UPDATE: The winner is…Jennifer Beyer!
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“Thought You Were the One” by Gabbi Grey – He’s in for a surprise twist when he seeks a second chance to win the attention of his handsome, unrequited, high school crush.

I completed my first novel in 2012.  The high angst, mid-heat, contemporary small-town romance story is the book of my heart…but I couldn’t find a publisher.  I did what mentors recommended—I wrote the next book.  And the next.  By 2016, I had 19 completed or nearly completed manuscripts.  And still, I couldn’t find a publisher.  About that time, I met a freelance editor who worked with me to get my various books in better shape.  I wrote a short story that was rejected by the anthology I submitted it to.  I re-edited it and submitted it, in 2018 to The Wild Rose Press.  The publication of that short story in 2019 brought me into the rose garden.

The press was launching a new series and looking for stories set in a small town in Vermont.  After some thought, I realized I had a story to tell about a history professor from Scotland and a dead Civil War soldier.  A ghost story.  A gay romance.  I’d tried my hand at writing one before (still waiting for the right publisher) but had never succeeded at landing the right story.  The Wild Rose Press took a chance and published My Past, Your Future.  Then the press put out a call for a story about ice cream.  I wrote Catch a Tiger by the Tail—a gay romance with tiger tail ice cream. (And yes, I’m a fan of the orange cream and black licorice concoction.)

Somewhere along the way, completely unintentionally, I became an author of gay romances.  I didn’t plan it…and yet, I found something I enjoyed.  My books have run the gamut—small town, big city, sweet, erotic, no angst, high angst, as well as serious and downright silly. (I’m still feeling my way around rom-coms). When the call came for Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, I knew I had to submit a story.  A gay romance. I did and was, amazingly, selected.

The picture I’ve chosen shows two guys holding hands.  Very simple. Very understated.  For me, that’s Gawain and Mercer.  Very easygoing.  Very straightforward.  Very small-town, low angst, high heat. I hope readers have as much fun reading their story as I had telling it.

Snippet from “Thought You Were the One”…

“Mercer, right?” Gawain gazed at me with those piercing dark-brown eyes of his. He was Italian on his father’s side and Welsh on his mother’s.

“Yeah. I’m amazed you remember me.” We hadn’t been close. At least not as close as I’d hoped we might be.

Gawain waved me off. “I remember everyone from high school. Mission City Collegiate all the way, right?”

“Sure.”

He and Giovani had been popular in high school. I…hadn’t been.

Sarabeth reappeared. “Table for one?” She gazed at Gawain, just as handsome as ever.

In turn, he looked at me. “Keep me company? I mean, if you don’t mind me eating in front of—”

“It’s fine.” Oh my God, oh my God, stay calm. “I still have a bit of room. Might have a milkshake.” I’d put in a long day at work. Stopping for a quick chili dog had been a treat. Staying for a blueberry milkshake and some time with my former crush would totally be worth it.

“Great.” He turned his attention back to Sarabeth. “Booth for two.”

She indicated toward the back. “Any of the two-seaters on the left.”

Gawain looped his arm in mine and coaxed me to the last booth at the back.

I removed my jacket and slid in opposite him, only then noticing the paint stain on my shirt. Too late to put the jacket back on…hopefully he won’t notice…

He snagged a menu and started perusing. “You know, I don’t think anything’s changed in the last ten years.”

I have. I’ve changed. I’m a different person. But I wouldn’t say that. “I think they’ve added a couple of milkshake flavors.”

He glanced at the list, running his finger down it—his long, sexy finger.

What would it be like if he— “I think I’m going to have the steak dinner. A good T-bone will fill me right up.” He patted his flat stomach.

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About the Author

Gabbi Grey, a USA Today bestselling author, lives in British Columbia where her fur-baby chin-poo keeps her safe from nasty neighborhood squirrels. While believing in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.

Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you enjoy small-town romance stories, and have you ever tried a gay romance?