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.
We ate without saying a word, too busy devouring the food to think about any exchange between licking our fingers and foodgasmic moans. The burger was delicious, and I polished off my plate of fries in no time, washing it down with the beer. The moment we were done, the waitress, Margie, whom I’d known as a fixture here since I was in diapers, placed two more beers on the table and took our plates away. Without us needing to order, she returned with pie: pecan for Trev and strawberry for me.
“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.
Today I am very lucky to be interviewing Alina Popescu. Not only is she a talented writer but she’s also a fellow Romanian.
-Welcome, Alina! Congratulations on your new release.
-Hi Mikky, it’s a pleasure to be here, and I’d like to start by thanking you for having me. I love running into other Romanians in this great big book world we live in ☺
-Tell us a little bit about yourself.
-The first thing you’ll notice about me, other than my impressive height (5 feet tall), is my addiction to coffee :D I am a writer, traveler, and dog person. Or dog-owned human, however you like to put it.
-What made you decide to start writing? Was this something you always wanted to do?
-I have been in love with books all my life. I started reading on my own at five and then at ten I started my first novel. It was co-written with a guy I had a major crush on (older boy). It wasn’t the first story I’d ever written, but it’s surely the first one I remember. After that summer, I just kept going on my own, and despite some longer breaks after high school, I really never stopped writing. By writing, I mean stories of course, I’ve been doing other kinds of writing throughout my university and corporate years ☺
-What authors inspired you and made you want to write your own stories?
-It wasn’t one particular author that inspired me. I loved books and discovering new stories and thought my own were worth telling. Every book I read makes me a better writer and a more voracious reader. I read across genres, and I always thought I shouldn’t limit myself to reading what I write.
-Which one of your books is your own personal favorite and why?
-I don’t have a personal favorite. I love them all because I am so very involved with my characters. I put a little bit of me (or almost everything, if we’re talking my character Alexa from the Bad Blood trilogy) in every story, and while writing it, the characters are so present in my mind, it feels like the bond will never be broken. I am however completely immersed in the project I am working on at the time. That usually tends to consume me and for a limited time, it’s my favorite story ever.
-What are your habits when you write? Do you listen to music or do you prefer to be surrounded by complete silence?
-I am not really particular about my surroundings. I can have music or quiet or just the sounds coming from outside my window. I do seem to write better with coffee nearby, some music, and my laptop. That one I am particular about, I have to be typing on my laptop, no phone or tablet or real paper. My keyboard and I have a deal :D
-Top 3 books from your “Favorites” list.
-Hmmm, I can’t pick an all-time favorite top 3, I love too many books! I could go with top 3 from childhood, I guess. These were my favorites from when I was about 10-11: Winnetou by Karl May, The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, and I, Robot by Asimov. Yup, not exactly girly reads, I know!
-What’s your advice for every aspiring author out there?
-Write the stories you’d want to read, and then share them with the world when you’re ready. If it’s not something you’d love reading, then why bother? There will be people who will love them, and then there will be people who won’t, but that’s just how it goes for any creative endeavor.
-Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview, Alina and for sharing your thoughts with us.
My pleasure, I loved chatting with you and hope to see you again soon!
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.
1 comment:
Thanks so much for having me here today, Mikky! It's been an absolute pleasure.
Post a Comment