Mickie B. Ashling's Blog, page 160

Book Rec

Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Sam Keller knows he'll never find the excitement he craves in Middleton, Iowa—not while he's busting his ass in nursing school and paying rent by slaving away in a pharmacy stockroom. But before his mother died, he promised her he'd grow up to be a good man, so he needs a stable career and a good husband, not a dead-end job and empty sex.

Then Sam meets Mitch Tedsoe, an independent trucker who makes a delivery to a shop across the alley. Innocent flirting quickly leads to an affair, and when Mitch offers to take Sam on a road trip west, Sam jumps at the chance for adventure with his fantasy man... but Mitch also comes with a past. A threesome with the other man in Mitch's life would have been just another kinky ride, but somewhere between the Mississippi River and the Colorado Rockies, Sam falls in love.

But can a relationship born out of escape and indulgence become something that lasts? Will a fantasy man be willing to settle down into reality, or is the adventure and excitement Sam finds with Mitch just another stop on a delivery man's journey? For better or for worse, eventually Sam is going to discover the answer, because no matter how far away he travels, eventually all roads lead home.


I read this book in May knowing nothing about the story line but I'd seen the title on the top of the AR list for several weeks and was curious. I was engaged from the first chapter and sped through the book, as I always do with any good read, and then I read it a second time to enjoy each character and scene to the fullest. This is one of the best books I've read in 2010. Without spoiling anything for those who haven't yet had the pleasure of discovering Heidi Cullinan this is more than a story about a young man who hooks up with a trucker. I gave it a five star because the writing was excellent, the characters multi-layered, the sex outstanding, and yes, I cried, laughed, and took several cold showers before I was done. What a treasure! Read it and join the Cullinan fan club. You won't regret it.

BTW-Dreamspinner Press is offering a 20% discount through the holidays. The code to use at checkout is Holidaydreams. Now's your chance to stock up or buy presents.

Book Rec

Match Maker by Alan Chin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




In the four years since being forced off the professional tour for being gay, Daniel Bottega has taught tennis at a second-rate country club. He found a sanctuary to hide from an unkind world, while his lover, Jared Stoderling, fought a losing battle with alcohol addiction to cope with his disappointment of not playing on the pro circuit.

Now Daniel has another chance at the tour by coaching tennis prodigy Connor Lin to a Grand Slam championship win. He shares his chance with Jared by convincing him to return to the pro circuit as Connor's doubles partner.

Competing on the world tour is challenging enough, but Daniel and Jared also face major media attention, political fallout from the pro association, and a shocking amount of hate that threatens Connor's career in tennis, Jared's love for Daniel, and Daniel's very life.

Match Maker is the first novel I've read by Alan Chin so I had no idea what to expect. I knew it had a tennis theme but what I never expected was the sheer beauty of the prose. Alan Chin paints with words and I tasted, smelled, and experienced every high and low along with Daniel, Jared, and Connor. All the secondary characters are multi-layered as well. This novel is far more than a story about tennis. It has all the ingredients of The Front Runner on a more modern and larger scale. It was a true pleasure to lose myself in this novel for a few days. I am looking forward to his next book eagerly.

My Turn

My novel Loving Edits was reviewed over at Jessewave.

Here's what they had to say.


http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/?p=35332#more-35332

Book Rec

Vigil by Z.A. Maxfield

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Vigil is a good sequel and the only reason I rated it four stars is because I found the ending was a bit too abrupt. I wish ZAM had given us another chapter or two but all in all I was satisfied. It was a little darker than the first book Notturno and there was less humor and snarkiness but it was a true page turner and I couldn't put it down. The little glimpse of book 3 at the end certainly whet my appetite. I look forward to the new year and more of Donte, Adin, and the cast of strange and wonderful characters that Ms. Maxfield has created.


When I was a wee thing I had the misfortune of seeing The Horrors of Dracula with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. To say that I was traumatized would be an understatement. For years the word Vampire was synonymous with terror. Then author Anne Rice introduced us to some of the hottest vampires around and being a Brad Pitt fan drew me to watch Interview With a Vampire even though it was through fingers. Little by little, I got over the anxiety, and now I wait for episodes of Trueblood and Vampire Diaries eagerly. It helps that modern day writers have made the current blood suckers much more attractive and I can actually think of them without wanting to hang the garlic strands in my window. Long story short, ya gotta read Notturno, and the sequel Vigil. It's not your run-of-the-mill vampire story. The author has created some wonderful characters and her inimitable style shines throughout both stories. A must read for anyone who loves this genre.

Book Rec

Driftwood by Harper Fox

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



What the tide washes in, the past can sweep away.

All Dr. Tom Penrose wants is his old life back. He's home in Cornwall after a hellish tour of duty in Afghanistan, but while the village is the same, he isn't. His grip on his control is fragile, and it slips dangerously when Flynn Summers explodes into his life. The vision in tight neoprene nearly wipes them both out in a surfing mishap—and shatters Tom's lonely peace.

Flynn is a crash-and-burn in progress, one of only two survivors of a devastating rescue helicopter crash that killed his crew. His carefree charm is merely a cover for the messed-up soul within. The sparks between him and Tom are the first light he's seen in a long, dark tunnel of self-recrimination, which includes living in sexual thrall to fellow crash survivor and former co-pilot, Robert.

As their attraction burns through spring and into summer, Tom must confront not only his own shadows, but Flynn's—before the past rises up to swallow his lover whole.

This is the second book I've read by this author and she's now one of my favorites. It kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last chapter. It has it all-fast-paced action, mystery, romance, and one of the most endearing characters on four legs I've met in a long time. A very satisfying read in every sense. If you click on the title it will take you to the Goodreads page where you can see all the other reviews.

Outlander by Diana GabaldonMy rating: 5 of 5 starsThe yea...

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars








The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she's a Sasssenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

I first read this book in the early nineties and recently Amazon offered it as a free download to the Kindle. I believe the offer is still open for anyone interested. I'd forgotten what a wonderful book this is. A must read for anyone who loves historical romances. Jamie Fraser is one combustible Scotsman and the sex scenes are still scorching, almost twenty years after the novel was first published. It's a long and delicious read (853 pages)and I lost myself in Ms. Gabaldon's amazing creation. I plan to revisit the second book in this series in the next few weeks. Go to Amazon and get it for free! You won't be sorry.

Book Rec

Blue Boy by Rakesh Satyal

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Blue Boy by Rakesh Satyal is a powerful novel about an Indian boy growing up in an all-white community in Ohio. He's an outcast among his classmates because of his ethnicity and is ridiculed by the Indian community for being 'different'. He loves the color pink, ballet, Strawberry Shortcake, dolls, and make-up. The POV is Kiran's, our twelve-year-old hero, and is alternately poignant, humorous, and tragic. I purchased this novel last month at the height of the bullying and suicides. It is a must read for anyone who has a child, a friend or a student going through the same struggle to find their way. The writing is beautiful and the message resonates off each page.





Click on the title and it will take you to the Goodreads page so you can read what others have to say about this amazing book.

Book Rec

Counterpoint: Dylan's Story by Ruth Sims

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have been a fan of Ms. Sims since I read The Phoenix several years ago. I can't say enough about this new book. Counterpoint: Dylan's Story is a beautiful love story from start to finish. There's nothing I would improve and her characters will linger in my head for days. I inhaled this first read, tearing throught it like glutton. I plan to read it again, but this time, savoring every passage. Her mastery of time and location, her word choices, the attention to detail, and the fierce love between her characters is palpable, and this is what makes this worthy of a five star rating. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historicals, but more importantly, anyone who believes in love.



View all my reviews

A meme and a book review...

I'm crawling out from under my self-imposed rock to try and be a little more social. Networking is not one of my strong suits but I've been told it's important so I'm going to give this my best shot. So here's a mini-meme for those who are interested. When I'm not working my "real" job I'm reading or writing depending on the time of day. I do have a family but my children are grown and have their own lives so we don't see each other 24/7. When I do see them I have a great time, but like many writers, I'm a solitary creature, and enjoy my own company the best. I write very early in the morning, usually from 3:00 to 5:30 and then I hop in the shower and get ready for work. This has been my schedule for at least four years and it's great for my flist in Australia and Europe, but wreaks havoc on my friends in the USA. By the time they're raring to go on FB and other sites I'm fading and ready to go to bed.

I read a lot. It's gotten worse since I bought my Kindle because I don't have to wait for the books to come by mail. It's been a blessing and a curse. My eyeballs are suffering from overuse,if there's such a thing, lol! Between the computer at work, the one at home, and now the Kindle, it's a wonder I'm not blind. Anyway, I'm digressing and I don't mean to. I joined Goodreads many months ago and just realized (duh) that I can cross-post my book reviews from there to here. Not everyone is a member of Goodreads so I though why not? If you want to know what I've been reading lately this will give you a good idea. I'm not a professional reviewer by any means-I leave that to the experienced sites. I just thought this would be a nice way to stay in touch with my friends and readers and talk about something other than my published work although I will throw in a promo occasionally:) Please feel free to ask me questions. I have no idea what people want to know about me but I'm more than happy to share what I can. For those who are interested, the spin-off to Horizons has been submitted and I'm waiting to hear back from my publisher.

So on to the book reviews. I'll start off with a cowboy novel I read a while back. It's never been my genre but I couldn't resist this one because of the author. If you click on the title it will take you to the Goodreads page and you can read more about the book and what other people think of this novel.

Longhorns by Victor J. Banis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I've only read one other cowboy book because I'm not a big fan of this genre, however, I'm a fan of Victor J. Banis. Longhorns won me over instantly and if Victor were to ever write a sequel I'd be one of the first in line to read more about Buck, Les, and Red. I can't add anything to what's already been said about this novel except that it was a great read and I enjoyed it very much.



Thank you, Mr. Banis, for a very entertaining weekend!

News...

Some good news today. I just signed my contract for my sixth full length novel Tono which is the sequel to Loving Edits. It will release in January 2011.

For those of you who are invested in this story, here's a short blurb.

In the aftermath of Mick Henley's death, his two lovers, Paul and Tono find themselves at odds. Tono has rejected Paul on the pretext that the public will find out about their ménage, thus tarnishing Mick's memory. After a five-month separation, they reunite...