October 30th, 2018

10/30/2018

Hi Elizabeth. Thanks for giving me this opportunity to tell you about my upcoming release. Yield is the fifth book in the Bay Area Professional Series. The main characters from the previous novels weave in and out of this story seamlessly, but Yield can be read as a standalone. With that being said, Ethan and Rino from Forged in Trust (#4) are prominent secondary characters in Yield. Their story continues, where it left off, with enough background to fill in the gaps if you decide to start the series with this book.
Yield focuses on a new pairing. Sami and Jay are at their lowest when they meet at a crowded airport. Each is ensnared in the past and can’t find a moment of peace without administering or receiving pain. Rino and Ethan are innocent bystanders inadvertently dragged into their mess.
When I was plotting this novel, I had every intention of portraying this couple realistically rather than romantically. Hardly ever politically correct, Sami makes choices others might find repugnant. Jay has bone-deep abandonment issues. They are a toxic pair, but, in their own fucked-up way, perfectly right for each other.
I’d like to share an exclusive excerpt of Yield and offer one e-book from my back list as a giveaway. Leave a comment to enter the drawing. Elizabeth will choose a winner after a week and give me the necessary details so I can contact you.

Blurb
A promising encounter takes a dark turn.

Captain Sami Soros and Father Jay Blackstone cross paths at a major European hub. When systems shut down due to a cyber-attack, flights are delayed and the resulting chaos is unprecedented.

After having served three tours in Afghanistan, recently discharged Sami struggles with his new civilian status. Emotionally depleted, and dangerously edgy, he views most of his fellowmen with utter contempt.
Jay is returning to his parish in San Francisco after a month-long retreat meant to shore up a crumbling vocation. All vestiges of spirituality melt away when he sets eyes on Sami.

They begin a clandestine affair fueled by a shared addiction to extreme forms of BDSM. Their relationship goes off the rails, and Jay reaches out to Rino Duran, a former seminarian. With the help of Dr. Ethan Marshall, Rino’s full-time Dom, the established couple attempt to separate truth from lies to give Jay and Sami a shot at happiness.

Excerpt
I’d never been in business class before and was delighted by the wider seats and extra legroom. I stored my carryall in the overhead bin and asked Sami if he preferred the aisle or window seat. He chose the aisle, which worked for me. I enjoyed watching terra firma drop away as we climbed into the heavens. Plus, I liked having the wall to brace my pillow.

Once again, I attempted small talk, but Sami’s responses were clipped and put a damper on my enthusiasm. It was after dinner was served and the cabin lights were dimmed when I realized he was waiting for this quiet time to make his move.

The hand on my thigh shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Everything had a price and my upgrade was about to be repaid in a way I’d read about but never experienced. The most shocking part of the encounter was my body’s reaction to Sami’s touch. I’d always assumed my first time would be with a woman, but I found myself responding to this man.

“Are you okay with this?” he whispered.

I nodded. Even if I wanted to say no, my traitorous body wouldn’t let me. I was finally going to experience what I’d been dreaming about for umpteen thousand years. The blue blanket I’d been given upon embarking was spread out on my lap, so I knew our movements were hidden from the general public. The all-seeing eye didn’t factor into my current plans. I was beyond redemption at this point, and no amount of conscious thought would keep this from happening. I spread my legs and trembled in anticipation as his hand moved toward my groin.

“How long has it been?” he asked in a husky voice.

I turned in his direction, and the passion in those feral eyes set fire to my starving libido. “Too long.”

“I thought so,” he said. “We can both use a little reprieve.”

None of my fantasies came close to the real thing, and I struggled to keep my voice down as he undid my fly and reached into my briefs. When his warm fingers gripped my cock, I released within seconds.

“You sure were hard up,” he commented, following it up with a low chuckle.

I was mortified but swamped with a new wave of lust when Sami licked cum off the palm of his hand. His satisfied purrs were baffling. I’d always considered ejaculate a filthy byproduct of a weak moment, yet here he was lapping away with satisfaction. What was I missing?

“You look shocked,” Sami commented when he was done.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize; just return the favor.”

Matching his movements with far less expertise, I applied myself to the task, admiring the way he managed to keep himself under control even while he spent. I caught most of it in my cupped hand, and he indicated my next move with a jerk of his head. My humiliation was superseded by a craving I couldn’t explain. The starchy odor of his spend combined with the fire in his eyes made my cock thicken once more. I might have whimpered as I licked my hand.

“Good boy.” His approval worked wonders on my flagging cock.

“You must be used to sex on the go,” I remarked after I licked up the last drop. Sami tasted like nothing I’d expected, but I was going to remember this forever.

“It’s the only kind I’ve known for the last decade.”

“Must have been difficult.”

“Doing without would have been worse,” he commented ruefully. “We learned to take it the minute it was offered.”

“Are you in the military?”

“Not anymore,” he said, sounding disappointed.

“Aren’t you glad to be heading home?”

He shook his head. “Not really. What about you?”

“There isn’t much to tell,” I said vaguely. Revealing my vocation after what just happened was impossible. “I’d rather not talk about me.”

“Are you married?”

My eyes widened in shock. “Absolutely not.”

“What about work?” he probed. “Will anyone in the Bay Area miss you if you show up a day or two late?”

“No.”

“Would you consider getting off in Chicago for a few days?”

“To what end?”

“R and R.”

Dear Lord. If this was a test, Sami’s unexpected question had pushed me to the edge of a precipice. Once I got off the plane, there would be no turning back, and my fall from grace would be nothing short of spectacular.

“What did you have in mind?”

“I haven’t thought of much beyond fucking you into the mattress for the next few days.”

His comment sent a fresh wave of desire throughout my body, and I closed my eyes to avoid his scrutiny. When I opened them again, he was smiling.

“Why me?”

He shrugged. “Everyone deserves a few days of mindless sex.”

“The thing is,” I began, searching for the right words. “I’m not a man of the world. You could do better.”

“I disagree,” Sami countered. “Your inexperience is a huge turn-on.”

“We barely know each other.”

“By the time we’re done, there won’t be any mysteries left to unfold. Are you game?”

At the retreat, I’d asked for some sign to guide me in the right direction. Placing forbidden fruit directly in my path couldn’t have been some random event. It had to be part of a larger plan. Best-case scenario, I’d get these cravings out of my system, seek absolution, and move on with my old life. Or the more likely outcome would have me abandoning the priesthood and leaving the high expectations behind. I’d discover the man I was meant to be before I’d been adopted and sanitized.

I took the plunge. “Why the hell not.”

“Atta boy,” he said softly. “You won’t regret it.”

Yield is available for pre-order and will release on November 13. Exclusive to Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.

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Meet Mickie B. Ashling

Mickie B. Ashling is the pseudonym of a multifaceted woman who is a product of her upbringing in multiple cultures, having lived in Japan, the Philippines, Spain, and the Middle East. Fluent in three languages, she’s a citizen of the world and an interesting mixture of East and West. A little bit of this and a lot of that have brought a unique touch to her literary voice she could never learn from textbooks.

By the time Mickie discovered her talent for writing, real life got in the way, and the business of raising four sons took priority. With the advent of e-publishing—and the inevitable emptying nest—dreams of becoming a published writer were resurrected and she’s never looked back.

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 currently resides in a suburb outside Chicago.

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