Happy Saturday, nerds! This week's bonus episode is with author Natalina Reis, who believes in writing romance for the misfits, the outcasts, and the lovers unafraid to go against the grain.

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. Natalina weaves all these experiences into her stories, both contemporary and fantasy.

Romance fascinates Natalina because of its message of hope. Love is after all the one thing everyone, no matter who they are, needs and craves for, so what could be better than a story where the main characters get their happy ending?

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.