Interview with Melanie Dickerson

Melanie Dickerson is an award-winning author who earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from The University of Alabama. Growing up fifty miles from the hometown of Harper Lee made her believe it was possible for her dream of becoming published author to come true. She taught children with special needs in Georgia and Tennessee, and she taught English in Germany and Ukraine. Now she spends her time writing and taking care of her husband and two daughters near Huntsville, Alabama.

Today her debut novel, The Healer’s Apprentice, comes out! The back cover copy ::

In this historical romance loosely based on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, a woodcutter’s daughter becomes the town healer’s apprentice. Rose’s job is to care for the sick and injured in Hagenheim Castle. But she gets sick at the sight of blood and is more suited to making up stories than sewing up wounds. She is determined to overcome her weakness and prove herself a competent healer, or she faces marrying a disgusting old merchant her mother has picked out for her.

Lord Hamlin, the future ruler of the region, is injured and Rose must overcome her squeamishness to save him. He is everything that is noble and good, but loving him is forbidden. He is already betrothed to a mysterious woman in hiding. With two noble-born brothers vying for her affections, Rose learns that the people of Hagenheim are not always who they seem.

Melanie, thank you for stopping by to visit with us today! Your novel, The Healer’s Apprentice, is a medieval romance. What has attracted you to this genre?

Thank you, Heidi, for having me on your blog! I’m excited to be here.

I have always loved medieval times, knights, castles, girls in beautiful long dresses. The period is so colorful and romantic. I’ve also always loved fairy tales as well, and one day I got the idea to take the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale and flesh it out and twist it a little bit, making the story more realistic. In other words, how would this story play out if it really happened? At the time I didn’t even realize the “fairy tale retelling” genre existed.

The trailer to The Healers Apprentice can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2m9-Ap4IZE

What’s your favorite classic fairy tale movie and why?

Sleeping Beauty has always been my favorite.

What’s your favorite current fairy tale movie and why?

I like lots of fairy tale-ish movies, such as Ella Enchanted, Enchanted, and Penelope. Mention “fairy tale” and I’m in! I think it has to do with being a hopeless romantic. J

I love those three current movies as well! Melanie, your bio on your website is slim of personal facts, so enlighten us: Coffee or soda?

Soda, but it has to be caffeine free, unfortunately. My body decided, a few years ago, that it can’t tolerate caffeine. I’ve never been a coffee drinker.

Cats or dogs?

Dogs

Pool, lake or ocean (for the view or the swimming?)

I’ll go with … lake. For the view. I can’t swim.

Favorite television show?

I don’t watch television! Not at all, I’m afraid. Not even the news.

Yikes! I don’t watch much television either, but zero? GOOD for you! Favorite recent movie?

I love movies! I recently saw Letters to Juliet. It was pretty good. I took my daughters to see Ramona and Beezus and that was good too. Penelope is a recent favorite. Oh, and I loved Bright Star! Very, very sweet and romantic, though sad at the end. It’s the story of Keats and the woman he loved.

Favorite time of the day to read a novel for leisure?

I usually only read at night, when I’m too tired to write or do housework! It’s the only time I don’t feel guilty for reading!

Same here!! Fascinating, I can always tell a lot about people with a little bit of personal history mixed in! So, if you don’t mind, tell us a little bit about your position as the coordinator of the ACFW Book Club.

Well, I was the ACFW Book Club coordinator for a couple of years, but I stepped down several months ago. Nora St. Laurent is doing an excellent job in that role now. But I enjoyed being the coordinator. I felt like I was doing something to give back to the ACFW organization, which had given so much to me. I was serving Christian fiction fans as well as the authors whose books they were reading. It was a fun experience, and I only stepped down because of life’s responsibilities and a lack of time. The day I told Margaret Daley that I had to quit, I actually cried! It was sad. L

Thank you for taking that time to give back to the writing community, everyone involved appreciates it! Please share how you plot and what your daily writing goals are.

It varies greatly! I don’t have a set way to plot. I usually let the plot come to me gradually. Sometimes I use the Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook to help me a little bit with plot. Mostly I just lie awake at night and think about all the possibilities. And my daily writing goals vary according to whether my editor needs me to do revisions. Normally, my goal is to get as much done as possible between the time my kids leave for school and the time they get home!

You have a degree in special education, why did you go to school for that degree and do you use it currently?

I went to school to be a special education teacher of the hearing impaired. I was fascinated with sign language and deaf children learning to speak and interact after I saw a documentary on PBS. I used my degree by teaching in public schools for three and a half years. I stopped teaching when my first child was born, and my career goal now is to write novels for the rest of my life!

Thank you for stopping by to visit today Melanie. Your novel sounds intriguing and the front cover is absolutely wonderful! Enjoy your book signings coming up soon J

Thank you, Heidi! I’ve enjoyed our conversation. Now I hope your readers will talk to me and let me know what kind of books they like to read. Do you like romance? How about lots of drama, or comedy? Does the idea of a fairy tale retold in a realistic way appeal to you? Do tell! I’m curious.

Yes readers, talk to us!!