Title: Br0th3rly
Author: Alina Popescu
Series: Famous on the Internet, Book One
Genre: Gay Romance, Contemporary, M/M Romance
Length: Novella
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing
Start your journey through the new techie/geeky gay romance series by Alina Popescu—Famous on the Internet—with the first book, Br0th3rly.
Synopsis
Fighting his relentless love for Trevor, the guy he was raised to consider his brother, has been Tristan’s mission in life.
To distance himself from Trevor, even after discovering they weren’t really related, he left for college at sixteen. Moving into the city, building a new life, and running an anonymous blog about what he considers sick, twisted feelings might make Tristan famous on the Internet, but it isn’t enough to get over his obsession. Every time he goes home, a quick glance at Trevor brings it all flooding back.
When commitment-phobe Trevor announces he’s got a serious boyfriend during one of Tristan’s rare visits home, the adoring kid brother will be forced to run once again. This time, however, Trevor doesn’t stand back and watch him leave.
Instead, he follows him, making it nigh on impossible for Tristan to keep his love a secret for much longer.
This book is the story of Tristan, who in his words has deviant feelings for his brother Trevor. He has loved Trevor for years, and when living at home, had heard him with his latest conquests in the bedroom, and then cried himself to sleep.
To try and help himself, he then moved away to college, and then also to work. He decided avoiding his brother, (which also meant his parents too), was the only way to get through life. He never had any boyfriends as nobody compared to his brother. Tristan and Trevor had been told that they weren't actually brothers, but Trevor didn't seem to have the same feelings inside as Tristan.
Tristan also kept a blog, which he named " Br0th3rly", in which he put all his inner feelings. He was approached by someone who wanted to put his blog into a book, but Tristan was wary, so at first he totally denied that he wrote the blog. I loved reading the emails between Tristan and the Publisher, these were so funny, especially the titles of the emails.
With his mothers birthday approaching, Tristan knows he must go back home and visit, but doesn't know how he will cope with seeing Trevor. Things don't start well, as his car breaks down near his hometown. He called his dad, but much to his dismay, it is Trevor that arrives to take him home.
Tristan just doesn't know what to do, and is growing increasingly depressed about his feelings. On the day of his mothers birthday, it all comes to a head, when Trevor shows up with his boyfriend. Tristan can't cope with seeing Trevor with someone else, so he runs from the room, but his mother follows him, and although he feels ashamed he tells her everything, and with her blessing he leaves to go home, using her car.
Tristan takes vacation time from work to try and get over Trevor once and for all, but a knock on the door one day turns out to be Trevor. They talk and Trevor seems intent of finding out what is wrong with his "brother", and it ends up with Tristan admitting the truth to Trevor, and then waiting for the door slam as he left..... but this never happened.
What does Trevor say to Tristan in light of his revelation? Does he stick around or eventually leave? Can Tristan ever feel complete? Does his blog become a book?? Read and find out!!
“Enjoy, boys,” she said with a warm smile. That closeness tugged at my heart. I’d missed this place every day since running off to college. I missed how warm the interactions were, how being a regular meant coming to the same place for a decade at least, how everyone knew us, and how it was all safe and familiar. I was better off staying away. If I hadn’t left, I would have either fessed up everything or killed myself. Somehow, I knew I would have been broken either way.
When we were done eating, the pie plates polished off and new beers brought to us by Margie, it was time for conversation. Our outings were a bit of a ritual by now. We’d eat together, be awkward together for a bit, then chat about nothing in particular as Trev got progressively more inebriated. I’d drink far less, not because I couldn’t handle more, but because I was always terrified I’d say or do the wrong thing. Either way, by the time we were done, Trevor would be drunk out of his mind and I wouldn’t be very far behind him, yet sober enough not to blurt anything incriminating. We’d stumble home, moving through the town streets following an awkward, winding trajectory.
We were stuck in the awkward phase for now, neither of us finding a way to break the ice. Trevor was usually the one to get things started, but he seemed to be at a loss tonight. Maybe it was my fault; I had been particularly harsh this time around. I knew for a fact I’d hurt his feelings a few times since coming home, and I hadn’t been there for long. I made a vow not to do that anymore, no matter how much I wanted to snap at him and the world for making such stupid rules.
Buy Links
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/br0th3rly-by-alina-popescu/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019VK3VFA/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B019VK3VFA/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B019VK3VFA/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B019VK3VFA/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-br0th3rly-1959019-149.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/br0th3rly-alina-popescu/1123179425
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveawayHello Dawn, thank you for having me over for an interview! It’s always a pleasure to chat with you, online or off.
Which do you prefer - writing your own books or promoting books on your blog Eyes On Books?
I don’t have a favorite, they are different aspects of my life. I am passionate about my writing and about the books I enjoy. If I had to choose, only do one of the two, I’d go with writing, but I wouldn’t be a very happy camper. The idea of introducing readers to new, great reads thrills me. Those could be mine, or they could be written by other people.
Do you still get nervous when you are due to release a book?
Oh, I get super nervous! More so when someone has my book and is about to start reading it. Even with longtime fans that seem to love everything I write, I still am afraid they might hate my next story.
I also tend to color outside the lines quite a bit :D I did write a first gay novella with an open ending, I never followed the strict rules of male-female romance in my Bad Blood trilogy, and with Br0th3rly… well, the format is quite different and the topic of Internet fame is one that fascinates me. So, yes, my own choice to test readers’ limits makes me a lot more nervous than if I’d gone with books that stick to all the rules.
Is it harder to write your books in English as this is not your first language?
Not really, no. I have been studying English since I was eight. I was in intensive English classes (think something similar to Advance Placement or A Levels) since I turned ten and most of my jobs involved heavy use of the English language. In certain ways, I find it harder to write in Romanian now :D As far as novels go, I started writing them in English about 7-8 years ago and I don’t think I’ve written any fiction in Romanian in ages.
Favourite shifter book you have read and why
I suck at picking favorites, sorry! But I can tell you the most recent shifter story I’ve read that completely mesmerized me (well, sort of, it’s a variant of a merman that shifts to a human form), is Alex Gabriel’s Still Waters. It’s a short free read which I highly recommend.
What drew you to write M/M books?
I only read my first M/M book about three years ago. Before that, I’d read a lot of yaoi (m/m) manga and watched some anime. It drew me in because I found it interesting, thrilling, and somehow easier to write male leads. I have always been a bit of a tomboy and have my own views on how women should be. I still love writing MF and every combination in between (I have a couple of MMF stories down the pipeline).
If you could live anywhere in the world, where and why? Or would you rather stay where you are?
If I could do whatever I wanted, I’d move every six months. Right now though, as a permanent place, I have my eyes set on the UK. I always love it when I travel there and I find it harder and harder to go back home after a visit.
Where do you get most of your inspirational ideas from?
I get my inspiration everywhere: books, movies, TV series, comic books, random photos, songs that happen to be playing at the right time. Something or someone just ends up triggering a story. It starts with an initial spark – a setting, or a character, or a short dialogue between characters, and then it keeps growing till I have a full story in my head.
What do you do when you hit a wall with writing a particular story?
That almost never happens. Time is my most pressing issue. I lack the time to write all the stories, and sometimes the characters fight for my attention. I rarely can schedule the stories logically, I have to give up and write the story of whoever is louder. If none of them are particularly chatty, I just switch in between ongoing projects and that usually helps get the ball rolling.
What do you do to relax.....oh I know, you write lol
Hahaha, no! I don’t do that to relax, although it is sometimes relaxing. I love going out with friends—more so when there is coffee involved, seeing a movie, chatting, doing a little shopping. I also knit, which relaxes me, play games when I can find the time, and of course, I read. My favorite pastime though is and always will be traveling.
Are you ever out and about, and get an idea for a character or a story, but have no way of making notes - what do you do?
The note taking is rare, but I always have a small notebook with me, or my phone. Usually, the story starts and takes form in my head. I mull over it, I occasionally jot down some quick notes, but they are very general. I sometimes feel like I am directing a movie in my head, with different parts of the story coming to life. When it’s all running smoothly, I start typing it out.
Who gave you your first break on your publishing your first book?
My first book was actually self-published. The Edge of Hope, the first book in the Bad Blood trilogy, originally was contracted by a small publisher. I chose to pull it out and do it all alone and I know that was the right choice for my vampire story.
My first published work was the short story variant of Craving Stains (now published as an extended novella) which was included in Wayward Ink Publishing’s Stranded anthology. WIP completely changed my mind about working with publishers, hence all the other shorts, novellas, and novels I submitted to them.
If you won the lottery (not sure if you have lottery like here), what would be your first purchase and why?
Hmmm, round the world ticket, surely! Then some cool gadgets, then shoes and clothes. The bulk of the money though? I have this dream about building a huge house and filling it up with kids people abandon or shun – LGBT kids, older kids that no one would adopt, that sort of thing. It would involve a lot of dogs too :D
About the author
Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and she has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm. Born and raised in Romania, she finds her inspiration in books of all genres, in movies, and the occasional manga comic book. She is a proud geek who needs her fast Internet and gadgets more than she needs air.
Social Links
Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralinapopescu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/alina_popescu
Instagram: http://instagram.com/alinapopescuwriter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/alina-popescu
Google+: https://www.google.com/+AlinaPopescu
Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu