Natalina Reis's Blog

The Undead Mr. Tenpenny by Tammie Painter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This author came recommended to me by my favorite humorous-mystery-fantasy writer (it’s a thing. Trust me), Kim M. Watt. I think I bought the book on sale (Kindle) and it took me a while to get to it.

Well, I loved it. It’s a little crazy, mixes up magic with the modern world, lots of humor, there’s a running mystery and a found family trope wrapping everything in a big cozy hug. This is the first one in a series of five books and I already have the second lined up.

Cassie, the main character, works at a funeral home as an illegal make-up artist (just read it and you’ll understand). Her life is pretty miserable and unexciting until the day the dead body in the morgue gets up in the middle of a make-up session and walks away… Cassie’s life will never be the same.

For the romance lovers like me, there’s a tiny hint of romance (hopefully developing in later books) with a lot of question marks keeping the two apart. I loved her developing relationship with people she had never met and whom she thought she would hate and see her grow from an almost self-loathing state of mind to one of much more confidence and hope.

Highly recommend it (and while you’re on it sign-up to the author’s funny newsletter).

View all my reviews

Asterix in Lusitania by Fabcaro
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finally an Asterix set in Lusitania (modern Portugal). I really should have bought the Portuguese version to get the full range of the jokes but the English version did not disappoint. I was worried that Fabcaro and Conrad wouldn’t make Goscinny and Uderzo justice but they did a wonderful job. The original creators would have been proud, I’m sure.
Loved it!

View all my reviews

During my vacation in Portugal I was half-forced to watch a couple of reality shows, something I normally avoid at all costs. But since I was visiting my elderly mother who loves these shows, I watched them with her. And—shame on me—got hooked.

When I first arrived, Big Brother was on its last couple weeks and right after the grand ending gala, another one started, The Secret Story (Casa dos Segredos). As I witnessed what was happening both in the “house” and among the commentators and audience, I couldn’t help but thinking that both games have a weird similarity to the Hunger Games.

A voluntary and emotionally bloody version of the famous dystopian series.

This group of people, of many different ages, voluntarily subject themselves to this game where people are pitted against each other while kept trapped in the same house, isolated from the outside world. Yes, the house is on the luxury side, there’s a pool and many other comforts that many people in this world can only dream of but within those walls and for approximately 3 months, human beings often forget their own humanity, their empathy, their common decency and morality to be the one and only victor (who usually wins quite a large amount of money and ends up with a career in television or other type of entertainment industry).

But the cruelty starts on the outside as the commentators, much like Caesar Flickerman, poke the wasp’s nest, sowing discord with every word and even suggesting reasons to stir the waters. Now, I understand this is supposed to be entertainment, but playing with human emotions, especially to the point of changing lives (not in the best way) and throwing people into near-despair should not be considered entertainment by any means.

Thus, my Hunger Game parallel.

In the fictional game, reluctant contestants are thrown at each other’s throats in a kill-or-be-killed race. The “prize” here is survival.

In reality shows like Big Brother, the very willing contestants are also thrown at each other’s throats in an only-the-nasty-survive race where the prize is monetary.

The problem is that as the audience votes, the dark side of humanity comes to the surface. The last Big Brother’s audience voted one of the nastiest contestants and her minion to the finals because they were enjoying the bullying and oral abuse she imposed on the other, much nicer, much more compassionate and decent ones. The country was shocked when in the end, the “nice” one won instead of the bully. Everyone expected the nasty one to win.

In the House of Secrets currently taking place, the public is yet again getting rid of the “nice” contestants and keeping those who are either obnoxious or morally corrupt because the later are more entertaining. I was flabbergasted when one of the female contestants’ fiancée (they had gotten engaged on camera right before she was accepted as a contestant, two weeks prior) was brought in and interviewed about how he felt as he watched his bride aggressively flirt with and confess her interest in another contestant.

To what level of hell must we drag other humans in order to be entertained? Does inflicting pain on others please us so much we forget what makes us human? Where’s the empathy? The compassion? Where’s the applause when someone does the right thing? Why are we rewarding bad behavior because it’s “fun” to watch?

What’s fun about watching a married man, father of two, cry because the other contestants are constantly on his case, putting him down, even calling him names and, in one case, threatening him with violence?

Just like in the fictional Hunger Games, people today are out for blood, be it the literal kind or metaphorical. Why are we confusing being a bully with being strong and assertive? It’s almost as if we have lost our sense of decency and we prefer to reward the bad instead of the good.

I personally can’t stand it and watching these “reality” shows depress me and make me lose faith in humanity. Now that I am back in the US I have no intention of watching any reality show at all (even though—again, shame on me—I am still keeping tabs on what’s happening at the House in Portugal, lol).

Now it’s your turn: what do you make of this? Do you enjoy these shows? Why or why not?

I had my morning coffee with a side of TikTok and while I scrolled through the myriad—some totally random, others better tailored to my taste—of videos on all kinds of themes from politics to the unavoidable ads for products you didn’t know you needed, I came across one by YA author, John Green.

His words hit me particularly hard today because it spoke to me in so many ways. In the video, he spoke of hope being the answer to every human problem and the one thing that gets him out of bed even on days when desperation reigns in his life and in his heart. That when the feeling of helplessness overwhelms him as he thinks of the horrible things that people do to each other, hope comes knocking reminding him that his brain might be telling him that, but that in truth there is just as much or more good out there.

A picture on Facebook this morning brought me back to his words and how humans have as much goodness inside them as evil and that if we choose to focus on hope rather than despair, life can be well worth living.

As a teacher, children always bring me a sense of hope. As much as young children can suck the life out of you, they also fuel your being with hope, with joy. I’ve lived on a diet of hugs and giggles, often better than any antidepressant or therapy session. I might be full of despair when I wake up, not wanting to face the dumpster fire that is the world right now, but then the school doors open and those mini-humans run in with their funny hats and goofy smiles and for the next 7 hours I am happy and full of hope. Now that I am retired, I’ll have to get my “therapy” only once in a while when I sub for another teacher or visit the building. I miss the hugs (not so much the noise, lol).

What brings you hope? A pretty flower in the garden? A gorgeous bluejay on your deck? The acrobatics of a squirrel bent on eating the bird food?

Whatever it is, I’d love to hear it. Let’s share some of the beauty in the world to tamper down all the fear and suffering that seems to have taken root in the world right now.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I went into this book with a bit of trepidation. The Hunger Games series is still one of my favorites ever and I didn’t want to be disappointed. Collins writes such impactful stories, I admit I was a little scared this book would let me down. The prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, was not my favorite. The writing was excellent, the story still strong with well-developed characters and a great lookback at President Snow’s background. But it WAS about Snow and I couldn’t make myself like it too much, lol.

However I did love this prequel. It was hard to read with well-placed moments of levity and heart wrenching ones. Toward the end I actually had to close the book at a moment when I realized what was about to happen… not many books make me do that.

Well written, wonderful characters, awesome social commentary.
Highly recommend it.

View all my reviews

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Five VERY enthusiastic stars!

What a fabulous read. After all the hype I was ready to be disappointed, but the opposite was true.
Very well-written, extremely atmospheric, spooky and with a definite feminist aura.

Yes, I kind of knew (or thought I knew) one of the big reveals (who the real writer was) but other than that it was all surprising (in a good way) and well crafted into the whole plot.

Can’t wait to read the sequel.

Well done Ms. Reid. Thank you for a wonderful trip into another world.

View all my reviews

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great Hazelwood romance. Ali Hazelwood has quickly become a favorite rom com writer of mine because of how she balances humor with the more serious side of life in a quirky but very intelligent and feministic way. This book is no different.

I loved almost everything about it. The setting, the banter, the extended family and friends, the dog (OMG, the dog), the slow-burn romance… I can’t tell you how much this book made me smile in almost every page. It’s as close to perfection as you can get.

There were a couple things that I didn’t like, both very personal so don’t let that stop you from reading the book.

One was the fact that I wasn’t quite sold on the “I-can’t-touch-her-or-let-her-touch-me” age gap thingy. Their age difference wasn’t really that wide for such a fuss and Conor’s weird “policy” of “no-touching” didn’t sit down well with me. That said, the story flows so well and the characters are so likable that in the end it didn’t really matter that much.

The other thing was the use of a certain 4-letter word (that rhymes with punt) that has a very crass and honestly, disrespectful connotation for me. The fact that the FMC used it frequently to describe her own female parts really rubbed me the wrong way. Every time she’d say that, it made me feel that Maya really hated herself or thought of herself as filth, unworthy of respect. Hazelwood writes some seriously hot sex scenes with a lot of feeling mixed in (one of the reasons I love her books so much) but when Maya would use the C-word it just kind of ruined it for me.

Again, personal opinions.

In brief: the book is awesome, it will have you both laughing out loud and swooning, and both Maya and Conor are amazing together. Highly recommend it.

View all my reviews

Ever since I became a published author, I began not only reading but also watching shows and movies with a much more critical eye. Not to find flaws, but to learn and identify both what worked and what didn’t so I could hopefully apply it or not to my own writing.

I’ve been a fan of the British series Grantchester since day one and loved each of the three vicars the series paired Geordie, the detective, with. The writing is always fabulous, the mysteries interesting, the found family tropes (one of my personal favorites) evident in almost every episode and the way the show tackled some not-so-comfortable cultural and societal issues such as it concerns women, the LGBT community, racial problems (normally done with grace and insight while staying truth to the historical times the show is set in) make this show one well worth watching.

But, like everyone else, they made a terrible mistake toward the end of season 9, after they introduced the new, handsome vicar, Alphy. And it didn’t have anything to do with race, religion, or whatever other prejudice, but with a serious plot hole.

**Warning** spoilers ahead. Don’t read if you haven’t watched and hope to do so in the future.

Episode 8 of season 9 is the culmination of a mystery that has been deliciously breadcrumbed throughout the season, starting with the arrival of Alphy in the vicarage, a very different type of man the village is used to. As expected, the appointment of a man of color as a vicar causes quite a stir in that provincial vicarage and Alphy has to deal with the unfairness and cruelty of discrimination even as he is quickly “adopted” by the Grantchester main cast of characters.

At a point in the season, a preacher (not associated with any organized religion) called Sam enters the scene. At first, his message of tolerance and love for oneself hits a nerve with everyone, especially with Lenard’s halfway house residents, who are seeking to forgive themselves and be forgiven by society. However, as time (and episodes) progresses, Sam becomes more and more radical under the guise of a benefactor and eventually creates a cult, with followers who are willing to do whatever he asks them to, including giving him all they material possessions, giving up on family and friends, and even kill for him.

Daniel is among his followers, getting so involved in this man’s cultish philosophy that he ends up forsaking the love of his life, Lenard and putting his own house for sale to finance Sam’s preaching. Just like in so many cults, those who want to leave find that it’s not that simple and two of them meet their deaths trying.

So far, other than Daniel’s flip as a character–which I personally thought it was too extreme–nothing is out of whack. We all know terrifying stories of cult leaders who convinced their followers to commit heinous actions against others and even themselves.

It’s not until we reach the last episode of the season that the inconsistency happens.

Things have taken a turn to the worse and the cult members now all live in a type of commune, including Daniel who blindly believes everything Sam tells him and has left his lover behind.

But our friend Geordie and the new vicar are on to him, knowing he is to blame–directly or indirectly–for two murders they’ve been investigating. They both come to the commune and so does Lenard who is trying to rescue his lover from this cult. Lenard is taken prisoner and locked in a room to be “dealt with later” while Geordie arrives at the scene with his deputy, only to be fired at by Sam who also shoots Lenard through a window.

Nobody witnesses this scene and Sam goes back inside and begins locking all the doors and shuttering all the windows, ordering every one to hide inside the house. Which of course, as brain-washed cult members, they all do without question. However, Daniel hears Lenard calling for help and finds him bleeding inside the room. Here, Daniel does another flip: he still doesn’t quite believe Sam is doing anything wrong, but the love he has for Lenard resurfaces.

In comes Sam himself, holding Alphy at the end of a rifle and the truth about what the preacher has done is revealed in front of Lenard and Daniel. While he is boasting and trying to justify the horrible things he has done, Geordie sneaks through the door and manages to unarm him.

Here comes the inconsistency or plot hole. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, in come a couple of members of this cult rushing through the door, looking totally disgusted at their leader, and turning their backs on him, not a word exchanged.

Why?

They weren’t witnesses to the conversation–at least that we know of. A couple of them come rushing around the corner as he is being handcuffed. All they see is their beloved leader being accused of murder by a policeman. It stands to reason that being such faithful followers, they would at least try to defend Sam. Maybe the writers had them overhearing the conversation, but the viewer doesn’t know that. If they were in the hallway, why didn’t they try to stop Geordie who was unarmed?

Not sure if the film makers were rushed, but there was something important missing there. People who blindly follow cult leaders will not just casually decide to not follow them anymore. There has to be a very strong valid reason. In fact, earlier in the series, two cult members were murdered because they had discovered that their leader was stealing and lying to them.

This of course reminded me as a writer to always make sure my content makes sense. It’s important for the reader to know why things happened in any genre. Even though Grantchester is still one of my favorite shows, this episode left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. We, the viewers, deserve a more satisfying resolution, not just a casual “by your leave” with no rhyme or reason.

Have you read or watched something that made zero sense and left you wanting some kind of explanation? I’d love to hear it.

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I fell in love with Rebecca Ross’ stories after reading The Divine Rivals duology which I found to be fabulous: well written and so full of surprises it left constantly wondering what would happen next. So I was very excited to read her previous work, A River Enchanted duology.

The positives first: again, she writes a beautiful, lyrical world well-developed and magical. The characters are also well developed and likable. The fact that Cadence mirrored the lands of bygone Scotland made me swoon. I also liked the fact that almost all her characters have flaws which makes them very human and therefore more relatable.

Now the negatives: I got engaged pretty early on (this is a good thing) but after a few chapters I began to feel that something was off and I couldn’t figure out exactly what. Then I realized that there was a lot of passive voice throughout the story and frequent head-hopping. A lot of “she realized”, “he noticed”, that kind of thing. The dialogue was a bit stilted as well and at times it didn’t ring authentic to me. Now, my guess is that Ross did this to give the story a more “vintage” (for lack of a better word) feel to the story but for me it didn’t work very well.

Don’t get me wrong I still enjoyed the story and will be reading the conclusion to the duology, but I was a bit disappointed after reading her amazing “Divine Rivals” which read so much smoother. Still a fan, Ms Ross.

View all my reviews

If you’re an author I’m sure you’re used to people asking you what writer has inspired you the most and/or which author do you compare to. The last one is rumored to be very important because it basically dictates who your potential audience is.

I could never answer that question (which most likely explains my very low readership). There are so many writers that have inspired, entertained, and wowed me throughout the years. Some are still very much alive while others have died many years ago.

The problem is that none of the writers that I have read or read currently–no matter how much I absolutely love their books–write along the same lines as I do. I’ve always been sure that it’s not because I am particularly talented or original, so why have I never been able to find my comp authors?

I think I have finally solved the mystery–or at least I have a possible explanation. TikTok, of all places, was where I found the clues to solve this conundrum.

Let me explain.

Apparently there is talk–rumors–of a Buffy, the Vampire Slayer reboot and with it there has been a flooding of posts from Buffy’s fans discussing all kinds of things from certain episodes to character arcs and everything in between. I am a huge Buffy groupie. Unlike some of you who might have been about the same age as Buffy at the time of the series, I was already a mature woman in my early 30s, a mother of two boys and an aspiring writer.

After watching many interesting discussions about the series, it hit me; that’s my comp. And yes, it’s not a book but that’s where I get my style of writing and even many of my tropes.

I’m not comparing myself to the screenwriters who were absolute geniuses. I have always been in awe of the writing behind Buffy’s episodes. It was a perfect blend of drama, humor, romance, and even social commentary. At least in my eyes.

Without even realizing, almost every story I have written since my first book was published in 2016, has a definite “Buffy” imprint in them. If you’ve read a few of my books you know that the large majority of them are peppered with humor even sometimes amidst serious drama. Another thing I write into pretty much all my books is a scooby gang, a group of friends that are so much more than just company, they’re your anchor, a shoulder to cry on, your cheerleaders, your second brain. And most of all, just like in Buffy’s stories, in mine the underdog, the misfit, the rebel always wins at the end.

I never wrote vampires into my stories though. But it so could happen…

Now, the question is, how do I market my stories to those of you who, just like myself, fell in love with Buffy and her crew and that even after all these years still remember each detail of each episode with a fondness that very much resembles a bookish hangover?