Interview with Angie Dickinson 2026

Angie Dickinson is a homeschooling mom and bestselling young adult fantasy author who specializes in blending history with fantasy.

“I am a reader who loves both fantasy and history,” she explained, “but as a writer that often comes across as ‘historically-inspired’ and ‘light fantasy.’ Because my characters and their development will always come ahead of my world-building, I do not shape their stories around a high magic system or a specific time and place. My stories may feel historical and magical, but the setting is more ambiance than plot-centric. This is how I approach storytelling at this phase of my writing journey, but I am open to seeing how it evolves in future projects.”

Blending Genres

As a child, Angie loved to read. Some of her favorite authors, and biggest influences, included Carolyn Keene, L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien. These authors and their stories first impacted Dickinson in a personal way, and later in a professional manner as she grew into her own as a writer.

“I first became an avid young reader of mystery – Nancy Drew, of course – and historical fiction – American Girls and Mandie – before discovering many favorite authors such as C.S. Lewis, Agatha Christie, L.M. Montgomery, Lauren Willig, J.R.R. Tolkien, Robin McKinley, J.K. Rowling, Diana Wynne Jones, Gail Carson Levine, and Shannon Hale.”

Growing up, Angie, “wanted very much to be an Anne Shirley or a Jo March. Someone who was bursting with ideas and brimming with whimsical charisma. However, while I deeply love those characters, I have come to identify more concretely with Jill Pole from The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis. Jill wants to be smart, right, grown-up, cool, admired, and comfortable. But she grows, through the admonition of Aslan and the love of her friends, to want a more substantial character, and she learns to seek and follow the Lion. This example of both mundane and yet profound character growth is one that is familiar to me, which is why her journey speaks to me on a personal level.”

Later, when Dickinson began crafting her own stories, she incorporated pieces from all her favorite, varied genres.

“In my writing, I believe you can discern a mix of all of these influences,” she shared. “I love for my stories to read a bit like historical fiction, even if the world is entirely made up, with dashes of mystery and humor, realistic characters, threads of fairy tale magic, and just the right amount of romance. Lewis and Tolkien have impacted my mission and mindset toward writing with their deep love of lore and their joyful desire to serve God through their interests and gifts. So many authors have influenced my writing voice and the genres I lean into. In a way, I am subconsciously formed by all the authors I’ve loved that have left their mark on my personality.”

Angie was only nine years old when she wrote her first full story and fell in love with writing.

She explained, “It was about a young woman who rescues King Richard the Lionheart and receives an earnest thanks from Robin Hood, who was on his way to do the same thing, but wasn’t quick enough. I’ve been gaining experience and absorbing wisdom from better writers ever since. I’ve learned over the years that I am a discovery writer, which means that it doesn’t matter how much time I spend prepping my plot, most of my best ideas and character development will occur in the writing process, and not as a result of extensive preparation. I’ve found this to be difficult to accept, but the more I work at it, the more I’ve learned to trust the process.”

Dickinson’s love for history and good books lead her to pursue a B.A. in English Literature.

“My studies were a source of deep joy to me because they showed me the rich history of stories. I loved learning how there have always been humans using the power of words to process and convey emotions, create worlds, and forge connections. Sifting and examining the layers of poetry and prose is an immensely satisfying endeavor. If I had not embraced stay-at-home motherhood and homeschooling, I would have wanted to become a professor of literature studies. But I prefer the Lord’s plan. It’s always best, isn’t it?”

The Lord’s plan for Angie included getting married shortly after college. This is also when she first decided to seriously pursue writing and publishing.

“I found myself growing interested in the authors of the books that I was enjoying,” she said. “I researched their lives and what they had to say about writing, and I realized that most of them had no more ‘qualifications’ than I had. They came from a wide variety of backgrounds and education, but each had exercised their will and determination – and of course, imagination – and succeeded in creating novels. Reading fiction has been one of the greatest joys of my life, and I had always felt the desire to create in various ways, so writing stories seemed to me the most satisfying and exhilarating union of those interests. I also knew that I deeply wanted to be a mom. When I read one author’s blog where she detailed her life as a writer and a stay-at-home mom, I felt that I had glimpsed my calling. At this point, I began the long, slow process of learning how to write a book and researching the publishing world, and right around the same time, my life as a mother began, as well.”

With so many genre options to choose from, and having spent most of her life reading from an eclectic selection of them, Dickinson decided to focus her energy on YA fantasy, because it, “has always been able to tug me completely out of myself and into a world that offers not only escape, but the wonder of a limitless imagination. I love that beautiful pang of nostalgia when I read a fairy tale retelling, and the camaraderie of shared love of a familiar childhood story. I also love how themes of truth may be woven so seamlessly into fantasy without becoming a distraction from the story. While I would love to diversify my writing genres one day, I could easily enjoy staying with YA fantasy and fairy tale re-tellings indefinitely.”

Faith and Motherhood

In addition to reading a ton and receiving a degree, Angie’s faith and her primary role as a homeschooling mom have also impacted her writing

“When I first began pursuing novel-writing, I was deeply insecure about it,” Dickinson shared. “I didn’t want to be in any way chasing a dream that took me from my family, or to find out that I was truly terrible at it. So very early on, I began praying that the Lord would make it clear to me if I was not meant to be writing. During these days of praying this regularly, my drive to write only increased, and so did my ability to find pockets of time that did not impact my commitment to my first calling as wife and mom. I continued to pray that the Lord would lead me, but I also prayed that he would guide my pen and come alongside me in the writing process. That is my regular prayer these days, along with the prayer that he would bless my present and future readers through my words. I am a stronger wife, mom, and writer when I stay connected to the Holy Spirit in everything that I do.”

Regarding how being a homeschooling mom plays into things, Angie said, “I really enjoy sharing my work with my kids. They are big readers themselves, who now get to see the ‘other side’ of books and how they come to be. I have really enjoyed discussing my work with them and letting them watch me grow into the role of author and all that it entails. As a busy mom, I am constantly challenged to make the very best use of my time and energy. Somehow this is even more true as my diaper-changing days fade into memory and my teaching and chauffeuring days replace them. I am learning that for everything there is a season and that we must continue to grow through each one. Learning when to rest, when to push, when to pause the creative work and till other soil, or when and what to deprioritize so that the writing can get done is a constantly evolving lesson.”

Other Interests

When Angie isn’t writing or homeschooling, she enjoys engaging in a variety of active and “cozy pursuits” such as reading, gardening, sword collecting, swimming, playing games with her family, watching movies with her husband, and sewing, “with my daughters and strictly for fun, not because I am any good! Usually when I have free time, I want to connect with my family in restful ways.”

Dickinson developed a strong interest in swords after she met her husband. “He had the very beginning of what would become an extensive collection of historical replicas that I get to share,” she said. “We have about forty swords in a display case that my husband built, with more tucked about the house here and there! My husband also forged a beautiful dagger to match our vision of a boot dagger that Cressida carries in Truth Cursed, and that’s a very special part of the collection for me! My personal favorites among our swords are a replica of Eowyn’s sword that she carries as Dernhelm in The Lord of the Rings movies, a beautiful rapier that I imagine Emric wielding to dashing effect in Truth Cursed, and a single-handed arming sword that I picture for Seren in The Star-Blessed. My husband and I have dreamed up some modifications for that one to make it more book-accurate. Those may never happen, but the planning was fun!”

About The Star-Blessed

A life-long enthusiast of fairy tales and fairy tale re-tellings, Angie Dickinson was inspired with the idea for The Star-Blessed after seeing a short-story writing prompt to re-tell the lesser-known tale, Cat-Skin, also known as Donkey-Skin, Cap’o Rushes, and Tattercoats.

“I was familiar with a sanitized children’s version in the form of a picture book by Charlotte Huck, illustrated by Anita Lobel, and had spent a great deal of time poring over it as a child. I decided to attempt the prompt and used the beats of the tale to create an original story. Somehow, unexpected strains of Rumpelstiltskin elbowed their way in as well. I had been wanting to write a Rumpelstiltskin re-telling for years, and so I suppose it just couldn’t stay out of this re-telling! Once I had written the short story, I felt inspired but unsatisfied, and so made the decision to flesh out the tale in a full manuscript.”

Since this was the first time I’d heard of Cat-Skin, I asked Angie to summarize the story.

“Cat-Skin is about a princess who has lost her mother and is threatened with a terrifying marriage, so she runs away. Somehow, she takes three dresses that shine like the sun, the moon, and the stars and packs them into walnut shells. Disguising herself in a coat made of many different animal skins, she escapes to a neighboring kingdom where she smears her face with ashes and works in the kitchen, serving the king. The glittering gowns become useful when the king throws three consecutive balls, and through a combination of her excellent cooking, enchanting dancing, and shimmering gowns, she wins the heart of this good king and is awarded a marriage that is not terrifying!

Dickinson added, “You will not find my retelling to be perfectly faithful; one might say that The Star-Blessed is ‘inspired by’ the tales that I intertwined with an original plot rather than a true re-telling. But I think that is up to the reader to decide.”

Although, like many authors, Angie hasn’t come close to experiencing the threats and dangers her characters live through, she does relate to some of their emotions.

“I have struggled with fear and the temptation to give in to it and hide,” she shared. “More than one character in The Star-Blessed has to decide if they will choose passivity or action, over and over again, even when the choice that may feel obvious to the reader scares the living daylights out of them. As someone who has battled the instinct to remain passive and hope the storm blows over, I strongly relate to the struggle of these characters, and know the sacrifice required to make any choice other than safety.”

One of the main themes throughout the book is, “courage to the point of sacrifice.”

Dickinson explained, “When fear is our greatest enemy, faith that requires courage is our greatest test, and this is something that both main characters and at least one secondary character must face. Trust and familial love play a large role as well, with both main characters being challenged and growing in these areas.”

As she wrote The Star-Blessed, Angie learned to lean on the Lord during times of uncertainty.

“I will admit that I was rather amazed to find there was a story to be found in the mess, after struggling for quite a while with this overall concept. I faced burnout about halfway through the first draft of The Star-Blessed and ended up setting it aside for over a year. A lot of things were happening in my life, and I couldn’t find my creativity. After taking such a significant break, I honestly didn’t think that this story was going anywhere. But I remember two days in the life of this story very vividly: The first is the day I decided to pick it back up and was struck with a plot idea that made me shiver with joy. Just like that, I was ready to fully dive back in. The other is the day that my publisher contacted me to tell me that they wanted to publish it. I had spent that morning swimming laps and had devoted a lot of that quiet time to praying for the future of The Star-Blessed, which I believed to be completely uncertain. A couple hours later, my publisher was telling me that they loved it. The Lord taught me through this book to keep trusting and keep working. Nothing will ever be accomplished through giving up, and his plans and his timing are so much greater than ours.”

Best experience since publishing The Star-Blessed: “In my experience, writing and publishing can feel isolating and (if you’re not resilient) have a negative impact on self-confidence. However, in spite of some continued blows to my confidence, since publishing The Star-Blessed, I have received encouragement from readers, authors, and wonderful people on my publishing team, and that has been a true gift. I am so thankful for the people God has placed in my life. I have been blessed and humbled by their wisdom and bolstering kindness.”

Angie’s desire as an author is to spark joy in her readers, and she hopes and prays The Star-Blessed does that. “This story doesn’t shy from darkness – not to revel in it, but to expose and reinforce the truth that it can always be overcome. I also believe in keeping old stories alive so that we may continue benefitting from them, and I hope the fairy tale inspirations and tone of this story will lead my readers to seek out those old tales. And above all, I hope my readers will be inspired to stand up against fear and pursue courage, goodness, and truth. I hope they finish this book and truly believe in the beauty of remaining in the light, no matter how hard the fight.”

Author Life

Most Enjoyable Part of Writing: “I am enthralled with the way the imagination can conjure something from nothing, and that we can emulate a bit of our Creator’s personality in doing so. I wondered for years how one could possibly create a full, original tale with original characters, and I struggled to crack the code. When I realized (through hours of sweat, laughter, prayer, and tears) that it just took persistence and surrender, I felt so humbled and grateful. I love being in the editing stage, about four or five drafts deep, because then I know the story and I feel excitement that I’ve really created something, and now it’s time to polish and enrich it.”

Toughest Part of Writing YA Fantasy: “The young adult fantasy genre is very busy right now. I try not to worry too much about what is ‘trending,’ but there is a practical side of my brain warning me to pay attention lest my story gets trampled by a stampede of dragon riders and morally gray fae. I think in any genre it is difficult to keep one’s head down, keep working, and keep trusting that God has a plan, but particularly when writing in a flooded market.”

Timeline of Finding a Publisher: “I hunted for an agent or publisher for Truth Cursed on and off for about four years before I found Enclave Publishing. The Star-Blessed was still a pretty fresh manuscript at the time, and I had only sent out a handful of queries for it. After Enclave accepted Truth Cursed, I sent The Star-Blessed on its heels. I am so thankful that they snapped it up!”

Most Significant to Publication Journey: “Patience, flexibility, and learning to understand who my audience should be. I battled a lot of discouragement over the years. I wondered many times if I should stop writing, stop thinking about writing, and stop trying to get my work published. I went through periods where I did quit for a time, but the urge to get back in the saddle always won in the end. Eventually, I chose to keep trusting the Lord, stopped considering quitting, and started analyzing my work and where it should fit in the market. Long story short, this led me to a narrower search, which ultimately led to my contract!”

Biggest Challenge in Balancing Writing Time: “As a homeschooling mother, I have found that limited time and energy pose my biggest challenges. Lately, marketing endeavors have often replaced the writing time that I would steal here and there throughout my week, and I’ve found it to be a big learning curve to try to balance the marketing side of authorhood with the creative side. I feel a responsibility to help my books continue to find readers, but I am easily overwhelmed by it. Physical and mental overload are not compatible with creativity. I am still learning, but my primary solution to this challenge is to continue to evaluate my priorities and be flexible with how I structure the time I allot for author work.”

Encouragement for other Writer Moms: “Everyone is on their own path, and if you’re a mom, then your path is an extremely blessed one that you don’t want to darken with discontent. So, hang in there, and try not to compare yourself with other authors. But you’re human, so forgive yourself, keep loving your kids and your stories, and keep growing. Seasons of motherhood change so quickly, and while the trends in reading markets do too, they tend to be cyclical. You aren’t in a race against time (or others) to get your work in front of your readers. The readers will be there when the work is ready, and in the meantime, cherish the moments of your calling to motherhood while giving yourself grace, and leaning on the love of the Lord.”

Greatest Moments of Publishing career so far: “Two moments stand out in my memory as completely surreal. The first was the moment I received an email from Steve Laube, informing me that Enclave wanted to publish Truth Cursed. After years of writing, editing, querying, and praying through emotional turmoil, God showed me his generous plan. I will never forget that flood of joy and gratitude. The second was the moment that I opened my first box of author copies. After so many years dreaming of holding my book in my hands, the day had arrived. I dissolved into tears as soon as I touched the books. I couldn’t believe it. Someone else might not see the magic in that moment, but the Lord knows his children, and he was handing me the sweetest gift. My kids saw my tears and gave me hugs. I’ll never forget it.”

Funniest Situation as an Author: “When I was deciding if I should use a pen name or some variant of my real name as an author, I was dimly aware that there is an older actress, popular in the ‘70s, who is also named Angie Dickinson. I waved away any concern that there could be any confusion, since my readers would be primarily teens and young adults. This appears to be a mistake. Since creating my author website, I have received a multitude of emails from older men who seem to be under the impression that I am the actress they remember from their youths. In spite of photo evidence to the contrary on the very website where they found my contact info, most of them want signed photos. However, some are just hoping to get in touch and have a conversation, and some share extensive fond memories of watching Angie Dickinson on Policewoman. At first, I was flummoxed, but now I take it in stride when another email for the far more popular Ms. Dickinson pops into my inbox!”

Google Search History: “I like to use history, poetry, literature, and mythology for inspiration, and so you’d likely find rabbit holes that I’ve gone down in search of that inspiration! I tend to lose track of time while reading obscurities, such as Tennyson verses, the history of various famous gemstones, small skirmishes on the southeastern Irish coast in the year 1169, or the character arcs in Shakespeare’s Cymbeline. (All of these are some research distractions that you’d find in my recent search history.) Often this search begins with a simple question about a name meaning, or what a conscripted male youth would have worn and carried in a certain place and time. Questions that I find relevant as I seek to build my world. Will my readers ever see the product of searches like these? I truly have no idea.”

What’s Next: “I am currently drafting a story that I have no active publishing plans for at present. I can be a slow writer, especially during a busy school season like the one we just completed, so I am giving this story room to grow in my mind and on the page before sharing details or committing it to its future. I am well aware that the Lord’s plans may look very different than mine, so I am praying over this story and other ideas as I seek the right next step. Long term, I would love to keep publishing traditionally and perhaps diversify my genres one day.”

Awards and Recognition!

Truth Cursed is a finalist for the Realm Award in the debut category, and the Carol Award in the young adult category!

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Jenny Fulton is a wife, mother, author, blogger, and freelance writer. An enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, she grew up hearing stories from my dad about the supernatural workings on the Navajo Reservation. As a child, she collected angels and loved anything related to fairy tales. Her days are now mostly spent raising my three young daughters and writing as much as time and opportunity allows. Follow her at her blog, Heart Soul Mind.