¡Hola Marina! My Spanish teacher recommended Books & Besos. He loves your writing style. I'm American and live in Germany. The last thing that warmed my heart was my cat snuggling up to me.
¡Hola, Susan! Your Spanish teacher is very kind! Madeira is full of Germans to the point that my kid is learning words and sentences without trying. Nice to meet you! (and your cat)
Hei Marina 😄 Originally I am from Norway, but I’ve now lived in Scotland 9 years.
I enjoy your writing and recommendations.
Last thing that warmed my heart is my dog wakes me up with kisses and then shove the duvet so she can climb underneath and have a 30 minute cuddle session before we start our day ❤️
Nice to meet you, Anne-Marie, and thanks for your kind words!
Oh my god, your dog is adorable.
Fun fact: the protagonist of my book is a Norwegian-to-Spanish translator! She also translates from English, but I wanted her to be obsessed with a culture rich in folklore and legends. I visited Norway (Oslo and Bergen) a few years ago, and it was absolutely stunning.
Hi Marina, I'm Rebecca from Ohio but living in Albania. I founf you through...honestly I have no idea: anothrr Substacker! And the last thing that warmed my heart, let's see...a nice cup of tea at a cafe with a smug glare at the old dictator's house across the street (good riddance)
Hey Rebecca! I think I found your blog through another expat’s Substack. Thanks so much for chiming in.
Fun fact: for years, I thought there were two different states—one called Ohio and another called Ohayo—because I never made the connection between what I read in books and what I heard in movies.
I think part of the problem is that most shows and movies in Spain are dubbed, so they pronounce “Ohio” with very hard j and y sounds. Still, I was truly shocked when I found out the truth lol
I asked my friends from Málaga and they do use it but ChatGPT says I’m making it up lol. I need to do more research before making wide assumptions about “Spain.”
Hi, Jacobo! The Strategic Pork, that's the funniest thing I've read today lol
Re: your subscriber—it’s funny, I’ve been writing online since 2003 and have received literally thousands of messages from readers. I still remember how it felt when those first few people would write or leave a comment. That initial excitement does fade over time… but I’m rediscovering it with this new project, and it’s been such a joy.
My point is: savor those first subscribers and those early weeks or months on the platform—they are truly special and won't come back.
¡Hola Marina! My Spanish teacher recommended Books & Besos. He loves your writing style. I'm American and live in Germany. The last thing that warmed my heart was my cat snuggling up to me.
Susan
¡Hola, Susan! Your Spanish teacher is very kind! Madeira is full of Germans to the point that my kid is learning words and sentences without trying. Nice to meet you! (and your cat)
My German ex lives in Portugal. I'll tell him about Madeira 😂
¡Hola mundo! My name is Vanesa, I'm a venezuelan living in Colombian coast. I'm a reader from Psicosupervivencia.
Last thing that warmed my heart were my little piano students doing great on a concert! They're growing up so fast :')
Nice meeting you, Vanesa! Can’t even imagine the pride of seeing your students grow up and perform! Thanks for sharing.
Hei Marina 😄 Originally I am from Norway, but I’ve now lived in Scotland 9 years.
I enjoy your writing and recommendations.
Last thing that warmed my heart is my dog wakes me up with kisses and then shove the duvet so she can climb underneath and have a 30 minute cuddle session before we start our day ❤️
Nice to meet you, Anne-Marie, and thanks for your kind words!
Oh my god, your dog is adorable.
Fun fact: the protagonist of my book is a Norwegian-to-Spanish translator! She also translates from English, but I wanted her to be obsessed with a culture rich in folklore and legends. I visited Norway (Oslo and Bergen) a few years ago, and it was absolutely stunning.
See you around, and thanks for participating!
Hi Marina, I'm Rebecca from Ohio but living in Albania. I founf you through...honestly I have no idea: anothrr Substacker! And the last thing that warmed my heart, let's see...a nice cup of tea at a cafe with a smug glare at the old dictator's house across the street (good riddance)
Hey Rebecca! I think I found your blog through another expat’s Substack. Thanks so much for chiming in.
Fun fact: for years, I thought there were two different states—one called Ohio and another called Ohayo—because I never made the connection between what I read in books and what I heard in movies.
And yes, good riddance to dictators, indeed!
Lmao I've never heard that one about Ohio before but it sure makes sense, thanks for sharing!
I think part of the problem is that most shows and movies in Spain are dubbed, so they pronounce “Ohio” with very hard j and y sounds. Still, I was truly shocked when I found out the truth lol
Hi, Marina! Laura here, from Zamora based in Bizkaia. By the way, it's the first time I heard about "Dame un ay"! 😂 I just had to tell you!
Really? Maybe it's an Andalusian thing? Or perhaps you Basque people are too tough for hugs lol. Thanks for your comment, Laura!!
Sorry, I just reread your comment and saw you’re from Zamora!
No "ays" in Madrid either :-D
Jajajaja!! Yes, in Zamora we love hugs! But... I agree with you: in Bizkaia people are... a little bit tough 😎
I asked my friends from Málaga and they do use it but ChatGPT says I’m making it up lol. I need to do more research before making wide assumptions about “Spain.”
Hi, my name is Jacobo. I am based in Vigo, Spain.
What brought me to this books & besos? You, Marina. I found you vía the Strategic Pork (Cerdo Estratega), and I like your style.
Last thing that warmed my heart was a subscriber to my newsletter that replied to my welcome email.
Hi, Jacobo! The Strategic Pork, that's the funniest thing I've read today lol
Re: your subscriber—it’s funny, I’ve been writing online since 2003 and have received literally thousands of messages from readers. I still remember how it felt when those first few people would write or leave a comment. That initial excitement does fade over time… but I’m rediscovering it with this new project, and it’s been such a joy.
My point is: savor those first subscribers and those early weeks or months on the platform—they are truly special and won't come back.
Hi there!
This is Carolina writing from… Asturias, Spain!! Although I am based in Mannheim, Germany, your post caught me visiting my family in my hometown.
I missed you after closing Psicosupervivencia and now I’m following you like your stalker fan number ones 😆
Last thing that warmed me up was my little boy super excited counting ‘how many nights we have to sleep before visiting “Abu”’
Hey Carolina! Asturias has a special place in my heart. And I don't mind having crazy stalkers if they're all like you!
Awww your little boy is sweet! And used to call my grandma Abu too!
Thanks for participating and have a great time in your tierrina.