Interview with Author Melanie Dickerson

Melanie, tell us a little bit about yourself.Hi, Sarah! I am a wife and mom of two daughters. I love movies and hot tea and chocolate. I’ve always loved fairy tales and the Medieval time period, and I love romance, so I am writing what I love. I am a graduate of The University of Alabama, I’ve been a teacher and a missionary, and now I’m content to stay at home and make up stories.
What sparked your interest in fairy tales?I’ve always loved fairy tales, as far back as I can remember. In high school I wrote a short story version of Beauty and the Beast. And when my two daughters were very young, we used to watch a lot of Disney princess movies, which I loved as much as they did, or maybe more! I got the idea to write books based on fairy tales one day when we were watching Sleeping Beauty.
When did you start writing and why?I wrote all kinds of things in high school—poetry, short stories, and I even wrote two novels. Then I stopped writing for a long time. I started back when my youngest daughter was one year old because I thought it might be something I could make a career out of where I could stay at home, which greatly appealed to me. But it took a few years before this new career actually began to pay me!
If you could meet one of your characters for real, which would you choose?That is really hard to say! But I would very sincerely and heartily wish to meet all of my heroes and heroines! (I have thought about this!)
How long does it take you to research your books?I did a LOT of research for my first two Medievals, The Healer’s Apprentice and The Merchant’s Daughter. Now I mostly research as I write, as needed. Getting my facts right and being authentic to the time period is very important to me.
Are there any real stories and events that have inspired your books?Yes. That’s all I’m going to say about that. Haha! If you could choose one thing for your readers to take away from your stories, what would that be?That God loves you and He has a good plan for your life.
Thanks for having me on your blog, Sarah! I encourage you and all your blog readers to follow your dreams and never give up. Sometimes the journey is hard and long, but God is with you. Persevere and trust your dreams to Him!
Other posts you might enjoy:          Adventure Between the Pages: The Healer's Apprentice          Adventure Between the Pages: The Captive Maiden          Adventure Between the Pages: The Merchant’s Daughter