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

I first discovered Laura Wheeler Waring thanks to her portrait of Alice Dunbar Nelson, which I shared in my November 2024 D.D. blogpost. Then the Metropolitan Museum’s exhibit The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism introduced me to more of her work. Intrigued, I decided to create a post on the artist whom W.E.B. DuBois considered a “missionary of culture.”

Laura was born on May 26, 1887, in Hartford, Connecticut and came from a prominent African American family. Her father was the Reverend Robert Foster Wheeler, pastor of Talcott Street Congregational Church, the first all-black church in Connecticut. Her mother was Mary Freeman Wheeler, a teacher and amateur artist.

She greatly admired the painting of African American artist Henry O. Tanner. While attending Hartford Public High School, her own talent in painting was recognized. She graduated with honors from Hartford in 1906 and began teaching part-time at Cheyney Training School for Teachers in Pennsylvania. She matriculated into the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA), making her the sixth generation of her family to attend college. Although her heart belonged to painting, she studied illustration with Henry McCarter which along with teaching enabled her to support herself as she pursued a career in painting.

She provided many illustrations for the NACCP’s Crisis magazine. Her first Crisis cover appeared in 1913. In 1914, she was the first African American woman to receive PAFA’s A. William Emlen Cresson Memorial Travel Scholarship to study art at the Louvre in Paris. In 1920, thanks to her NAACP connections, she became the first African American to illustrate for a major mainstream publisher.

When World War I interrupted her studies in Paris, she returned to teaching at Cheney and continued there for thirty years. She took sabbaticals to return to Europe and continue perfecting her craft. She became known for murals and landscapes. During this second trip, she exhibited her work in Parisian art galleries for the first time.

In 1927, her paintings won the William E. Harmon Foundation Award in Fine Arts with a special mention for the portrait done of Anna Washington Derry, a laundress at Cheney. During Laura’s lifetime the Corcoran Gallery,  in Washington, DC, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art displayed her work. In 1944, eight portraits were commissioned and shown by the Harmon Foundation in their exhibit Portraits of Outstanding Americans of Negro Origin. These are now part of the Harmon Collection in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

While her work was dismissed as derivative by New Negro/Harlem Renaissance esthete Alain Locke, others appreciated the dignity she gave African Americans of all classes in her portraits and illustrations.

Laura married Walter Waring in 1927 but had no children. She died in Philadelphia in 1948. Grateful Cheney graduates succeeded in having a Philadelphia public school named for her. The Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame inducted her in 1997. You can learn more about her from PAFA’s presentation on youtube: https://youtu.be/6ltK486TaGY?si=dWfCHwt67lAqBkHV

For a chance at a $10 Amazon gift card, share your impressions of Laura Wheeler Waring in the comments.

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary McCoy!
*~*~*

I am adopted. I’ve known this since I was old enough to understand what that meant.  My adoptive mother (hereafter referred to as my ‘mother’) let me know that my biological mother couldn’t keep me, but that she, my mother, wanted me very much.  She also said my biological father wanted to keep me, but that, as a couple, my biological parents couldn’t make it work.  That’s a lot for a five-year-old to understand.  She also cautioned me not to tell kids I was adopted.  Now, she denies this, but it’s one of my strongest memories from just before I started school.

I was very close to my mother growing up — whether that was a good or a bad thing is left to the annals of history and my therapist.  I will say that what finally drove us apart was, in part, my mental illness.  She got tired of having a sick daughter who was always needing to be rescued.  There were some other factors, but that was the big one.  She cut me out of her life.  That was twenty years ago.

For various reasons, I was never close to my father.  He blames my mother and her parenting style.  His own shenanigans during their marriage didn’t help.  Again, water under the bridge, and yes, my therapist knows all about it.

My Adoptive Dad

(For the record — I joke about therapy but will say here that I come by my mental illness honestly. It comes from both sides of my biological parents’ families.  Mental illness is extremely serious and should never be taken lightly.  I take my meds, do the work with my doctor, and do regular check-ins to make sure I’m coping. For me, however, humor is part of coping.  It works for me — it doesn’t for others.

When I was eighteen, I registered with provincial authorities to meet my biological parents. That was the procedure where I lived. Then, eventually, if no match was made, the government would initiate a search.

I waited ten years — which is how long I was told it would be.

Then my cousin told me the government had searched on her behalf. The result hadn’t been all that positive, but she’d come away with crucial medical information. So not a total loss, even if her biological mother wanted nothing to do with her.

Since my cousin had registered after me, I contacted the government — to discover they had an old address.  Eventually, they initiated a search.  I won’t bore you with the details, but about the time the government was searching, my bio mom decided she was ready to look.  So the timing couldn’t have been better — earlier, she might not have been ready.  That first meeting went well, and she invited me to visit her at her home later.  My dog and I made the trek halfway across Canada, and I got to spend time with her.  I met her husband, my grandparents, and two of my three half-siblings.

The relationship became complicated from that point forward and I lost touch — that was on me.  Eventually, from that family, my grandfather passed, my bio mom passed, and then my grandmother passed the next day.  My only regret is not keeping in touch.  Those siblings and nieces and nephews are lost to me entirely.

Okay, so that was that.  Except maybe not.  In 2018, I spit in two tubes and sent those samples off to labs.  23 and Me provided genetic information as well as a DNA database (watch out, they’re in bankruptcy — I recently downloaded all my data and deleted it entirely since I can’t guarantee the next owner, if there is one, will be scrupulous with my privacy).  Ancestry also has a database, so I signed up for that.

Awkward — bio mom’s extended family contacted me.  Very curious as to who this unknown person was — they believed they knew everyone.  She hadn’t told them about me before her death.  Respecting that wish, I asked the relatives to ignore me.  They pointed out they were nice people.  I asked for respect of my wishes — they did back down.

Fast forward to late November 2021.  Someone contacted me through Ancestry.  The last name was the same as the one my bio mom told me belonged to my bio dad.  My half-sister had found me.  Discussions ensued.  Ironically, I was nervous.  What if I was a disappointment? What if they didn’t like me?

I met with my half-sister first.  Then my dad and my other half-sister.  Things sort of went sideways in my half-sister’s life, and I no longer fit into that space.  I respect that.  My other half-sister has a lot going on in her life.  Again, I understand.

My Bio Dad

That left me and my bio dad.  He came to my town a couple of times, and we shared some awkward meals.  Then one day, out of the blue, he texted me. I texted back.  Those texts increased in frequency.  Now, it’s a couple of times a week.  Recently, he asked if he could come for a twenty-four-hour visit.  Understand — people don’t come to my house, and they certainly don’t spend the night.

For him, though, I was willing to make an exception.

Again, I won’t bore you with details — but the visit went well.  I learned a ton about my family, and he got a complete picture of my life — the good, the bad, and the…WTAF?

Such is life.

I don’t know how much longer I’ll have him.  I am also much closer to my dad than before, and I don’t know how much longer I’ll have him either. I’m trying to make the most of what I do have.  I try to share my writing.  I visit when I can.  I hold them in my hearts.

Okay — that was way more than you probably wanted to know. My point?  Being adopted wasn’t a bad thing in my life.  My adopted parents were far from perfect, but I’ve had a good life. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been and so no regrets. I just happened to have gone through Hell to get here.

There are tons of found families in my stories — people who support and love my main characters when their own biological families fail them (or die…lots of parents and siblings die in accidents and of horrible diseases). I like to make my characters suffer and then have them find love — in many different forms.

Stanley’s Christmas Redemption is one of those books.  Angus, the ten-year-old, is tragically orphaned. And sure, he has his uncle, Stanley, whom he’s never meet.  But he also has his counselor, Justin.  Who eventually steps away from the therapist role and into that of stepfather (because of course Justin and Stanley fall in love).  Justin has his parents and siblings, but he also has his co-workers with whom he’s close. And then Stanley reconnects with an ex-boyfriend and, eventually, their two families draw closer. Finally, Stanley and Justin foster Opal. Now, if you read subsequent books, you discover what happens to Opal (hint: Justin, Stanley, and Angus are part of her life).

Adoption often turns out well. Found family can be more precious than blood.

You can make characters suffer and given them a happy ending.

Okay, enough about me. I’m so grateful if you’ve read all that.  To one of your readers, Delilah, I would like to gift Stanley’s Christmas Redemption as well as the three other big books in my Love in Mission City series. If the winner doesn’t want those, I can give four other books from my back catalogue.  So let me know — is there a particular book that touched you? One with an adoption, or found family, or just some group of people who are connected in a nontraditional way?  Drop me a comment and let me know.  Winner to be chosen by Random.

Stanley’s Christmas Redemption Synopsis

Stanley

I have life figured out—a good job, a nice car, and an ex-boyfriend whose heart I broke. But then my half-brother dies unexpectedly, and I go back to our hometown to settle his affairs. A quick trip before Christmas. Instead, I get the shock of my life. Do I face this new challenge or do what I’ve always done—run? Or will I stay and get to know the most amazing man I’ve ever met and take on a responsibility I’ve never dreamed of facing? This will be a holiday season like no other.

Justin

I’m a therapist who helps people deal with grief. My life is fulfilling. So what if I’ve been single for years? I have the kids I counsel and co-workers I adore. Maybe I’m tired of going home to an empty house and not looking forward to another Christmas alone. But I’m not going to be taken in by some slick city guy who can’t wait to leave town. I’m not going to upend my life just because I’ve met the man of my dreams. Right?

This is an 85k opposites-attract instalove mid-angst gay romance novel.  Previously published in the charity anthology Secret Santa: A Romance Collection, the story has quadrupled in size with more love, laughs, and a touch of Christmas magic.

Buy links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZD95NH7
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Stanleys-Christmas-Redemption-Audiobook/B09ZBM2GJ8
Universal link:  https://books2read.com/u/mV86x2

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.

Personal links:
Website: https://gabbigrey.com/
Newsletter sign-up:  https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gabbi-grey
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15456297.Gabbi_Grey
Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Gabbi-Grey/e/B07SJVFX1M
Audible Profile:  https://www.audible.com/author/Gabbi-Grey/B07SJVFX1M
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbigrey/

UPDATE: The winner is…Elaine Swinney!
*~*~*

Hello, Delilah! Thank you for welcoming me here to share my new release! Archer’s Awakening is a short story in my Love in Mission City world.  I’m super excited about this short story (10k) because it’s a bit of a departure from what I’ve been writing.

In what way, you ask?  Well…firstly, it’s a love story in the Mission City series, which is small-town.  Yet the protagonist — Archer — is a big city divorce lawyer, and the setting is The Georgian Hotel in Vancouver, Canada (based on a real place, but not that place).  At least for the first two-thirds of the story, it’s not clear where the connection to Mission City is.  I trust my readers to hang in there until the reveal — because it comes.

This book is also steamy, but not in a traditional Gabbi Grey way. Curious? You’ll have to read because I don’t want to give any spoilers away.

I’m trying something new as I move forward in my Love in Mission City series — a small prequel short story before each big book.  The short stories are in no way necessary reading — but they offer a little snippet between big books to keep readers interested.  The first was Rayne Check.  That one was unintentional — I wrote it for a friend and to give away.  Then I wrote Rayne’s Return.  A reader can read that full-length book without the prequel — but having read the steamy short helps.

Which brought me to the next big book, Gideon’s Gratitude (coming in July).  I’ll share the genesis of that story later, but it’s been written for years.  I just needed to find the right spot for it.  After Rayne’s Return is perfect! Except…I couldn’t put anything in Rayne’s Return to help prepare readers for Gideon and Archer’s love story.

Hence, Archer’s Awakening.

Confused? Yeah, me too.  I’d plotted out the next four big books and, in the end, decided each needed a super short, super-hot prequel.

Unlike Rayne and Everett’s half-a-night stand in the prequel for their story, Archer and Gideon have to meet in chapter one of their book — it’s the ultimate meet cute.  So that left me with finding a way to whet reader’s appetites.  I truly hope I’ve managed.

Finally, Archer is bisexual.  That’s not a big deal in my fictional world — plenty of men and women are.  I know several in my own life, and I want to see their stories represented.  Archer’s coming out of what turned out to be a bad marriage. That stings because he’s a divorce lawyer — he can’t believe he’s become one of the people who couldn’t hold things together.

In an attempt to move forward, he’s going back to what is comfortable — he had a gay lover in college, and he’s willing to try again.  The trick for me as a writer? It has to be clear the guy Archer (sort of) hooks up with isn’t his happily ever after.  And readers can’t be disappointed the guy isn’t.  That’s threading a needle. I hope I’ve done it.

Anyway, that is my explanation about how Archer’s Awakening came to be.  I love the cover my designer made for me. (I’m thrilled with all the work she’s done for me.)  I hope readers enjoy this steamy short and that it makes them want Gideon’s Gratitude all the more!

As a thank you to your readers, Delilah, I want to give a copy of Archer’s Awakening and a $5 Amazon Gift Card to one commenter.  How likely are you to grab a short story if it’s connected to a series you love?  Do you enjoy these vignettes into the world or do you just want the next full-length novel.  Leave a comment and let me know!  Random will pick a winner.

Archer’s Awakening

Archer

I’ve spent the last fifteen years becoming the most sought-after divorce attorney in Vancouver. I use every hidden fact and every psychological trick to protect my clients and get the best settlements possible. I have a wait-list for my services a mile long.

Ironically, I didn’t see my own divorce coming. My wife cheated on me, and now I’m alone. As long as I’m rebuilding my life, this is the time to explore the bisexual side I’ve shelved since college. And hell yeah, I do like men, but the idea of one-night stands leaves me feeling empty. Might the right person still be out there for me? Should I go back to dating women?

I just don’t know.

Archer’s Awakening is a 10k steamy gay romance short story about a man on the precipice of a new life yet struggling to leave his old life behind.

Links:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Archers-Awakening-Mission-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B0DZ3NQNY1
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/archer-s-awakening
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/archers-awakening-gabbi-grey/1147281840
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/archers-awakening/id6744618670
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gabbi_Grey_Archer_s_Awakening?id=uYFVEQAAQBAJ&gl=US
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1747321
Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/ArchersAwakening

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.

Personal links:
Website: https://gabbigrey.com/
Newsletter sign-up: https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbigrey/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gabbi-grey
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15456297.Gabbi_Grey
Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Gabbi-Grey/e/B07SJVFX1M
Audible Profile: https://www.audible.com/author/Gabbi-Grey/B07SJVFX1M
Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey

SAMAEL is the first book in the Blackwell Brothers’ Redemption trilogy, featuring three brothers with a very interesting job—they’re reapers.

Being the sons of the Grim Reaper comes with expectations, and their father is not happy at how they’ve been conducting business. He’s given them each an ultimatum— learn to reap with compassion and do the job to his standards or face eternal exile. Stranded in the town of Redemption with limited powers and money and no way to communicate with the outside, they’ll all play the game, reap the soul, and return to their normal lives. It’s a straightforward plan—until they meet their assignments.

Samael
Blackwell Brothers’ Redemption, Book 1

Love her. Protect her. Reap her soul.

Samael Blackwell is the son of Death—and he’s officially out of chances. After centuries of reaping souls with zero regard for the rules, his father sends him to the dead-end town of Redemption. With only a few hundred bucks and the clothes on his back, Sam has one last shot to prove he can do the job right: reap with compassion or lose everything.

It should’ve been easy. Find the soul. Finish the job. Walk away.

Then he meets Adrianne Sharp.

She’s strong, guarded, and hiding from a past that refuses to stay buried. The connection between them is instant—and impossible. Because Adrianne isn’t just anyone. She’s his assignment.

And her soul’s on the clock.

To win back his old life, all Sam has to do is watch her die. But what if the cost of redemption…is her?

He was sent to end her story. But she just might rewrite his.

An excerpt…

He pushed into a seated position and got his first glimpse of himself. It wasn’t only his watch that was gone. He no longer wore his custom Tom Ford suit and hand-tooled Italian shoes. In their place were worn jeans, a plain white T-shirt, a battered leather jacket, and boots that had seen their best day a decade ago.

He pushed himself upright and brushed the dirt and debris from his clothes. Raking his fingers through his hair, he scanned his surroundings. There were trees everywhere, not a high-rise to be seen. A huge crow swooped down and perched on a nearby branch, cold black eyes staring directly at him.

“Malaki. Why am I not surprised the old man sent you to spy on me?” Crows were often employed as messengers between the land of the living and the realm of the dead. Malaki was his father’s companion, his personal assistant, as it were. “You tell him I’ll play his game, and I’ll damn well win.”

*~*~*

Want to read more? You can find SAMAEL here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2SDQMVF/
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/samael-n-j-walters/1147212495
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/samael-13
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/samael/id6743937757

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit her at:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://x.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

UPDATE: The winner is…Julianna!
*~*~*

Hello, Delilah!  Thank you for inviting me here today to discuss my new short story in a great anthology!

I’m sure you’re wondering…Taylor Swift?

I’ll see if I can explain.  About a year and a half ago, I signed up for this anthology.  Well, this one and a bunch of others.  I signed up for every one I could get my hands on.

Then Plot Whisperer and I sat down to figure out potential storylines for each anthology.  This one was a bit perplexing.  What circumstances might lead a couple of guys to only have one bed?

I came up with the idea of Taylor Swift coming to Vancouver and people having to bunk together.

Plot Whisperer vetoed that idea. Not because of TS…but just because it didn’t resonate with her.

We kept working at figuring a reason.

In the end, we settled on the tight housing market in Vancouver.  Completely legitimate if you know this city.

Then we needed to sort through how Troy and Rocco knew each other, why Troy needed help, and why Rocco would offer it.  Check, check, check.

From there, I just had to write my story.

Writing about Rocco’s decision to downsize from a large house made sense. He wanted to be closer to work (Vancouver traffic is hellacious).

Troy’s living near the poverty level because of a job that pays barely above minimum wage is definitely a thing.

Throw in a good friend, a wayward son, and I had a story.

But I didn’t get my Taylor Swift!

Ironically, she announced she was coming to Vancouver just a few months later, and she ended her tour here. So, yay Vancouver!

(I did consider having Troy hit by a car by someone heading to the concert but wouldn’t have fit – so I vetoed my own idea.)

Mentioning any person – living or dead – is always a risk.  Especially speaking of them in a negative light.  There are people who don’t like Ms. Swift and would take offense for me including her in my story – even if I was only mentioning her concert as being popular. (FYI – I tried to get tickets and couldn’t. Given the expense, that probably wasn’t a bad thing. See above for the cost of living in the Vancouver area.)

Thanks for letting me visit Delilah! And to talk a bit about the process of writing.  I would love to give away a $5 Amazon Gift Card.  Can you remember a time when you were reading a book and a reference to someone famous struck you? (Good or bad…) I had a reference in an upcoming story to someone I thought was a good actor and a decent guy.  My proofreader said, you realize he’s a jerk, right? I googled and was horrified.  And no, I hadn’t realized. I had to change a line in the story just a week out from publication.  One of the reasons having a good team is so important.  So let me know! Or is there a famous person whose name would turn you off from a book? Drop a comment! Random will pick a winner.

Bed, Two Hearts: An Only One Bed Romance Anthology

Sometimes love starts with a little forced proximity… and just one bed.

In One Bed, Two Hearts, discover a collection of contemporary romance where strangers, friends, and even enemies find themselves sharing a bed—and maybe, just maybe, sharing their hearts too. With sizzling chemistry, accidental sleepovers, and unexpected connections, each story brings you a delightful take on the beloved “only one bed” trope.

From cozy cabins to luxury hotels, these stories are filled with laughter, tender moments, and undeniable attraction that will leave you swooning for more.

Perfect for fans of forced proximity, slow-burn romance, and a dash of humor, One Bed, Two Hearts delivers love that blooms when people are closer than they ever expected.

Authors:
Jill Brashear
Deaia Sanders
Michelle Moncreiff
Linda G. Hill
Emma Lynn Everly
Chele MacCabe
Sharon Michalove
Skylar M. Cates
Gabbi Grey
Cara Dion
Freyja Frost
Angela Breen
J.M. Adele
Jewelz Baxter
Ebony Snow
Juliet Martini
Cynthia Terelst
Harper Michaels
Maida Malby

The anthology will only be available for a limited time.

Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/tnrc25onebedtwohearts
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/One-Bed-Two-Hearts-Collection-ebook/dp/B0DJRKFBDY
Add it to Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220258911-one-bed-two-hearts

Inside One Bed, Two Hearts: Saving Troy by Gabbi Grey

Rocco

Being called to a hospital in the middle of the night is scary. When I discover my adult son’s best friend has been injured and has no one else around to help, I race to his side. Troy’s always been a nice kid, and now he needs a safe place to stay. My condo’s a tiny one-bedroom, but we’ll manage. Or so I tell myself.

Troy

Spending the Christmas season with the hottest man around—who also happens to be my best friend’s dad—is torture. Every night. Worse because his couch sucks and we end up sharing the bed. Platonically, of course. In theory. If Marco finds out I’m crushing on his dad, and it’s mutual, he’s going to kill me.

Saving Troy is a 15k one-bed, best-friend’s dad, instalove, gay romance short story.

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.

Personal links:
Website: https://gabbigrey.com/
Newsletter sign-up: https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbigrey/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gabbi-grey
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15456297.Gabbi_Grey
Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Gabbi-Grey/e/B07SJVFX1M
Audible Profile: https://www.audible.com/author/Gabbi-Grey/B07SJVFX1M
Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey

UPDATE: The winner is…Debra!
*~*~*

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Not every author writes books because they love writing books.

Huh?

Every author has a different motivation for sitting down at the keyboard (or with pen and paper, as I did with my first book) and pounding out a story.

My journey started in university.  Well, poems and short stories in elementary and high school.  University and my drama program?  I wrote two plays.  Uh…one bombed and one did okay.  I took two creative writing classes.  In the first, I started a novel.  OMG, I cringe at it now.  In the second class, though, I started a romance.  Only I didn’t know it would be a romance.  I’d only read my first Harlequin the year before.  I had no idea how category Harlequin romances would change my life’s trajectory.

I did well in that class — and kept writing that book.  Now, it SUCKS.  And was never completed. But I love the story and will one day tell it in an authentic way.  The heroine has been mentioned in another one of my books — so her story’s coming.

Basically, I kept writing.  I started numerous projects and would pick one up occasionally.  I would commute on the train in Toronto and write scenes.  I also wrote two scripts for a television series my friend was working on.  Didn’t sell them, but it lit a fire under me that they even got read.

I continued to write on and off for fifteen years. Never finishing a book. But planning.  Always planning.

Then I had a mental illness crisis in 2012 and was off work for a year.  I had thought I was going to write one book, but a secondary character, whom I’d seen as a throw away, kept nagging me to write her story.  So I did. By hand, In pieces.  Took 8 months and I wound up with 126k words.  Eventually I put the pieces together and had a manuscript.  Even I knew the thing was a mess.  But I found two beta readers who loved it.

In the meantime, I went back to work. Something happened in the news and I started in on the ‘what ifs’.  I had the genesis for a story. I wrote intensely over the next six weeks -including at work between phone calls (I worked in a call centre). I discovered I could write a lot of words in the seven seconds between calls.

I had a book.  Only one this was 85k words — the perfect length for a Harlequin Superromance.  My beta readers loved it, and I sent it to Harlequin. I’m not going to bore you with my 2 ½ year horrible journey to not being published with them (but coming rather close).  I moved on.  I sent it elsewhere, but I just couldn’t get traction.

The advice I got (and that I give to anyone who will listen) is, while you’re on submission and waiting, to write the next book.  And I did. Over and over and over.  But the time HQ rejected me I had 16 more books and 3 partial books in that series written plus a dark erotic BDSM trilogy — because I could.  I wrote a million words in 2014 and damn near that many the next year.  In 2015-2016, I moved into editing and my word count dropped.

In the end, I sold that BDSM trilogy to The Wild Rose Press.  And I wrote another MMF BDSM for them.  I’ve also, under that penname, written another MMF, an FFM, and a couple of short stories — all BDSM.  I even have one short story on audio.  That’s Gabbi Black.  I’m committed to writing at least one story for her every year because I love BSDM.  Although now my stories are much lighter — shows you where I am in my life.  Oh, and I have way more experience in kink than when I wrote the trilogy — so that knowledge gets incorporated into my work.

Those 20 or so books?  I wrote a series starter, have a prequel, the HQ book became book 2, I wrote book 3, and book 4 is the 126k word cluster mess that I need to sort out. I hired a freelance editor, she worked me hard, and the first 4 books (prequel and books 1-3) are out as Love in Cedar Valley.  Gabbi Powell.  I’ve also published a novella in that series and a short story.  I have another short story coming later this year.  I’ve committed to my freelance editor that I will fix book 4 and send it to her by the end of the year.  I even have a beautiful cover.  Just have to find the time.  I’ve also committed to sending her 2-3 more edited ones per year from the pile so we get through all 20 before she retires or I die. (we’re both older, so it is a race against time)

Finally, comes Gabbi Grey.  Didn’t see her coming — even though that was my first penname.  I wrote two MF short stories that got published.  One publisher was looking for MM novellas with one guy working in the trades and set in the continental US.  I wrote a story, and a nice author randomly offered to beta read it for me (I will always be grateful for their kindness to a total stranger).  They had very constructive comments. The biggest being — this story is too short.  Tell the story you were meant to tell. I backed out of the project with the publisher and, during my next mental health crisis, wrote the book I was meant to.  120k.  From the initial 50k… Uh…okay…

My freelance editor had a go of it, and I’ve tried to sell it to traditional publishers.  All want it shorter before they’ll look at it.  Now I’m hybrid, though (indie and working with a traditional publisher), I’m wondering if I shouldn’t indie publish the book.  It’s in the wrong point of view (I wrote it third person but everything I do now is first).  I’m currently fixing another manuscript and changing POV takes weeks of intense work.  So 120k word gay romance is on the back burner.

In the meantime, my new publisher, The Wild Rose Press, was putting out a series.  Intrigued, I contemplated what to write and decided on a gay romance — which they weren’t expecting in their small-town series set in Vermont. They greenlit and project and I wrote an MM paranormal ghost story.  Then the publisher wanted books with ice cream.  I wrote another gay romance.  Then they said I could write another book in the Vermont series.  I wrote a sweet gay romance.

Then they wanted a Christmas cookie book.  I tried but couldn’t cram the story into 35k words. I withdrew the story and finished it myself. I bought a cover, learned how to indie publish, paid a narrator to record it, and released the book into the world on November 15^th, 2021.

I haven’t looked back except to marvel.  That book is my best seller by far.  Book 2 in that series, which came out of nowhere, is the next bestseller. Then the various series I’ve written stories for including The Haunting of Pinedale High, Single Dads of Gaynor Beach, and Friends of Gaynor Beach Animal Rescue.  Then I finally got around to writing and publishing books 3 and 4 in my Love in Mission City series.  Plus short stories, as well as novellas and shorts for charity anthologies and on it goes.

Gabbi Grey has, unexpectedly, become my most successful penname.  The one I didn’t see coming. The one who writes queer romances.

So I should drop the other two and focus on her, right?  Especially if I want to break even and, eventually, make money (Spoiler -most authors, even if they manage to publish, don’t make a ton of money. Even those with publishing contracts might not be making as much as you might believe.) I don’t talk about money often.  I have a fantastic super important job.  The extra each month, after all my basic expenses are paid, goes into my writing.

Editors, covers, marketing, promos, prizes (and, for me, audiobooks). Also classes, memberships, and ads if you’ve got the ability to run them. Being an author can be expensive.  Some authors do it for less and still succeed.  I tell authors starting out they need four things: an editor, a professional cover, a website, and a mailing list.  Now, often you can barter for some of that and go super cheap.  Oh, and you need a good story.  Even the prettiest cover and the best editing won’t help if the story isn’t compelling.

I love my life.  I’m living the life I’ve always dreamed. I don’t want to be a ‘full-time’ author because I can’t live with uncertainty.  I have a great job where I work hard. I have benefits and a pension plan I pay into.  I’m working to pay down my mortgage.

I also write full-time.  How?  Four hours each morning for writing and marketing. One to two hours after work doing more marketing.  Ten-to-fourteen-hour days on the weekends.  A ton of writing and marketing.  Last year I wrote 832k words.  That’s full-time author territory.

I just happen to have two great jobs.  That goes with healthy family and happy dogs.  Anything happens with that equation, and my writing will decrease.  For now, though, I’m good.

And my ADD brain is happiest with three pennames. For maintaining different rhythms for each.  Hell, even different POVs.  Gabbi Powell is all third person while the other two pennames are now entirely first person.  Just a preference.  And something to keep my mind engaged.

That’s why I can’t stick to my lane.  I’d probably be more successful if I picked one penname and just wrote big books.  But I wouldn’t get the variety.  The thrill of writing stories for charity anthologies.  The joy of working with other authors in shared worlds.

Interestingly, my mentor/critique partner/future co-writer/friend laughed when I said I couldn’t stick to my lane.  She pointed out she wasn’t even on the highway.  Which is true. She writes what she wants. As long as it has a happy ending, she’s good.

So, what about you? Interested in trying your hand at writing? Already there? Or how do you feel about authors who switch lanes?  Will you follow them wherever or do you count of them for one thing and get frustrated when they move somewhere else?  Leave a comment and let me know. Random will pick a winner of a $5 Amazon gift card. Good luck.

About the Authors

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.

Newsletter sign-up:  https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey
Website: https://gabbigrey.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Gabbi-Grey/author/B07SJVFX1M
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15456297.Gabbi_Grey

Gabbi Powell

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.

Website:   http://gabbipowell.com/
Newsletter sign-up: https://sendfox.com/gabbipowell
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Gabbi-Powell/author/B08T8NTQNY
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21065056.Gabbi_Powell

Gabbi Black

Even though Gabbi Black is a firm believer in happy endings, she makes her characters work for it in every romance she writes, no matter what the genre. From contemporary to BDSM, they are penned early in the morning in her home in beautiful British Columbia while her trusty ChinPoo dog keeps her company. She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey and small-town romances as Gabbi Powell.

Website:   http://gabbiblack.com/
Newsletter sign-up:  https://sendfox.com/gabbi
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Gabbi-Black/author/B08D8LNY7D
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20592691.Gabbi_Black

As Joan Rivers was famous for asking, “Can we talk?”

I’m going to bet that if you’re reading this, you enjoy reading romance novels. If you’re like me, you’re a book fanatic. Not only do I love writing, I’m an avid reader. And I’m not picky about the media—paperback, hardback, eBook, audio, hieroglyphics. Shucks, I don’t care. I’ll read it anyway it’s given to me. Just slide a manuscript in front of my greedy little eyes.

I’m not picky about genre, either. Although horror typically isn’t my thing, I’m down to try just about anything at least once. (I have to put out there just about because as sure as I say anything I’m going to get tossed something I don’t know exists and is a hard no.) Mostly, I’m in the romance aisle—or somewhere close to it. I only have one request: that it be good.

What makes for a good romance novel? The answer is obvious: fantastic writing and excellent storytelling. Duh! But what goes into these things? I think (and feel free to disagree) the most important is creating dynamic characters. They don’t have to be over-the-top, but they should be… relatable? That’s the word that if frequently quoted to authors. Make your character relatable. But is that really what authors want to do to connect with readers? Or is a more accurate word believable?

Let’s think about this. The definition of relatable is possible to like, understand, or have sympathy for due to having similarities to oneself or one’s own experiences. I don’t know about anyone else, but the majority of the books I’ve read, I haven’t been anywhere close to being similar to the main character…at least, I hope I’m not. I mean, when I’m reading about stalkers, mercenaries, royalty, billionaires, and such, I couldn’t even begin to imagine I would have anything in common with them other than maybe bacon because who doesn’t love bacon? But I’m willing to bet, there’s a vegan in the bunch.

Even if it’s argued that it’s “emotional” traits that readers are connecting to, I’m still going to pass on that being an acceptable answer. Recently, I read a book that the main character was so obnoxious that any emotions he had were buried. Yet, the author had so beautifully developed his arrogance into humor that when he got what he deserved I was rooting for him to be shown mercy. By definition, this character should have been classified as an antihero. He was fun to read about. Was I rooting for him to get away with his crimes? Yes. Would I be a fan of someone who engaged in those same acts or lesser in real life? Absolutely not. Enjoying and relating are two different things.

That brings me back to believability. Can a reader believe a character like this exist? In the Harry Potter series, it is claimed that Dolores Umbridge is the most detested character by readers although Tom Riddle a.k.a., Lord Voldemort is the main villain. The argument is that everyone knows someone like Dolores, but that Voldemort’s evil is so over-the-top deranged that he’s not relatable to most. But we all know there are plenty of people in this world who are so power-hungry that they will do anything and everything to get what they want. They have no empathy or compassion for others. Prisons are filled with people like this. However, the Lord Voldemort character works because he’s believable.

Jane Austen characters are said to have been popular when first written because she wrote characters that were accurate portrayal her current society. The argument contents that she continues to be popular because modern society can still relate to the emotions of her characters. Well, maybe. I’m not going to argue with experts who have far more experience, education, and pedigrees than myself. But I’m going to toss out there that a lot more people don’t relate to those characters than ones that do. And the reason I say this is because Cliff Notes. Yes, Cliff Notes. Cliff Notes aren’t just the summaries for people to get the gist of something they aren’t interested in reading for themselves. It provides a breakdown an explanation scene by scene. Why? Because some readers have no clue of what’s being splayed before them.

When I first read Pride & Prejudice, I had no idea that Mr. Darcy slighted Elizabeth because he was shy. I just saw him as a pompous butthead—probably the same way Elizabeth did. I also didn’t relate to Elizabeth. If she was as “slighted” as she was said to have been, she would have made more of an effort to not engage with him. Besides, all of those relationships had a tone of insta love for me. I didn’t care that Charles Bingley took one look at Jane and instantly fell for her or that after one night of dancing they were practically mentally engaged. I’ve never seen insta love in real life. Is it possible? Anything’s possible, so, yeah. I was there for it in the story because of the dynamic storytelling. I believed these characters could exist in my world.

Last year, I read a book that had rave reviews. When I finished, I sat stunned for about thirty minutes wondering what was wrong with me. Why couldn’t I see what everyone else had seen? Why wasn’t I beaming about this book? After much thought, I realized it was because the author hadn’t sold me on the story. I didn’t believe the characters to be authentic. I didn’t believe the setting. I didn’t believe the setups were natural. How could one character know that the other character would find a random clue at a specific time and figure out what it meant—a clue that anyone could have stumbled upon and moved?

**SPOLIER ALERT** In the movie the Shawshank Redemption, Andy tells Red about a tree in a field in Zihuatanejo that he and his wife had a picnic under. Andy was in jail for 19 years, and this picnic had occurred many years prior to his incarceration. So, when Andy tells Red to find that tree if he ever gets out, how does Andy know that tree is still standing? It could have been struck by lightening or bulldozed to make way for a high-rise. Landscapes change all the time. Chances are that tree isn’t there anymore, or at the very least, the layout no longer looks the same as Andy remembers from more than twenty years ago. But do movie watchers balk when Red finds it? Nope. Why? Because the audience is invested by that point. The storytelling has won over.

So, now, let’s go back to the start. What makes a good romance novel? It’s two (or more if it’s polygamous) people who have a believable connection and a vibrant love story. Readers may have nothing in common with the characters or their situations but are able to believe they could happen and exist. Now, I know this is an unpopular opinion, so let me know what you think in the comments. Is it relatability or believability.

And that’s all I got for today. Now, it’s your turn to sound off. Let me know your thoughts below in the comment section. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read. And if you like this post, consider clicking the like button and sharing.

Demon Rodeo

If Brokeback Mountain, 8 Seconds, Poltergeist, and Supernatural had an orgy, Demon Rodeo would be the lovechild.

Demon Rodeo is available now on Amazon. For video book trailers, visit my TikTok page. The full blurb is on my Instagram and Amazon.

Demon Rodeo is the first book in the Chasing the Buckle series but can be read as a standalone. It’s a friends-to-lovers romance set in the rodeo world. These are not your typical cowboys. It’s a widely diverse cast of characters and a mashup of genres that aren’t always seen together. If you’re looking for a palate cleanser, this may be a book for you.

Order
⇨ Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/4174852
⇨ All Stores: https://books2read.com/u/bP8RG7

*Note: All of my books can be purchased from brick-and-mortar bookstores (e.g., Barnes & Noble, Book-A-Million, etc.) as well if requested at the checkout counter.)

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

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LOCKER ROOM LOVE

Locker Room Love Series

Are you searching for a sexy book boyfriend? You’ve come to the right place.

• Out of the Penalty Box (book #1) One minute in the box or a lifetime out.
• Defending the Net (book #2) Crossing the line could cost the game.
• Ice Gladiators (book #3) When the gloves come off, the games begin.
• Penalty Kill (book #4) Let the pucker begin.
• Future Goals (book #5) The future lies between a puck and a net.

About the Author

Hi, I’m Genevive, and I am a contemporary sports romance author. My home is in South Louisiana. If you like snark and giggles with a touch of steamy Cajun and Creole on the side, I may have your poison in my stash of books. Drop by the bayou and have a look around. The pirogues are always waiting for new visitors.