Natalina Reis's Blog, page 20
May 20, 2020
At First Blush – Review
At First Blush by Marianne Rice
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was just what I needed; a breezy, low-angst swoony romance. Marianne Rice created extremely likable and relatable characters; I feel I know Ben and Alexis personally. As male MCs go, Ben rocks it. I may want to date him now, lol. I loved how their relationship developed over time and how Alexis was so determined and assertive despite her insecurities. Bravo Ms. Rice.
May 16, 2020
Bloodshed Academy- New Release
Blurb
Only the strongest survive … most of the time
Raven may be a shifter, but she’s always felt separate from her wolf. She never knew it should be different. Then, a stranger showed up in her hometown, turning her world upside down and recruiting her for the elite Bloodshed Academy.
Everything she’s ever known gets challenged, and Raven found herself in impossible situations. Making matters worse was the fact that one of the strongest alphas at school caught her eye. And he made her feel things she didn’t understand.
The school may only recruit the best of the best, the strongest in their world, but there was something more about Raven. When push comes to shove, she had to decide if she’s willing to fight for what she’s come to love … or run from a life she couldn’t quite accept.
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About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author
Reading has always been one of my favorite hobbies, even as a little girl. When I was a toddler, my parents would read stories to me over and over. I would hear them so often that I had the books memorized and could recite the story word by word.
The past year, I started having stories stuck in my head and finally decided to start writing. My favorite genres are fantasy, paranormal, and contemporary romance. So of course that’s what I’m inclined to write.
I have a husband, two young daughters, and a mini Australian Shepherd. I’ve lived in Tennessee the majority of my life and love the state.
I’m extremely addicted to caffeine and enjoy drinking coffee and lattes.
I am so pleased that you stopped by my page! Please feel free to contact me!
Email: authorjenlgrey@gmail.com
Facebook Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/138638240054476/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenLGrey
Twitter @authorjenlgrey
Have you grabbed your copy yet? If not, now is the time to grab one. It’s filled with romance, steam, and snark!
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Year One in the Bloodshed Academy Trilogy is now available on Amazon and FREE in Kindle Unlimited.
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May 1, 2020
Doubt and Silver Linings
This year has proven to be a hard year. You’re all thinking, “Duh, the year of the pandemic!” but I’m talking about something totally unrelated to it; I’m referring to my writing career. Let me explain.
I spent the whole of 2019 writing a paranormal romance series. My original intention was to write an urban fantasy but I was told my story didn’t fit in those parameters (have I mentioned lately how much I hate those little boxes?). My second intention was to write a series with a plot and character arc in an enemies to lovers trope. This is a hard trope for me to write and that’s why I chose it, to challenge myself.
I was not sure I would be able to stick to it but my two main characters (and quite a few of the others) surprised and bewitched me to the point of turning 2019 into the first ever year I wrote in only one genre without getting bored. Since I’ve been accused often of being “too sweet”, I was worried I would not put enough sourness in the MCs’ relationship. I have also been accused in the past of writing flat characters so I put my whole into creating very imperfect characters who would grow throughout the series one layer at a time. I think this worried me more than anything else. When I finished the whole series I was very pleased with the results; both my characters and the story had developed slowly but steadily, and with each book, different layers were revealed.
The first book was published this February. Yes, I have great timing (insert sarcasm here). All my betas had loved the story so I was pretty certain this was a reader’s pleaser. Then the first reviews started rolling in and I was crushed. They were not all bad, quite a few were just confusing; I couldn’t really tell whether the reader had loved or hated it. In some cases it looked as if they did both. There were more good reviews than bad ones but I’m not going to lie, after spending a full year writing this series, those first bad reviews sucked up all of my writing mojo. I have been going through my first ever writing slump where I pretty much doubt every word, every character, every situation I write. Which of course has also erased every bit of joy and stress release I get from writing.
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Yesterday, as I sat staring at my laptop screen, frozen by all these doubts (I make myself sit and write no matter how painful it has become) I came across a message from my local RWA branch about a workshop held over the weekend which I managed to miss, as usual. It was a live online webinar/workshop on how to become a better writer in quarantine by Tiffany Yates Martin. Thankfully it was recorded so I gave myself a break and watched it throughout the day in between working with my students, day job meetings and other duties. It was the best thing I could have done.
It didn’t remove all these nagging doubts, but it certainly offered me a new way of looking at what I write and what people think about it. There were several ah-ahs but I think the main one–maybe because that is one that bothers me the most–was about my characters. In this series the story is narrated in first person by Aiden, a man with obvious latent powers who refuses to accept that side of himself. There is a reason why he does that which is revealed one layer at a time throughout the first and consequent books (there are three altogether). He’s not the simple idiot he likes people to think he is; he struggles with a part of him that he doesn’t understand and he doesn’t like himself very much. After all he was abandoned as a child and brought up in the system, being tossed around like a hot potato from one house to another. Naël is a merman, a loner who is bringing up his sister by himself. He’s cantankerous and blunt, an alpha-hole–at least at first sight. He’s also not as simple as he looks, and his personality develops throughout not just the first book but all three.
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The reviews about these two characters are so divergent it’s unreal. Some hated Aiden; he is weak, dumb, annoying, indecisive, even–according to one reviewer–a bigot (which he was a bit in the beginning). Others hated Naël; he is an a**hole, how could Aiden be attracted to him, he is rude, obnoxious, etc. Funny how authors take criticism about their characters; I was destroyed. My hard work and love for these two characters seemed to have been widely misunderstood and disliked.
Tiffany Yates Martin showed us how to analyze any piece of fiction, be it a book, a movie, or a show on TV. The one talking point that most hit the spot was about characters. That’s when a light went on for me; I realized that these wildly diverse opinions about Aiden and Naël are actually proof I have succeeded in creating multifaceted well-developed characters. In fact, they are so well-developed that, just like in real life, they stirred up strong feelings from readers. Whether I like it or not, that’s actually a good thing.
What do you think? Am I just fooling myself with the silver linings I believe I found, or do you think there is at least a grain of truth to it?
Despite this “revelation” I’m still struggling. The rest of this series is in limbo with no idea when or even if it will be published, which in itself is a heartache. Every time I write a sentence or two, I hear the voices saying, “that character is crap”, “the plot is too slow,” “the story is not interesting”, “the writing is clunky”, “no one will like this character,” … and on and on and on.
How do you fight this level of doubt?
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April 30, 2020
Moon Called – Review
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Let me start by saying I am royally ticked off. In all the years I have been a reader (and they are a lot more than I care to admit) no one ever told me about Patricia Briggs and this series. Let me repeat that: NO ONE! What’s up with that? If it weren’t for one of my readers kind of comparing my last book and my style of writing with Briggs I would have never decided to read this book and would totally miss out on Mercy. I think I need new friends, lol.
Needless to say I loved it. Big time. I have another favorite to add to my ever-growing pile of favorites and I’m heading to Amazon to buy the second in the series. Loved Mercy and how tough and yet vulnerable she is. She’s kickass without being kickass if that makes any sense. I was annoyed along with Mercy with the macho crap coming from the wolves, but she somehow managed to make them likable. Dang, I even liked the vampire… Multifaceted, well-developed characters and a mystery that kept unfolding one layer at a time (love that). Okay, I’ll stop here. LOVED IT!
April 14, 2020
The Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society- New Release
The Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society Regency Romance series by Meredith Bond continues with three new books to be released in April.
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Blurb
Eight women gather every Wednesday to play cards and repair relationships. With each game, someone’s got to lose. It’s up to that person to share their deepest secret with others–a secret that all have sworn never to share. Secret children born out of wedlock, terrifying fears, and embarrassing truths are all shared amongst the women, but these ladies will do everything they can to help each other and those they love. Join the ladies of the Wagering Whist Society and experience first loves, second-chance romances, and romance where it’s never expected.
Each book can be read as a stand-alone novel.
Buy Links:
A Trick of Mirrors Book 4
A Bid for Romance Book 5
An Affair of Hearts Book 5
About Meredith Bond
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Meredith Bond’s books straddle that beautiful line between historical romance and fantasy. An award-winning author, she writes fun, traditional Regency romances, medieval Arthurian romances, and Regency romances with a touch of magic. Known for her characters “who slip readily into one’s heart,” Meredith loves to take her readers on a journey they won’t soon forget. She is currently living in Europe enjoying the Bohemian life.
Social Links:
Come visit Meredith at her website
Sign up for her monthly newsletter
April 11, 2020
Life Rocking Events
This whole Corona virus crisis (or WWIII as I call it) got me thinking. This is not the first time something huge rocks my boring, everyday life. I’m over a half-century old and when I look back I come to realize there has been some truly scary moments in my life that involved me and many other people around me. So I decided to make a list and hope to write about each one individually (in separate posts), with hopes of not boring you too much, dear reader.
Arsenal (armory) Explosion in Barcarena, Portugal-November 1967Lisbon earthquake of 1969Carnation Revolution of 1975 (25 de Abril)September 11Covid 19, 2020
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The first three were all in my native Portugal when I was still a young child (five, seven, and eleven respectively) but left vivid memories, which have followed me my whole life. So much so I have recently decided to research them and find out how much of what I remembered was factual and how much came out of the wild imagination of my child-self. The other two are no strangers to you, of course.
So I leave you today with a simple question; besides Covid-19 which pretty much has affected every single person on earth one way or another, which major event in the world has left long lasting and life-rocking memories in your life?
[image error]Photo by Aidan Nguyen on Pexels.com
April 10, 2020
Thicker Than Water – A Review
Thicker Than Water by Becca Seymour
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Ms. Seymour has delivered again. Her jump from contemporary romance to fantasy has more than worked; it rocked! I’m a fantasy/PNR freak and Thicker Than Water kept me turning pages to find out what’s next. The action never stops and the mystery is intriguing, but for me the best part were the characters; they were well developed, likable, and their chemistry came across loud and clear. I was a bit worried I would lose interest because I am not a fan of “tough” guys, but these two guys had just the right amount of sweetness underneath all that testosterone to make me fall in love with both of them. Well down, Ms. Seymour. Can’t wait for the next one (there will be another, right?).
April 2, 2020
Way of the Wolf: Endeavour – New Release
Way of the Wolf: Endeavour
(The Wulvers Series Book 3)
With Cathwulf settled by Roarke’s side as Alpha Female, once more, I’m left to uncover my own place within our pack.
Finding love in working beside the pack doctor, I’ve thrown myself into learning from the healers that came before me.
It’s kept me busy, but it’s hard to focus when my eyes are constantly drawn to the male who once fought to be Cathwulf’s mate.
Quillan has an aura that sparks all of my defensive instincts and yet, I can’t seem to stop wanting him to notice me…and I know he’s been keeping close.
The truth behind the reason he follows my every step, however, is far more dangerous than I could ever imagine. A reason that could have all the progress I’ve made crumble, and me right along with it when my past returns to haunt me.
Buy Links:
Amazon US
Amazon CA
Amazon UK
Amazon AU
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About the Author
Rebecca is an Author, musician and singer/song writer based in Alyth, Scotland. She focuses her energy on her creative passions and uses her Highland roots to influence all aspects of her life.
Rebecca comes from a family of musicians and spent much of her childhood absorbing the sounds of traditional music while touring Scotland. Rebecca also has a keen interest in her genealogy as she descends from the county’s travelling folk, a culture steeped in history and stories.
A proud Scottish person with a rich family heritage, Rebecca enjoys spending time with her loved ones, travelling her beautiful native homeland and performing with friends.
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Social Links:
Instagram & Wattpad: @Scottish_writer
March 29, 2020
Gobbelino London – Review
Gobbelino London & a Scourge of Pleasantries by Kim M. Watt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I fell in love with Ms. Watt’s cozies so as soon as I saw this new series I had to read it. It’s very different in tone and content but the humor, the sense of absurdity is still alive and well in Gobbelino London’s story. I laughed all through the book (the butler toward the end had me in giggles) and Gobbelino came across so real it was spooky. Yes, real cats don’t talk (at least in front of us) but the author wrote a perfectly believable feline as anyone who has ever been around cats will recognize. The whole story reminded me of Jasper Fjorde’s stories (which I love) with all the zany characters and situations. Ms. Watt you have a dazzling imagination. Please, keep writing these fabulous (and extremely well written) stories.
March 26, 2020
Something More- New Release
By Marianne Rice
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Blurb:
Mia Parker needs to reassess her wild lifestyle, get back to her lost passion for writing and drawing. At a quiet beach, she gathers inspiration, finding it in a stranger with mischievous dark chocolate eyes and a quirky passion for marine life. But the more time they spend together the more stoic and mysterious he becomes.
FBI agent Ryan Thorne shut everyone out of his life after a devastating loss six years ago. Safeguarding his emotions and feelings, limiting his interaction with people is the only way he can keep those around him safe. Being unreachable, unlikeable is his MO until Mia gets under
his skin. Her snark, her sass, and her persistent nature have Ryan doing things he swore he’d never do again. Like laugh… and open his heart. He finds he likes it, and her, a little too much.
But loving her will put her in danger. It’s a cost too high. A risk he’s not willing to take. The only way to keep her safe is to walk away…but his heart marches to a beat of its own.
Buy Link- Amazon (Available in KU)
[image error]Marianne Rice
Marianne Rice is the author of more than nineteen small-town romance novels set in rural New England towns. She loves high heels, reading romance, scarfing down dark chocolate, gulping wine, and Chris Hemsworth. Oh, and her husband and three children. You can follow her all over social media, and keep up to tabs with her latest releases on her website
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Excerpt
Love. How could she be in love when she barely knew the man? Two months was not long enough to fall so hard and make her insides feel like they had been ripped into a million pieces.
Remembering how quickly her friends fell, maybe it was long enough. But they’d spent time with their husbands—their then love interests for days, weeks. They’d gone out on dates.
Heck, Lily even got Ty to go to the drive-in. He hated watching movies with people, but their first time out he went to a double-feature.
Grace spent a lot of time at Brady’s house helping take care of his mother, and Ben flew across the country for Alexis. What had Ryan done for Mia? What had she done for him?
They had just sex and then went on their merry way.
She blinked away the tears and noticed the books on the shelf across from her. Okay, so Ryan sent her two small gifts. Two perfectly perfect gifts that meant more to her than flowers or jewelry.
He may know her well, but she didn’t know him, which didn’t explain why she hurt so much. When her tears had dried, she dragged herself to another shower and went to bed. It didn’t matter that it was only seven-thirty.
There was no point staying up when all she wanted to do was close her eyes and either forget she ever met Agent Ryan Thorne, or dream about him for the rest of her life.
Social Media Links
Facebook
Bookbub
Amazon
Website
Instagram
Ricecakes (Reader Group)
Twitter
Goodreads
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