Brian Centrone's Blog, page 5
August 16, 2013
August 11, 2013
Review Roundup
Here are three reviews of An Ordinary Boy you may have missed.
The first review comes from John at . My favorite quote from the review is:
“Have you ever wonder what would happen if Gossip Girl, Project Runway and Mean Girls would merge into one? Well, here it is.�
John later went on to add:
“…we get to see a new fresh voice for the LGBTQ community who is not afraid to try new things and lead us into a brand new world.�
I’m very appreciative of John’s sentiment.
The second review comes from Casey Ellis at Casey wrote a remarkably insightful review of my novel, one I know you like love reading as much as I did. Here’s a little taste:
“Mr. Centrone IS indeed focused on a particular kind of growing up, but he manages to be aware that it is not universal and yet still find the universal qualities about anyone’s coming of age. The fact that he does all this and keeps the book funny, moving and occasionally exciting, is almost miraculous.”�
And if that didn’t wet your tongue, this surely will:
“Another phenomenal aspect of this novel is its treatment of gay characters. As a gay man, I often avoid gay themed novels, movies and TV shows. They frequently insist on portraying gay life in one, media-approved dimension. Here, we finally get a look at the great diversity and variety among LGBT people. Tom is as far from a stereotype as you can get and he is vastly different from the other men in the book who share his sexuality. For young readers in particular, it will be affirming and liberating to read a book that avoids tunnel vision so well.�
I’m always excited when a reader “gets� what I was going for in my writing. This review excited me a lot!
The last review comes from Orion at , which is a major romance novel review site. I am really honored they took the time to read my novel, which is not a romance, and write about it with truth and without judgement. Orion, focusing on the end of the novel, wrote wonderfully that:
“Everything is not wrapped up nice and neat at the end, but that’s how the real world works. And this story is not about Tom’s romances but about his self-discovery. In that sense, the ending is quite satisfying. Brian Centrone’s writing is full of wit, and it is obvious that he put a lot of effort into this. If you enjoy a good coming of age story, this is a fine one to add to your collection.�
It was a real pleasure to read what Orion had to say.
Well, that’s it for the Review Roundup. If you missed any of these, please check them out and share them with friends, via social media, or by old fashioned word of mouth.
An Ordinary Boy is published by and is available from these fine .
August 10, 2013
August 6, 2013
Interview: QTalk Equaility Radio with Randol White
The summer of An Ordinary Boy is sizzling! If you missed hearing me discuss AOB, NA Literature, and the current state of LGBT publishing at , not to worry! I will be chatting live with Randol White on August 8th at 6.30 PM EST. My segment will be short, so make sure to tune in on line at starting at 6.oo PM EST/3.00 PM PST so that you don’t miss a moment!
August 4, 2013
August 1, 2013
July 31, 2013
Review & Giveaway
The summer of An Ordinary Boy is heating up! It’s all kicking off thanks to Sarika from who posted a thoughtful, honest review of the novel.
“AuthorBrian Centrone‘s writing was very neat and simple and he did a wonderful job of portraying the difficulties, hardships and nuances faced by a young homosexual man who just wants to fit in and enjoy his sexuality.”�
I know you’ll want to check out the full, detailed for yourself. Warning! There’s a few spoilers.
And if a good review wasn’t enough, The Readdicts have teamed up with and for the Summer Giveaway Hop!This contest runs from 8/1 � 8/7 and is open to USA (signed print edition) and International (ebook) readers. Don’t delay! !
Get ready for summer, because this is just the beginning�
July 23, 2013
Giveaway: An Ordinary Boy
ŷ Book Giveaway
An Ordinary Boy
by Brian Centrone
Giveaway ends August 21, 2013.
See the giveaway details at ŷ.
July 21, 2013
Reading: OutWrite DC
On August 2 � 4 the DC Center will host the annual OutWrite DC literary festival. It is both an honor and a pleasure to be a Featured Reader and Panelist at this great weekend event. I will be part of a with fellow authors and . Of course, as a New Adult author, I will be bringing my unique perspective on this emerging genre to this mix. Be sure to stop by on August 3rd at 10.am to listen in on the discussion and to hear me read from An Ordinary Boy. I will gladly sign copies of the novel for anyone who has it with them.
For further details about my featured reading, panel, and the festival, head over to . You can also check out the for more details.
See you in DC!
July 14, 2013
NA Lit Chat (Queer Fiction)
If you missed my live chat on the , don’t fret! You can listen to the at anytime. The panel had a lively discussion on the use of the term Queer vs. LGBTQ, creating non-stereotypical characters, and how sex is/should be approached in NA fiction. You can even follow that night’s conversation by reading through the transcript of the where listeners weighed in on our discussion.Thanks to everyone who listened in and participated in the chat.
