Author Interview: Jeanette Raleigh

Name: Jeanette Raleigh

Title of Book:


The Healer’s Dance


The When, Were, & Howl Series


Shadows in the Skies


Which character do you relate to most and why? Probably Emily from The Healer’s Dance. Even though I’ve mostly grown out of it, sometimes I still feel awkward and out of place, which deep down, is what she feels.


If you could meet any character of your book, who? What would you do? Stefan from The Healer’s Dance or Ali from When, Were, & Howl because they’re the clowns, the characters that have the most fun. Given the nature of these characters, I’d probably end up in some kind of mischief, although given MY nature, I probably wouldn’t end up in quite the predicaments they do.


How long have you been writing? What inspires you? I started my first novel in junior high and made it a paragraph. In a few years, I tried again and wrote fifty pages. The third attempt yielded a complete novel. That was a long time ago. I’ve been writing for years. The strangest things inspire me. One day I was walking to the library and thought…”What if someone found a cell phone on the side of the road and it was ringing just at that moment?” (The starting point of a nearly finished novel set aside for a few months before a sub-plot rewrite). Usually a single scene, a single flash comes to me and the entire book is written from that inspiration or to get to the heart of the event.


What message are you trying to convey? For the most part, I’m not trying to convey a message. My opinions of course get into the stories, sometimes accidentally, but I want readers to come away with something emotional. I want readers to experience that tug of sorrow when one of the characters is tormented and to smile at the lighter moments. I remember in junior high crying at one o’clock in the morning because Frodo had died, at least I thought he had in that moment. That’s what I want for my readers, a connection to the characters.


Which movie/book characters are the most like yours? I’m afraid of this questionJ I want my books to have the emotional power of my favorites, but for whatever book I name, there will be a dozen differences and people will say “I don’t see the connection”. I have a fond place in my heart for goofy sidekicks, and although it is accidental, in retrospect, most of my stories do have some form of comic relief with a sidekick.

Which actors/actresses would star in your book if it were a movie? Ah, the dreams of an author…J My favorite actors are Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) and Nathan Fillion (Firefly & Castle). Both of these guys have great comedic timing and can play the deeper raw emotions as well. I would hire Zooey Deschanel for Emily given the choice.


Which characters can a person learn from in your book? Explain.





That’s a hard question. I suppose a person could learn from my characters’ mistakes, but I don’t really have a good answer other than that…