Vacation time! Woohoo! Well… sort of. I’m not sure a vacation with your mother count as a true holiday or if it should be filed under ‘good will’ for karma points you may need at a later date. (My guess is it’s the latter.) Either way, I’m thrilled to be heading out of town for a few days. August has been a serious kick ass, work hard kind of month for me. Actually, so were June and July. I’ve been writing and editing. Nonstop.

And then there’s real life in the summertime, which differs from RL at any other time of year because there is always someone home. Someone playing guitar, making something to eat or demanding to know where their laundry is. Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Part of me thrives on the chaos even though it tends to throw off my writing schedule. A couple weeks delay is a small price to pay in the long run. These days are special in their own way because they mark the end of an era.

We had a stark reminder of the passing of time when we lost our beloved yellow Lab at the beginning of the summer. He was fourteen and a half and had diabetes for the last two years of his life. If you’ve read The Wrong Man, you’ll know Mack was inspired by my real life fur baby. Losing him was devastating. He had a long life, but I can’t help selfishly wishing it was longer. Animals teach perspective like no one else can.

In a way, losing our dog was a wake up call to be grateful for the little things in life and the time you have with your loved ones. The electric guitar plugged into the amp…no problem. The endless jaunts to the grocery store because there are “far too many healthy things in the fridge”… totally fine. The dirty laundry scattered over bedroom floors…okay, that sucks, but it’s part of the charm of life with teens.

Spending a week on a “girls trip” with my mother, daughter and sister might not be the chaise lounge in the sand I’m craving, but I’m looking forward to it nonetheless. Not just because I could use a small break, but because this tradition is a sweet opportunity to spend time with people I adore.

And if I manage to tackle some of the edits and proofreading while I’m away, that will be icing on the cake and a perfect way to end the summer. ☺

Happy Reading!

Lane Hayes xo

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 in an almost empty nest.

Books by Lane Hayes (Dreamspinner Press):

Better Than Good, Better Than Chance, Better Than Friends, Better Than Safe, The Right Words, The Wrong Man & The Right Time

A Kind Of Truth,  A Kind of Romance & A Kind of Honesty (coming Oct.7)

Contact Information:

Website: http://lanehayes.wordpress.com

Twitter:   @LaneHayes3

Facebook: LaneHayesauthor

Email:   lanehayes@ymail.com