Interview & Giveaway with Author Melinda Hinson Neely

Today I have the pleasure to introduce you to our longtime friend and amazing author, Melinda Hinson Neely.  Melinda is a true inspiration.   She has dedicated herself to teaching others how to live healthy and fulfilling lives.   Currently, she’s in the process of writing her second book while managing her blog, running marathons and spending time with her family.

Living a healthy, rewarding lifestyle is a great commitment you can make to yourself, so we thought we’d ask Melinda a few questions about how she’s managed to do it, while inspiring others as an author along the way.

Meylah: What drives you and gets you out of bed in the morning?

Melinda: First and foremost, my little boy. I love checking on him when he’s still asleep, looking so beautiful and peaceful. Then when he wakes up and gives me that big morning hug, it’s the best moment of my day. Every day.

As the day unfolds, I am very much motivated by the work I’m doing. Since late last year, at the ripe age of 46, I have been making a career transition. Though I have always tried to inspire others to stay fit and eat well, by offering encouragement and setting a good example, I’m now doing so more formally. Whether I am writing books, blogging or doing marketing work, I am focusing predominantly in the health and wellness space. Every day is a new and exciting challenge to learn and discover ways I might help others lead healthier lives.

Meylah: What advice would you give to an upcoming author wanting to publish their first book?

Melinda: Stop editing! Just get your thoughts on paper and worry about how pretty it sounds later.

In many aspects of our lives, we are our worst critic; and that little naysayer voice can prevent us from accomplishing all kinds of goals. When it comes to writing, and specifically to writing books, that voice is delivered to our hearts and minds via megaphone! If we turn down the volume, make time to write every day (even if it’s only 15 minutes), then we can polish up our piece of work in due time.

Meylah: Tell us about Finding Life’s Secret Sauce and Starting from Scratch…

Melinda: Finding Life’s Secret Sauce is about fitting good food, fitness and fun into your crazy, busy schedule. Staying happy and healthy isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition; we are all motivated by different things in life. In the book, I offer a variety of suggestions for eating well, exercising and pursuing life adventures, in hopes that each individual can find the right ingredients for his or her own life. Wellness isn’t just about food and exercise anymore – and it should include other factors, too, such as professional, spiritual, intellectual and social ones.

Starting from Scratch is an extension of Finding Life’s Secret Sauce. If you’re going to manage your health and well-being better, and really know what you’re heating, you need to learn how to cook! And though this may initially seem like an overwhelming proposition, especially if your days are as hectic as mine, the book is written in bite-sized pieces to make the cooking experience less intimidating, more manageable and more fun! This learn-how-to-cook-book-without-the-recipes is currently being published, chapter-by-chapter, each week on my blog. I welcome comments from readers to include in the final published book!

Meylah: Who is your inspiration?  And can you tell us about some of the amazing folks you’ve connected with through your blog and books?

Melinda: My mother has encouraged me to pursue my passions and dreams since I was a little girl, and for this, I am eternally grateful. She continues to inspire me to be the best person I can be, personally professionally and spiritually.

When I first started blogging, I did so with the sole focus of building awareness for my book and sharing advice for leading a healthier lifestyle. What I didn’t anticipate was making new “virtual” friendships! Meeting other inspirational people I would have never otherwise known has been an unexpected and uplifting reward.

Most recently, I reached out to volunteers for my third book on how to run your first (and possibly your only!) marathon. The stories I received from men and women, literally from around the world, were simply amazing. They have all inspired me to work harder, believe in myself and inspire others to conquer their goals and dreams. I can’t wait to follow them on their journey to accomplish this amazing athletic feat and share their stories in my book.

Meylah: What resources do you use regularly that you can’t live without?

Melinda: The term “resources” is somewhat all-encompassing for me. Offline, I am dependent on a myriad of books, ranging from personal development books to novels to cookbooks. I’m also dependent on friends, family and even total strangers who inspire, entertain and guide me on a daily basis. Laughter soothes my soul, so I always gravitate towards people who make me laugh.

Online, I tend to have a number of sites I follow for informational purposes (e.g., health, fitness and cooking sites) and also people I just want to follow because I admire them (e.g., Dena Harris, Karen Evans and all my marathon volunteers).

Meylah: Any parting words for the creative community?

Melinda: Whether you are writing a book, learning to cook, training for a marathon or pursuing your creative dream, don’t give up. We all have bad days, botched dinners and bad runs, but these setbacks make crossing the finish line all the more special.

Book Giveaway!

Melinda will be giving away her book, Finding Life's Secret Sauce to three randomly selected winners who comment here on Meylah or on Melinda's latest post answering what you believe Life's Secret Sauce is...leave a comment to be eligible!  Winners will be selected a week from today, on Friday, September 3rd and will be announced on Meylah's Facebook Page.