Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do you pronounce your first name?
A. Let's break it down. The "Ja" is the hardest part because it's pronounced "Juh" with a "u" that sounds like the "u" in cup and duck. The "leigh" is easy. It's just "lee." When you say it, put the emphasis on the second part, "leigh."
Q. Where did you get that name?
A. My mother likes a challenge, heh. Seriously though, she got the name from one of my cousins who is also Jaleigh. Sadly, I've never even met her, my alter ego.
Q. Where do you get your ideas?
A. I wish I knew. The dragonfly in my novel THE MARK OF THE DRAGONFLY came from a pin I wore on the back of my wedding dress years ago. Did I know back then that I'd use the symbol in a story? Nope. But sometimes bits and pieces of ideas build up in my mind over time, and then they show up in my novels in odd and surprising ways. Visit my World of Solace page to learn more about my writing process and my work on the Solace world.
Q. Are the Solace books part of a series?
A. The Solace books, which include THE MARK OF THE DRAGONFLY, THE SECRETS OF SOLACE, and THE QUEST TO THE UNCHARTED LANDS, are all set in the same world of Solace, but each novel follows different characters in different parts of the world, so they can be read independently and in any order. Sharp-eyed readers can and have spotted some common threads in all three books, but I'll leave that to you to discover!
Q. Will you write a sequel to THE MARK OF THE DRAGONFLY?
A. This question comes up a lot. No, I don't have plans for a sequel right now. However, the novels in the rest of the Solace series are companion works. Both of them take place in the same world of Solace and although they follow different characters in different parts of the world, there are definite...connections you'll see if you read the whole series, and a hidden secret or two that certain careful readers might catch.
Q. But what about Piper and Gee??? And what happens to Micah?
A. These questions come up almost weekly...sometimes daily. *grin* (WARNING: SLIGHT SPOILERS FOLLOW) First off, although I'm not planning to write a sequel to THE MARK OF THE DRAGONFLY, I won't say you'll never see any of these characters again. Cryptic enough? Hehe, that's all I'll say for now. But for those who are desperate to know if Piper and Gee are together, I'll give you this: Piper and Gee are each other's first crush. That comes with a lot of uncertainty, butterflies in the stomach, and a general confusing wonderfulness. But they were in a good place at the end of the novel, and they care about each other a lot, so I wouldn't worry. There's a lot of hope for their future.
Q. Are you going to write more about Icelin and Ruen from the Waterdeep series, or Ashok from the UNBROKEN CHAIN novels?
A. Currently there are no plans for future books involving those characters. To my mind, Icelin and Ruen's story wraps up well in SPIDER AND STONE, which is itself a sequel to MISTSHORE As for Ashok and his companions, there are no plans for a third UNBROKEN CHAIN book.
Q. How do I become a published writer?
A. There's no one true answer to this question. These are (roughly) the steps I took over the course of a decade. And I can only speak to my own experience. First, read. Read a lot. And then write because you love to tell stories, because they make you happy. Write short stories or novels or whatever makes you happiest. Practice your writing. Buy a copy of the current year Writer's Market and read it. Practice more. Fill up notebooks with stories. Fill up your computer hard drive. Somewhere along the way, when you're ready, show your work to another person, someone you trust to give you honest feedback. Don't get discouraged. Join a critique group if you feel comfortable. They can be invaluable. Also, realize that writing and publishing are different. Go on the internet. Find out what a literary agent is, and a query letter, and a synopsis. Follow writers, literary agents, and editors on Twitter. Seek out blogs on publishing. Utilize websites like Agent Query, Preditors & Editors, and Absolute Write. Above all, make sure you love what you're doing, because it's hard. But so worth it.
Q. How do you pronounce your first name?
A. Let's break it down. The "Ja" is the hardest part because it's pronounced "Juh" with a "u" that sounds like the "u" in cup and duck. The "leigh" is easy. It's just "lee." When you say it, put the emphasis on the second part, "leigh."
Q. Where did you get that name?
A. My mother likes a challenge, heh. Seriously though, she got the name from one of my cousins who is also Jaleigh. Sadly, I've never even met her, my alter ego.
Q. Where do you get your ideas?
A. I wish I knew. The dragonfly in my novel THE MARK OF THE DRAGONFLY came from a pin I wore on the back of my wedding dress years ago. Did I know back then that I'd use the symbol in a story? Nope. But sometimes bits and pieces of ideas build up in my mind over time, and then they show up in my novels in odd and surprising ways. Visit my World of Solace page to learn more about my writing process and my work on the Solace world.
Q. Are the Solace books part of a series?
A. The Solace books, which include THE MARK OF THE DRAGONFLY, THE SECRETS OF SOLACE, and THE QUEST TO THE UNCHARTED LANDS, are all set in the same world of Solace, but each novel follows different characters in different parts of the world, so they can be read independently and in any order. Sharp-eyed readers can and have spotted some common threads in all three books, but I'll leave that to you to discover!
Q. Will you write a sequel to THE MARK OF THE DRAGONFLY?
A. This question comes up a lot. No, I don't have plans for a sequel right now. However, the novels in the rest of the Solace series are companion works. Both of them take place in the same world of Solace and although they follow different characters in different parts of the world, there are definite...connections you'll see if you read the whole series, and a hidden secret or two that certain careful readers might catch.
Q. But what about Piper and Gee??? And what happens to Micah?
A. These questions come up almost weekly...sometimes daily. *grin* (WARNING: SLIGHT SPOILERS FOLLOW) First off, although I'm not planning to write a sequel to THE MARK OF THE DRAGONFLY, I won't say you'll never see any of these characters again. Cryptic enough? Hehe, that's all I'll say for now. But for those who are desperate to know if Piper and Gee are together, I'll give you this: Piper and Gee are each other's first crush. That comes with a lot of uncertainty, butterflies in the stomach, and a general confusing wonderfulness. But they were in a good place at the end of the novel, and they care about each other a lot, so I wouldn't worry. There's a lot of hope for their future.
Q. Are you going to write more about Icelin and Ruen from the Waterdeep series, or Ashok from the UNBROKEN CHAIN novels?
A. Currently there are no plans for future books involving those characters. To my mind, Icelin and Ruen's story wraps up well in SPIDER AND STONE, which is itself a sequel to MISTSHORE As for Ashok and his companions, there are no plans for a third UNBROKEN CHAIN book.
Q. How do I become a published writer?
A. There's no one true answer to this question. These are (roughly) the steps I took over the course of a decade. And I can only speak to my own experience. First, read. Read a lot. And then write because you love to tell stories, because they make you happy. Write short stories or novels or whatever makes you happiest. Practice your writing. Buy a copy of the current year Writer's Market and read it. Practice more. Fill up notebooks with stories. Fill up your computer hard drive. Somewhere along the way, when you're ready, show your work to another person, someone you trust to give you honest feedback. Don't get discouraged. Join a critique group if you feel comfortable. They can be invaluable. Also, realize that writing and publishing are different. Go on the internet. Find out what a literary agent is, and a query letter, and a synopsis. Follow writers, literary agents, and editors on Twitter. Seek out blogs on publishing. Utilize websites like Agent Query, Preditors & Editors, and Absolute Write. Above all, make sure you love what you're doing, because it's hard. But so worth it.