Author’s Bio: Natalina Reis is an international bestseller who wrote her first
romance at the age of thirteen. Since then, she has published many romances
that defy the boundaries of her genre. She enjoys writing all kinds of rebels
and outcasts into her stories and she always roots for the underdog.  

Natalina doesn’t believe you can have too many
books or too much coffee. Chinese historical fantasy dramas are her (not so)
guilty pleasure 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.

Note: The best writing advice she has ever been
given is simple: just write. Nothing will happen if you don’t write, so sit
your butt down somewhere and write.

Deliah Lawrence: What inspired you
to write your book?

Natalina Reis: I wrote this
book, House of Blood and Whispers, after I purchased a pre-made cover
from my favorite cover artist Adriatica Creations. It’s funny but the picture
just called me, begging me to give it a story. Who am I to disobey?

DL: What elements do you think
make a good story?

NR: I love good character
development. I used to love TV shows like NCIS (the original) and Buffy the
Vampire Slayer but hate other forensic or paranormal shows and I always
wondered why. What’s it about these particular shows that make me love them so
much while others in the same genre leave me meh? It’s the characters and their
relationship with each other, the humor inserted here and there, the inner
struggles that those characters had to deal with, the mystery, and yes, a touch
of romance always catches my attention.

I feel the same about books. I love
a book with characters that have believable and healthy Relationships within a
plot that takes them in a journey they won’t ever forget, be it an emotional or
actual one. In a romance I want to see the love reflected in everyday acts, not
just when they are in bed: a here-you-can-have-the-last-bite-of-my-cake, a
have-my-coat-even-though-I’ll-freeze, a
I’ll-sit-in-silence-with-you-until-you-feel-better type of thing.

DL: Is there any particular
author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

NR: As a kid I read all the
classics of crime literature and I fell in love with Agatha Christie. Her style
of writing, deceptively simple and easy to read really made an impression on
me. In school we were reading all these flowery, complicated proses that are
hailed as the classics and even though I loved many of them, it was the
simpler, more accessible writing that really attracted me as a reader and then
as a writer. 

Later, writers like Sophie Kinsella of romantic comedy fame, Jane
Austen, and Kate Morton, all inspired me and taught me valuable lessons about
how good writing can take all kinds of different forms. As you can tell by my
choices I am influenced by a lot of different genres, the reason why my books
tend to be a mash-up of romance, mystery, adventure, and social commentary.

DL: If you could choose a superpower,
what would it be and why?

NR: I’m torn between flying
so I could go visit my mom and sister in Europe whenever I felt like and time
manipulation. I NEED more time to do all the things I need and want to do.

DL: What are three books you’ll
never part with?

NR: Tough question. There are
so many, but I’ll try to pick three. Harry Potter series (okay I know that is
more than one book but let’s say it’s a boxset, lol), The Hunger Games,
and Sense and Sensibility. Phew, that was painful.

DL: What’s your favorite line
from a book?

NR: “You love me. True or
false?” “True” (The Hunger Games)

DL: What are three fun facts
about yourself?

NR: 1. I’m a language geek
who speaks five languages in varied states of fluency and is learning (or
trying to) Mandarin. 2. I used to teach medieval dancing as a medieval
reenactor in Scotland and then Washington State. 3. I have crossed the Congo
River in an overloaded, overcrowded ferry twice.

DL: Would you like to share an
excerpt from House of Blood and Whispers?

NR: Sure – here you go:

The weird daze that kept me
prisoner had blurred the contours of my thoughts. No matter how many times I
shook my head to dispel the fuzziness that had taken residence in my brain, I
couldn’t clear it. It was as if something had anchored me to that spot. My legs
and arms felt as heavy as my head. I couldn’t shake the feeling something was
wrong but couldn’t muster the energy to fight it.

“We got her,” I heard an
unfamiliar male voice say. “Jeonha, come see.”

My unfocused eyes couldn’t
quite make out who was beside me, but two dark legs appeared in front of me.
“This is her?” a low voice asked. The figure crouched beside me and studied my
face. “She’s in bad shape.”

The voice told me it was a
male, but all I could discern from his body and face was darkness. All of him
was dark, from the boots he wore to the hair on his head.

“Go get the carriage,” the
man said, standing up. “Quick.”

My voice seemed to have
vanished, and I couldn’t move as the stranger scooped me into his arms. Fear
should be filling me, but whatever was holding me in place didn’t allow me to
panic. Instead, just like the man who was carrying me, everything around and
inside me turned dark.

And I let the darkness take
me away.

DL: What new projects are you
currently working on?

NR: I am working on an origin
story/prequel to House of Blood and Whispers and also a new MM
paranormal series that features mystery, humor and romance of course.

DL: Where can readers learn more about
you and purchase your book(s)?

NR: Readers can get more information
here:

• Website: https://natalinareis.com
• Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Natalina-Reis/e/B01ADQ9FJW/
• Facebook: https://bit.ly/FBNatalina
• Instagram: https://bit.ly/ReisIG
• Blog: https://natalinareis.com
• Book Buy Links: 
• Amazon
  Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGPFXWGW
• All others: https://books2read.com/houseofbloodandwhispers 

DL: Thanks so much for being
here with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting to know you and your
work.

NR: Thank you so much for the
opportunity!

Originally Published on https://vocalexpressions.blogspot.com

Deliah Lawrence Attorney, Author, Blogger, Workshop Facilitator

Deliah Lawrence is a Maryland-based attorney and award-winning author of two romantic suspense novels (Gotta Let It Go and Gotta Get It Back) set in Baltimore. She’s also a blogger and workshop facilitator who writes poetry and short stories.

When Deliah isn’t writing, you can find her reading a book, indulging in her addiction to investigation discovery shows; or painting her yet-to-be exhibited oil artworks of landscapes, portraits or whatever else comes to her creative mind. Constantly on the go, she is also a member of the Black Writers’ Guild of Maryland and Sisters in Crime.