most depth is Ziggy, the lead singer in Daron’s Guitar Chronicles, who has a lot of inappropriate sex with all kinds of people. He is a rock star, after all. Ultimately what Ziggy comes to learn, though, is that sex and love are not the same… and that’s a key thing to keep in mind when writing bi characters in a romance.

One other don’t: just because your bi character ultimately settles down in a monogamous relationship doesn’t change them from bi to gay or straight. They’re still bi! They don’t get “converted” to being monosexual just because they are monogamous. Sexual identity is about who people are, not what people do.

Thanks for reading my tips for Bisexual Visibility Day! If you have recommendations of books that have positive representations of bi characters in them, I’d love to hear what they are!

About the Author

Cecilia Tan is an award-winning writer of passionate fiction, romance, and erotica. She has written over 30 novels, including the Magic University series, the collection Black Feathers, and many other books. She was inducted into the LGBT Writers and Editors Hall of Fame in 2010. RT Book Reviews awarded her Career Achievement in Erotic Romance in 2015 and her novel Slow Surrender (Hachette/Forever, 2013) won RT Reviewers Choice and the Maggie Award.

LINKS to books mentioned:

Slow Surrender

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/1960/9781455529278
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4dlg6h2

Magic University

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/1960/9781626011175
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3yB9HiM

Daron’s Guitar Chronicles

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/1960/9781963897012
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3yEiEYD

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

Hello Delilah!  Thank you for welcoming me here today to talk about my new project.  Another anthology!  I have to say I hesitated when this one came up.  I don’t write a lot of paranormal stories, and this anthology was a shifter reality show.

I was like…HUH? What the hell do I know about shifters and reality shows?

But then the idea came to me and I knew what I wanted to write.  A lesbian owl shifter dating show paranormal romance.  Yep, you read that correctly.

Pretty soon I had the contours of a story.  A producer of a lesbian dating show discovers her best friend is up to no good.  The friend has submitted the producer’s ex-girlfriend to be on the show and the ex has agreed.  The producer’s confused because her best friend was the one who broke them up in the first place. Now it appears she’s trying to get them back together.

The other problem?  Humans aren’t supposed to know about shifters and certainly shifters aren’t allowed to have relationships with humans.

Okay, so plenty of conflict.  And also, lots of fun.  I turned my dating show into a bachelorette with a group of women vying for her attention.  I set the story in my favorite city of Vancouver, and I had an absolute blast writing it.  I’m really hoping readers will connect with Gillian and Tabbitha.

Thank you for hosting me today and letting me share my new release.  It’s in an anthology with ten other great shifter reality show stories.  They run the entire gamut, so I hope romance fans will check them out. Shifting Love is available from Amazon and Kindle Unlimited for a limited time.  As a thank you for hosting me, I’m happy to give a $5 Amazon gift card to a luck commenter.  Just answer—what animal do you want to see as a shifter?  Let me know in the comments and random will pick a winner!

Shifting Love

Lights, Camera, Shift. Oh, you sexy beast. Sparks (and maybe fur) fly when you mix the drama and competition of reality television with sexy shifters. Whether they are racing toward love, baking their hearts out, or surviving being stuck with the competition, you’re going to want to tune in and watch what happens!

Find out more in this spicy PNR collection containing exciting stories from USA Today best-selling and award-winning romance authors curated by The New Romance Café.

Authors:
Serafina Jax
Lisabel Chretien
Aurelia Foxx
Robin O’Connor
Suki McMinn
Gabbi Grey
Sabrina Silvers
Jade Thorn
Minda Knight
Harper Michaels
Kataya Moon

The anthology will only be available for a limited time.

Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/tnrc2024shiftinglove
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Shifting-Love-Paranormal-Shifter-Collection-ebook/dp/B0CXY8H9K3
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218644534-shifting-love

About Gabbi’s Story inside Shifting Love—Finding Love in the Right Places by Gabbi Grey…

Tabitha

As the executive producer of a lesbian bachelorette reality-television show, I sometimes select contestants. My best friend submits my ex-girlfriend, Gillian, as a candidate to win the bachelorette’s hand. If I pick her, she might have the opportunity to find love. If I don’t, then I’ll never get to say a proper goodbye. As an owl shifter, I can never be with a human, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting Gillian with all my soul. She deserves to find true love and happiness, and it kills me the love can’t be mine.

Gillian

When I’m selected for Love in All the Right Places, I’m confused. My ex-girlfriend, Tabitha, is in charge of the production, and I can’t figure out why she would choose me. As nice as the bachelorette seems to be, it’s not her I really want. If I had my way, I’d pick Tabitha and we’d sail away into the sunset. But she has secrets that broke us apart before, and I’m terrified those secrets won’t allow us a second chance.

Love in All the Right Places is a 15k shifter paranormal lesbian story set on a reality show with a human, an owl shifter, and her lioness best friend.

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.