Natalina Reis's Blog, page 6
March 17, 2024
Earthquake Ethan – Blog Tour
R.L. Merrill has a new contemporary MM romance out, Forces of Nature book 3: Earthquake Ethan.
The Earth shook the morning actor Ethan Bradley arrived in Los Angeles looking for a second chance. He hoped his former producers Reese Matheson and Toby Griffiths meant it when they said to look them up if he were ever in LA because he had no other options. The pictures the paparazzi took at the wrap party for their London show made sure of that. What he wasn’t counting on was the reception he got from their manager, Arthur Frye. He was absolutely the kind of together guy Ethan wished would notice him, and for more than his pretty face and talent. Too bad Arthur only sees Ethan as a complication.
Arthur Frye has his hands full with his best clients—and best friends. The last thing he needs is another diva to care for, especially one who has a reputation for causing trouble. He has a strict rule against getting involved with the talent, no matter how pretty they are. Only Ethan Bradley shines for real, and when Arthur realizes his nice-guy innocence is genuine, he’s ready to do anything to help Ethan get his career back on track and get him out of LA. He’s too much of a temptation, and Arthur can’t afford to lose focus…not even for a chance at happiness for himself. Especially not when his star clients are about to risk their professional and personal happiness with their newest creation; a musical about two boys falling in love in the 1960s featuring music written by Reese’s grandfather, whose health is in decline.
Ethan Bradley shakes things up wherever he goes, and Arthur Frye is afraid he’ll be left in the wreckage if he gets too close. Can these two opposites find love on solid ground?
Warnings: implied sexual abuse off page
About the Series
Forces of Nature follows a group of talented men who are natural disasters, and the men who love them.
Amazon | QueeRomance Ink | GoodreadsGiveaway
R.L. is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card with this tour:
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Excerpt
The morning after Ethan Bradley landed at LAX the earth shook. Literally. Being from Iowa, he’d always been afraid of earthquakes. He remembered watching footage when he was a little boy of the one that hit Northridge and it stayed with him. He’d even turned down a part in the film San Andreas because he was terrified of the real thing.
Plus—at the time—he’d wanted to be considered a serious actor, and accepting a role in a Hollywood disaster blockbuster didn’t fit in with his professional goals. Instead, he’d ended up going to London to film a clever romantic comedy. Then came the stage and more accolades at the age of twenty-six than he’d imagined possible.
When his hotel room rattled his first morning in LA and sent him diving under the desk in the early hours, he’d wished he’d stayed.
But London had nothing to offer him after the paparazzi ruined his life, and he couldn’t go home. So there he was, back in the states, and ready to grovel before his former producer—and crush—for a role, any role, that would allow him to get back to doing what he loved…acting, singing, performing.
Love was a strong word. It was what he knew, what he was good at, where his God-given talents lay.
He’d come to LA with a plan. Sort of. Go see Reese Matheson. Pray he opened the door and took pity on him. And that he didn’t hold a grudge.
He plugged the Malibu address he’d gotten from his London manager’s office into the Lyft app and went outside to wait for his ride. And prayed.
If Reese wouldn’t see him, he had a plan B.
He’d go to see Reese’s business partner Toby Griffiths. Which was probably a terrible idea, but the best he had.
Because there was no plan C.
He had exactly fifty dollars cash on him and a credit card dangerously close to being maxed out. Rock bottom was flying up to meet him fast.
The Lyft driver dropped him off at the end of a long driveway leading to a quaint little house that backed up to the Malibu shoreline. He knew nine o’clock on a Sunday morning was early, but the earthquake had shaken him so much, he couldn’t wait to get out of his room at the Holiday Inn. He’d been to LA before to promote his films, but he’d never felt comfortable among the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
Malibu had the scenery people thought of when they imagined Southern California. Palm trees, mountains that broke off into the sea, miles of sand with beautiful people jogging along the water’s edge. It was picturesque, and sometimes cliché. For Ethan, it represented his last hope.
He climbed the steps, cleared his throat, reached for that enthusiastic confidence that used to come so easy for him once upon a time—
The door opened before he even had a chance to knock.
The short Filipino man standing there in a pair of scrubs had one eyebrow raised and a hand on his hip.
“Can I help you?”
His tone didn’t come across as helpful, despite his words.
“Yeah, sorry. I’m looking for Reese Matheson? My name is—“
“I know who you are.” The man’s raised eyebrow turned into a frown. “Just a minute,” he said before closing the door with a little less force than a slam.
Breathe. It’s fine. Reese is a good guy. He won’t be angry that I showed up. He’s a generous, kind person—
Author Bio
R.L. Merrill brings you stories of Hope, Love, and Rock ‘n’ Roll featuring quirky and relatable characters. Whether she’s writing about contemporary issues that affect us all or diving deep into the paranormal and supernatural to give readers a shiver, she loves creating compelling stories that will stay with readers long after.
Winner of the Kathryn Hayes “When Sparks Fly” Best Contemporary award for Hurricane Reese, Foreword INDIES finalist for Summer of Hush and RONE finalist for Typhoon Toby, Ro spends every spare moment improving her writing craft and striving to find that perfect balance between real-life and happily ever after.
She writes diverse and inclusive romance, contributes paranormal hilarity to Robyn Peterman’s Magic and Mayhem Universe, and works on various other writing and mentoring projects that tickle her fancy or benefit a worthy cause. You can find her connecting with readers on social media, educating America’s youth, raising two brilliant teenagers, trying desperately to get that back piece finished in the tattoo chair, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more Rock ‘n’ Romance.
March 16, 2024
Love, Theoretically – Book Review
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love Ali’s books. There I said it!
They’re funny, smart, and oh-so romantic.
First the flaws(ish).
I really wish Hazelwood would not mention how big the male protagonist is as often as she does. But it’s not a deal BIG enough to make me dislike her delightful prose (see what I did there?). I am also not a fan of very detailed sex scenes, but I have to give Ali credit for some very steamy stuff and the fact that her book is definitely not packed with those.
Now the good stuff.
Her characters are very human and hilariously funny while still full of heart. For the lovers of steam, Hazelwood plays very hard to get with a slow, slow burn romance. But when the couple finally gets to that point, heat really explodes. And it is heat with a lot of heart. The love really comes through along with the sensuality.
I love that she has written this series/collection about women in science/stem and that she’s not afraid to add professional lingo and then mix it up with some funny trivia and tidbits. The main character talks about nuclear fusion in the same sentence as she mentions the shiny vampires from Twilight or chunks of Gouda cheese (and with the same amount of passion).
I loved it!
Congrats Ali Hazelwood. You wrote another winner.
March 15, 2024
Wicked Fox -Book Review
Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I picked up this book at a book signing (and yes, I have a signed copy) because I love foxes and I am fascinated by the myth of the Asian nine-tailed fox (in fact I have written about it myself). It took me a while to get to it (I’m such a terrible mood reader) but I finally picked it up and I’m very glad I did.
I loved it.
Well-written, wonderful characters with great character arcs, some of which are morally grey, a heartfelt romance, heartbreaking family relationships, and of course the whole lore behind the gumiho and other magical creatures of Korean tradition.
Highly recommend it.
February 20, 2024
The Burnout – Book Review
The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Full disclosure: I love Kinsella’s books. I love her sense of humor, the quirkiness she gives her characters, and her relatable plots.
This one was no different. I found myself totally laughing my head off (the scene with the nuns and the wall was brilliant) while also identifying 100% with the poor overwhelmed, totally burnt-out Sasha. Geez, do I feel her pain!
The whole thing was brilliant and zany: the hotel and its ridiculous but lovable staff, the broken down cottages, the memories, the chaos caused by misunderstandings and fear of telling the truth… the romance (swoon).
I was a little disappointed in the real reason why Finn had kept his secrets (just felt a little too unbelievable, too contrite), but the rest of the book more than makes up for it.
As usual Kinsella wrote a book about being a woman in today’s world with humor, compassion, and humanity. Highly recommend it.
The Scarlet Veil – Book Review
The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’m not a fan of vampire stories (which seem to be making a comeback) so I went into this book hoping I’d love it (because I did like Mahurin’s first series) but prepared to hate it. Well, I did like it a lot. I found myself reading “just one more page” on nights I was exhausted and really needed sleep.
Not all was perfect. Célie annoyed me many times but as an author myself I can totally see that it was all part of her character arc and growth. Her self-doubt might have been irritating at times but so relatable. How many times have we been told we are not good enough that we start to believe it?
Michal (the vampire) turned out to be an awesome character as well and I love him more than any of the others because who doesn’t love a redemption story?
But what I like the most about Mahurin’s stories (definitely something she does really well) is the supporting cast. Shelby writes side characters to perfection, well developed and full of surprises.
My only gripe about this book (which was also a gripe for me in the previous series) is the–in my personal opinion–the over-description of the surroundings. In her enthusiasm to build up their world (which is awesome, by the way), Mahurin often goes a little overboard. But that’s probably just me. I’m not a fan of detailed descriptions.
All in all an awesome book that I highly recommend. Now, when is the next coming out?
February 6, 2024
Beside the Darker Shore-Blog Tour
Patricia J. Esposito has a new MM paranormal romance out: Beside the Darker Shore. And there’s a giveaway.
What might the ethical Governor David Gedden give up for one man’s exquisite beauty? It’s terrifying to consider when the man is a destructive blood prostitute and David is responsible for the state’s peaceful vampire community. Blood sales in Boston are up, blood taxes support a thriving new nightlife, neighborhoods have been refurbished, and deaths by vampires have plummeted. David is assured reelection.
However, the blood addict Stephen Salando has returned from exile with one unalterable plan: to turn the good governor into a vampire. Stephen is an immortal dhampir, whose beauty obliterates reason, who rouses in David a fierce desire he’s ignored his whole life. But for David to have Stephen, he must ally with an ancient vampire, the community’s seductive archnemesis. To have him, he must become a killer himself.
Will David hold on to his ethical public life? Or will he follow what he most desires, a kiss with a killer to become a vampire himself?
Giveaway
Patricia 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/b60e8d47307/?
Excerpt
Wetness enveloped him. It was exhilarating, this deep lake submersion. David hadn’t been told about the effects of water. Here, in this water, he wasn’t sure he even needed blood. He wasn’t sure he needed anything. He dove under and swam toward Stephen.
His body cleanly cut the surface, and he emerged before the bound liveblood. Blood streamed from a gash in Stephen’s chest. The vampires dipped white fingers in his blood, licking them. No one had bitten him, and his eyes held none of the ecstasy of bloodletting. They stared darkly at David.
“You’re an irresistible pleasure,” David said.
The black rock shone glassy, Stephen’s skin a warm contrast. David placed his hand flat on the bloody chest. He sniffed Stephen’s neck, up his cheek. His hair was cold satin. Water lapped at Stephen’s chest, drinking him. One of the two vampires bit into Stephen’s arm, making him gasp. But still he didn’t drink. They were waiting.
Cupping water, David raised it to Stephen’s face.
“You’re moonlight caught in darkness, but see how it slips away.” The water slid over his palm. “What are you sacrificing on these rocks?”
Placing both palms on Stephen’s chest again, David felt the hard cavern of chest bone, smoothed his hands over the satin skin to the round nipples shocked at the touch. He could take this body he desired, take it and leave it. This blood was promised to him. He heard Stephen’s heart beating warmly even in this cold water.
“David,” he whispered.
With that, David froze. His heart that had calmed in the water became erratic again. Stephen’s skin blurred like a warm brown sheath over David’s eyes. His throat closed, and the vampire laughter around him grew muffled, like he was underwater.
One word, one plea from Stephen and David couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t look at those eyes, couldn’t say what he needed to say. Fear clenched his stomach. Stephen’s breath burned David’s cheek.
Cold water slid between them.
And then Stephen lunged forward, and David felt the pain of blunt teeth on his neck. Stephen grabbed hold of him, biting hard, ripping David’s skin.
“No!” He shoved Stephen off. He didn’t have to do this. He wouldn’t be slave to this kind of need. The water had been healing; he’d felt at peace until seeing Stephen. David slammed Stephen back against the rock.
His legs quivered in the water. He backed away, letting water rush between them, and then Elena broke through, turning the water electric.
“Are you with me then?” she asked. “Can you see there is but one point to him?”
David scraped his leg against sharp rock as he backed away; seaweed twisted around his feet.
“No,” Stephen said. David couldn’t look at those eyes that pleaded with him. Stephen had propelled him to this point, whether deliberately or not. How much more could he make David do? He had to leave. He had to stay far from Stephen.
“David,” Stephen called, but his voice faltered. Pushing tendrils of wet hair from Stephen’s neck, Elena sunk her teeth into him. Then David did look up, as Stephen closed his eyes, as he succumbed to what he couldn’t resist.
David’s chest hurt, as if his ribs and chest bone had turned to iron mail. Clouds drifted across the moon, and Stephen’s face fell into shadows. He heard Stephen’s voice in his head, words he’d said three years ago, “Exile,” he’d said back then. “When did you go into this exile?”
Long ago.
David turned away, but Arturo was there, blocking his way. “You leave so soon?” Hate bruised his usually welcoming eyes. “When the festival has just begun?”
“Whatever you do to me, Arturo, I won’t let you live through me or love through me. I’ve found where my joy and peace are.”
“In water, like Alexandros?”
“Not like Alex. I need to kill, and the only way I can find peace with that is in solitary existence. I can’t be both mortal human and vampire. Maybe Alex can’t stand to be anything but what he was, a human. I think I can only be a vampire. I don’t want human connections. Consider your fledgling a success as a vampire. That’s all that’s left for you.”
Arturo’s hand slapped David’s chest in an icy brand. “No, that isn’t all. You think you need the kill, but you know nothing of need if you can’t love.”
Pain seared David’s chest, a raw burn that shuddered through him. Arturo had cut him. His hand slapped again, and another slice tore through to David’s ribs. The pain was silent in his throat, blocked by the rush of blood, his legs buckling. Blood poured.
“You bleed,” Arturo whispered. “You bleed into your healing water. Water loves blood. It will drain you.”
Around his waist, the water warmed and thickened. For a moment he thought how short-lived his vampire life had been, and then his body swayed with the pain.
Author Bio
Patricia Esposito lives by the notion Luis Alberto Urrea once expressed: When the world is so dark and bloody, be brave enough to broadcast innocent joy. Dare to be naive. She has written edgy paranormal fiction for most of her life, but always finds beneath it a romantic heart. Her most recent fiction and poetry reflect that enduring quest for love and joy beneath the human struggle.
Patricia has received honorable mentions in Ellen Datlow’s Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror collections, is a two-time winner of Rhino’s Reader=Writer award, and is a Pushcart Prize nominee. With a Master’s degree in English, she edits law books and textbooks for income and tries to keep up with a retired husband and enjoy time with her two adult daughters—when she’s not off exploring the intoxicating realms of the imagination and chasing muses.
Beside the Darker Shore is her first full-length work of fiction. She welcomes the chance to meet other writers and readers through her website or Facebook page.
January 30, 2024
Divine Rivals – Book Review
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I decided to read this book other that it involved some letter writing (which possibly was what got me since I have always written letters), but oh boy, am I glad I read it.
I love the originality of its plot. Yes, it is the usual love wins all, good against evil, enemy to lover romance, but I just loved the way the author manages to give the reader a World War II feel mixed with total fantasy. There are so many parallels between what happened in WWII and what’s happening in this story that I often forgot I was reading a fantasy and caught myself thinking I was reading a historical fiction work. But then you get hit with magic typewriters, mythical creatures that fly and drop bombs, and lest we forget, two gods at war against each other.
Despite the magic and strange creatures it is such a human story, at times heartbreaking. The author describes war scenes masterfully, focusing on the horror, the disbelief, and ultimately the sense of loss and helplessness an armed conflict brings to those caught in between.
I’m still reeling about how it ended but already looking forward to the sequel. Highly recommend it.
January 19, 2024
Can Positivity Be Negative?
I’ve been a yogi for many years now. Thanks to yoga I am more flexible now than I have ever been, not to mention that the practice brings me much needed peace even if for only for a few minutes a day. That said, for the past few years something yoga teachers are known for saying has really been bothering me because I know it not to be true. Or at least, not necessarily a good thing or the way to go.
Let me explain.
In yoga there is this philosophy of “everything’s possible” and “if you dream it you can do it.” These are great ideas and I fully believe in them except for one thing: when you try so hard and stretch yourself so thin to be able to accomplish all these goals, you often burn out. Which is exactly what happened to me and what I fear will happen to some of my younger writer friends.
The other day there was a reel on Instagram at the @abimillsyoga (she’s hilarious by the way. I highly recommend a peek) that, however comedic, really showed how we are often pushed to do all these things because “they are healthy and good for the soul” ignoring the fact that we are human with responsibilities and do not live in isolation from the rest of the world.
Even before I started my yoga practice, I had this belief that if you really want something, you can definitely achieve it as long as you work hard and are willing to sacrifice for it. I practiced what I preached. Even though an extreme introvert, I have always gone after what I wanted and dreamed of.
But fast forward to my life in the US after I got married. I have always (since I knew how to put words together into sentences) wanted to be a published author. Like many of my dreams (being a dancer for example) I had stuffed it in that little room in my head labeled “beautiful dreams that due to circumstances will never come true”. And no, I was not being pessimistic, just realistic.
Back then in Portugal only the rich had access to certain things, like dance classes. I practically lived in bookstores but I can’t remember a single Portuguese author who was not either wealthy or from a “connected” family. Most of them were professors of this or that and other than the classics, like Eça de Queiroz, I don’t recall a single genre author who hailed from my native country. Lofty dreams like that were for the ones who were rich or willing to move abroad. That was not me.
That is until I married an American sailor and moved to the USA where the roads are paved in gold and all dreams can come true. Yes, read it with a tiny bit of sarcasm because except for the gold-paved streets, it’s a true statement. Americans, generally speaking, are not afraid to work hard to achieve their dreams. In fact, it’s widely encouraged.
As a new American, I totally embraced this belief and started working toward my dreams. Dancing was in the past. I was too old to start then, so I focused on my other major dream: becoming a published author.
I worked hard. With a colicky newborn who did not allow me to sleep for months, I tapped away on my electric typewriter (stop laughing. It was a beauty) and spent the little money I had on expensive paper and postage to mail my manuscripts to publishers only to get letters of rejection in return.
Later I decided I wanted to be an English as a Second Language teacher and went back for a second degree while I worked full time and had school aged children. At times, when my husband was out at sea, I wrote whole papers or studied for exams at Chuck E Cheese’s because I could let my kids play while I worked. Then I went for the Master’s Degree. Why not?
More recently I went back to my old dream of being published. I got lucky and was picked by a small publisher and my journey as a published writer took off. I would work all day in school plus hours of planning at home, write for a couple hours every day, take care of my family, deal with some very serious life events, work on marketing, attending author classes and events… I’m tired just thinking about it.
I was very proud of my achievements. I was publishing anywhere from three to four books a year (both traditionally and self-pub), barely selling any of them, but crushing it in terms of going for the gold. I was doing it all. All my hobbies went out the window (including reading for a while) for lack of time and my whole life was consumed with work–both my day job and my writing career. Somewhere during this time I stumbled upon yoga after a few years of Zumba-fever and the message was clear: keep going, don’t give up, you can do it!
Last year, I crashed.
After a very difficult release in the beginning of the year, I not only lost my mojo for publishing, but I started getting sick often. This morning person had to drag herself from bed to go to work and, when faced with a work-in-progress, all I could do was stare at the screen. Fatigue colored my world, both physical and mental. I was in full burnout mode.
Still am. But with age and experience comes wisdom–or something like that. I woke up one morning, tired of feeling tired and useless and forged a plan of sorts. I was going to take it easy both at work and in writing. I was going to pay closer attention to what I ate and do other things for fun. I was going to wear other things besides yoga pants and T-shirts. I was going to claim my life back.
Does that mean I quit my dream? Absolutely not. I am slowly beginning to write often again. I have many projects in the back burner and restarted taking classes on marketing and other business-related things. But I am not going back to the feverish race I was on before and these few months of downtime did me good. I am eating well, doing my yoga more frequently again, I have hobbies that do not involve writing and that keep my mind and my hands busy, I’m reading a lot and slowly going back to marketing my books and making plans for the future.
But this brings me back to where I started this blog: this push from social media influencers, from our well-intentioned yoga teachers and writing coaches, from other more successful writers, and the world in general can be negative in its overly-positive and motivational message. Even though I was working myself silly I couldn’t help but feeling I was doing something wrong, that I wasn’t doing enough, that I was stupid and lazy compared to others. Now, I still feel like that more often than I’d like to, but I have grown and learned to be good to myself, to forgive myself for not being a successful writer, to go with the flow…
And that, my friends, is the cautionary tale of an overworked and overwhelmed older woman. Take it easy. Fight for your dreams but without wearing yourself out. It’s not worth it if you can’t enjoy it because you’re so tired.
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January 16, 2024
Guardian of Talons & Snares – Review
Guardian of Talons and Snares by Anastasis Blythe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I confess. I bought this book for the cover, lol. The C-drama/fantasy lover in me couldn’t resist the beautiful art of the cover. But I’m so glad I did. For once it was ok to judge the book by its cover.
This was a fun romp with the usual elements of C-fantasy and wuxia: magic, shifters, a complicated societal hierarchy, found family, danger, action, secrets, and romance.
The character development is good and the two POVs work well throughout the book. As a romance writer I also appreciate the very, very slow-burn romance happening here. It’s well done and leaves you wanting more.
I already ordered the second one in the series and I am salivating over all those great covers. Looking forward to continuing the story (it did end in sort of a cliffhanger).
January 6, 2024
Lost You Forever- Review
I have been meaning to write this review since I finished season 1 of this amazing C-drama a couple weeks back. I don’t review all the shows I watch but when faced with something this spectacular, I feel I have to share my thoughts.
In this show we follow the lives and troubles of four main characters: Princess Xiao Yao and the three men who love her: her cousin prince Xyian (who she sees and loves like a brother), Tushan Jing (who she has saved and fallen in love with), and Xiang Liu, the poisonous nine-headed snake (who Xiao Yao is attracted to but refuses to accept it).
I normally don’t like love triangles, but this one really works well. We have all three types of guys pinning for her: the good guy who loves her above all things except his own ambition to prove everyone wrong about him (he’s like the underdog prince of the kingdom), the bullied, almost beaten to death rich guy who is willing to give up on everything just to be with her but who is stuck in an impossible dilemma, and the bad-boy who falls in love with her despite himself and is willing to risk everything for her.
The story is full of intrigue, drama, magic and surprising twists. But the characters are what makes this story amazing. The acting is the best I have seen in a long time from Yang Zi as the main female character, to Zhang Wan Yi, Deng Wei, and (my favorite) Tan Jian Ci, the nine-headed snake. The story is dark but has light, even funny moments and best of all, it has so much heart.
And this is where Tan Jian Ci comes in. This young actor needs to be commended for his acting in this show. The way he expresses his feelings for Xiao Yao is so powerful, so full of yearning, so full of pain that makes your heart ache. And he does it all with no words.
Photo: My Drama ListCan’t wait for the next season which I understand will be available on Netflix and Tencent Video sometime this year.
Ten very enthusiastic stars 
