Books with author Melanie Dickerson

Mulan is trying to resign herself to marrying the village butcher for the good of her family, but her adventurous spirit just can’t stand the thought. At the last minute, she pretends to be the son her father never had, assumes his duties as a soldier, and rides off to join the fight to protect the castle of her liege lord’s ally from the besieging Teutonic Knights. Wolfgang and his brother Steffan leave Hagenheim with several other soldiers to help their father’s ally in Poland. When they arrive, Wolfgang is exasperated by the young soldier Mikolai who seems to either always be one step away from disaster . . . or showing Wolfgang up in embarrassing ways. When Wolfgang discovers his former rival and reluctant friend Mikolai is actually a girl, he is determined to protect her. But battle is a dangerous place where anything can happen—and usually does. When Mulan receives word that her mother has been accused of practicing witchcraft through her healing herbs and skills, Mulan’s only thought is of defending her. Will she be able to trust Wolfgang to help? Or will sacrificing her own life be the only way to save her mother?

Gisela's childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son, Valten. But since her father's death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela learns that Valten-the boy she has daydreamed about for years-is throwing a ball in hopes of finding a wife, she vows to find a way to attend, if only for a taste of a life she'll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten's eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.

Rose is a healer's apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter's daughter like her. Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her-a man who makes Rose feel ill. When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she's never felt before and wonders if he feels the same. But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose's life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny.

Rapunzel's mother is suspicious of everyone, keeping her daughter isolated and illiterate in a country hamlet. After Rapunzel's beauty elicits a marriage proposal, Mother decides to move them to the large city of Hagenheim. The journey proves treacherous, and after being rescued by a knight-Sir Gerek-Rapunzel in turn rescues him farther down the road. Sir Gerek agrees to repay his debt to Rapunzel by teaching her to read. Could there be more to this knight than his arrogance and desire to marry for riches and position? As Rapunzel uncovers a mystery that will forever change her life, will she finally take control of her own destiny? And who will prove faithful to a lowly peasant girl with no one to turn to?

She lost everything to an evil conspiracy . . . but that loss may just give her all she ever wanted. Since meeting Steffan, the Duke of Wolfberg, at Thornbeck Castle, Lady Magdalen has not been able to stop thinking about him. She knows—as a penniless lady with little to offer in terms of a dowry—she has no real hope of marrying such a highly titled man, so it comes as a great surprise when she receives a letter from him, asking for her hand in marriage. But all is not what it seems at Wolfberg Castle. Steffan has been evicted by his scheming uncle, and his cousin has taken over the title of duke. Left for dead, Steffan is able to escape, and disguised as a shepherd, hopes to gain entry to the castle to claim the items that will prove he is the true Duke of Wolfberg. Journeying to the castle, Magdalen has no idea what awaits her, but she certainly did not expect her loyal maidservant to turn on her. Forcing Magdalen to trade places with her, the servant plans to marry the duke and force Magdalen to tend the geese. Without their respective titles—and the privileges that came with them—Steffan and Magdalen are reunited in the shepherd’s field. Together they conspire to get back their rightful titles. But they must hurry . . . or else they risk losing it all to the uncle’s evil plan.

Sophie has long wished to escape her stepmother's jealous anger. When a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, Sophie sees her chance for freedom. Gabe knows he defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the orphan girl has stolen his heart. Though romance is impossible-she is his brother's future wife-Gabe promises he will keep her safe, no matter what. When the pair are forced to run to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Can they find a way to protect Sophie while also safeguarding their hearts?

She lost everything to an evil conspiracy . . . but that loss may just give her all she ever wanted. Since meeting Steffan, the Duke of Wolfberg, at Thornbeck Castle, Lady Magdalen has not been able to stop thinking about him. She knows—as a penniless lady with little to offer in terms of a dowry—she has no real hope of marrying such a highly titled man, so it comes as a great surprise when she receives a letter from him, asking for her hand in marriage. But all is not what it seems at Wolfberg Castle. Steffan has been evicted by his scheming uncle, and his cousin has taken over the title of duke. Left for dead, Steffan is able to escape, and disguised as a shepherd, hopes to gain entry to the castle to claim the items that will prove he is the true Duke of Wolfberg. Journeying to the castle, Magdalen has no idea what awaits her, but she certainly did not expect her loyal maidservant to turn on her. Forcing Magdalen to trade places with her, the servant plans to marry the duke and force Magdalen to tend the geese. Without their respective titles—and the privileges that came with them—Steffan and Magdalen are reunited in the shepherd’s field. Together they conspire to get back their rightful titles. But they must hurry . . . or else they risk losing it all to the uncle’s evil plan.

Margaretha hopes her newest suitor, Lord Claybrook, is destined to be her one true love. But when an injured man is brought to Hagenheim Castle claiming to be an English lord who was attacked by Claybrook and left for dead, only Margaretha is able to understand him. Reluctant to translate the message for her father, Margaretha convinces herself that man is just an addled stranger. She is sure that he must be completely wrong about her potential betrothed. But when Margaretha overhears Claybrook's wicked plot, she realizes that she's been wrong about everything and that it's going to be up to her to save both her father and Hagenheim.

From the streets of the Holy Land to an orphanage in a faraway kingdom, Aladdin has grown up alone. But then he meets Kirstyn. With the duke of Hagenheim for a father and the patroness of the orphanage where Aladdin lives for a mother, Kirstyn is a member of the most powerful family in the land-and way out of his league. Despite the difference in their stations, Aladdin quickly becomes Kirstyn's favorite companion for taking walks in the forest, and their childhood friendship grows as they do. Although Aladdin eventually earns a position in the Duke's household, he knows it isn't enough to grant him his one desire: Kirstyn's hand in marriage. If he hopes to become worthy of her, he must leave Hagenheim to seek his fortune. But once Aladdin leaves, no one is around to protect Kirstyn, and the greedy men desperate to take advantage of her father's wealth take notice. Now, more than Aladdin's background stands in the way of his future. His only hope is to rescue Kirstyn and somehow manage to win her hand as w

The one who needs rescuing isn’t always the one in the tower.Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man around. And her skills as an artist rival those of any artist she’s met. But for a woman in medieval times, the one skill she most desires is the hardest one to obtain: the ability to read.After yet another young man asks for Rapunzel’s hand in marriage, Mother decides they need to move once again, but this time to a larger city. Rapunzel’s heart soars—surely there she can fulfill her dream. But Mother won’t let her close to a man. She claims that no man can be trusted.After being rescued by a knight on the road to the city, and in turn rescuing him farther down the road, Rapunzel’s opportunity arrives at last. This knight, Sir Gerek, agrees to educate Rapunzel in order to pay back his debt. She just has to put up with his arrogant nature and single-minded focus on riches and prestige.But this Rapunzel story is unlike any other and the mystery that she uncovers will change everything—except her happily ever after.