"Hard Act to Follow" Playlist: Time Is Running Out by Muse – Guest Post by Kimber Vale

Hola, everyone! It’s Kimber Vale here. Thanks so much to the beautiful people of The Novel Approach for hosting me on my Hard Act to Follow tour! Hugs and kisses all day long!

If you’ve seen me around on some other blogs, you know I’ve been dissecting my Hard Act playlist. I’m a music fan—what can I say? I also have a tough time telling fibs, much like my MC Kyrie, and so I tell you, truthfully, this is way easier than trying to think up a new and exciting post idea for every stop. I’m not lazy.I swear! I’m just shooting for the path of least resistance this time around. Plus, I really freakin’ love music.

Anyhoo, some of my other stops included songs that perhaps lean toward the sad side of the feelings spectrum. Just slightly. Yeah, the book is a wee bit angsty, but I don’t do boatloads of angst. It makes me itch. And so today I go dancey on your ass, which totally works because Kyrie is the dancing queen. ;-)

Time is Running Out is a groovy song about not being able to contain one’s feelings. You can’t bury them. You can’t hide them. You can’t give that one person up no matter how hard you try, because you’re addicted. A lot of the first portion of Hard Act has Greg trying to do just that; trying to squash down the feelings he has for his ex-wife’s brother, his best friend.

You also can’t help but shake your money maker to this tune. It’s solid gold so give it a listen right before you X this window out and go about your busy day. It’ll keep you humming all the way through and we all need a good hummer once in a while, right?

Blurb: Kyrie is an actor with a physical aversion to telling lies, a one-eyed cat, and horrible taste in men. His ex-brother-in-law and best friend, Greg, harbors a secret crush he can’t shake. After denying his feelings for Kyrie for too long, Greg finally gives in to desire one drunken night. Come the morning, the facts get twisted. Kyrie pretends he doesn’t remember a thing—a lie that eats him alive—and Greg can’t stop thinking about how he screwed up the best thing in his life.

Before they can clear the air, Kyrie follows his dreams to New York City, but could he also be running away?

A mistake from Kyrie’s past detonates their silence, and Greg is forced to confront the man he loves. Is their new truth strong enough to support a relationship, or are they doomed to crumble under old fears? Their friendship could evolve into something a million times stronger, but maybe Kyrie’s act is just too hard for Greg to follow.

Excerpt: Greg went back to his office. He logged on to his private email and clicked on the message Kyrie had sent him this morning.

Dan and Liv are out on COD tonight. You still playing? Just the two of us, a box of disgusting greasy Chinese food, and enough weapons to save the free world from bad guys. What do you say?

Every Friday they had a standing in-house gaming meet-up at Kyrie and Liv’s, provided no one had anything better to do. They’d been stuck on Call of Duty: Ghosts ever since it had come out, but they rotated favorites periodically. When four of them played, they’d often stage tournaments or break out the old Diablo III. Liv played most of the time, and their friend Dan usually made it over, but sometimes it was just Kyrie and Greg.

Sorry, I can’t make it. Forgot I made a date I can’t get out of. That friend of a friend from work. Catch up with you this weekend.

He clicked send and then desperately wished he could take it back. But not after that dream. He couldn’t be alone around Kyrie for a while. This twisted thing inside him wasn’t fading like he’d hoped. It was getting worse. If he didn’t find a way to kill these thoughts, cage these feelings, he’d need to stop hanging out with Kyrie altogether.

Greg ran a hand through his hair, imagining a life without his best friend. A cold chill gripped his chest. Mrs. Hanson knocked on his office door. “Excuse me, Greg? Mr. Ralston is looking for someone to pick up the Hall hearing Monday since Elle Nober took her maternity leave earlier than planned. Should I put you on the calendar for that one, or are you fully booked?”

This was life without Kyrie, right here, and it was what he’d always wanted. Right?

“Put me down.”

“Wonderful. I’ll have the documents forwarded to you so you can prep this weekend.”

“Thanks.” Just what I wanted.

Maybe if he told himself that enough times he would start to believe it.

Bio: K. Vale writes erotic romance of all stripes, from hot hetero to mouthwatering manlove. Find her MF work published under Kimber Vale. Come for the sex. Stay for the story. Stalk Kimber on Facebook and Twitter @KimberVale, and check her site for updates, new releases, and freebies at http://www.authorkimbervale.com. The blog: http://www.kimbervale.me.

Buy links: Liquid Silver Books | Amazon | All Romance | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Giveaway: Kimber Vale is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to celebrate her new release!