Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway: After the Snow by Lane Swift

We’re so pleased to have author Lane Swift dropping by today on the blog tour for her latest release, After the Snow. We have an exclusive excerpt to share with you, along with a great giveaway, so be sure to check out those details below.

Welcome, Lane!

About the Book

Title: After the Snow
Author: Lane Swift
Series: Michigan Seasons #2
Release Date: April 4th 2017
Genre: MM Contemporary Romance
Length: ~54k words
Find After the Snow on Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon Universal
BLURB: To be that perfect someone doesn’t mean you have to be perfect…

Christmas is over, but Dale Hepburn is determined to show his new British love, Nick Harris, how much fun a Michigan winter can be, starting with outdoor ice skating lessons. His life would be perfect—if he wasn’t secretly trying to dig himself out of an avalanche of debt that he doesn’t want Nick to know about. After all, Nick believes Dale is reliable, sensible, and solvent.

But while Dale works extra hours, and saves every spare cent, and hopes Nick never finds out about his past financial mistakes, unforeseen expenses keep piling on like Michigan’s unrelenting snow. And to make matters worse, there’s that little white lie Dale told Nick about having another teaching job lined up after the end of his current contract…

An emotionally tense romance with a satisfying HFN

Excerpt

From Chapter 5

Nick peeled the ClingWrap from one of the dishes, picked up a huge chip, scooped out a healthy dollop of the spinach and artichoke dip, and with his other hand under his chin to catch any spills, shoved the whole thing into his mouth. Not surprisingly, a blob of the dip oozed from the corner of his lips, which he chased with his tongue. The whole licking manoeuvre was so dirty, my dick jumped, like one of Pavlov’s dogs.

I squirmed, trying to adjust myself with my thigh. ‘That’s classy, babe.’

‘You know me.’ He winked. ‘Swallow anything.’

Becca returned with my Coke and Nick’s tea. ‘Is he talking about sex? As usual.’

‘He sure is.’

She rolled her eyes and set the drinks down in front of us on coasters. ‘Keep him in check, would you?’

‘I don’t know what you expect me to do,’ I said, unable to keep a serious expression on my face. ‘You’ve known him a lot longer than I have.’

‘Yeah, but he doesn’t listen to his family, do you, Nick?’

Nick was taking the wrap off the other dip, pulling a pouting face and mimicking Becca nagging at him. It was cute. I could imagine them as teenagers, bickering, teasing, but at the same time knowing that no matter what happened in their lives they would always be there for each other.

I reached for a handful of peanuts. ‘I don’t know what makes you think he’d do anything I say. He’s his own man.’ Though he has been known to be quite pliable in the bedroom.

‘Thanks.’ Nick screwed the wrap into a tight ball and pushed it to the edge of the table. ‘I was wondering when you were going to come to my defence. Anyone would think I was a complete fuck-up the way she talks.’ He flicked his head in Becca’s direction.

Becca sat down on the opposite couch and folded her arms across her chest. A wicked glint flashed in her eye and I could almost hear the battle cry in her head. ‘I think I’m justified.’

‘Oh?’ I said sweetly, reaching for my Coke. Nick couldn’t lay a hand on me with a drink in my hand.

‘Here we go. Let’s tell Dale all about the ex-boyfriends and make Nick look like a twat.’ He flopped against the plump cushions piled against the corner of the couch.

My interest was piqued. Nick and I hadn’t talked much about exes. Mine were distant in both time and distance, the wounds for the most part healed; Nick had given me the impression he didn’t have any big stories to tell. I glanced over my shoulder to check he was on board with the humour, and in turn he placed his hand on the small of my back, giving it a reassuring rub. I should have known better. Nick and Becca jabbed and jibed, but they weren’t spiteful or cruel.

‘Spill it then,’ I said to Becca. ‘Let’s hear about some of these infamous exes.

About the Author

Lane’s earliest attempts at fiction writing were sporadic, haphazard and utterly cringeworthy: a bit of maudlin poetry here, the odd short story there—and somewhere in between, half a dozen pages of a memoir that didn’t get beyond reminiscing over the untidy draw in her childhood kitchen.

Years and years later, after several career-changes, two children, and two international house moves, Lane arrived at a time and place in her life where she wanted to return to writing. Since then, it has become her passion; the one thing she wants to do for the rest of her life.

As far as reading goes, she enjoys many genres: science fiction, mystery, crimes, thrillers and horror. But there’s nothing she likes more than when those stories are driven by the power of true love. So, it was really no surprise that when she finally put her middle-aged fingers to the keyboard, she started writing romance.

Lane’s love stories feature diverse queer characters in the starring roles. She sometimes combines contemporary romance with mystery, suspense or paranormal, and always gives her heroes and heroines their hard-earned happy ending. She has books published with Less Than Three Press and Dreamspinner Press, as well as self-published titles.

Home is currently in Hampshire, on the south coast of England, and there are no plans to move for the foreseeable future. Eighteen house moves in the last twenty-five years is surely enough for anyone! And when she’s not writing or spending time with her family, Lane can often be found running on the local roads, trails and beaches.

Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram | Amazon

The Giveaway

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