SERIES TOUR with NEW RELEASE
Bonded by Love Series 1 – 3 by Gabbi Grey
The books should be read in order.
Books 1 & 2 are the same throuple (MMF) while book 3 is a new triad (MMM).
Book 3 can be read as a standalone.
Overall Heat Rating for the series: 5 flames
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
How many books have you written?
Believe it or not, that’s a tough question to answer. Partly because I write under three pen names. Gabbi Powell is MF small-town, mid-heat, mid-angst. Gabbi Black’s MF, MMF, and FFM books are all BDSM. Some are light and fluffy, and some are super dark. Those two pen names were when I got my start writing. Publishing-wise, though, Gabbi Grey was first out of the gate. Under that pen name, I’ve published 28 novels, 19 novellas, and 41 short stories. Some of the short stories and novellas were for anthologies, including a bunch of charity projects. I’ve put quite a few of those together in boxsets and have republished. Now, this is all since February 2020. I’ve been busy. Even prolific. But my way of dealing with stress is to write. So, I’ve written a lot. And I have plans for many, many, many more stories.
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
Back in 2016, I submitted a book for an anthology about friends-to-lovers. Now, no one read that anthology, and the rights reverted. I sat on that story for nearly seven years until I was ready to pick it up again. Only, instead of a couple (Caressa and Michael), I realized they were a triad – their friend Cole was meant to be part of that relationship. I rewrote Caresa’s Homecoming from MF to MMF, added a ton of words, and sent it to my publisher. The genesis for that book was the friends-to-lovers trope. That throuple’s story was so huge that it carried on into Cole’s Reckoning. Great! Two books written. Except…Cole is an actor and his friend Donovan is a stunt-coordinator. Donovan deserved a happy ending as well. Only…who was he meant to be together with? First came Hamish, the psychologist. He’d appeared in another book and I realized he was perfect for Donovan. Oh…except the first two books are ménage books. My friend suggested maybe Donvan’s was meant to be as well? Yeah. Oh, yeah! I remembered Tyson the cop who I’d introduced in the first book of the series, determined he was the perfect third, and wrote the MMM novel. What started as a call for a story with a particular trope turned into a sprawling series of ménage novels.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I attended a writing seminar with agent Donald Maass. As he talked about compelling fiction, he suggested we think about the worst thing that could happen to our characters. He said to make that happen. What was the second worst thing? Do that as well. In other words – make characters suffer. Ouch. Still, I took that lesson to heart – even if only subconsciously. I do make the vast majority of my characters suffer. I put myself – and my readers – through some angst. Now, sometimes it’s actual physical pain. Like Cole and Donovan being shot in Cole’s Reckoning. Other times, it’s more existential. Like the suffering Ryan goes through after coming home from fighting in the war in Ukraine. In Sleigh Bells and Second Chances, not only is Ryan’s physical war wound slow to heal, but he’s dealing with survivor’s guilt. In the end, it’s only through his friendship and eventual courtship with Simeon that he begins to heal. Writing these books was a challenge. I hope readers enjoy them.
Where is your favorite place to write?
Before COVID, I was convinced I needed to be in a restaurant or a library if I was going to write. That the television was too big of a lure. Then came 2020. I had a deadline for a book for my publisher and very little leeway. Restaurants and libraries were closed. I was faced with the choice of missing the deadline or knuckling down and writing at home. In the end, the decision came easily. I joined an online writer’s group, and they had virtual sprints. I set aside time each morning before work. I wrote until I finished that novel. Well, things are back to normal, and I still write at home. Now, I write at an ungodly hour of the morning – even before my Starbucks is open. So writing at home makes sense. I have the dogs, the quiet before the chaos of work, and the words to guide me.
Do you aim for a set number of words/pages per day?
This is a tough question. I set unrealistic goals and then find every way possible to meet them. I have a daily word tracker as well as a spreadsheet with month and year. I’ve been doing this since 2022. I’m highly competitive, so I am always trying to best myself. Alas, 2026 will not have a higher count than 2025…but it’ll still be respectable and something I’m proud of. I don’t recommend this method to all writers. For someone like me, though, it works.
Do you use your own experiences in your books?
Here’s where I get a little personal. I’ve had a fascination with BDSM since I read an MF BDSM novella back in 2013. I loved it so much that I bought every single book by that author, and I even attended a conference so I could meet her. Eventually I found the courage to attend events in the BDSM community in Vancouver. By then, I’d written a trilogy (MF under a different pen name). Once I had more experience, I went back and revised those books that are now published. Donovan’s Men has a BDSM scene, so that was fun to write. Edging Coach is a BDSM hockey gay romance I wrote with L.A. Witt. I’ll say I enjoyed writing those intimate kink scenes.
Do you ever get writer’s block?
This is a great question. I set such tight deadlines that I’m sort of not allowed to get writer’s block. That said, I was writing Ulysses’s Ultimatum in December and the writing wasn’t going well. I gave myself permission to set the manuscript aside while I co-wrote Edging Coach with LA Witt. Then I tried to get back to Ulysses. That didn’t work, so I wrote an MF BDSM erotic that was due way later than Ulysses. Finally, I didn’t have a choice. I had a preorder on Amazon, as well as a beta reader and an editor who were tapping their toes. Not to mention the readers asking for the book. So I wrote the damn novel. I’d swear it broke me. But I picked myself up and wrote the next book…
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Writing is my happy place. People exhaust me. I have a set amount of socializing that I do in real life. Family and a couple of close friends. I have a couple of virtual friend groups I meet with. But that’s it. I’m an introvert. COVID was good to me – I was allowed to stay home and not feel guilty. When the lockdowns ended, I stayed home. Now, I’m blessed that I can do that – and grateful to the people who can’t and who go to work. Writing energizes me in a way that is almost euphoric. There’s nothing like the feeling of finishing a book.
What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
I will tell you, hands down, that the most rewarding experience is when a reader sends me an email about a book I’ve written. Sometimes they want to let me know how the book impacted them. Other times, they’ve got something going on in their lives that they need to share, and they know I’m a safe space. I put my heart and soul into my newsletters (as well as cute pictures of my dogs), and readers often respond to those missives. I will share one that broke my heart, but also warmed me. My best friend died on Christmas Day 2004. On Christmas Day, 2024, I published Yorkie to My Heart. I needed a way to reclaim the day from grief. I published the book and sent out my newsletter. A kind reader shared with me that their Yorkie had died the day before, and my book was good timing for them. Just…I never know how a book is going to land. What’s going on in my reader’s lives. When they share their hearts with me, I’m always honored and moved.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Truthfully? Not much. I have my beloved day job. I get paid to help people. That’s awesome. Most of my spare time is then spent writing. That last sliver of time? Completely dedicated to my rescue pooches. I rescued Ally when she was a puppy. She just turned 11 and has been with me for most of that time. Finnegan came much later to our family. I was asked to rescue him three years ago when he was 10. He had a pile of neuroses, so I worried. He was fine, Ally was jealous, and eventually, we made it work. I do visit my family about once a month, but that means leaving my pooches, which I don’t enjoy doing. I’m a doting dog mom.
Do you prefer pen and paper or computer?
I wrote my very first novel by hand. 126k words. In pieces. I was going through a rough time, and I needed to get out of my apartment. So I went to the library, the coffee shop, even restaurants. I sat, and I wrote. Eventually, I pieced everything together and typed it up. To my surprise, I had a book. But I swore never to do that again. When I first started writing seriously, I was working at a call center. We had seven seconds between calls. I trained myself to write for those seven seconds. More when we had a lull in the calls or on my lunch. I wrote my second book that way in three months. Soon, though, I was promoted and moved out of the call center environment. Better for my mental health, that was for certain. I started writing on my laptop at coffee shops, libraries, and restaurants. I got into a routine and started writing hundreds of thousands of words a year. I’ve worn out several laptops…
Do you write as routine or do you write when you feel like it?
I’m very much a creature of routine. Part of that is my mind. To deal with my mental illness, having things the same all the time really helps. Predictability is my friend. If I wrote whenever the spirit took me, I’d never get anything done. Every morning I’m up long before the crack of dawn. I feed and walk the dogs, eat breakfast, do a few writing-related administrative tasks, and then get down to writing. The odd day I’ll send out a newsletter, write a blog, or edit – but the vast majority of days, it’s getting words on the page. I do this about 355 days a year, and it works for me.
What do you love best about your current book?
Donovan’s Men is the third Bonded by Love series. My favorite thing is that the triad of Donovan, Tyson, and Hamish was almost the opposite to Caressa, Cole, and Michael – the triad from the first two books. I will say Donovan’s Men had a tougher road to publication than Caressa’s Homecoming and Cole’s Reckoning. My editor loved the first two books right away and they were off to seeing the light of day. She didn’t feel the same way about Donovan. She sent me a long editorial letter with a request to make the changes and resubmit the book. Basically, she was asking for a massive rewrite. I sat on it for a long time. A really long time. She was patient as I worked things out in my mind. Eventually, I rewrote the book. My editor loved it and now this third book is out!
What is your next project?
The book I’m currently working on, Carver’s Craving, is one that I never planned. I have a main series – Love in Mission City. The first book, Ginger Snapping All the Way, was supposed to be a standalone. Well, apparently, I didn’t get the message because one MC’s ex-boyfriend needed a redemption story and here I am, five years later, working on book 8. Since I have written numerous books for the Road to Rocktoberfest series, I didn’t see myself writing another rockstar book. Except a coworker used to be a roadie, has worked with some of the biggest rock artists out there, and always has stories to share. So I picked his brain and from that I came up with the story for Carver’s Craving with Carver the roadie and Styx the lead singer of a rock band. The writing is going well, so the book will be out in the fall.
THANK YOU.
BOOK DETAILS
BOOK 1
Book Title: Caressa’s Homecoming
Cover Artist: Diana Carlisle
Length: 280 pages
Release Date: January 22, 2024
Pairing: MMF
Tense/POV: first person/past tense/alternating POV
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Menage
Tropes: Friends to lovers
Themes: Coming out, bisexual awakening
Goodreads | Universal Buy Link
Friends in childhood, friends as adults, friends in the bedroom.
Blurb
Nurse Caressa Klein returns home to a quieter life in Vancouver, Canada, after five grueling years of working with patients in Africa. She’s ready to settle back into her relationship with her two best friends.
Engineer Michael Dubois has been in love with his best friend since the day she announced her departure overseas. He’s glad she’s back—now he wants to hold on to her forever.
Actor Cole Hamilton is also in love with his best friend. Or rather, both of them. They supported each other through harrowing childhoods. Cole wants to bring Caressa and Michael into his life and, more importantly, into his bed.
Can they move from friends to a throuple, or is their relationship destined to fail?
BOOK 2
Book Title: Cole’s Reckoning
Cover Artist: Diana Carlisle
Length: 312 pages
Release Date: July 15, 2024
Pairing: MMF
Tense/POV: first person past tense alternating POV
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Menage
Tropes: Friends to lovers
Themes: Coming out, bisexual awakening
Book 1 should be read first.
Goodreads | Universal Buy Link
Three inseparable friends – now three insatiable lovers?
Blurb
Actor Cole Hamilton has finally convinced the two people he loves most in the world, Caressa Klein and Michael Dubois, to move in, join him in a throuple relationship, and set his bed on fire. But he fears his secrets—his real self—will drive them away.
Michael is stressed by his latest engineering project, but his two best friends turned hot lovers worry him more. Cole is too reckless, and Caressa keeps him guessing.
Caressa adores her two sexy men, but her past and tragedies in her nursing profession haunt her.
Can their love and friendship survive secrecy and the reopening of old wounds?
BOOK 3
Book Title: Donovan’s Men
Cover Artist: Lisa Dawn McDonald
Length: 312 pages
Release Date: August 3, 2026
Pairing: MMM
Tense/POV: first person past tense alternating POV.
Genres: Contemporary Romance, BDSM, Menage
Tropes: Forbidden love
It is a standalone story, but best read as book 3
It does not end on a cliffhanger
Goodreads | Universal Buy Link
From forbidden relationship to forever love.
Blurb
Police Officer Tyson McGillvary, newly divorced, is not looking for love—with anyone.
Psychologist Hamish McAllister helps patients deal with workplace violence. He’s never been in a relationship—with anyone.
Stunt coordinator Donovan Riggs, working in Vancouver, Canada, on a popular television show, isn’t looking for permanent. He enjoys relationships—with everyone.
When a tragedy thrusts all three men together, the attraction is instantaneous. While professional ethics keep Tyson and Hamish at a distance, Donovan connives to bring both men to his bed—together. As he loses his heart, can he convince them to break the rules, or at the end of the day, will they all go their separate ways?
Excerpt from Donovan’s Men
Donovan
“Is that toxic sludge?” Cole looked dubious.
I gave them my patented mock glare, mildly offended he would say that while drinking bitter, black coffee. “How you two stay healthy drinking that shit is beyond me. This is a spinach protein shake with probiotics and—”
“I’ll have you know this isn’t shit.” Cole held up what I knew to be his standard coffee. Then he pointed to what I safely assumed was Julie’s typical sugar caffeine bomb. “That’s shit.”
She nudged him.
I snickered. I loved the banter between these two. Their ease with each other meant that when I worked them hard, they could take it and dish it back. As stunt coordinator for the show, I worked intimately with them, honing their fighting skills and teaching them how to give the best shot while performing some pretty neat maneuvers. We used professional stunt doubles for the toughest stuff, but Julie and Cole insisted on doing as much as they could themselves.
Cole and I had come up through theater school together, but while I’d pivoted to stunts, he’d taken the acting track. As a tall, gorgeous man with midnight-black hair that brushed his shoulders and dark-blue eyes that smoldered, he had women—and men—fawning all over him.
Julie, while a foot shorter, held her own. Her long white-blonde hair was her signature trait while her jade-green eyes spoke of mystery and intrigue. The former gymnast cut quite a wallop in a tiny package.
After taking a sip, Cole turned to me. “Hey, and what was with kissing Michael?” Cole tried to replicate my mock glare but failed miserably. He was clearly more curious than annoyed about why I’d kissed his amour at the gala on Saturday night.
“Just a peck.” I ribbed him. “Don’t worry, I’m not poaching.” Cole’d been busy with his girlfriend, Caressa. Their attendance at the gala had tongues wagging in Vancouver—and around the world—if the entertainment shows were any indication. Cole was one of the sexiest actors on the planet, and his being taken caused ripples.
I’d happily brought along the third member of their triad. Michael was pretty new to the whole bisexual thing, as well as the ménage thing, but Cole had wanted him there to see things were on the up and up. And not to let the man feel left out. Michael and I had gone…well, not on a date. More as friends and supporters of Cole as well as Julie and actor Elouise Hynes.
Julie watched Cole intently. “Are you planning to come out as a threesome? You know how insane that thought is, right?”
I eagerly awaited his answer as, in my peripheral vision, I caught sight of our caterer and first aid attendant, Meggibeth, approaching us. Cole held up his cup in salute—obviously to thank her for the great coffee.
In that instant, I realized she’d pulled a gun from her pocket.
Several things happened simultaneously.
Cole dropped his coffee. The cup hit the ground, and the brown liquid spilled onto the roadway where we stood.
I dropped my spinach shake, and the bottle bounced but didn’t break.
Meggibeth pulled the trigger.
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.
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