UPDATE: The winner is…Kaje!
*~*~*

Many authors are banding together these days to write in shared worlds. Where the authors create a unifying feature—often a location or a trope—and all write within set parameters. I’d written in a shared world before, and I enjoyed the camaraderie that comes with the experience of working closely with other writers.  When I had the opportunity to write in the Single Dads of Gaynor Beach series, I leapt at the chance.

At first, I signed up for summer 2023.  As the series launched, though, my excitement grew.  When a spot opened up for book 4, I was all-in.  Hugh released in July.  But that wasn’t enough for me.  I’d created a character who was a bit of a jerk but who had reasons for being that way.  I knew I needed to write his redemptive arc, so when an opening for December became available, I nabbed that.  Anthony is out now and it has a great redemption story—a trope I’ve written before.

My biggest issue was differentiation.  With twenty books over two years, all with single gay dads, I wanted my books to be different.  So, for Hugh, I chose to have a single grandfather.  Hugh’s daughter, whom he never knew about, has died and as the only living relative, he’s summoned to care for his granddaughter.  Only his daughter named a guardian—her friend Oscar.  Both men want what’s best for Marilee, the nine-month-old, and as they join forces, they also fall in love.

Sigh.

For Anthony, I again wanted something different.  The social worker appeared in Hugh and was a driving force for Hugh and Oscar to get together.  I quickly realized Anthony needed his own story.  I knew the child wasn’t going to be his but…what about the librarian?  I’d created Scott as just a friendly person Hugh encountered, but I quickly saw Anthony and Scott would be perfect together.  And the child?  Well, how about babies?  Two, to be precise.  Nine-month-old twins.  Because Scott would definitely need help with two…and how was he involved?  Well, what if he was the sperm donor?  So he’d have a solid connection to the twins.  I won’t go into the details—I want you to read the story, after all—but Scott taking custody isn’t a simple process.  He needs all the help he can get.  This situation gives Anthony a chance to do better.  Since this is a Gabbi Grey romance, I promise a bit of angst, instalove, slow burn, and a happily ever after.

I’ve enjoyed being part of this shared world so much that I’ve signed up to write another story in another world that’ll come out next year.  I love the collaborative approach that comes with working with other writers.  Naturally, I’d love readers to select and read my books—but I’m just as thrilled when they discover the other books in the series and get to see the interconnectedness of the stories.  So, head on over to Gaynor Beach—I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Finally, do you have a favorite shared world or unifying trope?  Let me know in the comments.  One lucky commentator will win a $5 gift certificate from Amazon.

Anthony

Anthony

During my seven years as a social worker in Gaynor Beach, California, delivering orphaned twins to their unsuspecting father is the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced. These babies lost their mother and they need a loving parent, but is adorable Scott Wexler up to that challenge? Transferring custody is one thing—walking away is something entirely different, especially with the stress of Christmas bearing down on Scott too.

Scott

After escaping a miserable childhood, I’ve made a fresh start in California. I’m in charge at the Gaynor Beach Public Library, I love helping people, and I’m feeling like an actual functional human being. Then social worker Anthony Rodrigues shows up on my doorstep with twins I fathered through a sperm donation, and suddenly I’m responsible for two tiny lives. Accepting help from the gorgeous social worker is a no-brainer—admitting I want him to stay is going to take a lot more courage.

This 74k word gay romance is a slow burn, mid-angst, instalove with a geeky librarian, a by-the-book social worker, adorable twin-toddler terrors, and a beleaguered cat named Crumpy.

Links:
Universal Book Link:  https://books2read.com/AnthonyGB
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/Anthony-Single-Dads-Gaynor-Beach-ebook/dp/B0BJQL39SZ
KOBO:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/anthony-24
Barnes & Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/anthony-gabbi-grey/1142694635
iBooks:  https://books.apple.com/ca/book/anthony/id6444502148
Google Play:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gabbi_Grey_Anthony?id=lG2cEAAAQBAJ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1179503
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63340423-anthony

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.

Newsletter sign-up:  https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey
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
Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabbiGrey

UPDATE: The winner is…Wendy!
*~*~*

I’m always happy to contribute stories to charity anthologies.  I’ve done several this year with charities such as Ukraine Aid Groups, LGBTQ causes, and Ronald McDonald House.  All of my contributions have been gay romances, and I love adding that flavor to the books.  All have been instalove with guaranteed happy endings because that’s what I write.  What I want to read.  What I know will both vex readers and make them secretly smile.

After an anthology is removed from circulation, the proceeds are tallied, and the money is sent off to the various charities.  Then the rights revert back to the author to do whatever they choose.  I like to wait a bit of time and then release them so that people who happened to have missed the anthology can snag a copy.  To be clear, though, I always want readers to grab those anthologies, which are always great deals and can introduce them to new authors, and where the money goes to charity.

In the end, though, I like my stories to live on and find new readers.  The problem is the cover.  When the stories are in an anthology, the organizers provide amazing covers.  Life’s great.  When your rights revert, you need to put something on the front of it before sending it out into the world.  Now, I’m getting better at this problem.  I skulk around premade cover sites and occasionally pick up one (or five) for stories I think I’m going to write. Or, frankly, covers I just love.

I was shopping for another story when I came across a cover with two guys and a lighthouse.

I loved it and snapped it up a year ago.  When I came to write the short story for the Ukraine Charity anthology, I remembered that cover.  It still spoke to me, and so I was happy to write a story about it.  An interracial gay couple and a lighthouse.  My imagination took me to Canada’s west coast—to Tofino in particular.  I wrote an instalove, forced proximity, short story that I kind of loved.  I sent the story off to the anthology, promoted the hell out of it, and then—when the rights reverted—I looked at releasing the story by itself.

But as much as I loved the cover that had prompted the story, it didn’t fit with most of my other covers.  It’s loosely part of a series of books I’ve written about a small town in British Columbia, and all those covers have solo men.  I contacted the artist who had done the rest of the series and asked her to make one for me.  I gasped when I saw it. Not only had she found the perfect Isaac, but she’d found a photo of the real Tofino lighthouse for me.  I did a quick clean-up edit for the book, sent off the script to be produced in audio, and published the short story.

And there you have it—a long-winded story to explain how the genesis of the story was one cover, but how I wound up with something else.  To be clear—I LOVE both covers.  Inspiration is a funny thing, and some writers, like myself, take it from wherever we can find in.  Anyway, I hope you’ll snag Ben and Isaac’s very Canadian gay love short story.

After reading all that, I’d love to hear your take. Which cover do you prefer? Drop your comment in the chat for a chance to win a $5 Amazon GC to a random commentator.  There is no right answer—I’d just love to hear what you think!

And, as always, thank you Delilah for hosting me.

The Lightkeeper’s Love Affair

Ben

I just graduated. I should be out celebrating. Instead, a storm’s coming and I’ve got no to place to sleep except the backseat of my car. At least I have my beloved beagle with me, but seriously, how is this my life?

Isaac

After a horrific week, I hate being unable to retreat to my island sanctuary. Perhaps sharing my hotel room with a stranger in distress and his dog will take my mind off things. Afterward, we’ll separate and never meet again. Right?

*A 10k lighthearted gay romance with forced proximity, a loner, a future school-teacher, and Buddy, the adorable beagle. This short story was originally published in the anthology Ukraine: Seeds of Love.

Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/Lightkeeper
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/Lightkeepers-Love-Affair-Mission-romance-ebook/dp/B0BDMQFTHN
Amazon CA:  https://www.amazon.ca/Lightkeepers-Love-Affair-Mission-romance-ebook/dp/B0BDMQFTHN
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62805971-the-lightkeeper-s-love-affair

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.

Website: https://gabbigrey.com/
Newsletter sign-up:  https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbigrey/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabbiGrey
Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey

I love writing for my publisher, The Wild Rose Press.  When they put out a call for erotic stories set in exotic locales for their hottest line, I was all-in.  I’d written a story for them earlier that I set in my favorite city in the world — Vancouver, Canada.  When my editor confirmed that Canada was considered an ‘exotic location’, I knew where I was going to set my story.

Now, I’m Canadian.  Aside from politics, guns, and a few other diverging issues, we are a lot like Americans — we consume much of the same media, face the same climate change threats, and speak the same language (although the accents vary — and I threw in a character from my ancestral province of Newfoundland for that extra Canadian diversity).

Anyway, I had my location.  I brought in a couple of characters from a previous book (don’t worry, this new book is a complete stand-alone), then I needed a scenario.  In a moment of solemn reflection, I realized the story I wanted to tell — the story I needed to tell.  I had a studio executive from Hollywood heading to Vancouver to wait until a crisis blows over.  My previous story set in Vancouver involved the movie business (a huge industry up here in Canada), so I had everything I needed. Oh, I needed another hero.  Enter a genuinely nice naïve young man, making his way in a world he doesn’t always understand.

Okay, I named him Seamus (a good Newfie name).  I named my studio executive Frank and called the book Vanishing in Vancouver.  I wrote the book, felt good about it, and sent it off to my editor.

The editorial team came back with a few changes.  Like the title.  It didn’t really say sexy.  This was supposed to be a story about an American coming to a foreign land and having a sexy affair — the series is, after all, named Passport to Pleasure.  (Other titles included Sorrento Seduction, Steamy Cairo Nights, Hot Highland Fling, Getting Lucky in London, and Pacific Persuasion. Oh, and also, Frank didn’t scream hero to them.

I wracked my brains. Then pulled in a couple of friends.  One suggested Valentino — named after Rudolph Valentino, the sexy Hollywood actor.  And the character could be nicknamed Val.  Hence Valentino in Vancouver.

The editorial team loved it, and the project got the green light.

I worried about the sensitive nature of the topic, and a friend who was reading the book for me expressed concerns after the first chapter.  In fact, she wrote to me and asked if she was safe to proceed.  I assured her I’d never do anything against my own moral code — and this is a gay romance, not a political statement.

But can a book be both?

I’m inviting readers to take a gander through the book.  Go in with an open mind.  This is one take on a very real issue facing workplaces today. (And other scenarios as well, but I went with work to set my story.)

And I’d love to hear from you.  For a chance to win a $5US Amazon Gift Card, can you think of a book that tackled a tough topic?  A book that resonated with you? One you think the world should read?  Feel free to comment, and a random commenter will receive the GC.

Valentino in Vancouver

Hiding out may be the hottest thing he’s ever done.

Val

When I need to get away from the heat in Los Angeles, I head to a friend’s house in Vancouver, Canada.  I just need to hide out. Oh, and that cute redhead? A mighty fine way to pass the time. Will this fling become something more by the time things cool down?

Seamus

When I’m invited to my boss’s house for a party, I’m thrilled.  And nervous. Then I meet a guy who helps me relax. Even when I find out who he is, I keep coming back for more. Only it turns out I might be way over my head. Can I get out before I fall for him?

Links:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Valentino-Vancouver-Passport-Pleasure-Gabbi-ebook/dp/B0B8XNB5FX
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Valentino-Vancouver-Passport-Pleasure-Gabbi-ebook/dp/B0B8XNB5FX
Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/Valentino
Barnes & Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/valentino-in-vancouver-gabbi-grey/1141978548
KOBO:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/valentino-in-vancouver
iBooks:  https://books.apple.com/ca/book/valentino-in-vancouver/id6443282261
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61953018-valentino-in-vancouver

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.

Website: https://gabbigrey.com/
Newsletter sign-up:  https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey

I was approached about contributing to a charity anthology and I wracked my brain for a gay romance story.  A friend had suggested Page Against the Machine as a potential name for a bookstore.  Another friend suggested The Owl’s Nest, and since the randomizer chose that, I was happy to go with it.

Great. I had a name for the bookstore in my fictional town of Mission City, British Columbia.  With Page Against the Machine, I had a title.  I already knew one character who worked at the bookstore — a free-spirited sensitive named Sunshine who was forever getting into everyone’s business.  I figured her boss would be more of a traditionalist.  Who better than a guy whose parents once owned the store and that he’d inherited?  More back and forth with different friends and I had Dickens.

Now, knowing this was a novella, I wanted a quick meet-cute and a deep dive into the relationship.  How about a motorcycle mechanic who sets up shop next to the bookstore?  Suddenly, Bookstore Dude’s quiet is disturbed by hot Motorcycle Dude.  So that made them enemies, right? Eventually, I realized I was writing an enemy-to-lovers book that had hate sex in the fourth chapter.

Of course, this being a Gabbi Grey story, I had to throw in some emotional wounds — especially for Spike the Motorcycle Dude.  And I’m not sure if this is a true rom-com, but it’s as close as I’ve come thus far in my short writing career.

Naturally, I hope you’ll snag a copy.  In the meantime, share with me your favorite enemy-to-lovers story or a good rom-com I should check out.  $5 Amazon GC to a random commenter.

Page Against the Machine Synopsis

Dickens

My tranquility is shattered when a motorcycle repair shop moves in next to my bookstore. All I want is peace and quiet. What I get is gunning engines and eighties rock music. One of us has got to go, and since I was here first, it’s the hot mechanic.

Spike

I chose Mission City to set up shop because of the weekend-enthusiast riders. I’ve dreamed of owning my own shop for years, and no one is going to run me out of town. Least of all the adorable geek Bookstore Dude.

This 25k gay romance novella is a true instalove, enemies to lovers, opposites attract story with a cuddly cat named Aristotle. The story first appeared in the anthology Love Is All, Volume 5.

Links:
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B8BW6W8H
Amazon CA:  https://www.amazon.ca/Page-Against-Machine-Mission-Romance-ebook/dp/B0B8BW6W8H/
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61866363-page-against-the-machine

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.

Website: https://gabbigrey.com/
Newsletter sign-up:  https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey

UPDATE: The winner is…bn100!
*~*~*

Hugh is my third shared world book, and I’ve signed up to write three more in the next six months.  Why? Easy. Because I love the camaraderie of working with other writers.

Writing is very much a solo pursuit.  You can join writing groups, cultivate critique groups, find loyal beta readers, and even have accountability partners.  In the end, though, unless you’re literally sitting next to another writer and you’re sharing the words, you’re on your own.  You might brainstorm a story with a good friend, but getting the actual story on the page is up to you.

Shared world writing is no different.  I’m still responsible for writing the story.  But I get to have fun working with other authors.  We create a world and then we share it with readers.  Our characters develop into more than what we see for them.  For instance, Charley Descoteaux wrote Jake, the first book in the Single Dads of Gaynor Beach series.  I read her book and adored her couple, Micah and Jake.  I brought them into my story.  I also pulled some of her secondary characters and Wynn – the hero of Amelia Hayden’s book.

Then I created other secondary characters – like Louisa, the local veterinarian.  She’ll appear in Kaje Harper’s upcoming book Alec.  And, of course, I’m hoping my couple – Hugh and Oscar – appear in future books.

Although writing like this is way more effort, it’s also rewarding.  I’ve met some great new authors and gotten to work with several authors whose work I’ve admired in the past.  I’ve enjoyed this process so much that I’ve signed up to write Anthony.  His book is coming in December 2022.  Now, he’s a bit of a jerk in Hugh, so you’ll have to stay tuned to discover why he’s an asshole, and how he’s going to redeem himself.

The one challenge, for me, was choosing an original storyline.  With twenty books about gay single fathers, I wanted something unique.  For Hugh, I chose to have a single grandfather.  He doesn’t know about his daughter, and when she dies, he discovers he has a granddaughter.  He races home to take care of her only to discover there’s already someone caring for her.  Want to know how that goes over?  You’ll just have to read the book!

What are your favorite tropes?  I love single fathers.  I adore hurt/comfort with a moderate amount of angst.  How about you?  One random commenter will win a $5 US Amazon gift card.  Good luck!

Hugh

Hugh

Having spent more than twenty years as an emergency medicine physician in war zones around the world, I barely have a home to speak of. A daughter I didn’t know about has died and left a child behind, so I must get to Gaynor Beach, California to claim my granddaughter. Her temporary guardian is the first man to spark my interest in a very long time, but it would be inappropriate for me to have a relationship with this much-younger man.

Oscar

Gutted by my best friend’s death, I take solace in the daughter she left in my guardianship. I’ll protect this precious baby with all I have, and no one is going to take her away from me—least of all the man who turns up on our doorstep claiming to be her grandfather. Despite the resemblance, I plan to keep him at arm’s length. I’m going to show him how capable I am. But I might also lose my heart in the process.

This is an 85k word, hurt/comfort, interracial, age-gap, MM romance novel with a moderate amount of angst.

Where to buy:
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/Hugh-Single-Dads-Gaynor-Beach-ebook/dp/B0B5BD7XK5
Universal Book Link:  https://books2read.com/b/b6RDGM
KOBO:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hugh-single-dads-of-gaynor-beach-book-4
Barnes & Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hugh-gabbi-grey/1141709240
iBooks:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/hugh-single-dads-of-gaynor-beach-book-4/id6443041869
Google Play:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gabbi_Grey_Hugh_Single_Dads_of_Gaynor_Beach_Book_4
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1153733

Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61069506-hugh

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.

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
Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabbiGrey

Who says hobbies can’t be functional? Actually, I think many are. Exercising and sports help keep people fit and healthy. Meditation and reading may reduce stress. Painting and knitting may strengthen fine motor movement while pets provide joy on too many levels to count.

With 2022 scheduled to swing daily life to more “normal,” many people are venturing out and checking off items on their bucket lists. If the last two years have taught us anything, it is to take nothing for granted and that situations can change overnight. I fully hope to enjoy the return to fewer social restrictions. However, while some things are returning to the way they were, some things will not. Businesses have closed with no plan to reopen. Friends have moved away. The cost of daily living has risen tremendously, and some resources are limited.

Since summer is right around the corner but with a busy schedule, I found myself in a bit of a predicament. First, scheduling self-care and me-time can be an issue. Like many others, I work full-time, and by the time my work day ends, many retail businesses are closed or closing. That leaves only the weekend which would be fine if I didn’t have to cram in all of the things (e.g., grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, errands, etc.) that I didn’t complete earlier in the week. Thus, the best leisure activities for me are ones that I can perform…well, at my leisure. What I mean is finding activities that I do not have to depend on anyone else to be able to do and that aren’t dependent upon the weather. I also enjoy inexpensive activities because I’m cheap.

However, I’m also a person who needs to use my weekends and free time productively. Just because I clock out of a nine-to-five does not mean I stop working. I have plenty that I need to do. This requires me to be organized and efficient. Yet, I don’t want to neglect myself. So, I found a way to do both. It is decorative journaling/planner.

I’ve always used planners. But wait. Aren’t I a self-professed pantser? Yes, I am. Very much so. I use my planners not so much to outline my day but as long lists of reminders. See, my planners function in two ways. First, it allows me to know what I need to get done and when. It lists my deadlines and appointments and important events. Second. It is my reference log. I use it to remember when I mailed or received packages, tracking numbers, submission dates, and anything that I may need to remember days, months, and even years later. In this technology age, I could do it digitally, and often do. However, I remind people that I live in an area where power outages aren’t uncommon. It’s convenient to be able to locate information without booting up. But not only that, it’s fun and relaxing.

Years ago, I tried my hand at decorative planning. At the time, I didn’t know that was what it was called. I owned a bullet journal and decorated with colored pencils and markers. Having a limited artistic ability, it wasn’t always pretty. I gave it up because the bullet journal wasn’t functional for me. Again, I didn’t realize this was the problem because I had very little understanding of what I was wanting at the time. In fact, I wasn’t even including the information that I should have been.

I moved on to an organizer with a dated calendar. At the time, my life was simpler, and I didn’t have much to write in it in the way of appointments and such. It didn’t dawn on me to use it also as a tracker—not that I had much to track, either. I used colored ink to spruce up the appearance and occasionally plopped in a sticker—mostly birthday reminders. While this served its purpose, it wasn’t something that brought me a lot of joy. Again, I wasn’t thinking along those lines.

Eventually, I drifted away from this and stuck reminders in my cell phone calendar. The issue here came when I had to replace phones and the data didn’t transfer as promised. I lost lots of photos, dates, videos, and music that way. Even with the best backup plans, not everything is saved.

Then, last year, I was introduced—or rather, reintroduced—to deco journaling via YouTube. I found an entire community that has turned planning into pure art. Not only does the outcome allow me to be more productive, but creating spreads allows me time to relax and tap into my creativity. I can do it whenever I have free time and at my convenience.

I will say I found there to be a learning curve. First, I had to find a planner layout that meets my needs. There are all kinds of planners out there, and I enjoy the disc system in a classic size with a vertical layout. However, in all fairness, a horizontal layout probably would work better for me, but there are enough elements about that type of layout that I don’t like that have prevented me from switching. I admit, I’m still finding my footing, as I’m not one hundred percent satisfied with the functionality of my planner, but that’s not the point of this post.

During this process, I created a writing journal/planner. While I would have liked to have kept everything in one place, that wasn’t happening. On the other hand, it did allow me to eliminate some of the notebooks I used to jot down research notes and references. The beauty of a disc planning system is that I can add, remove, or rearrange pages as I choose. I can add dividers or pocket holders, or change covers and designs. I’m able to have sections for story ideas, reference pages, tracking, marketing, analytics, and more. I have a monthly calendar overview where I jot down when events occur and then use the weekly sheets to document the details. And because I spend time decorating the pages, using it doesn’t feel like a chore. My spirits are lifted when I see what I’ve created. Believe it or not, it makes my to-do list look less overwhelming.

Decorative journaling is a great hobby for anyone wanting to stay in or unable to go out. It does not require strenuous activity for anyone physically limitations or those who are too fatigued for much movement. If planning your week or listing things to be done is stressful, visually seeing how those chores can be divided to make them more manageable can be achieved. Plus, there are weekly online challenges that can add more fun. The best part about deco planning is it is up to you how you create it. Some people work with stickers while others use stamps or inks. Some people opt for large planners while others elect to use a mini. The pages can be dated or undated, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. Layouts come in dashboard, horizontal, vertical, teacher, dot-grid, and more. The options are endless. Some people use their journals/planners daily while others less frequently. Some people have built Frankenplanners. (I tried this, and it didn’t work for me but only because I set it up wrong and didn’t realize it. Again… learning curve.) Some people use their planners the way I use mine while others use them for journaling, as part of a fitness/health or weight loss journey, for spiritual gratitude, for school or work, or as a creative outlet.

So, if you’re looking for a way to relax, consider decorative planning.

That’s this for this post. Do you agree or disagree? What is your take on the subject? Did you find these tips helpful or informative? Let me know your thoughts and opinions in the comment section. Also, let me know if you would like me to cover more of these types of topics or dive deeper into this one. If you like this post, please click the like button and share it. If you’re not following me on Creole Bayou blog, what are you waiting for? There’s always room at the bayou.

Penalty Kill

When the scandal of a double homicide threatens to destroy his career, this billionaire hockey player hires an ambitious sports agent to improve his public image. It’s time to let the puckery begin.

Timothée Croneau is that jock—the bad boy superstar with the naughty reputation. He’s handsome, arrogant, and a billionaire. He’s also the number one person of interest in a double homicide and recently was traded to a losing team that is showing him no love. And wouldn’t it be just his luck that his career splashed in the toilet six months after his long-time agent kicked the bucket? Now, he’s stuck with Ryker Kitsch. An agent is supposed to fix his life, though, not break his heart.

Speaking of breaks, ex-athlete Ryker Kitsch wants his in the sports agency realm. He sees his chance to make a name for himself by helping rebrand his agency’s newly acquired hockey star, Timothée Croneau. The guy needs every lick of positive PR he can get. So, why is the devilishly gorgeous forward fighting him at every step and leaving Ryker to wonder if he’s been hired for a babysitting gig?

The mess Timothée is stirring was never in any contract Ryker was hired to handle. One thing’s for sure. Whether it’s a forecheck or backcheck, collision is inevitable.

Order your copy at:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p
Other booksellers: https://books2read.com/penaltykill

Missed the three in my hockey romance series? No frets.

Out of the Penalty Box (book #1), where it is one minute in the box or a lifetime out, is available at https://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links on where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit https://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.

Defending the Net (book #2) can be ordered at https://amzn.to/2N7fj8q or www.books2read.com/defending. Crossing the line could cost the game.

Ice Gladiators (book #3) is the third book in my Locker Room Love series. When the gloves come off, the games begin. Available at https://amzn.to/2TGFsyD or www.books2read.com/icegladiators.

For more of my stories, shenanigans, giveaways, and more, check out my blog, Creole Bayou, www.genevivechambleeconnect.wordpress.com. New posts are made on Wednesdays, and everything is raw and unscathed. Climb on in a pirogue and join me on the bayou.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feel free to comment below or tweet me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search me on Goodreads or Amazon Authors or BookBub or TikTok.

NEWSLETTER! Want to get the latest information and updates about my writing projects, giveaways, contests, and reveals first? Click https://genevivechambleeconnect.wordpress.com/newsletter/ and signup today.

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

UPDATE: The winner is…flchen1!
*~*~*

I’ve participated in several charity anthologies before, but they’ve always been when I sought out the project.  For this anthology, I was contacted by Xio Axelrod and offered the opportunity to join.  I’d seen previous volumes in this series and when she messaged me, I thought huh??? She can’t possibly mean me. She must be mistaken.  I’m a newer author in the gay romance genre. At the time, I’d published four novellas, a short story, and one novel.  I kept thinking, there must be some mistake.  That being said, I sent back my agreement right away and started writing a novella.  I figured if I gave it to them, they’d have to include it, right? (Assuming the story was good enough, of course.)

I wrote my heart out and Page Against the Machine is the result.  I’m happy with my novella, and I’m hoping readers will enjoy it as they gobble up the other stories in the anthology.  The two organizations we’re giving the money to are near and dear to me.  Of course, I know the Matthew Shepard story, and with all that is going on in Texas right now, I’m happy to lend my support to Equality Texas.  In fact, as I look around, I realize how blessed I am to live in Canada.  We’re not perfect, but we don’t actively have people trying to take away our rights.  As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I found stepping up even more important.

I hope you’ll buy the anthology.  I hope you’ll enjoy all the stories.  We, as authors, pour our hearts into these stories.  We do it out of love.  Inclusive love.  Abiding love.

And, I wouldn’t be a good guest (thank you so much Delilah), if I didn’t offer a prize.  For a $5 Amazon GC, drop a note.  Have you read an inclusive story of some kind that moved you? (Doesn’t have to be a gay romance.)  Good luck!

Love is All

The fifth edition of Love Is All features nine brand new stories from bestselling and award-winning authors, including BL Maxwell, Chantal Mer & Susan Scott Shelley, Connor Peterson, Gabbi Grey, Nic Starr, R.L. Merrill, Sean Michael, Sophia Soames, and Xio Axelrod. They celebrate the universal human right that is to love and be loved.

All proceeds from the anthology will go to two organizations that support and defend LGBTQIA+ rights: the Matthew Shepard Foundation and Equality Texas.

The anthology will only be available for a limited time.

Links:
https://books2read.com/liav5
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Love-All-5-Xio-Axelrod-ebook/dp/B0B3Z4ZY4H/
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61212762-love-is-all

About the Authors

Xio Axelrod
Xio Axelrod is a USA Today bestselling author of different flavours of contemporary romance. She also writes what she likes to call strange, twisted tales. Xio grew up in the music industry and began recording at a young age. When she isn’t writing stories, she can be found in the studio, writing songs, or performing on international stages (under a different, no-so-secret name). She lives in Philadelphia with one full-time husband and several part-time cats.

Chantal Mer
Chantal Mer is an author and optimist. Her stories explore relationships and what it means to be family. When she’s not writing about strong women, strong men, and strong love, she can be found walking her adorable dog, volunteering at her kids’ school (in the library, of course), teaching at the local university, and reading.

Chantal lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband, kids, Toffee the Wonder Dog, and vicious cat, Gracie.

Susan Scott Shelley
USA Today bestselling author Susan Scott Shelley writes stories with heat and heart, where love always wins. Her romances give readers lighthearted and emotionally satisfying escapes into happily ever after. In addition to crafting stories, she is also a professional voiceover artist and enjoys lending her voice to a wide range of projects.

She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and is an avid fan of her hometown sports teams. Her favorite things include running (honestly, it’s more like jogging), sports (especially hockey), hard rock (but will listen to anything from heavy metal to show tunes), and writing about people from all walks of life finding their special someone.

R.L. Merrill
R.L. Merrill brings you stories of Hope, Love, and Rock ‘n’ Roll featuring quirky and relatable characters. Whether she’s writing contemporary, paranormal, or supernatural, she loves to give readers a shiver with compelling stories that will stay with you long after. You can find her connecting with readers on social media, educating America’s youth, raising two brilliant teenagers, writing horror-infused music reviews for HorrorAddicts.net, trying desperately to get that back piece finished in the tattoo chair, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more Rock ‘n’ Romance.

Rochelle Merrill brings you Fun, Fresh Fiction with Feeling. If R.L. Merrill is your local hard rock/metal radio station, Rochelle is her Adult Contemporary alter ego. Spinning feel-good stories to make you laugh and swoon, Ro writes romance for grown-ups who use their words (mostly) and take care of business. She’s a mom and wife who’s on hiatus from a career in education while she explores the new terrain of mid-life adventures. You can catch her walking and gardening in her neighborhood by the Bay, spoiling her rescue pets, and dreaming of attending concerts and theaters again someday. Stay Tuned for more hits coming your way…

Sean Michael
Often referred to as “Space Cowboy” and “Gangsta of Love” while still striving for the moniker of “Maurice,” Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to “Chicago.”

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He’ll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

Sophia Soames
Sophia Soames is a Scandinavian, UK based, Author of contemporary MM romance. She writes stories of everyday people with kids and families living real life fairytales.

Nic Starr
Nic Starr lives in Australia where she tries to squeeze as much into her busy life as possible. Balancing the demands of a corporate career with raising a family and writing can be challenging but she wouldn’t give it up for the world.

Always a reader, the lure of m/m romance was strong and she devoured hundreds of wonderful m/m romance books before eventually realising she had some stories of her own that needed to be told!

When not writing or reading, she loves to spend time with her family–an understanding husband and two beautiful daughters–and is often found indulging in her love of cooking and planning her dream home in the country.

Connor Peterson
Connor Peterson is a USA Today bestselling author of LGBTQ+ urban fantasy and dark, paranormal romance, local to the Philadelphia, PA area. The madman behind Deathspell and Temptation in Neon, Connor has also contributed to the story cycle Red Phone Box – published by Ghostwoods Books – and the anthology Nocturnal Embers – published by Crimson Melodies Publishing. He is also an active participant in the Philadelphia writing community, and volunteers as a municipal liaison for National Novel Writing Month.

BL Maxwell
BL Maxwell grew up in a small town listening to her grandfather spin tales about his childhood. Later she became an avid reader and after a certain vampire series she became obsessed with fanfiction. She soon discovered Slash fanfiction and later discovered the MM genre and was hooked.

Many years later, she decided to take the plunge and write down some of the stories that seem to run through her head late at night when she’s trying to sleep.

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.