Meet Megan DiMaria - Interview & Book Giveaway

It’s my great pleasure to introduce Megan DiMaria, author of Searching for Spice. Let’s meet Megan!

THE BIO
Megan DiMaria loves to spend time with other writers and be an encouragement to colleagues on their writing journey. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, HIS Writers, and is assistant director of Words For The Journey Christian Writers Guild, Rocky Mountain Region. Searching for Spice, Megan’s debut novel, released April 2008, and her second novel, Out of Her Hands, will release from Tyndale in October 2008.

Megan received her B.A. degree in Communications, with a specialization in Mass Media from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. She has been a radio and television reporter, a Web content editor, a contributing writer for local newspapers and has worked for a weekly newspaper. Megan has sold magazine articles locally and nationally. In her day job, she works in the marketing department of an upscale Denver portrait photography studio. She is also a freelance writer, crafting magazine articles and advertising copy.

Megan and her husband Carl currently live in suburban Denver near their three adult children. They often travel back to their roots in Long Island, NY to visit family and get their fill of delicious Italian food.

THE INTERVIEW

JA: Congratulations on your debut novel, Searching for Spice. Time to dish: How does it feel going into a store and seeing your book on the shelf?
MD: I know it’s cliché, but it is a dream come true to see my book sitting on a store shelf. It’s funny, for years I’ve always noticed where my book would sit on a shelf, whether it was in a book store or a library—and not, there it is!

JA: Please tell us about Searching for Spice.
MD: Searching for Spice is about a woman who’s been married for 24 years who decides she wants to have an affair—with her husband. Of course nothing’s simple, and life doesn’t always go according to plan.

JA: Linda Revere longs to put some spice back in to her 24-year-old marriage. As a wife and mother of three, how do you keep things interesting? (Without getting too personal, of course!)
MD: I love to flirt with my husband and always have. We also laugh together on a daily basis, and that helps to dissipate any tension that may be in the air. Despite however long someone’s been married, it’s exciting when your spouse shows interest. And I’m convinced that no matter how secure or manly your husband is, he loves to be the object of your attention.

JA: Unfortunately, most people don’t equate “romance” with married couples – at least not in fiction. What was the most challenging part of writing this book?
MD: My novel is not so much about romance as it is about love. I could be wrong, but romance brings up images of new relationships. When you’re married for more than a few years, you know your spouse better than anyone else. That’s the great thing—you know exactly what type of flirtation or gift would hit their hot button. And in that respect, writing Searching for Spice wasn’t such a challenge. I just had to imagine situations that would allow my characters to relate to one another in the manner of two people who know each other inside and out. However, even the best of intentions can be off the mark, which only makes life more interesting.

JA: What do you hope people take away after reading Searching for Spice?
MD: The main thing I would hope people would take away from Searching for Spice is the notion that marriage is valuable, and your relationship with your spouse should be warm, deep, exciting and loving.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
MD: I just finished edits for Out of Her Hands. That story involves the same family featured in Searching for Spice, but the focus in on the relationships my character has with her young adult children. Out of Her Hands will be available in October 2008.

JA: As a child, your family used to make weekly trips to the library. What’s your favorite library memory?
MD: The library we visited is a grand, old building. I recall having a clear impression that it was an important building. What I didn’t know as a child is that the Troy (NY) Public Library, which was built in 1897, is an example of American Renaissance style. Its design and style is based on Italian renaissance palaces. It is absolutely gorgeous—marble floors and original Tiffany stained glass windows. I loved everything about that building, and my favorite memory is the huge mural of Gulliver’s Travels that decorated the wall of the children’s room.

JA: Is there something that people would be surprised to learn about you?
MD: Probably not. I’m not that much different than the woman next door. I have the same desire for a healthy, happy family and enjoy the love of family and friends.

JA: What’s your idea of the ultimate vacation?
MD: I’m torn between touring places I haven’t yet visited to and sitting on a beach with a satchel full of great books to read for my ultimate vacation. Of course it must include my husband and perhaps my kids.

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
MD: I love to communicate with my readers. The easiest way to peek into my world is by visiting my website at megandimaria.com or my blog at megandimaria.blogspot.com.

Thank you, Megan, and continued blessings to you in your writing journey!

JEN’S REVIEW

Remember young love? That first blush of I-can’t-wait-to-see-him excitement? Well, Linda Revere sure does, and she wants some of it back!

Megan DiMaria’s debut novel crackles with the yearnings of a long-married wife who just wants to put a little spice back in her marriage. Anybody who’s been married for more than a few years will relate to Linda’s many failed attempts at seducing her husband. A sick dog, kid trouble, even the neighbors get in the way. But through it all, Linda rediscovers the man she married and redefines just what makes a man a prince.

Searching for Spice is an impressive debut novel. It’ll make you laugh, make you think, and maybe even bring a tear to your eye. DiMaria is a skilled writer with a gift for dialogue. She puts her characters into realistic situations and has us rooting for them till the end. I look forward to her follow-up novel in October, and many more literary offerings in the years to come.

WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Searching for Spice just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll combine the responses of my Blogger and ShoutLife blogs to pick a winner at random on April 21st. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) ShoutLifers will be contacted via ShoutMail. Good luck!