Hi guys we have Mickie B. Ashling popping in today with the tour for her new release Open Seating, we have a great exclusive excerpt, a fantastic giveaway and the link to Aerin’s review, so check out the post and click that giveaway link <3 ~Pixie~

Open Seating

Mickie B. Ashling

Seth Wilder lost his partner of twenty years to suicide two weeks before a long-anticipated cruise. Cancellation insurance was never purchased, and Seth can’t get a refund. Bryce McFarland, his late partner’s gym buddy, appreciates his predicament, and when asked, agrees to accompany him on the trip. This way, Seth recoups the money and doesn’t have to cancel his plans. The gesture is unexpected but accepted gratefully.

The two men have nothing in common. Seth is a reclusive romance writer, and Bryce is a hard-core Grindr user with major commitment issues. Out of necessity and despite the seemingly insurmountable differences in personality, they develop a tentative rapport. As they begin their journey through the UK, Bryce helps Seth come to terms with his partner’s sudden death while Seth, in turn, discovers the root cause of Bryce’s phobia.

Shipboard romances rarely work. Sensible men resist, sexual tension notwithstanding. But a full moon and late summer breezes lend itself to the impossible situation, barriers are crossed, and a love affair is kindled.

Mickie B. Ashling!

I’d like to thank MM Good Book Reviews for giving me the opportunity to share an exclusive excerpt from Open Seating, the first book in a planned trilogy. Those of you who follow me know I love to travel, and my favorite way to see the world is on a cruise ship. A story with a luxury liner as a backdrop was bound to come out of my muse eventually; I’m just surprised that it took this long.

As the blurb mentions, my main characters are nothing alike and have been thrown together on this voyage under the worst of circumstances. Fate has presented their itinerary, and now it’s up to them to make it work. Or not.

I bring some fun giveaways and several opportunities to win a freebie by following along on the tour. Before I close, I’d like to mention and thank my publicist J for her excellent work in organizing all my blog tours and anything else I might need in terms of promotion.

Exclusive Excerpt

Seth was gearing up to unleash his tirade against sleazy restroom hookups when he found himself standing in front of the formidable-looking government agent inspecting his passport.

“How long will you be in England, sir?”

“About three weeks,” Seth replied.

“Business or pleasure?”

“Pleasure,” Seth said automatically, glancing over at Bryce who was watching him with a wry grin on his face. The handsome bastard looked as smug as a panther who’d blithely dragged off his early morning meal. Jesus! This was only their first day and already Seth was beginning to realize he was naïve to think that studying Bryce on the prowl would be enjoyable. The man should have come with some kind of warning label. Seth’s sheltered existence had not prepared him for this blatant disregard for rules when it came to dating in 2016. In truth, the word dating didn’t even apply in this case. Had Bryce really done it with some stranger in the restroom? Wasn’t it against the law? Didn’t this kind of stuff only happen in porn films? Then again, when was the last time he and Mark had actually sat down and watched porn? Seth couldn’t even remember.

Once his passport was stamped, he was herded on to the next phase of the arrival nightmare: retrieving his luggage. Bryce was right behind him, and within minutes, they were rushing toward the carousel assigned to their flight. Luggage had long since been unloaded, and Seth spotted his two pieces immediately. They were hard to miss because he’d attached two rainbow-colored pom-poms on the handles for ease of recognition. It had been suggested by the cruise line on their website under tips and recommendations. Bryce hadn’t read anything, having hopped on the plan last minute, so he didn’t have any special tags to make his luggage stand out. It would take a while to find his black Samsonite suitcases, which blended in with the other hundred rolling by.

“Remind me to buy you some pom-poms when we go into town,” Seth mentioned. “We’ll never find your bags at this rate.”

“Like hell you will,” Bryce said. “I’ll find my luggage.”

“Why? Are the pom-poms too fruity for you?”

Bryce snorted. “No, more like geriatric. You’re acting like we’re in our sixties, dude.”

“It wasn’t my idea,” Seth said indignantly. “The cruise line recommended it.”

“Because a lot of their passengers are retired,” Bryce said. Turning toward Seth, he inquired, “Do you even know the age demographic on this cruise? Will there be young people, or will we be trampled by wheelchairs and walkers?”

Seth’s eyes widened. “What is it with you and aging?”

“I don’t like old people,” Bryce admitted. “They’re depressing as fuck.”

“Not all of them,” Seth protested.

“The ones I’ve had business dealings with are pitiful. I don’t need a preview of my future, Seth. I’d rather dwell in the here and now and be around people who energize me by living in the moment instead of reminiscing about the past.”

“Sometimes memories are all they have,” Seth said somberly. “Have you ever thought of that?”

“I try not to think of them at all.”

“You’re being unrealistic for someone who’s approaching fifty. You will age whether you like it or not. Why not accept it graciously rather than fight it every step of the way?”

Bryce said something under his breath Seth didn’t catch, and before he could ask him to repeat it, the guy was leaning forward to pluck his two suitcases off the moving belt.

“Let’s go,” he said brusquely, putting an end to their conversation.

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.

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Giveaway!

Win a $10 Dreamspinner Press gift certificate, an audio code for a Mickie Ashling audiobook, or an ecopy of one of Mickie’s backlist titles. Three winners! Contest open internationally. Must be 18 or older to enter.

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Review link

Open Seating by Mickie B. Ashling

Check out the other blogs on the blog tour