Hi peeps, we have Mickie B. Ashling popping in today with the tour for her newest release Gnarly, we have a short GP from Mickie, a great exclusive excerpt and a brilliant $10 Dreamspinner Press credit giveaway, so check out the post and click that giveaway link! <3 ~Pixie~

Gnarly

Mickie B. Ashling

Dr. Ed Hollingsworth, widowed for five years, returns to San Sebastián, Spain, after a thirty-year absence. He seeks out his first and only male lover, pro surfer Javi Elizalde.

After surviving a near-fatal shark attack, Javi turned his back on the sport he loves and became a recluse.

Iker Lizaso, professional jai alai player, finds himself at loose ends now that his contract has expired. Forced to retire at thirty-eight, he returned to his home in the Basque Country to figure out what to do with the rest of his life.

Three different men, encumbered by their past, converge in a city famous for its food, summer festivals, and romantic promenades. Can they find happiness together? It’ll be difficult, maybe even improbable, considering their backgrounds, but Cupid’s arrow usually hits the mark, and this particular strike might be epic.

Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Mickie B. Ashling!

Hi, everyone! I’d like to thank you for stopping by to help me celebrate my latest release, Gnarly, which is part of Dreamspinner’s World of Love collection. The setting for this long novella is San Sebastian, Spain, a seaside town in the Basque Country. Those who know me are aware I’m half Basque and have already written a series (Loving Edits, Tono, Momentos: Mick’s Journey) with the Basque Country playing a prominent role.

Gnarly is a standalone. The only similarity to my other series is that it’s m/m/m. There’s something about the area that compels me to write polyamorous relationships.  I’m not certain why. My best guess is the overabundance of eye candy. I had the opportunity to spend six weeks visiting family last summer and left San Sebastian with a small arsenal of plot bunnies.

The main characters in this story—Ed, Javi, and Iker—are more mature and have one thing in common. They’re at a crossroads, and opting for the road less traveled might be their best option. I’m looking forward to sharing their unique story.  

As always, I’d like to thank the wonderful people behind MM Good Book Reviews for hosting today’s visit, and my wonderful publicist J for her excellent help in organizing my blog tour.

Exclusive Excerpt!

Javi’s gaze flicked from Ed to his father and back again. “The old man’s been trying to get me out of the apartment for a long time. Suddenly, you show up out of the blue and he gets his wish. Did you guys plan this?”

“You’re giving us far too much credit.” Ed scoffed. “Patxi had no idea I was coming to town and I sure as hell never expected to find you like this.”

Javi sneered. “Like what? A shell of the guy you were banging for weeks?”

Ed quickly glanced around to see if anyone was paying attention. Fortunately, Javi had switched to English, so maybe it was a nonissue. “You’re wrong and I’d appreciate it if you dropped this.”

“Which part should I drop, Edu? The colluding or the fucking?”

“What’s your deal?” Ed asked tersely. “I had nothing to do with your resurrection.”

“That’s right. You’ve never been concerned with anyone but yourself.”

“I won’t even dignify that accusation with a response,” Ed snarled.

“Yeah? We can save that argument for another day.”

“Up yours.”

“I’m not convinced you two didn’t plan this.”

“Paranoia is a symptom of PTSD,” Ed said. “Get your head out of your ass and admit you’re happier behind the bar than reclining on a sickbed.”

“Says you.”

“I have the degree,” Ed huffed.

“That’s right. You’re so special. Do you want another beer, Doctor?”

“No. And don’t call me doctor, for fuck’s sake.”

“You just reminded me you had the credentials,” Javi snapped. “Make up your fucking mind.”

“You’re so damn insulting,” Ed protested. “All I want to do is help.”

“I don’t need your help,” Javi insisted.

“Javi, it’s offered with the best intentions. Why can’t you just accept without turning this into something ugly?”

Javi continued to glare at him.

Frustrated, Ed slid off the barstool. “You know what? Fuck you and your shitty attitude.”

“Go, then.” Javi waved him off.

“Stop,” Patxi called out. “Please, Edu. Stay.”

“That’s okay,” Ed said, taking a small roll of euros from his pocket and throwing a bill on the counter. “I’ll see you around.”

He walked out of the bar, painfully aware he’d caused a scene. Multiple sets of eyes were boring into his back, probably laughing at his churlish behavior, which was ridiculous for a man his age. Where did he get off thinking Javi should accept his advice because it was the smart thing to do?

Flustered, Ed weighed Javi’s accusation. He could see the kernel of truth—and pain—in the hateful words and bowed his head in shame. The facts were undeniable. Ed had kept his distance, barely giving one moment of thought to the proud and fiercely stubborn surfer in three decades. He’d never even conjured up memories for wank sessions because he’d been sexually satisfied and his career was thriving. Then everything changed. Now he was back and trying to insert himself into Javi’s life when he had no right whatsoever. How did that even compute? Ed hadn’t been remotely interested in another man since leaving Spain. And now, suddenly, he was thinking of dick again. And not just any dick. It had to have a prickly surfer attached to it.

About Mickie!

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.

CONNECT WITH MICKIE

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads & Ask the Author | Website | Email

Giveaway!

Win a $10 Dreamspinner Press gift card!

Mickie B. Ashling Rafflecopter giveaway!

Check out the other blogs on the tour!