Thank you for hosting my blog tour and giving me an opportunity to talk about my latest release. Through My Own Lens is the fifth book in the Horizons Series, but catching up isn’t necessary. This new story can be enjoyed as a standalone.
As the blurb mentions, my main characters, Luca Dilorio and Chyna Davidson, have just graduated high school and are headed east to start a new chapter in their lives. Being away from home for the first time can be exhilarating, but it also presents challenges neither one anticipates.
To celebrate the release of Through My Own Lens I bring two gifts to make your holiday season a little brighter. One lucky winner will receive a $25.00 NineStar Press Gift Certificate and the other will get to choose one e-book (excluding Through My Own Lens) from the NineStar Press catalog. Before I go, I’d like to thank Lori at IndiGo Marketing for her excellent work in organizing this book tour.
Exclusive Excerpt – This is the first time Luca and Chyna get together after being apart for a month.
Luca slung an arm around Chyna’s waist, hefting his backpack on his right shoulder, and they headed toward 56th Street to catch the subway to the Upper West Side. Chyna’s two- bedroom apartment was located on W 97th Street in a secure twelve-story building.
Although New York was supposed to be the great melting pot of cultures, and one of the most progressive cities when it came to LGBTQ rights—particularly in the fashion industry—it was hard to take anything for granted after the senseless massacre at the gay club in Orlando. Both sets of parents had urged Luca and Chyna to tone down the PDAs and be mindful of their surroundings at all times. In spite of the warnings, Luca found it difficult to let go of Chyna’s hand despite a few dirty looks on the subway.
Being new to the city, and the subway system in particular, Luca was surprised how quickly they arrived at their destination. Following Chyna’s lead, they blended into the exiting crowd and took the stairs up to the sidewalk.
“See that tall brick building?” Chyna pointed.
“Yeah.”
“That’s home.”
“Let’s go,” Luca said, picking up his pace. The blue fob on Chyna’s keychain unlocked the glass door of the apartment building, and he introduced Luca to Giorgi, the doorman on duty. He seemed friendly enough, but Luca wasn’t in the mood to stand around and shoot the shit. He was desperate to get Chyna behind closed doors and do the things they’d talked about during their bouts of phone sex. The elevator door had barely shut when he swept Chyna into a bone-crushing hug.
“Luca, there’s a camera in here.”
Luca moaned and stepped back. “One of these days, I’m going to stop being so damn responsible and go off the rails.”
“Warn me if that’s about to happen.”
Luca grinned. “Trust me, you’ll be the first to know.”
The elevator dinged the arrival at Chyna’s floor, and they were sprinting down the hallway before the double doors swished shut. High on anticipation, Chyna fumbled with the keys.
“Open, open, open,” Luca said in a teasing voice.
“Shut up,” Chyna warned. “You’re making me more nervous.”
“God, I feel like I’m about to lose my mind,” Luca said. “Hurry.”
Once they were inside, Luca pinned Chyna against the door and kissed him hungrily. He’d been craving this—they both had—and finesse was forgotten in the heat of the moment. Teeth clacked and tongues clashed as they gorged on each other. As soon as they parted to come up for air, Luca toed off his shoes, pulled off his shirt, unbuttoned his jeans, and kicked them clear across the room after he extricated them from around his ankles. He kept his boxer briefs on, but they tented obscenely, and Chyna stared at his crotch longingly.
“Aren’t you going to get undressed?” Luca asked before getting on his knees and looking up at the familiar face peering down at him.
Chyna removed the baseball hat, and his auburn hair fell forward in a silky curtain. Pale skin flushed in patches high above his cheekbones, and his lower lip quivered slightly.
“You do it,” he urged in a strangled voice.
*****
Synopsis:
Luca Dilorio begins his freshman year at Cornell, while his boyfriend, Chyna Davidson, embarks on a modeling career based out of Manhattan, New York. Although Luca is only a five-hour drive away, he may as well be on another planet. Having watched Chyna’s back for years, Luca struggles with the separation. His new roommate, Zeb Araneda, lends an ear, and a solid friendship is born, but it doesn’t keep Luca from worrying.
Chyna learns to navigate the ups and downs of the modeling industry on his own. However, this proves difficult with Luca micromanaging everything, from Chyna’s diet to his choice in a roommate. After rejecting several candidates, Chyna and Luca decide on fellow model, Alex Boulet, who turns out to be perfect in more ways than one.
An unexpected appearance raises a multitude of concerns, and the entire family—Lil, Grier, Clark, Jody, and Chip—descend upon the young couple to offer their help. Will Luca and Chyna weather the storm or succumb to pressure from multiple fronts?
Purchase Links
NineStar Press: https://ninestarpress.com/product/through-my-own-lens/
Amazon: http://hyperurl.co/eg1apf
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/754218
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/through-my-own-lens-mickie-b-ashling/1127257402
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/through-my-own-lens
*****
Meet the Author
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.
Author Links
Website: http://www.mickieashling.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mickie.ashling
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MickieAshling
Blog: http://www.mickiebashling.blogspot.com/
*****
Tour Schedule
11/6 Erotica For All http://eroticaforall.co.uk
11/7 Stories That Make You Smile https://authoraddisonalbright.com
11/7 The Novel Approach http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com
11/7 Divine Magazine https://www.divinemagazine.biz/category/blog-tours/
11/8 Happily Ever Chapter https://www.facebook.com/happilyeverchapter
11/9 Love Bytes www.lovebytesreviews.com
11/9 Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews http://wickedfaeriesreviews.blogspot.com
11/9 Zipper Rippers http://zipperrippers.blogspot.co.uk/
11/10 My Fiction Nook http://myfictionnook.com
11/10 Bayou Book Junkie http://bayoubookjunkie.blogspot.com
*****
Giveaway
One lucky winner will receive a $20.00 NineStar Press Gift Certificate, as well as one e-book from the NSP library (excluding Through My Own Lens).
Congrats on the new book release!