FEATURED AUTHOR: Megan DiMaria

Megan DiMaria was born and raised in New York State and attended SUNY Plattsburgh where she earned her B.A. Degree in Communications. She has been a radio and television reporter, freelance writer, editor and marketing professional. Her husband’s job moved the family to Pennsylvania, Texas, New Jersey and ultimately Colorado. Megan and her husband live in suburban Denver near their adult children. They often travel back to their roots in Long Island, NY to visit family and get their fill of delicious Italian food.

Megan 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

Searching for Spice 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 would you like your readers to take away from your book?

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.

What did you learn while writing this book?

I think one of the most interesting observations I had while writing this book is what characteristics or traits I personally don’t want to display. You know, you put characters in a situation, and then they react. I often found myself thinking, “No, no, no. You shouldn’t do that. You could be misunderstanding the situation or you could hurt someone with your careless words.”

What is the hardest part about the writing business?

Before I had a contract, the hardest part was writing into “a black hole” and wondering if anyone besides me and my critique partners would see my story. Now it’s just trying to manage my regular schedule, deadlines and marketing responsibilities.

What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?

Without a doubt, it’s that I really am working when I’m home with my laptop. Just because you have the luxury of making your own schedule doesn’t mean you have the luxury of blowing off your responsibilities when you should be home writing.

What marketing have you found that particularly works well for you?

I pass out bookmarks whenever I get that opportunity, which is just about every time I go out in public. I’m the kind of girl who can strike up a conversation with anyone, so it’s not difficult for me to promote my book.

What are three things you wish you'd known before you reached where you are now?

I was fortunate to find American Christian Fiction Writers in January of 2001. This amazing organization does a wonderful job at educating and mentoring writers. I think because I took advantage of all ACFW has to offer and became acquainted with the community of writers, I was fairly prepared for what happened. That said, I believe this business is all about learning, hard work and marketing. People need to know that once you get your contract, you’ve still not arrived.

What’s the most interesting change in your life as a result of being a published author?

I’ve discovered that people perceive that the job title “author” has a certain cachet. They’re more curious about me than if I say I’m a clerk in an office. Other than that, not much has changed. I’m blessed with a wonderful family and incredible friends who see me as the same person who toiled away for 12 years dreaming of being published.

This month our theme is Men In Fiction. Can you give us five male authors you read?

Randy Ingermanson, James Scott Bell, Alton Gansky, Nicholas Sparks, and Michael Snyder’s My Name is Russell Fink is on my TBR list.

Do you have any advice for the aspiring writer?

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.

How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website)

Readers can find me online at my blog at megandimaria.blogspot.com and my website, megandimaria.com. If you want to drop me a line, there’s an “email” button on my site.