Bestselling Author Delilah Devlin
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Cameron Allie: Somewhere to Belong (Giveaway & Contest–3 Winners!)
Friday, May 6th, 2022

UPDATE: The winners are…bn100 and Debra!
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I debated what to write about for today’s blog post. Nothing felt quite right, but that could be because my face still hurts from the dental work I just had done. When I realized Mother’s Day was coming up, I figured I should tell you about my single mom romance story.

Somewhere to Belong is a cute but steamy romance that ties off my Unexpected Changes series. No, you don’t have to read the other three books to read this one. Each story can be read as a standalone book.

It opens with a hot one-night stand. The characters walk away knowing they’ll never see each other again but are haunted by memories of that night, ones they’d like to repeat. Of course, they get thrust back together when Kevin is assigned as her new realtor.

Lillian, a widow, is raising two young children. Cole, age seven, is one of those super cool kids who gets bullied because he’s different. He loves reading and books and wishes he could be homeschooled. Mackenzie is a sassy, red-headed, kindergartener who isn’t big on rules. Together, they keep Lillian on her toes.

Kevin has sworn off love after one too many heartbreaks. He’s a big softy, a cinnamon roll, a hero, who falls further and further in love with Lillian’s small family.

Trouble comes during their house hunt. Lillian vetoes every house that comes up in her price range, and Kevin begins to suspect she isn’t being honest with him when it comes to what she really wants in a home. Trying to get her to trust him is a greater challenge than he expects.

A lot of the scenes involving Cole really stuck with me. He is such a sweet kid that gets bullied and picked on. I love how he grows and develops in the story and how he has such a profound effect on both Lillian and Kevin.

Somewhere to Belong is available in eBook and paperback. You can visit my website for a longer excerpt and to learn more.

Excerpt from Somewhere to Belong:

“God, girl, was there a Magic Mike convention at your work today?”

Confused she asked, “What?”

He chuckled. “What’s got you so hot and bothered?”

“You.” She grabbed the front of his shirt and backed him toward the bed. His calves hit the mattress and he dropped. Wasting no time, Lillian straddled him. “You took care of my kids all day and then fixed the sink. Seriously, doing work around the house is such a turn on.”

“Good to know.”

“Uh huh.” She tugged at his shirt. “Now shut up and strip.”

Giveaway and a Contest!

How about a free short story? Get Arrested Valentine now by subscribing to my newsletter.

Did you know I also write fantasy romance? For your chance to win an ebook copy of Love Spells, Full Moons, and Silver Bullets comment below and tell me a positive memory you have of your mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, or female role model in your life. I’ll be giving away three copies. Winners will be selected from the comments at random.

What do you do when your ex’s werewolf boss wants to feast on the mortal you’ve sworn to protect?

Quinn was unaware of the love potion her meddling cat dumped into her tea, so when Ian Hannigan ends up injured on her property, she thinks she’s dealing with another mortal, not the man who can help mend her heart. Her life becomes a balancing act as she attempts to keep him safe while hiding secrets better left buried with the dead.

In a realm filled with things that go bump in the night, Ian didn’t expect to find security and happiness in the arms of a green-skinned witch, yet for the first time since his parents’ tragic car crash, he’s found some measure of peace. The rumors he hears in Clayridge aren’t pleasant, but Ian knows there’s more to Quinn than what people would have him believe. If he’s placed his trust in the wrong hands, he’ll be paying with more than just his heart. He’ll pay with his life.

Gabbi Grey: Stanley’s Christmas Redemption (Contest)
Thursday, May 5th, 2022

UPDATE: The winner is…Jennifer Beyer!
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Hello Delilah!

Thank you so much for hosting me today.  I’m so excited to share the news of my new release.

Stanley’s Christmas Redemption has been quite a journey for me.  Last year, I joined a charity anthology.  I had mere days to write a novella, and mere hours to plan it out.  I dove into a world I’ve created and tried to find a character whose story I could tell.  My lumberjack-ginger-Scrooge-hero in Ginger Snapping All the Way had a jerk of an ex-boyfriend who left him while he was in the hospital dealing with a devastating injury.  My mind whirled.  What if that ass of an ex had a story?  What if he had what he thought was a good reason for leaving?  What would he have to do to redeem himself in the eyes of his former friends and, more importantly, in the eyes of his ex-boyfriend?

From that seed of an idea came a novella.  But readers wanted more.  They felt the length didn’t do the story justice.  They wanted more of Stanley. (By the way, always be careful of the name you choose for throwaway characters—I don’t know if I would’ve chosen Stanley if I’d know the man was going to get his own book—that being said, the name has grown on me.)  As I sat down to tell Stanley’s story, more came to me.  My sweet spot for writing novels in 72k to 85k words.  Stanley topped out at 85k, yet I don’t feel any of it was padding.  I needed that space to tell the story of a selfish man, a caring counselor, and an orphan boy desperately in need of a loving home.  Yes, the book is a love story—the happily ever after was guaranteed.  The real question was—could Stanley be redeemed?  I invite readers to check out the book and see for themselves.

In honor of my visit today, I would love to give out a $5 GC to one of your devoted followers. 

Tell me, as a reader, do you believe a villain in one book can be a hero/heroine in the next? Can you think of another story where that’s happened?  If that question doesn’t tickle your fancy, how about audiobooks?  Do you listen to them? Is there one that stands out in your mind as one you would recommend to other listeners?

Again, thank you for hosting me, Delilah.  I always love visiting you and sharing news with your followers.

Stanley’s Christmas Redemption

Stanley

I have life figured out—a good job, a nice car, and an ex-boyfriend whose heart I broke. But then my half-brother dies unexpectedly, and I go back to our hometown to settle his affairs. A quick trip before Christmas. Instead, I get the shock of my life. Do I face this new challenge or do what I’ve always done—run? Or will I stay and get to know the most amazing man I’ve ever met and take on a responsibility I’ve never dreamed of facing? This will be a holiday season like no other.

Justin

I’m a therapist who helps people deal with grief. My life is fulfilling. So what if I’ve been single for years? I have the kids I counsel and co-workers I adore. Maybe I’m tired of going home to an empty house and not looking forward to another Christmas alone. But I’m not going to be taken in by some slick city guy who can’t wait to leave town. I’m not going to upend my life just because I’ve met the man of my dreams. Right?

This is an 85k opposites-attract instalove mid-angst gay romance novel.  Previously published in the charity anthology Secret Santa: A Romance Collection, the story has quadrupled in size with more love, laughs, and a touch of Christmas magic.

Buy links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZD95NH7
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Stanleys-Christmas-Redemption-Audiobook/B09ZBM2GJ8

About the Author

Gabbi 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.

Personal links:
Website: https://gabbigrey.com/
Newsletter sign-up:  https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey
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
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbigrey/
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

10 Things That Make Me Smile (Contest)
Wednesday, May 4th, 2022

UPDATE: The winner is…Laura!
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I’m generally a very cheerful person. I believe in smiles. I remember reading about a study of depressed people who were told to stand in front of a mirror every day and smile at themselves. And weirdly (or maybe not!) their depression improved. I get that. I smile at myself, too. I tell the kids a smile can be a choice. I love finding reasons to smile.

So, here’s a little list of 10 things that make me smile, listed in no particular order. Finding the emojis to correspond with them was so much fun! See? I’m already smiling.

  • ☕ First morning coffee with my dd.
  • 🧜🏼‍♀️ Floating in my pool.
  • 🍅 Making a Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions.
  • 🤝 Holding the little one’s hand.
  • 👩‍🎨 Painting flowers.
  • 🏃‍♀️ Writing an action scene.
  • 🌅 Watching the sun set on the ocean.
  • 🌸 Fresh flowers in a vase.
  • 🍫 A small square of dark chocolate after dinner.
  • 📖 Reading a good book with a kitty on my lap.

You know what’s coming next! 😈

For a chance to win your choice of a download of any of my backlist of books, tell me five things that make you smile!

New Hot SEAL release: Under Pressure by Cat Johnson!
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022

Are you ready for a new Hot SEAL series? 2022 is the “Song Season” and we’re having fun using song titles as our theme. The first story to release is Cat Johnson’s Under Pressure! And now, you have the David Bowie earworm in your head, right? Be sure to get your copy of Cat’s story, then be watching for the rest. The list of stories/song titles is at the bottom!

Hot SEAL, Under Pressure by Cat Johnson

Navy SEAL Stefan Kowalski is stubborn, cocky, obnoxious and entirely too full of himself. He’s also as attractive as he is annoying and he knows it. Even worse, Shelly Laurens has to work with him, and smile for the camera while doing it, or risk losing her career.

Stefan thought he knew pressure until he was coerced into doing a reality show that pairs Navy SEALs with civilians in a no-holds-barred contest. The biggest challenge turns out to be keeping his hands off Shelly, the sexy civilian he’s been paired with. She’s almost enough to make him not care about losing… if he can have her in the end.
Amazon mybook.to/under-pressure

Get your copy here!
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Hot-SEAL-Under-Pressure-Johnson-ebook/dp/B09NB1G1NV
Apple Books https://apple.co/3y63iay
Barnes & Noble https://bit.ly/31fjU3j
Google Play https://bit.ly/2ZE4xk2
Kobo https://bit.ly/3pV0vPv
Bookbub https://bit.ly/31OzpiQ
Add to Goodreads https://bit.ly/3dAJy5D

Hot SEALs, The Song Season

Pre-order your copies here:
JUNE 21 Delilah Devlin Hot SEAL, Wild Thing
JULY 12 Becca Jameson Hot SEAL, Brown-Eyed Girl
AUGUST 23 Cynthia D’Alba Hot SEAL, Girl Crush
SEPTEMBER 20 Parker Kincade Hot SEAL, Night Moves
OCTOBER 25 Teresa Reasor Hot SEAL, Open Arms
Story Cubes: Tell me a story… (Contest)
Monday, May 2nd, 2022

UPDATE: The winner is…ButtonsMom2003!
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IMG_8426I bought this little brainstorming tool years ago at some writers’ conference. “Story Cubes” is a brainstorming game. You roll the dice and whatever pictures appear face-up are the ones you use to riff off a story.

Now, I’d like you to tell me a story based on what you see on the cubes. Do any of these symbols tell you anything? You can pick some of the images or use all of them.

Have fun with this! Don’t overthink! Here’s the roll… 

To make this fun, I’ll offer a prize—a $5 Amazon gift card—good for purchasing one or two stories…

April into May (Contest — and more contests!)
Sunday, May 1st, 2022

UPDATE: The winner is…Carol Cox!
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April

Dark Seduction

April was extremely busy for me, but I didn’t make as much forward progress as I wanted on…well…everything!

Here’s what I managed to accomplish…

Work-related:

  1. I revised and re-published the sequel to Dark Legacy, which is book #2 in the Dark Realm series, Dark Seduction. It’s a full-length novel, so it took some time!
  2. I completed 5 editing projects for other authors in April! Two of them were last-minute, thrown over the fence at me, but I got them done!
  3. I’m six chapters into my next book!

Health-related:

  1. I’m continuing with Weight Watchers and can proudly say that I’ve lost 28 pounds as of today! I’m not pushing to lose fast because I like how I feel (which is a good thing because I only lost 5 pounds this month!). I’ll continue my daily mantra: Slow is good!
  2. I didn’t do so well increasing my activity.

Happiness-related: 

  1. I’m continuing to work on the #100DayProject art challenge! It’s still HARD fitting in playtime, but here are a few samples of what I finished…

 

 
 

May

Here’s me putting this out in the world…

For work-related, I plan:

  1. To revise and compile the Danger Zone trilogy into a single bundle and publish it!
  2. To complete my next romantic suspense story.
  3. To begin work on my next Hot SEAL story!
  4. To complete 4 editing projects in May!

For health-related, I plan:

  1. To continue with Weight Watchers and hope to lose at least 5 pounds, remembering: Slow is good!
  2. To get the pool ready and begin swimming!
  3. To begin some low-impact aerobics, which will include a video workout, plus, add some outdoor activities, like pool maintenance and blowing the patio—counting the things I should already be doing to get ready for pool season. Maybe I’ll do more housework, too.

For happiness-related, I plan: 

  1. To continue working on getting my art room better organized, because I plan…
  2. To produce something art-related every day this month for the #100DayProject art challenge!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier. Tell me what you plan to read…

Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

Open Contests

  1. Saturday’s Puzzle Contest! Plus, More Open Contests!This contest ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
  2. My Affirmation for the Day! (Contest)This contest ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
  3. Michal Scott: The Hope and the Dream of the Slave – Anna Julia Haywood Cooper (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
  4. Gabbi Grey/Gabbi Black: My Heart is Breaking (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
  5. Saturday’s Puzzle Contest! — Win an Amazon gift card!
Saturday’s Puzzle Contest!
Saturday, April 30th, 2022

UPDATE: The winner is…Rebecca Merz!
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I’m heading into town to my favorite destination! We go early to avoid crowds. Once we’re past the desk, we head to the stalls, where there’s no one around and we can pull off our masks. (They have open doors and run fans all over the place!) Then it’s pure nirvana!

So, you probably guessed where we’re going. For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me about your weekend plans!