Guest Blogger - Liz Borino

Each month, I hope to have a guest author write something for my blog. It will give my readers a chance to learn about other writers’ styles, while introducing new readers to my blog— a win-win situation.

Liz Borino was my very first guest on “Inside the Author’s Mind”  December 10, 2010 when her debut novel, Expectations, was released. It seems only fitting that she should be my first guest blogger as her newest book, What Money Can’t Buy, is moving up the Amazon charts. Congratulations Liz!

In keeping with the theme for this month, May Moves Me in Many Ways, please give a very warm welcome to Liz as she writes about what moves her.

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When Eden asked me to write about what moves me, I immediately knew the answer: words. It’s safe to say, as a writer, I’m definitely a logophile, a lover of words. I’m a writer. I better love words, right? The truth is, I find words to be magical. They have the ability to lift me up or tear me down very quickly. I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Writers, you know when a reader messages you to tell you they loved your book? When they tell you, you touched on something they always felt, but couldn’t express? Parents, how did it feel when your child said your name for the first time? How about that subject you struggled with all semester in school and finally, you get a “Good Job!” on a paper. Those are some very powerful words.

I’d love to share some of my favorite words/phrases and why they affect me as much as they do.

1.   Love:  Love makes everything beautiful. It’s what makes us see life in brilliant Technicolor. Think about it, without love, what are we doing? What’s our lasting impression on the world? That’s right, there would be none.

2.  Passion:  Passion goes hand in hand with love. It lights our fire, gets us excited, and gets things done.  Passion is wild, sexy, and exciting. It’s the feeling of reckless abandon, when you just know you need to be doing what you’re doing. Any other options are inconceivable. They don’t make sense. Why? Your whole heart is involved. Nothing else is important.

3.  Thank You:  Gratitude changes everything. It lets the other person know not only do you appreciate them, but they’re doing a good job. You’re a good friend, boss, employee, lover, whatever, you are delivering.

4.  I’m Sorry:  Sorry is probably the hardest thing to say, especially when you’re unsure if you’re in the wrong. Sometimes, though, even if you’re not, it fixes many situations when one person takes responsibility. And if you don’t? You could be losing someone very important to you. Worth two words to prevent that, no?

5.  Courage:  “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it’s the tiny voice at the end of the day saying, I’ll try again tomorrow.” For some people, waking up and trying again takes courage. Rejoice when you can lift yourself up from your falls.

6.  Hope:  Hope is linked with courage. Hope is everything when it comes to living your dreams. You have to believe your passion will take you somewhere, or else why pursue it?

7.  Dreams:  Dreams are the picture you hold in your head of your ideal life. Your dreams give an end result to those passions. They make you smile no matter what.

8.  Heaven:  Odd word for a non-believer to be moved by, isn’t it? No, actually, I define Heaven as the space of love and peace. Something I strive to create for myself and people around me everyday.

9.  Success:  To me, success is feeling loved in the morning, safe at night, and warm and content in between. What more can you desire?

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Expectations depicts the struggle between what we desire for ourselves and our familial obligations. The struggle is personified by Chris and Matt Taylor, identical twins, who are trying to win their overbearing father’s approval and acquire their trust funds. Love, money, and desire collide as Matt and Chris decide what’s really important to them.

Amazon     Barnes and Noble

What Money Can’t Buy, the sequel to Expectations, finds the two couples, Chris and Aiden and Matt and Carley, eagerly anticipating parenthood. However, their personal struggles continue. Though Matt overcame his dependency on alcohol, new temptations present themselves. And with Carley on bed rest, these temptations put a greater strain on their relationship. Chris continues to deal with issues regarding his father. These issues increase with greater proximity.  When tragedy strikes, the best and worst in everyone is revealed. Can they stick together, or will their reactions tear them apart?

Amazon     Barnes and Noble

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Liz Borino is the debut author of Expectations and its sequel, What Money Can’t Buy published by Lazy Day. Throughout her education, including a Bachelor’s Degree from Hofstra University, she’s kept her stories to herself, but this only child is all grown up and wants to share them with the world. Her roots are in Bethlehem, Pa, but she loves to experience new cultures. As fun as that is, Liz likes nothing better than curling up at home with a good book or her work in progress.

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So, what about you, readers? What words affect you and why? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.