Lisa: We’re so pleased to welcome author Natalina Reis to TNA today on the tour for her recently release novel, Infinite Blue. Thanks for joining us today, Natalina. Why don’t we start by having you tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know?
Natalina: I’m secretly planning to change the world one word at a time. Just kidding (or am I?). I used to be a medieval dance instructor for a group of reenactors (me included) and one time I got to teach and choreograph a dance scene for the cast of A Midnight Summer’s Dream in the Seattle area.
Lisa: What’s your favorite scene in Infinite Blue, and what makes it a fave?
Natalina: My favorite is the moment Cai makes the decision to accept the fact that Shahin is his soul mate. I love it because it’s the moment when the very sensible Cai, who never allows himself a moment of abandon, throws caution to the wind and accepts what both Shahin and his own body and heart had been telling him all along. Here’s a tiny taste:
Cai had never been to Shahin’s house, but somehow his body knew exactly which way to go. Whatever connected them pulled him up the stairs and into the first room on the right. The shivering had subsided, and anticipation had taken its place. Shahin had been telling the truth. Now that he was there, standing outside his room, the pain was gone but the yearning was back full force.
At that moment, there was no doubt in his mind—Shahin was indeed his mate for life. Cai took a deep breath and opened the door.
Lisa: Thanks for sharing that teaser with us! If you could spend some real-life time with one of the characters in the book, who would you choose and why?
Natalina: That’s a tough question because like a proud parent I do love them all, but I might enjoy spending time with Cai’s sister and her boyfriend just because they are so funny and entertaining.
Lisa: On the flipside, which character would you probably least get along with? Why?
Natalina: Definitely Shahin’s mother who is a horrible creature, so blinded by anger, she can’t distinguish right from wrong.
Lisa: If I were to interview Cai and Shahin what would they say about you?
Natalina: Hopefully that I was not too mean to them, lol. I tend to put my MCs in hot waters and I’m sure they don’t like that.
Lisa: Have you ever created a character so despicable that even you hated them and can’t believe you made them up? If so, who was it and what made them so awful?
Natalina: Believe it or not I’ve created several of them. I create at least one in almost all my books. Even my romcoms have them, lol. But if I had to choose one I probably would pick Oliver’s father in Blind Magic. He’s a man who lives for appearances and power and who abused his son his whole life. Nothing more despicable than someone who is supposed to love but chooses to hate us instead.
Lisa: Let’s take off your author cap and put on your reader cap for a moment: what do you look for in a book, what sort of protagonists do you love, and do you have a favorite genre/sub-genre?
Natalina: I’m rather eclectic as a reader and I will read pretty much across any genre with a few notable exceptions. I read a lot of YA paranormal and sci-fi but the common thread between most of the books I read is love. I’m a sucker for a good love story, an outcast, and a love-against-all-odds tale. I don’t care what ethnic group, sexual orientation, or religion the protagonists profess to, as long as they are good people, show empathy toward their fellow humans, and choose to do good even when it is not the easiest road to take. In romance I love romcom, paranormal romance, and fantasy. Books with characters that are strong inside and stand by their beliefs.
Lisa: What are your least and most favorite things about being an author?
Natalina: I love creating stories, develop tiny ideas into full-length novels, and immerse myself in them, forgetting the world around me for a few hours. Being a writer gives this introvert a voice, and I love that. Through my fiction, especially the paranormal and sci-fi, I can give voice to many issues that are important to me and to the world in general. I also love listening or reading about the reactions my books stir up in readers. Nothing more satisfying that hearing/reading that gasp of surprise when reading a plot twist. Or a heart-felt sigh when reading a love scene. My least favorite part is the business side of things. It’s time consuming and takes away from writing.
Lisa: Have you ever written a line, paragraph, or passage, and thought, “Darn, that’s pretty amazing, even if I do say so myself”? What was it?
Natalina: Yes, I have my moments, lol. In Infinite Blue was when I describe Shahin’s transformation into a hawk for the first time. I think it’s pure genius—well, maybe not but it’s good.
Lisa: When you sit down to start a new book, how do you decide whether it will best be told in the first or the third person?
Natalina: I mostly let the characters decide for me. Infinite Blue is written in third person. I didn’t plan it (in case you’re wondering, I’m the queen of pantsers). When I began writing, it came out that way. But I have changed POVs at times. Blind Magic started as first person, but it didn’t feel right so I went back and rewrote it in 3rd. Lavender Fields is all written in first person and only one POV. Again, not planned—just happened.
Lisa: What’s the one genre/sub-genre you haven’t written yet, but would love to? What’s kept you from it so far?
Natalina: I’d like to write a time travel romance, I think. I wrote one a long time ago (one that will never see the light of day) and I’ve been playing with the idea of resurrecting it. I’ve been reluctant to do it because time-travel is in some ways similar to historical and requires quite a bit of research (unless the protagonist is travelling into the future) which I love doing but slows down the writing process.
Lisa: Thanks again for being here with us today, Natalina, it’s been a pleasure chatting with you!
About the Book
Author: Natalina Reis
Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing
Release Date: September 8, 2018
Word Count: 66k
Genres: paranormal romance, shifter romance
Pairing: M/M
Blurb: When a shifter and a human are bound by fate, neither man knows if their connection will be enough to save not only their growing love, but their lives.
Shahin Halcón has been taught that if and when he meets his soul mate, he’ll know immediately. Always the rebel, he doesn’t believe it until the day he crosses paths with Cai, a full-human.
Plagued by unsuccessful relationships and heartache, Cai Banes’s life is quiet and unexciting. When he meets young and wild Shahin, his life is turned upside down, and he’s not sure he likes it.
But neither can deny the powerful pull that draws them together.
Old secrets and ancient myths about cross-species relationships plague their romance and threaten to put their happiness and life at risk. Will their love for each other be strong enough to survive?
Buy the Book: Hot Tree Publishing || Universal Book Link
About the Author
Natalina wrote her first romance at the age of 13 in collaboration with her best friend, Susana. Since then she has ventured into other genres, but romance is first and foremost in almost everything she writes. She’s the author of seven romance novels that reflect the amazing diversity of humankind and the universal power of love.
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’s 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.
Connect with Natalina: Website || Facebook || Author Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads || QueeRomance Ink || Amazon
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