Meet Jillian Liota | Romance Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jillian Liota and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jillian, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’ve always been a writer – when I was a child I wrote stories through my elementary school’s Young Writer’s Conference (bound books I still own to this day), when I was in high school I wrote fan fiction about my own life (yes, it’s embarrassing), and in college I wrote for my university’s newspaper and took creative writing classes during a summer program at NYU. When I found and fell in love with the romance genre, it felt like such a natural thing to dive into the writing side of it. Telling stories – especially stories where everyone finds a happily ever after – is what I was made to do.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I write romance, but what I think distinguishes my books from others is that I write what I call “green flag heroes” — these are men who know how to communicate (or are willing to learn), go to therapy, go the extra mile, and say I love you without hesitation. There is room for every type of hero in romance, but this is the type of story that makes my heart happy.

At the same time, I also include topics that are very “real world” — anxiety, loss, grief, abandonment, self-worth, body issues, depression. The heroes and heroines in my stories go through tough times, but they’re resilient and learn to fight for their futures along the way. I’m very proud of that.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve only lived in Georgia for two years – we moved here from Hawaii to be near family – so I’m not as well-versed as others might be. However, if I had to pick a few things to do, it would probably be getting bagels at Brooklyn Bagel Bakery & Deli in Alpharetta (their bagels are a 10 out of 10), spending a morning at the Georgia Aquarium (we have season passes and visit often), and enjoying a warm day on a dock somewhere on the shoreline of Lake Lanier. We also have friends who live near Ponce CIty Market and we really enjoy wandering around there for a little shopping as well.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband is my constant cheerleader, so I want to dedicate this to him. He is my beta reader and reads every single one of my books when they’re still in draft, attends events with me and can usually sell my books better than I can, and just in general he supports me with his whole heart…I am beyond thankful for him.

Website: https://www.jillianliota.com

Instagram: @jillianliota

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjillianliota

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@authorjillianliota

Other: TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@jillianliota
Reader Group: www.facebook.com/groups/thejillybeans