Guest Post and Giveaway: Leaning Into the Fall by Lane Hayes

We’re so pleased to welcome author Lane Hayes on the tour for her latest release, Leaning Into the Fall, book two in the Leaning Into series. Our hearts are in San Francisco today, so read on and be sure to check out the giveaway details too.

Welcome, Lane!

The City and the Reason

Thank you for having me here to chat about my new release, Leaning Into the Fall. This is book two in my newest series set in San Francisco, one of my favorite cities in the US. There’s something very special about the city by the Bay. I’ve heard it likened to Oz and I get it. The impossibly steep streets are almost like cartoon-like and the juxtaposition of skyscrapers and man-made wonders like the Golden Gate Bridge next to the rugged terrain on the opposite shore is breathtaking. Add amazing restaurants and a diverse population with a strong LGBT community and what’s not to like?

On a personal level, I can’t help but feel that on some level San Francisco has been a surrogate parent of sort to my son since he left home for college. It has been a safe place for him to express himself freely and explore his sexuality. There are plenty of ways to get in trouble in any big city, but SF has a unique vibe of inclusiveness that is very appealing for a young man who grew up the “awkward” guy in a conservative town.

Subconsciously I think I’ve been gearing up to write a series set in a place that’s dear to me to begin exploring some issues that hit close to home. As a parent of a gay son who was bullied and ostracized as a kid, it leaves me a lot of ground to cover. Each of my books carries a personal note of some sort, but Leaning Into the Fall is the my first attempt at delving into issues like Asperger’s Syndrome and how even a mild form brings to light the complexity and mystery of the human brain.

Not to worry, I’m not an overly angsty author. I like a good dose of humor in my romances and thankfully, my experience has shown that the human spirit is wildly resilient and above all, weird is good. Embrace your oddness and accept yourself as you are. And if the people around you make that difficult, reach out to others. You’ll be surprised to know you’re not alone. Find your own version of San Francisco.

Thank you for having me on your blog today! Happy Reading!

Lane Hayes xo

About the Book

Title:  Leaning Into the Fall
Series: Leaning Into Stories, #2
Author: Lane Hayes
Publisher:  Self-Published
Release Date: March 10
Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: Approximately 77K words
Genre: Romance, Erotica, Bisexual, humor, San Francisco, May to December romance
Add to: Goodreads
Purchase Links: Amazon || Kobo || Barnes & Noble
Blurb: Nick Jorgensen is a quirky genius. He’s made a fortune in the competitive high tech field with his quick mind and attention to detail. He believes in hard work and trusting his gut. And he believes in karma. It’s the only thing that makes sense. People are difficult, but numbers never lie. In the disastrous wake of a broken engagement to an investor’s daughter, Nick is more certain than ever he isn’t relationship material.

Wes Conrad owns a thriving winery in Napa Valley. The relaxed atmosphere is a welcome departure from his former career as a high-rolling businessman. Wes’s laid-back nature is laced with a fierceness that appeals to Nick. In spite of his best intention to steer clear of complications, Nick can’t fight his growing attraction to the sexy older man who seems to understand him. Even the broken parts he doesn’t get himself. However, when Wes’s past collides with Nick’s present, both men will have to have to decide if they’re ready to lean into the ultimate fall.

Excerpt

Wes led me to a small room at the opposite end of the building filled with barrels. The temperature dipped at least ten degrees here and the strong scent of fermenting wine was offset by the smell of oak. I moved toward the round table in the middle and glanced up at the tower of barrels. Each was labeled and dated, but as far as I could tell, the order wasn’t chronological. I categorized and filed the numbers in my mind in an attempt to solve a mystery that probably wasn’t so mysterious after all.

“These are special reserve wines. The best of the best. Theoretically anyway,” Wes said, picking up the long-sleeved plaid shirt draped over one of the chairs at the table.

“What do the numbers mean?” I asked, running my fingers over the printed tag on the barrel.

“It’s an internal code that basically tells us exactly which vines yielded the harvest. Some have information about soil disruption or weather flux. Of course, once the wine is fermenting that information is no longer significant but—”

“Where are the dates on these labels? Isn’t timing everything in the wine business?”

“Some might argue timing is everything in every facet of life.” Wes regarded me curiously before pointing out the dates in the middle of the tag. “It’s all here. See?”

“I don’t understand your system,” I said, stuffing my hands in my back pocket and staring up at the barrels.

“It’s an internal system. You’re not meant to understand. It’s for us only. The same way you wouldn’t explain the science behind how an advanced operating system works to one of your clients. They might say they’re fascinated but they aren’t really interested in the details. Same goes for wine. People come to tour the winery every day. They want to know about grape varietals and blends and some even ask about topography, weather and the fermentation process. But the true science of wine making confounds them. At the end of the day, truth is in the bottle.”

“In vino veritas.”

Wes smiled as he pulled his shirt on. “’In wine, truth’,” he translated. “Different context, but yes… truth. Are you going to tell me why you’re here or do I have to break out a bottle of Pinot to get the real story?”

Wes’s wolfish grin spread slowly across his handsome face as he closed the distance between us. He tilted my chin with his forefinger and stared deep into my eyes as though he was trying to read my mind. Or devour me whole.

“You look like you want to eat me,” I said before I could stop myself.

“I do. I want to do lots of things to you. Is that why you’re here? You want me to eat you, Nicky?”

“You invited me.” My eyes drifted shut when he ran his fingers along my jaw then splayed his hand behind my head and tugged my hair.

“I did. I’m glad you came.”

“Well, we were in the middle of listing our all-time favorite bands or artists by decade. That’s not the kind of thing you can leave for a whole week. It’s important.”

“You’re right. What were we thinking?” He licked my bottom lip in a sensual line from one corner of my mouth to the other. “We’ll have to continue that discussion later. I want to do other things first.”

About the Author

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, and were winners in the 2016 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.

Website || Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads

The Giveaway

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Follow the Tour

3/15 – Love Bytes Reviews
3/15 – MM Book Escape
3/15 – Zipper Rippers
3/17- Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
3/17 – Books, Dreams, Life
3/21 – Joyfully Jay
3/21 – V’s Reads
3/21 – Divine Magazine
3/21 – The Novel Approach
3/23 – Prism Book Alliance
3/23 – Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
3/23 – BFD Book Blog
3/29 – Alpha Book Club
3/29 – Bayou Book Junkie
3/29 – Boy Meets Boy Reviews
3/31 – MM Good Book Reviews
3/31 – Dog-Eared Daydreams
3/31 – Reviews by Tammy and Kim
3/31 – Happily Ever Chapter
3/31 – Top 2 Bottom Reviews
3/31 – Sinfully