UPDATE: The winner is…Debra Guyette!
*~*~*
Hello Delilah! Thank you for welcoming me today to discuss my new book, Sizzling Sydney Nights. I will say that Remembrance Day (as we call November 11th in Canada) is a solemn day for many – including my family. My grandfather and several uncles served in the World Wars, and I’m always grateful for their service and to them for coming home and building strong families. All that being said, I didn’t pick the release date for my sexy new story—but I do have characters who visit the war memorial in Sydney, so I have that moment. History helps inform who we are and what we’re willing to defend to keep our families and friends safe.
Okay, onward and upward.
How, you may ask, did I wind up setting a story in Sydney?
Well, let me tell you a story…
My publisher was launching a new series set on beaches on the continental US.
You’re thinking…huh?
Bear with me. I attended the chat and was interested in writing one of these stories (See Sun, Surf, and Surprises). What piqued my interest was when the chat veered toward exotic locations. Someone asked if an author could write a second book under the Passport to Pleasure series.
The answer was: YES! PLEASE! WE NEED MORE!
Never let it be said I don’t heed calls. Now, I’d written Valentino in Vancouver. I didn’t consider Canada as outside the US (just check out how many American television stations and how much American programing Canadians watch). I was told Vancouver was absolutely a foreign locale. Throw in an American and you’re do go. I wrote my gay erotic romance novella starring American Valentino and Canadian Seamus and moved on.
Then I remembered I had a second BDSM MF penname. Great! I also had a friend in Argentina. Out popped Bonding in Buenos Aires. An MMF BDSM erotic romance by Gabbi Black. That was it. I was done. I moved on.
Until that chilly November night when I was told a second Pleasure book under the same penname was allowed. Now, quickly, I’ve mentioned Plot Whisperer before. She happens to be Aussie. So I asked if she would be interested in beta reading a book set in Sydney. She said “Hell, YES” (in my mind, at least), and my Sydney story was born. I wrote. She brutal beta read (tore apart, put back together—SO much better). I had a story. Titling it proved harder, but I crowd sourced, and we got there.
Finally, I was ready to present the story to my editor (who had said Hell, YES when I proposed the book). She loved it with just a few minor changes, and I had my story.
That’s it. I get to share my love of all things Australian with readers. The irony is that Levi is an American author who wrote a book set in Australia even though he’d never been there. He got so much wrong that he had to go to Australia for an apology tour that would lead to his potential redemption. Add Sam the tour guide, and I had a story. Then I was a Canadian author writing about Australia who had never been there. Only I found an awesome beta reader, and I believe the Aussie flavor is there (and any mistakes are mine and not hers).
I hope readers pick up this gay romance story and love it as much as I do.
Okay, Delilah, thank you for hosting me today. As a thank you to you readers, I would like to offer a copy of either Valentino in Vancouver or Bonding in Buenos Aires to one lucky commenter. Let me know: where would you love to see a story set? One lucky commenter, chosen by random, will win a free book! Good luck!
Sizzling Sydney Nights
Sam
I’ve enjoyed showcasing Sydney’s architecture, food, and culture for tourists for almost ten years. I keep a nice professional distance, but one hot American guy has me breaking all the rules.
Levi
I researched the hell out of Sydney, Australia, before writing my most recent bestseller, but never saw it in person. Now I’m getting called out for the things I got wrong. I’m here to learn more about the city, but my tour guide’s the one I really want to explore. Good thing I know Sam would never fall for a client, or it might be hard to leave.
Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/SizzlingSydney
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Sizzling-Sydney-Nights-Passport-Pleasure-ebook/dp/B0DGLYHG6
B&N: Â https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sizzling-sydney-nights-gabbi-grey/1146244734
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/sizzling-sydney-nights/id6670438228
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/sizzling-sydney-nights
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218681801-sizzling-sydney-nights
About 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.
Personal links:
Website: https://gabbigrey.com/
Newsletter sign-up: Â https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbigrey/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabbiGrey
Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gabbi-grey
Goodreads:Â https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15456297.Gabbi_Grey