Showing posts with label Mickie B. Ashling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mickie B. Ashling. Show all posts

Monday, March 24, 2014

Excerpt: Fractured by Mickie B. Ashling

Excerpt

Lance felt like he was walking on the infamous cloud 9—the one that always showed up whenever he was infatuated. Trying to deny his feelings any longer was pointless. The moment Ro took his shoes off and then asked about recycling, his approval rating climbed up several notches. It didn’t hurt that the object of his affection looked like a younger version of Latino actor Esai Morales, who played Lt. Tony Rodriguez on NYPD Blue, one of Lance’s favorite shows.

Roque had lighter eyes, though, and looked more European than Aztec. He was positive there was Spanish nobility coursing through Ro’s lithe but muscular frame. Despite his humble background, Ro carried himself with quiet dignity, another immensely appealing trait. Lance was a sucker for confident men, especially if he could get them to exchange some of that power willingly. The vision of Roque kneeling at his feet, hands bound behind his back and a cock ring encircling what Lance could only imagine was a perfectly proportioned penis, made him groan in frustration. He could feel his own organ straining against his jeans, and he gave in to the moment, powering up his laptop. He jerked off to the image of a spanking scene, superimposing Ro’s face on the submissive he’d been virtually dating over the last few months.

Self-service wasn’t nearly as satisfying, but it took the edge off, and he could think rationally once it was out of the way. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was only eight o’clock in the evening. His favorite shrink would still be awake in New York City if he called right now. Giving in to impulse, he tapped in his number, which was stored in Favorites. Peter answered on the third ring.

“What’s going on?” Peter asked, concern oozing through the connection.

“Not much,” Lance replied.

“FaceTime,” Peter ordered. “I do better when I can see you lying.”

“Shut up,” Lance said, laughing at his doctor’s insight. Nonetheless, he did as ordered and activated the iPhone feature. “Is that better?”

Peter harrumphed. “You must be in lust again.”

“Jesus, am I that obvious?”

“You’ve got that dumb grin on your face. Who is it this time?”

“Let’s just say I’m interested in someone. Nothing’s happened yet.”

“Then why are you calling?”

“Because I can.”

“I suppose you should get your money’s worth since I’m still on retainer.”

“Okay, enough with the jokes,” Lance said. “I’m attracted to one of my patients and scared to move forward.”

“What are you afraid of?”

“Moral ethics aside?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m afraid of fucking this up.”

“Is he in active treatment?”

“The initial surgery is completed, but I’ll be doing sporadic checks until I can place his implants.”

“But in essence he’s done for now.”

“Yes.”

“Problem solved.”

“What if I scare him off with all my other stuff?”

“Lance, try and be rational. Your last breakup was two years ago, and it just wasn’t a good fit. That doesn’t mean you’re incapable of finding the right match. What does this guy do?”

Lance didn’t respond, prompting Peter to ask. “Did you hear my question?”

“He’s a landscaper,” Lance replied in a soft voice.

“Here we go again,” Peter grumbled. “Let me guess. He’s a dark-skinned brunet with a heavy accent, and thinking of him groveling at your feet and begging for release makes you hard.”

“Fuck you.”

“Am I wrong?”

“Partially.”

“Is he also illiterate like Manny?”

“As a matter of fact, he’s not,” Lance countered hotly. “He’s articulate and driven from what I’ve learned so far, and Manny wasn’t illiterate, you dumb ass! He didn’t speak English, that’s all.”

“Lance, you continue to act like a moron despite your IQ. Falling for guys who provide little or no mental stimulation will always result in failure. It doesn’t matter if the body chemistry is right. May I remind you that good looks are temporary but dumb is forever?”

“He’s not dumb!”

“So you’ve said.”

“Then why are you on my case?”

“You wouldn’t be calling if you were confident.”

“I wanted to give you an update, but you’d rather badger me into admitting I’m doing the wrong thing. Peter, I’m not leaping before looking this time. We’re taking baby steps. Hell, I don’t even know if this guy is into BDSM. This may be a moot point, and it’ll fizzle out after the first orgasm.”

“You mean that hasn’t happened yet?”

“I told you I’m taking it very slow.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“Thank you,” Lance said begrudgingly. “Perhaps I’m not as moronic as you seem to think.”



Blurb:
Roque “Ro” Celdran dreams of a better life, far away from the hand-to-mouth existence of his migrant worker family. He moves to San Francisco to study Landscape Design but finds himself short of cash. Tony, Ro’s identical twin, comes up with a plan to help Ro make ends meet. The BDSM club Tony frequents is looking for gay men to act as submissives to the Dommes-in-training. Ro reluctantly takes the job and falls headfirst into a world he neither understands nor desires. 

Lance Roberts is the new doctor at the dental practice started by Scott Gregory and Robin Kennedy. On the surface, he seems to have it all: the Mensa IQ, blond and blue-eyed good looks, and the determination to make it in his competitive field. Underneath lies a frustrated Dom in search of the perfect sub who can handle his obsessive behavior and debilitating need for control. 

When Ro ends up in Lance’s dental chair, the last thing either one expects is a physical and mental connection. Ro’s attraction to “White Bread” never pans out, and Lance’s weakness for Latinos always leads to a dead end. Could this time be different? What happens between the two alphas leads to a lot of soul-searching and some surprising conclusions.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Review: Horizons by Mickie B. Ashling

Horizons (2nd Edition) by Mickie B. Ashling
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 250pgs
2.75 Pants Off

Blurb:
College football player Clark Stevens, a popular wide receiver with a potential NFL contract, has a few problems. He's got a jealous girlfriend, a narrow-minded and controlling father, an attention problem, and an unexpected and powerful attraction to the trauma doctor—the male trauma doctor—who treats him for a broken bone.

Dr. Jody Williams is getting some really mixed signals. He can't ignore how much he wants Clark, because it's obvious Clark feels the same way. For the out and proud doctor, the solution seems very simple. For Clark, it's not! His world is not gay-friendly, and the obstacles he's faced have led him to deny his sexuality for years.

It's the Super Bowl of disasters, no matter how you look at it. In the end, Clark has to decide if he's going to stick with the only life he's ever known or take a chance on a new one with Jody.


Review:
I became a fan of Mickie B. Ashling after reading Loving Edits, which happens to be one of my fave ménages out there. Then the awesome continued with Tono, so of course I was totally down with reading Horizons the blurb sounded interesting enough but what sounded interesting soon started to fizzle and I was left all kinds of disappointed.

Clark Stevens is a star football player at his college; he's so fantastic that the NFL is most definitely in his future. Too bad he's miserable, with his grades at failing and constantly feeling miserable all the time and Clark is at his breaking point. What he does is lash out and his temper lands him a broken arm and a date in the E.R. What Clark doesn't expect is his instant attraction to doctor Jody Williams, he's kept that part of himself buried tight and wrapped up, but now he's flirting with the doctor but Clark knows that being gay and football just doesn't go hand in hand. Yet, he keeps seeking out the company of the sexy doctor and doing this sexual tension filled dance around each other. Things get more intense when Jody decides to tutor Clark in English and their attraction cannot he denied.

Clark comes with a series of problems, a girl he sleeps with occasionally to show his heterosexuality, a father that’s more of a bully than anything else, and the fact that he feels like an idiot pretty much all the time. Alas, he has Jody a man he's a falling in love with and finally realizing how much happier he is now that he's being honest with what his body wants. Too bad he's gotta stay in the closet until he figures out how to come out without losing everything, because though his new found honesty is exhilarating letting the world know could cost him everything.

First, these guys are like the Canadian weather; one minute they're hot and the next a cool front moves in out of nowhere. They're happy and in the next minute there is tears and them having all the feels. Realistically I can understand Clark's fear of being outed when he's not ready but dude was just setting the trap for a whole bunch of hurt. Obviously, he wanted to come out so his later "lets protect Jody from my crazy father" was just a little too late cus dude was asking for it. Jody...for a doctor he is a darn fool sometimes, I get that love makes you do crazy things but I was not impressed with most of his decisions. Like yeh, these guys fuck all amazing but otherwise I just couldn't get a handle on them (cloudy with a chance of mood swings).

Mostly everyone in this book is sort of annoying with the exception of Jody's best-friend who I really liked. Clark's parents especially his dad should have called it quits with being a parent, his adult status has surely gone up in flames. Clark likable, but his constant self pity was a bit annoying, Jody also likable but easily forgettable. I just couldn't read this one without eye-roll numerous and in the end I was disappointed. Not a good read for me, but I am usually impressed with this author work so overall "it just wasn't the right read" for me.

Should You Read It? *sound of crickets* to each his own I say, this one didn't work for me but I did get through it quickly. In all honesty the pacing is good; I just didn't enjoy the overall story. HEA was too neat, in a perfect world it’s awesome but I didn't find it believable.


Monday, July 22, 2013

Guest Post: Horizons (2nd Edition) by Mickie B. Ashling (Promo)

About Mickie B Ashling

Mickie B. Ashling is the alter-ego of a multifaceted woman raised by a single mother who preferred reading over other forms of entertainment. She found a kindred spirit in her oldest child and encouraged her with a steady supply of dog-eared paperbacks. Romance was the preferred genre, and historical romances topped her favorites list.

By the time Mickie discovered her own talent for writing, real life had intruded, and the business of earning a living and raising four sons took priority. With the advent of e-publishing and the inevitable emptying nest, dreams were resurrected, and the storyteller was reborn.

She stumbled into the world of men who love men in 2002 and continues to draw inspiration from their ongoing struggle to find equality and happiness in this oftentimes skewed and intolerant world.

Her novels have been called "gut wrenching, daring, and thought provoking." She admits to being an angst queen and making her men work damn hard for their happy endings.

Mickie loves to travel and has lived in the Philippines, Spain, and the Middle East but currently resides in a suburb outside Chicago.

 http://mickieashling.com/

Links to Buy: 
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3982 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3983  


Horizons-Book One in the Horizons Series

Twenty-three-year-old Clark Stevens, a popular wide receiver with a potential NFL contract, has a few problems. He's got a jealous girlfriend, a narrow-minded and controlling father, an attention problem, and an unexpected and powerful attraction to the trauma doctor—the male trauma doctor—who treats him for a broken bone.

Dr. Jody Williams is getting some really mixed signals. He can't ignore how much he wants Clark, because it's obvious Clark feels the same way. For the out and proud doctor, the solution seems very simple. For Clark, it's not! His world is not gay-friendly, and the obstacles he's faced have led him to deny his sexuality for years.

It's the Super Bowl of disasters, no matter how you look at it. In the end, Clark has to decide if he's going to stick with the only life he's ever known or take a chance on a new one with Jody.



Excerpt

JODY and Lil sat on the patio of the Yank Sing restaurant at the Rincon Center in San Francisco. The empty plates, piled high on their table, created a testament to the mountains of dim sum they had consumed. They finished their meal with the delectable buns stuffed with a sticky, sweet yam concoction.

Jody sipped his cup of black tea, sighing with satisfaction. “That was amazing. Thanks for talking me into this.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie. We need to do this more often.”

“I don’t think my stomach can handle this on a regular basis.”

“Oh, you know we’ll be hungry again in an hour.”

“This will have to hold me for a while. I’m meeting Clark at five for another session.”

“Of what?” Lil asked pointedly.

“Of tutoring,” Jody answered, doing his best to keep his face from revealing anything.

“Honey, I’ve known you for a long time, and that look can only mean one thing. When did he cave?”

Jody rolled his eyes, annoyed at being found out so soon.

“Tell me!” Lil squealed, jumping up from his seat. “Was it bliss? Who made the first move?” Lil bent forward and whispered, “Is he hung like a horse? I want details!"

“Lil,” Jody barked, looking around to see if anyone was observing them. “Keep your voice down.”

“Come on! Stop acting like a prude and talk to me.”

Jody fidgeted, uncomfortable under Lil’s gaze. They’d always shared information in the past, but somehow, this was different.

“This is more than just sex, isn’t it?” Lil asked.

“I don’t want to discuss it.”

“You’ve really fallen for him,” Lil exclaimed. “I can’t believe it.”

Jody sipped his tea in silence.

“Sweetie,” Lil said, switching persona instantly from raging queen to serious architect and friend. “You need to forget about him.”

“Why?”

“You’re doing this to yourself again.”

“What?” Jody sighed, knowing exactly where the conversation was headed.

“It’s Rick, all over again.”

“Don’t compare this relationship with the other one.”

“Why shouldn’t I? You’re going into this with your eyes wide open, knowing he’s a closet case with major issues.” Lil’s normally cheerful face looked troubled. “Jody, this will not have a happy ending.”

“It’s not the same at all, Lil. Clark’s not going to die on me.”

“But he’ll deny you and walk away, eventually. Once he’s gotten the itch out of his system, he’ll go back to being Berkeley’s number one het stud.”

“He’s not like that. He’s really struggling with his sexuality.”

“And you want to be his first experiment? You’re fucking nuts!”

Jody bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut, determined to stay cool.

“You need to walk away!” Lil implored. “Now, before you’re in too deep.”

“Too late,” Jody answered.

“No.”

“I’m in love with him.”

“Fuck!”

“I know,” Jody whispered, shaking his head. “I’m fucking crazy about him.”

Lil sat back in his chair and gaped at his best friend.

“What? Don’t tell me you’re all out of advice.”

“I’m astonished at your eagerness to get your heart broken again,” Lil remarked. “You’ve always had a penchant for lost causes, but this is too much."

“You’re overreacting, Lil.”

“Sweetie, you really need to think this through. He’s not only in the closet; he’s got a father who’s demented, according to the rags.”

“I know he’s sort of an ass, but demented?”

“You know how I love football.”

“Yeah, yeah, you jerk off to the pictures.”

“Really, Jodes, give me some credit. I actually watch the games and read all the commentaries. Then I jerk off.” His queen-voice returned.

Jody grinned. “And the point of this is?”

“Many articles about Clark have mentioned his father. They say he’s controlling and rules his son’s life. A lot of teams who would normally be interested in signing him up are shying away from him.”

“That sucks.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. There are still a lot of people interested and willing to overlook his dad. However, I don’t think they’ll overlook daddy and the gay factor—that would be a lethal combination.”

“Lil, this is 2003, not the eighteenth century. Gay is very fashionable right now.”

“Not in football, and not in his dad’s world. You’re opening yourself up for a massive dose of heartache.”

“Don’t exaggerate.”

“Oh my God! Has he even talked about coming out? Did he say he loves you?”

“No!” Jody snarled. “It’s way too soon. I haven’t even told him how I feel.”

Lil shook his head. “Jody, get away from him while your heart is still in one piece. It’s taken you years to get over Rick. I don’t think I have the strength to do that again.”

“It won’t be like that. Now, stop being a drama queen and ask for the check. I need to go.”

“Wait,” Lil reached out and stopped Jody from leaving. “Throw me a bone at least?”

“What?”

“You know…. How was it? Is he hung?”

Jody paused for several minutes, knowing the suspense was killing Lil.

“Let’s just say that he’s… magnificent.”

“That good?” Lil asked almost reverently.

“Better.”

Monday, August 1, 2011

Menage Mondays

A list of my fave Trias (that's what I call it). The ultimate menage books out there, that's just not about sex, but a real building of the relationship. Lets get serious, it tough already with two people, how more complicated could it be with another. Also, the HAWT factor is off the chain, I just love the whole figuring out of who puts what where.

My Recommendations:

Dark Horse (Dark Horse #1) by Kate Sherwood
Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:
Dan thinks about just driving, leaving the whole mess behind. He's got enough money. He could just arrange to get his stuff and his horse shipped to wherever he's going. Taking off is what he used to do when things got to be too much, and it worked pretty well, really.

Dan Wheeler thought he'd found lasting love and stability with his life and work partner, Justin Archer. But when Dan finds himself alone again, still working as a horse trainer for Justin's parents, he has to find a way to accept that his perfect life is gone forever.

Then he meets billionaire Evan Kaminski, who arrives to buy a horse for his younger sister, and Evan's lover Jeff Stevens, a horse trainer who seems to understand more than just Dan's job. Struggling to deal with all the upheavals in his life, Dan finds himself drawn to both Evan's mercurial passion and Jeff's quiet wisdom. Is Dan strong enough to take a chance on new love, or would it be better—safer—for him to be alone?
An awesome book loved it so much. I cried, I laughed, and I yelled A LOT. Check out my review Dark Horse  on Goodreads. I highly suggest you buy this book, its mad awesomeness.
Also check out the sequel: Out of the Darkness.

Loving Edits (Basque Series #1) by Mickie B. Ashling
Blurb:
When bestselling novelist Mick Henley contacts his editor and former lover, Paul Alcott, after a seven-year absence, hearing Mick’s voice reinforces what Paul has known all along―he still loves Mick. The possible reunion entices Paul into considering a dinner invitation, but his hopes are dashed when he learns Mick is in a loving relationship with Spanish Jai alai player Tono Garat.

Paul still accepts the invitation, and Mick asks Paul to help Tono through the final revision of a love story he’s written, inspired by his affair with Mick. When Paul refuses, Mick reveals he’s been diagnosed with a fatal disease, and the novel is Tono’s only means of coping with the eventual outcome.

Paul and Tono resent each other, but they can't deny the strong sexual attraction between them. Can the past blend with the present to ease the way for Mick’s inevitable future? Will they overcome their differences to provide the loving support necessary to sustain the man they love or will their collision destroy Mick's final days?

This book made me cry like the little girl I use to be. So emotional, so powerful, and downright sexy.  Another one I recommend you buy, and don't forget the Kleenex.
Check out the sequel: Tono.

 
Gemini by Chris Owen
Torquere Press

Blurb:
Gent is a little wild, a little jaded maybe. When he meets Paul, he thinks he might just have found someone fresh and new, someone who’ll play, maybe someone who will be more than a one night stand.

Pretty quick, though, Gent finds out with Paul he gets more than he bargained for. He gets Jamie, too, Paul’s twin, who wants him just as much as Paul does. Gent thinks maybe he’s in over his head, in for a weird triangle that he can’t handle, but as the three come together in an explosion of passionate fireworks, beginning to explore a whole new world of heat, he learns that there can be a lot more fun in having two.

I loved this book! It might not be for everyone since there is some serious twincest going on. Its incredibly hot and will cause heat stroke. Check out my review of Gemini on Goodreads.


I say you give these books a try and indulge your senses.Whoever said that "three was a crowd", obviously never experienced a threesome.