Blooming Author Liz Borino!

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.” ~ George Sheehan

Liz Borino's book EXPECTATIONS will be published by Lazy Day Publishing 12/1. Liz is the first Fresh Voice to be published and featured as a Blooming Author!

Tell us about Expectations. What is it about and where will it be available?

EXPECTATIONS, depicts the struggle between what we desire for ourselves and our familial obligations. This is personified by Chris and Matt Taylor, identical twins, who are trying to win their overbearing father’s approval and acquire their trust funds. Their best friend and roommate, Aiden O’Boyle, left his family behind in Ireland to pursue a career in dance.

Robert Taylor, Matt and Chris’s father has set certain conditions that must be met in order for them to receive their trust funds. Matt must work at a job he hates, while struggling with alcoholism. Chris has to deny his own desires and deep love for Aiden, to get married to Matt’s girlfriend. All the while, their father continues to use extreme measures to ensure his sons’ compliance.  The story takes place against the backdrop of preparation for Aiden’s upcoming performance.

It will be available on my publishers website lazyday.com, amazon, Barnes &Noble. In addition it'll be on all e-reading devices.

What were your inspirations for Expectations? What sorts of thing inspire you as a writer in general?

For this book I was actually inspired by The Secret. I wanted to write about people choosing their own life's path. I wanted to depict both the obstacles and joys that come with that process.
I'm inspired by relationships. My books are always character driven. I'd say life in general inspires me.
You know what else? Fish. :)

Let's talk about your process. How do you approach a story, do you start with outlines or something else? Where did you work when writing Expectations? Do you think it was the optimal writing environment for you?

I wish I could do an outline. I try every single time. I start an outline and my characters stop talking to me. I don't think they like to be boxed in.

I worked everywhere I possibly could, school, home, work. When I wasn't writing, I was thinking about writing. Inspiration struck at the most inconvenient times. If you can have inconvenient inspiration.

Tell us about your "story of getting published."

I started off with a manuscript that was WAY too long and had lots of plot holes, but as an author I thought "It's perfect! Everyone will love it." No, not the way it works. So, I got smarter. I let it sit and then looked at it objectively. Cut a character, sorry Nonna, and about 40,000 words. Then I started querying agents. After a few rejections (I don't count), I started looking at smaller presses. I found my match with Lazy Day. They're a new digital publisher and I'm with a wonderful group of authors debuting with our publisher. We've been honored with the title of Founding Authors!

What are the publicity plans you have coming up?

I'm trying to do any interviews I can and I've got some great ones already. In addition I'm building a Twitter and Facebook following. I know Social Media is one of the best tools we have as authors.