In case you didn’t already know, I have new releases coming soon! Little Green Dreams arrives soon on December 12th (I moved the date up a week!); Malcolm on January 16th; and What Happens in Bozeman on February 20th! Malcolm is the next Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT, story, and What Happens in Bozeman is the next We Are Dead Horse, MT book. Little Green Dreams is a standalone title, for now. Depending on how readers enjoy it, there may be more stories that follow. Believe me, I have some ideas…
I hope you’re looking forward to them all and that you’ll take a moment to pre-order each one so you don’t miss them when they release! I promise there’s humor, sexiness, and small-town adventures in each.
The Gurdon Light
Central to my next release, Little Green Dreams, is a local phenomenon that occurs some 20-odd miles down the road from me called The Gurdon Light. The TV show Unsolved Mysteries even did an episode featuring the legend, which I mention in my story because it was a big deal back in the day that lent some legitimacy to the legend since they couldn’t find a scientific cause for the Light. And just so you know, I’ve seen it, too.
The Gurdon Light is Arkansas’s most famous legend. There’s a certain length of old, abandoned railroad track near Gurdon, Arkansas, where a mysterious light can be seen when you walk down the tracks. It’s a bright orb that appears to swing side to side. And it’s not shy. It appears often. Local universities have taken students out there to try to find the source of the Light, but they’ve pretty much ruled out things like swamp gas because the light doesn’t dissipate in the wind.
The legend the locals tie the Light to is a sad story. This is a snippet from the book where I explain the supposed origin of the Light:
“William McClain was a foreman working for the Missouri-Pacific railroad. Late one evening, he was finishing up when he was approached by one of his workers, Louis McBride. It was during the Depression…1931, as I recall. Times were hard, and Mr. McBride, although he had a job, wanted more hours because he needed money. The railroad had strict rules about how many hours a man could work, so Mr. McClain said he couldn’t give him any more. They got into an argument, and McBride raised his shovel and struck McClain in the head. Then he beat him to death with a spike maul—it’s a tool a railroad man uses, like a sledgehammer. It was an awful thing.”
Ever since Mr. McClain’s murder, the light appears on the tracks. Locals say it’s the railroad lantern he carried.
So, that’s the legend I piggybacked my book on. Although, I have a very different explanation for the phenomenon because, hey, I’m a storyteller and that’s what I do—I make stuff up. 🙂
Watch this very short episode from a local newscast, interviewing someone who has seen the Light.
Contest
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me about a legend from your “neck of the woods!”
Hello Delilah! Thank you for inviting me to share my new release!
When I signed up to join a box set of Christmas Market stories, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I just knew I hadn’t written anything for this Christmas this year (busy with Single Dads and Rockstars). This box set provided me with the opportunity, also, to delve back into my Love in Mission City world that I love so much. The imaginary small town is located in Southwestern British Columbia — just an hour outside Vancouver in the Pacific Northwest, although not on the Pacific directly. I love immersing myself in this small town where tolerance is the norm and people love who they love. I also adore the opportunity to bring in characters from my Love in Cedar Valley series, written under my pen name Gabbi Powell.
In my mind, these characters are real people. So, when I created Johnson and Henry, I imagined two men I would want to be friends with. The shy Henry, who makes fairy figurines, and the gregarious Johnson, who runs an apple farm and is still nursing a broken heart over his longtime partner abandoning him. I took these two men — complete opposites — and found a way to make the relationship work. This is about as close to a sweet romance as I’ve ever written (except the sex scene at the end). I wanted something soft and sweet — no angst or drama. I think I’ve delivered that with this story, and I was so thrilled to be included in the box set.
I would love to give one lucky commenter a $5 Amazon Gift Card. What’s your favorite part of the holiday season? I admit walking my dogs on a crisp night air down the main street in town and enjoying the lights. Oh, and spending time with my nieces and nephews. One randomly chose comment will win the prize.
Thanks, Delilah, for letting me visit.
Mistletoe & Markets
‘Tis the season to find trinkets, treats, and love at your favorite Christmas Market.
Will you meet someone special under the mistletoe? Is that a candy cane in Santa’s pocket or is he just happy to see you? Whether it’s the traditional markets of Europe or a small-town winter festival out of a television movie, the holiday market is the place to come together to shop, drink, and make merry. Will you find the perfect gift or the love of your life?
Grab your eggnog and cookies and join USA Today best-selling and award-winning romance authors curated by The New Romance Café as we celebrate all the things that make this a holly jolly season.
Authors: Linda G. Hill
Alexa Santi
Renee Dahlia
Sharon Michalove
Bella Paige
Jill Brashear
Lily Kindall
H. D’Agostino
Sera Taino
Harper Michaels
L.A. Remenicky
K McEvern Lestrade
Jackie Paxson
Sofia Aves
Gabbi Grey
Jewelz Baxter
Juliet Martini
Élodie Garroway
Chele MacCabe
Annee Jones
Hannah McKee
The anthology will only be available for a limited time.
Three days before Christmas last year, my husband of ten years walked out on me. It’s been a rough year picking up the pieces but now I’m selling fresh cider I make on my farm at the local Christmas Market. I’ve been welcomed into the community, and a shy man who makes the most exquisite fairy figurines catches my attention. I want to ask Henry more about his talent. Something about his artwork speaks to me and I think we might become friends. As Christmas nears, though, and we spend more time together, my feelings are growing. Can a guy with a battered heart and a shy craftsman find new hope this holiday season?
This is a 12k gay holiday romance short story with a quiet artist, a boisterous cider-maker, some nosy matchmakers, the magic of Christmas, and a zany border collie named Zeus.
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.
I can’t wait to share the story I just finished writing!
It’s one of those projects of the heart that writers seldom get to do. I’d put it on my schedule so many times, but knowing what actually sells had me pushing it aside year after year. This year, I used my determination to complete the NaNoWriMo challenge to finish the darn story.
I hope you’ll read it. It was soooo much fun to write, and it made me cry at the end. If you haven’t pre-ordered your copy, just click on the cover! It’s a cute cover, right?
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle then tell me which of these LGD story elements I listed for the puzzle intrigues you!
I’m the person to come to if you want to bounce ideas.
It is also a problem because it never fails when I’m knee-deep into the first draft of a new book. Something pops into my head. It’s hard not to pursue the new and shiny. However, I’ve learned over the years that the good ideas stick.
I’m nosey.
I’m an only child who grew up in a rural area, so when visiting bigger families, I tried to absorb everything that went on. People tend to tell a stranger their secrets. I use what I’ve overheard in my books, You Always and Greyson.
Placement
This past summer, I spent time in airports, and they are a treasure trove of information. I admit to listening to one-sided phone calls and changing seats to overhear a family tiff. My book, Kaydee, was based on a couple’s discussion during dinner at the next table.
TV
I also watch daytime talk shows and judge shows. I am amazed at what people will share with the world. I am an avid fan of The Housewives and other Bravo shows. I know that segments are scripted or exaggerated. The side-eye moments shared in the bottom corner of the frame, or an opinion muttered spark my creativity. My upcoming release, Nothing Permanent, was based on a Steve Wilkos episode.
Magnet
I also attract the crazy and weird. I will attract somebody if you leave me sitting on the sofa in a hotel lobby for five minutes. I’ve heard about cheating exes, an alien abduction, and roommates who haven’t showered for five days. A psychic told me it was because I’m an empath and a Leo—I attract people who need understanding and a protector.
Song lyrics or a line of dialogue
I wrote an entire book based on a song I heard while driving home from a nail appointment. I kept circling the block until I plotted the book You Only.
I’ve also heard a declaration and made up a story. Things click, and off I go. That is how my book- Best came to be.
Dreams
I don’t like being a cliché, but it is true. I have lifelike dreams. I dream in color, can feel textures, and smell scents. I’ll wake up and know that I have a book. Sometimes, I dream several nights about the same subject.
My books, See Me, Better, and the upcoming Me, You & the Moon, came from dreams.
Go With It
I think that you must be open to the new and different. Sticking with what you know and are comfortable with might not spark your creativity. I took the challenge of writing a book with no on-page sex or cussing. It was not easy, but I did it. Check out Cut to the Chase, Here’s the Rub, and the upcoming Nothing Permanent.
I trust that my brain will come up with new ideas or put things together differently. That makes every day a new adventure.
For a $10 Amazon Gift Card, share what sparks your creativity. The winner will be picked at random and contacted via e-mail.
I am on the verge of losing everything, with nothing left to do… but let go.
Moving to Wolfsbane was a mistake. Being here has opened the world to me and my daughter, Addie. Yet instead of being thrilled that we finally found peace, I expect the worst every day.
My mate is patient and loving. But I know he wants more than I can physically offer. The therapist assures me I am making headway. Still, I am painfully aware of my shortcomings. How strong can our mate bond be if we have never been able to consummate our union? Try as I might, I can’t escape the nightmare of my time in the lab.
On top of that, the Markov brothers want to involve the Witches Council with Addie’s plight. As much as this sets my nerves on edge, I’m overruled. Matters worsen when the arrival of a member of their coven awakens horrors from my past, I’ve spent years trying to bury.
Fearing my very existence is holding back everyone I hold dear; I make the choice to banish myself and give them a chance at true happiness. Heartbroken and alone, I learn the ghosts of my past are closing in fast. Will they finish what they started in the lab? Or will the family I pushed away save me from myself?
It’s Sunday. The day I play with my work plans to figure out how to get everything done that has to be done this week. But first, I pull a card…
This is one I’ve never pulled before in any spread. Let’s have a look at the Queen of Swords.
When I look at the card, I shiver. The setting is barren, with snow-covered mountains in the background, so you know it’s cold. She wears a crown, so she’s some queen or privileged princess. Her expression is hard and cold. She holds a silver sword in one hand and a silver urn in the other, from which she’s letting water spill on the ground.
I’m not sure who she represents, but I’ll take a quick peek inside The Mythic Tarot to find out.
I remember her. Not her name, but the story! This Atalanta. She’s the daughter of a king who was so disappointed she was a girl, he set her out in the cold wilderness to die. However, the goddess Artemis took pity and sent a she-bear to the rescue. The bear suckled her and kept her warm. She then grew up surrounded by a group of hunters who taught her to hunt and fight. When she grew into adulthood, she met her father. Only after she’d proven her worth as a warrior did he warm up to her, but of course, he still wanted a male heir, so he decided he’d find a prince to marry her. Atalanta wasn’t so keen on the idea, so she told her father she’d marry a prince if he could beat her in a foot race. If the prince lost, he would be killed. Many princes died trying to win her hand, until one prince met her and fell in love with her and asked the goddess of love, Aphrodite, for some help. She gave him three golden apples and instructions to drop them one at a time during the race to distract her. He won. They were married, but alas, they were doomed. Melanion, her husband, chose to lie with her in a place Zeus considered his own. Zeus turned them both into lions, which was awful, because Greeks believed lions only mated with leopards, so they were forever kept apart.
So, a haughty princess spilling her water on barren land… What does it mean? I think the water represents something squandered—like time or love. She’s holding the sword to assert her independence and protect it. What does that mean to me? The book says I may be expecting perfection in myself, and while I do that, I may lose something. (I’m thinking time or some emotional gift). Ha! I get it. This week, maybe today, I’ll finish Little Green Dreams. I may be tempted to go over and over it to make it perfect, while I have my family here at home, enjoying the holiday. I’m guessing I should put it aside and enjoy being with them.
My daughter and I made the shopping list last night. She cooks the entire dinner every year all by herself, and she looks forward to it every year. I can’t imagine liking the prep. She even has a To Do list that tells her when to start what, with notes about how to make everything. She refines it every year. And the dinner is always amazing!
We have the turkey (we always get a 12 or 13-pounder because we hate having more than a day or two of leftovers). Then there’s creamed potatoes, mac ‘n’ cheese, pea (instead of green beans) casserole, bread dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, a tray of olives, pickles, etc., and I can’t remember what else. Oh yeah, pies (pumpkin, chocolate, key lime or lemon meringue)!
So, to celebrate the prep and the “preppers,” solve the puzzle and tell me what your favorite Thanksgiving dishes are for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
