End of Summer Birthday Bash | Day Three ~ Interview with Melanie Dobson & Giveaway!

Welcome to Christian Bookshelf Reviews, Melanie!! Will you tell us a little about yourself?

Sure--I'm a mom of two girls and passionate about the redemptive power of stories, both fiction and nonfiction. My husband's work in computer animation has moved us all over the country and we spent a season living in Germany, but we've finally settled (for now) in a beautiful valley near Portland, Oregon. I've written sixteen novels. Only thirteen have been published, but I labored just as hard over the three that are collecting dust! Our family is also passionate about loving kids who don't have safe homes which means our house is often quite full--and crazy loud.

What is your newest novel, Chateau of Secrets, about?

Château of Secrets is about a French noblewoman named Gisèle Duchant who risks her life to hide members of the French resistance in the tunnels under her family’s château even as the Nazi Germans occupy her home. Seventy years later Gisèle’s granddaughter, Chloe Sauver, returns to the abandoned château to interview with a filmmaker named Riley Holtz. As Chloe and Riley begin to unravel her grandmother’s story, they are both shocked at the family secrets they uncover.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Hmm...I don't know if it's interesting, but I have a hard time writing at home (easily distracted by laundry and dishes!) so I sip tea and write in all sorts of locations--a myriad of local coffee shops, the library, even a spa that lets me hunker down in their lounge for the day.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?



I enjoy exploring new places, hiking in the mountains, and playing games like Settlers of Catan with my family.

What are your favorite and least favorite genres to read and why?

I don't often get an opportunity to read novels outside the genres of historical, time-slip, and romantic suspense fiction, but I'm not complaining at all! I love each of these genres. 

Do you have a favorite Bible verse?

The one I cling to most often is: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind". (2 Timothy 1:7)

Do you have a favorite song and/or movie?

“Blessings” by Laura Story

What is your favorite season and why is it your fav?

I love every season for different reasons, but I think autumn is my favorite. I love the chill in the air, reading books by the fireplace, all the colors in the trees by our home, and celebrating my October birthday with a weekend getaway.

Do you have any summer traditions?

Every summer, we travel across the country to visit my husband's family for "Lake Week" in Tennessee. We swim, read, rest, and play lots of games together. Definitely one of the highlights of our year!

If you were hosting a dinner party and could invite any five people, who would you invite?

My dear friends and prayer "sistas"--Julie, Jodi, Diane, Ann, and Mary Kay.

This-or-that questions:


Snowstorms or Thunderstorms? Thunderstorms
Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla
Tea or Coffee? Both
Call or Text? Text
Cats or Dogs? Dogs
Early-bird or Night-owl? Night-owl
Introvert or Extrovert? Ambivert :)
Facebook or Twitter? Facebook
Cake or Cupcakes? Icing!
Sneakers or Sandals? Sandals

Are you currently working on any new novels? If so, could you give us a hint?

I'm in the midst of writing Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor, a time-slip novel set in England. The story is about secrets that have divided a family for four generations and the woman who slowly unravels these secrets. To research this novel, I spent a week in the English Cotswolds and absolutely fell in love with the gardens, manor homes, and the people there.

Thank you so much for being here! Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers and where can we find you on the web?

I love to communicate with my readers! My website is www.melaniedobson.com and readers can find me on Facebook as well: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melanie-Dobson/41212604112?ref=ts

Enter for a chance to win a copy of The Courier of Caswell Hall! Giveaway is open to the US and Canada. Ends 9/28.

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