Natalina Reis's Blog, page 10

The Love You Give Me – Review

Once in a while I break from my obsession over Chinese period dramas and fantasies and watch a contemporary romance. The Love You Give Me is such a “break” in my period diet.

This is a rom com and it’s absolutely adorable. I recommend it full-heartedly. The story is great, the acting fantastic, and the cast of characters fabulous.

In fact, you should watch it even if only for Min Quan Quan, the main couple’s five year-old son. This kid just made me smile throughout the whole 28 episodes. What a great little actor (the child actor is actually seven-years old) Cui Yi Xin is.

Cui Yi Xin (MyDramaList)

But the fun doesn’t stop with this little guy. The main couple, Min Hui and Xin Qi (played by Wang Wu Yen and Wang Zi Qi) have great chemistry and are a believable couple. The rest of the cast is just as much fun to watch.

The plot follows a single mom (Min Hui) and her struggles to make it in the medical AI business world and her son’s genetic heart disease. Add a father who has no clue he has a child and who falls head over heels in love with his son even before he knows who he really is, and you have all the ingredients for a heartwarming, funny, and romantic series.

Even though mostly a light romance, it touches on some serious issues such as women’s rights and sexual harassment in the work place among others.

If you’re up for a feel-good show, this is it! Loved it.

Image by WeTV

A First Look at Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

So I’m reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros as part of my “research” as to why people keep saying my books feel young-adultish even though the characters are all aged from the late 20s to middle 40s (except for the Jewel Chronicles). Also to figure out why I can’t break through even after twenty-one published books, lol.

You might (or not) know that Yarros’s book went so viral that even Amazon sold out of her physical books. I don’t think that’s happened since Harry Potter and that was before e-books.

Anyway, this book is listed as New Adult since the main character is 26 years old even though officially NA is college age and at 26 you’re officially a full-fledged adult.

I’m about 40% into the book and here’s what I think so far, with the following caveat: I couldn’t grab a physical copy so I got the audio book. I’m willing to accept that maybe the voice actress has something to do with how I feel. She’s great and very expressive but she sounds pretty young, like middle grade or low-YA young to me.

I’m loving the story so far. It has action, a lot of humor (which I love), it hints at romance but nothing too solid as yet, it has an outcast/underdog as the main character, dragons, no fear of being dark-ish. It’s definitely a page-turner and well-written. The characters are well-developed and the worldbuilding is great.

But there are a few things I don’t understand. I don’t understand the hype. It’s very good but I have read books that were as good or better without half the hype (like Laura Sebastian’s books). Did the publisher (Entangled) have something to do with it? Or did she just get lucky when some big Booktokers went bananas over the book (and OMG did they ever)?

I also don’t understand (I know I shouldn’t compare, but I am researching, remember?) why my books have been dubbed “young-adultish”, but when hers sound very young nobody seems to notice? I haven’t got to the alleged sexy-parts so maybe that’s why? If you have read any of the popular academy books, this one fits well within the sub-genre but with dragons (and I agree that’s a huge plus, lol).

It’s being hailed as “a fantasy like you’ve never read before” but really—and again, nothing against it because I’m loving it—it HAS been done before. It has a lot of the Hunger Games vibe but with dragons (have you noticed a pattern? LOL). After all everything has been done before, right? Authors just put their twist in old ideas, old stories. That’s where the originality comes to play. And yes, Yarros has game for sure.

And as fantasies go this one is very romance trope-heavy (nothing wrong with that. I personally love it). So far we can smell enemies to lovers, underdog to the win, forced proximity, love/comfort, found family and a few others.

I will definitely return here with a full review once I’m finished reading the book. I’m excited to see what happens and I do hope I get surprised (I do love a good plot surprise). So far Yarros has indeed surprised me once, but as for the rest of the story it has been rather predictable so far: young, small, plain bookish girl with a boatload of sass and guts who defies all odds by becoming the strongest warrior of all. Let’s see how the rest goes, shall we?

*If you read it, feel free to comment below but please no spoilers.*

Homecoming – Book Review

Homecoming by Kate Morton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading Kate Morton’s books. Her expertise at weaving a mystery with family drama all in an architectural background that doubles as a character in its own right. Homecoming is not an exception. I couldn’t put the book down. I listened to the audio book (paperback ordered) every chance I had.
The thing about Morton’s mysteries is that they’re like onions; you peel one layer just to find out there’s another and another beneath. Nothing is predictable in her stories. Yes, I suspected who Polly was for at least half of the book but the story that went along with it just blew me away. Such an intricate web, masterfully unraveled one strand at the time by Ms. Morton.
And her love for old homes and the strange and almost magical pull they have as if buildings can absorb memories and replay them later came through loud and clear in Homecoming as well. As always a very atmospheric novel, heartbreaking and so very human. One that proves that you never really know the people around you and that history can be, and often is subjective.
Claire Foyle, the voice actress who read this fabulous story, did an amazing job at making the characters and the settings come alive. Give it a listen if you have a chance.
Highly recommend it. Now to search for that one Morton book in my library I never got around to read…

View all my reviews

Romancing a Change

Disclaimer: in this post I only address my fantasy romances, not my rom coms.

If you ever went through some sort of existential crisis, you’ll sympathize with what I am about to say. Specially if you’re a writer like me who does not know where she stands as an author anymore. If you didn’t, maybe this blog won’t make any sense to you, but I must write it anyway. As a writer I have always found that sometimes the mere act of writing things down helps alleviate stress and confusion.

Not that this is a new question in my mind, but it came back in force after the release of my latest book, Foxy Tails. Reviews for this book have been a true mixed bag, and if you follow me you will remember that I even wrote a blog recently about how confused I felt with some of those same reviews. Now that I had some time to think about it, I believe that the biggest problem with my book is that it’s been misunderstood. The other possibility is that my writing totally stinks, but I prefer to go with my first option.

The truth is that I have been having serious doubts about the wisdom of marketing my fantasy/paranormal books as romances. Romance lovers, don’t get all upset. I’m not putting the genre down at all, but hear me out.

To make some sense of it, I must go back to when I fell in love with a good love story. I have always been a bit of an eclectic reader, going through stages when I read all mystery or fantasy or what they called mainstream fiction. The one thing in common among all the different genres I have been reading since I was old enough to do so (maybe even a little younger) is that my favorite reads were always the ones that had some kind of love story within the plot. I think I have always been in love with the idea of love so when I started writing for publication I immediately turned to the romance arena. However, what I didn’t realize at the time was that what I call romance is not necessarily what others call it.

Let me explain.

For me, romance is all about the longing glances, the touch of the hand, the sexual tension between two characters, the things they are willing to do for each other, the developing friendship, the passionate kisses…

For most people today though, romance translates in great part (I’m totally generalizing) to sex. More specifically to in how many different ways the couple can have sex and make it as detailed as possible, please.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with that. Reading, like everything else in life is a personal choice catering to a personal taste. The problem is that that’s not how I like my romance.

I suspected I was on the wrong track when I found myself going back to finished manuscripts and inserting sex scenes (which I try really hard to make as romantic–my definition of romantic–as possible) just because I knew that readers would want them, not because I felt they were necessary for the plot. Furthermore I realized with some measure of surprise that I don’t read that much romance at all.

Many years ago I would read a lot of Harlequin romances (historical and contemporary) but in recent years I read mostly other genres with romance sub-plots. I also was shocked with myself when I quickly tired of watching the ever-popular Bridgerton TV series despite the hot male lead and the interesting take on the historical setting. But I am yet to tire of Grantchester or Miss Scarlet & the Duke which both feature strong romantic sub-plots but are not marketed as romances.

I’m also a huge fan of Chinese period fantasies/romances where sex is non-existent and even simple kissing is normally just a touch of the lips. But man! are they romantic. Even my toes tingle when the main couple kiss for the first time…

I love a good sex scene when the couple reaches a new level of intimacy, but I don’t need all the details. I like allowing my imagination to run wild while I read. And I don’t want to read chapters-worth of very detailed sex scenes described sometimes in crass language that I will always associate with not-so-romantic things (see my blog about this here).

So, my question is: am I doing the right thing by marketing all of my books as romances first and then either fantasy or paranormal? Am I really doing my books and my readers a disservice by “promising” something I won’t deliver? Or should I change things around?

I would love to hear your take on this.

Warm in a Cold Night -Review

It’s been a while since I have watched something that is has I enjoy in a good show. Warm in a Cold Night is one of them. It has drama, mystery, romance, fantasy, and lots of humor.

This Chinese mystery period fantasy series features Li Yi Tong as Jiu’er, a young female detective, Bi Wen Ju as Han Zheng a handsome lone wolf-shifter, Chen He Yi as Prince Wen Jun, and He Rui Xian as Chi Lan a kick-ass female who grew up with Han Zheng.

In some ways this show reminded me so much of what I liked best about Buffy the Vampire Slayer: the Scooby gang that stuck together through thick and thin despite their many different personalities and backgrounds. The chemistry between these four young actors was so good, it was easy to believe they were real friends. The mysteries they solved were fun and weird enough to grab your undivided attention and I found myself binging on episode after episode.

The romance between the two main characters was believable and adorable, and their stories heartwarming.

Even the minor characters were absolutely delightful, from Han Zheng’s personal guard played by Hu Cheng Yi to Jiu’re’s mother, Deng Ying and Wen Jun’s guard, Li Shi Peng. They were all played to perfection.

And interestingly enough, despite being a not-so-serious show, it dealt with a very relevant theme for today’s world: tolerance, equity, and understanding between races.

I highly recommend it. It has one of the best–and most appropriate–endings I have seen in a long time.

Warm in a Cold Night- Photo by IQIYI TV

The Dent in The Universe – New Release

E.W. Doc Parris has a new sci-fi/horror book out: The Dent in the Universe. And there’s a giveaway – a $50 Amazon gift card.

To resuscitate his fading celebrity, tech CEO Stephen Lucas would sell his soul for one more hit. When the subspace network for his holographic gaming empire crashes, his hardware guru makes a discovery proving that, though the mechanics may differ a bit, Einstein was right once again— information can be sent backward in time.

Lucas sees a dream product for procrastinators. Want a pizza now? Send your order back in time 30 minutes. Forgot to make reservations at that chichi french restaurant two weeks ago? No worries. Buy that PowerBall ticket. Invest in that stock. Make a FaceTime call to a loved one that passed away a month ago.

In a culture built on instant gratification, Lucas knows he has a hit that will make Wall Street sit up and beg. But when he rushes into beta testing, he learns that the stuff dreams are made of can quickly become the stuff of nightmares.

Warnings: violence, torture, body horror, branding, implied cannibalism.

Universal Buy Link | Liminal Fiction | Goodreads

Giveaway

Doc is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Direct Link

Excerpt

Stephen picked up the keyboard and typed, Watson, come here. I want to see you.

Before he hit enter, the display on his right blinked and displayed a log entry. The display directly in front of him showed the log of the interaction, a white line of text that showed what he’d typed, Watson, come here. I want to see you, and the time sent, 630231 milliseconds. The display on the right, the one that flashed before he hit enter, showed the same.

Walrus said, “Look at the timestamps. The sending input occurred at 630231 milliseconds. The receiving event happened at 629931 milliseconds.”

Stephen looked puzzled. “The clocks are off? That’s a 300…?” he checked his math, “300-millisecond difference.”

Walrus grinned. “Negative 300 milliseconds. The clocks aren’t off.”

“The time server is off?” Stephen knew that was the culprit in the outage.

Walrus shook his head. “Nope. These two chips are in perfect sync to FTL time.”

Stephen stopped and thought. The message appeared to be arriving 300 milliseconds before it was sent. “I’m not getting it,” he said.

Walrus laughed and did his little dance again. “Yes! You are! Tell me what you see.”

Stephen said slowly, “The message looks like it’s being received before it was sent, 300 milliseconds before.” Walrus grinned, and Stephen continued, “But that’s not possible. What’s causing the discrepancy? If the clocks aren’t wrong and the time server was working properly…?” He shook his head.

Walrus’s grin widened. “It’s a time machine.”

Stephen leaned back a bit from the desk. “Right.” Walrus let it sink in. “What do you mean?” He thought Walrus was speaking metaphorically.

Walrus laughed and said, “I mean, this is a time machine.”

Stephen looked at the set-up in front of him. It was a hacked sChip on a breadboard and a couple of displays strung together with cables and alligator clips. This wasn’t a time machine.

Walrus relented. “I’ve tweaked the power supply to dial in a tiny phase variance in the I/O to this sChip, like our customer did by accident. The tensor array interpreted this as an attribute, sending the signal to a point in time before it was sent. 300 milliseconds before. About a third of a second.”

Stephen recalled the chain of events. The right display refreshed a fraction of a second before he hit enter. Examining the log, what he had typed was there. Watson, come here. I want to see you.

He frowned and thought for a few seconds. “A third of a second? It’s the least impressive time machine imaginable,” he said. “This crashed the time servers?”

Walrus nodded, finished his cola, tossed its crushed container in the recycling bin, and peeled open another. “Essentially. I’ve cleaned up the effect, and I’m not messaging the time server. The timeserver would have ignored an invalid time sync transaction. It’s programmed to dump garbage bits. This wasn’t garbage, it was a perfectly normal sync transaction, but the handshake was out of order. The time server software questioned its own reality. It wobbled, tried to regain its equilibrium, and tipped into cascade failure.”

“It’s fascinating, but…” Hard-wired by the last six years to search for a new product, Stephen’s mind was searching for a use for what he was seeing. “I mean, it is cool, but it’s useless—a weird trick of physics. What can we do with it?” He thought for a little more. “This is IP data?”

Walrus shrugged, “It’s a packet like any other packet.”

“So, if it’s packets, then it’s IP, then it’s anything. Form data, text, jpegs, audio, video, holo.”

Walrus nodded and grinned, “Sure. You could surf the web of 300 milliseconds ago…”

Stephen interrupted him, “Can we extend that? Could we rig these in series? Go back further?”

“We could do it more elegantly than that—How much further?”

“You tell me, what’s the theoretical limit?”

“Well, you’d need a receiver. So whatever we end up making would only go back to the first chips that go online. We make a chip today, turn it on, in a week, we could go back to that moment but not before, right? The longer we’re online, the further back we can send things.”

Stephen shook his head. “We couldn’t go back further than tonight?”

Walrus nodded. “There would be nothing to send it to. As soon as we flip the switch on our time machine, we’d be establishing a time horizon. But say we turned on a receiving device tonight. In a year, you could send a message back to tonight. That would be a year in your past. In two years, you could send a message back two years, on and on, until the end of the world.” He laughed and said, “You know that old site, The Way Back Machine? The internet archive? This would be like that but live. You could actually surf the web of the past. Leaving comments on a video from a year earlier.”

Stephen frowned dismissively and said, “What good would that do? I can leave a comment on that same video today. The entire internet is available back to the 90s.”

Walrus smiled, “But it’d be radical!” Radical was not the goal. Stephen needed a killer application, a product everyone would want. Walrus’s stomach growled loudly. “Man,” he said, “I’m starving. Wanna order a pizza? Hey man, that’s what we could do!” he said jokingly, “We could use it to order pizza a half hour ago, so it arrives…” and he snapped his fingers.

Stephen froze. His pupils widened. Instant Pizza. Instant delivery. Instant gratification.

The entire computer industry of the last forty years was built around delivering everything as quickly as possible. Meeting the desires of the customer. Right. Fucking. Now. If no one ever went broke underestimating the American people’s intelligence, as Mencken might have said, it would follow: no one ever went broke catering to their impatience.

Author Bio

E.W. Doc Parris is an American writer known for matter-of-fact, hard science fiction grounded in the current scientific weltanschauung, leavened with wit, and kindled by the warmth of human relationships.

Born within the nation’s capital Beltway, Doc makes his home in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge. A self-taught software developer and solutions architect, he’s made a decent living over the years as a set designer, graphic designer, animator, 3D modeler, iOS developer, puppeteer, and educator.

In addition to his centuries-spanning WalrusTech Reality series, Doc is currently working on his next novel, Land of Nod, an exploration of A.I., nanotech, and the human brain’s neural network.

Author Website

Author Mastadon

Author Instagram

Author Goodreads

Free Me – New Release

Beck Grey has a new queer romance book out (gender-fluid, gay, trans), Love in the Pacific Northwest book 4: Free Me. And there’s a giveaway.

A gender-fluid cutie, a workaholic hottie, and a hookup gone right.

Blake

No romantic relationship could ever compete with my dream job. Sure, it gets lonely, but that’s what occasional hookups are for. Work-life balance? Who cares? I certainly don’t. Until chest pains bring me to my knees and land me in the emergency room.

It’s a wake-up call I can’t afford to ignore.

When my well-meaning family encourages me to make some major life changes, like hiring a meditation and physiotherapist, whatever that is, I’m worried enough to agree.

Imagine my surprise when my practitioner turns out to be the hookup I haven’t been able to forget.

Stef

What’s a fabulously vivacious gender-fluid beauty to do when stress is high and Prince Charmings aren’t lined up at their door? Head to the club to recharge my sparkle on the dance floor. I have no intention of hooking up with anyone. Hookups are not my thing.

Usually.

Then I see the slightly older hottie in the Tom Ford suit, and all my self-restraint goes up in a blast of glitter.

When it turns out he’s my new meditation client and my friend’s older brother, I’m sure the universe is messing with me.

Because mixing business with pleasure is a huge no-no.

So why does my heart keep shouting yes?

Free Me is a low-angst, opposites attract, worlds collide, contemporary LGBTQ romance about a hookup gone right. It contains no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA.

Warnings: Transphobia by a member of the LGBTQ community on a member of the community

About the Series:

Turns out, perfection isn’t a prerequisite for happiness.

Whether it’s risking your heart on a hookup, falling for your brother’s best friend, taking that second chance when it arrives, or pursuing a relationship that doesn’t look like everyone else’s — life is complex, but love doesn’t have to be.

Snarky, sweet and spicy, Love in the Pacific Northwest is a first person POV, low-medium angst, open door, contemporary LGBTQ romance series of interconnected standalones. No cheating and a guaranteed HEA every time!

Get It On Amazon

Giveaway

Beck is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour:

a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Direct Link

Excerpt

I walk out to the bedroom balcony and look down at the patio. Blake is lounging by the pool in swim trunks and sunglasses, reading a book. He looks incredibly relaxed, and it makes my heart happy. “Hey, handsome.” He glances up and his face breaks into a wide grin. Okay, yes, we’ve been together for a few months, but his smile still makes my insides all melty and warm. “You want to come in and eat, or should I bring the food out?”

“Put on a suit and come down. This is my big plan for the day.” He gestures to the pool area and waves his book.

I lean my elbows on the railing and grin down at him. “If you’re trying to seduce me, it’s working.”

“Excellent. Step one in my evil plan is complete. Now come down here. I missed you.”

“Be down in a sec!” I hurry inside, strip out of my work clothes, then lather myself in the sunscreen that smells like coconut. Blake loves the scent, and I love how he nuzzles my neck when I use it. I pull on my tiniest black and white print swim briefs, grab a beach towel from the closet and the food bags from the kitchen counter, and hurry down to the game room and out to the patio. “Should we eat at the table or on the loungers like heathens?”

Blake glances up from his book and his eyes lock on my tiny swimsuit. I do a slow spin, giving him a good view of my ass. “Like?”

He pulls his sunglasses to the end of his nose and peers over them. “That’s new.” His voice is thick with lust. Oh, yeah. Mission accomplished.

“It is! And it’s so adorable!”

Blake licks his lips. “And so tiny.”

“I had a feeling you might like it.” I skip past him to the table and deposit the bags.

Blake practically growls and grabs my hips the moment I put the bags down. “Come here.”

I laugh as he manhandles me, hauling me close and inhaling my skin. He drags his nose across my abdomen and my cock stirs, eager to join in the fun, but my stomach growls with hunger. “Mmm. I’m fully on board with whatever you’re planning here, Darling, but we should eat before the food gets cold.”

Blake bites my hip. “We can heat it up.”

My laugh quickly turns to a gasp as his tongue teases above the edge of my suit. It’s all I can do not to press his head a few inches lower. “Blake, Darling, I have souvlaki and Greek salad.”

He hums and sits back, waggling his eyebrows at me. “You know I love Greek.”

I snort at his double entendre. “As do I, my darling. So let’s eat.” I wink at him. “Then we can eat.”

His chuckle warms every part of me. He pushes to his feet with a sigh. “If we must, we must.”

“We must.” I press up on my tiptoes and pucker up.

He obliges me, but turns my expected quick press of lips into a lingering kiss that curls my toes and has me second-guessing my stance on eating first. As I’m about to give in, he lets me go and pats my backside. “C’mon. Let’s feed you so we can move on to other enjoyable things.”

Author Bio

Beck is a non-binary writer of sweet, sexy, LGBTQ happily ever afters. Why? Because everyone deserves all the happy! They live in the Northeastern United States with their two adorable dogs.

Weekdays are spent working their day job, but nights and weekends are devoted to writing stories involving hot characters, favorite tropes, and happy endings. Any additional time includes reading, laughing with friends, drinking red wine, and playing D&D. If there’s cake involved at any point it’s a win!

Author Website

Author Facebook (Personal)

Author Facebook (Author Page)

Author Instagram

Author Goodreads

Author QueeRomance Ink

Author Amazon

Foxy Tails- New Release

Yes, I totally forgot to post about my own new release. Yes, I am THAT stressed (or maybe just getting old too fast). But expect a couple things about this  book coming soon because this is a book I am so proud to be called its author (yes, I know that’s an awkward sentence). So let me introduce you to my Foxy Tails.

    Title: Foxy TailsAuthor: Natalina ReisGenre: Gay Romantic FantasyRelease Date: April 28, 2023Publisher: Hot Tree PublishingCover Designer: BookSmith Design NOW LIVE!Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/3028311All Links: https://books2read.com/foxytails Join a witty fox, a divine healer, and their companions on a voyage filled with danger, magic, romance, and surprises in a world where nothing is what it seems in this stunning MM fantasy romance by best-selling author Natalina Reis. Unloved and broken, Huli knows nothing but hate. Born a nine-tailed fox in a world that hunts demons like him, he does what he must to survive. Until the day fate throws him right into the arms of the Healer. Xiao Ying grew up in a family of divine healers. But when he comes back to find his whole family murdered, he vows to bring them the justice they deserve. Xiao Ying chooses a lonely life, gathering the evidence he needs, and not allowing anything to get in his way. Until the day his life crosses that of a nine-tailed fox and changes forever. Brought together by fate and united by love, Huli and Xiao Ying embark on the adventure of a lifetime. One that will either answer all their questions or reveal truths they should’ve left buried.  Available Now!Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/3028311All Links: https://books2read.com/foxytails  

 

Behind him the barking continued relentlessly. They’d be upon him soon unless he figured out a way of retracting his tails. Once his tails were out of sight, they’d lose his scent. Húlí rushed toward the wooden door, hoping it was unlocked and that whoever lived there had vacated the place. Once he was inside, he’d be temporarily protected from the hounds’ sense of smell long enough to calm down and get rid of his tails. At least that’s what he hoped. Busting through the unlocked door, Húlí uttered a quiet thank you, the momentum almost throwing him into the roaring fire in the hearth directly across from the entrance. “Who the hell are you?” a voice exploded behind him. Shit! The house was not empty after all. Awesome. Now I have to deal with this human too. “Close the fucking door,” Húlí begged, bracing his hands on his knees and trying hard to regain his composure. Even a fox like him got winded after such an intense chase. “Not unless you tell me who you are,” the human male said. Húlí turned halfway to look at him. Couldn’t he see his red tails, gloriously—and unwisely—unfurled behind him? Right, he couldn’t. Húlí had no control over the scent his tails exuded but he could glamour them from humans. “I’m being chased,” he sputtered, trying to catch his breath. “Please, can you close the door? I will tell you everything afterward.” The male, a tall young specimen with a mop of dark curly hair carelessly gathered into a high ponytail hesitated for a heartbeat before doing as he was asked. “Thank you,” Húlí whispered, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. Now, he could slow his heart down and cut the trail of his scent. Brushing off the dust from his clothing, he took deep breaths and checked for damage caused by the chase. His arms and hands were scratched and bleeding, leaving a trail of red stains on his light blue long tunic. “Shit. Now I will have to trash my clothes. I liked this shan yi.” His outrage only grew when he found a large rip on his left side where one of the hounds had sunk its teeth in. “Damn dogs.” Húlí shook himself off, his tails swooshing as he moved. Good, they’re retracting. The sound of his pursuers was getting closer, but he wasn’t as worried anymore. In a few more seconds, his scent would be back to human only and the hounds would lose his track. He lifted his gaze to the other man and was surprised to meet a pair of intense lavender eyes studying him. “Who are you?” the man asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He cocked his head to the side. “Why are you being chased by the hounds?” There was sharp intelligence in those beautifully shaped eyes; they were finely cut jewels that glinted in the dim light of the fire. Not jewels. Petals of a lotus flower. Exquisite. “It’s a long story,” Húlí muttered, one last swoosh telling him his tails were finally fully hidden. “I don’t want to bore you with it.” The stranger anchored his feet solidly on the ground and twisted his full lips into a half smile. “I have all day and nothing interesting to do.”   

 

  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram Author of We Will Always Have the Closet, Desert Jewel, and Loved You Always, Natalina wrote her first romance in collaboration with her best friend at the age of 13. Since then she has ventured into other genres, but romance is first and foremost in almost everything she writes. 

After earning a degree in tourism and foreign languages, she worked as a tourist guide in her native Portugal for a short time before moving to the United States. She lived in three continents and a few islands, and her knack for languages and linguistics led her to a master’s degree in education. She lives in Virginia where she has taught English as a Second Language to elementary school children for more years than she cares to admit.

Natalina doesn’t believe you can have too many books or too much coffee. Art and dance make her happy and she is pretty sure she could survive on lobster and bananas alone. When she is not writing or stressing over lesson plans, she shares her life with her husband and two adult sons.

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveawayhttp://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ea80a6ed510/

https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Spin the Dawn- Book Review

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this book on a whim since it was on sale and the cover was truly lovely. Turns out a really liked it. Great story along the likes of C-period fantasy dramas, a weakness of mine. The characters were well developed, the world building was great without being overwhelmingly detailed, and the romance was beautiful. An easy but interesting read. I already have book two lined up.

View all my reviews

The Empath and the Soldier – Blog Tour

A.K. Holubek has a new MM Regency period fantasy book out, The Unconventionals book 1: The Empath and the Soldier. And there’s a giveaway.

The situation seemed hopeless. But Tyrran couldn’t pretend to be ignorant of the danger and just wait for his home to disintegrate around him.

As a Favored male, Tyrran belongs to a select group of men born with one of the Four Gifts, a blessing usually reserved for women. Quiet, introverted, and filled with self-doubt, Tyrran has always struggled with living up to the responsibilities that come with being Gifted. Still, he had managed to achieve the near impossible — admission to the prestigious Lyceum Institute in Corvit, the Coarian Sovereignty’s bustling capital city. With this success, Tyrran’s future seems clear: the best education, a position in a Temple, and, one day, marriage to a young man of good fortune.

That is, until sinister forces intervene to shove him down a much bleaker path. Tyrran’s plans are thrown into upheaval when a deadly attack reveals the existence of an insidious evil festering within the ranks of the Sovereignty’s elite.

Now, he must use the privileges afforded him as a Lyceum student to uncover the secrets of a corrupt government. Targeted by relentless assassins and trying to ignore his growing attachment to the handsome exchange student Adwin, Tyrran must gather trustworthy allies to face the dangers that threaten to tear apart his nation and his home.

Bridgerton meets The Magicians in this fantasy novel about the importance of confidence and the strength of friendship.

Get It On Amazon

Giveaway

A.K. is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour:

a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47280/

Excerpt

At that moment they stopped suddenly, startled by someone crawling out of the pond almost directly in front of them. The someone turned out to be a man—an East Silacian, Tyrran noted right away, due to his black skin. He was shirtless, wearing only white tights, and he looked about Tyrran’s age. He was shorter than Tyrran and his chest, stomach, and arms were muscular—sculpted was the more appropriate term, his skin stretched tight over every muscle. His physique was compact rather than large, he had deep brown eyes, and his black hair was cut close to his head.

Tyrran had always suspected that the Silacian reputation for beauty was exaggerated, stemming from the inferiority complex Coarians held towards Silacians, whose empire was much larger, wealthier, and more advanced than the Sovereignty. But if Nyri and this man were any indication, then their reputed good looks were understated if anything.

“Good morning, soldier,” the man said, addressing Lena as he wiped water from his face with his hands. He spoke the Common Tongue with a sophisticated accent that sounded very similar to Nyri’s.

“Good morning, Adwin,” Lena replied, looking puzzled. “Did you, uh, fall in the pond?”

“Not at all. I was just going for a morning swim.” He smiled as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“In public? In the middle of campus?”

“But of course. This appears to be the closest body of water to our college. However, by your expressions, I assume Coarian notions of decorum discourage public bathing. I did swim wearing my tights, since I know public nudity is frowned upon.”

He may as well have removed them, for what little use they were in covering his nudity. The material clung to his skin, revealing bulging leg muscles as well as other bulges that Tyrran was making a concerted effort not to stare at.

“We do tend to prefer bathing in secluded areas,” Lena said. “Spaces set aside for bathing. Like the bathhouse next to the Barracks House, for instance.”

“I did try the bathhouse, but the water is heated. Quite uncomfortable on a warm day like today. Do you suppose I shall be sent packing back to Silacia for this breach of conduct?” An impudent grin spread across his face.

“It’s early enough that I’m sure no one but us has seen you. Though I do suggest you put the rest of your clothes back on soon. Where are they, by the by?”

“My clothes? I left them further down the trail. In truth, I was swimming about the pond for exercise rather than for bathing, then I saw the two of you and thought to come greet you. And now I think I have finished with swimming. Would you mind accompanying me to fetch my clothes?”

Tyrran could see that Lena was annoyed by the request and had every intention of replying in the negative. But Tyrran didn’t want Adwin to be offended, so he quickly spoke up.

“We would be happy to.”

That earned him an evil look from Lena.

Adwin offered his arm to Tyrran. “Adwin Mekalbe, at your service.”

Tyrran grasped his forearm, “Tyrran Kens, at yours,” he replied, trying to keep his voice from squeaking.

“I assume you do not attend the Military College,” Adwin continued, as the three of them resumed walking along the trail.

“No, I’m at Roothe College. Lena and I are friends from Temple Academy.”

“Ah, yes. In Hifield City. I am truly sorry about the attacks. I do hope you were not directly affected.”

Author Bio

The moment A.K. Holubek stumbled across a ragged copy of The Fellowship of the Ring in his elementary school library, his life changed forever. The rest of his childhood, his adolescence, and even his college years were spent living only part time in the real world. He much preferred spending time in the fantasy lands of his imagination than in the reality of life as a closeted gay kid. As real life got better, he left his fantasy worlds behind. But a few years ago, those worlds called him to return, and to share his created worlds with others who might also need a place to escape. He now endeavors to carry out this mission from his home in Baltimore, supported by his husband and two ridiculous cats.

Author Website

Author Facebook (Personal)

Author Facebook (Author Page)

Author Instagram