Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Elzabeth A. Seibert, author of THE BRO CODE, a young adult contemporary romance. See below for information on the book, buy links, my exclusive interview with the author, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
THE BRO CODE by Elizabeth A. Seibert
About the Book
Title: THE BRO CODE
Author: Elzabeth A. Seibert
Publisher: Wattpad Books
Release Date: September 22, 2020
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Wattpad
Synopsis
As a certified stand-up bro, Nick Maguire knows that some things in life are sacred: Do not skip ab workouts. Never back down from spicy foods. And always accept the outcome of Rock, Paper, Scissors. For these are the revered doctrines of The Bro Code, rules of conduct that have been passed down through the ages from bro to bro.
Heading into his senior year, Cassidy High’s star soccer player has his priorities straight and intends to spend his time playing sports, hanging out, and living by the code. But when his best bro Carter’s sister Eliza returns from studying overseas, the awkward, academic girl Nick remembers is different.
Carter might be Nick’s bro, but Eliza becomes his whole world—and he has to make a choice between them. Is being with the girl of your dreams worth breaking the most important rule: never date your best friend’s sister? Somehow, Nick never expected that following The Bro Code may have even bigger consequences than breaking it.
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Interview
Q. So beyond the blurb, tell us something about THE BRO CODE that would entice a reluctant reader.
A. The story is a romantic comedy with deeper social commentary, and also includes a cupcake business, lots of pizza, and cute soccer players.
Q. What about these two characters will hit home with readers?
A. Nick and Eliza both love prank wars. They also have a deep understanding of each other and can communicate with each other in ways that they can’t with the other characters.
Q. If you were going to compare your book to another author’s, as in if you like ___, you’ll love THE BRO CODE, what would that be?
A. If you love To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han you’ll love The Bro Code. I hope.
Q. Without giving anything away, what is something you hope readers take away from the book?
A. The message of the story is that rules are made to be broken, but that also means that social norms are meant to be broken. Males and females shouldn’t be forced into social roles based on their gender, which can happen even as teenagers. This book explores that.
Q: You first drafted THE BRO CODE back in 2012. It’s now eight years later and you’re publishing on September 22. What did THAT revision process look like?
A. It was long! I had to add about 30k words, and I also wanted to update it to hold up after the #MeToo Movement in 2018. Many of the characters have totally different roles and the second half of the story is completely rewritten. So if you read this book and read the original story on Wattpad, you will read two different stories that happen to have the same characters, kind of like fanfiction.
Q. You’ve had an interesting education and I’m super jealous. How does one go about inventing their own major?
A. Haha I got my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where they have a program called the “Bachelor’s Degree with an Individual Concentration.” This is basically for students who have interdisciplinary interests or are already double or triple majoring, which I was (economics, psychology, and communications). I was able to combine the requirements for these majors that I saw value in and genuinely wanted to learn, to create a degree called Behavioral Economics and Media Writing. (Which is a fancy name for studying peoples’ behaviors, learning how to quantify it, and knowing how to write about the results in a variety of media.)
I initially thought I wanted to use this degree for marketing, which I did for a few years, but it has also come in handy with writing characters and being able to synthesize interdisciplinary ideas into my stories.
Q. I want to know more about NO CAPES. What can you tell me about this superhero novel?
A. I know we’re not supposed to pick favorite stories, but NO CAPES is definitely vying for that place in my heart. It is another YA novel, but it is a mystery/adventure where the main character, Madeline Roberts, begins working with a supervillain to save her city. It’s a fun story because instead of having to figure out who the main “bad guy” really is, the readers have to figure out who the real heroes are. I also invented new superheroes.
Q. I saw you visited my fine city of San Diego last year. What was your favorite thing you did while here?
A. Oh yes! I loved San Diego, am definitely going to miss it this winter. I especially loved kayaking in La Jolla cove. I’m envious of the people who live there year-round.
Q. As a superhero fan, I have to ask, have you ever been to Comic-Con?
A. Unfortunately I have not! It’s on my bucket list, however.
Q. What else would you like us to know about your books and yourself?
A. My favorite part of writing is discussing stories (mine or otherwise) with other writers and readers. I invite you all to share your stories with me as well!
Q. What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
A. I am a triplet I have two sisters who are the same age as me (and no we are not identical).
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Author Elizabeth A. Seibert
About the Author
Elizabeth A. Seibert has been an author, sunscreen-obsessed lifeguard, barbecue-loving waitress, finance reporter, nine-to-five marketer, and aspiring superhero. Her stories on Wattpad have amassed over thirty million reads, and she’s been featured in Imagines: Celebrity Encounters Starring You (Simon & Schuster).
Elizabeth attended the University of Massachusetts Amerst and currently lives in Massachusetts, USA, where she attends Harvard University. Elizabeth loves to cook and play board games and ultimate frisbee. The Bro Code is her debut novel.
Where to Find Elizabeth A. Seibert
Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram