Jaleigh Johnson’s first book for middle grade readers is The Mark of the Dragonfly. Her novels for the Dungeons and Dragons Forgotten Realms fiction line include The Howling Delve, Mistshore, Unbroken Chain, Unbroken Chain: The Darker Road, and Spider and Stone.
Can you tell us a bit about The Mark of the Dragonfly?
The Mark of the Dragonfly is a story about two girls who couldn’t be more different, but who have to work together and save each other. It’s also a story about friendship and sisterhood. It takes place in a fantasy world with echoes of our own Earth—literally, as objects from our world and others fall from the sky in violent meteor storms. To escape their enemies, the girls stow away on board a beautiful old steam train called the 401, and that’s only the beginning of their adventure together.
Can you give us some insight into your main character, Piper?
Piper is a scrapper, a rogue, and a survivor. When I first created her, I knew exactly who she was. She’s a female Han Solo. Underneath her tough shell, she has a large heart—and a soft spot for Anna.
How did you get the idea for the story?
The story came to me in pieces. A dragonfly pin that I wore on the back of my wedding dress in 2007 was the inspiration for the mysterious dragonfly tattoo that’s on Anna’s arm. And the 401 steam train that serves as the vehicle for Piper and Anna’s journey is based on an actual restored steam engine, the 401 Southern, which runs every summer at the Monticello Railway Museum in my town of Monticello, Illinois. Two unrelated objects, but somehow they came together in my head to inspire the story.
What goals did you set for yourself when writing The Mark of the Dragonfly, and how do you feel about the end result?
My biggest goal when writing the novel was to make the relationship between Piper, Anna, and Gee something very special. I love these characters so much, and I wanted readers to love them too. So when I read emails and reviews where people say that their favorite part of the book is the characters, it feels amazing.
You’ve also been writing for D&D Forgotten Realms. How did you get involved in that?
I actually auditioned for the chance to write a novel for the publisher, Wizards of the Coast. I submitted a proposal for a book in their Dungeons series back around 2005. My proposal was accepted, and my first novel, The Howling Delve, was published in 2007. I went on to publish four more novels with Wizards of the Coast.
What sort of challenges, as a writer, did you face before your first book was published? Any insights you can share for aspiring writers seeking advice?
The biggest challenge I face as a writer is self-doubt. And it’s not something that magically went away even after I was published. Fear and doubt can be crippling no matter what stage of your writing career you’re in. My best advice for dealing with those feelings is to write through them and hold on to what brings you pleasure in the craft.
You’ve got a great cover. Can you tell us a bit about it?
Thank you! I love it too! The dragonfly is such an important symbol in the novel. It appears as a tattoo on Anna’s arm, marking her as a very special person. But it’s also the symbol of the king of the Dragonfly territories, and as such, I love that it has this regal flair to it. And the stormy green background of the cover perfectly captures the poisonous atmosphere of the scrap town meteor storms. It’s just a great design.
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hardback books?
I tend to prefer ebooks when I travel in order to save space. Otherwise, I buy paper or hardback books. I have many bookshelves in my house and I love seeing the books I’ve read or have yet to read all lined up like old and new friends waiting for me.
What kind of books do you read? Any favorite authors?
So many, but some of my favorite authors are Robin McKinley, Patricia McKillip, Madeleine L’Engle, Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ed Greenwood, Elaine Cunningham, Lynn Kurland, Peter S. Beagle, Walker Percy, Neil Gaiman, and I better stop there or we’ll be here a long time. Heh.
What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies?
Oh yes, I’m a huge gaming geek! Role-playing games, video games, tabletop board games, you name it. I also like to dabble in gardening, and I love to go to the movies.
What’s next? What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a companion novel to The Mark of the Dragonfly. It takes place in the same world but follows a different set of characters. I’m having a lot of fun writing it.
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More about Jaleigh Johnson at http://www.jaleighjohnson.com/
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Interview by Dag Rambraut – SFFWorld.com © 2014
Is there any other personal symbolism behind the dragonfly such as luck? I was also wondering do you think I could be a writer even though I am ADD and 14 years old? I really think I would like writing but there is just so much conflict between school and sports.
Hello Shawna. If you look around the Internet you will find plenty on the symbolism of dragonflies. For example: http://www.dragonfly-site.com/meaning-symbolize.html
As for writing and whether you can be a writer: as a teacher myself, I can say “absolutely”. My advice would be to give it a go – practice makes perfect – but if you like doing it and enjoy it, then there’s nothing to stop you. Writers will write because they want to, whether they are financially successful or not. Best of luck, should you decide to try it.
Mark