Thank you for inviting me to share a few moments on your
blog to talk about my upcoming release and answer a few questions.
To get us started can you tell us a little about
what you are working on or have coming out?
Fractured is my 15th novel and
part of the Bay Area Professionals series which includes Impacted! and Bonds of Love. Although set in the same dental universe,
it’s not a sequel. Readers will be able
to enjoy this without reading the other two novels. I would categorize this book as
BDSM-light. It’s less about whips and
chains and more about head games and learning how to exchange power without
losing oneself in the process.
How would you describe yourself using only five words?
Resourceful,
compassionate, creative, moody, and witty.
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
Sugar
in any shape or form. Candy, ice Cream, cakes, and cookies. I’m surprised I’m not a diabetic because of
this guilty pleasure, but there you have it.
I’ve tried to switch over to the pink or blue fakes but they just don’t
taste the same.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Weather
aside, Chicago is a great city and I enjoy living here most of the time. If I had unlimited funds, I’d buy a house near
the ocean in a warm weather state where I could escape the long winter months.
If someone hasn't read any of your work, what book would you recommend that
they start with and why?
I
guess it depends on the reader. If you
want some major angst, my Loving Edits
series (Loving Edits, Tono, and Momentos: Mick’s Journey) is guaranteed to make
you cry buckets. If you’re looking for smexy fun with a little
angst, I’d recommend the Horizons
series (Horizons, Taste, Daddio). Fire Horse and the sequel Ride-Off are set in the rarified world
of Polo. Fire
Horse tied for seventh place in the erotic romance category in last year’s
Rainbow Awards.
Coffee, tea or other drink to get you moving in
the morning?
Tons
of coffee with cream and sugar.
What is coming up from you in 2014? Anything you
want to tease us with?
I’ve
recently finished and submitted the fourth novel in the Cutting Cords series. I
thought I was done with these guys, but my character Sloan is such a hot mess, and
he was clamoring to be heard. I’m
currently working on my first YA novel which I hope to finish in a few months.
When you begin your stories,
do you go with the flow, or go with an outline?
I used to go with the flow, but I’m outlining
more. Because I often zig when I should
zag, it’s helpful to have a general plan.
If you were to replenish your
cabinets with one junk food, what would it be?
M & M would be my first choice.
What do you
feel is the most important thing that a first-time author should know?
Don’t read your reviews, but if you
have to, don’t engage. Not everyone will like your work. Be grateful that someone bought your novel
and took the time to post a review. Any
kind of review is better than being ignored.
Try and support your fellow writers as much as possible, listen to
suggestions and/or advice from those who have more experience. Don’t
take yourself too seriously.
Has there been any character that started off as
supporting character, but then developed into a more prominent character?
My
secondary character Lil in my first novel Horizons
turned out to be a huge favorite among my readers. Everyone was asking me to write his story, so
a few years later, Taste was born.
Lil finds the love of his life at the Taste of Chicago and then Daddio, the sequel, was released a year
later.
What has been the defining moment in your career
that made you think “Yes, I am now a writer!”?
I
started writing publicly when I discovered the Queer as Folk fandom. Like many other fans, I hated the ending of
the series, and wanted Brian and Justin to have their HEA. I began reading and commenting on other fan
fiction and befriended several writers.
One, in particular, was a huge source of inspiration. I admired her tremendously and ended up
meeting her in person. She gave me a
list of book on writing and encouraged me to try my hand in the genre. The day I hit submit on my Live Journal blog
was the day I truly felt like a writer.
How do you like to relax after a day writing?
A
few years ago I realized that sitting all day in front of a computer was detrimental
to my health. Shoulder, back, neck, and
arm problems began to creep up. I’d even
heard of some writers suffering from blood clots in their legs. I decided to
limit my time to four consecutive hours a day, and then try to balance the rest
of my time with exercise, and other activities that involve movement. When I can’t get to the gym I shop or visit
with friends and family. My favorite
form of relaxation is reading, but once again, this means sitting down. Now, I take my Kindle to the gym or listen to
Audiobooks so I can kill two birds with one stone.
If a movie or TV production company chose to
produce your books into a series of shows or movies, who would your ideal cast
be?
I
love Adam Lambert and think he’d do a great job as Sloan in my Cutting Cords series. John Barrowman would make an ideal Preston
for Fire Horse. He’s a wonderful actor and absolutely
gorgeous.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?
I’d
be an ambassador of some sort. I love traveling and learning other cultures.
Author
Bio
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
award-winning 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.
Fractured
Dreamspinner Press
BDSM Contemporary M/M
Bay Area Professionals Series
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.
Excerpt
Dinner was sitting on the kitchen counter in a
brown paper bag. His plan to cook had been derailed by a late afternoon emergency
that had turned into an hour-long surgical procedure. He didn’t want to cancel
on Ro but knew he’d be too late to cook, so he stopped at a local pizza joint
and picked up a large combination and two house salads. Belatedly, he wondered
if Ro would be able to bite into the pizza without a problem, but Lance would
willingly hand-feed him smaller pieces if necessary. He smiled thinking about
it.
He was still smiling when he opened the door and
soaked up the sight of the gorgeous man holding a long-stemmed lavender rose.
Ro was wearing an inconspicuous white shirt with rolled up sleeves and a
button-down collar, but he made it look like something straight off a
boutique’s rack. It was definitely the right color to offset his deep mahogany
skin tone. Curly black lashes cast shadows on his cheekbones when he looked
down to check out Lance’s barely there outfit before handing him the flower.
Surprised by the unexpected gesture, Lance
reached for the proffered bud and inhaled the sweet scent wafting from the soft
petals. He was stalling to get himself under control. He was at a loss, having
never dated before. His roster of pool boys had always been at his beck and
call, but they’d never thought to give him anything but sex. The hookups at the
BDSM clubs never involved actual dating. No one in the long line of men he’d
bedded had ever gone out of his way to do anything romantic, so this gift,
simple as it was, hit the mark as surely as cupid’s arrow.
“I’ve never seen a rose this color,” he said
lamely. “Thank you.”
“I saw it and immediately thought of your eyes,”
Ro said evenly. “Lavender roses are fairly uncommon. They symbolize
enchantment, among other things.”
“What other things?” Lance asked softly.
Ro paused for a second, and his cheeks turned a
ruddy apricot before he answered. “Love at first sight.”
It would have sounded cheesy coming from someone
else, but Lance knew Ro wasn’t the kind of guy who dropped the L word so
nonchalantly. There was nothing flirty about him; in fact, the opposite was
true. He was deadly serious most of the time, but his face was an open book.
Lance could read the admiration and longing in those beautiful brown eyes. It
did all kinds of funny things to his stomach.
He leaned forward and let his lips graze Ro’s,
then pulled him into the apartment. The door shut with a quiet snick. Lance
pinned him against the oak and began peppering him with tender kisses along his
neck, ears, and collarbone. There was a faint whiff of cologne Ro must have
applied before arriving, one Lance didn’t recognize but enjoyed nonetheless. It
was a masculine scent, as understated as the man in his arms but just as
enticing. Ro clutched Lance’s ass cheeks through the towel and drew him closer,
grinding his stiff cock against Lance’s twin boner. They were close in height
so their hips lined up perfectly. Lance began unbuttoning Ro’s shirt, making a
mental note that Ro liked his shirts starched and pressed.
The parted fabric revealed a light layer of dark
hair that narrowed into an enticing love trail Lance followed with his fingers.
He snaked past the waistband and cupped the generous package. “I’ve thought
about this all day.”
“Same here,” Ro said huskily. “You’re all I think
about.”
“After Sunday night’s big reveal, I was worried
you’d run for your life.”
“Not a chance.”
“Willy seems happy to see me,” Lance teased,
gliding his thumb over the wet spot.
Ro chuckled. “Willy?”
“Do you have a pet name you’d prefer?”
“Call him whatever you want, so long as he ends
up in your mouth.”
