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.
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.
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!
The Merchant’s Daughter
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.
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?
*flower photo by Twigy Posts
I saw TANGLED – Rapunzel – just a short while ago & was entranced by it. I do appreciate the magic of Disney, but there was one particular scene in TANGLED that had me in tears. Just so incredibly beautiful.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
I agree, Mary. I LOVED Tangled! And it had richer character stories than I anticipated. Definitely a thumbs-up for Disney on that one!
I am a Beauty and the Beast girl ALL THE WAY. Belle is my favorite princess and I love the story line. LOVE.
Hi Bekah! Beauty and the Beast is probably my favorite classic Disney film too. And who doesn’t love the “help” in the Beast’s house? 🙂
Be our GUEST!….oh great…now you’ve got me dancing. (Can I count it as a workout??)
Absolutely! 🙂
I’ve heard so many good things about Melanie and her books but haven’t gotten around to reading one. Really need to fix that because this book looks great!
My favorite Disney movie has always been The Little Mermaid. Love that story!
Oh yes, I forgot about The Little Mermaid, Heidi! I once babysitted a girl who watched it like five times a day, so I got a little burnt out on it. But I think I’d be ready to watch it again now. 🙂
Okay, somehow I just noticed I used the word “babysitted” earlier today. Oy vey, I’m blaming it on the distraction of kids. 🙂
Finding Nemo has been the favorite Disney movie around here. Fish are super interesting since Jacob got an aquarium for Christmas. I love Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, any of the old fairy tales! I hadn’t heard of these books, but it looks like they need to go on my to read list!
Hi Debbie! Ah yes, the power of Nemo. Now every kid who sees an orange striped fish at the aquarium shouts, “Nemo!” and thinks he’s looking for his dad. 🙂
Fun interview! I appreciate the intro to Melanie. Her book sounds wonderful. One of my favorite chick flicks is You’ve Got Mail. I also enjoy the original movie – Shop Around the Corner. 🙂
You’ve Got Mail is such a classic, isn’t it, Karen?! My favorite part is when she’s sick and he brings her flowers. And she keeps sneezing on him and talking with a stuffy nose. Such a fun movie! 🙂
Great interview! I always love your questions and the answers are always so fun to read. My kids have made me a big fan of Tangled lately, but Beauty and the Beats and The Little Mermaid were always my favorites when I was young.
Oh boy, Cindy, I bet you get your fill of all things Disney Princess with that house full of girls! 🙂
I enjoyed reading The Healer’s Apprentice and The Merchant’s Daughter sounds excellent too. (Funny thing, Susan May Warren shares the synopsis for this in one of her writing books … trying to remember which one … )
I have to agree with Cindy, Tangled is one of my new favorite Disney movies.Going to post this on FB and Tweet about it now!
Interesting about the synopsis thing, Beth! Now you have me curious… 🙂 And thanks for spreading the word as always! 🙂
Awesome, I never win anything!! LOL.
Oh my goodness, I love so many Disney movies, it’s hard to choose! I loved Sleeping Beauty and Little Mermaid as a kid, but Tangled is my most recent favorite. What can I say? I’m a sucker for handsome-guy-meets-princess movies.
Lindsay, I’m a total sucker for those kind of movies too. And I’m glad to make your day! 🙂
I would love the chance to read Melanie’s book. We share the same name, so that’s a plus already. 🙂
Sarah, I agree with Bekah in that Beauty and the Beast is the best! Love it.
Yes, Melanie, I think God blessed all Melanies with an extra measure of sweetness. 😉
I have only met a few other Melanies, but they all seemed sweet. It’s that whole Gone with the Wind thing, I guess. 😉
Thanks for all the comments, guys! Sorry I’m coming in late.
Tangled is really fun. My daughters and I love that one.
I actually have a Snow White story coming out later this year! Be on the lookout for that one. 🙂
And I love The Shop Around the Corner too! What a great old movie. My girls and I watched it right before Christmas. It’s also kind of a Christmas movie.
And Susan May Warren did mention my plot in one of her writing books, but she thought it was a Regency instead of a Medieval. 🙂
I hope, if you don’t win it, you will request The Merchant’s Daughter from your local library!
Thanks, everyone!
Oh, and thanks, Sarah, for having me on your blog! Your questions are really fun! 🙂
It’s my pleasure to host you, Melanie! And you’ve totally hooked me with the Snow White story coming out later this year. I’m curious…Did you base your first novel on a classic fairy tale like the others?
Sarah, my first book, The Healer’s Apprentice, is loosely based on Sleeping Beauty. But after I started writing it I thought it would be fun to write a whole series of fairy tale retellings. I take the general premise of the fairy tale, and then I add my own twists to it, creating my own characters and letting them sort of take over the story. So far I’m having a wonderful time with it and could see myself doing several more!
Such a great concept, Melanie! You’ve got me hooked after my first taste. 🙂
Fun interview! Nice to meet you, Melanie!
I would say, Belle – Beauty and the Beast.
Hi Loree! I love what Melanie said about Belle being a book-lover in the Disney movie. I’d completely forgotten that! And Annabel in the book has such a hunger to learn, it’s impossible to dislike her. 🙂
Hi, Loree! Nice to meet you too! There’s just something about Beauty and the Beast. And I love that Belle is a book-lover–at least in the Disney version! And in my version too, sort of. 🙂
melanie’s first book was absolutely amazing. i’m chomping at the bits to read her second. i had so wanted to meet her at the ACFW conference….will you be there this year, melanie?
sarah – i tweeted and facebooked this!
and my newest romcom that i’m totally into is Crazy, Stupid Love. hysterially funny, poignant at the end. good stuff.
Hi Jeannie! I haven’t read Melanie’s first one yet (I’m going out of order), but it’s officially on my Kindle now, so I’m anxious to dive in. 🙂
And I haven’t heard much about Crazy, Stupid Love yet, so I’m excited to hear your take on it. Sounds like I need to schedule it for a girls night soon! 🙂
Jeannie, I will try to be there this year! I think I saw you in St. Louis from afar! Would love to meet you too!
Although I’ve seen Melanie here and there, I haven’t had the pleasure of reading her book. Please enter me in the drawing.
susanjreinhardt AT gmail DOT com
My favorite? Cinderella! I love the whole romantic, HEA dynamic.
Blessings,
Susan 🙂
Oh goodness, Susan, how could I have forgotten about Cinderella?! Such a classic! And about 500 modern remakes of it too. 🙂
Susan, I’ll let you and the rest of Sarah’s readers in on a little secret: I am writing a Cinderella story right now! And it’s going to be a sequel to my Snow White story! I’m really excited about it! 🙂
Hands down–Princess and The Frog! Yep, I fight the kids to the tv for that one:)
Fun interview ladies! And I’ll take Melanie’s jalapenos:)
Tamika, my mother bought my daughters a necklace with a frog and a crown from Disney.com –Princess and the Frog memorabilia! It is so pretty.
My favorite is The Lion King and of course Bambi I think that was the first one of Disney that I saw as a young girl
Bambi is great, Joye, but it made me cry! Thanks for coming by!
Thanks for the opportunity to learn more about Melanie. I was privileged to read a portion of her work as a contest judge years ago and loved her story and her voice, so I’m not at all surprised to see her books garnering such honors.
My favorite Disney movie is Mary Poppins. It came out the year I was five, and I still remember sleeping with my Mary Poppins bag. I love the songs in that movie and the great message.
Hey, Keli!!! I love Mary Poppins too! Such great actors and songs. Disney is wonderful. My kids and I think the movie is better than the book! That doesn’t happen too often.
Keli, thanks for being a really sweet friend, and my crit partner for a while, and a published author in your own right!!! Can’t wait to see your book on a shelf–very soon!
My fav Movie is still Cinderella and I am still waiting on Prince Charming. lol I also loved Mary Poppins and guess you could say I am still a kid at heart as I love all the Disney movies. I am looking forward to reading your Cinderella Story. I read The Healers Apprentice and Love Finds You in Liberty Indiana and so looking forward to reading The Merchant’s Daughter.
Tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/misskallie2000/status/159328721742987264
Thanks for the opportunity to enter giveaway
Thanks, Brenda! Glad you liked The Healer’s Apprentice! Who doesn’t love Cinderella? I hesitated to write a Cinderella story, since there are so many out there, but mine is totally different, and totally Medieval!
Actually it was Melanie Dobson who wrote Love Finds You in Liberty Indiana, and she is an award-winning author in her own right! 🙂 My mom really likes that book too!
thanks for the chance to read this fabulous novel…
my favourite story is ‘cinderella.’ i could watch it a million times 🙂
I’m not much of a movie watcher (I’d rather read) so don’t really have a favorite. However, I did read Melanie’s first book, “The Healer’s Apprentice,” which I enjoy immensely even though I don’t usually read YA fiction or books set in that time period. It was a wonderfully told story. I’d love to win a copy of “The Merchant’s Daughter.” Thanks for the interview with Melanie and the chance to win her book.
Not an entry, I have a copy 🙂 Just wanted to say the interview was fascinating! Beauty & the Beast is my favorite Disney movie and I am hoping to see it in 3-D soon !!!