The Healers Apprentice (37 page)

What kind of activities do you like to do that help you relax and step away from your deadlines for a bit?

I used to scrapbook, but when I started writing again, that hobby fell by the wayside. I like to watch movies with my husband, and I like to cook—to make recipes I’ve never tried before. I like to go to the gym (okay, I don’t like to go, but I like that I’ve been) and I like taking my kids places they love, like skating or going to the zoo or a museum. I love the ladies’ Bible studies at my church. We have some wonderful times.

Where did you get your inspiration for
The Healer’s Apprentice?

I already had the beginning of an idea—I pictured a teen girl and her older woman mentor. At the time, my two girls were very young and they watched a lot of popular movies based on fairy tales. One day they were watching
Sleeping Beauty
, and I thought the prince’s reaction to meeting Rose was very unrealistic. Most men value other people’s respect, and I started thinking,
What if someone wrote this story and made it more realistic? What if the prince believed strongly in duty and carrying out his responsibilities? What if he fell in love with a peasant girl when he was already betrothed? How would he deal with that?
I decided it would be really fun to take the basic storyline of
Sleeping Beauty
and rewrite it and flesh it out. Of course, I added a lot of characters who weren’t in the original story or the popular movies, such as Rose’s best friend, Hildy, and Lord Hamlin’s brother, Rupert. I also made up a lot of plot twists and subplots and changed the story quite a bit.

I was also inspired by the town of Hildesheim, Germany. I spent six weeks in this town, which dates back from the 1100s. Many medieval buildings are still there, or were rebuilt after World War II, including the entire town square, or Marktplatz. So I put together my love of fairy tales, my love for the medieval time period, and my love for medieval German architecture for
The Healer’s Apprentice.

Did you know how
The Healer’s Apprentice
would turn out? Were you surprised by any of the plot twists or characters?

I always knew the ending, but there were several plot twists that surprised me! One was the subplot involving Gunther and Hildy. When I started the story, I had no idea any of that was going to happen! The climax of their story came directly from research, an actual law from medieval times.

What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

That God had a good plan for Rose all along, and she only needed to trust God. I believe the same is true for all of us.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Don’t let anyone convince you to give up on your dreams. God is the God of the impossible. You can do anything He strengthens you to do.

1. At the beginning of the story, Rose expresses concern over not finding a man to marry. In the medieval time period, women had little choice other than to find a man to marry to take care of them financially. Do you think women today are under a similar type of pressure to get married? If so, where does this pressure stem from?
   
2. Despite being the healer’s apprentice, Rose often becomes squeamish at the sight of blood. Did you ever have to overcome a fear or an aversion in order to do a job? How did you do it?
   
3. Lord Hamlin makes a comment that many believe the lower class is less virtuous than nobility because the nobles have “more reason to uphold the family honor” and they are “expected to look out for the interests of God and the Church.” In the context of this novel, do you agree with this statement? Do you think this is true of certain groups or classes today?
   
4. The author mentions several times in the novel that as the daughter of a woodcutter, Rose is not from the same social class as the duke’s sons and their family, thus making a marriage between her and either son socially unacceptable. Do you think such social limitations exist today?
   
5. When it comes to love, are you more idealistic and optimistic like Hildy? Or do you try to be more practical and level-headed, like Rose?
   
6. When Gunther attacks Arnold Hintzen, he claims he does it to protect Hildy’s honor. Do you think Gunther was right in taking the law into his own hands?
   
7. Do you think Rose makes the right choice in keeping Gunther’s secret to herself? Would you have told someone? Why or why not?
   
8. When Gunther is sentenced to death, Rose knows she can go to Lord Hamlin for help. When you get into tough situations, do you have someone you seek out first because you know they’ll have the answers?
   
9. Why, despite his rogue reputation, does Hildy think a match between Lord Rupert and Rose is so ideal?
   
10. Rose often worries about her reputation. Why is what people think so important to her? Have you ever worried about your reputation and what other people think?
    
11. At what moment did you realize Rose was Lord Hamlin’s betrothed? Were you surprised like Rose when she learned who she was, once the duke and duchess of Marienberg arrived? Did you wonder like Lord Hamlin, who guessed she might be his future bride, but not entirely sure? Did you know all along like Frau Geruscha? Or were you somewhere in between?
    
12. Lord Rupert has a questionable reputation, as his brother often likes to point out. While he is courting Rose, however, his behavior toward her suggests his intentions are honorable. What do you think of Rupert’s character? Is he capable of committing to one person? Do you think his marriage to Lady Anne will last?
    
13. What do you think Moncore represents? Does his character symbolize something greater than simply a corrupt man?
    
14. Throughout the book the main characters try to control their own fates, but learn God had a better plan all along. Do you ever struggle with trusting God has a plan for your life?
    
15. What have you learned about the time period while reading
    The Healer’s Apprentice?
    

I first want to thank the original three writers
who helped critique this story from its very first draft, those Writin’ Chicks Jamie Driggers, Caren Fullerton, and April Erwin. Jamie, I’ll never forget what you said when you read chapter one. Thank you, my friend. All of you said encouraging things that I needed to hear and needed to carry with me for the next four and a half years. You guys are the best.

I am very grateful to my spiritual family at Weatherly for so much encouragement. You are one accepting, loving, encouraging bunch of people, and I love you for it!

Thanks to every judge who ever commented on it in the numerous contests I entered, back when it was titled “The Woodcutter’s Daughter. ” And thanks to everyone who offered to read or critique parts of it, including Julie Lessman and my erstwhile crit group from the Hearts Through History Romance Writers. Thanks to all who helped me with research, including Diana Cosby, numerous ACFW’ers, those European-history-loving people from Therese Stenzel’s His Writers loop, and the wonderful librarians at the Monrovia Library, Katherine and Katie.

And blessings on my “first readers,” Denita and Victoria Black. Thanks for the tunnel idea, Victoria. I hope you get your car.

I want to thank my instructor, Cindy Savage, who gave me the encouragement I needed when I was just starting to write again.

A special thank you to Lloyd Porter. Without your help, I don’t think I would have had the confidence to write word one.

My wonderful mentors, The Seekers—Mary, Julie, Janet, Debby, Missy, Tina, Audra, Ruth, Pam, Myra, Sandra, Glynna, Cara, Camy, and Cheryl—I hope you don’t mind if I claim you all. Mary Connealy was the first to befriend me. Blame her. Thanks for being so real, so fun, and so generous with your time and love.

I want to thank my agent, Mary Beth Chappell, for being excited about this book and taking a chance on it. Thank you for keeping my hope alive at a time when nobody else wanted anything to do with this book.

I must thank Jacque Alberta for championing a medieval romance
by an unknown author. Without Jacque, you would not be holding this book. She is a dream-come-true, truly talented editor who has strengthened both the story and the writing. She has blessed me over and over. Thank you, Jacque. I owe you so much.

The
Marktplatz
in the fictional town of Hagenheim was inspired by the town of Hildesheim, Germany, where I spent six weeks in 1992. That is where I fell in love with medieval architecture.

Growing up in rural south Alabama, I had to have a good imagination to imagine becoming a published author. But the fact that Harper Lee grew up thirty miles away from my hometown of McKenzie gave me hope that if she could do it, maybe I could too. I wrote constantly, but after high school, for about fifteen years, I stopped writing or even reading fiction. Then God gave my dream back to me. Thank you, God, for making my dreams come true and for helping your children, Rose and me included, fulfill our destinies.

Founded in 1931, Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins
Publishers
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