Interview with Melanie Dickerson

Melanie Dickerson is the author of The Healer’s Apprentice and of The Merchant’s Daughter.


Interview by Carrie Fancett Pagels

I met Melanie Dickerson through HisWriters, an online group for those who have either published or planned works with European characters. I have also been blessed to get to hang out with her at the ACFW conferences.

Melanie, welcome to Overcoming Through Time – With God’s Help.
 

Would you share either the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help, or the most tragic situation or circumstance one of your character’s has had to get past?

Wow, where should I start, Carrie? LOL! I grew up poor in a very poor area in south Alabama, but it made me determined to succeed and escape my circumstances. I definitely have that in common with my heroine, Rose! God blessed me and has brought me through some very lonely times into a place of trusting God completely (or at least, complete trust is my goal when I’m not trusting as much as I should). I’m thankful for my husband and two kids, and I have confidence in God that I can overcome anything, any disaster or tragedy, that might come my way. For years I was trapped by fear and low self-esteem, but I feel God healing me, and he has healed me, to a great extent. God is faithful!

One of the most difficult things we have gone through as a family is the loss of my husband's job over fourteen months ago. Then, on April 27th, our area was hit with several tornadoes in one terrible day, but God spared us.In this difficult economy, we are clinging to God's assurance that He will provide. He has provided, in so many ways, and he has blessed me with seeing my first book receive lots of acclaim, including being a finalist for a Christy Award. And then a dear friend told me, just days before the ACFW conference, that God nudged her and told her to help me get to the conference. In a matter of a few hours, she had raised, through ACFW members, enough money to send me to the conference. I was blown away by my friends’ kindness and generosity, as well as with God’s provision. God is amazing. Absolutely amazing. But I know many families out there are suffering like we are with the head of our household unemployed. It’s hard to see your husband go through this. We certainly are not alone.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7  This used to be my favorite verse because I used to be so riddled with anxiety! But as I said, God has healed me of this problem, to a great extent.

A current favorite is “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1  Whether you are a slave to sin or a slave to guilt or a slave to legalism, God wants to set you free in Christ! This is a theme that I have set for my life, as I have struggled with these things, and still struggle at times.

And I also love “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 That’s pretty much the whole gospel right there! And what romance writer doesn’t want to claim the verse that says “live a life of love.”

Disability friendliness:

Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio? 


Wow, I wish it was available on audio! How cool would that be? It is on Kindle and all the other e-book formats. There is also a large print version available.

What has been the most important thing you hope your readers will get from your books and why?

I really hope they will get the message that Jesus is the name above every name, and is more powerful than the darkest power. I also hope they will see that trusting God and listening to his leading will serve them well! God has a wonderful plan for your life if you allow him to work things out. So many times we get in the way because we want our own way, we think we know best, and we just mess things up. But God loves us and he has a good plan for us.

Carrie Fancett Pagels and Melanie Dickerson at ACFW Conference

As you researched your books, did you learn anything that particularly touched your heart?

I actually was surprised that things haven’t changed as much as people might think since the middle ages. People always wanted love, always wanted to succeed and be happy. That never changed. People always wanted to connect to God and wanted to learn about him, and that hasn’t changed either. Emotions and conflicts are the same, but it was also fun to write in the middle ages because some of their values are different, and their laws and society were different, making great fodder for conflict and angst—for any writer with an active imagination!  

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?

The Merchant’s Daughter deals a lot with overcoming fear, overcoming feelings of betrayal and relational pain, and learning to trust God and rejoice in the Lord. I think it can be helpful for someone who’s going through emotional trauma of some kind.

CFP note:  In The Healer's Apprentice, Melanie also addressed these issues: Self esteem, trust, abandonment, adoption.


Thank you Melanie Dickerson for agreeing to answer these questions.  Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!


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