Blog Tour Stop including Excerpt, Author Interview, Review & Giveaway - A Kind of Truth by Lane Hayes ~ BFD Book Blog

Author Name: Lane Hayes

Book Name: A Kind of Truth

Series: A Kind Of

Book: One

Release Date: January 8, 2016

Blurb:

Rand O’Malley dreams of superstardom. He hopes to one day sing the blues like a rock god. Moving to New York City and hiring a new manager are steps to make his dreams a reality. But nothing moves as fast as Rand would like, and everyone has opinions, which include he keep certain pieces of himself quiet if he plans on making it in the Big Apple. Like his bisexuality.

Will Sanders is a gifted musician who dazzles Rand with his ability to coax gorgeous notes from an electric guitar one moment and play the piano like a professional the next. He’s a geek, but Rand isn’t concerned about Will’s pressed exterior clashing with his tattoos. His focus is music. Yet there’s something about Will that makes Rand think there’s much more to the quiet college student than he lets on. As Rand’s dreams begin to materialize, he’s forced to reconsider his priorities and find his own kind of truth. One that might include Will.

Pages or Words: 82,000 words

Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt for A Kind of Truth by Lane Hayes:

Watching Will’s face turn pink then red was extraordinarily entertaining. I nudged his elbow playfully and tried to gain control of my smile before it threatened to take over my entire face. When I couldn’t take the building pressure of emotion, I winked at the girls then leaned in and kissed his lips, loving that I took him by surprise. The elevator doors slid open a moment later. Will stepped into the empty corridor and gave me a wide-eyed incredulous stare.

“I cannot believe you just did that.”

“What? Kissed you on an elevator? It’s not like farting, ya know.”

Will huffed a sigh that clearly said he thought I was hopeless before turning to walk down the hall. “I was talking about the underwear comment but yeah, the kissing part was awkward too. No one wants to watch two people going at in a confined space. And besides, we’re supposed to be playing this strictly straight while we’re in public.”

He stopped to unlock the door to the classroom then pushed it open, pausing to give me a perturbed look before he moved inside ahead of me. I barked a quick laugh as I set my guitar on the back table and shrugged my jacket off.

“First of all, that was hardly going at it. It was a peck. You were the one advertising I left my clothes at your place in front of a couple cute girls. And who said anything about playing straight?”

“Were we not in the same room two mornings ago talking about this?”

“We were. In fact, we were naked in your bed. Decidedly un-straight. But the way I remember it, I was one who was holding back the gay while you were the one going for it. But let’s go back to the elevator. I think you purposefully blew my cover back there with those girls. Were you jealous?”

He snorted and rolled his eyes. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Thanks.”

“It wasn’t a compliment,” he quipped as he made his way to the piano.

“Well, the next time you announce you’re holding my underwear hostage in a crowd, all bets are off, baby.” I gave him a lascivious once-over and waggled my eyebrows before tightening the strap on my guitar.

Will chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind. But I’m pretty sure your tighty-whities never came up. My comment was perfectly innocent. There’s a big difference between hats and underwear.”

“I’m on to you, Will. You wanted those girls to know something’s going on between us. They’re probably talking right now. Bet they’re wondering if we’re in here having sex. Hell, they could be outside that door listening. Maybe we should give ‘em something to talk about.” I made a show of unbuckling my belt and the top button on my 501s. “Is there a camera in this room?”

“Keep your pants on. I’ve got two months left till graduation and I’d prefer not to get kicked out of school, please,” Will said primly, smacking my hand away.

“You won’t get kicked out. I doubt we’d be the first anyway.”

I rezipped my jeans and started to back up, but at the last second, I reached out to cup his chin between my thumb and forefinger. I traced his jaw and let my thumb roam higher to caress his cheekbone just under his glasses. His eyes fluttered shut. I loved the contrast of his fair skin and darker lashes and eyebrows. He was so damn pretty. And those lips. They were sensuous. That was the word. I leaned in and brushed my nose against his. I could feel his breath on my lips. The urge to plunge my tongue inside and take what I was very sure we both wanted was strong, but I waited for his permission.

When he didn’t respond, I let my hand fall to my side and started to pull back. Maybe he really was serious about propriety in the classroom. I wasn’t used to curbing my impulses to suit someone’s else’s sensibilities. I’d spent twenty-five years doing only what I wanted. Screw anyone else. Now here I was, attempting to hide my gay side publicly while trying to follow Will’s lead in private. It felt strange, I thought, just as Will launched himself at me.

I grunted in surprise when he wrapped his arms around my neck and crashed his mouth over mine. He softened the connection and tilted his head as he raked his fingers through my hair. I responded but let him control the tempo. Until he tentatively licked my lips. Fuck, he tasted sweeter than I remembered. Like peppermint candy or hot chocolate. I pulled him flush against my chest and slid my tongue alongside his, twisting and colliding in a passionate fusion. When he gasped for air I pulled back only to have him grind his hips into mine and lick my jaw. He swayed into me with a moan and lost his footing.

“Steady there.”

Will was sexier than he knew, which spelled potential danger for me. It was better to let the music take over for now.

A Kind of Truth by Lane Hayes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m really not sure I have the right words (ha, that was unintentional but I like it) to describe how much I love this book. I thought about just saying I love it and then dropping the keyboard to walk away but I need to gush a bit. This book was so completely unexpected and perfect that I’m a little awestruck.

Rand is an egotistical, free-spirited, adorably charming musician that has set out to make his dreams come true in the big city. He is very focused on that single goal and a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to achieving that goal. His relationship with Tim and Cory is entertaining as hell. I absolutely loved everything about him. And amazingly, he becomes even more perfect when he meets Will…but not because of himself but because of how Will complements him. Just when I would start to think Rand was one of my all-time favorite characters, Will would come up and slap me in the face to remind me that he’s just as great. Their banter just made me smile…a lot.

Will (although he insisted he be called William) is exactly how Rand described him in the book – completely unexpected and always surprising. He is a musical genius that is shy, geeky, bold, courageous, fearful and amazingly sweet all at the same time. He never reacts to anything they way you expect him to and that just made him so wonderful.

I love the way Ms. Hayes weaves the issues dealt with so seamlessly into the story. From the political agenda to family pressures to dealing with conniving a$$sholes to gender and sexual identities to learning to be an adult to making yourself number one, these boys grow up quite a bit in this book and learn what’s most important in life.

I’ll leave you with this…

“The geek and the rock-star wannabe. The loudmouth and the quiet soul who speaks through music. He is my measure of peace when I get away from myself… and maybe I’m his catalyst to encourage him to share his magic with the world. Some people may never understand, but it doesn’t matter. This part of us isn’t for sale. This is for us only. A simple kind of truth.”
– Lane Hayes. A Kind of Truth. Dreamspinner Press.

View all my reviews

Buy the book:

DSP eBook

DSP Paperback

Amazon

ARe

Author Interview:

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Lane Hayes author of A Kind of Truth.

Hi Lane, thank you for agreeing to this interview.

Thank you for having me over to chat about my newest release. A Kind of Truth is book one in a brand new series. In a way, it’s a spin-off of the Better Than Stories too.

Q: Was there a basis for your story? A previous experience or something else?

A: A Kind of Truth was a total departure for me. The springboard of the story was the setting… New York City and Rand O’Malley. New York is my one of favorite cities and Rand is a force all his own! Lol! Rand was featured in Better Than Safe as Seth’s best friend. I loved his energy and his confidence. I knew he’d be a fun character to write. I took the two and ran with it, so to speak. The end result is a rock and roll story about a cocky lead singer of a bright new band and a shy band geek.

Q: What skills do you think a writer needs?

A: Discipline! It’s one thing to have ideas and plot bunnies in your head, but just like anything else in life, it takes practice to become a good writer. And let’s be honest… writers should also be avid readers.

Q: What for you is the perfect book hero?

A: I love complex strong characters with deep secrets and wicked senses of humor. I can’t help it, a guy who can laugh when he’s feeling vulnerable is my kind of hero.

Q: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

A: My classic answer for this question is editing. Editing your own work is as difficult as going through the process with a professional. But I also I try to push my comfort level with storyline too. For instance, A Kind of Truth is a rock and roll story and for me, it was a challenge to write something outside of my comfort zone. I love music, but I don’t know how to play any instruments and though I think I sing well in the shower and the car, my family disagrees. My personal experience is as a fan only. My husband and one of my sons play guitar, bass and drums, so I had experts on hand to ask questions about the instruments. It was a challenge to put myself in Rand’s shoes, especially as a performer. Ultimately, I think it paid off.

Q: Tell us about your favorite childhood book.

A: The first one that comes to mind is Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. It’s a beautiful book that resonates for adults as well as children. Another one I loved was The Adventures of Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel. It’s a sweet series of vignettes from the life of two unlikely best friends. The stories were simple, as in how to fly a kite or mark days on a calendar, but I read them over and over.

Meet the author:

Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions in the 2014 and 2015 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband and the coolest yellow Lab ever in an almost empty nest.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: Lane Hayes https://www.facebook.com/LaneHayes

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/LaneHayesaauthor/

Twitter: @LaneHayes3 https://twitter.com/LaneHayes3

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28120467-a-kind-of-truth

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press