Sometimes you meet those awesome people in life whose Facebook status updates you really care about … and look forward to. Amy Matayo is one of those people. I met Amy at an ACFW conference recently. She’s sweet, funny, and real. And even cooler…her debut novel, The Wedding Game, just released.
I asked Amy to visit today on the blog, and she agreed. She’s also doing a giveaway of her book, so check out the details and enter below!
Here’s a bit about Amy:
Amy Matayo is a graduate of John Brown University and holds a degree in journalism. After graduation, she went to work at DaySpring Cards, where she worked for seven years as Senior Writer and Editor. After the birth of her first child, she became a freelance writer for David C. Cook before pursuing novel writing full time. Her newest book finaled in the 2012 ACFW Genesis contest. Two of her other books semi-finaled in the 2011 Genesis. As the mother of four children with a husband immersed in political life, Amy has very little free time. She prefers to spend that time enjoying intellectual pursuits such as watching television with her feet propped up, watching movies with a bucket of popcorn, and watching her laundry pile high–with no desire to do anything about it. Connect with her at amymatayo.com.
Sometimes in life we have to make split decisions. Like whether or not to let your teenager catch a ride home with another kid who hasn’t been driving all that long because you’re stuck in traffic across town. Or whether to buy the cute skinny blank pants you found at Banana Republic or the wide leg ones at Old Navy that don’t exactly look as great but are a whole lot cheapter. Or whether to stick with the creamy peanut butter you’ve trusted for years or venture into the unknown world of crunchy and organic.
Or whether or not to sell your soul for money.
Now, I haven’t exactly been faced with this last dilemma, but I know people who have been. Good people. Kind people. Smart people. Well-intentioned people.
Fake people, but that’s beside the point.
In my new book, The Wedding Game, the main characters sign up for a reality show with one goal in mind: to win the competition and walk away two million dollars richer. All they have to do to win: marry a complete stranger and stay that way for six months while working hard to convince the viewers they’re in love. Simple, right?
Not so much.
But it got me thinking–what would you do for that kind of money? Sure, it’s easy to say “nothing that bad,” but is the answer really that simple? What if you needed money for medical bills or your child’s education or to pay off your home or to fund the Botox injections you’ve been waiting on for the past decade (hey–don’t judge).
What would you do? I, for one, would never marry a stranger for money. Ever. Not in a million years. No way, no how, no chance it’s gonna happen.
Unless a personal chef/housekeeper/masseuse/gardener is involved. In that case, sign me up yesterday. I only hope my husband doesn’t mind…
Cannon James has a plan: Sign on as a contestant for his father’s new reality show, marry a blonde hand-picked by the producers, and walk away two million dollars richer. It’s all been arranged. Easy. Clean. No regrets. Until Ellie McAllister ruins everything by winning the viewer’s vote. Now he has to convince America that he’s head over heels in love with her. Not easy to do since she’s a walking disaster.
Ellie McAllister has her own problems. She needs money, and she needs it now. Despite her parents’ objections and her belief that marriage is sacred, she signs on to The Wedding Game…and wins. Now she’s married to a guy she can’t stand, and if she wants her hands on the money, she has six months to make voters believe she loves him. Not easy to do since he’s the most arrogant man in America.
It doesn’t take long for Ellie and Cannon to realize they’ve made a mess of things…even less time for their feelings for one another to change. But is it too late for them? More importantly, can the worst decision they’ve ever made actually become one of the best?
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
Amy’s offering up a copy (Kindle or print) of The Wedding Game, and there are lots of ways to enter! Use the Rafflecopter box below to enter by
- Liking Amy’s Facebook author page
- Liking my Facebook author page
- Tweeting about the giveaway
- Sharing about the giveaway via Facebook
- Leaving a blog post comment
The contest is open to U.S. residents only and ends at midnight on November 30. There must be at least 10 entries for the contest to be valid.
Your Turn: What would you do for $2 million? What would you NOT do? Or, what would you do with $2 million if you had it?
Lindsay, I'm so glad Amy is visiting today! Amy, loved reading this, and your book sounds fascinating. And fun. 🙂 Well done! If I don't win, I'm going to need to add this to my December budget so I can buy a copy of it. 🙂
Okay, it's Monday morning, and the kids are home. That's my excuse for not answering the question. 😉 If I had $2 million dollars, I would give some of it away, I would pay off mortgages, and I would help a few friends who are going through their own real-life medical scares and aren't sure where the money will come from to pay all the hospital bills. After that? Not sure. I'd pray about where God wanted it to go. 🙂
Hehe, no problem! That's really a sweet way to use the money. I think you should at least take a fun vacay too. 😉
This is wonderful, Lindsay! Thank you, Amy, and congrats on your book! $2 million? I have no idea what I'd do … just know some things I wouldn't do. Grin. I'd definitely use it for the kid's college and to let my sweet hubby retire early!
Best wishes for the book! So thrilled for you! God bless ….
Thanks for stopping by, Shelli! Those are some very practical — and smart ways — to use the money. 😉
Ha! We are blog twins today. So happy to have Amy on my blog and to see her here, too. 🙂 I have a copy of her book, so I don't need to be entered. But what would I do for $2 million? Eek. I couldn't marry a stranger! But what would I do with $2 million? Pay off all my bills, take a long European vacation, and put the rest in the bank!
Yay for being twins! 🙂 Yeah, I couldn't marry a stranger either, especially knowing how great it was to marry my best friend. And yes, yes, yes on the European vacay! I'm so there!
$2 million, huh? I don't know, the romantic in me just might be willing to marry a stranger because somehow, in books and movies, it always works out! Hehehe…j/k…mostly.
But if I DID have $2 million, I'd buy a sweet old house, fix it up, hire a maid, take a sweet vacay and then try to do some good in the world with the rest. 🙂
Hire. A. Maid.
Done and done. Great idea! 🙂
Love the premise. Sounds like a great book. I'm an overly practical person, so I'd probably do something utterly boring like put it in retirement and college accounts…but maybe I'd take a great vacation first. 🙂
Yes, I think a vacation would DEFINITELY be in order. Thanks for stopping by today, girl!
My friends and I talked about Powerball lottery all weekend 🙂 I'd buy houses in Colorado and Costa Rica, travel, and yes, hire a maid!
What I wouldn't do for $2 mil? Probably wouldn't get married unless I could get out of it easily. I don't think I could live with anything that compromised my integrity/belief system or hurt anyone I love.
Thank you so much for having me, Lindsay! Can't wait to see who wins!