Bayou Book Junkie: Virtual Tour: M/M ~ Better Than Safe by Lane Hayes ~ (Author Interview, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Virtual Tour: M/M ~ Better Than Safe by Lane Hayes ~ (Author Interview, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Virtual Tour: M/M ~ Better Than Safe by Lane Hayes ~ (Author Interview, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Title: Better Than Safe

Series: Better Than stories, Book 4

Author: Lane Hayes

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

Length: Novel, 77k words

Release Date: September 25^th, 2015

Blurb:

Paul Fallon is a fashion advertising guru. He’s a genius at dealing with difficult editors, art directors, and designers alike. He thrives on the chaotic atmosphere and constant challenges. But in his personal life, he’s hoping for peace and stability. Settling down with a nice doctor or lawyer sounds perfect. Anyone but an artist. He’s been there, done that, and he doesn’t want to relive the heartache.

Seth Landau is a model, occasional guitarist, and aspiring painter. He’s quirky, flighty, and wise beyond his years. Life has taught him some tough lessons, then given him opportunities he never dreamed of. He’s learned to appreciate the fragility of life and to express it in his work. Seth’s flare for the absurd combined with a supple mind and a beautiful body are too alluring for Paul to ignore. Against his best intentions, Paul is drawn to the younger man whose particular brand of crazy challenges Paul to accept that things aren’t always as they seem. Sometimes taking a chance is better than being safe.

My stomach growled. I was dead tired, hungry, and more than a little confused. Seth turned the corner before my brain could catalogue any further complaints. I studied his casual attire as he came closer. Worn black jeans, a white T-shirt with paint stains, and an unbuttoned black and blue striped cardigan. He looked more like a wacky artist than a sophisticated couture model, I mused. His sharp features were undeniably attractive but it seemed as though he’d chosen the basic clothing to downplay his beauty. Or maybe he’d just painted and couldn’t be bothered. There was something ridiculously appealing to me about our very opposite looks. Corporate formal versus art student chic. I glanced down at the sushi and willed my dick to behave.

“There you are. What kind of pasta do you want? I don’t have time to make it myself, but don’t worry, I’m buying pre-packaged but fresh. Your choices are spaghetti, tagliatelle, or pappardelle.”

I looked at the three choices he held up and pointed to the one in the middle. The tagliatelle.

“Really? I was thinking basic spaghetti but—”

“Then why did you ask?”

“I want your opinion. If you want the tagliatelle, we’ll get that one. Done.”

“Good. Let’s go. Do you have wine?”

“Yes. Hmm. I don’t know about the tag—”

“Seth. Get the spaghetti. I’m not bothered.”

“What do you mean by not bothered?”

“I mean….” I took a step forward so we stood toe to toe, Italian loafer to dirty white trainer and gave him a pointed glare. “I don’t give a shit. Pasta is pasta. It doesn’t matter to me what shape it comes in. At all.”

“You’re hungry, huh?”

“What tipped you off?”

“Sarcastic and cranky. Let’s go. You need food.” He turned away, carrying his basket of goods toward the front registers.

“What about wine?” I called after him.

He stopped in the middle of the aisle and curled his finger, motioning me to come to him with a devilish grin on his handsome face. I complied. We were alone for the moment, surrounded on either side of the cramped space by white bread and a variety of colorful cereals chock-full of preservatives and food dyes. I eyed him warily, wondering why he was stalling.

“I told you I have wine. Good wine too.”

“Marvelous. Let’s go.”

“But… there’s a catch.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course there is. What is it? You need to swing by the dry cleaners first or—”

“Kiss me.”

“Are you crazy?”

“Why is it so crazy?” he asked innocently.

“Here are a couple reasons. One, we’re in the middle of a market in a family oriented part of town and two, we’re barely friends. Not lovers. Friends don’t kiss.”

He grinned. “Sure they do. What they probably don’t do is say something like, ‘you look so fucking hot in that suit, I wish I could take it off you right here next to the Cheerios and Wheat Chex,’ so I won’t go there, but I still think it’s okay to kiss.”

I stared at him with my mouth wide open, unable to find my voice. When he chuckled in amusement at my expense, I acted with uncharacteristic impulse and reached out to cup his neck and draw him close to me. He gasped in surprise at the quick movement. I smiled as our noses brushed, perversely pleased by his shock, and suddenly glad to be the one pushing him one step further. I licked his bottom lip before fusing my mouth over his in a swift but passionate kiss. I backed up with a grin and sauntered away, taking care he didn’t see me adjust my trousers as I moved with purpose to the front registers.

I set my bag of tomatoes on the conveyer belt and stepped aside when Seth joined me a moment later.

“You play dirty,” he muttered as he set the contents in his basket with mine.

“You asked for it.”

“Maybe I did. Beware. I can play dirty too.”

I bit my cheek hard and turned toward the rack of magazines nearby, hoping to diffuse the sexual tension racing through my body. Stress, exhaustion, and hunger were suddenly non-issues. All I wanted now was sex. The one thing I couldn’t have with this man. Not without risking more than I was willing.

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing one of my favorite authors, Lane Hayes, author of, Better Than Safe.

Hi Lane, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Hi Tracy! Thank you so much for hosting me today! I’m a romance novel enthusiast. I started reading Victoria Holt books as a pre-teen and eventually worked my way up to consuming a steady diet of steamier books over the years. I discovered MM romance a couple of years before my eldest son came out and decided to try my hand at writing one the year he left for college. That book was Better Than Good, book 1 in the Better Than Stories series. Better Than Safe, #4 is my newest release. This is Paul and Seth’s story. It’s a May/December “opposites attract” story. Paul is successful, well-traveled and set in his ways. In his perfect world, he’d love to meet a nice, normal man with a stable job. Instead, he meets Seth. Seth is a model and an aspiring artist. The wacky, impetuous, wild type Paul swore off years ago. He may recognize danger at every turn, but he can’t deny he’s extraordinarily attracted to the alwayas unpredictable Seth.

This story is an important one in the collection because it bridges the Better Than books with my brand new series. I’m not saying I won’t write more in Better Than, but I like the premise of having freedom to play in both worlds at the same time.

What inspires you to write M/M?

I’m inspired by the powerful message of hope I find in the best of the MM genre. As a mother of an LGBT son, I know that hope matters. Self-confidence and acceptance are a struggle for some kids. We all deal with it to a degree but to feel inferior because of your sexual orientation is wrong. Everyone deserves equal rights and a measure of respect. I’ve had a personal experience dealing with my own child’s fears about coming out. He has had a ton of support and yet he still gets rattled by society’s “norms”. I worry about the feeling of helplessness more than anything else. To me, writing gives me a unique opportunity to spread a message of hope and love. One I want for my son and for all LGBT youth.

What inspired this story?

I always knew I’d come back to Better Than and I had a fair idea the next story would be Paul’s. He was likeable and charming, plus like Curt, I loved his accent! The trick was creating a character to keep him on his toes. I think Seth certainly works! Lol. I also wanted to showcase something special about DC outside of politics… or lawyers and lobbyists. The Smithsonian is a one of kind experience for people who appreciate every art genre known to mankind! Lol. There are dinosaurs, portrait galleries, air and space and of course, modern art. Better Than Safe was inspired by art, fashion and travel. And yes… by the intense desire to revisit the DC boys from the first three books!

What are your favorite qualities about each of these main characters?

I love Paul’s complex nature. He knows his strengths and weaknesses. And though he seems rigid at times, he’s actually very open-minded. His interactions with Seth are a perfect example. He’s immediately attracted to the gorgeous male model, but after meeting him he isn’t impressed. However, the next time they meet by chance, everything changes again.

Seth is a hoot! He’s carefree and whimsical. The moment you think you know him, he does or says something to make you change your mind all over again! I love his dynamic presence and the fact that underneath it all, he has a huge heart and a soft spot for the finicky Brit.

Open your recipe box! Give us your favorite recipe!

Hmm. I don’t do as much cooking or baking as I did when my kids were all living at home, but one of my specialties is my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie recipe. There isn’t much to it. It’s the Toll House recipe (you can get it online or from a bag of choc chips!), but it’s slightly tweaked. Substitute 2 ½ cups of flour and add 2 cups of oatmeal and make sure you refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before baking. The cookies come out fluffy and delicious every time!

https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18476/original-nestle-toll-house-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Can you share the project(s) you are currently working on?

My WIP is book #2 in my next series. The new stories take place in New York City, the favorite place! Book #1 will be out in January. I’m very excited about this one. It’s a bit of a departure for me but I love the characters! I’m hoping to get #2 to the publisher within the month. Wish me luck!

Thanks so much for taking the time with us today!

Thank you for having me, Tracy! Lane xo

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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 few years 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.