My Writing Corner : A Stop at The Inn

I always enjoy finding new writers to invite to visit My Writing Corner, and I'm even more pleased when I can discover a writer who lives in the one place I would move to if given the opportunity. Gabbi Grey is the guest this week and while she lives in British Columbia, her new story is set at a location far from there, but one that is another favorite place for me -- the Deerbourne Inn in Vermont.

Gabbi 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.

Let's get a look at her newest work, If Only for Today.

Jared Langford is a happy man. The desk clerk at the Deerbourne Inn knows everyone in his cozy town in Vermont. He is accepted and loved by the community, but he's missing someone special in his life.

Devastating news has brought journalist Xander Fortier to Willow Springs( for some much-needed rest. He's photographed every major conflict in the world for the last ten years, but being stateside has forced him to reassess the solitary life he's been living.

Something in Xander's gruff demeanor calls to Jared's caring nature. Soon the men are spending time together, but Jared's kisses might not be enough to keep Xander from leaving. Can the men find a happily ever after if they only have today?

Want more? Let's talk to these fascinating characters. We'll start with Jared.

What are you looking for in life?

To make those around me happy. I greet each new guest with a huge welcom

e and a genuine smile. I love my job at Deerbourne Inn. But that infectious cheeriness extends beyond my work. I do my best to make my boss Nathan and my co-worker Liz smile. I love hanging with my friends, often inviting them over to my place for movies and cooking for them. I even adopted an older formerly feral cat and gave him a place to rest before he passed. Mephistopheles was a tough nut to crack,:but by the end he was willing to let me pet him and comfort him. I miss that companionship. I think I need to adopt another animal. Or I might even bring home a world-weary award-winning photojournalist with shadows in his eyes.

What do you fear most?

Losing someone I love to illness and death. I suffered a great loss back in my early teens, and as much as I tell myself I’m over it, it still haunts me. I still think about that person all the time. I know she would want me to move on, but I’m so scared to lose another person.

Now let's talk to Xander:

What frightens you about Jared?

His naïveté. The guys I’ve been with before? Rough like me. World-weary like me. Cynical like me. Jared has this rosy view of the world – like everybody is redeemable and life is amazing. But then…there are moments where I can see he’s suffered pain, and although he hides it from everyone, he can’t hide it from me. But am I the man to help him finally acknowledge and cope with that pain? I’m not sure.

What do you want most in life?

For my work to matter. I’ve been around the world, many times, shooting photographs of the aftermath of war. The awards are nice, for sure, but it’s hearts and minds. I want people to see my shots and decide to intervene. Decide that enough is enough and the suffering has to end. It’s happened a few times, but I’m afraid this sidelining may become permanent.

To make those around me happy. I greet each new guest with a huge welcome and a genuine smile. I love my job at Deerbourne Inn. But that infectious cheeriness extends beyond my work. I do my best to make my boss Nathan and my co-worker Liz smile. I love hanging with my friends, often inviting them over to my place for movies and cooking for them. I even adopted an older formerly feral cat and gave him a place to rest before he passed. Mephistopheles was a tough nut to crack, but by the end he was willing to let me pet him and comfort him. I miss that companionship. I think I need to adopt another animal. Or I might even bring home a world-weary award-winning photojournalist with shadows in his eyes.

What do you fear most?

Losing someone I love to illness and death. I suffered a gross back in my early teens, and as much as I tell myself I’m over it, it still haunts me. I still think about that person all the time. I know she would want me to move on, but I’m so scared to lose another person.

Now let’s talk to Xander:

What frightens you about Jared?

What do you want most in life?

Let's get an excerpt:

“You said something about photographs.” With his gaze, Jared indicated the collection.

“No big deal.”

“Are you kidding?” His voice rose in anticipation. “I get to see some of the unpublished photographs of the Xander Fortier, and you think I’m going to pass up that opportunity? Uh, no way. You promised.”

How could he refuse that enthusiasm? Ugh, he hated watching others scrutinize his work. Usually he was halfway across the globe when his boss decided which picture worked best with the story being told. Heck, if he was without good internet, he might not know until days later which shot had been selected. Or if one had been used at all. Despite the importance of the foreign beat, domestic issues would always take precedence.

Jared pointed to one. “I haven’t seen this one before.”

A black-and-white photo of a young girl, no more than five years old, clinging to her mother’s body.

“Shelling in Aleppo. I came across them after the dust had settled, so to speak. The mother, or at least I assumed she was the mother, had died and the daughter just sat there. She wasn’t crying, wasn’t moving. She saw me and pointed to her mother. I took a couple of pictures and went looking for someone to help. I later saw her being loaded on a bus heading to a refugee camp.

“I wound up there a few days later and I tried to find her, but the place was massive. Thousands of people. I often wonder what happened to her. I mean, did she find other family, or did she simply become a war orphan? Did someone care for her? Were her needs met? So few countries take refugees, there’s a good chance she’ll grow up in that camp.”

He shuffled through and found another photo. Three young children sitting outside a tent. “Their mother was inside giving birth. They sat patiently while listening to her scream.” He pressed a finger to one of the boy’s faces. “They didn’t even seem perturbed. It was like this was a normal everyday occurrence.”

Jared’s face was devoid of color. “I can’t even imagine.”

Want more? Here's how you can get Gabbi's new story:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3fOsviy

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/31LG1LP

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/if-only-for-today

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-only-for-today-gabbi-grey/1138919955

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/if-only-for-today/id1556170342

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gabbi_Grey_If_Only_for_Today?id=hEonEAAAQBAJ

Publisher: https://www.thewildrosepress.com/book-post/if-only-for-today

Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57730616-if-only-for-today

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/If-Only-Today-Deerbourne-Inn-ebook/dp/B08XTNZ2K5

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/If-Only-Today-Deerbourne-Inn-ebook/dp/B08XTNZ2K5