Where I Left Off
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Where I Left Off
Two to Tango with Author Natalia Williams
Thanks to Author Natalia Williams for joining me to talk about her latest release, Two to Tango.
Natalia's Books:
- Two to Tango (available on KU)
- Taking the Cake (available on KU)
Follow Natalia:
For links to the books discussed in this episode, click the link here to take you to the Google Doc to view the list.
For episode feedback, future reading and author recommendations, you can text the podcast by clicking the "Send us a message button" above.
For more, follow along on Instagram @whereileftoffpod.
welcome back. I'm krista balls and you're listening to where I left off, a bookish podcast, and today I am joined again by the author of taking the cake, natalia williams, and we are talking about her latest release, tootatango. Thank, thank you for coming back, natalia.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you for having me, I love being here.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm so glad you got to come back. I can't wait to talk about Two to Tango. Oh man, I just just finished it, so it's fresh, it's super fresh. So, first, what are you currently reading? And if you're not really reading a lot right now, because you're kind of writing, uh, which authors inspire you?
Speaker 2:this question is so hard. I feel like since I've started writing, reading has become so tricky. I it's, it's like the worst. Um, when I finished Tutu Tango and then I, like you know it was out, I thought I would give myself a couple months of a break and just like read everything that I've been wanting to read and I've done like none of it, which is just it's been so hard. Um, I am like halfway through the Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Claiborne.
Speaker 2:I don't know if you've read it uh-uh, I haven't read it um podcast like related, but it's and I started this like I don't even know, like a month ago. At this point it's very good. It's not the book, it's me. I'm like halfway through and it's just been sitting there and I've been so busy that I haven't been able to pick it back up. Um. And then I've also like just to kind of read some stuff. I've been doing the um, like the kindle short stories, like those collections. You know those, yes, yeah. So I did like the murder mystery ones. They were super cute. And then I've been doing some of like the christmasy ones which I'm like halfway through, one of those like I can't even get through that, like that's how insane it's been. So I've been doing that.
Speaker 1:That's what I've been reading sometimes you just have to kind of be in the middle of a bunch of different books at once. I know that, yeah, that's you.
Speaker 2:That is not. I am such a like one book at a time person, but lately it's like my attention span is all over the place, that I've just been doing a couple things at a time, which is okay, but not my, not ideal welcome to the dark side, where we read a bunch of two is the max. Two is the max, that's it.
Speaker 1:I I'm not reading six anymore. I think I'm down to like four, maybe four. So you know I'm getting. I'm getting down to Okay Up progress.
Speaker 2:I mean, what's your method? Do you like alternate days? Do you do like pay like a chapter of each book a day? Like what's the method?
Speaker 1:Okay, this is going to really probably stress you out, but yeah well, okay, so basically what I'll do is I have books normally that are like my focus, you know, and they're what I'm really working on, and then some that are kind of in the back burner, like I started them and for some reason something else came up that I needed to start library book arc. What have you? Whatever the reason is, these are now my focus. So what I'll do is I'll take all the books that are my quote unquote focus and I will read like a couple chapters a day, like I will set alarms. If I go to read and let's say I have 30 minutes, I'll set like 15 minutes for one book and then I have to put it down when the 15 minutes is up and then pick up the other one for the other 15 minutes, and so you know what?
Speaker 2:maybe that's what I should try a little more yeah yeah.
Speaker 1:so then it's like you're reading little bits at a time and then you instantly kind of switch to another one. But it helps keep your focus because all of that like I cannot do this. If they were all the same genre, so I have like fantasy, thriller, romance. And if they're like the same genre, so I have like fantasy, thriller, romance. And if they're like I have two fantasies but one's dark academia and one's urban fantasy, or like the romance, one super happy rom-com and one's a little bit more heartfelt and deep. So they can't be like similar plot lines or the same thing. They have to be completely different, otherwise my brain could not differentiate all of those at once. Yeah Right, I mean, that was going to be completely different, otherwise my brain could not differentiate all of those at once.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right, I mean that was going to be my question like if you're reading three thrillers like that's, that's a hard. Yeah, you can't do that. Everything would get mixed up, okay yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:so it has to be different genre and also kind of different sub-genre to keep up with it. And yeah, I literally will just switch between and pick up multiple books and I have them all sitting right next to me and I just read a couple, read a couple, but but maybe that's the answer.
Speaker 2:Maybe that's the answer I mean.
Speaker 1:I mean now.
Speaker 2:Now we're just going to like sidetrack into like all this stuff. But you know, there's all these articles that have come out about like how our attention span is so awful, just you know social media and doom scrolling and all these things, and so I feel like that has been an issue with like my reading too.
Speaker 1:But if I, you know, read eight books at a time, it works Exactly and it's like once you start doing it it's really hard to stop.
Speaker 2:So I've had to tell myself now that I'm down to four, said no, you are not picking up another book until you clear these out and then you can start, you know I mean maybe that's picking up a couple right and then the library holds, come in and then I mean I can't tell you how many I've just like renewed and then have to return. I'm like I can't read this right now, but maybe I should.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly. And you go there and you're like hey, this looks really good. What if, on the off chance, I could read it? I should just go ahead and check it out anyway. And then it just stares at you.
Speaker 2:Right, I know, and then it just sits there. I'm like I'm so sorry, but you know, but at least checking it out helps, right.
Speaker 1:Exactly. Yeah, it helps the library, helps the librarian, helps the author. So, yeah, I mean it all works. Yeah, exactly, you still win, even though you're not reading it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know, oh, that's. I mean maybe Not like you have to read a certain book, kind of book club.
Speaker 1:And the theme of it was us going yeah, that's on my TBR. Yeah, I want to read that. Yeah, I haven't read that and it would be like a really popular book. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I heard that's good. Oh my God, that's it, that's me, oh geez.
Speaker 1:Yep, oh, geez, yep. And then half of us were just like, yeah, no, I haven't. I haven't yet, but it's on my list. It was like one person brought the second book in ACOTAR and half of us were like, yeah, that's on our list, but we haven't read it. We know, we know that we should. And then another was like All the Light, we.
Speaker 2:Cannot See and we're like, yeah, yeah, we've heard a lot about that.
Speaker 1:We still haven't read it, but it's there so, yeah, yeah, there were a lot that yep. It was all of us just doing that.
Speaker 2:That's the common theme. I love that. That's the book club for me. Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1:I know, yeah, so it's not just us. It's not just us at all. Just pop on down to Texas and you can.
Speaker 2:oh my, gosh, I love that. Yeah, that's so funny so realistically. That's what happened oh, it's just, it's so hard, it's so yeah, I don't know. I don't know if life's getting busier, or I mean, yes, but or it's just. You know that, like with writing, like it's, it's, it's hard I'm sure trying to market.
Speaker 1:Right, plot the next one. Read books that are already out. Right, check the market. All that is, yeah, on top of like a job and a family and everything else, yeah it's, yeah, it's a lot, it's a lot that's why, whenever two to tango came out, I was like I've gotta read that.
Speaker 1:And and whenever you said, hey, I want to come back on, I was like, yes, then it gives me even more reason to read it quicker. So now I'm really excited. So, with two to tango. So is this book one in the series or is it a standalone?
Speaker 2:So, yes, it will be book. It's book one in a series. It's going to be three books and they're going to be like interconnected interconnected standalones, and it's going to follow the three cousins.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's what I was just about to ask.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean we'll have, I like in my mind, thought about like offshoots and like maybe novellas here and there. Yes, will it happen? I don't know, I don't want, you know, I don't want to like talk about something and then not do it, but um, it's going to be three books, so that I know for sure is t's book gonna be with who we think that it's going to be with after reading Tuna Tango, okay, probably.
Speaker 2:Yes, so she will be book two and it was going to be like workplace romance rivals. She can't stand him to, lovers kind of thing Not set in a dance world. So each book will kind of you know it's titled the Tango series all because it sort of links back to the grandmother but really, like the first book is the only one that's got like the main dance component. All the other ones will have other things.
Speaker 1:It's really exciting, yay, okay, now I'm even more excited than I already was, but not rushing you in any way, because it takes forever to get everything written. So no rush, but I'm really excited. Okay, so, talking a little bit more about Two to Tango. So did you find any differences in your approach to writing the second novel compared to debut?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, you know the second book is is so much harder, and I think a lot of authors will say that the second book is so much harder. You know, the first one, I wrote it without any expectation at all. You, I had no set timeline, I had I wrote it in in a span of several years really. And the second one, I don't know if I would say it has, I mean, like a certain amount of expectation. I guess. You know, you don't really know if it's going to do well, you don't know if it's going to completely fail. You, you don't know how it's going to go.
Speaker 2:And for me personally, like I don't want to set any sort of expectation, just because that's a hard thing to, you know, to navigate, but it's, it was very hard writing it and I think part of me sort of setting myself up for expectations was maybe was what had me stuck for some of it, because there was a brief period where I was really stuck writing it. I also had a set deadline, which I was not, which moved several times, like I had to keep re moving, you know, like moving the deadline, but there was a deadline that I was working with. So it was, it was very different, a lot more stressful.
Speaker 1:I can see how that would happen. And you know not to compare you to Jessica Joyce, but I feel like your writing not to compare you to Jessica Joyce, but I feel like your writing style just really reminds me of Jessica Joyce, so I have to point that out.
Speaker 2:Which is like the utmost compliment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's kind of funny because I feel like both okay, so both of your debuts if you look at you With A View and Taking the Cake, they're maybe a little. I mean they have a lot of depth. They both have a lot of depth and they both have a lot of character development, but by and large they're a little bit happier, a little bit more, you know like joyful.
Speaker 1:And then both of your second books, the X-Files and two to tango, are a little bit deeper and a little bit like darker, are a little bit deeper and a little bit like darker, but still have a lot of fun elements. But they're maybe not as like happy, joyful on the surface because there's so much going on underneath. So anyway, I it reminds me of the exile, kind of. As I was reading it I was like oh, I, I'm really really, really enjoying this.
Speaker 2:I'm. I mean, I've heard so many good things. It's literally on my shelf Like.
Speaker 1:You have to really focus on it, though, because it's one of those that, yeah, like there's a lot that you have to grapple with. So, yeah, that one's definitely a like wait till you can really focus and then and then you'll, um, you'll, enjoy it. But yeah, I saw a lot of similarities, just kind of an overall feeling, of tuto tango and the x-files the best compliment.
Speaker 2:You know, I didn't. Um, when I set out to write it, I knew that, that the first one was probably going to be the heaviest of the series. Um, the third, the third might be as well and, and so I didn't know how readers were going to react to it. You know, like it's the first book in a series and like people might either pick it up and be like I'm not reading any more of this or they might enjoy it so it was certainly a risk in it, but it it was the characters and and it just kind of the storyline you know.
Speaker 2:So it was a hard thing to to.
Speaker 1:I didn't want to have to change it and it's more realistic of, I feel like, what people would actually go through yeah, and you know there was a um, it might have been a review that I was tagged in.
Speaker 2:Actually, so to say, I don't normally like read reviews, but I was. It might have been one that I was tagged in and they had made a comment that you know, her character is very like stoic or very like closed off or something which, no, which is was not like didn't offend me in any way. I see your face. You're just like no, it didn't. I'm just I'm glad that that they saw that where she was, she's maybe not just very serious, right like this, isn't?
Speaker 1:she's not like this very fun, yeah I kind of get like maybe a little bit jaded, like jaded by her events.
Speaker 2:Yeah over yeah right, she's, I mean she's exhausted and she's over it. It's, you know, and there's certainly like fun and happy elements within her. I just think it takes a minute to get there and that's why she needs logan, because he helps bring us out that's true it's true, and there's still like fun moments like the uncrustables.
Speaker 1:That was just my favorite. It was so good.
Speaker 2:It was so good uh you know, and we talked about it I was like, when I was re writing this, I was like this is just so cute. But, um, you know, from the beginning I knew, I knew that I wanted to do this like grocery store scene and it worked out, and I like how you incorporated food still within it to relate a little bit more to your background, like the food at the bar and then the uncrustables and yeah. The food is never going to leave.
Speaker 2:I know, the food will always be there. I mean, it's a it's an important part of my life, like it's. I've been around food like for you know such a big part of my life, but I think it's a big, it's a very big part of relationships and how we interact with others. You know, even as something as simple as like friends going out for coffee or going out to dinner on like a first date, there's so much about food that I think sort of is encompasses a lot of relationships, and so I think it's always important and it's a set time for them to get together, whether it's the cousins eating appetizers at the bar right he's working or you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like you said, a date or anything like that, or a family dinner, or a family dinner, yep family dinner too so how would you describe the chemistry between logan and julie, and was it fun or was it really challenging to write their progression?
Speaker 2:I don't know that it was hard to write. I think Logan took a little bit of time for me to figure out, but once I figured him out, he he sort of worked a little bit easier. But even as I was figuring him out, when I had the two of them on the page, it always worked so well Like the two of them together on a page. Scenes always worked really well and so I think they gravitate towards each other a lot and I think their chemistry is very palpable. Maybe that's a strong of a word, but it's. It was even as I was writing it. Like the two of them together it was very strong.
Speaker 1:And you refer to them as magnets, like pulling to each other, yeah, yeah, and both dance, and, of course, off the dance floor as well, so that that makes sense. So what is the scene between Logan and Julie that you think perfectly illustrates their relationship?
Speaker 2:The first time they go to dance at the milonga. You know she's nervous. He hasn't really been in this scene in a very long time. He's been very sort of disillusioned by it. So I think when he gets back into it with her, I think that's really important because she sort of has struggled with a lot of her culture and she struggled with sort of finding something that she loves. Here she finds something that she loves and she even makes a comment, you know, like this feels like I've got a place here right, like I feel like I'm home here. And he kind of mimics it by saying you know I've always, this community has always been home to me, and so I think that sort of encapsulates a lot of how they feel, I mean, as they grow throughout the book, separately and then together, right, finding their ways back home figuratively and then essentially to each other as well.
Speaker 1:And overall this book has a really strong, of course, tango focus and what really drew you to the dance world, kind of as a backdrop, and how did you go about researching it?
Speaker 2:Um, so I have, I have this ongoing list of like book ideas, and one of the things that I just wrote on there was just like tango, like in caps, um and so, and because, like I mean, this is just like the most ridiculous list of like words and random things, whatever, um, and, and I would think about it. I mean so is just like the most ridiculous list of like words and random things, whatever, and, and I would think about it. I mean so. I'm from Argentina and I would think, you know God, I can't remember the last time, if ever, I read a book that had like tango in it. Right, that was like such a big focus of it and I knew that I didn't want it to be like a snippet.
Speaker 2:I wanted it to be a lot of my culture and just a lot of the tango aspect of it.
Speaker 2:There was a tango show in my city and I went to see it and I loved it.
Speaker 2:And I think at the time I was like just starting to outline the book, so I had reached out to the it was like the director, whoever had put it on it's from the they're from the Miami Tango Show, because I actually had put it on um it's from the they're from the miami tango show, because I actually had like put them in the acknowledgence as well.
Speaker 2:And so I reached out to him and I said, hey, you know, would I be able to talk to you and like ask you some questions? And so I did, and I was able to sit down with him for like probably about half hour hour and we talked about, um, a lot about like the tango culture, tang tango community. He talks sort of about the creative aspect of it, how hard it can be to kind of navigate through that as well, and so I talked to him, I did a lot of research online, I did a lot of like YouTube instructional videos, looking at stuff too, you know, and so, yeah, there was definitely a lot that got included in there because, like, as far as tango knowledge, it was very like bare minimum. Um, I have a cousin who's actually a tango dj, funny enough.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's cool complicated, we don't talk much so I didn't like really talk to him a whole lot about it, but I did did talk to the, the tango instructor who had done the show. So, yeah, so there there was a lot, a lot that I like really looked at and tried to to navigate as much as I could. There's also, are you familiar with Kelsey Painter? Yep, so I also talked to her, only because she, if it was, it must've been like a thread or something that she put out once. And she said you know, oh God, every time I read a book with like ballroom dancing and everything's always incorrect. And I said, oh my God, I said, can I DM you please, Like let me ask you some questions? And so we talked Um, and I also asked her a lot of like very random questions, a lot of um, cause this really doesn't focus so much on ballroom dancing.
Speaker 2:Ballroom dancing and tango dancing are like very different actually, like like argentine and ballroom tango are different, but I I asked her some questions as well and talked to her, and she read the book too. She said I didn't, everything seemed fine, I don't know, but um, so she was kind enough to talk to me too, so I did.
Speaker 2:I reached out to a lot of people, I talked to a lot of people about the, the whole dancing aspect to really get it, um, as, as I could, so I've actually heard from a lot of author friends that like they've had trouble trying to find people to reach out to whenever they need to like research something.
Speaker 1:So how did you go about? Like, how did you talk to the tango instructor? Did you say, hey, I'm writing this romance novel. Or did you say, hey, I'm just writing a book, can I talk to you about it?
Speaker 2:I um, I sent an email and I was like you know I mean worst thing he says is no like it is you know, um, and so I sent an email and I said, listen, I'm writing this book.
Speaker 2:I don't know when it's going to be out, but I I'm in the process of writing it and I would love to ask you some questions, um, and he responded and he said, yeah, well, I didn't hear from him for like a week and then eventually responded and he said yes, and then I was like freaking out. I was like, oh god, he said yes, like I don't know, this is such a terrible idea, um, but he was, he was very courteous and he was able to give me his time and it was very nice, um, so yeah, and then I really a lot of it has been just like dming people and some people have been so kind, which is, which is, you know, always makes it much easier. You, you know, a much easier process.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it only takes a couple of the right people to take their time and take a look at it.
Speaker 2:And then, you've got your research, it's true. I mean, I will say that I did email um and let him know when the book was out. I was like, hey, the book is out now and I never heard back.
Speaker 1:So you know that's okay, but but yeah, it was, he was very, he was very kind. That's cool, yeah, because I'm sure it's hard to find the exact people like. Luckily with you you had the tango show and you were able to also see that other post on threads, that kind of like spurred, oh hey, these are the people I can talk to, versus just like cold going. Okay, how do I figure out who I'm gonna talk to so that but you know, sometimes, sometimes that's, that's the way to do it too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's, I've, I've sort of um, you know, I don't know if it's. Obviously social media is so vast right there, and sometimes you sort of run in the same circles with certain people, and sometimes there are people that you just have never even crossed your algorithm Right, and so I've gotten a little bit better about navigating and finding people, which has been nice, but there is there's, so there's a lot out there.
Speaker 1:It's, it's a lot, but yeah, Well, cool, I can definitely tell in, like the descriptions of the steps and how you know. It's not just like and we went to class and we danced and we were done. It's like no, here are the steps, here's what we're doing, can you tell? I've read a lot of books that are like we're playing basketball, but we just got back from practice. Or oh, we're dancing, but man, that lesson was great. Okay, time to get water.
Speaker 2:And you're like wait well, you know, because, because the tango was such a big part of it, I really did want to focus a lot on the steps.
Speaker 1:Was it overkill, maybe, but I mean no, I think it worked yes, it was all within within their lessons and I like the idea of inheriting the tango shoes, like having a tangible object to kind of guide us through.
Speaker 2:I'll be honest, a lot of my thoughts come when I'm like brainstorming, walking my dog, so I just all these things I just envisioned walking my dog and I was like, oh um, I knew I wanted some sort of like catalyst for it and and I think that that was a really big thing. And then it sort of it's. It grew into a series where it could all be tied together by this one grandparent and that's how it sort of snowballed from there yeah, so how does the setting contribute to the character's journeys and romantic tension?
Speaker 2:tango is such a sensual dance that it's. It was very easy to kind of incorporate that um, but I think when it comes to tension, a lot of it comes from what I call like the little things right, like the little glances and the little touches and the feeling and and the build. And so I knew that tango was going to create a very good environment for that and I knew that private lessons were going to create a very good environment for that, and I knew that private lessons were going to create a very good environment for that. Move out of the way, ethan. No, ethan, you suck loser. So, um, right and but also right. But then you know, here comes this guy like oh, what a loser, but that's OK, he showed himself out, he was fine. And so the proximity I think really helped the nature of the dance. I think really helped the way that it sort of escalated, the way that it sort of left the dance studio and they found themselves at, like the dive bar. I think all of those things sort of contributed to it.
Speaker 1:You know I can tell it definitely seemed very natural, like a natural progression. So okay, hypothetical situation which of julie's cousins, delphi or t, would be most likely to win a dance-off, and why?
Speaker 2:um, who would win the dance now? Are we talking like dance-off? Are we talking like a ballroom competition?
Speaker 1:oh, that's a good point. Hmm, it could be either one. It could be either one. I don't know though, because you know gavin was saying um was making fun of t's dance move, yeah, something about her flailing her arms, so so I don't know, it could really. It could be either.
Speaker 2:I think T would absolutely win the dance off, but I think if it came to like a ballroom competition, I think Delphina would probably be the winner in that. Maybe not, maybe not, but I think I think she probably would be. That's true. That's true. Oh, that's very true okay.
Speaker 1:So if you could step into the world of your book for a day, what scene would you want to experience firsthand?
Speaker 2:only because I've never been a part of it. I would love to experience the competition aspect. She like went and did the dance, um, I can't say that's something that I've ever been a part of, you know, but I think that would be nice to to experience, um, so I would say that yep, I, I agree, it's hard to pick one one spot in one scene.
Speaker 1:What? What's your answer? I don't know. I think maybe I would just like to be a fly on the wall during one of, like, their private lessons, just because it was so, it was so cute and it's like the way like I would like to see see them dance. But you know, when it's in like a competition or something like that, it's a little bit more polished. So like, maybe if I just saw their practice and I could kind of see more of like them as a couple, where they don't have to be so like okay, we're on and we're performing this, I feel like I would want to see, yeah, just their practice and how they interact, because they interact so well with each other. But it's so cute, but yeah, I like that answer.
Speaker 2:I like that but they're both.
Speaker 1:they're both good and of course the competition will be fun, because then you get to see the actual dance and, like the costume and the, you know when the adrenaline's going and everything's a little bit more polished and fancy and you know you have a cheering audience watching you. Okay, I'm trying to think of what I would even say for one piece of advice.
Speaker 2:Logan would. I feel like Logan would be the easier one to go, or maybe, you know, I think I think the thing with Julie is she's very quick to give advice and not so quick to take it right. So I think with her, it would be more about taking risks in life and allowing yourself to be open to people and allowing yourself to be loved and allowing yourself to be taken care of. I think that's a big thing for her, and the same could be said for Logan, but maybe in a different way. You know, he's the younger brother who had to deal with the divorce, right, and who had the older brother taking care of him, um, but then he sort of turns that around and becomes the one taking care of her, in a way. Um, but yeah, what were you? What? What's your? What were you gonna say about logan?
Speaker 1:yeah, a kind of similar vein. So, on logan, I feel like he would say something to the effect of because he tells Julie this several times you just have to let yourself have it, like, let yourself have this, let yourself have this, and I think that it you know, that's something that I feel like you're always questioning it, especially now with, like all the dating apps and craziness. You're like is this right? And you almost overanalyze to the point of frustration, which I feel like Julie tends to do, and she gets in her head a lot, and so that's when you need someone like Logan to say just just let yourself have this, just kind of let yourself be in the moment and stop like overanalyzing everything and just be where it goes, without always thinking of everything else that you have to do or be or whatever emails are pinging on your phone, julie or you're right.
Speaker 2:You're right and you know you to understand that you're deserving of the happiness. Right, because that's the guilt is, like, always been the big thing with her.
Speaker 1:So yeah yeah, I mean easier said than done, but yeah true, definitely easier said than done, but you know're characters, so they're just giving us some great advice. Hopefully we take it. I don't know, yeah, so one last question is there anything else that you would like readers to know about two to tango or the series as a whole?
Speaker 2:this is a very personal book and I knew going into it that it would work for some readers and it probably wouldn't work for others, which is fair, um, but I think it's a really important book and I think it's a book about letting yourself have joy and letting yourself feel deserving of things.
Speaker 2:I think a lot of it is going to resonate, probably with, like, immigrant kids and you know, I had a couple of friends who are immigrant kids themselves read this too and because I think the parent guilt, parental guilt, is very heavy with immigrant kids.
Speaker 2:So that's not to say that it's not heavy otherwise, because it can be regardless, but I think it's such a big thing when it comes to moving to a new country and trying to navigate a new country and trying to succeed in a new country, right, and maybe that's the part that won't resonate with a lot of readers, or maybe it will, but I think that's an important part of the story and I think it's something that needs to be, maybe needs be, but you know, um, I wanted to write about, let's say that so, um, but there's also like hot dancing, so and uncrustables and, like you know this, like really fun um, group of characters. Um, and the next book is going to have a really crazy group of characters, and so, um, the next book will be a little bit more fun as well. I will say that.
Speaker 1:You know, I think we started on like a somber note, but I think the second one is going to be, um, a little bit more fun but I'm looking forward to like the bar interactions and because there anything could happen, like if you think about literally and I'm sure probably anything does happen yeah, so, um, it's going to be this like restaurant setting.
Speaker 2:It's going to be fast paced and nuts and um, and like banter is probably going to be all over the place, but it's going to be fun, it's going to be fun.
Speaker 1:And I was going to say one last thing on um, where you were talking about the immigrant kid situation, even though obviously, like, I can't relate to that. But when I was reading it, I mean I couldn't relate to it firsthand, but as I was reading it I realized like, oh my gosh, there's so many things that you don't think about. Like you're pointing out the legalities and how it's just a constant fight and how much money it is and how long it goes on, and you kind of have that uneasy feeling going forward and that's just something that I never would have thought about unless I had read, you know, a book like this. That puts it kind of in more of a personal perspective. So I feel like, even if you can't relate to it first hand, it puts it into a little bit more of a relatable perspective to where you go oh wow I never would have thought of it that way yeah
Speaker 1:but it was a joy. It was a joy to talk to you, it was a joy to read your book and obviously I'm going to be looking forward to the next books. You're on my auto by author list, so yeah, oh, thank you. That's it for today. Thanks for listening to where I left off a bookish podcast. You can visit Natalia's site, follow her and on social media and, of course, purchase her novels through the links in the show notes, and you can always find them on kindle, unlimited. Thank you.