Friday, December 29, 2017

Friday Book Club

It's time for the final Friday Book Club of 2017!! What were your favorite books this year?

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Silver Silence Paperback


Silver Silence is now out in paperback! The ebook price has also dropped. :-) International readers - your official release date is January 4th, though some paperbacks have already been spotted in the wild. I hope you enjoy the bears!! 

Monday, December 25, 2017

Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays


Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. 🎄💕 I hope you have a book filled season. 😊

Sunday, December 24, 2017

A Very Beary Christmas Giveaway - Winner

Congratulations Dominika, you've won the international hardcover edition of Silver Silence! Drop me a note (naliniDOTassistantATgmailDOTcom) with your shipping address.

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway. Best wishes for the holidays! :-)

~Ashwini

Friday, December 22, 2017

Friday Book Club

The Friday Book Club is now open. What are you reading and loving this week?

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Bookish Presents


Looking for some bookish presents? Don't forget the merch store! Any profits go to charity, so you can shop with a clear conscience. :-)

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

A Very Beary Christmas

Contest Closed

One last giveaway for 2017 (where did the time go?!) - a beautiful signed UK hardcover edition of Silver Silence.

To enter the random draw, simply leave a comment on this post or on the Goodreads feed of this blog post. If you usually leave comments as Anonymous, please leave your first name and the initial of your last name on your comment in case you are the winner. International entries welcome.

Entries close Sunday 24th December at 10pm New Zealand time. One entry per person. Void where prohibited. One winner will be chosen from the combined blog and Goodreads comments. Winner's name will be posted on the blog on Sunday 24th  December 10:30pm New Zealand time. Winner will have one week to claim their prize.

Good luck! ~Ashwini

Monday, December 18, 2017

Guild Hunter Mug and Archangel's Viper Promo Card Giveaway - Winner

Congratulations Filipa S., you've won the Guild Hunter mug and Archangel's Viper promo card! Drop me a note (naliniDOTassistantATgmailDOTcom) with your shipping address.

Thanks to everyone who entered. :-)

~Ashwini

Friday, December 15, 2017

Friday Book Club

Friday Book Club time! What reads are you loving this week?

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Something Special For The Holidays

Contest Closed

Fancy drinking your morning tea or coffee (or hot chocolate!) out of an awesome Guild Hunter mug?? Well, it so happens that we have a spare available... Plus, we'll include a limited edition Archangel's Viper promo card.

To enter the random draw, simply leave a comment on this post or on the Goodreads feed of this blog post. If you usually leave comments as Anonymous, please leave your first name and the initial of your last name on your comment in case you are the winner. International entries welcome.

Entries close Sunday 17th December at 10pm New Zealand time. One entry per person. Void where prohibited. One winner will be chosen from the combined blog and Goodreads comments. Winner's name will be posted on the blog on Monday 18th December New Zealand time. Winner will have one week to claim their prize.

Good luck! ~Ashwini

Monday, December 11, 2017

Silver Silence Giveaway - Winner

Congratulations library addict, you've won the signed US hardcover edition of Silver Silence! Drop me a note (naliniDOTassistantATgmailDOTcom) with your shipping address.

Thanks for all the great comments everyone. More awesome giveaways to come! :-)

~Ashwini


Sunday, December 10, 2017

Grab Rock Addiction Ebook For Free!

The Rock Addiction ebook is currently free on all platforms! If you're not seeing it for free on your retailer yet, please give it a few more days for the price change to kick in, or try a different retailer. This is a sizzling rock romance full of heat and raw emotion - and the series is complete, so if you enjoy RA, you don't have to wait for the other books! - xoxo Nalini

Friday, December 08, 2017

Friday Book Club

Time to talk books! What are you reading and loving this week?

Tuesday, December 05, 2017

There's Nothing Quite Like Silver Silence

Contest Closed

To celebrate the upcoming paperback release of Silver Silence, we're giving away a signed US hardcover edition! 🐻

To enter the random draw, simply leave a comment on this post or on the Goodreads feed of this blog post. If you usually leave comments as Anonymous, please leave your first name and the initial of your last name on your comment in case you are the winner. International entries welcome.

Entries close Sunday 10th December at 10pm New Zealand time. One entry per person. Void where prohibited. One winner will be chosen from the combined blog and Goodreads comments. Winner's name will be posted on the blog on Monday 11th December New Zealand time.

Good luck! ~Ashwini

Saturday, December 02, 2017

New French Translation

Silver Silence is now out in French!!!🐻🐻🐻❤️




Friday, December 01, 2017

Friday Book Club

The Friday Book Club is now open. What are you reading and loving this week?

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Merry #BerkleyBookmas


I wrote something for you. It involves wolves, baubles, and cake. Hosted by USA Today's HEA blog. Click here to read. #BerkleyBookmas

Friday, November 24, 2017

Friday Book Club

Friday Book Club time! What reads are you loving this week?

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Der Leserpreis Readers' Choice - Final Voting Round

Wild Embrace 
Archangel's Heart
I received some wonderful news from LovelyBooks.de - two of my books have reached the final round of the readers’ choice award DER LESERPREIS! Thank you to all of you who voted!

Engelsherz” and “Wilde Umarmung” have both been shortlisted in the Fantasy & Science Fiction category.

You can see the Fantasy & Science Fiction shortlist here. The final round of voting is open until November 28th. :-)

Goodreads Choice Awards Finals



Thanks to you, Silver Silence and the rowdy 🐻🐻🐻 are in the finals of the Goodreads Choice Awards!!!! 💕Thank you!! 🤗💕 Click here to vote in the final round!

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Sailor Bishop and Vampires


 If you haven't yet got your hands on Cherish Hard, you can read a brand new excerpt from the book over at Natasha is a Book Junkie!

Also, print copies of Cherish Hard are now available from: Amazon, Amazon.ca, and Barnes & Noble. More links to follow.

And from a hot gardener to a deadly vampire... A fun article for you: Entertainment Weekly has included Dmitri (Archangel's Blade) in its “Dracula and 23 More Literary Vampires We Love” gallery. Click here to read the full article. Who are your favorite vampires?



Friday, November 17, 2017

Friday Book Club

Time to talk books! What are you reading and loving this week?

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Ocean Light International Cover Love

Check out the smouldering international cover for OCEAN LIGHT! His cheekbones! The bubbles!! I hope you all love it just as much as I do!

Release date: June 2018
Click to read an advanced excerpt

Pre-order Links (more to come as they go live)

International

Ebook: GooglePlayiBooksKindleAuKindleNZKindleUKKobo
Hardcover: Amazon.ukBookDepoWaterstones
Audiobook: To follow

North America

Ebook: BAM, iBooks, Kindle, Kindle.ca, Kobo, NOOK
Hardcover: Amazon, Amazon.ca, B&N, BookDepo, BAM, Chapters, IndBnd, PRH
Audiobook: To follow


Saturday, November 11, 2017

Good News


Some amazing news to share! Amazon announced its picks for the best books of the year this week and Silver Silence is on the list for romance! Click here to view the full list.

Thank you everyone for loving these rowdy bears!! 

Friday, November 10, 2017

Friday Book Club

The Friday Book Club is now open. What are you reading and loving this week?

Thursday, November 09, 2017

Goodreads Choice Awards Semifinals



The bears have made it to the semifinal round of the Goodreads Choice Awards!! So go forth and vote! :-) ~Ashwini

Wednesday, November 08, 2017

iBooks Australia and New Zealand - Cherish Hard


Only a week till CHERISH HARD releases, and I just got some awesome news! Sailor and Ísa's book has been chosen as part of iBooks Australia & New Zealand's "What to Read This Month" feature! Click here to see all the recommended reads (link will only work in Aus/NZ).

I can't wait to share this story with you!!

Tuesday, November 07, 2017

Cherish Hard Giveaway - Winner

Congratulations Jen Dempsey, you've won the advanced copy of Cherish Hard! Drop me a note (naliniDOTassistantATgmailDOTcom) with your shipping info.

Thanks to everyone who entered. More awesome contests to come! :-)

~Ashwini

Saturday, November 04, 2017

Sale News: Rock Hard (worldwide) & Angels' Blood (UK)


Rock Hard, usually US$5.99 is currently US$4.99 everywhere. So if you haven't met the gorgeous Bishop-Esera boys yet, this is a good chance.

Kindle, KindleAu, KindleCaKindleNZ, KindleUKKoboiBooks, Nook

UK readers - the ebook of Angels' Blood is currently on sale for 99p!

KindleUK, iBooks, Kobo

Friday, November 03, 2017

Friday Book Club

Friday Book Club time! What reads are you loving this week?

Thursday, November 02, 2017

Wednesday, November 01, 2017

Take Sailor Home

CONTEST CLOSED

It's reader appreciation time! The giveaway? A print proof (a.k.a. an advanced copy) of Cherish Hard!

To enter the random draw, simply leave a comment on this post (Goodreads peeps - your comment must be on the main blog post). If you usually leave comments as Anonymous, please leave your first name and the initial of your last name on your comment in case you are the winner. International entries welcome.

Entries close Monday November 6th at 10pm New Zealand time. One entry per person. Void where prohibited. One winner will be chosen from the comments on this blog post. Winner's name will be posted on the blog on Tuesday 7th November New Zealand time.

Good luck! ~Ashwini

Friday, October 27, 2017

Friday Book Club

Time to talk books! What are you reading and loving this week?

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Ocean Light Cover & Excerpt!!!

I ADORE this cover! It just glows with light!!

Artist is the fantastic Tony Mauro. Cover design by the Berkley Art Department.


OCEAN LIGHT
June 2018

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh dives beneath the surface of her Psy-Changeling world into a story of passionate devotion and selfless love...

Security specialist Bowen Knight has come back from the dead. But there’s a ticking time bomb in his head: a chip implanted to block telepathic interference that could fail at any moment—taking his brain along with it. With no time to waste, he should be back on land helping the Human Alliance. Instead, he’s at the bottom of the ocean, consumed with an enigmatic changeling...

Kaia Luna may have traded in science for being a chef, but she won’t hide the facts of Bo’s condition from him or herself. She’s suffered too much loss in her life to fall prey to the dangerous charm of a human who is a dead man walking. And she carries a devastating secret Bo could never imagine…

But when Kaia is taken by those who mean her deadly harm, all bets are off. Bo will do anything to get her back—even if it means striking a devil’s bargain and giving up his mind to the enemy…

Pre-order Links (more to follow as they go live)

North America

Ebook: BAMiBooks, Kindle, Kindle.caKobo, Nook
Hardcover: Amazon, Amazon.caB&N, BookDepo, BAM, Chapters, IndBnd, PRH
Audiobook: To follow

International

Ebook: To follow
Print: Amazon.uk, BookDepo, Waterstones
Audiobook: To follow

(Extremely!) advance excerpt from OCEAN LIGHT by Nalini Singh
(Subject to changes)

Blissful hot liquid poured over Bo, the thin needles stabbing deliciously into his scalp and skin. The last time he’d consciously felt the touch of water had been in that Venetian canal, cool dark closing over his head. He couldn’t actually remember hitting the water, but he remembered Lily’s frantic eyes and searching hands, remembered the starburst in his chest, remembered the water sliding into his mouth and into his lungs.

Gripping the memories in a tight fist, he raised his face deliberately to the droplets raining from the showerhead. As it sluiced away the past, running over his face and down his shoulders to his chest, his mind flashed to that semisecond when Kaia had been in touching distance, the curves of her a siren song.

His body stirred.

He shoved his hands through his hair and shook his head to dislodge the sensory impact of her. But no matter what he did, her scent continued to haunt him. Ever after he used the shampoo and soap from the dispensers on the wall, he was haunted by the warmth of cinnamon and the luscious bite of a tropical flower.

It lingered on his tongue as strongly as the echo of her wild fury.

Frowning, Bo finally shut off the water. He let himself drip dry for several minutes before he leaned forward and dragged a towel from the rail. Rubbing his hair with the towel, he considered everything Kaia had said and done. She was angry with him, this woman he’d never before met, incredibly angry, yet she’d helped bring him back to life.

His instincts stretched awake. Bo had spent his adult life unearthing secrets and unravelling enigmas. It seemed fitting that he spend what might be his final weeks attempting to solve the mystery that was Kaia.

A bunching of his muscles, his hand fisting to bone-white tightness.

And he made a decision—he wouldn’t waste the time he had and he wouldn’t consider death an inevitability. He’d live. Protect his people. Laugh with his sister and his friends. Kiss a cook with angry brown eyes and a scent that frustrated and haunted.

If Bowen Adrian Knight was to cease to exist, he’d go out on his own terms.

Copyright © 2017 by Nalini Singh

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

We Love Libraries

The Bacon Free Library is currently running some awesome Swag Bag Auctions (bidding is on eBay) to raise funds for their library.

There are lots of writers who have contributed swag. Nalini's swag bag auction (free international shipping) includes signed US paperback editions of Psy-Changeling books 1-6 plus Wild Invitation, a tote bag, and a Psy-Changeling mug.

For more info on the auctions, click here. :)

~Ashwini

Friday, October 20, 2017

Friday Book Club

The Friday Book Club is now open. What are you reading and loving this week?

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Happy Diwali

Happy Diwali my friends! Diwali is the Festival of Lights - wishing you lots of light and joy in your lives.


Image credit: By Khokarahman - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Friday, October 13, 2017

Friday Book Club

Friday Book Club time! What reads are you loving this week?

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Cherish Hard - Coming November 14th

Sailor and Ísa's book!! Check out the gorgeous cover - I love that smile. That's definitely Sailor. :)


Releasing November 14th
(Print preorder to come)

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh kicks off her new Hard Play contemporary romance series with a sizzling story that’ll leave you smiling…

Sailor Bishop has only one goal for his future – to create a successful landscaping business. No distractions allowed. Then he comes face-to-face and lips-to-lips with a woman who blushes like an innocent… and kisses like pure sin.

Ísa Rain craves a man who will cherish her, aches to create a loving family of her own. Trading steamy kisses with a hot gardener in a parking lot? Not the way to true love. Then a deal with the devil (aka her CEO-mother) makes Ísa a corporate VP for the summer. Her main task? Working closely with a certain hot gardener.

And Sailor Bishop has wickedness on his mind.

As Ísa starts to fall for a man who makes her want to throttle and pounce on him at the same time, she knows she has to choose – play it safe and steady, or risk all her dreams and hope Sailor doesn’t destroy her heart.


Excerpt from CHERISH HARD
By Nalini Singh

Fuming, Ísa made sure to set the alarm system and lock up. Everyone else was already well into their summer vacation—the sole reason Ísa was here was because she hadn’t been able to work on her lesson plans at home.

Her upstairs neighbor was having repairs done to her bathroom that required banging and hammering.

Not all of it involved nails and wood.

Hopefully the repairs would be finished by now. There was only so much ecstatic orgasmic screaming that a single woman in online-dating purgatory could stand without being driven to violence.

She spotted the tan-colored gardening truck the instant she came down the front steps of the school’s imposing redbrick main building and turned left to head toward her car. The hot gardener had parked it right next to her zippy blue compact. The front of the truck had four doors with tinted windows while the large bed was piled with shovels and other manly tools as well as a huge sack of clippings.

His light brown T-shirt was hanging over the top of the tailgate.

Which meant he was still walking around topless somewhere around here.

“Get in your car, Ísa,” she muttered to herself, well aware what would happen if she came face-to-face with that delicious hunk of manhood. Because while she might’ve conquered her shyness, she knew her limits.

Confronted by a bare-chested man who made her ovaries explode, she’d turn bright pink, lose her ability to form speech, and end of story. “Oh—”

She would’ve bounced off that sculpted chest if he hadn’t grabbed her by the hips.

“Hey, sorry,” he said with a startled smile that lit up the dazzling blue of his eyes. “I didn’t see you.”

“No, um, my fault.” It looked as if he’d crouched down to check one of his tires or something else but had risen to his feet right when she swung around to get into her car. And God, his skin was so hot and smooth and he was so tall and his shoulders were so broad and her mouth was drying up. The stuttering would begin at any moment.

The same stuttering Suzanne had mocked relentlessly when they were fourteen. Until Ísa had gone silent around everyone except the few friends she trusted. And now that horrible, ugly-hearted girl was getting married, having a baby, getting a happily-ever-after. Added to which, Ísa’s mother was jerking her on a string like she was a marionette, and her last “date” had asked her to call him Woofy and reward him with doggy biscuits.

The blue of the gardener’s eyes flickered with a hot flame.

And she thought… I know him. But before she could follow that faint thread, all the fury and hurt and frustration and sheer aggravation in Ísa ignited into an incandescent inferno.

She went mad.

Grabbing the hot gardener’s beautiful face in her hands, she said, “I want to kiss you.”

A wicked grin. “Go on ahead.”

And Ísa pressed her lips to his.

Copyright © 2017 by Nalini Singh



Sunday, October 08, 2017

Sailor & Ísa's book: Review Copies and Cover Reveal Information

Reviewers: If you'd like to participate in the cover reveal and/or review tour for my next contemporary romance, the signup sheet is now open! (Review copies will also soon be available for request on NetGalley.) 

We can't say yes to all requests, but I so appreciate any help in getting the word out about the book!

Saturday, October 07, 2017

Holly's Song

I have to share something special. Reader JerrisWheel wrote and sang a song for Holly, inspired by the airport scene between Holly and Mia.

It's such a sweet, sad, hopeful song. Please do listen! She's on Twitter as @jerriswheel if you want to give her a shoutout!

Friday, October 06, 2017

Friday Book Club

Time to talk books! What are you reading and loving this week?

Wednesday, October 04, 2017

Good News Plus A Special Interview

Great news! Archangel's Viper was selected as an Amazon Best of the Month pick in romance! Thank you for the wonderful messages, comments, and reviews. You're the best!!

Also, the German translation of Wild Embrace is now available. For those readers who have been waiting for the translation, I hope you fall in love with these stories.

And last but not least: A few years ago, Venom lost a bet to Dmitri and had to give an interview to Immortal Insider magazine. :D Here is that interview, by one Missy Lemon, in all its glory. Enjoy!

Saturday, September 30, 2017

SPOILER ZONE: Archangel's Viper


This is the dedicated *spoiler* thread for Archangel's Viper and earlier books in the series. Spoilers abound, so be warned!!

Usual rules: be kind to your fellow commenters and have fun. This spoiler thread will remain active as long as the blog does, so you can join in at any time. :-)

I don't monitor the thread for questions, so if you have a Q for me, you can email me (nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com).

Friday, September 29, 2017

Friday Book Club

The Friday Book Club is now open. What are you reading and loving this week?

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Archangel's Viper Release & Interviews

Venom and Holly are hitting shelves, mailboxes, and e-readers around the world!!!!!

I hope you fall in love with their story.

Also, I have a couple of new interviews that have just gone up.

Gravetells Interview

&

Interview at USA Today HEA Blog

And, if you haven't yet got your hands on Archangel's Viper, you can read a new excerpt over at Under the Covers.


Friday, September 22, 2017

Friday Book Club

Friday Book Club time! What reads are you loving this week?

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Archangel's Viper Audiobook

Audiobook fans - The US/Canada audiobook of Archangel's Viper is now up for preorder! The international audiobook preorder has been available for a little while - so now you can order the audiobook worldwide. Less than a week to go till release day!





North America: Audible, Amazon, iTunes (link will go live on September 26th)

International: Audible, Amazon.uk, iTunes (link will go live on September 28th)

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Archangel's Viper Excerpt

Only a week to go before ARCHANGEL'S VIPER hits the shelves!!

To tide you over, check out this exclusive excerpt over at Heroes & Heartbreakers!


Friday, September 15, 2017

Friday Book Club

Time to talk books! What are you reading and loving this week?

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Guess which two characters won the Heroes & Heartbreakers poll for Characters Who Need to Make Out Already but Haven't Yet? :D


Tuesday, September 12, 2017

New French Translation


A shout out to my French readers. The French edition of Rock Redemption is out now. I hope you love it!

Monday, September 11, 2017

Archangel's Viper Promo Card Giveaway - Winners

Thanks for your comments everyone. :-) The random winners of the signed promo cards are:

Blog winners:

Chantal W.
Kennedy H.
Chris L.

Goodreads winners:

Pria N.
Tonnie G.

Congratulations to the winners! Drop me a note (naliniDOTassistantATgmailDOTcom) with your shipping address.  ~Ashwini

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Archangel's Viper Audiobook Giveaway

US residents - My audiobook publisher is giving away 5 copies of Archangel's Viper (MP3-CDs) via Goodreads. Click here for more info. :) Good luck!

Friday, September 08, 2017

Friday Book Club

The Friday Book Club is now open. What are you reading and loving this week?

Thursday, September 07, 2017

Archangel's Viper Promo Card Giveaway



Contest Closed

In the countdown to Archangel's Viper (!) we have another awesome giveaway! Five winners will each receive a limited edition signed Archangel's Viper promo card. To enter the random draw, leave a comment on this post. :)

Three winners will be chosen from the comments on this blog post, and two winners will be chosen from the comments on the Goodreads feed of this blog post. If your comment is usually marked as "anonymous" please include a name/nickname in case you win.

~Ashwini

The fine print: Contest is open internationally. Entries close Sunday 10th September at 10pm New Zealand time. One entry per person. Winners will be chosen randomly using random.org and their names will be posted on this blog on Monday 11th September. Each winner will have 1 week from the time of notification to contact me, otherwise he or she will forfeit the prize. Void where prohibited.

Tuesday, September 05, 2017

Archangel's Viper Sweepstakes



US residents - My USA publisher is running a sweepstakes to win early copies of ARCHANGEL'S VIPER! Click here for more info. :) Good luck!

Friday, September 01, 2017

Friday Book Club

Friday Book Club time! What reads are you loving this week?

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Ocean Light

Coming 2018

OCEAN LIGHT
A Psy-Changeling Trinity Novel

by 

Nalini Singh


Saturday, August 26, 2017

Heart of Obsidian on Sale!

US readers: My US publisher has put HEART OF OBSIDIAN (ebook) on sale! You can grab it for $1.99 across all major ebook platforms.

The sale will end shortly, so if you want to snag a copy, do it now. :-)

Friday, August 25, 2017

Friday Book Club

Time to talk books! What are you reading and loving this week?

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Venom, Kaleb, and Sailor

The August newsletter has gone out complete with a brand new Archangel's Viper excerpt, a new Psy-Changeling short story, and all kinds of other goodness. If you're a subscriber and didn't get it, email Ashwini (naliniDOTassistantATgmailDOTcom) and she'll make sure you have a copy. If you aren't yet a subscriber, you can join now on my website: www.nalinisingh.com.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Eclipse Talk

I know it's solar eclipse day in the US today. (I'm totally jealous!) Did any of you go out to view it? Who watched the NASA live feed? I did!

Friday, August 18, 2017

Friday Book Club

The Friday Book Club is now open. What are you reading and loving this week?

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Catchup Time

It's been a while since we've caught up. What are you up to at the moment? I've been working on the next Psy-Changeling book, but I've caught a bit of a cold this week, so I haven't been able to do as much as I would've liked. Okay, your turn!

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Happy August Giveaway - Winners

Congratulations to Amy C. (blog winner) and Janice B. (Goodreads winner), who've both won a signed book of their choice from Nalini's already published list of titles. Amy and Janice - drop me a note (naliniDOTassistantATgmailDOTcom) with your shipping address and the title of the book you'd like from Nalini. :-)

~Ashwini

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

November Release

Archangel's Viper is coming up in September (woohoo!), but guess what? I'm going to have another release in November! If you enjoyed my rugby-playing hero in ROCK HARD, I'm happy to tell you that you'll be getting the story of his brother Sailor in November! Sailor is a hot gardener, a man who loves rugby and family, and he has the same wicked sense of humor as his brother. His heroine, Ísa, is funny and smart and isn't about to be charmed by a blue-eyed man with sin on his mind. Release date: November 14th. Pre-order not yet live. p.s. If you haven't read Rock Hard yet, do check it out! I adore this fun, romantic story set in my hometown. :)