About the Author

Liza Gino
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Author Info


              Multiple award-winning author, Liza Gino grew up in a small town in the Philippines to a large family with no shortage of uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents. Growing up, her extended family gave her the experience and tradition that is steeped in the Catholic faith. Her upbringing afforded her the understanding of family dynamics, its hierarchy, and due order. Filipino values can be complicated and chastity is a premium. Having to put chastity over family can be challenging, thus making the plight of Filipina comfort women arduous.

              There was no shortage of stories about the Japanese occupation from her family and friends. Narratives of what one had to endure, especially for women to survive, impressed upon her. She was shocked to realize that very few were aware of the saga of the comfort women. It was the associated shame of the act that women decided to bury the truth. These stories provoked her to write this novel. Liza believed that everyone should be aware of the plight of the comfort women and help them reveal the truth; to set aside taboos, ignorance, and even personal pride in order to help and support all women who were victims of sexual tyranny.

As a graduate of the University of the Philippines, it awakened her radicalism and activism. She wanted to be an agent of change, especially for women. She believed that by having the mindset changed, women could demand to be respected and cherished. She proposed the idea that they deserve a place under the sun to thrive and be contributing members to humanity.

Imelda’s Secret is Liza’s way to imbue a message of change and inspire advocacy. When these women were abused, their fundamental rights to life, freedom, health, and peace of mind were forcibly taken from them as well. The author hopes that this novel would have the exposure that would bring acknowledgement, validation and respect on a global scale of the stories of the comfort women. The fictional stories of Gloria and Imelda will hopefully give prominence to the true saga of the real victims of war so that their sacrifices and the raping of their lives are no longer a buried secret in history.

Awards:

First Place for Historical Fiction, Royal Dragonfly Book Award

Women's Intertest Category, Pinnacle Book Achievement Award

News

Imelda’s Secret, a Novel by Liza Gino, Wins Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, Women’s Interest Category

 

SAN FRANCISCO - CA, December 18, 2020 — The Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards announced on December 15, 2020 that Imelda’s Secret, a new novel by award-winning author Liza Gino, is the winner in its women’s interest category. This is the second award Gino received for the same novel. Two weeks earlier, Gino won first place for Historical Fiction at the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards.

 

The novel, Imelda’s Secret, took 15 years to complete and launched last November 20, 2020.

 

Imelda’s Secret is a historical fictional novel about the experiences of young girls and women who were abducted and forced into sexual slavery during the World War II. They were also known as “Comfort Women.” This atrocity of systematic abuse and human trafficking was not exclusive to the Philippines but also to over 30 countries, including China and Korea.

 

Gino responded, “I am deeply grateful for receiving these awards from Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for the Women’s Interest Category and Royal Dragonfly Book Award for first place in the Historical Fiction category. I want to thank my team: editors: Bianca Andrea Collver, Ana Treñas, Raymond Lo; contributors: Pastor Rozita Lee, Miho Kim, Judith Mirkinson, Jeannie Celestial; artists: Angeli Lata and Maria Isabel Lopez; model and adviser: Yolanda Ortega Stern; publicists: Lorna Lardizabal Dietz and Elton Lugay; media partner: Arnold Pedrigal; musical composer: Roger Neil; my family: Margaux Bushong, Johann Joson, Jason Gino, Norma Contreras, Elmalie Neil; community bridge builders: Lila Pilipina, Sharon Cabusao-Silva, UPAASF, Sonia Delen, Letty Quizon, Jaime Cortes, Eric Golangco, Esther Misa Chavez, Evelyn Andamo, Edwina Aniag, Jun Nucum, Francis Espiritu, Jose Bondoc, Rose Mary Miguel, Anna Menor, Daz Lamparas, Tony Robles, Cha and Rico Nicolas, Kirk Folgers, Veronica Leighton, Sabrina Wong, Marconi Calindas-Cafege, James Nash, Jose Peralta, Hon. Jim Navarro, Fr. Geoffrey Baraan, Odette Keeley, GKFS, Abe Angeles, Justin Angeles, Anne Mae Angeles Sacdalan, Rotary Club of Daly City and Colma Evening, Dr. Richard Kempis, Willie Santamaria, Rick Chinn, Hon. Evelyn Chua, Maxx Li, Kevin Lu, Linda Nietes-Little, PAWIS, Felwina Opiso-Mondina, Nel Capistrano Messersmith, Kimberly Nguyen, Tam Ngo, Paul Ostrowski, Dr. John Grubbström, Dr. Allan & Edwina Bergano, Mohinder S Mann Esq., and Dominique & Abby Paclibar.” Gino also stated, “through their support and contributions, we are bringing awareness to the plight of the Filipina ‘Comfort Women.’ Together, we hope to make everyone aware of this war crime and highlight everyone’s responsibility to protect human rights.”

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Events

Celebrate the publication of Imelda’s Secret by Liza Gino.

 

Meet the artists, Angeli Latta and Maria Isabel Lopez who made the artwork for the book together with model, Yolanda Ortega Stern. Listen to the world premier of the musical score composed for Imelda’s Secret by multi-award-winning Roger Neill

 

Learn more about the book from all the contributors: Pastor Rozita Lee, Seek Jesus First Ministry; Miho Lee and Judith Mirkinson from the Comfort Women Justice Coalition, Sharon Cabusao-Silva from Lila Pilipina, the “comfort women”, and  Jeannie Celestial, PhD, LCSW, mental health advocate.

 

Join Liza as she reads an excerpt from the book.  Ask her questions by completing the registration form. Registration is required but this is a FREE event.

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