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Gabbi Black: A Home for Every Story (Contest)
Saturday, June 28th, 2025

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.

Gabbi Grey: When a trope comes calling (Contest)
Wednesday, June 25th, 2025

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

Flashback: Bound & Determined from Texas Cowboys (Contest & Excerpt)
Tuesday, June 24th, 2025

UPDATE: The winner is…Ani!
*~*~*

Maybe you only know me through my bounty hunter books or the Brotherhood Protector stories I sometimes write. I’ve been a full-time author for more years than I care to admit, so there’s more on my backlist if you’re interested in checking out my older titles. Plus, if you love a sexier story than I tend to write now, you’ll really dig these. Hot cowboys? Lava-hot sex? What’s not to love? Read the excerpt below and comment for a chance to win a free download of any one of my six Texas Cowboys stories. They’re available in eBook and gathered together in two print volumes, or individually, if you go to my series page, and scroll down to Texas Cowboys.

Texas Cowboys Volume 1 Texas Cowboys Volume 2

Texas Cowboys: Bound & Determined

When Tara Toomey hosts the annual cowboy auction in her bar, she’s in the mood to serve bad boy Cody Westhofen more than a drink when she raises her bidding paddle. She’s done with his freewheeling ways. It’s time for the sexy cowboy to man up or get the hell out of her life. What better way to capture his attention and show him she’s serious than to kidnap him for a wanton weekend?

Tied to Tara’s bed, Cody is more than willing to cooperate. Until he found himself cuffed to her bed, he didn’t know how desperate she was to show him how much she cares.

It’s going to be a long, hot weekend…

Read an Excerpt

When the DJ’s speaker set crashed to the floor as the first women to arrive rushed the tables nearest the stage, Tara Toomey scrambled for a replacement and chalked the mishap up to high spirits.

When one of the volunteers carrying a tray of Jell-O shots tripped, and cherry and lime gelatin slid in glistening trails down his face and naked chest, she laughed as eager women offered to lick him clean.

However, it wasn’t until one of her staff whispered in her ear that she knew she was in for a long night. The main attraction had yet to arrive.

She crushed her dog-eared copy of the “Hook-up” program in her fist and headed toward the old-fashioned, double swinging doors, ready to stomp all the way to Redbone Ranch to drag his butt to town.

As she passed excited, tittering women her smile felt strained, and her nerves stretched taut. The “Annual Honky-tonk Hook-up” had always been a good time, but this year she wished she hadn’t been so quick to volunteer her bar again. Sure, it was good for business and many of the “blow-ins” from Houston, San Antonio, and San Angelo returned throughout the year because they enjoyed the event and Paraiso’s authentic western ambience.

But Tara wished she could return home, crawl into bed, and pull the covers over her head. The last thing she felt ready to do was watch one particular cowboy strut his stuff across the stage and land in some other woman’s clutches—even if it was just one night, completely innocent, right, and for a really good cause. The fact he might blow off the auction pissed her off almost as much as the thought of the spectacle he’d cause if he did finally make an entrance.

If anyone thought splintered speaker casings or a little spilled Jell-O were trouble, they hadn’t seen a room full of women erupt in the wake of one seriously sexy cowboy.

The thought soured her stomach. Still, she had a part to play in tonight’s festivities. Everyone seemed to think it was her job to make sure that cowboy showed up, because she was one of the few true friends he had. And after all, his picture in the auction advertisement had been the big pull.

Too many gussied-up women crowded the entrance to the bar, and the line wrapped twice around the narrow foyer. Not that anyone complained about the wait as bare-chested men wearing tight jeans, cowboy hats, and wicked smiles carried more trays laden with drinks down the long line.

Rather than wade through the cloud of perfume when all her “polite” was gone, Tara swept past the sign-in tables where volunteers busily took the women’s cash and handed out programs, shiny Mardi Gras beads, and wooden bidding paddles.

The combined scent of expensive perfumes made Tara’s nose twitch, so she pivoted on her heel and stomped toward the side entrance, reminded again about the cause of her agitation.

Perfume was like doe piss to this horned buck—irresistible bait. So, where the hell was he?

“He’s late!” a high-pitched voice squeaked behind her.

Tara didn’t even bother trying to pretend she didn’t know who “He” was, or that she didn’t know he hadn’t shown. Any woman with an ounce of estrogen in her veins would feel the tingle the moment the cowboy sauntered into the room.

“Tell me something I don’t already know,” Tara muttered, pausing at the door to shoot a glance over her shoulder.

Meaghan Garrity, the event’s “man-wrangler”, trotted toward her, her anxious gaze rising over the top of the clipboard she clutched to her chest. Spots of hectic color glazed each pale cheek. Her long red hair escaped the untidy knot at the top of her head in long curling tendrils. “Didn’t you tell him he was second on the program? We can’t start until he gets here.”

“He’ll be here,” Tara bit out, and then forced a smile. No use getting Meaghan more nervous than she already was. He wouldn’t stand them all up, would he?

Even as she said it, her stomach churned. There was only one thing that would keep the cowboy from his adoring fans. An easier fish to land—one he didn’t even have to bother moving his adorable tail to find.

Tara wondered what her name was, and the image of a beauty with her head snatched bald flashed through her mind. But she pasted on a smile to reassure her friend, while inside her anger began a slow, hot boil.

Leave it to Cody Westhofen to keep three hundred intoxicated women waitin’ on his sweet ass. Does the man think his sex appeal will forgive all sins?

Tara carefully ignored the little voice inside her that screamed an emphatic, Yes! Instead, she murmured, “Think that man would miss a chance at addin’ a hundred more numbers to his little black book?” Although she began the statement as a joke, anger scraped a sharper edge to her voice toward the end.

Tara caught herself before she began a rant, afraid Meaghan, whom she’d known since kindergarten, would wonder why one slow-as-molasses cowboy could get under her skin. After all, Tara was known for her ready smile, even temper but, especially, for her cowboy-proof armor.

She shoved her crumpled program into Meaghan’s hand. “Um…I’ll check outside and see what’s keepin’ him.”

“Or who! Better check back seats!” Meaghan whispered loudly. “That man can’t take a step without trippin’ over a droolin’ woman.”

With a wry twist of her lips, Tara pushed open the glass door to step out into the parking lot.

Outside, stars twinkled above the spotlight that illuminated the gravel lot overflowing with cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks. More vehicles lined the road leading to the bar for as far as she could see. Luckily, the southerly wind that had whipped up the stink from the stockyards earlier had changed course. Although a little humid, the air was sweet and cool.

Muffled music and laughter sounded from the building behind her, but for a moment, a peaceful calm surrounded her. Tara closed her eyes and dragged in a deep breath, sure this would be the last time she’d get a chance to relax tonight.

Gravel crunched behind her, and her eyes shot open. Thick, corded arms encircled her waist, a cowboy hat held in one hand. The crisp scent of spicy cologne tickled her nose. “Hey darlin’, afraid I wouldn’t show?”

Even if he hadn’t spoken first, she’d have known it was him. That telltale tingle raised goose bumps all over her body.

Tara stiffened and her eyes slid open, but she didn’t push the arms away. The snug pressure provided a moment’s reassurance however empty the promise.

She slid her hands over the tops of his and squeezed. “Cuttin’ it a little close, aren’t ya, cowboy?” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt. “The natives are gettin’ restless.”

“Been waitin’ on you, sweetheart. Thought I’d let you get mad enough to wrestle me inside. You know how much I love to get you riled.” Cody’s arms withdrew, but before she had a chance to light into him good for being late, his hands gripped her hips and twirled her around.

And although she knew peeking up into his face would spell the end of her self-possession, her gaze rose to lock with his for a long, charged moment.

Even in the shadows, shards of pale electric blue pierced the night. Whoever didn’t think there was a God had never looked into Cody’s bluer-than-blue eyes. Their gazes had never lingered over the width of his shoulders, the masculine curve of his jaw, the strong jut of his square chin and straight nose. With a body made for loving and hair so pale and silky it captured light like a halo around his head, a woman could be fooled into thinking he just might be an angel incarnate.

Until they saw the wicked curve of his lips—a smile so seductive, so sensually ripe, it triggered a primal response an octogenarian nun couldn’t deny.

Trapped against his naked chest, Tara dug deep for any frayed fragments of pride she still possessed and scowled. “What do you think you’re doin’? Anyone could look outside and see us.”

“What do you care?”

“I’m not your girlfriend,” Tara growled. “And I don’t want to be mistaken for one of your goodtime squeezes. I’d just as soon keep it on the down low that I’ve succumbed a time or two to your charms.”

Cody’s brows drew together, deepening the shadows engulfing his eyes, making his appearance seem a tad sinister. “Ashamed of me?” he asked softly. “Or are you ashamed you want me?”

Tara shivered, whether from the cooling tension in his voice or her own tightly wound anger, she couldn’t have said.

Her last speck of self-respect kept her frowning, denying his overpowering attraction. “No, I’m not ashamed of you, and I’m woman enough not to be ashamed all my parts seem to function just fine when you’re around, but I do have a reputation to uphold. If anyone found out I’ve been sleeping with the biggest womanizer in Texas, it would be ripped to shreds.”

“Sure sounds like shame to me.”

The easy, sexy slide of his voice told her she’d amused him. Cody always said he knew when she was lying because she talked too much without saying anything at all.

She took another deep breath to calm her racing heart. “I just don’t want everyone knowin’ my business. And since there isn’t really anything for them to know—I mean, it’s not like we’re a couple, right?—I’d just as soon not ask for trouble.”

“What kinda trouble you expectin’?”

Tara rolled her eyes. “You’re kidding, right? Trouble follows you everywhere you go! That wasn’t you Brandon Tynan took a couple of swings at for gettin’ fresh with Lyssa? Sarah Michelson didn’t almost get arrested for indecent exposure when she cornered you in the bathroom?”

“No man’s gonna punch me out for messin’ with you. They’d probably pin a medal on my chest for havin’ the guts. And I didn’t ask Sarah to follow me inside the bathroom.”

“No, you didn’t, but she did. And she wasn’t the first to throw herself at you. Do you think I’d have a business left if half my customers, the female half, decided to boycott me?”

Cody snorted. Then his lips stretched again into a smile. “You’re not makin’ any sense at all. Tonight got you rattled, sugar?” His hands slid up and down her back in an attempt to soothe her.

Her irritation spiked like oil breaching a well-head. “Cody, we don’t have time for you to play with me. Besides, would you want any of those women you’re trolling for tonight to think you’re already taken? They don’t know you like the rest of Paraiso does. They might think you actually do have a loyal bone in your body.”

Cody’s lips tightened for a second then relaxed, slowly sliding into his trademark smirk. “Gimme a kiss for good luck?”

She let out an exasperated huff. “Do you promise you’ll get your butt inside if I do?”

“Lady, don’t you know all you have to do is ask? Your pleasure’s all mine.”

She stifled the sigh sifting between her lips. If only that were true. “Well, I’m askin’.”

“For a kiss?”

She wrinkled her nose and forced a light-hearted laugh. “You’re impossible.”

His grin stretched. “And you’re beautiful.”

His head bent towards hers, and Tara forced herself to turn her head to the side. “This isn’t part of our agreement,” she whispered.

“It’s just a goddamn kiss,” he growled.

“Anytime you want to change the rules…”

His hands tightened on her waist. “Maybe those rules should be up for renegotiation. All I want’s a kiss. Not anything I’m not gonna give a dozen women tonight.”

“You’re wastin’ time.”

“You wanna explain what kept me in the parking lot?”

Tara tightened her lips and turned her head toward him. “Be quick.”

“Stubborn woman,” he said softly as he bent toward her.

A smile tugged at her lips as he bent over her again. No way was he gonna let a woman have the last word.

All her arguments bled away as he closed in. She pushed aside her concern that anyone might see. She’d waited all night for this kiss. Not that she’d let him know it. And lordy, he didn’t disappoint. Never did.

Never mind his mouth would be kissing dozens of lips before the night ended. For this moment, he was all hers.

His firm mouth captured hers and began a sexy, circling glide that sent an electric jolt of awareness straight through her. Her pulse began a delicious throb, her nipples beaded, and moist little tugs of arousal stirred between her legs.

She gasped against his mouth, and his tongue swept inside to ravish. A low, throaty growl rumbled from his chest into her mouth, and he jerked back his head. “Damn. Do we really have to go inside now?”

“It’s that or risk having three hundred women descending upon us mid-stroke in the parking lot.”

He settled his forehead against hers. “I love when you talk dirty. You should do it more often.”

“It’s a sad fact it doesn’t take more than ‘hello’ for you to get horny. Better get inside. Meaghan’s gonna have a coronary. And you forgot your shirt.”

“No, I didn’t. Just didn’t want it disappearing like the rest of my clothes did last year.”

“Women takin’ souvenirs?” Her lips curved.

His grin stretched wide. “Will you fight them off if they manage to get my pants this year?”

Her glance fell to the blue jeans lovingly curved over the bulge at the front of his pants and the leather chaps that encased both of his thick, muscled thighs. “Why on earth would you think I’d care?”

His eyes narrowed, falling to her mouth.

She fought to keep her lips from thinning, or Cody would know she was lying. Another little “tell” she’d never known she gave away—until he’d mentioned it.

His chest expanded around a deep sigh. “You sure know how to sink a dent in a man’s ego.”

“Someone has to give it a prick every now and then, or you’d be a complete jerk.”

He arched a brow. “Why do you put up with me if I’m such a pain?”

Tara felt her face and chest warm. “I live in hope of seeing you hog-tied to one woman some day and lovin’ it.”

His snort jerked back his head. “Better plan on livin’ a long, long time, sweetheart.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “You had your kiss…”

His hands dropped from her hips. “Guess Meaghan’s havin’ kittens right about now.”

Kittens? I’m havin’ goddamn orange tabbies and alley cats!” Meaghan shouted from the side door. “Get your butt inside before they start a riot!”

Gabbi Grey: Dipping my toe into the enemies-to-lovers trope… (Contest)
Wednesday, June 18th, 2025

UPDATE: All commenters are winners!
*~*~*

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

Every June, I’m invited to submit a story for the charity Love is All anthology.  This year, because I’m a masochist, I signed up for a wedding anthology, Save the Date, in the same month.  LIA has no theme — you write whatever strikes your fancy.  Obviously, the wedding anthology was for…weddings.  However, the theme centered on weddings — it didn’t have to be the ceremony itself.  I got together with Plot Whisperer, and we figured out a story about two brothers standing up for their lesbian sisters.  One brother is out, loud, proud, and very brash. The other is reserved, self-possessed, in the closet, and super annoyed with the first brother.

Thus, I had my conflict — the two brothers.  Lachlan is repressed.  He’s been living a lie for years.  He was incredibly supportive when his beloved sister, Taryn, came out of the closet. He admired her.  But he didn’t have the courage to do the same.  He left for university on the other side of the country, became a lawyer, and represents some of the biggest entertainment industry folk.  But he’s not happy.  He sees Cooper, and he’s envious.

Cooper, for his part, adores his younger sister, Stephanie, and only wants her to be happy.  He also adores Taryn, Stephanie’s fiancée, and life would be grand.  Except for fricking Lachlan.

I had so much fun with these two — circling each other, poking each other, and eventually succumbing to the desire and lust.  Yep, they hook up.  But it’s not going to last — they live on opposite sides of the country. Lachlan’s not out.  They part after the wedding, and that appears to be it.

Now, this is a Gabbi Grey romance, so that’s not it.  But readers will just have to pick up the story to see what happens next.

And while they’re at it, nabbing Love is All Volume 8, with the story Too Much in Love to Care, to see how Taryn and Stephanie finally make it down the aisle’s pretty great, too.

Both stories are set in my Love in Mission City world, so there might be a cameo or two.

I had fun with these shorts. Let me tell you, though, that writing two stories that take place at the same time is complicated. I managed — but barely.

Okay, prize time!  I have either an ebook or audio of my latest Love in Mission City short story, Archer’s Awakening, narrated by the amazing Michael Dean.  Just let me know — enemies to lovers trope…fan or not?  This is my second, although I’ve been told the first was more like two neighbors irritated with each other.  Drop a comment and you might win!  Winner selected by Random.  Good luck!

Save the Date

The cake is ordered, the dresses are tailored, and the guests are ready—love is in the air, and it’s time to Save the Date!

From grand celebrations to intimate elopements, Save the Date is filled with heart-warming and swoon-worthy tales of love found, lost, and rediscovered on the road to happily ever after.

Perfect for readers who believe in the magic of love and the romance of weddings, this anthology is your invitation to fall in love, one story at a time.

Authors:
Kathleen Ryder
Laura M. Baird
Susan Horsnell
Sharon Michalove
Gabbi Grey
VK Holt
Clarice Jayne
Sharon Wray
Freyja Frost
Harper Michaels
Carrie DiRisio
Deaia Sanders
Michelle Moncrieff
Kristine Charles
Alexa Santi
JCC Downing

The anthology will only be available for a limited time.

Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/tnrc2025savethedate
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Save-Date-Contemporary-Anthology-Collection/dp/B0F9FWFB1T
Add it to Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218652697-save-the-date

Never Thought I’d Want You by Gabbi Grey
inside Save the Date 

Cooper

I’m delighted that my sister Stephanie is marrying Taryn. Those two women were meant for each other. But I’m frustrated at having to spend time with Taryn’s boring brother, Lachlan, a snooty lawyer with a stick up his ass. The worst part? Every time I see him, I want to climb the guy like a tree, even though he’s straight.

Lachlan

I love my sister Taryn and will do anything to make her happy.  These days, that means standing by her side as she marries the love of her life. All I have to do is survive a week in Cooper’s presence. Just one small problem. We can’t keep our hands off each other. No one else knows I’m bisexual, and I’m worried my attraction for the man is going to let the cat out of the bag…

Never Thought I’d Want You is a 15k enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract, age-gap gay romance between a by-the-book lawyer, a freespirited advertising executive, and the wedding no one will ever forget.

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

GUNN’S MISSION — On Sale This Week!
Monday, June 16th, 2025

SALE. SALE. SALE.

Gunn’s Mission: Team Eagle Book #3, by Delilah Devlin in the Brotherhood Protectors World, is on sale for just $1.99 for the week of June 15-21! If you haven’t read this story yet, here’s your chance to get it for a great price! This story has a very unique setting and plot—one I’m sure you haven’t read before! Polar bears, a floating island in the Arctic, a murder mystery, and a sexy, hot SEAL… Yeah, if you haven’t already read this, here’s your chance to get it for a great price!

Gunn's Mission

After surviving a catastrophic helicopter accident that left him scarred and unable to continue serving on the Teams, former Navy SEAL Gunnar “Gunn” Nielson is settling into life as a Brotherhood Protector in the Yellowstone, Montana, office.

When a request from the U.S. government arrives for a protection detail for someone with extensive cold-weather experience, Gunn, born and raised in Minnesota, is tapped for the job. He soon discovers that he will be the lone protector for a group of scientists working at a research facility on a floating island in the Arctic Ocean.

After discovering that one of her team members was murdered, Facility Chief Maddie Russo is grateful for Gunn’s expertise. Thinking the murder might have been committed by someone trying to interfere with a military-sponsored study, she and Gunn have to keep her team safe as the work continues.

Maddie and Gunn grow closer as the weather turns colder and the threats to the facility and its inhabitants continue.

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon IT

Krysten Lindsay Hager: F*R*E*E for a Limited Time — Coming of Age Romance about Finding One’s Path & True Love
Friday, June 13th, 2025

Imagine thinking you have it made in life where your dreams came true only to have the bottom fall out….

Paige Kramar thinks she has it made with a role on the TV soap opera, Charmed Lives. Then everything changes when her co-star (and TV heartthrob) Lance Cunningham’s bad behavior gets him suspended from the network. Her role is put on hold because she was about to be revealed as his secret sister. She starts getting pressured by her family to study something in school that would lead to job security in the future. She winds up taking a journalism internship where she’s not taken seriously since she’s an actress. Then one day she steps up in a big way to help out a sportscaster named Ted who sees she has an eye for putting together news stories.

Ted gives her an opportunity to work with him and mentors her. She goes from feeling insecure about her future to believing in herself and her abilities. Along the way, she meets a hockey player named Viktor who is also dealing with his own self-confidence and trust issues. Paige and Viktor begin to find support in one another and start falling for each other, but they are both fresh off of break ups and dealing with trust issues. Then her pop star ex-boyfriend comes back into the picture. Can Paige find true love and purpose?

Find the book here for free for a limited time!
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Falling-Star-City-Hockey-Romance-ebook/dp/B0CVXHF8DL
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Falling-Star-City-Hockey-Romance-ebook/dp/B0CVXHF8DL
Amazon CAN: https://www.amazon.ca/Falling-Star-City-Hockey-Romance-ebook/dp/B0CVXHF8DL
Amazon Aus: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0CVXHF8DL

Add it on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208865198-falling-for-a-star-in-the-city

Follow Krysten here: www.krystenlindsay.com

Gabbi Grey: I have an addiction… (Contest–2 Winners!)
Thursday, June 12th, 2025

UPDATE: All five commenters are winners!
*~*~*

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. As of just a few days ago, the audio, narrated by Michael Dean, has been released into the world. (Well, available for purchase on Audible, at least.)

My addiction? Audiobooks. Seems pretty tame. Not smoking, drinking, gambling, or pot (which is legal in Canada, thank you). Nope, I love audiobooks. I have a membership with Audible, I pick up Chirp books on sale, and I look over Kobo promos all the time. I try to be judicious in what I buy, but I wasn’t always that way, and so I have thousands of audiobooks I have yet to listen to. I’ll never get through them all. I’m also on a review team where I get free gay romance audios in exchange for writing honest reviews. That team has introduced me to authors of whom I’ve become big fans.

So what’s the problem? (Aside from having more listening pleasure than I’ll ever get to?) Audio is expensive. Now, I’m a HUGE fan of libraries.  I think they’re wonderful places — especially for those with fewer resources. More than half of my ebooks and more than half of my audiobooks are available to libraries around the world. Now, for most library systems, a member of the public has to request my book(s). I’ll tell you, I love it when readers do that. I treasure every library checkout. Generally, it pays less than if someone buys my book outright, but just knowing someone out there thought enough of my book to find it means everything.

Quickly — why aren’t all of my audiobooks available for libraries? Audible offers authors a choice: higher royalties and review codes, or lower royalties and the ability to sell elsewhere. Uh…  Yeah. Just like with Kindle Unlimited (authors can only be with Amazon if they want their books in KU), authors face, frankly, an unfair choice. There’s a sweet spot — be with Audible exclusively until sales wane. Then, pull the books, take the lower royalty, and move your books to a wider distribution. That said, some authors whose sales never wane or who dread the process of going wide, find that daunting. I get it. It’s a lot of work.

And when I say wide, I mean wide. I’m in every market I’m able to access. Chirp, Kobo, Kobo Plus, Google Play, Apple, Everand, Overdrive, B&N, Bookmate, Audiobooks.com, Spotify, Hoopla, Storytel, etc. (You can be forgiven if you’ve never heard of Storytel — I hadn’t either.  Turns out my gay romances are very popular in Scandinavia — Sweden in particular).  Some of these places require outright purchases, while others are subscription-based. Again, I get to see my books being listened to. And more than half of my ebooks are in many of the same retailers, so feel free to search and, where appropriate, request.

All that said, I’m going to be honest and say I’ve lost money putting so many of my books in audio. I’m a firm believer in accessibility, so listening helps readers who can’t process the written word (poor eyesight, physical impairment, reading issues, amongst others). I also believe in flesh-and-blood narrators.  It’s super tempting to use Virtual Voice or any of the other AI narration tools which are vastly less expensive — but I prefer actual people to perform my books. I’ve worked with Michael Ferraiuolo, Michael Dean, and Robert Hatchett. All have been amazing. And I hope to work with some of my favorite female narrators in the future.

Okay, so that’s all things audio. I go through publishing them in fits and spurts, and I’m in a production phase right now where I’m putting out a whole pile in a short period of time. This year I’m focusing on two series: my books in the multi-author Friend of Gaynor Beach Animal Rescue, and my Love in Mission City series. I’m getting positive reviews for all the books, so I know I’m on the right track. I also chose to put my recent YA book, Didn’t See You Coming on audio, and I have to say, Michael Ferraiuolo nailed the performance.

Thanks, Delilah, for hosting me! I hope this gives your readers an insight into the audio sales process. I’d love to give a prize to a lucky commenter. I’ll happily give an audio copy of Rayne Check to one commenter and Didn’t See You Coming to another. If you have that audio, I can offer up something else. If you don’t do audio, I’m happy to give copies of one of my books. So let me know — have you made the leap to audio? What might attract you to choose one book over another? Drop a comment in and 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:
Audible:  https://www.audible.com/pd/Archers-Awakening-Audiobook/B0FC32Y86R
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