It’s pronounced Mee gihn Dee muh ree uh. Or that’s what it sounds like when she says it. A lovely name to suit a lovely woman. This post has been a long time coming and I am so excited to share my friend with you. Megan is one of my Starbucks girlfriends, though there was the day we enjoyed a lunch together after the book signing of another author friend. As I recall, the conversation was much better than the food. 🙂
On April 1st, one of Megan’s dreams came true. Her debut novel,
Searching For Spice, became available to the public, and she’s been busy doing book signings and celebrating ever since. I was lucky enough to be invited to her book launch party at the D & F Tower in downtown Denver. I happily met many of her friends and family including her husband, her agent, and several of her friends from the writing world. She looked so beautiful and poised as she made her way around the room greeting every guest and thanking them for coming to support her. It was a wonderful celebration.
I was immediately drawn to the cover of her book since pink is one of my favorite colors. But it was the storyline that kept my attention. The back of the book says, “Linda Revere longs to have a sizzling affair . . .
with her husband, a practical, no-nonsense community college science teacher. Unfortunately, life isn’t scripted, and nothing goes according to plan. From having a demanding boss and at times a frustrating job to helping her family and friends with their troubles, life seems to be preventing Linda from achieving her goal of an exciting and passionate marriage. Linda hopes God will answer her prayers to jazz up her marriage, but is she ready for what happens next?”
I loved that Megan’s characters were real and engaging. Though I’ve not yet reached the stage of life the main character Linda is in, I could relate to many of her frustrations. I too have had to learn to navigate the changing seasons of the marriage relationship, work in a job where I was poorly treated and overloaded, and watch a close friend suffer through deep pain in her own marriage. I’ve also shared some of the same joys Linda has; watching my children grow up and noticing the little changes in their personalities as they begin to make choices of their own, celebrating wacky occasions with girlfriends, and rediscovering the strengths of the man I married and love so dearly – even when he doesn’t “get me”. It’s hard to fight your way back from dissatisfaction in marriage, but Linda tackles the challenge with gusto. When life gets tough, she prays for help and falls back on her habit of spending time meditating on the word of God while sitting in her favorite chair. It reminds me of my own comfort rituals and how safe and restorative they are when life seems to spin out of control.
I always look for a common thread to hold onto when I read a novel. You know, something I can grasp as a reminder that we’re all a little bit alike and usually more than we think we are. This book’s thread was Linda and her daughter sharing tea, and their family enjoying Chinese take-out. These are a few of the pleasures in my life. I also loved that the family has some hard times, but they stick together and are stronger for it in the end.
There is so much more I could tell you about this book, but if I reveal it all then you wouldn’t have a reason to read it now would you? Here are a few things others have had to say about it:
“DiMaria’s debut novel shines with warmth and wisdom. Linda and Jerry’s marriage is realistic, and readers will be able to identify with and learn from their struggles. A sprinkling of humor and detailed secondary characters raise this novel a notch above the rest.”
Romantic Times Magazine ~ 4 1/2 stars!
“Be careful what you pray for . . . Megan DiMaria’s Searching for Spice is an entertaining tale of an Everywoman who yearns for the Extraordinary–as we all do on occasion. Filled with humor, zest, and real life, this charming romantic tale will charm and delight.”
~Angela Hunt, author of Doesn’t She Look Natural?
“Searching for Spice is a fantastic read that I couldn’t put down. With a grabbing main character, a cast of friends and family that makes things interesting, a storyline to keep the pages turning, and writing that brought both laughter to my lips and tears to my eyes, Searching for Spice is a novel not to be missed. I’m looking forward to reading more from this new author.”
“What a breath of fresh air. Megan DiMaria has a pulse on the Boomer generation. I love that a woman my own age is the main character – not just somebody’s mom. Linda’s thoughts and feelings so closely mirrored my own; I had to take a break to reflect on some of them. What insight!”
~ Jan Parrish, fellow writer and friend
Want a chance to win a signed copy of Megan’s book? Leave me a comment or
email me to let me know you’d like to be entered in my drawing to be held this Friday morning. As an added bonus, I’ll put your name in the hat twice if you include a funny or romantic way you’ve tried to add a little spice to your own marriage or dating relationship.
The Revere family story continues in Megan’s next book, Out of Her Hands, due out in October 2008. Look for it in bookstores near you! Here’s Megan posing next to her book in a local Barnes & Noble. Can you imagine the thrill of seeing a book with YOUR name on it on the shelf of a major national bookstore? I am so happy for her success! For more information about Megan and her writing projects, visit her places on the web. To purchase her book online, click on the picture of the book above and it will take you to amazon.com or stop by your local bookstore and pick up a copy. Don’t forget about the drawing on Friday!
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Sometimes I Write 
Wow! Sounds like a GREAT book! I LOVE a good Christian Fiction book! How awesome that the author is your friend! She sounds like a wonderful woman!
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Niki, your friend and her book sound fantastic. What a treat to have you introduce her to us this way.
Let’s see, spice to my own marriage relationship . . . I think I’d say a switch in the undergarment department added a little sizzle . . . always be willing to try new things is my motto.
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LOL thanks for the info. Pam. 🙂
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Oh, great review! Sounds like a really fun book – I like characters I can relate to.
We have little ones right now, and no one sleeps through the night on a regular basis (well, except maybe the 6 year old), so my hubby and I are sorely lacking in the spice department. For us, adding spice means going to bed at the same time and getting a little sleep already!
Oh, we recently decided that we’re going to have a once-a-month date and visit other congregations in our area for Sunday night worship (withOUT the kids). Not too “spicy”, but I’m SURE it’s going to be a nice benefit to our marriage. Since we started our marriage with a kiddo already, we have yet to sit through an entire worship service, just the two of us, with no distractions. I’m looking forward to those car rides alone to and from church, and to sitting on a pew with my hubby’s arm around me while we share the same song book! 🙂
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I just want to encourage your readers to get this book, they will not be disappointed!
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Niki, “Searching For Spice” sounds like a book I need to read. I can already relate to Linda, and I haven’t read the book.
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Wow! Great review. I want to read the book incase there are any new ideas. We started having candle-light dinners, but I don’t know if that counts. It has made our dinners more interesting when it gets dark so early. Please put me in your drawing. Thanks.
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Thanks for hosting me on your blog, Niki. It’s a treat!
Thanks also for all the nice comments. I hope you all enjoy reading Searching for Spice as much as I enjoyed writing it.
A prisoner of hope,
Megan DiMaria
PS: Niki, my daughter loves the phonetic way you spelled my name. LOL
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[…] still have until Friday to enter the drawing for Megan’s book, Searching For Spice. Click HERE for […]
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Hi! I’m new to your blog :o)
I would love to be entered! I love Christian fiction, and this sounds like a good one.
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Count me in, please!
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