The Redemption of Remy St. Claire was the third book I ever typed ‘the end’ on. Really, though, it should’ve been the first.  I had a story in my mind – two single people, responsible for toddlers, finding their way to each other.  I was so new to writing that I didn’t even know what a trope was.  Truthfully, single-parent was big a decade ago and remains so today.  With more than half of all marriages ending, it’s inevitable people wind up parenting solo.

I realized early on that this story would have a bit of angst – another thing I inherently understood but had never put a name to.  Most of my books have some degree of angst.  I’ve also learned a lot about warning people what might be in my books.  I won’t get into the debate about trigger warnings.  As an author, I’ve been called out for not warning people against things I didn’t even realize could be hurtful.  Sometimes those mentions in the synopsis give away the critical plot points – but I don’t want someone to read the book who might be hurt by it.

Now, because of this book – and several others – I’ve learned to be careful what I name secondary characters.  To me, Rusty’s wife was a throw-away character.  A drug addict who’d endangered her baby. Someone who needed to be kept as far away from their daughter as possible.  I even gave her what I considered to be a throw-away name.

I was so so so wrong.  I was barely a chapter into Remy and Rusty’s book when Rusty’s soon-to-be ex-wife stood up and said hey, over here!  Notice me!  You need to tell my story! I’m not a throw-away. I have reasons why I am the way I am and I want you to tell my story. Right now, goddamnit!

I’ll admit I was at a low point in my life and, frankly, had never had a character talk to me like that.  I pivoted.  I tucked away Rusty and Remy and endeavored to write Sissy’s story.  You want angst?  I went there – prostitution, on the page drug use – I sank her as deep as I was.  And then sank her lower.   Even as I wrote her story, though, I knew she’d survive.  That she’d find love. That she’d be redeemed.  I don’t know if that book will ever be published.

Moving on, a story in the headlines caught my attention and I wrote the book that wound up as book 2 in the series.  Finally, I was ready to move on to Remy and Rusty’s story.  Sissy plays an integral part in the story, and I feel like her character is better fleshed out for having written her book.  I rarely do that anymore – write out of sequence.  But I’m glad I did, and I hope readers enjoy Remy and Rusty’s book.

I would love to give away a $5 Amazon Gift Card.  How much angst do you enjoy in your stories?  Is there such a thing as too much?  A random commenter will win the prize.  And thank you, Delilah, for hosting me!

The Redemption of Remy St. Claire

What’s better than love in the beautiful Cedar Valley in British Columbia, Canada? Find small town romances with a touch of angst, a bit of heat, and a lot of heart…

Each novel is a standalone, but they are best read in order:

The Luminosity of Loriana Harper (A small town interracial romance)

The Making of Marnie Jones (A small town enemies-to-lovers romance)

The Redemption of Remy St. Claire (A small town single-father fake-marriage romance)

Love without limits…

Remy St. Claire is engulfed in grief, overwhelmed with caring for her three-year-old sister Calleigh after the death of their parents.  As an assistant crown prosecutor, she works to put monsters in jail. She can go toe-to-toe with the most hardened of criminals, but a distraught toddler might be her downfall.

Rusty Stevens has his hands full raising his three-year-old daughter Miracle on his own.  Applying for the job to be Calleigh’s nanny solves two problems at once—more time with his child while still earning money, and a playmate for Miracle. He worries his new boss works too hard, but he’s proud to be able to provide a stable home for all of them.

Then Rusty’s wife appears, and secrets from both Rusty’s and Remy’s pasts threaten the fragile relationship that has developed between them. When all the secrets are laid bare, will their trust survive, or will the truth drive them apart forever?

The Redemption of Remy St. Claire is a second-chance, single-parent, marriage-of-convenience romance with a touch of angst and two adorable three-year-old girls. There is mention of a previous sexual assault. The book is the third in the Love in Cedar Valley series set in a small town in British Columbia, Canada.

Links:
UBL:  https://books2read.com/RemyStClaire
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVL2HMZH
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-redemption-of-remy-st-claire-a-small-town-single-father-fake-marriage-romance-love-in-cedar-valley-book-3-by-gabbi-powell
Add it to GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122782130-the-redemption-of-remy-st-claire

About the Author

Gabbi Powell has been a lover of romance since she first put pen to paper in the eighth grade to write her first romance.  She writes her novels while living in Beautiful British Columbia with her trusty ChinPoo dog a as companion.  She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey and contemporary dark erotic BDSM novels as Gabbi Black.

Personal links:
Website:   https://gabbipowell.com/
Newsletter sign-up: https://sendfox.com/gabbipowell
Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/3142441314
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbipowell/
Facebook (personal): https://www.facebook.com/gabbi.powell.9/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/powell_gabbi
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gabbi-Powell/e/B08T8NTQNY
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21065056.Gabbi_Powell

UPDATE: The winner is…Liz Underdown!
*~*~*

Why don’t you turn your old ermine coat into a bathrobe?
~ Diana Vreeland

I collect quotes. Especially motivational ones. I read them like a mantra in the morning to put a fire under my butt to get some work done. This quote confuses me. I read it, and I think it says one thing. Then another day it says something else to me. For example…

An old ermine coat denotes a luxury you wear once in a great while… A bathrobe is something I can lounge in every day. So, to me, it says, Don’t save your luxuries for a special occasion. Treat every day like it’s special.

Or, thrifty me, hoarding me, hates to throw away anything dated if I can figure out another use for it. For instance, if I have a blouse that has some gorgeous lace along a cuff but I’ve ripped or stained the blouse, I cut off the lace to reuse it somewhere else. An old ermine coat as a bathrobe seems like a good (okay, maybe ridiculous) reuse.

For a chance to win a FREE book, a download of your choice from my backlist, tell me what this quote means to you! Yes, you have to think!

UPDATE: The winner is…Joy Boutwell!
*~*~*

It’s finally Spring here in Central Arkansas. And with Spring, we have new animals here on “the farm.” With the egg prices soaring, we decided to take the plunge. Keep in mind, we already have quite a menagerie of animals: 9 dogs, 4 cats, 1 betta fish (my Loki!), 3 goats, and 1 35-year-old horse. *Eeks. I forgot about our rabbit, Oreo!* Now, we have a ton of chickens.

Our first batch of 14 chickens are teenagers now. This week, we got 7 new baby chicks, and my dd had some fun with photos. They represent a bunch of different breeds because we love the variety of colored eggs they’ll produce. These eggs aren’t real, of course.

They are adorable, right? But my dd and SIL had to do quite a bit of work to get chicken house ready for them. We had an old unused tin shed they cleaned out and built a box for the babies with a light above it to keep them at the proper temperature until they grow their feathers. We have nesting boxes ready. In the meantime, my dd, the 14-year-old, and the 9-year-old are the “bird masters,” and they constantly clean up after them and check them several times a day—and play with them. (Here are Jesus & Alana! Jesus is my granddaughter’s boyfriend’s name.)

They assure me they have distinct personalities. And they have names. (I don’t know all the names.) Below is one of the teenagers from the first batch. This one’s named Barbara.

And another. They’re not pretty at this age, but they will be!

In a week or so, they’ll be adding guinea hens–not for eggs, but because they’re great “guard dogs”—they SCREAM when they’re upset, so hopefully, they’ll alert us if critters get into the pen.

I have one more picture to share—the cutest she took—but you have to solve the puzzle to see it!

So, solve the puzzle and tell me whether you’ve ever raised chickens or any other kind of farm animal. And let me know what you think of her photos for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

I have a new release!!!
Read a snippet below!

~RC

Protecting His Second Chance

Plagued with guilt after her brother’s death, a grieving woman has a chance at a second chance.

Living in a haze of mistrust and tragedy, Chosen Shaw has closed herself off from everyone. Once known for her ability to see things that can help others, she’s now the woman who killed her brother.

Bend Ryder is the new sheriff in town and has a mess to clean up after the last one met an untimely death. He’s eating, sleeping and breathing a cold case involving a mysterious kidnapping, and is willing to do anything to solve the case—even if that includes looking outside of the box. Truthfully, he doesn’t believe Chosen has a “gift” but enlisting her help might be his only hope.

But, she’s left that world behind. Can he convince her to help?

Soon, they find themselves embroiled in another kidnapping.

The two find a solid connection, despite the pressures all around them. As trust and romance grow, the demons of the past start to build walls. They have a tight hold on her emotionally and physically. If she has any chance for a future with the man she loves, she must absolve herself from the guilt and let love heal her heart…and help solve a crime that has been a dark cloud over Second Chance.

Protecting His Second Chance is a story of grief, guilt, angst, redemption, and a happily ever after. Love is the ultimate healer.

Buy links:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BV3GTRG4
Amazon Ca: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BV3GTRG4
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BV3GTRG4
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BV3GTRG4

Chapter One

“It’s okay. This happens to all men.” The seductive blonde brushed her fingers down his bare abs.

Bend Ryder drew his hand away from his forehead and looked down at the woman curled up beside him in his bed. She peered up at him through a veil of thick eyelashes and her plump lips slowly eased into a teasing grin. Farrah was new in town, visiting after her uncle, Sheriff Jackson Mellough, met an untimely death on Snowbleed Mountain.

Two days after his private funeral, the town of Second Chance elected Bend to office—or rather dumped the duties into his lap and expected him to clean up the mess. Since then, he’d been busy undoing everything Mellough had done over his long career.

Farrah slid her fingers along the waistband of his boxers. “It’s the stress.” Her slight movement caused the sheet to slip away from her hip. A diamond glistened at her belly button and a quarter sized heart tattoo sat an inch above her pelvic bone. Sweat beaded Bend’s brow and he cursed under his breath.

“Maybe I can help solve the problem,” she purred.

She shifted to her knees, but Bend caught her shoulders in a gentle grip. Her chin snapped up and she nailed him with her brooding brown gaze. The tip of her tongue slid over her bottom lip as if to remind him what he was missing.

A woman as beautiful and desirable as Farrah had never faced this problem, he surmised, even if she tried to pacify his ego by saying this sort of thing happened all the time. A streak of disappointment sliced through him. Truthfully, he’d never had this particular issue before tonight.

Maybe it was the stress.

“I don’t think this is going to work.” He kicked the sheet away from his feet and slid to the edge of the bed. “Sorry.” He stood, glancing down at her. She now had the sheet tight against her breasts as if she were saving the view for someone worthy.

Damn. He was broken.

Grabbing his jeans off the floor, he stepped into them. He realized her gaze was still on him, maybe expecting him to change his mind? He continued to pull his clothes on.

“I think I know what’s happening.” She bounced on the springy mattress, her smile returning.

“Then you mind explaining it to me?” What he wanted was for her to get dressed and leave so he could lick his wounded pride in peace.

“That case you’ve been working on. The cold case with the missing child. Something like that could just about wear down anyone.” She grabbed her cellphone from the nightstand and scrolled through the screen, giggling. “Do you have TikTok, cowboy?”

“Nope.” He turned his back to her.

“You should. These videos are so weird but they’re funny. Anyway, we could make a video with you asking the public for help. We can do that now.”

“I’ll think about it.” But he knew he wouldn’t. He didn’t want anything to do with social media, and he especially didn’t want to look at her. He was embarrassed, and no doubt this would be the first and last time he and Farrah would be naked together. She didn’t need to waste her time on a man who just dipped out on her.

The case of the missing five-year-old, Bradley Hoffman, did weigh heavily on Bend’s shoulders. Once he’d taken over as sheriff, he’d gone through the unsolved cases in the area and something about the information—or rather the lack there of—set off alarm bells in his head. For the last two months, Bend had been eating, sleeping, breathing the mysterious kidnapping. The boy had been riding his bike alone and he vanished from the dead-end road leading to the apartment complex where he and his mother lived. The bike had been found but the boy was gone. Mom’s call to Mellough didn’t come until the next day. Not one witness came forward and out of the ten or so people interviewed no one saw anything suspicious.

“It’s not called a cold case for no reason.” Farrah pushed herself off the bed, completely confident in her nude body.

He slowly fastened each button on his shirt while he watched her dress. She even did that with an air of seduction. He’d be kicking himself in the ass for days—maybe longer. He hadn’t been with a woman in months, and his dry spell wouldn’t be ended today. “I’ve turned over every stone, every piece of dirt, and I’ve found nothing. How can a child disappear without a trace?” He dropped down on the end of the bed and dragged over his boots.

Once she had her romper into place, she flounced over and plopped down beside him. “You’re being too hard on yourself. Jackson had been a lot of things, but one thing’s for certain, he loved the attention a solved, high-profile case brought him. Maybe this case isn’t solvable?”

Bend had never been a quitter. He wouldn’t have taken the job unless he knew wholeheartedly that he was a right fit, and had the right intentions. He agreed that Mellough loved his ego being stroked, but the man also had a lazy streak the size of Montana. “Every case is solvable.”

Farrah laid her hand on his shoulder. He liked her, but happily ever after just wasn’t in the cards for them. They enjoyed hanging out, grabbing a beer on occasion and discussing life. Although she could be a bit flighty and ran through men like an out-of-control bulldozer, she also had a good head on her shoulders. She had a lot of dreams for her future. Earlier, they’d been downstairs in Crew and Brew shooting some pool when out of the blue she asked if she could see his bedroom.

The rest was history…literally.

“Hey, it’s important that you stay ahead of this. You’re better than my bastard of an uncle. People don’t doubt this, so don’t doubt yourself. There will be plenty of cases.”

He offered her a smile. “You’re a good woman, Farrah.”

“I know.” She stood and jutted her chin at the crumpled bed sheets. “And that’s why I’m not going to let this bother me.”

“Trust me. This isn’t about you.”

Connect with Rhonda Lee Carver

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rhondaleecarver.author/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/RLCarver
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rhondaleecarver/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rhondaleecarver
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/rhondaleecarverauthor/
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Rhonda-Lee-Carver/e/B00CQLXKTO
BookBub: www.bookbub.com/profile/rhonda-lee-carver
Street Team: www.facebook.com/groups/471259293018665/

I have one little scene to finish writing, and Mica will be done! So, all my focus is on getting to THE END! Then, I can make my bed, clean my space, and settle in to watch something mindless on TV. Any suggestions? 🙂

Open Contests

1. Oscars Hangover (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win a FREE book!
2. Gabbi Black: How I Wound Up Writing a Ménage… (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Anna Taylor Sweringen/Michal Scott: Mary Ellen Pleasant — The Little Woman Who Really Started the Civil War (Contest + Excerpt) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Sunday Catch-up & a Puzzle-Contest–When, Where, and Who is he? — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Word Search — Favorite Paranormal Creatures (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Gabbi Powell: Turning rejection into triumph! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Anna!
*~*~*

The first book I ever typed ‘the end’ for is still sitting in the back of my closet.  I’ve gone so far as to buy a cover for it and take a peek at the file.  Then I close it, wallow in the knowledge of how much editing it requires, and I move on to another book.

The second book I typed ‘the end’ for wasn’t nearly such a disaster.  Instead of an unwieldy 126k words, it sat at 85k – the perfect length for Harlequin Superromance.  I devoured those books, with favorite authors such as Tara Taylor Quinn, Janice Kay Johnson, and Jean Brashear.  After reading so many books, I understood the structure without having studied stuff like that. (I’ve since taken some great classes which have built from that inherent understanding…)

I named this book The Making of Marnie Jones.  I printed it out and sent it to Harlequin – vaguely dreaming of contracts and seeing my book on shelves.

Quickly, I received an email from the editor I sent it to.  She wanted a digital copy.  I shot it off and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Eventually, I gently poked, and she invited me to her office where we discussed the book in depth.  She had tons of notes and invited me to do a R&R (revise and resubmit).  I took a week off work and spent 12 hours a day for 9 days fixing that sucker.  I sent it back, even more confident.

Crickets.

I’ve since learned that editors want you to take weeks, if not months.  Otherwise, it doesn’t seem like you’ve done the work.  Only I had – I completely rewrote the book.  And was convinced the book was better for it.

I gently poked.  She said she’d see me in New York for the Romance Writers of America conference.  Now, I’m not a fan of big cities, strong smells, or noise.  NYC was so NOT my jam.  But I enjoyed the conference, met the editor, met my favorite narrator, and came home, believing I was *this* close.

Still nothing.

Eventually, Harlequin held a Canadian Hero contest.  Great!  My hero’s Canadian.  My whole book is set in Canada.  After the contest ended, the editor reached out with a tentative yes.  After two-and-a-half years, I wasn’t ready to party.  Four months later I saw, in a tweet, that Superromance was being discontinued.

I never heard back from that editor – never got the rejection (or acceptance) I deserved.

When I tell this story to other writers, they question why I didn’t submit elsewhere.  But if your number one pick expresses that much interest, why would you go elsewhere?  Lesson learned.  I submitted Marnie for contests.  I pitched her to editors and agents.  I got a few nibbles, but no bites.  Three years ago, I decided I would go it alone.  I hired a freelance editor.  The next year, I secured a cover. Finally, I wrote a book to come before it – I just didn’t feel Marnie should be the first in the series.

One more thing I should share – best advice I ever got as a writer: write the next book.  While Harlequin sat on my book, I wrote another 16 in that series.  The first year I waited?  I wrote a million words.  I was convinced they’d take my book and then take the next stack.  As you now know, that never happened.  But I have (now up to) 20 books that need editing and are ready to publish.

I’ll always be protective of Marnie – I love the angsty story.  I submitted her for a contest and the lovely Grace Burrowes was a judge.  She tore the opening apart and made it a thousand times better.  I kept her edits and dedicated the book to her – seemed the least I could do.

I believe in this book.  I also warn readers that the subject matter is dark – but that’s often how I write.  Now, I’m putting the book out into the world and am forever grateful I didn’t sell it to a publisher.  I likely would’ve never found someone who’d take all 20 or so (with more to come).  And because I knew this world so well, I’ve written several gay romances in the same world – just under a different penname.  I’ve created a place I hope readers will return to again and again.

Okay, thanks for reading that.  Thank you, Delilah, for letting me share my story.  I hope other newbie writers can see that sometimes the long game is the best way to go.

I’d love to give away a $5 Amazon Gift Card.  Tell me: what do you love about series?  What makes you want to go beyond the first book?  A random commenter will win the prize!

The Making of Marnie Jones

What’s better than love in the beautiful Cedar Valley in British Columbia, Canada? Find small town romances with a touch of angst, a bit of heat, and a lot of heart…

Each novel is a standalone, but they are best read in order:
The Luminosity of Loriana Harper (A small town interracial romance)
The Making of Marnie Jones (A small town enemies-to-lovers romance)
The Redemption of Remy St. Claire (A small town single-father fake-marriage romance)

Love without limits.

Librarian Marnie Jones has reinvented herself. After horrors that changed her forever, she’s built a new life and has found what she believes to be safety and quiet happiness. She hopes she’s outrun her past, but all that changes when a stranger comes to the small town of Mission City, British Columbia.

Links:
UBL:  https://books2read.com/Marnie
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVL11FBY
Add it to GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123132378-the-making-of-marnie-jones

About the Author

Gabbi Powell has been a lover of romance since she first put pen to paper in the eighth grade to write her first romance.  She writes her novels while living in Beautiful British Columbia with her trusty ChinPoo dog a as companion.  She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey and contemporary dark erotic BDSM novels as Gabbi Black.

Author Links:
Website:   https://gabbipowell.com/
Newsletter sign-up: https://sendfox.com/gabbipowell
Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/3142441314
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbipowell/
Facebook (personal): https://www.facebook.com/gabbi.powell.9/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/powell_gabbi
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gabbi-Powell/e/B08T8NTQNY
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21065056.Gabbi_Powell

UPDATE: The winner is…Courtney Kinder!
*~*~*

I’m typing my little fingers to the bone this week. I have a deadline. I’m almost there. Have you pre-ordered your copy of Mica? Well, I hope so. It’s coming NEXT TUESDAY! In the meantime, I have a puzzle for you. I’ve named some of my favorite paranormal creatures. Solve the puzzle and name yours in the comments for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!