April's Affections and Intrigues: Love and Mystery Bloom

Jordan Dane

http://www.jordandane.com

Jordan Dane - Bio Avon/Harpercollins launched Jordan Dane’s debut suspense novels in a back to back publishing event in Spring 2008 after the 3-book series sold in auction. Ripped from the headlines, Jordan's gritty plots weave a tapestry of vivid settings, intrigue, and dark humor. Publishers Weekly compared her intense pacing to Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, and Tami Hoag—romantic suspense that “crosses over into plain thriller country”. Pursuing publication since 2003, this national best selling and critically acclaimed author received awards in 33 national writing competitions. Her debut novel NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM was named Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2008 and Romantic Times Magazine nominated NO ONE LIVES FOREVER as Best Intrigue Novel of 2008, with EVIL WITHOUT A FACE named as winner of the 2009 National Readers Choice Award. And IN THE ARMS OF STONE ANGELS (Apr 2011, Harlequin Teen) will be the first release of two Young Adult novels written by Dane. Formerly an energy sales manager in the oil and gas industry, she now is following her passion to write full time. Jordan and her husband share their residence with two cats of highborn lineage, a rescue dog named Taco and the sweet memory of an impossible to forget canine. For more, visit www.jordandane.com.

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18 comments posted.

Re: The Echo of Violence (12:13pm September 27, 2010):

And Peggy--Even writing a true crime story takes imagination and story telling ability. And fiction is full of world building and fully understanding your characters, even if it scares you. Every word that goes on the page is a painstaking exercise, finding just the right way to say something or lace the story with twists and turns the reader may not expect.

As you might imagine, an author has to get into the heads of all the characters to conjure what's going on and come up with a plausible motivation. Bad guys and good. It's sometimes a scary place to be. And you really have to get out of your comfort zone to delve into things you'd rather not imagine, but it's part of the creative process. Crime fiction is my comfort read because I like that justice and sometimes redemption generally are part of the equation, even if, in the end, it's a different world than the characters started out with.

And a good story is all about emotion. When an author tells a story, fictional or otherwise, it's only part of a circle. And that circle is only complete when a reader picks up that book and makes the journey with the author. But writing is like opening a vein and letting it bleed onto the pages. It's emotional. It's personal. And it's a passion I would have whether I had sold to a publishing house or not. Writing and telling stories are a must for me. Like breathing, it's something I have to do.

Re: The Echo of Violence (10:35am September 27, 2010):

Thanks to everyone who commented. Inspirations for books come from anything. A word overheard at the next table, or a commercial, or a song lyric. It's how the book is put together, and the author's vision & voice that pulls it together. Marcia Preston wrote Piano Man after she saw a heart transplant commercial in Oklahoma. Loved that book.

And Vicki--It's amazing you asked if I ever thought about writing a true crime book. My husband and I were furniture shopping this last week and happened to meet a sales woman who was the niece of a slain judge. I was familiar with the story behind the story--that involves a celebrity and the drug cartels--but I had never given thought to writing that story until I met her. And even my dad has a connection to that judge since he designed the man's vacation home. Anyway, fate might have led me to her store. Who knows, but I get goose bumps just thinking about all the circumstances that aligned the moon and sun to put me there. So yes, I am seriously considering this story as a book after she invited me to tell her family's tragedy. It's hard to believe no one has written it already.

Re: The Wrong Side of Dead (6:08pm November 4, 2009):

Thanks to all of you who swung by and gave me a laugh today. I'm off to do promo on my latest book--hitting the road. If I've learn ANYTHING from this post today, I'm NEVER too old to have a good time.

Re: The Wrong Side of Dead (5:37pm November 4, 2009):

17 yrs old, it's hard to believe she was TOO involved in the actual decision. And in her wedding photo, she looked so miserable too. bet the guy smells like an old goat. At that age, I think things start dying inside. Oh wait, that could be a cool plot.

Re: The Wrong Side of Dead (5:16pm November 4, 2009):

I think I'd want him to have old-timers disease and forget we were even married, but that just might be me. Thanks, Lisa.

Re: The Wrong Side of Dead (1:53pm November 4, 2009):

Thanks for your comment, Theresa. It really makes you appreciate certain liberties we have in this country. Can you imagine not having any real worth in your own family except as chattle? Pretty scary.

Re: The Wrong Side of Dead (12:33pm November 4, 2009):

Hey Diane & Kelli--Thanks for your comments. I thought about those two playing trivial pursuit. I have a hard enough time on a team with my husband who is 5 yrs older. Can you imagine 100+ yrs difference? And I wasn't kidding about the guy's birth certificate being written on a goat skin.

Thanks for buying the book, Kelli. I think I'm in love with Seth Harper.

Re: The Wrong Side of Dead (10:21am November 4, 2009):

I agree, Annetta. The girl is in the middle of all this--manipulated by her family & forced to marry the old dude. Makes me thankful for what I have.

And thanks for checking out my trailer. The film guy who did it is an up and comer in the film industry in CA. Very talented. John Schimke with Novelshoutmedia, his new company. And he was very professional and great to collaborate with. Glad you enjoyed it.

Re: The Wrong Side of Dead (9:55am November 4, 2009):

Mitzi---That diaper image has invaded my brain in a bad way and I'm wishing there was a way to UNREAD something. Too funny.

Re: The Wrong Side of Dead (9:46am November 4, 2009):

This creeped me out on so many levels, but after I got to thinking about it, I think her family had more to do with this. Goat envy is my theory.

Re: The Wrong Side of Dead (9:45am November 4, 2009):

The short end of the stick? What did you mean by that? :)

Re: Evil Without A Face (5:50pm January 29, 2009):

It's a tough balancing act for a parent with their child. They don't want to make them fearful, yet they have to instill caution. I'd love the world to be a place where everyone can be an "open book", pardon the pun.

You've probably all heard that phrase - WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW - well, I write what I fear. And I write what I love & hate. Emotion is the key that makes resonate with readers and all authors struggle with how to do this.

Re: Evil Without A Face (4:14pm January 29, 2009):

Hey Pam--Your story about your 19 yr old reminded me of my older bro. He was over 6 feet tall and my little mom (5 ft sopping wet) confronted him about going out one night. She stands in his way and points her little finger at him telling him he wasn't going to go out. All he did was look down at her and he picked her up and set her aside, then walked out the door. We all held out collective breaths, not sure what she was going to do after my brother's big rebellion & display of independence. My mom stood there stunned until she broke down laughing. It was a moment I still remember as pivotal for me and it brought my mom and I together in a special way. We're very very close.

Re: Evil Without A Face (3:53pm January 29, 2009):

Hey Sia--Great to see you out here. And thanks for stopping by. I like your rules and I think they teach your son that you care and want to trust him to do the right thing. But also I see this through the eyes of a skeptical author and as a once rebellious daughter who was my mother's terror. If I felt like there were too many controls at home, I'd find other places to do what I wanted to do. So a child trying to pul something over on a parent might use a friend's computer where the parents aren't as vigilant as you. But again it all boils down to the relationship that is cultivated between a parent and a child. I also remember that if my mom treated me like an adult and was honest with me, we made a pact and I abided by it--because I didn't want to let her down. None of this is easy. And by the comments today, I can see that there are a lot of concerns out there. But there are also a lot of good solutions. Thanks for the tips.

Re: Evil Without A Face (3:45pm January 29, 2009):

Hey thanks, Barb--And thanks so much for supporting a new author. It means a lot.

My brothers and sisters are not as computer literate as I would like them to be when it comes to knowing what their kids are doing online. But again there is a trust factor between parent and child that is hard to question and it takes both sides to keep the family safe. In my book, the poor mom resorted to some high tech stuff and things still happened.

The main character in this book is my bounty hunter Jessica Beckett. She had her own childhood taken away by a predator and she sees things through different eyes--as a victim and as a victim's advocate. She can make you laugh and cry. I love writing about her. And she's stolen my heart. I hope readers will come to love her as much as I have. She will play a strong part in this series.

Re: Evil Without A Face (3:06pm January 29, 2009):

I wrote the book with my own family in mind and I hope it finds a younger audience too. Another author friend of mine had written in a book that online predators can look at pics posted on a site and eventually determine where the kid lives and where they hang out by the backgrounds of the pics. To research this, I looked at my nieces and nephews sites for tell tales clues and they are there. For the predator, they see things with different eyes and a devious mind.

But having said that, I love what the Internet brings. It allows me to have friends all over the world and it's a wealth of information. Does the good outweigh the bad?

And with the increase is spamming and sites loading spam tags on your computer that embed executable files onto your computer or keystroke loggers to track your activity, it makes me want stronger controls on criminal activity. At a minimum, I think the perpetrators should be tracked down and ID'd for prosecution if they break the law. But you know how we are about our freedoms. There won't be an easy solution.

Re: Evil Without A Face (2:39pm January 29, 2009):

Hey Darby--Thanks for stopping in and providing a comment. I share your concern and many times it's up to the kids to be wary. They have to know what is out of bounds, but in my book I present a case that a kid might not know about or suspect. And I see my own nieces and nephews online and wonder how guarded they would be. The only thing a parent can do is keep the lines of communication open and hope their child will come to them if they run across something that doesn't feel right. This also comes into play with people they meet and unfortunately we live in a very dangerous world.

I also learned about how Amber Alerts work for teens who are my character's age - 17. That's a borderline age and some states only do Amber Alerts for younger kids so not every state will broadcast an alert. And if the kid has a history of running away, then the case is treated like a missing persons case with less urgency. My parent in this book is a single mom with a fragile spirit, worn down by a tenuous relationship with her headstrong daughter. I felt her pain when I wrote this book and I feel like she did everything to keep her daughter safe, but bad things still happened. And I show the missing girl in this book--her journey from a naive girl to the harrowing journey she is forced to take.

A theme I like to write about is giving a voice to the victims of crime. So many people are affected by one act--and it's important to tell the whole story. Thanks again for your comment.

Re: Evil Without A Face (2:04pm January 29, 2009):

Man, you guys are giving me great ideas here. My sister made sure that her teens use their computer in a common area where they didn't have a door to shut for privacy. And the identity theft issue is a major one. In some of my research, I had seen where ID thieves "build" your portfolio and sell it online piecemeal until they have enough to draw money. Dateline did a report on this. Then they use your account to buy items online and ship into foreign countries (who don't prosecute) and sell the items for cash that fund terrorism. It's a crazy world out there...and a dangerous one. Thanks for your comments.