Meet Me Monday's with Amy Dingmann

Please welcome my next guest, Amy Dingmann!!!

  1.        How has your journey in publishing been? Anything you would or wouldn’t do again?

My journey in publishing has been a grand learning experience and I’m enjoying every minute of it. If I had to do something over, I would not have waited so long. I questioned for many years “Can I really do this? Should I really do this?” I wasted so much time doing that. It’s fun now to be involved in something I think I was supposed to be doing all along 

2.      What are you working on right now? Can you tell us about it?

I am currently working on book three in the Lost and Found series, called Lost: All Things Pink and Glittery. It’s a fun one about the differences between “boys and girls” when kids enter the picture. I have at least five books planned for the Lost and Found series…and plenty o’ books outside of it.

3.      What/Who inspired you to start writing?

Writing was always so much a part of me, something so automatic (like breathing). I don’t know that I’ve ever felt inspired by any certain person or thing, however I do know that I’ve been *supported* by many people. I’m blessed to have grown up in a home and then moved to a home full of people who never thought that writing was just a pipedream.  

4.      How long have you been writing?

Forever. I remember writing when I was really young, folding papers together to make a book and handing it all to my grandpa to read the story I was writing. He read it and said “Amazing! You even have a topic sentence!” I gave him a weird look because I had no clue what a topic sentence was, I just knew I had a story I wanted to write down.

5.      What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?

Applying the seat of your pants to the seat of your chair is the only way your book will get done. J

6. Are you a pantser or a plotter?

I want to believe I am a plotter, but the pantser side has so much more to say and usually wins out.

7.      Who is your favorite author?

I don’t really have a favorite author, but my favorite fiction book I’ve read thus far is Me and Emma by Elizabeth Flock. I also really enjoyed Stephen King’s book On Writing. 

8. When did you first consider yourself a writer?

You know what? I still don’t, and it drives my husband nuts. I’m not sure what that magical “thing” will be where I will finally claim being an author. When I went to buy a new laptop, the sales guy asked what I planned to use it for and I answered, “Writing.” He thought (for some reason) I meant writing college papers. ;) Things would be so much easier if I could say “I’m an author” but the words still get all tangled coming out.

9. What is the hardest part about writing for you?

Finding the time and brain space to do it. When stories hit, they take over my whole brain. Unfortunately real life doesn’t turn off in order to make space for them. J

Another hard thing about writing is that publishing, especially today as an indie, is not just about writing. It’s a lot to do with marketing. That’s a hard transition to make in your brain – art to business. 

10. Do you have a favorite character from your books? If so, why and who?

Emily, for sure. She’s the girl who says what’s on my mind that I’m not always brave enough to say in real life.

11. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I currently have three books out. Two books in the Lost and Found series (Lost: One Pair of Rose Colored Glasses and Found: One Craving For Everything) and one book under my real name (Amy Dingmann) about home education. (The Homeschool Highway: How to Navigate Your Way Without Getting Carsick). But as far as the books that are “planned out” to write? I think I’m booked until about 2016. As far as which book is my favorite…they’re all a favorite for their own reason. 

12. What is your favorite colour?

Brown. I’m really trying to spice things up…but I keep coming back to brown. 

13. What is your favorite food?

Anything I grow. And pizza. 

14. What is your favorite smell?

The smell of a woodstove, or my husband after he comes in from working in the garage.

15. Where are you from? Do you still live there? If not, what do you miss about it?

I have always lived in Minnesota. I love it even though we are under snow and below freezing most of the winter. It’s a beautiful state.

16. Ebook or print? And why?

Both. I love the convenience of an ebook, but I’m still at the library once a week grabbing print books as well. As an author, I find I sell way more ebooks, but the people who do opt for print books are DIEHARD print book fans. As an author, you’ve got to deliver to the readers!

17. What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to learn about you?

I can’t swallow pills and raw tomatoes make me gag.

GIVEAWAY – One signed paperback copy of Lost: One Pair or Rose Colored Glasses and Found: One Craving For Everything, both books as a set to ONE winner. To enter to win, simply comment and include your email address to this interview blog post today before 11pm (Monday, July 23^rd) and winner will be chosen by Random.org – I will reveal the winner in the comments on this blog post the morning of July 24^th.

MY BIO

SHAY RAY STEVENS is an author, farmgirl, wife and mama who craves many things, but never orange juice or cheese curls. She lost her own pair of rose colored glasses many years ago and has given up trying to find them. She lives with her family in Minnesota and enjoys writing humorous stories about life (which may just have pieces of her own journey in them). Shay Ray is the author of the chick-lit series “Lost and Found”. You can find out more about her at amydingmann.com.

BLURB FROM LOST: ONE PAIR OF ROSE COLORED GLASSES

Emily Swanson has finally married her knight in shining armor, but there's just one problem: she seems to have lost her pair of rose colored glasses.

Can Emily survive the first year of marriage without them? How can she endure the (mis)communication of hint language or the in-laws who forget to knock? Is it possible to still love a man who can't follow a shopping list? And how in the world did she end up with someone who won't cut down a Christmas tree?

Emily struggles to stay lovely and sweet while dealing with a late honeymoon, her husband's new puppy, and the newfound paranoia that everything makes her look fat. But with tricks from Mother and the Cult of Married Women (along with a whole lot of sass), Emily soon learns how to keep her sanity and carry on.

Kick off your heels, grab a glass of wine, and laugh along as Emily Swanson discovers the realities of life together in marriage that are quickly revealed when the rose colored glasses come off.

BLURB FOR FOUND: ONE CRAVING FOR EVERYTHING

"I'm not pregnant!" I said again, because I liked the way it sounded flying out of my mouth.

"I'll bet you ten bucks you're having a baby," Ben laughed, his face glowing with excitement and pride.

"Oh yeah? I'll bet you twenty bucks I'm not!"

I mean, really. What did Ben know about pregnancy anyway? He didn't even have boobs.

EMILY SWANSON unexpectedly finds herself pregnant after three years of marriage and without warning is launched into nine months of twists and turns on the journey to motherhood.

Why is she craving orange juice and cheese curls? Will she ever stop crying? Does she really need to buy maternity underwear? Are breasts for fun...or for feeding? Why are all the baby names her husband suggests completely stupid? And must she give up her Bedroom Goddess sash just because she's turned on her internal Easy Bake Oven?

Life is tough in the Pregnant Twilight Zone. Will Emily survive? Yes, but only with the help of chocolate raspberry ice cream.

LINKS WHERE TO FIND ME:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shayraystevens

Author website: www.amydingmann.com

Amazon Author page: www.amazon.com/Shay-Ray-Stevens/e/B00BJ5XIWC

Links to buy Lost on kindle: www.amazon.com/Lost-Colored-Glasses-Found-ebook/dp/B00BE6I86M

In print: www.amazon.com/Lost-Pair-Rose-Colored-Glasses/dp/1482313146

Link to buy Found on kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Found-Craving-Everything-Lost-ebook/dp/B00CX7NYEW

In print: www.amazon.com/Found-Craving-Everything-Lost-Volume/dp/1484967151