Interview of Melanie Dickerson

Thank you for willing to be interviewed!

Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Embassie!

1. Is there any one thing you use when approaching fairytales?

I like to read the original fairy tale, or the oldest version of the story, as well as studying the Disney movie version, if there is one. I try to take the basic story and expand it, fleshing out the characters and asking myself what the story would have been like if it had actually happened.

2. Snow White got a lot of focus last year, what was one thing you knew had to be in your re-telling and one thing that you didn’t want to focus on in your re-telling?

I didn’t want to focus on magic, which I leave out entirely, except for a few mentions of the evil duchess’s potions and poisons she likes to use on people. I also wanted a heroic hero, which is missing from the Disney version. In that one, the prince is completely passive. I wanted to focus on my two main characters and their journeys, both their literal journey away from the evil duchess, and their spiritual and emotional journeys as well. They both have things they needed to deal with from their pasts.

3. I loved Gabe, but I kind of felt bad for Valten at the end. Will he get his own story?

Yes! My next book, which comes out in October and is a retelling of Cinderella called The Captive Maiden, is Valten’s own story! He gets to be the hero this time. I felt bad for him too and knew even before I finished The Fairest Beauty that Valten would be my next hero. I had a lot of fun having him save his own damsel in distress—a very feisty damsel. They get to have their own exciting journey.

4. My favorite fairytale is Beauty and the Beast (loved The Merchant’s Daughter), do you have a favorite?

I think my two favorites were Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty. But I love them all! At least, all the romantic ones with happy endings.

5. Can you tell us anything about your next project?

I have finished The Captive Maiden, my Cinderella retelling, but I have plans to write three more fairy tale retellings. In the meantime, I’m enjoying writing a romantic three-book series set in Regency England. I should be able to announce the details about that very soon. If you stay tuned to my facebook page, www.facebook.com/MelanieDickersonbooks , you should see something about that in the next week or so.

You can check out my review of the Fairest Beauty here:https://remaininhislove.com/2013/01/18/melanie-dickersons-the-fairest-beauty/