Meet and Greet is a regular feature on my blog. Be forewarned…Unlike the typical interview, these brief questions will get to the true heart of my guests…or at least the heart of what’s in their kitchen. Grab a latte (or other beverage of your choice), find a comfy chair, and prepare to make a new friend.
I’m thrilled to welcome Melanie Dickerson as my guest today! It seems like I’ve crossed paths with Melanie in the blogosphere for ages and have always heard wonderful things about her writing. Well, I recently decided to check it out for myself and started reading her latest, The Merchant’s Daughter. Let me tell you…Wow! It’s not a typical genre for me to read, but I was sucked in and couldn’t put it down. My eyelids were flagging many a night while I mentally yelled at them, “Stop drooping. I want to keep reading!” So needless to say, I’m one of Melanie’s newest fans. 
I hope you enjoy getting to know her better here today! Let’s start with the basics…
Melanie Dickerson is the author of The Healer’s Apprentice, a Christy Award finalist and winner of The National Reader’s Choice Award for Best First Book. Melanie earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from The University of Alabama and is a former teacher and a missionary. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Huntsville, Alabama.
You can connect with her via her website, by friending her on Facebook, or checking out her Facebook author page.
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Welcome, Melanie! Now on to the questions…
Opener Question: What seven words best describe you?
Wow, that is a hard one. Seven words that might describe me: scatterbrained, loving, merciful, determined, pessimist-turned-optimist, faithful, Christian.
Either/Or Questions:
1) Amazon River or Mediterranean Sea? Hmm, the Mediterranean has a more peaceful connotation, and right after the holidays, peaceful appeals to me! So I’ll go with Mediterranean Sea.
2) Nachos and cheese or Mac and cheese? Nachos and cheese, definitely, since I’m not a big pasta fan. But hold the jalapenos please!
3) Spring or fall? My two favorite seasons, but Spring edges out fall, because it has such a great feeling of new beginnings.
4) The Diary of Anne Frank or Princess Diaries? Well, I loved The Diary of Anne Frank VERY much when I was a kid, but these days, I prefer light-hearted romantic comedies, so even though I haven’t read Princess Diaries, I’ll have to go with that. My daughters and I have watched that movie a bunch of times.
5) Out on the town or take-out and a movie? I’m more of a take-out and a movie kind of girl. Maybe because I’m lazy, maybe because I’m not much of a night person and was never much of a party-goer or big crowd person.
6) Tennis shoes or dress shoes? I’m more of a tennis shoes girl, I guess. Although it’s fun to get dressed up sometimes.
7) Road Runner or Wile E. Coyote? Definitely road runner. I always root for the good guy.
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I agree, Melanie! The good guy should always win. Especially when he’s as cute as Road Runner. 
And I’m a big fan of the Princess Diaries movies too. They have such a fun Disney-esque feel to them. (Which, by the way, I love how The Merchant’s Daughter is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast! I was curious to see how you would handle the “beast” aspect of it, and I’m marveling at how heroic and sympathetic you made his character.)
Thanks for being my guest today!
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Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf’s bailiff—a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past.
Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff’s vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf. As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger.
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Blog readers: Let’s talk…What’s your favorite Disney movie or cartoon? Or if you can’t think of one, how about your favorite chick flick? Any new ones that have caught your eye lately?
*Giveaway Details: Melanie has offered to give a copy of The Merchant’s Daughter to one lucky commenter! (For extra entries, you can Tweet or share this post on Facebook…I’ll add an extra entry for each. Just make sure to mention it in your comment.) Winner will be announced in next Monday’s post. Good luck!
**The winner of last week’s Cherry Blossom Caper giveaway is Lindsay Harrel! I’ll contact you this week with details.
