Q&A with Liz Borino

TBG: Hello, Liz, thank you for visiting The Blogger Girls.  I think you are a new author to all four of us, well, except for Susan since she just read your new Angel series, so we thought it would be nice to get to know you a little better by asking you a few questions.

Liz: Thanks for having me!

TBG: Tell us a little about yourself? 

Liz: I grew up between two conservative, small towns in Pennsylvania. One had the advantage of movie theaters and shopping malls within a short driving distance. The other’s mark of civilization happened when it gained a Wal-Mart ten years ago. Everyone knows your name there, and more relevant to someone who failed to fit into the dominant ideology, they also know your family… for about five generations. So, if I could have left at ten, I would have, but I had to wait until I turned eighteen. At which point I chose a college near New York City, where I went through three different majors before deciding on Public Relations. A few years and a broken engagement later, I began my English MA in… yet another small town in PA. I’m working on getting out again.

TBG: Tell us a quirky story about one of your favorite relatives?

Liz: My Aunt Marna has always been my greatest supporter. When I was growing up, she lived in Southern California, but used to come to Philadelphia on business frequently. One winter she arrived during a rain and sleet storm, and rang the doorbell.  I opened it to find her drenched and shivering. She shook me by the shoulders and said, “You don’t have to live like this!” Ironically enough, her job transferred her to Philly a few years later.

TBG: All right, now let’s get to writing questions.  Have you been writing all your life?  Or is M/M Romance a fairly new venture for you?

Liz: I completed my first (handwritten) book at eleven. While it was not M/M romance – nor good probably, to know I would first have to find and be able to read it – I was happy to have something finished. I found out that S.E. Hinton, author of The Outsiders, published her first novel at fourteen. And I was infused with hope that I, too, could find early success. Lazy Day my first M/M Romance was when I was twenty-three. I’ve been writing it for six years now. I never considered the genre before one of the twins in my first series turned out to be gay. I thought I was writing a book mostly about brotherly love, but… nope. They had other plans.

TBG: Tell us a bit about the Angel’s Hero and Angel’s Truth.  What was your inspiration for writing them?  

Liz: One day I thought, “I wonder what would have happened if Mike (from No Flag) had died…” Then decided Will (his husband) would have fallen apart. So, I created new characters who would not. Instead, Aaron didn’t believe the officers who broke the news.

TBG: Did you have to do a lot of research?

Liz: Yes, I have been researching the military for a year or so now to inform No Flag and the Angel series. I’ve also explored PTSD, different injuries the characters sustained, and the CIA. I’m probably on a few government watch lists.

TBG: How long did it take you…from plot bunny to completion?

Liz: Three months for the two books.

TBG: Are you a pantser or a planner?

Liz: Both. You know, I try to be a planner. I make very detailed outlines and have every intention of sticking to them, but sometimes the boys get other ideas… and if I disagree, they stop talking to me.

TBG: Okay, one last question: What does your workplace where you write look like? Are there any weird or interesting things you surround yourself with? Any quirks you have that gets the inspiration flowing?

Liz: I tend to write on my bed, while listening to a playlist to start working. And I’m sorry, but you can’t have a picture because my room is not fit to be published.

 About Liz Borino

Liz Borino transcribes the world inside her head onto the page, and share it with the people who are stuck in the “real world” to makes their lives a little more interesting. Because in her world, heroes fall and stand up again with the help of their partners and friends. Liz’s world is littered with formidable obstacles, which her heroes overcome with a fire of courage and passion. The beauty of love between two men is celebrated. Who wouldn’t want to live there?

When not with her heroes, Liz enjoys exploring cities, working toward social justice, and editing for other authors. Liz is less than three months from obtaining her Masters’ degree in English and published nine books since 2010.

You can find Liz on her Website, Amazon Page

Angel’s Hero

CIA Agent Aaron “Angel” Collins trusts a few things unquestioningly: His gut, his eyes, and his husband, Jordan, an Army Captain. So, when Jordan’s commanding officers deliver the news of Jordan’s death, and two of his resources disagree, Aaron must decide if he can let Troy Hart into the circle to assist in his quest to find out the truth.

Captain Jordan Collins receives news of his death while sitting battered and disheartened in an Afghanistan prison. He is forced to reevaluate who and what he can rely on to stay alive and maybe make it home to Angel. Unfortunately, someone in the US government is making that difficult. Angel’s Hero is a suspenseful tale proves the resiliency of the human spirit, and keeps your heart pounding long after the last sentence.

Angel’s Hero released February 25, 2014 and is available at Amazon.

Liz Borino has kindly offered to give away an eBook copy of Angel’s Hero!

The giveaway starts now and will end next Wednesday, March 5th, 2014, at 11:59 pm EST. After which the lucky winner will be randomly picked.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below with your email address and you’re in!

Make sure to follow the blog for the winners’ announcement post or check back next Thursday, March 6th, 2014, to see if you’ve won.

You can still purchase Angel’s Hero from Amazon and don’t forget to check out Susan65’s review to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!