A warm welcome to author Lane Hayes returning to Love Bytes. This time she stops by on her The Wrong Man blog tour
She kindly answered some questions for us , shares an excerpt and there is a giveaway to participate in !
Welcome Lane!
Book Name: The Wrong Man
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7125719.Lane_Hayes
Author Name: Lane Hayes
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 a well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles both be men! Lane discovered the M/M genre a fews ago and was instantly hooked. Her first novel was a finalist in the 2013 Rainbow Awards and her third received an Honorable Mention in the 2014 Rainbow Awards. She loves travel, chocolate, and wine (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 you can find Lane:
Website: https://lanehayes.wordpress.com/
Facebook: LaneHayesauthor
Twitter: @LaneHayes3
E-mail: mailto:lanehayes@ymail.com
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson
Blurb:
Successful owner of an upscale boutique in fabulous West Hollywood, Brandon Good swears by his personal edict to “live in the present.” After a bad break-up, he agrees to dog sit to keep his mind off his ex. Never did he expect the dog to belong a man from his past, the only man to ever truly break his heart.
When Jake Westley relocates to join the WeHo fire department, the last thing he anticipates is reuniting with his secret high school love. Thrilled with the prospect of reconnecting with Bran, Jake feels no guilt in using his charming old dog as an unwitting matchmaker. As they rekindle their friendship, it becomes clear the intense attraction they once felt is stronger than ever. But as hard as they try to leave the past behind, painful memories resurface. Bran will have to confront his fears and consider the possibility that the man he swore was absolutely the wrong one might be perfect after all.
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Romance
Buy Links:
I loved Brandon’s character. He went through a lot in his life but overall he isn’t a woe is me type of person. Absolutely anti pity party. Was that a thought out move or did it just happen like that?
Brandon’s character was a counterbalance to Luke’s in The Right Words. When Luke was going through some hard times he had this amazing, self-confident best friend to shore him up and remind him to never give up. I loved Brandon from the start. I love his no BS attitude paired with a sense of fun and unapologetic fabulosity (as Brandon calls it :)). He’s a force all his own!
It was interesting and refreshing you didn’t go with the obvious love interest for Brandon. Where did Jake Westley’s character come from?
LOL. Thank you for noticing. I started to go the obvious route but Brandon deserved something unexpected. He had to confront his fears to find his “true love” and Bran’s greatest fear is the past. He’s accomplished so much for someone who’s had the odds stacked against him. The idea of going backward frightens him. Jake is the perfect reminder of the past. I love the concept of facing your fears in order to find something better than you ever dreamed.
Was there an inspiration store for BGoods? If so, I’m want to visit it because you make it sound fantastic. Out of my price range but fantastic, none the less.
Yes! Believe it or not there are quite a few high-end home accessory stores in LA and where I live in Orange County. They sell anything from $500 pillows (insert not included) to design books, textiles and wallpapers. As a designer, I’ve been in my fair share of these stores and they are absolute eye candy! So beautiful, alas SO expensive! I wanted Brandon to own something so far from anything he knew as a child growing up in Alabama. Believe me, his store would certainly qualify!
I loved how Mack was apart of Brandon and Jake’s relationship. Is he inspiration character? Is there a real Mack out there somewhere?
Yes :). Mack is my dog. He’s a 13-year old diabetic yellow Lab with all the same issues as the old dog in the book. Unlike the dog in The Wrong Man, our Mack has been a member of our family since he was an 8 week old puppy. He’s grown up with our children (two of whom are now in college) and is honestly, the sweetest, most compassionate dog ever. I can’t bear to think about him not being around.
So, book 3,have we met Alex’s love interest? Because I have some recommendations ; ) wait!.book 3 is about Alex, right?
I would love to hear your recommendations! The answer to your questions is yes and yes. Book #3 is called The Right Time and it is Alex’s story. Alex, for those who need a refresher, is Michael’s best friend. He makes a cameo in both books and finally gets his story in the next one! 🙂 I’m going keep his love interest a secret for now. You’ll find out soon enough! lol
What are your further writing plans at the moment?
I am in the editing stages of Book #4 in the Better Than Stories. Then it’s on to a new series launched by a character everyone will meet in the next Better Than book. There may be some crossover. For me, the city sets the scene for each series so, where shall we travel next? Ideas?
Thank you so much for hosting me today! I loved the fun questions!
Happy Reading!
Lane Hayes xo
Again, I questioned my sanity. Something was odd in my world for sure. My heart was beating double time when he finally turned onto my street. A quick escape was my best bet. I had my fingers wrapped around the car door handle and was ready to rip my
other hand from his grasp when he slowed down. He must have sensed my intent to bolt, because he held on to me until I was forced to give him a “what the fuck?” look.
“Let me walk you to your door.”
“Jake, let’s not do this. Please. I really don’t want this evening to get any weirder than it already has been. Thank you for tonight. For dinner and pretending to—”
“Hey, nothing is weird here. It’s dark, and I’m walking you to your door—”
“I’m a big boy. I’ve got this.” I detached my hand from his grip and opened the door.
“Thanks again.”
When I reached the sidewalk, he was waiting for me. The man obviously was hard of hearing.
“You are stubborn.” I gave him my best evil eye before I trudged up the path ahead of him.
“Me? You’re the difficult one. I’m trying to be nice—”
“You don’t have to prove you’re nice to me. I get it. That doesn’t mean—suit yourself.”
“Humor me.”
I fished my key from my pocket as I approached the well-lit front porch.
“Here I am, safe and sound. No need for worry,” I said flippantly as I turned to Jake.
“You ca—”
I swallowed my words. He was closer than I expected. Much closer. I felt the warmth from his body but wasn’t prepared for the hunger I saw in his eyes. I licked my bottom lip nervously. I knew what was going to happen, and though I wasn’t sure it was a good idea, I wasn’t going to stop him. He bent slightly and brushed his nose against mine. I felt his breath on my lips as I waited for him to close the distance between us. Neither of us moved. He smelled delicious, that intoxicating combination of soap and a hint of musky cologne I’d noticed the morning he hugged me in my kitchen. I could have happily buried my nose in his shirt or in the curve where his neck met his shoulders. I closed my eyes and leaned in the tiniest bit closer, expecting him to take over. He still didn’t move.
“Aren’t you going to ki—”
And then he pounced. He crashed his mouth over mine and snaked his arms around my waist, fusing our bodies together. His hands traveled up and down my back while he licked a sensual line across the seam of my lips, requesting entry. I heard myself moan as his tongue danced and collided with mine in a lustful assault. I arched into him instinctively. Jake lowered his hands to my ass, drawing me in tightly as he thrust his hips forward. The friction was hot, and his demanding kisses had my head reeling. This was nothing like our frantic make-out sessions years ago.
Just as that errant thought surfaced to remind me whom I was grinding against like a teenager on my front porch, Jake turned his full attention to my mouth. I was painfully hard, but he was right. We shouldn’t be doing any of this. But I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I bit at his jaw and then licked my way to his ear, flicking the lobe gently with my tongue until I felt his teeth at my neck. I made a strangled sound and went limp in his arms. He was overpowering in a subtle, almost unexpected way. I was two seconds away from ripping his shirt when a car went down my street blaring hip-hop music at an obscene volume. I pulled away and rested my forehead against his shoulder. We stood quietly catching our breath for a moment.
Then Jake pressed a soft kiss on my cheek and stepped away. “Good night, Bran. Thank you for… well, just thank you. I’ll see you soon.”
I stared after him like an idiot, watching him open his door and start the SUV. I heard the familiar hum of distant traffic and smelled the fragrant sweet star jasmine from my neighbor’s garden. Everything looked and seemed to be in place, but something was different.
Pages or Words: 220 Pages
Read Amber her review HERE!
Tour Dates: Mondays & Wednesdays February 9 – March 4
Tour Stops:
9-Feb
11-Feb
Because Two Men Are Better Than One
16-Feb
18-Feb
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
23-Feb
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
25-Feb
2-Mar
4-Mar
Rafflecopter Prize: $10 Gift Card
I’ve always been a dog person.