Hello, Delilah!  Thank you for inviting me here to speak about something close to my heart.

Sometimes the world isn’t such a great place. War, famine, natural disasters…it can all be overwhelming.

Sometimes, the desire to turn away is strong.

Sometimes, the need to preserve one’s sanity means not engaging.

And then, sometimes, the need to speak out overwhelms.

I often want to say something. The biggest impediment is my job. I have to be careful about what I say, who I speak out for, and what I do. Yes, I’d be putting my job on the line — and the financial dominoes would fall, and I’d be without a roof over my head with my two dogs. Moreover, my job is to help people. I have specialized skills.  There are people for whom help would be months or years in coming.

All really good reasons to keep my thoughts to myself.

That said, I do other things.

My news station showed misleading footage. I wrote to the ombudsperson to call them out.

I share stories with friends and family so they’re aware of what’s going on in the world.

Really, though, my activism is through my stories. Through my queer stories, I am showing resistance. Some people would want my stories banned.  Some people don’t believe queer people should exist — gay, trans, lesbian, bi — that none of us have the right to take up space.

Needless to say, I disagree with that completely.

So, I write queer romances. I write blogs. I write words over and over again.

My new book is even more of a resistance than usual.

How?

Well, social activism is the center of the story.

Yes, this is a rock’n’roll book. My third in the Road to Rocktoberfest series.

Malik, though, is not an average rock star. Or maybe he is — artists are some of the loudest protestors these days. They use their platforms to bring attention to issues.

Well, my rock star does that. He thinks bringing attention — through likes and clicks — is the best way to get his point across.

That brings him into conflict with the organizer, who is trying to bring the public’s attention to the causes of Indigenous rights where it intersects with environmentalism.  No small task these days when people’s attention is being drawn into a million different directions. Spencer believes in persuasion. Malik believes in blunt force.

And there I had my conflict.

Rock star versus lawyer.

A true “opposites attract” story.

I’ve leave it up to readers if I got the balance right. If I can persuade them to examine important issues while also putting the burgeoning relationship between Malik and Spencer front and center to the story.

I hope I did.

Okay!  Thank you, Delilah, for having me visit.

I would love to give away copies of my two previous Rocktoberfest books: Axe to Grind and Grindstone’s Edge.  Just leave a comment. D you appreciate a bit of activism in your stories or do you want pure escapism?  Let me know! Random will choose one commentor to win.  Good luck!

Malik

Until I turned twenty-five, I took the safe route, the good boy route. Played with the orchestra, kept my head down, didn’t make waves. Now I can’t stay silent any longer. I walked away from my violin, relearned the guitar, and started a rock band. With Razor’s Edge, I can create the music I’ve always dreamed of, and we’re good enough to win an invite to Rocktoberfest. But I also love my band for helping me raise my voice to support social justice. Now I just need to convince Spencer I can chase musical success and still be deeply committed to making a difference.

Spencer

I’ve been fighting for justice practically from the cradle, and I believe organizers should welcome everyone who wants to be involved. That said, when an upstart rockstar looking for the limelight comes to join our fight, I’m skeptical. I want true believers, not people who are looking to leverage our cause into a viral hit. Malik might be gorgeous, and even a sweet guy under the tattoos and bad boy persona, but he’s chasing his dream of fame in Black Rock while I’m on the ground in Vancouver trying to make meaningful change. He doesn’t have room in his life to be serious about music, serious about justice, and serious about me.

Voice to Raise: Rocktoberfest 2025 is an opposites-attract, age-gap, interracial, hurt/comfort gay romance novel about the power of activism, making a commitment, and how chasing one dream can open your heart to another

The boys are back in the multi-author Road to Rocktoberfest 2025 series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why not read them all and see if some of your past favorites poke their heads in. Err…voices. Hot rockstars, stolen kisses, drywall repairs and the men who drive them over the edge. What more could you ask for? Kick back, load up your e-readers and enjoy the men of Rocktoberfest!

Links:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F88KVZXP
Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/VoicetoRaise
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/233955822-voice-to-raise

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:
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