Guest Post and Giveaway: Gnarly by Mickie B. Ashling

We’re so pleased to welcome author Mickie B. Ashling to TNA today on the tour for her newest release, Gnarly, a new addition to Dreamspinner Press’s World of Love collection. Mickie is sharing some fun stuff today, including the perfect summer recipe ;) and a giveaway.

Welcome, Mickie!

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 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 the 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.

Today I’m sharing a short excerpt, along with a recipe for sangria. To my surprise, this refreshing beverage is hard to find in Northern Spain. I thought it would be readily available, but I discovered it was primarily a Southern drink. Nonetheless, there are some bars in the North that serve pitchers of the fruit-infused wine concoction during the summer months. This recipe was handed over by a favorite bartender and friend. It’s wicked good and makes my head spin after only one glass, but I’m a lightweight so judge for yourself.

Before I go, I’d like to thank The Novel Approach for hosting my blog tour visit and my wonderful publicist J for her help in organizing everything.

Title: Gnarly
Series: Dreamspinner’s World of Love collection (Spain)
Genre: M/M/M, Contemporary Gay Romance
Author: Mickie B. Ashling
Length: 172 pages
Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht
Release Date: June 21, 2017
Blurb: 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.

Buy the Book: Dreamspinner Press || Amazon || Barnes & Noble

Exclusive Excerpt

Dressed in his newly pressed ensemble—white cargo shorts and striped blue-and-white Robert Graham shirt—Ed exited the building and headed for the beach. It was the most familiar thing at the moment, and he needed to get a whiff of the sea breeze and check out the scene. There’d been a short promenade back in the day, and he was pleasantly surprised to find they’d added miles to the original. Picking up a brochure from one of the souvenir stores, he read up on the new and improved walkway known locally as Paseo Nuevo. It circled Mount Urgull in its entirety. Starting at the Kursaal on Paseo Zurriola, he crossed the bridge into the older part of town and turned right on the promenade. Ed started the upward climb with the Cantabrian Sea to his right and the mountain to his left. It took him forty minutes to get to the aquarium around the bend, and he continued on until he got to La Concha Beach.

The sand was covered with sun worshippers soaking up the rays on colorful oversized towels lined up in uneven rows, while children and adults frolicked in the water. He noted that Zurriola Beach was far less crowded and the waves seemed more suited to surfing. Undaunted, he proceeded another half mile until he was too tired to go on. According to his fitness app, he’d already walked five miles. It was no wonder he was beat and his shirt was soaked with sweat. Temps were in the high eighties.

Walking back to Gros, where things were familiar, made more sense. Instead of circling back, he chose the easier route through the center of town, but hadn’t planned on conking out midway, letting thirst and hunger get the better of him. He ducked into a bar and ordered a large bottle of mineral water along with a tankard of beer. When his thirst was sated, he addressed his hunger. The bar top was lined with a delectable assortment of pintxos. He chose a pair of small sandwiches—bocadillos—filled with Iberian ham, freshly fried salted green peppers—guindillas—piled high on an oval platter, tiny round croquettes stuffed with salted cod, anchovies sitting atop a bed of tuna on slices of bread, a generous slice of potato omelet, and to top it off, a small ramekin of flan.

Recipe: Sangria

• 1 (750-ml) bottle of red wine
• ¼ cup brandy
• ¼ cup orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Triple Sec or Grand Marnier)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ orange, thinly sliced
• ½ lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 unwaxed apple, cored, and cut into thin wedges

Let it sit for a while before you pour over ice.

Ready, set, enjoy!

About 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.

Mickie currently resides in a suburb outside Chicago.

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

The Giveaway

Win a $10 Dreamspinner Press gift card! Contest open internationally. Must be 18 or older to enter.

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Follow the Tour

June 21 – The Novel Approach
June 23 – Molly Lolly
June 26 – Love Bytes
June 28 – On Top Down Under
June 30 – Bayou Book Junkie
July 3 – MM Good Book Reviews