Natalina Reis's Blog, page 25
August 4, 2019
Ten Tips For Rookies- Romance Writers of America Conference
I attended my first ever RWA conference in NYC this year. As a rookie I walked around in a bit of a daze for the duration of the event and missed some things I really wish I hadn’t, but that’s the nature of the beast.
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Picture by veerasak Piyawatanakul (Pexels)
The organizers have a first-timers orientation of sorts which was helpful but some very important points were neglected altogether. For all of you who are planning on going to one of these conferences in the future, here are some nuggets of wisdom that may help you get more of an amazing but slightly overwhelming event.
Wear comfortable clothes and comfy shoes even if you look like a bag lady. Sitting for hours and walking from one workshop to another, often in different levels of the hotel can quickly get to you.
Do bring a nice outfit for the awards ceremony or if you plan on attending any of the parties (I didn’t because I’m a terrible introvert who gets too stressed out in social situations involving lots of people).
Bring a rather large empty suitcase or bag. You’ll need it (you’ll see why further down).
Bring snacks that do not require refrigeration if you can. Snacks at these nice hotels will cost you an arm and a leg.
If you’re an introvert like me, see if you can bring a writer friend. I always feel very lonely at events like this because I am a one-on-one socializer who gets totally lost in groups of people I barely know.
Bring a fan and a sweater. Hotel air-conditioning is insane. One moment it feels like Hades, the next you’re in the South Pole.
Don’t skip the Goody Room. There you can grab some free books and a lot of free swag. I use the swag for ideas to create my own swag and it doesn’t take much space in the suitcase.
Don’t miss any of the signings (reason to follow) even if you have to miss a chunk of an awesome workshop. They record the workshops and you can buy them later for a song (if you don’t buy the whole thing that is).
Take breaks. It is as exhausting as it is exhilarating and inspiring.
The most important tip of all. The so called signings are not like the normal ones where the readers buy books and have them signed by the authors. In these signings you get the books for free AND you get them signed by the author. I was like a kid in a candy store. Refer back to #3 and #8. I missed quite a few of these because I didn’t know what they were. I talked to other rookies who did the same. I still came home with over fifty books. YOU DON”T WANT TO MISS THESE.
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Picture by Natalina Reis
July 28, 2019
Romancing Romance
After spending the last four days among other romance writers, attending the Romance Writers of America annual conference in New York City, I came to the troubling conclusion I really don’t know much about romance.
That’s a pretty alarming thing for an author who calls herself a romance writer. It’s not like I don’t know the actual genre with all its tropes and intricacies, but I am pretty oblivious when it comes to fellow authors, now and in the past.
I began reading romance as a teenager, but even before that, I was reading books that normally had a romantic component to them. In my early twenties and shortly after I moved to the US, I even subscribed to Harlequin. I remember a handful of great romances, another handful of stories I didn’t care for, but I remember no author’s names at all. This is no reflection on the authors themselves, mind you. I’m really bad with names. I often tell people that because I am a teacher and must memorize dozens of kids names each year, my mind promptly forgets other names to make room for more.
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I have quite a few favorite names in YA lit, names that have become so familiar to me I am sure to one-click them on Amazon, no questions asked. There are a few other authors in other genres I consider favorites, some who no longer write (I’m old) and others who I just slowly came to love over the years. Very few of those are romance writers.
Every time someone asks me to name other authors who write similar books to mine, I can’t name them at all. I was really confused by that, until the day I realized that romance is such a wide and rich genre, an umbrella under which so many different other genres hide, that it is hard to find those few authors whom you may compare yourself to.
So imagine my excitement at finding fellow romance authors who write and think along the same lines as I do. I can’t tell you the relief I felt at finding successful authors who don’t stick to one subgenre, authors who are complete pantsers like me, authors for whom writing books is therapy and the one thing that keeps them sane. I’m looking forward to reaching out to these writers in hopes of not feeling so alone in what and how I write.
Have you ever felt alone in what you do or how you think and then one day you discover someone(s) who share your views or your kind of work? How did that make you feel?
July 27, 2019
Here Comes the Son- New Release
Author: Dahlia Donovan
Title: Here Comes the Son
Genre: M/M Urban Fantasy Romance
Release Date: July 27, 2019
Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing
Cover Designer: FuriousFotog Covers
Available now!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2GRUHzl
All other links: books2read.com/hcts
When evil stirs in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, heroes come in both ordinary and extraordinary packages.
Ignatius Faber knows a few things for absolute certain. He’s half-demon, his father is the unequivocal prince of darkness, and demons want to destroy his city. And if he doesn’t make the first move on his crush, they’re never going to be anything more than a teenage fantasy that’s lasted into his thirties.
Lalo Pavia grew up hard and fast, orphaned at a young age. As an autistic, he’s learned to approach life cautiously. He throws his energy into gardening and photography—allowing both to provide a buffer between himself and the rest of the world.
Except for Iggy.
Can they find triumph, life, and even love in the middle of a city in flames?
Their fight for the mile high city has just begun.
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2GRUHzl
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2LaOW42
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2ZIoxOc
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2V3Y8f6
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2XU703Y
iTunes: https://apple.co/2V46umK
Nook: http://bit.ly/2J39hpo
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon
Dahlia Donovan wrote her first romance series after a crazy dream about shifters and damsels in distress. She prefers irreverent humour and unconventional characters. An autistic and occasional hermit, her life wouldn’t be complete without her husband and her massive collection of books and video games.
July 5, 2019
Austen—A Romance Trope Creator?
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The other day I was looking for one of my favorite TV adaptations of Jane Austen’s Emma (the one where Mr. Knightley is played by Johnny Lee Miller) on Netflix (don’t bother; it’s not available there) and it got me thinking about how Austen basically created some of the most popular romance tropes to this day. Nothing new, I know, but I had never thought about it that way before.
Of course, not everyone is a fan or has read Austen’s books but I love them. She was ahead of her time, writing strong, willful women who fought for (and won) what they wanted and loved. It’s no wonder her popularity has survived for so long.
But less thought of when discussing Austen and her books is the fact that she was the “inventor” of at least three of the most popular tropes in romance literature today. The romance style is largely reviled by the “serious” readers today as crap or smut, but Austen is here to remind us that romance can be, and often is, a weapon against society’s prejudices and preconceived ideas about women (among other things). Not to mention the fact that romance can be well written and worth of as much praise and attention as any other genre of literature.
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Pride and Prejudice, arguably the most famous of her works, is an enemies to lovers romance. Elizabeth Bennet begins as hating and being disliked by the handsome but brooding and often obnoxious Darcy. We all know how that ended.
In Persuasion (possibly my personal favorite) Anne Elliot unwisely shuns Captain Wentworth despite her love for him, but eventually gets her second chance with him. A second chance romance.
Emma is clearly a friends to lovers romance. Emma has a best friend in Mr. Knightley and despite her attempts at matching every single woman in town with the perfect bachelor, totally misses the fact that the one she loves has always been right in front of her.
Mansfield Park is both an example of forbidden romance and love triangle with poor young woman Fanny who is loved by one man but in love with her cousin who is promised in marriage to another woman. In fact, this is also a friends to lovers romance since Fanny was best friends with her cousin with whom she grew up.
Nowadays these tropes are still being written with varying degrees of success. I am personally partial to the friends-to-lovers and second chances tropes and have written a couple books along those lines. Which kind of proves that a good love story never goes out of style if Jane Austen’s vast popularity even today is anything to go by.
Do you read romance? Do you have a favorite trope? I’d love to hear from you.
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July 2, 2019
Books Sale and Giveaway
GIVEAWAY
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In celebration of sales of two of my books, my publisher is running a rafflecopter for your chance at winning $100 Amazon GC. Whoever wins has to share it with me. Just kidding 
June 29, 2019
The Last Word-New Release
Not to be missed, Timothy Moonlight’s startling debut The Last Word is a rollercoaster ride filled with twists, turns and technology. With strong characters and an astonishing plot, Moonlight’s story kept me clinging to the safety bar until The very Last Word.
~Deb Kastner, Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author
Coming August 23
at a discounted price
BLURB
Jack Bigsby is the founder of InfiniTech, a billion-dollar, innovative tech company–and now he’s dead. In the shadows of this empire, rapid changes are taking place, while even the most senior-level employees are blind to them. A top-secret initiative birthed from the most wicked of humanity is spoiling the once virtuous empire. Jack’s daughter, Claire, is in a firestorm of danger, and the corporation now has plans for her too. With a host of strong characters, some set on discovering the truth and reclaiming InfiniTech and some set on altering the world forever at any cost, Timothy Moonlight’s debut novel will keep you turning the pages until the most frightening of realities have come true. The Last Word, a unique thriller twisted with mystery, will truly leave the reader with chills, while whispering, “I never saw it coming.”
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Author’s Bio
Timothy Moonlight is a mystery/suspense author who wrote his first novel when he was a teenager. Before college, he started a second novel, but his full-time job and dedication to a degree held him back from completing it. He sat on both of these novels for more than two decades. While his life has been filled with accomplishments, he has always maintained the desire to become a published author. In July 2018, he finally put that desire into action and began penning a new novel, The Last Word. With the ability to self-publish now readily available to any author, he wrote the first draft and began the editing process and hired an editor. Between the two of them, they went through the novel thirteen times, making revisions. He is now dedicating all of his free time to writing his next novel and making a go at a writing career. He firmly believes in multiple twists in his stories, some of which he hopes his fans never see coming. He is also passionate about developing strong, relatable characters with whom his fans can’t help but fall in love.
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Five Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About Me:
Years ago, when I was writing my first and second novels as a teenager, I used to wake up from dreams with sweat upon my brow and a vivid novel idea in my mind.
I like to brood upon a book idea for several weeks before putting pen to paper. This gives me a chance to think about how certain portions of the book may play out before I write them.
I will always be a fan of 90s pop/alternative rock, and I have never left those years. I also love music by the late Robert Miles.
My motivational blog is a place where I can encourage others to follow their own personal dreams. I can say I am truly living in color now that I am following my writing passion. The world used to be so bland—but not anymore. Check out my blog: motivationbymoonlight.com.
Timothy Moonlight is a pen name that reminds me of my story and my late start in following my dream. I am obligated to write, to continually better my craft, and churn out novels for those fans I truly adore.
Contact Information
Interview with the Author
What inspired you to write?
For me, writing is an internal drive. I wrote my first novel when I was 15, but never did anything with it afterward. However, from that point on in my life, I knew my purpose. My about page goes into a lot more detail (www.motivationbymoonlight.com/about/), but this has been a life-long journey for me. Now, that I’m actually writing again after so many years, I will never go back to a place of inactivity. We can accomplish so much in our lives if we apply ourselves. It took me finally getting fed up with not pursuing my dream and avoiding activities that were non-productive in my life to begin this journey. When I finally put my foot down and said “enough”, then I began to make progress.
What’s your favorite thing that someone else has written?
Seize the Night by Dean Koontz holds a dear place in my heart. The writing is superb and he is a masterful writer. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it, but you’ll have to start with Fear Nothing, since it is a sequel to that book. I think the setting has makes a serious impact throughout the novel along with the characters. It’s an overall great story.
What are you working on writing now?
My next novel will revisit the 2nd book I began to write in college, but couldn’t finish due to a full-time job along with my class load. So, there is a ton of history between the origin of the story and where I’ll actually go with it. I wouldn’t say that too much will change between what I’d envisioned back then and what I think of the idea now, but you never know. When I’m writing, I find myself adding to the story in ways that make sense. A thriving, engaging plot means the world to me and it has to resonate with the reader. My first mission in writing is always to think about the reader. Will they enjoy this? Does it resonate? Those types of questions are very important for me to answer.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A writer. It’s taken a long time, over two decades, to go after my dream, but I’m finally doing what I’m passionate about. When I know that I’ve touched someone with what I’ve written, then that makes everything worth it. I want to touch lives with my writing. I want people to be excited when they know I’ve got something else coming out. Their excitement is my excitement!
In what genre would The Last Word be classified?
The Last Word is a technology-driven thriller riddled with mystery. It revolves around the life of Claire Bigsby right after her father’s death. In her struggle with grief and other intense situations she faces within the book, the reader is drawn into an intriguing web of constant suspicion.
What is the main plot of the book?
It revolves around the life of Claire Bigsby right after her father’s death. In her struggle with grief and other intense situations she faces within the book, the reader is drawn into an intriguing web of constant suspicion. If you would like the exact synopsis, you can read it here: (webpage)
How did you come up with the idea for the novel?
This novel was borne out of my own personal loss of my father in 2011. It’s interesting because when I started writing The Last Word, I had no idea my own sense of loss would enshroud the book, but if you look hard enough, anyone who knows me will be able to see that, in a way, the story chronicles my own bout with grief. Anyone who has lost a loved one, someone who is irreplaceable in their life, will be able to identify with what Claire is going through in the book. The story doesn’t stay in a bleak mood as you will recognize after the characters are introduced.
Why do you write thriller/mystery fiction?
Honestly? It’s why I’m on the planet. It has been my passion, my drive, my dream for so long. I’ve known for years, years, that I am supposed to be an author churning out thriller fiction, but I let too many other things get in my way when I was younger. When I was 15, I wrote a novel. It took me a year to finish it. Then, as I started college, I started another novel, but between classwork, and my job, I didn’t have time to write. My dream of becoming an author was drifting high above me, like a balloon I had accidentally let go and was now out of reach. Time goes on, no matter if you’re on track with your own personal destiny or not. If too much time goes by and you’re not accomplishing the dreams you have in your life, they can begin to fade. Then, almost like a form of depression, you only think about the time you’ve wasted and that isn’t good. You need to think about what you can still accomplish and not just think about it, but act on it. That’s why I have motivational content on my blog.
What does the writing process look like for you?
Great question! It is a jumbled mess! Lol, but it’s a lot of fun. I work a full-time job like most writers and like most writers sometimes you come home and you’re tired, but you have to write! Writing has never been a chore to me. It’s really about having a goal and sticking with it. A word to a sentence to a paragraph to a page that eventually turns into a novel. I don’t know everything that will happen in the novel before I’m done with it. Some items I know I want to happen in the book, but a large portion of The Last Word wasn’t written to a specific plan until after the 40% mark. Other things just fell into place and as I’m sure other writers will agree, some things I changed during the course of the book.
You mentioned earlier about your motivational blog? Tell me about that and what other content do you have on it?
My website is www.motivationbymoonlight.com. It’s my author site where people can read some of my content, but also a place where people can read motivational content that I wish I had access to when I was a kid, teenager, or early 20s. There is a wealth of knowledge out there, but what I have come away with in life as far as happiness is this: Do what you love. Do something your passionate about. Find a way to turn what you love into a profession. We spend the majority of our lives working. Why would you do something you dislike most of your life? Some of the things you’ll read there is common sense, some of it will provoke you to take action. You’ll also find some poetry I have written, some from decades ago, some from mere weeks ago. Also, you’ll discover I chronicle my journey with my novel when I’m writing one. I expect that I will continue to do that. It’s fun telling people about the adventure you’re on. They can see your process and how things are moving along. I will never give spoilers about any of the content.
Where do you get inspiration for your stories?
I used to wake up in the middle of the night with ideas for novels. I expect that will come back to me as long as I keep myself engaged in the process. That didn’t happen with The Last Word. Truth be told, I didn’t know what I had until it was almost half-way completed. I believe in the future of my writing I will have more of an outline, but I’ll also keep an open mind with regards to the characters and try to give them a will of their own. If you want your story to take an unexpected turn, then let them make the decisions.
June 22, 2019
Rainbow Snippet of the Week
From That Brew That You Do releasing next year.
I realized my mouth had dropped open and that I looked like an idiot. “How did you know I could see magicals?” The languid movement of his long, blue tail was having some unexpected effects on my favorite body part. I wiggled on the seat, my jeans feeling uncomfortably tight all of a sudden.
Naël peered at me from underneath half-closed lids, that damned sensual smile still hanging from the corner of his lips. The bastard knew exactly what he was doing to me. “All magicals around here know about you, Mr. Mercer. You’re sort of a celebrity.”
Visit Rainbow Snippets for more.
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©2019 Natalina Reis All Rights Reserved
June 19, 2019
Dark and Bright- Review
Dark and Bright by P.M. Hernandez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book surprised the crap out of me–in a good way. Don’t want to reveal any spoilers but the plot was flowing away and I kind of knew (or thought I knew) what the truth was behind all the meds Carrie was taking but then about half way through the book, bam! Hernandez hit me over the head with something I certainly didn’t see coming. It reminded me of the old TV show, Dollhouse, and I’m going to leave it at that so I don’t give anything away. I was shocked and disgusted (with one of the characters, not the book) and my only critique is in connection with that. I thought Carrie didn’t react as strongly as I thought she would when she found out what had been done to her. I was expecting more fireworks than what I got. But other than that, this was a great read with great likable characters (Luis was the sweetest thing ever. Loved him.) who you really care about and feel for. Can’t wait to see what the second book brings.
June 13, 2019
Finding Your Way-Blog Tour
Title: Finding Your Way
Author: Amy K. McClung
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 25, 2019
Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing
Cover Designer: Claire Smith
Available now!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2U72tJL
All other links: books2read.com/findingyourway
With a touch of paranormal interference, a lost love seems to be working to help Perry and Manny find their happy ever after, while hinting that some things may not be as they seem.
Two years after the death of the first woman to hold his heart, Manny meets a woman who fires his desire to love again, but to do so, must he say goodbye the ghost of his first love?
Perry’s social anxiety causes her to isolate herself from everyone, including the man she’s inexplicably drawn to. As desperately as she wants to break free from her self-imposed prison, she can’t overcome her own insecurities.
Manny is determined to prove to Perry she is worthy of love. And just when he thinks he has succeeded, he’s forced to keep a difficult promise that will forever impact their lives.
Can a little divine intervention from Manny’s first love help Perry and Manny find their way to a happily ever after?
Available now!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2U72tJL
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2U7nEvh
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2E74kaE
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2ThR5xA
iTunes: https://apple.co/2CkI2Cg
Nook: http://bit.ly/2F0rcJt
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2UySmOj
As I glanced out over the vast span of water in front of me, I imagined sitting on the shore with my arm wrapped around the beauty beside me. Her pixie-cut hairstyle matched her Tinkerbell laugh. As the sun began to set, she peered up at me through long dark lashes. Leaning down, I gently kissed her, tasting the bubble gum lip gloss she applied earlier. “I love you,” she whispered against my lips. Sighing, I pressed my forehead against hers. “I love you.”
The dream was the same every night. And every morning I woke up missing Connie even more. Two years ago, almost to the day, she died from a congenital heart defect. I’d met her by chance through my best friend Brady who, at the same time, was dating her best friend Marie. Our romance was short lived, but in the small amount of time we had, I fell hard. As Connie would have wanted, I did my best to live life to the fullest, but some days were harder than others. Her image haunted me everywhere. Each time I saw her beautiful face, I ached to touch her again.
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Amy McClung was born in Nashville, TN. She is the second oldest of four girls and occasionally suffers from middle-child syndrome. She met the love of her life online in August of 2004, on his birthday of all days, and married him in September 2005.Currently they have no human children, only the room full of colorful robots that transform into vehicles and the large headed Pop Funkos who represent their favorite characters. Collecting movies, shot glasses, Pop Funkos, and dust bunnies are some of her favorite pastimes.
Amy began writing in September of 2011 and independently published her first YA novel, Cascades of Moonlight, Book one of the Parker Harris series the following May. Her first book was a means of therapy for her, enabling her to escape reality for a while during a difficult transition in her life.
June 5, 2019
A Court of Thorns and Roses- Review
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I don’t even know what to say other than I am jealous that I wasn’t the one writing this story, lol. It played with all my feelings, surprised me, shocked me, broke my heart, made me swoon…and confused me. At this point I still love Tamlin but Rhys is such a unique and intriguing character. I already have the next book cued in. I now know what the whole hype was all about. Amazing!
