Hello, Delilah! Thank you for welcoming me here to share my new release! Gideon’s Gratitude is the fifth book in my Love in Mission City world.

This book is special to my heart and has a story.  I mean, all my books have stories behind them – why the writer wrote that story at that moment.  But this one is a bit unique. In October 2020, I attended a virtual romance writer conference.  One of the editors taking pitches was from Harlequin. I had just learned they were accepting manuscripts with gay couples.  I had already written Ginger Snapping All the Way, as well as two novellas.  Ginger hadn’t been published yet, but I had confidence it was a good book.  I messaged back and forth with a friend who wrote for that line, and she helped me craft a pitch.

I made the pitch.  I might’ve implied the book was almost finished and just needed some polishing.  Well, I had notes…

The editor loved the pitch.  Loved the tropes I had chosen.  He gave me his email to send the manuscript.

I spent the next month writing like a demon.  I finished the book with five words to spare (there was a specific word count).  I paid my freelance editor to polish it, and I sent it off.  I admit, I had visions of finally achieving my dream.  A contract with a Big 5 publisher!

Now, the year before, I’d had an editor say the same thing for a different book.  I sent it to her and, while the manuscript sat on her desk, she left the company.  She didn’t give my book to anyone, and that publisher requires an agent. I hadn’t been able to land an agent, so having that editor leave without doing something with my precious manuscript really hurt.  Still, I sent it to the Wild Rose Press, and they acquired it—as well as the rest of the trilogy.  Working with a small press is awesome, and I’m happy those books found a home.

Back to my current book.  I’d named it Gideon’s Second Chance Christmas.  I thought I had something special.  I mean, I’m supposed to say that about all my books, but this one…there was a lot of me in the book.  The book is very raw, full of angst.

Four months later, my friend who had helped me create the pitch told me the editor had left.  Clearly, he hadn’t forwarded my manuscript to anyone either.  I was devastated, but that press had a way to submit books without an agent.  I raced over there, only to discover that line had just — and I mean just — started requiring an agent.  In other words, if I’d sent it through the system and not to the editor directly, I still would’ve had a shot.  Now, I had jack.

I was heartbroken.  My dream felt out of reach.  They had another line that published queer books.  I knew my book wouldn’t fit, though.

By that time, I’d written a follow up to Ginger – Stanley’s Christmas Redemption.  I was publishing another novella and then another novel with the Wild Rose Press.  I signed up for a multi-author series.  I kept moving forward.

And yet, Gideon sat.  Now, the book was written in third person past tense.  All my recent queer books were first person past tense. (I did rather than he did).

Still Gideon sat. I published more books, novellas, and a ton of short stories.

I couldn’t face Gideon.

Then I decided the time had come.  I’d published my third Love in Mission City book – Sleigh Bells and Second Chances, and my fourth, Rayne’s Return was to be released shortly.  I’d had the notion of making Gideon book 4, but Everett and Rayne insisted they go next.

Finally, I picked up Gideon.  I’m not going to lie — changing 60k words from third person to first is BRUTAL.  I can confidently say that after my changes and a self-editing pass, two passes by my editor, my proofreader taking her turn, as well as my narrator, we still found more things to fix.  When I was proofing the audio, I found another three.  Now I can confidently say there are probably at least two or more POV slips that we all missed. Yes, those buggers are stubborn.

So Gideon’s Gratitude is out in the world today.  For those of you who read my Love in Mission City series, you’ll find it takes place at the same time as Sleigh Bells and four other stories.  Why?  Because it’s a Christmas book, and I didn’t want to jump a year.  I have more books to write, and I didn’t want to advance previous couples too far.  I can also confidently say that having five stories take place at the same time is NUTS.  But it is what it is.

That’s the story.  I’m still trying for a contract with a Big 5. I would still love to see my book on a shelf in a bookstore.  In the meantime, I’ll keep writing books and self-publishing (and sending things to my small press publisher as well…)

Okay.  Thanks for letting me visit today, Delilah!

Contest: I want to give a prize to one lucky commentor.  When you see a series and you’re considering reading it, what makes you take the risk and pick up book 1?  Are there such things as too many books in a series and that turns you off?  Curious minds want to know!  One lucky commentor, chosen by Random, will win a copy of my romantic suspense Rayne’s Return as well as the short prequel to Gideon, Archer’s Awakening. Archer is not required reading to enjoy Gideon, but it does explain an anecdote in the book.  Good luck!

Gideon’s Gratitude

Gideon

When my marriage fell apart, and I lost custody of my kids, my world shattered. My own fault, all of it, from the pills I was taking to how badly I handled the court case. I retreated to my grandparents’ old home, shut the door, and hunkered down with my Labrador Retriever, Lucky. Life is rough, and the constant construction noise from the mansion going up next door will truly be the end of me.

Archer

I’d never met the man living next door until a storm forces me to take refuge with him. Gideon’s skittish, generous, and oddly endearing. I’m dismayed the construction of my post-divorce home has been so upsetting for him, but there’s little I can do to ease that distress. What I can do, though, is use my skills as a talented divorce attorney to help with the most painful part of his life, the unfair custody arrangement that keeps him from being with his kids.

Gideon’s Gratitude is a small-town, opposites attract, hurt-comfort gay romance about a former longshoreman who believes he’s broken and the lawyer who believes there’s life after divorce.

Links:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Gideons-Gratitude-Love-Mission-City-ebook/dp/B0F4NRFQZJ
Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/GideonsGratitude
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/231327764-gideon-s-gratitude

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

Thank you so much for having me back as a guest, Delilah! I am absolutely over the moon that Rachel Wilder and I have our first new release since before the pandemic!

🚨 It’s here! The Love Me in Vegas Kickstarter is LIVE!

30 indie romance authors.

Dozens of brand-new love stories.

One stunning collector’s edition.

This exclusive anthology is only available this month so don’t miss your chance to grab it!

Our story is called “Bird in the Hand.”

Silas Brooks has a secret. All summer, he couldn’t get Knox Kramer out of his mind. Now, as they return after summer break, does he risk making a move? Knox is Mr. Popular and Silas is a member of the nerd squad. Not to mention, he’s a crow shifter and Knox is a raven. The biggest problem? He doesn’t know if Knox even likes him that way.

We’re exploring crow and raven shifters and the world of Volare Academy, a private college for avian shifters. We’ve got a new series we’re writing and wanted to give readers a sneak peek into the world we’ve been inhabiting for the last eighteen months.

What’s so exciting about this is that we’ve finally gotten our writing mojo back. It’s been a relief and pleasure to come back to storytelling and to have such fun stories to be able to play with. If you follow our Pinterest, Rachel’s been creating an extensive curated collection for the series and you can follow along. She compiles character inspiration, location shots, and even foods and animals. If you’re not already following, here’s the link: https://www.pinterest.com/noonandwilder/_created/.

And if you find yourself in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday, November 7, 2025, stop by our table at Reader Nation! Admission is FREE! https://www.readernation.live/

In the meantime, hop on over to Kickstarter and check out the incredible anthology. Isn’t that cover terrific?!

💋 Back it today and help us bring this dream to life: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/authorventuresllc/love-me-in-vegas-a-collection-of-romance

#KickstarterLaunch #RomanceBooks #ReaderNation25 #RomanceAuthors #RomanceReaders

We’re going for a low-key celebration today! Grilled smashburgers, our own homegrown deviled eggs, lots of sides. No fireworks—because we love our goats, geese, chickens, and the wildlife that gets freaked out by the explosions. They’ll have a haven on our property. Plus, the 11-year-old has never been a fan of the explosions. I remember having to pull her into the house and turn on the TV when we lit explosives on the Fourth at her old house. I didn’t mind missing them with her as we snuggled and watched TV. Sweet memories!

I hope all of you Americans enjoy the day with the family and friends.

I blame Delilah.

Don’t get me wrong… she hasn’t committed any crimes (that I know of 😉 or done anything bad. It’s simply the fact that I’ve grown to reeeeeaaaally love the reading and writing of short stories. And it’s all her fault.

For those who may not know, Delilah graciously organizes an annual short story anthology, the Boys Behaving Badly series, each year with a theme. Each anthology boasts stories written by a diverse array of authors, covering the theme with an imaginative range of story ideas that are all panty-meltingly hawt.

A satisfying relationship, happy-ending, and a money-shot all in the time it takes me to eat lunch? Yes, please!

So, one year, I decided to submit a story. As a Sci-fi Romance author, I was accustomed to writing books of over 95,000 words. Imagine having to shoe-horn world-building, species-building, character-building, and a creative love story (with sex!) into only 5,000 words. That’s like moving all of Buckingham Palace into a one-bedroom apartment.

That’s what we writers consider one helluva writing exercise.

It certainly worked writing muscles I didn’t know I had. And the post-workout soreness is as much a reality for writing as it is for physical exercise. But I kept going. Honing, editing, questioning every single word choice for maximum impact and efficiency, streamlining character development to its most essential… and my story was accepted!

The experience was such a challenge, with what I felt were lasting benefits to my own full-book skills, that I continued to submit to Delilah’s anthologies. Four anthologies later, and I’m addicted. While I still love writing full-length stories, I also love writing short stories. Please don’t ask me which I prefer to write, because that’s like having to choose between my own children. I love them equally, although I might like one better than the other at times.

I now love writing short stories so much, I just published my own bundle of short stories. Fathoms Below is my trilogy of mermaid-y short stories filled with Disney easter eggs and drenched with romance. Each story is a self-contained love story, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to my characters’ HEA within 18,000 words rather than waiting for 35,000 words, or more!

And I “blame” Delilah for that. 🙂

Contest

I’ll gift a Kindle version of Fathoms Below to a randomly-chosen winner from everyone who comments on this post. Feel free to weigh in on your preference: full book or short story?

FATHOMS BELOW

Under the sea, Atlantia’s mer-creatures are devoting full time to floating… and falling in love.

“Better Where it’s Wetter” — Ariel LaRue assumes the sexy merman pictured on the lake house is “just art.” Then a violent storm topples her into his arms, and she discovers the ocean isn’t the only thing that gets her wet.

“Kiss the Girl” — Mako, a young Sharkanian General, knows there’s more to life under the sea than hunting for food and waging war with the Atlantians. But he struggles against his own predatory nature until a gentle mermaid calms the savage hunger of his heart and tames his sharp bite.

“Poor Unfortunate Souls” — Ursule has an uncanny knack for problem-solving which has earned him the grim moniker Sea Witch. Unfortunately, it doesn’t prevent pesky merpeople from approaching him with their problems. Until two captivating eel-maids invade his lair, wishing for nothing more than his company. And his talented tentacles. 

“Part of his World” — Eric’s Epilogue. Prince Eric wasn’t always royalty. For that matter, he wasn’t always a merman.

Get your copy now! FREE in KU!

 About Ava

Ava Cuvay is an award-winning bestselling author of out of this world Sci-fi and Paranormal Romance featuring sassy heroines, gutsy heroes, passion, adventure… and the word “moist”. She resides in central Indiana with her own scruffy-looking nerfherder and teen kiddos who think her “Rizz” is “cringe” but she “passes the vibe check” and her books “hit different.” No cap. She believes life is too short to bother with negative people, everything is better with Champagne, and Han Solo shot first. Star Wars references are her love language.

Feel free to stalk me:
Website: https://avacuvay.com
Author Facebook: https://facebook.com/AvaCuvayAuthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15051407.Ava_Cuvay
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ava-Cuvay/e/B01E5OIZ0I/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ava-cuvay
Instagram: https://instagram.com/avacuvay/
Newsletter: https://drinkingthestarspressllc.eo.page/v8296

My birthday passed in a flash! I stayed away from social media to simply enjoy my birthday—another one bites the dust! After my doom and gloomy post about how bad I was doing on my new medication, I just didn’t want to see or read anything, even the many lovely posts from everyone for their birthday wishes. I’m reading through them today. Thank you so much for thinking about me!

I can report that I spoke with my oncologist’s office on Friday morning, and they had me discontinue, for now, the new medication. And miraculously, I felt like myself again on Saturday—no frantic dashes to the bathroom! We’ll have a discussion about what to do going forward when I go in for my regular infusion tomorrow. I’ll do whatever he recommends to fight this disease, but maybe we need a better plan or some adjustments so my quality of life doesn’t take such a radical hit. I’ll keep you posted. I do feel better and in a better state of mind today.

Another catastrophic thing happened late last week. The pool pump stopped working. The pool has been my greatest joy (other than my family) this past little while, so we are biting the bullet and having it replaced, but it might not be for a couple of weeks because we’re in the middle of pool season and everyone needs help. Which means, it will likely take another couple of weeks to kill the algae already turning the pool a lovely neon green. *sigh*  Maybe I’ll be swimming again before the end of July!!

I spent my birthday puttering (which is a form of exercise for me these days) and indulging in my latest guilty pleasure. I’ll talk more about what that is later this week. My daughter thinks it’s hilarious, but what does she know, huh?

Anyway, enjoy your Sunday! Do something that gives you joy! ~DD

Open Contests

Be sure to check out these posts and enter to win the prizes that are still up for grabs:

1. Gabbi Grey: Dipping my toe into the enemies-to-lovers trope… (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win a FREE eBook or audio book!
2. Happy Juneteenth, My Messy Desk, & a Health Update (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. What brings you joy? (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Romantic Gestures — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Flashback: Bound & Determined from Texas Cowboys (Contest & Excerpt) — Win a FREE book!
6. Gabbi Grey: When a trope comes calling (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
7. Word Search: Things associated with June! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
8. Gabbi Black: A Home for Every Story (Contest) — Win a FREE book!

UPDATE: The winner is…Cindy!
*~*~*

Hello, Delilah!  Thank you for inviting me here to discuss my new short story.  I’ll be honest with you — you might recognize this baby.  I wrote it and submitted it to you for your Secret Identities: A Bad Boy Anthology last year.  I was okay with you not selecting it (happens to the best of us), but that left me with an orphaned short story.  And no home for it!

As you know, though, I try to find somewhere for everything to land – no grass growing under my work (okay, there are a few — but nothing recent).  I put it out of my mind until I slammed against a deadline for a charity anthology.  I had grand plans to write a new story, but found I wasn’t inspired by what I’d plotted out and, just as importantly, time wasn’t on my side.  I was sitting contemplating this issue when I remembered Tempest and Romeo and how they still languished.  I dug out the story and did my best to fix it up.

I added another five thousand words or so.  In the original, the story was all in Domme Tempest’s point of view.  I hadn’t snuck into Romeo’s mind.  I also didn’t have anything beyond the original BDSM cathartic scene.  So what happened after Tempest emotionally broke Romeo? How did they wind up getting together?

Enter some of my favorite secondary characters who stepped up to help my characters find their way back to each other.

Finally, I submitted the book to the anthology people.  The editor came back and said she wanted a more solid happily-ever-after.  I’d thought I had a pretty substantial ending, but she wanted more. I wrote it, always intending to remove it when the rights reverted.

The rights reverted.

I reread the story.  Turned out, the ending was pretty good.  More importantly, it didn’t reveal too much about what I have planned for them next.

A couple of weeks ago, I realized I had a story languishing. This one!  I found a cover I loved and put the book up for sale, starting today.  99 cents for a 10k-word short story.  And FREE through KU for the first 90 days, wide after that. I want to get the story into the hands of readers.  If they didn’t read the instalove charity anthology, Just Add Love, then I hope they might grab it today.

That’s how I repurposed a story I love and found it a new home!

Thank you, Delilah, for hosting me today.  I would love to hear from your readers. Are you willing to take a chance on a new author, if it’s a short read?  Something you’re not likely to become fully invested in?  Or do only full-length novels pique your curiosity?  One commenter, chosen by Random, will win a copy of my MMF BDSM novella Backing Down. All those ‘friends’ I mentioned…  If you have that book, I can gift you another from my back catalogue.  Good luck!

Tempest’s Teacup

Mistress Tempest

The challenge of breaking a disobedient bottom begging for correction at Club Kink has me intrigued. Romeo asserts he’s done something wrong and needs to be punished. That he needs to atone. As we move through our intense scene, I become more and more invested. But if I succeed in breaking him, our interaction may end our connection forever.

Romeo

My disrespectful and selfish behavior has landed me in a heap of trouble. I reach for a second chance in Vancouver after a co-star suggests I submit to a Domme at Club Kink to truly work through the regret threatening to destroy my life. Mistress Tempest offers me an opportunity at redemption. If I go all the way through with it, I might never see her again.

Tempest’s Teacup is an 10k erotic BDSM short story with a formidable Domme, a naïve submissive, and the ultimate redemptive scene.

Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/TempestsTeacup
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Tempests-Teacup-Erotic-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B0FD91V68L
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/236575602-tempest-s-teacup

About 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.

UPDATE: The winner is…Sara D!
*~*~*

Hello, Delilah! Thank you for welcoming me here to share my new release! I hope you’ll bear with me as I share the journey for this book.

Puppy Pride wasn’t a book on my 2025 bingo card.  Like, at all.  But I don’t know how to say ‘no,’ and so when offered a spot in the series, I grabbed it.  Initially, I thought about writing a young adult novel about a pride summer camp.

Then I realized the series blurb discussed Mommies and Daddies.  Uh…no. I wasn’t going to write a YA as it wouldn’t really fit into the series.

Okay, so Mommies and Daddies.

Well, I’d just published A Daddy for Christmas 2: Foster.  A Daddy/pup gay romance novel.  That was my first dip into puppy play kink, and I had such a blast that when I signed up for Pride Camp, I decided to head back into that subgenre and trope.

My readers have shown a lot of love for Foster, so I wanted to give them more.

Occasionally, I have to build a book from the outside in.  What do I mean by that?  I needed a cover first.  When I’m writing my interracial romances, I like to have a good idea of who I’m going to be representing since I’m a middle-aged white woman writing about Black, Hispanic, and Indian men (and soon Asian — just to add to the mix).  I live in a world of color where I’m in the minority on my floor in my apartment building. I love that.  I want to see this world represented — hence my inclusion of diverse people in my writing.

Puppy Pride is another interracial romance between an Indian man and a Black man.  Foster had a Black man on the cover – he was the pup.  I wanted the pup to be on this new cover, so I needed to find my Jai.

It wasn’t too hard as I found him pretty quickly.  The man on the cover is exactly how I see him in my mind.  From there, I created Demetrius in my head, and I was ready to go.  I tapped Plot Whisperer for some advice, which she freely gave.  Finally, I wanted a way to connect my two books.  So, I realized Jai and Arnav (the Daddy from my previous book) went to school together but had lost touch.  From there, I was able to incorporate much of my fictional small town (Mission City) and write a book where some old faces are interspersed with new ones.

Which brings us to today!  Puppy Pride is out, and I can’t be happier.  I love the other Pride Camp 2025 books, and I hope readers will enjoy all of them as well.

Okay, Delilah, that’s my story!  How the sausage gets made, so to speak.  As a thank you, I would love to gift a copy of my Daddy/pup book, A Daddy for Christmas 2: Foster to one lucky commentor. (If Daddy/pup kink isn’t your thing, or if you already own the book, I can gift you another book from my collection.)  I would love to hear from your readers — how much does the cover matter to a story? Is there something that makes you grab a book or something that makes you wrinkle your nose? Alternately, how about the blurb? Read’em? Igonore’em? I’d love to hear from you and Random will choose the winner.  Good luck!

Puppy Pride

Jai

Six years ago, the guy I thought I loved told all my friends that I liked to wear paws and a tail and crawl on the floor being a puppy. He turned my private play into a cruel joke, and I ran. Left my friends, my family, home, job, as well as my puppy-play group, and tried to let distance and time heal those wounds. Now, I’ve been given the chance to serve as the director of the new Mission City Pride Camp for teens. But my fresh start turns sour when someone starts leaving dog treats on my desk. Can I stand up to bullying this time and show these kids they have a right to be themselves? Or am I going to run again?

Demetrius

When my best friend got cancer, marrying her was the only real help I could give. Then she died, and I was left trying to single-parent my hurting stepson and stepdaughter without her. When Keegan tells me he’s being bullied for being gay, I desperately want to help him gain resources to survive and thrive. Enrolling him at Pride Camp is step one, and I’m delighted to find the director is a pup I loved playing with back at Whatsup Pup Club. If anyone knows about being bullied and inner strength, it’s Jai. I’d love to reconnect with him on a personal level, too, but he keeps pretending he doesn’t recognize me. I figure leaving him reminder gifts is a good place to start, to show him I’m interested in man and pup. But he seems more and more stressed, and I wonder if I have it wrong. Is there any chance he’ll let me be the Daddy I was for those short, sweet moments six years ago? Can I take a load off his shoulders, or will he shut me out forever?

Puppy Pride is an interracial, age-gap, hurt/comfort, second chance gay romance novel with a generous Daddy, a skittish pup, and the magic when they find each other again.

Welcome to Pride Camp, where diversity and inclusion is our motto. We’ve got daddies, mommies, littles, pets and families of all kinds. So, unroll your sleeping bag, make a couple s’mores, and enjoy the show!

Links:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Puppy-Pride-Gabbi-Grey-ebook/dp/B0DXFLS99S
Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/PuppyPrideCamp

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