Please welcome one of my ACFW writer friends. Her debut novel Searching for Spice is out. Look for it online or at book stores!
Megan please tell the readers about yourself?
I love to spend time with other writers and be an encouragement to colleagues on their writing journey. I am a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, HIS Writers, and am assistant director of Words for the Journey Christian Writers Guild, Rocky Mountain Region..jpg)
I was born and raised in New York State and attended SUNY Plattsburgh where I earned my B.A. Degree in Communications. I have been a radio and television reporter, freelance writer, editor and marketing professional. My husband’s job moved the family to Pennsylvania, Texas, New Jersey and ultimately Colorado. My husband and I live in suburban Denver near our adult children. We often travel back to our roots in Long Island, NY to visit family and get our fill of delicious Italian food.
Tell us a little about your book?
Searching for Spice, my debut novel, tells the story of Linda Revere, a married woman who wants to have an affair—with her husband of nearly 25 years. Of course life isn’t scripted, and nothing goes according to plan.
What inspired you to write this particular book?
Searching for Spice was written as a response to a running joke I had with some girlfriends because despite being happily married, women still want romance in their lives. God hard wired us to crave closeness and a special connection with the men we love. Unfortunately, some times we need to remind them of that.
Tell us a little about your main character and how you developed him/her?
Linda is loyal, loving and life-like. By that I mean she definitely has flaws. She desperately wants to live a life to please God, but she often recognizes when she fails. Her character sprang from a situation a friend told me about years ago. She was expecting guests to arrive for a weekend visit when she spotted a smudge of cream cheese on her carpet. From there I imagined what it would feel like to be a woman, sitting on the floor, scraping cheese off the rug and wishing for something more in life.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Least?
The most fun I had in writing Searching for Spice were the parts where Linda and her husband Jerry interacted. Sometimes their romance hit the spot, and sometimes they couldn’t get on the same page, so to speak. My least favorite parts of writing the story was when Linda got into the thick of difficult situations. I’m so sympathetic, I wept for her.
What has been the most unexpected challenge you’ve had with becoming a published author?
I don’t think I’ve had any more challenges than other writers on this journey. When you’re unpublished I think it’s sometimes difficult to remain motivated. With God’s help, and the support of my husband and family, I was able to press on.
What one bit of advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Write regularly, read regularly, join a writers group or two, hang out with writers, have your work critiqued and attend conferences if you can. I confess, many times in my writing journey I was tempted to throw in the towel. But the moral of the story is, don’t give up. Hold on to your dreams. Press on. Trust God.
What author’s books do you enjoy reading?
Oh, goodness. That’s like asking me who my favorite child is. I read CBA and ABA fiction, and mostly books written by my ACFW friends.
What message do you hope readers gain from your novel?
Life is hard, and that’s a reality that must be accepted. We shouldn’t be caught off guard when we hit a bump in the road. The message I hope readers gain from Searching for Spice is to know you can trust God despite what your circumstances look like. That was a lesson I had to learn during a difficult valley I walked through. At the time it looked like nothing good could come of that situation, but now I see the hand of God guided me. Equally important to me is the message that marriage is valuable and precious and should not be lightly regarded. Another message I hope readers grasp is that friendship is priceless, and we should cherish the people in our lives.
Tell us what we have to look forward to in the future. What new projects are you working on?
My next book, Out of Her Hands, is scheduled to release this October. Out of Her Hands has the same characters as Searching for Spice, but the focus is more on the relationships Linda and Jerry have with their children. Like many parents of young adults, the Reveres want their children to be careful about making decisions that will impact the rest of their lives. As usual, there is always more than one situation clamouring for Linda’s attention. They’re helping Jerry’s father get on with life after he’s widowed, Linda’s best friend is moving out of state, and then their son decides he’s falling in love, but the object of his affection doesn’t share his Christian values.
Thanks you very much for the opportunity to visit your blog. Feel free to send visitors to my website at megandimaria.com or for more interactive information, stop by my blog at megandimaria.blogspot.com.
I love to spend time with other writers and be an encouragement to colleagues on their writing journey. I am a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, HIS Writers, and am assistant director of Words for the Journey Christian Writers Guild, Rocky Mountain Region.
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I was born and raised in New York State and attended SUNY Plattsburgh where I earned my B.A. Degree in Communications. I have been a radio and television reporter, freelance writer, editor and marketing professional. My husband’s job moved the family to Pennsylvania, Texas, New Jersey and ultimately Colorado. My husband and I live in suburban Denver near our adult children. We often travel back to our roots in Long Island, NY to visit family and get our fill of delicious Italian food.
Tell us a little about your book?
Searching for Spice, my debut novel, tells the story of Linda Revere, a married woman who wants to have an affair—with her husband of nearly 25 years. Of course life isn’t scripted, and nothing goes according to plan.
What inspired you to write this particular book?
Searching for Spice was written as a response to a running joke I had with some girlfriends because despite being happily married, women still want romance in their lives. God hard wired us to crave closeness and a special connection with the men we love. Unfortunately, some times we need to remind them of that.
Tell us a little about your main character and how you developed him/her?
Linda is loyal, loving and life-like. By that I mean she definitely has flaws. She desperately wants to live a life to please God, but she often recognizes when she fails. Her character sprang from a situation a friend told me about years ago. She was expecting guests to arrive for a weekend visit when she spotted a smudge of cream cheese on her carpet. From there I imagined what it would feel like to be a woman, sitting on the floor, scraping cheese off the rug and wishing for something more in life.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Least?
The most fun I had in writing Searching for Spice were the parts where Linda and her husband Jerry interacted. Sometimes their romance hit the spot, and sometimes they couldn’t get on the same page, so to speak. My least favorite parts of writing the story was when Linda got into the thick of difficult situations. I’m so sympathetic, I wept for her.
What has been the most unexpected challenge you’ve had with becoming a published author?
I don’t think I’ve had any more challenges than other writers on this journey. When you’re unpublished I think it’s sometimes difficult to remain motivated. With God’s help, and the support of my husband and family, I was able to press on.
What one bit of advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Write regularly, read regularly, join a writers group or two, hang out with writers, have your work critiqued and attend conferences if you can. I confess, many times in my writing journey I was tempted to throw in the towel. But the moral of the story is, don’t give up. Hold on to your dreams. Press on. Trust God.
What author’s books do you enjoy reading?
Oh, goodness. That’s like asking me who my favorite child is. I read CBA and ABA fiction, and mostly books written by my ACFW friends.
What message do you hope readers gain from your novel?
Life is hard, and that’s a reality that must be accepted. We shouldn’t be caught off guard when we hit a bump in the road. The message I hope readers gain from Searching for Spice is to know you can trust God despite what your circumstances look like. That was a lesson I had to learn during a difficult valley I walked through. At the time it looked like nothing good could come of that situation, but now I see the hand of God guided me. Equally important to me is the message that marriage is valuable and precious and should not be lightly regarded. Another message I hope readers grasp is that friendship is priceless, and we should cherish the people in our lives.
Tell us what we have to look forward to in the future. What new projects are you working on?
My next book, Out of Her Hands, is scheduled to release this October. Out of Her Hands has the same characters as Searching for Spice, but the focus is more on the relationships Linda and Jerry have with their children. Like many parents of young adults, the Reveres want their children to be careful about making decisions that will impact the rest of their lives. As usual, there is always more than one situation clamouring for Linda’s attention. They’re helping Jerry’s father get on with life after he’s widowed, Linda’s best friend is moving out of state, and then their son decides he’s falling in love, but the object of his affection doesn’t share his Christian values.
Thanks you very much for the opportunity to visit your blog. Feel free to send visitors to my website at megandimaria.com or for more interactive information, stop by my blog at megandimaria.blogspot.com.
1 comment:
Thanks for letting me visit your blog, Marian.
A prisoner of hope,
Megan DiMaria
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