So, it’s Wednesday. Tomorrow, I have to load a book I have to finish today. I have to have my art ready to cart to the festival that begins on Friday. I’m a bit overwhelmed this morning and on my second cup of coffee. Think I’ll make it?

Oh, and do you like the bookmarks? I have a huge stack of them ready, almost as huge a stack of postcards, plus art in plastic ready to be framed and some framed pieces. I’ll take pictures when we’re set up on Friday to share. So nervous!

UPDATE: The winner is…Roxie Jones!
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I would love to have a closet full of pretty shoes but, as a woman of a certain age, comfort rules my choices, so it’s sneakers, slip-ons, Uggs (OMG–they’re like wearing the softest glove on your feet!), cushioned sandals. So, I instead tend to splurge when I can on handbags. I love all the styles, but I do have a couple of favorites. When I’m traveling, I wear a crossbody bag of some sort because I want my hands free, and I tend not to lose the purse when it’s worn on my body like an accessory. When I’m close to home, I love the look and roominess of a satchel bag. I spend money on bags because I keep them for years and hate it when wear on a seam or a handle doom an otherwise usable bag, so I have Coach, Dooney & Burke, Michael Kors, and Kate Spade bags. A splurge (on a well-timed sales event) every couple of years means the top shelf of my closet has a nice, neat row of bags to choose from.

Well, for those who love purses, too, there’s a holiday just for us! Handbag Day! It’s a thing, I promise! I put together a puzzle for you to enjoy. The theme is Types of Handbags. Excercise that gray matter—it’s good for you!

Solve the puzzle then share with us what your favorite handbag styles are for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

Do you see my hair on fire? My dd is back from her vacay in Ireland, and now she’d stressing out about this coming weekend’s Festival of the Arts. I am, too, but I can’t even let myself think about it until I get my book finished, formatted, and uploaded on Wednesday.

However, if anyone will be in Central Arkansas on Friday or Saturday, drop by! We’ll be manning a tent, selling art, bookmarks, postcards, some jewelry, door signs, etc. I’ll post pictures! In the meantime, I’m keeping my head down and giving my fingers a workout.

Back into the fray!

So, keeping in mind that I have a book to complete THIS WEEK, and I have an art festival to get ready for this coming weekend, I asked the cards how my week would go and got this!

Oh, boy! Just looking at the card, I know it’s going to be rough. There are twin warriors with their swords raised riding on the back of a horse that looks ready to charge into battle against a very stormy sky. Whew. Yes, I have two obstacles to overcome, so it makes sense I’d draw Queen Leda’s twin sons, readying for battle. Funny how that works. I think the card means I have a fighting chance to get to where I need to be, if I remain focused on the battle to come.

Queen Leda’s twins are an interesting story. She was Queen Leda, Queen of Sparta. Zeus saw her and being the horny bastard that he was, he pursued her, but she refused his advances. Miffed, he turned her into a swan and then raped her. Yeah, Zeus did a lot of raping. And apparently had no qualms about raping a bird. She was already pregnant by her husband, but gave birth to two eggs. One with two human children by her husband, and one with two demi-gods by Zeus. The twins were born out of both eggs, so one son, Castor was his father’s son; the other, Polydeuces, was the immortal son of Zeus. The were called Dioscuri, the Warrior Twins.

The Mythic Tarot book says when I see this card, I should be “prepared for sudden changes which break apart the ordinary patterns of life.” The battle will be internal. So, that’s vague as hell, but falls in line pretty much with what I read in the card. It’s going to be rough ride this week.

Open Contests

1. Puzzle-Contest–Let’s Celebrate National Coffee Day! — Last day to enter! — Win an Amazon gift card!
2. September into October (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Word Search: Celebrate Taco Day! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Gabbi Grey: Rock Star Books — Axe to Grind (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Saturday Puzzle Contest — Cuddly Stuffie on a Rock — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Courtney Kinder!
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I had no clue, no theme for today’s puzzle. I’m bored with Fall already. I miss my pool, but pictures of green pools aren’t pleasing. So, I went to my favorite stock photo site and typed in the word “Cuddly.” I don’t know why. It was the first word to pop into my mind. The picture in the puzzle below was on the top line and tickled my funny bone. The expression and where it is… Enjoy!

Solve the puzzle then comment about anything, doesn’t matter what. Tell me you just plucked your eyebrows. Doesn’t matter! Comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

Hello Delilah!  Thank you for inviting me to visit today!  I’m publishing a book in the multi-author, shared-world series The Road to Rocktoberfest 2023 today called Axe to Grind, and I wanted to give you a quick sneak peek.

When I heard about this series last year (R2R 2022), I was intrigued.  My friend, Kaje Harper wrote the first book in the series, and I happily read it, sinking into a band that was headed to a rock festival in Black Rock, Nevada (where The Burning Man takes place).

Then a little birdie told me Rocktoberfest was coming back for a third season, I found the courage to contact the organizer, and they informed me I grabbed the last spot.  While I was exchanging those messages, the idea for my story came to me, nearly fully formed.

This is the point where I say again that writing a book takes a village.  Kaje stepped up to volunteer to beta read for me since she was also in the 2023 season and, of course, had written in that world before.  My friend Laurel, who’s husband’s best friend is in a rock band, volunteered to read my manuscript as well.  Finally, Wendy, another amazing friend, offered to look at it as well since she had music industry experience in her background as well.

Then…I just had to write the book.  I tapped a good friend, whom I call the plot whisperer.  I’d hoped she might give me a band name.  She did: Grindstone.  Then I gave her my idea. She said “Okay, but where’s the conflict?” A question writers often dread.  At that point, she teased more from me and, eventually, with her dogged determination, we had plotted my story.  A good story.  Writing it was a challenge, but I’m always up for a challenge.  I wrote an interracial rock star romance with some neat twists. Oh, and of course my band are Canadian.  Finally, Kaje helped me find the perfect Ed and Natasha Snow made me the perfect cover.

That’s it. Nine months from conception to delivery.  I hope you grab a copy of the book and read it.  Then I hope you nab all the other books in the series.

As a thank you, I’m happy to give out a $5 Amazon Gift Card to one commentator.  Let me know – what’s your favorite trope?  I have so many faves, I can’t list them all, but forced proximity, single parent, rivals-to-lovers, and friends-to-lovers are some of my faves.  Tell me which do you love to read?  Winner chosen at random.

Thanks Delilah, for having me visit.

Axe to Grind

Ed

For ten challenging years, I’ve been the lead guitarist for the band I formed with my best friend Axel. Grindstone is on the verge of making it big. Which is why I’m livid when our manager brings in some snooping, scandal-chasing documentary producer to film our trip to Rocktoberfest. We’re about to hit the biggest stage of our career, and I’m worried this rich jerk, who has destroyed other celebrities, might uncover the secret I’ve kept hidden for years. I want to just ignore him, but as attraction sizzles, I start letting down my guard. Giving in to these urges might mean distracting him from his mission and getting him on my side. That’s the point. Right?

Thornton

I want to bring Ed and Axel down for what they did to my sister. I’ve managed to insinuate myself into their inner circle as a documentarian, and I’m this close to pay dirt. Using seduction to uncover the last of Ed’s secrets might be tacky, but what red-blooded man would turn down what the bisexual rock god is offering? But as we find stolen moments to try to slake the need, I’m having second thoughts. If I don’t avenge the wrong done to my family, I won’t be able to live with myself. The promise of sex shouldn’t be enough to stop me. But as I sink deeper into a relationship with Ed, I must decide if my need for revenge is worth destroying any hope of a future together.

Axe to Grind is a book in the multi-author Road to Rocktoberfest 2023 series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why not read them all and see who hits the stage next? Hot rock stars 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/Axe-Grind-Road-Rocktoberfest-2023-ebook/dp/B0CCLRHSQJ
Universal Book Link:  https://books2read.com/axetogrind

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/
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

That picture’s not me. My desk doesn’t look that good!

I’m just popping in to journal, I guess. Yes, my blog is just sometimes my place to put my thoughts on a page. I think better with my fingers clacking on a keyboard. Put a pen in my hand, and my brain goes blank. I’ve told friends and family that I never have a clue what I’m going to write until my fingers start moving. I couldn’t tell you where the letters are on the keyboard, but somehow my fingers find them. I’ve had fortune tellers tell me I have three muses/angels who hover over my shoulders, so I think they’re pretty much responsible for what ends up on the page—and I know that makes me sound nuttier than squirrel turds.

Anyway, I’m facing my keyboard right now. I have new edits to begin (I finished a set last night! Whew!), and I have a book to finish, but I got a really late start today. I slept in. Something I don’t like doing because morning is my most productive time. I can’t look to the right because the L of my desk, which is the flat, working area of my desk, is completely covered with tchotchkes and toys, a plant that needs watering, a laptop I have open but haven’t used in days, and stacks of paperwork. If I looked right to see it, I’d have an anxiety attack. I’m not the “dig in and get it gone” girl; I’m the avoider. If I don’t see it, it’s not a problem. But I do know there are some bills under there. A calendar that needs updating. Story notes that I should read, although the story I’m writing is far different than what I thought it would be.

So, here’s to another day of letting the piles get higher while I keep my gaze focused on the white screen in front of me.

How’s your day going so far? Do you keep a neat or messy desk? Any ideas for how an “avoider” can stop avoiding?