Featured Guest Author: Lane Hayes talks about her latest novel… A Kind of Truth and her love of music. Includes Giveaway.

Happy Release Day to Lane Hayes!

It is always a pleasure to welcome Lane Hayes back to Sinfully, especially on the release day of her latest novel A Kind of Truth… which was a FIVE star read for our Alan!

 

A Word from Lane Hayes

Writing a rock and roll story is a challenge. Or at least I thought it would be. Sure, I love music, but I don’t play any instruments. I didn’t want my lack of practical skill to get in the way of my storyline. Then again, if I had questions about the guitar, bass or drums, I could always ask my in-house experts. My husband plays guitar and my son plays everything. But A Kind of Truth isn’t a manual on how to play guitar (even though the incredible cover art by Aaron Anderson makes me want to learn!). It’s a love story about reaching for impossible dreams and finding unexpected truths along the way.

My love of music is borderline obsessive at times. I was a teenager in the 80s and I readily admit that MTV helped shaped my undying affection for British bands. I was a huge fan of bands like The Specials, The Jam, Duran Duran and U2 or artists like Billy Idol and Elvis Costello. Eventually I became interested in finding out more about the acts that influenced new wave and punk. Suddenly David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Van Morrison and Led Zeppelin were albums I had to own. And yes, I mean vinyl records. I am a proud owner of an extensive vinyl collection, not to mention a ridiculous amount of CDs too. I would pour over each track, memorizing my favorite lyrics and wishing I could express myself musically. Words were my passion, but the fusion of poignant words with music was magic. A beautiful turn of phrase accompanied by a gorgeous melody played on acoustic guitar by a sexy, soulful artist? Swoon!

We all grow up sometime. I’m far removed now from fanatical days spent obsessing over my favorite rock gods. Truthfully, I don’t have time. Besides I’ve discovered in the past couple years that I’d prefer to write my own characters and let the rhythm of their story serve as a melody to the overall message of self-discovery and hope. If you’ve read any of my other books, you may have noticed that I occasionally reference a song or an artist. It’s meant to pay homage to some influential musicians and in some cases, to set a tone (Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata in The Right Time or John Coltrane in Better Than Safe).

A Kind of Truth is my eighth published novel and the first one in which I’ve written about two musicians, Rand and Will, the extroverted rock star wannabe and the shy, quiet band geek who finds solace and strength behind a piano or with a guitar on his knee. True to form, I’ve paid homage to the Rolling Stones and even Michael Jackson in this book, but the real music comes from the characters. They move in a curious circle around each other until the magnetic pull of music and attraction make it difficult to deny their chemistry and synchrony.

A Kind of Truth is book one in a new series set in my favorite place, New York City. As with all of my books, this is a standalone, but it’s also a spin-off of the Better Than Stories series. Rand O’Malley is Seth’s best friend in Better Than Safe. Rand is opinionated, overbearing and cocky, but he’s also funny, charismatic and sexy as hell! He’s my ideal of that lead singer from my favorite band that I adored as a teenager and secretly wished was good boyfriend material. He is my ode to lost youth and truth through the beauty of music. He made writing a rock and roll story a joy. I hope you enjoy!

“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.”— Victor Hugo

Thank you for hosting me today! Happy Reading!

Lane Hayes xo

A Kind of Truth

Lane Hayes

Publisher ~ Dreamspinner Press 

Published ~ 8th January 2016

Genre ~ Contemporary M/M Romance

Rating

Synopsis

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.

::: REVIEW :::

Purchase Link

Meet Lane Hayes

Lane Hayes is finally doing what she loves best. Writing! An avid reader from an early age, Lane has always been drawn to romance novels. She truly believes there is nothing more inspiring than a well-told love story with beautifully written characters. Lane discovered the M/M genre a fews ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel, Better Than Good, was a 2013 Rainbow Awards finalist. She loves travel, chocolate, and wine (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband and their very old dog in an almost empty nest.

     

Giveaway

Lane Hayes is gifting to one lucky reader a $25 Amazon Gift Card. For your chance to win, all you need to do is enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway