UPDATE: The winner is…Debra Guyette!
*~*~*

If you’ve visited this blog lately, you know that there’s something fun happening over at another website I run, Delilah’s Collections. It only gets active for a few months a year, but when it does, it’s very, very busy! We’re running a campaign now through the release of our latest collection, Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology on July 30th. It’s a fun way to get to know the authors who’ve written stories for the anthology—maybe you already know them, maybe you don’t! But did I mention there will be multiple opportunities to win prizes or pick up some freebies?

Now back to those images… They represent the current posts from the authors who are eager to meet you!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, let me know whether you’ve been over to the Collections website to “meet” our new authors!

A reminder about what’s releasing tomorrow!!

Pre-order your copy now!

It was a productive week once we got past the AC issue on Monday. You really, really appreciate your conveniences when they aren’t there. It was a busy week. I tend to write best when I’m under a hard deadline, and I really felt the pressure to complete Cyrus, so the story flowed all the way up to the day before I had to upload it! I wish my muse was more disciplined, but that’s just not how it works. I have to let go and let it do its thing. When I surrender and take myself out of the process, that’s when the good stuff comes. And I know that’s more crazy author talk, but if the shoe fits… Anyway, here’s my report card for last week’s work and my plan for the upcoming week. Sharing these “report cards” does help because I feel like I have to accomplish things or I look lazy. LOL

Report Card

Last week…

1. The AC was fixed on Monday! By Tuesday, the temperature inside the house, including my basement office, was at last livable! Yay!
2. I completed writing/editing Cyrus. It was formatted and uploaded for its release on Tuesday!
3. I worked on the last edits of the stories inside the Secret Identities anthology.
4. I gave up on the short story I was trying to write for Secret Identities and started another, but it’s not working either even though I’m 3/4 of the way into it. I might have to reject my own story for the anthology because it’s just not good enough. There’s a first time for everything, and I have to be honest with myself. I think the theme just didn’t work for me, and after reading the great stories that are going to make up the new volume, I’m not going to embarrass myself. 🙂
5. I swam every day, sometimes twice a day!
6. I’m still complying with Weight Watchers, despite the week from hell when we ate fast food at least once a day. I’ve maintained a 5.5-pound loss.

This next week…

1. Cyrus releases this week! Early Tuesday morning to be exact! You know I’ll be promoting the heck out of the first West Yellowstone bounty hunter book!
2. I’ll finish editing stories in the Secret Identities anthology. Then I’ll compile the stories into the anthology and ready them for publication on the 30th!
3. I will begin editing another author’s manuscript!
4. I’ll begin work on my next novel, Built Like Mack, the next We Are Dead Horse story.
5. I’ll continue swimming and counting those points on Weight Watchers!

Open Contests

On the Delilah’s Collections website!

1. GETTING TO KNOW BRENT ARCHER (CONTEST) — Last day to enter! 2 winners! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. GETTING TO KNOW CINDY TANNER (CONTEST) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. GETTING TO KNOW AVA CUVAY (CONTEST) —  This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!

Here, on this site!

1. Gabbi Grey: Pushing Boundaries (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win a FREE book!
2. It’s getting hot in here! (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Saturday Puzzle Contest: I’ve been through the desert… — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Gabbi Grey: Avoiding the Middle Book Slump (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Word Search: Things to See in Yellowstone… (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Caviar and Frogs…whuuutt? (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
7. Gabbi Grey: Something a Little Different (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
8. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: A Grizzly Beginning (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Jennifer Beyer!
*~*~*

Hello Delilah!  Thank you for welcoming me here today!  I’m happy to share news about my latest anthology project.  Protect My Heart has brought together a dynamic group of authors writing romantic suspense stories!  The premise for these short stories is simple—heroes and heroines.  Who doesn’t love a good hero or heroine story?

Naturally, I had to put a twist on that.

Probably not surprising to anyone who knows me and has read my stories—especially the newer ones.

I summoned my Plot Whisperer (and dear friend) and offered her the parameters—some kind of bodyguard/cop/firefighter…something like that.  15k words.  I wanted to write a gay romance.  I write these because I’m pretty good at it and because I love inclusion.  Love is love.  Love Without Limits is my personal tagline.

Plot Whisperer…did her magic.  And I wound up writing a rom-com with a dash of suspense.  It’s not what readers might expect, but it’s certainly something I hope they enjoy!  After all, a bodyguard tasked with protecting a Ming vase on a film set isn’t an everyday story.  Throw in a designer who doesn’t have a brain-to-mouth filter and sexy times ensue.

Protect My Heart

Protect. Defend. Love?

What do firefighters, bodyguards, marines, and Texas Rangers have in common? They do whatever it takes to keep us safe.

But when Cupid has them in his sights, our protectors land neck deep in trouble. They willingly risk their lives, but dare they risk their hearts?

Protect My Heart is a steamy collection from USA Today best-selling and award-winning romance authors curated by The New Romance Café.

Authors:
Kalli Dean
Sharon Michalove
Rubi Jade
Chelle Pimblott
Bella Paige
Harper Michaels
Angela Breen
Bonnie Poirier
Heather Osborne
Lisabel Chretien
MacKade
Angelica Kate
Amy Stephens
Annee Jones
Serafina Jax
Ryleigh Sloan
Gabbi Grey
Toni Denise
Sophia Vincent
Elizabeth Salo
Michelle Moncrieff
Emma Marie Cormier

The anthology will only be available for a limited time.

No Rough Handling by Gabbi Grey

Hallstein

Here I am, a highly-skilled professional bodyguard who’s never lost a client, guarding…a vase. That’s right, home decor. It’s Ming Dynasty and worth a cool three-million, but this TV-show assignment has me bored out of my skull. The set decorator, however, has definitely caught my eye.

Myles

Adding a real Ming vase to my set was brilliant, bringing my legendary flair into play. Of course, the cost of the vase requires a stuffy, all-business, unfairly hot and attractive bodyguard. The urge to tempt Hallsy into some shenanigans is irresistible. Question is, can he resist me?

Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/TNRC2024ProtectMyHeart
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Protect-Heart-Protector-Anthology-Collection-ebook/dp/B0CJ8PG4M8
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199017137-protect-my-heart

Anyway, I love writing these shorts—something to keep my mind occupied between the longer books—of which I write plenty as well.  I really hope readers will nab this limited time anthology and smile as they read the huge variety of books.

Thanks for hosting me, Delilah.  I’d love to give away a $5 Amazon gift card to one lucky commenter.  What’s your favorite setting for a book?  Or, what setting would you love to see more of?  I’ll randomly select one commenter for a prize!

About the 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.

UPDATE: The winner is…Deb Brown!
*~*~*

What indeed? If you’ve visited this blog during the past couple of weeks, you know that there’s something fun happening over at another website I run, Delilah’s Collections. It only gets active for a few months a year, but when it does, it’s like a firehose of activities!

We’re running a little campaign now through the release of our latest collection, Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, which will drop on July 30th. It’s a fun getting to know the authors activity, filled with interesting tidbits about them and multiple opportunities to win prizes or pick up some freebies.

Now back to those images… They represent the first four posts from the authors who are eager to meet you!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, let me know whether you’ve been over to the Collections website to “meet” our new authors!

This month will be a firehose of books coming at you! Yay!

The first two are re-releases of stories in a series of three, and I’m writing the fourth and final book, which comes your way in September. The books are hot—like smutty, erotic hot. If you’re into that, you don’t want to miss them. And who doesn’t like hot firefighters?!

Pre-order your copy!

Pre-order your copy!

Next up, is the first book in the new Montana Bounty Hunters: West Yellowstone series! Cyrus is sexy if a bit, reserved (grumpy). The woman who sets her cap for him will find coaxing him into better humor, and into her bed, quite a challenge.

Pre-order your copy!

Finally, Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology will close out the month! I hope you’ll follow along as we introduce you to the authors who’ve contributed their wonderful stories to this volume! We’re running contests on the Collections website that you won’t want to miss!

Preorder your copy!

Open Contests

1. Getting to know Cameron Allie! (CONTEST + 2 FREE Reads!) — 10 Winners! FREE reads for all!
2. We’re gearing up for the release of Secret Identities! — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Meet me on the bridge… — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway (Contest) — Win a signed book + some hand-painted goodies!
5. It’s my birthday, but I’m giving away the gift! — Everyone, get your FREE copy. This offer ends soon!
6. What’s Coming Soon & the Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Orange you glad you stopped by? — Win an Amazon gift card!
7. June into July (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Carol Cox!
*~*~*

Before I dig into accomplishments and plans, I want to invite you to another website!

The Collections website is where the authors of the anthologies I curate play! We’re getting geared up for the release of our newest collection at the end of July, so in this coming month we’ll spend time introducing you to the authors! There will be contests with things to win. Click on the link to check out the site, and while you’re over there, subscribe to get the postings sent straight to your inbox so you don’t miss a thing! Delilah’s Collections Website

June

1. I revised the fifth story of my Delta Heat series and published two of them: Twice the Bang and Once is Never Enough.
2. I’ve revised the first story in the Delta Fire series, Burning Up Memphis, which will be released on July 9th!
3. I continued work on Cyrus, which is presently scheduled for release on July 23rd!
4. I completed 3 editing projects for other authors in June and hope to finish another today!
5. I’ve been editing away on the stories that will be inside Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, coming at the end of July.

Health-related:

1. I had a slew of doctor’s appointments and follow-up screenings. I saw my VA doctor, who thinks I’m now diabetic, barely. I have some work to do to try to reverse course. I also had a mammogram (it was clear!), a CT of my abdominal aorta (that’s a thing to get checked when you are a certain age—and no issue there), a cancer-screening with the dermatologist (no issues), a lung x-ray (I’m good to go), and bone density imaging. I officially have osteoporosis, now. 🙁
2. The biggest improvement I’ve made this month is that I quit smoking. Cold turkey.
3. I did not pay attention to what I put in my mouth. *Sigh*

Happiness-related: 

1. June was busy for family activities. When I had appointments in the city, we took advantage with shopping sprees and meals out. We’ve had movie nights at home and special meals where everyone participated in the food prep. We are loving our new Blackstone grill.
2. The pool is still giving us fits. Every chemical known to mankind has been tossed at it, but we still have issue with phosphates and cloudiness.
3. I finished the #the100dayproject art challenge!
4. Here are some examples of art projects I completed in June:

July

Is that not a yummy array of covers?!

For work-related, I plan:

1. To complete writing Cyrus, the first of my new MBH in Yellowstone series, and which I will release on July 23rd!
2. To complete editing the stories for the upcoming collection—Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology! Plus, get the anthology assembled, formatted and ready for publication on July 30th!
3. To revise the first two books in my erotic romance series, Delta Fire. I’ll republish two of the stories in July: Burning up Memphis and Hotter with a Pole.
4. To complete 3 editing projects in July!

For health related, I plan:

1. To exercise. Still not certain the pool will be under control. But I will walk (counting steps) and make use of my recumbent bike.
2. To start back on my Weight Watchers diet, because it’s time to get serious! (I say this every month, but I really, really have to do it!)
3. To reduce salt and processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas) and my liver (apple cider vinegar, flax seeds, sunflower seeds).
4. To take my BP every day and log it!
5. To schedule the last of the health-related appointments I need to wrap up: Eye exam and dental exam.

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To fiddle in my art room!
2. To spend time with the family—movies, flea market adventures, and pool (hopefully)!

Contest

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

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

UPDATE: The winner is…Katherine Anderson!
*~*~*

Before we get to the puzzle, I’d like to say a word about something that’s starting on Monday and will continue through the release of Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology on July 30th! There are 14 authors who have contributed stories to the book, and I can’t wait for you to meet them all! To introduce them, we’ll be starting a “Getting to Know [insert author name]” campaign, where you’ll learn fun things about these authors and compete for prizes! So, if you don’t want to miss any of the fun, be sure to head to the website and subscribe to get the posts sent to your email inbox. Here’s where you can go to sign up: Delilah’s Collections. We’ll see you there next week!

Saturday Puzzle-Contest

Orange you glad you stopped by? Sorry for the cringey pun! I couldn’t help myself. When I think of summer, I remember my summers spent in Florida, the roadside orange stands that weren’t far from my house, and driving past the fragrant orange groves. The scent of oranges is my favorite of all things. (Maybe I shouldn’t post these things before breakfast!)

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, and then tell me what your favorite fruit-scent is + tell me whether you’re planning to join us next week on the Collections site!