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…Colleen C!
*~*~*

“Don’t bet on it.”

“Ace in the hole.”

 “Put your money where your mouth is.”

I’m not a gambler. Not at all. In fact, my adult daughter took me to a casino for the first time only a few weeks ago. And while I had a fun afternoon with her, I don’t feel the need to do it again unless it’s simply to spend more time with her. I was not drawn into the flashing lights and promises of big payouts. I had more fun watching the other people. Yep, not a gambler.

But when I was working on my last book, NOT BETTING ON FOREVER, which releases today, Aug 8^th, I researched betting lingo so I could add a few phrases here and there. The main characters, Melanie and Nick, grew up next door to each other in very competitive families, so when they both end up back in town, single and next door to each other again, what can they do but fall into old habits? They don’t go to a casino but find themselves competitors in the local Battle of the Businesses.

I was surprised how many common terms and phrases come from betting lingo. I mean, I guess most of them are pretty obvious when you get right down to it. But when a non-competitive, non-gambler like me uses some of these phrases in non-betting conversations…well, as someone who loves words, it made me curious about which phrases I’ve been using without having a clue where they originated. Just a few examples…

“Holding your own.” I always thought that meant you could handle yourself in a certain situation, but in betting lingo, it means breaking even — like what I did after 5 hours in the casino with my daughter.

“Sure thing.” Now to me, it’s another way to say “yes.” “Hey, can you pick up the pizza on your way home?” “Sure thing.” But in betting lingo it means…yeah, pretty obvious…something that has 100% chance of winning. Kinda the opposite of a “Long shot.”

“Down to the wire.” That’s a phrase that now means up to the very last moment, like when I’m working right up until my deadline to finish a project. Luckily, that doesn’t happen very often! But in betting terms, it comes from a time when a wire was stretched across the finish line in horse races as a way to tell which horse won when the competition was very close. Sounds kind of dangerous to me.

You might wonder which terms my characters used in NOT BETTING ON FOREVER? Just a few examples…

“What do you want to bet?” That was only a few pages into the book. They can’t help it!

“Penny ante.” It used to be a small-stakes poker game. The definition now means any dealings on a small scale. Nick and Melanie’s parents usually play for pennies, big jars of them.

 “Luck of the draw.” Melanie’s team is put up against a tough competitor in one of the battles, I’m not going to tell you who won.

“You’ve got a bet.” Nick and Melanie made a side bet. Um…more than one, actually.

The examples I’ve given are just the tip of the iceberg. So, what about you? Any favorite betting phrases? Do you like to hit the casinos? Do you weigh the odds? Play your cards right? Or are the cards stacked against you? Let me know in the comments below and one lucky commenter will get a free digital copy of NOT BETTING ON FOREVER.

Not Betting on Forever

What’s the fun when you don’t bet to win?

Single mom Melanie Hayes should absolutely, completely, and totally not be attracted to her next door neighbor. Nick Campagna can be her friend, her secret crush, or just the arrogant —and unavoidably handsome—jerk next door, but nothing more.  Because, even though it was a million years ago, he’s also her sister’s ex. And now, with Lakeside’s Battle of the Businesses in full swing, Nick’s also Melanie’s competition.

Their families have always been competitive, so it’s no surprise to anyone that Nick and Melanie are playing for more than just bragging rights. With a coveted piece of land on the line, Nick isn’t backing down. Maybe he can’t help noticing that the tomboy he knew as a kid has turned into a stunning redhead. Maybe he is attracted to Melanie. Ridiculously so. But as real as this feels, Nick knows this is one game he definitely can’t win.

They’ve known each other long enough that it’s definitely not love at first sight. But attraction can happen in an instant. And this is one wager where winning is nowhere near as fun as playing the game…

BRAND NEW RELEASE! Get your copy here: Not Betting on Forever

Oh, and the title phrase – “Winner, winner, chicken dinner?” It’s said that it originated from gamblers who would bet anything to win enough money to buy themselves a chicken dinner.

Don’t forget to leave a comment!

Natasha

UPDATE: The winner is…Janelle Beaver!
*~*~*

©Diana Cosby 2022

Summer is a wonderful time to enjoy nature’s beauty.  Recently, I was fortunate to see this beautiful doe.

The long days of sunlight nurture numerous flowers that draw bees, butterflies, skippers, and more.

Early in the morning chipmunks move through the grass, around rocks, or through the woods foraging for food.

Ravens are beautiful, plus really smart, and I often see them during the summer months.

I love turtles and I look forward to seeing them in the woods, at the pond, or along the shore before the cooler weather of fall arrives and they hibernate.

The warm days of summer give way to numerous varieties of butterflies who slowly flutter their way across fields, streams, in search of the next flower.  Take care, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer!

Contest

***ONE winner will be drawn from everyone who posts on my guest blog post about, ‘Nature’s Beauty – Summer Along the Shore!’ on Delilah’s blog between 7 August 2022 – 14 August 2022, and will win a signed copy of His Woman.”

About Diana Cosby

A retired Navy Chief, Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense. Books in her award-winning MacGruder Brothers series have been translated into five languages. Diana has spoken at the Library of Congress, Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC, and appeared in Woman’s Day, on USA Today’s romance blog, “Happy Ever After,” MSN.com, Atlantic County Women Magazine, and Texoma Living Magazine.

After her career in the Navy, Diana dove into her passion – writing romance novels. With 34 moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world. After the release of the bestselling MacGruder Brothers series and The Oath Trilogy, she released the bestselling The Forbidden Series.

Diana looks forward to the years of writing ahead and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey.

God bless,

Diana Cosby, International Best-Selling Author
www.dianacosby.com
The Oath Trilogy
MacGruder Brother Series
The Forbidden Series

Social Media
Website:  https://www.dianacosby.com/
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/978803.Diana_Cosby
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Diana-Cosby/e/B003YJ1MR4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1417447922&sr=8-1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Diana-Cosby-Romance-Author-150109024636/?ref=ts

UPDATE: The winners are…Lynn Danilowicz and Christine Cushing!
*~*~*

Hi, everyone! I want to start today by thanking my hostess Delilah for letting me come play in her space again. It’s always a lot of fun hanging out here with you all.

Today is my birthday, but I have gifts for some of you and will tell you about that just a little later.

While today is the day, we’re not doing birthday dinner and cake until the weekend, because of family work schedules. Not mine—I took today and tomorrow off so I have a four-day birthday weekend. But it means I have two days to do almost anything I want. The question is, what will that be?

Reading is on the list for sure. There’s a little cooking on the to-do list, because I am prepping my birthday dinner for Saturday, plus the regular weekend chores, but there is still a whole lot of open time. I’m thinking about an hour on the massage table on Friday—I haven’t done that in a while, and an hour of total relaxation on a long weekend seems a good idea. But I still have a lot of time to fill in those four days.

Heck, as I’m writing this, I still haven’t decided on what kind of cake I want to have with dinner on Saturday. I really have to figure that out, since the cake is the most important part of the birthday dinner menu, at least on my birthday. Layer cake with icing? Cheesecake? Fancy cupcakes? Decisions, decisions…

I am sure of one thing, though—there will also be writing time. Hopefully a lot of it (we won’t talk about how far behind I am on this year’s writing goals.), because tonight happens to be my regular monthly writing group night. Every month a group of us meet for dinner and writing time. Some months we’re all there, sometimes only a couple of us make it. Some months we get a lot of writing done, some months we do more talking than writing, depending on what’s happening in our worlds or in the world in general. But we all look forward to the evening—so much so that we’ve added a second night several months recently—because it’s a chance to hang out with people we enjoy spending time with while also doing something we all love. Also, there are usually cookies. It’s not birthday cake, but it’ll do until Saturday. Kind of like having two birthday dinners.

Aside from writing this weekend, I have some revisions waiting for me as well, on the third book in my Medusa’s Daughters trilogy, which has a beautiful cover waiting already and which I wanted to have out in the world long before now. Hm, this weekend’s schedule might be taking better shape now. Reading, writing, revisions, massage, two birthday dinners, weekend chores. That might be enough for four days, especially since the reading/writing/rewriting will take a large chunk of time, or should. What do you think?

When I was a kid, deciding on birthday dinner and cake was fairly easy, as was how I wanted to spend the day—lots of years, it meant a sleepover with a best friend, and always family around the table. Plus I didn’t have to do any of the dinner prep myself.

If you could design the perfect way to spend your birthday, what would it look like? Who would you be with? What kind of cake would you have? I will do a drawing on Sunday morning, July 31, 2022 and pull two names from all of the responses for an ebook giveaway—winners’ choice from my three romances. My birthday = presents for you!

About the Author

Lifelong book addict Elizabeth Andrews fell in love with romance novels at an early age, a love that carried into adulthood, and for a while, she worked in a bookstore, where she got to share that love with other readers. Now she writes her own, full of sexy heroes and strong heroines. Her stories range from paranormal to contemporary, to who knows what her imagination might come up with along the way, but happy endings are a guarantee!

She’s a married mother of two, who’s got a room overflowing with her book collection and a garden full of herbs and veggies that need occasional attention between writing and reading binges.

You can find her at ElizabethAndrewsWrites.com

About Her Books

Light the Way Home: Single dad Nate Baxter has his hands full with his son and his haunted lighthouse. He doesn’t have time to spend with a woman…especially one who won’t stick around, like his ex-wife.

But Lucie Russo’s not like other women Nate’s met. She’s sweet and sexy, and his mouth waters every time he’s around her.

Will a family emergency cause him to break his relationship rules? And if he does, will his heart be broken too?

Hunting Medusa, Medusa’s Daughters Book 1: When Kallan Tassos tracks down the current Medusa, he expects to find a monster. Instead he finds a wary, beautiful woman, shielded by a complicated web of spells that foils his plans for a quick kill and retrieval of her protective amulet.

Andrea Rosakis expects the handsome Harvester to go for the kill. Instead, his attempt to take the amulet imprinted on her skin without harming her takes her completely by surprise. And ends with the two of them in a magical bind—together. But Kallan isn’t the only Harvester on Andi’s trail…

Protecting Medusa, Medusa’s Daughters Book 2: Being the Medusa will put a real crimp in a woman’s social life. Lucky for Philomena Gregory, she gave up on men long before Athena’s curse landed on her head. Not even the naked man in the bathroom will change her mind.

Ryder Ware has waited six years to meet Mena in person. Flirting on the phone and via email is no substitute for face to face when a man is so intrigued. But now that Athena’s Harvesters have found her, Mena has no choice but to let him keep her safe—and close, very close.

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

I love a tortured hero, don’t you? In the latest installment in my Zenarians series, I deal with the trauma of loss. My battle-scarred hero Zadoc lost his beloved ofelia (soulmate) to the war with the Mordaines. Murdered right before his eyes. Doomed to live without her, each day is a new torment for him. I honestly cried a few times while writing his tragic story. He loved his Jasmine with all his heart. So, when unassuming Laura St. Claire comes into his life and he finds himself drawn to her, Zadoc is torn. It’s a betrayal to Jasmine’s memory, and yet there’s just something about the dark-haired human female that tugs at him. Even her scent is somehow familiar. Is he being given a second chance at love?

When you pick up this novel you can expect to read about an immortal alien hero, an introverted bookworm of a heroine, love scenes that will knock your socks off, and edge-of-your-seat action. Have tissues handy because you just might shed a few tears!

Other novels in my Zenarians Series include Zar, Kade, and Dyre. All can be read on their own, but you won’t want to miss these over-the-top alphas! To get you started you can read the first chapter of all four books on my website: https://www.annerainey.com/zenarians-series

Zadoc: Zenarians Series, Book Four

She awakens the beast in him…

Zadoc has known happiness when he met his beautiful Jasmine. His ofelia. His soulmate. She was his whole world. Only to have her ripped away from him when she was murdered during the war with the Mordaines. Her death was a knife to his heart. As a centuries-old Zenarian immortal, Zadoc is aware that he will never love another. Never feel the soft caress of a lover’s hands upon his wings. The physical scars he bears are a constant reminder of all that he’s lost. Until he meets Laura. Sweet, shy, and Earth-born. Her presence brings light and joy to his soul—and his creature isn’t immune to her innocent allure either. After so many years of cold emptiness, Zadoc will go to extreme lengths to keep Laura by his side.

Laura enjoys a simple life. A good book on a stormy night. Sunday dinners with her family. Her life is as modest as it gets and she’s happy with the status quo. When she meets Zadoc, co-owner of Zenarian Industries, she’s instantly drawn to him. His commanding presence and the deep, gravelly tone of his voice sends tingles of awareness along her nerve endings. Everything feminine in her stands up and takes notice. Until she glimpses the black wings sprouting from his back. Wait, wings? Before she can wrap her mind around what she’s seeing, she’s kidnapped by a disgruntled co-worker and tortured, marking the beginning of Laura’s crazy adventure into a world she never knew existed.

Buy Zadoc on Amazon Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09WJRPB6J/

You can also join me on Rainey’s Readers for exclusive peeks at upcoming books and contests: https://www.facebook.com/groups/785284435328066

Excerpt from Zadoc: Zenarians Series, Book 4…

Laura couldn’t look away. She suspected she was frozen in terror. Or maybe she was having a crazy and intense dream and she couldn’t wake up. Sleep paralysis was a thing, right? People suffered from it all the time. You think you’re awake, but you aren’t. Either way, nothing in her life could’ve prepared her for what was sitting next to her. Zadoc has wings. Giant black Lucifer-type wings. She watched as the gorgeous man shifted around on the sofa to get more comfortable. She had to scoot away from him to keep from being hit in the face by the right one. They were spread out on either side of him. A twitch of his shoulder and the left wing flexed, knocking into the table lamp. For a few worrisome seconds the metal base teetered back and forth before it steadied.

Oh, God, it couldn’t be real. “Touch him,” she mumbled to her cowardly self. “Just find out if they’re real.”

Taking a deep breath, Laura reached out with her right hand and stroked a feather near the top bend. It was as soft as velvet beneath her fingertips. Zadoc’s entire body went rigid and his eyes flew open. His gaze snared hers. “Ofelia,” he murmured in a voice so deep and hoarse that Laura felt it coast along her nerve endings.

She slowly got to her feet. “I don’t—”

Sheer terror prevented her from finishing the statement. She backed up a step, stumbling over the heels that she’d kicked off earlier, then ran toward the door. She heard Zadoc calling her name, but adrenaline was pumping hard and she ran for all she was worth. She saw her purse on the table near the door and grabbed it, then gave the knob a vicious twist, shoving the door wide. She hauled ass down the sidewalk to the street beyond. “Help!” she screamed. A porch light came on a few houses down and she ran toward it. She could hear footsteps behind her, but she didn’t dare look back. Suddenly a car came barreling around the corner, headlights momentarily blinding her. Brakes screeched and a passenger door swung open. She stared in horror as Eddie sat behind the wheel holding a gun.

“Get in,” he shouted. “Now, Laura, or I’ll kill you and your boyfriend.”

Laura looked back and saw Zadoc running toward her. The wings were gone. As if they’d never been there. Had she dreamt the whole thing? Jesus, maybe. A combination of too many hours at the office and not enough sleep. She’d had freaky dreams plenty of times. Zadoc yelled her name and Laura started in his direction, but Eddie’s words pulled her to a halt.

“He’ll die first,” Eddie snarled. “I have nothing to lose, thanks to you.”

Her stomach churned and her knees nearly collapsed. If she didn’t get in the car then Eddie really would shoot. Zadoc would be dead and it’d be her fault. And all because she’d had a nightmare and imagined things that couldn’t possibly be real.