Wednesday, March 19, 2008

She's here -- She's finally here!! Jordan Dane




Jordan I'm so excited that you agreed to come speak with my readers today. Come grab a cuppa what ever is your favorite and sit a spell. Put your feet up, I'm sure you could use a break after your whirlwind virtual tour so far this month.

Thanks so much for spending time with me, Cricket. I really appreciate your support of a new author.
1. What is the toughest part of your job as a writer?
Not having enough hours in the day to do everything I’d love to do—including having a life.  I’m kidding, because I really love writing full time now, but I do need to find a better balance between my writing and my personal life.
2. Cast your book as a miniseries. What channel would it appear on--the “old fogey” channel of CBS, for example, or the “youth catering” Fox or WB, Cinemax? Who would play the leads? Would four hours be enough to tell the story, or would you need six?
I’d be on cable late at night. No kiddies or editing. I already cast my books as I’m writing them and create a power point file on images. So here is my Diego Galvan, as played by Eduardo Verastequi. And my cop heroine would be played by the woman who was the prison doctor on the TV show ‘Prison Break’, Sarah Wayne Callies.
3. The emotions that you have Becca showing are so well done. Do you have a sister? If not, how did you come up with the feelings Becca is experiencing as she tries to keep her mind occupied with her job, in spite of her desire to focus on solving her sister’s kidnapping and possible murder? If you do, did your feelings for your own siblings play apart in your writing this story?
I do have quite a few sibs, 2 brothers and 2 sisters. We are all very close. Author Lee Child said that it’s not about writing what you know, but writing what you fear. I can only guess at what it would feel like to lose a love one to violence, but I had a friend who shared her story. Her sister was murdered and the killer was never found. That incident defined her whole life and I never forgot her telling me about it. I had to tell her story. And the Natalee Holloway story (the girl abducted from a school outing in Aruba and never found) also touched me a great deal and still does.

4. I'm always interested in writers' schedules... Do you manage to adhere to a fixed number of hours of writing per day or week, or do you write just when inspiration strikes?!
I try to write mainly 9am-3pm each day and on weekends when I’m on a project (which I’m always on). But I get up in the middle of the night and write if I have to. I lead a crazy life. My poor husband is very patient.
5. What do you deem to be the most distinctive feature of your novel (characterization, setting, plot...)?
I focus on every detail, but if I were to be pinned down, I’d say I focus mainly on character and creating an atmospheric nature to my stories so a reader is THERE with all their senses. My brand slogan is “Take a Front Row Seat to Suspense” for a reason, I hope. 
6. What would you like to see evolve from this novel?
This is an interesting question, but I’m a really pragmatic person. I don’t speculate on someone making a movie of it or making a wish list for SCREAM. I keep writing. I’m on book #5 and am well down the road to selling another series beyond the six I already have under contract. The business woman in me wants to stay focused on my long term writing career.
7. Your Title “No One Heard Her Scream” sends shivers down my spine, perhaps because I’m a woman – but…How did you come up with your title.
The title came from a dialogue line in the book. When the woman detective realizes something about the skeletal remains buried behind a wall. The young girl had been buried alive. And all my woman detective can do is flash back to the tragic death of her baby sister. In her grief, she says, “No one heard her scream.” And her CSI guy replies, “Until now.”
8. What are the titles of the two others in this serial line? Did you decide on those titles in a similar way?
My other two books had different names, but my publisher wanted the titles to be similar with a “No One” related titles. NO ONE LEFT TO TELL was previously called “Crossing the Line” and my Brazil story NO ONE LIVES FOREVER was entitled “In the Shadow of Redemption” (even standing in its shadow, redemption can seem like a world away). I still like that title. These titles are now reflected in dialogue within each book too. It’s something I like to do.
I jokingly told my family in my crazy Christmas letter in 2007 that there was a 4th book, entitled NO ONE GETS A GIFT. They thought that was funny until they realized I wasn’t kidding.

9. I guess everyone wants to know if you model your characters after anybody you know, or anybody famous you admire? Or do they just sort of evolve from your head as the story unwinds?
I let my characters come to me organically. They usually have to wake me up in the middle of the night. Sometimes they are a composite of many types of people too. I like deep portrayals and complex personalities, even for my beloved antagonists. After all, villains are the heroes in their own stories.
10. What genre does “No One Heard Her Scream,” fit into? Do you write in any other Genres? Are there genres that you would like to try your hand at? What made you decide to write in this genre?
I made a decision to write the type of story I wanted to read—the kind of books on my bookshelves. And since I love mystery/suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, humor, forensics, thrillers and romance, I thought I would try it all. It’s not such a stretch to create a tapestry of these elements if you love them as much as I do. And I really love a challenge. I’ve been referring to my writing as romantic thrillers, but I’m not sure that says it either.
As for other genres attempted, I have two completed romances under my bed and one partial of a humorous paranormal crime fiction (Harry Potter meets Buffy story meets Cops). My agent really loves these and still wants to sell them. But I’m afraid that by leaping into other genres, if I find success there, I might not have the quality time with any of it. Quality is important to me.

11. Is there anything you would like to tell my readers? And where can they buy your book?
My books are available for presale at Amazon, Borders, BooksAMillion, Barnes & Noble, and your great independent stories near you on Booksense. I have links on my website to these sources. NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM (March 25th), NO ONE LEFT TO TELL (April 29th) and NO ONE LIVES FOREVER (May 27th). The first book is standalone in plot and the 2nd and 3rd books are connected by characters and story and should probably be read in order.
For you readers, I’d like for them to know I’m busy writing my next series – Sweet Justice. And I am really jazzed about these characters and the pace of the plots. The first of that series is tentatively set for release in Feb 2009 – EVIL WITHOUT A FACE. Here’s a sneak overview of the series:
“An illusive web of imposters on the Internet lures a deluded teen from her Alaskan home and launches a chain reaction collision course with an unlikely tangle of heroes. This is the initial driver to a new 3-book series from suspense author Jordan Dane and Avon HarperCollins. With an international setting, these romantic thrillers will focus on the lives and loves of three women—a bounty hunter operating outside the law, an ambitious vice cop, and a former international operative with a mysterious past.”

Thanks so much for having me as guest blogger, Cricket. You’re awesome! And best of luck to you and your readers in 2008.

Thank you Jordon for your insightful and inspiring answers to my questions. I really truly enjoyed your visit please do stop by again.

15 comments:

Jordan Dane said...

We were chatting on your last blog, Cricket. Tina, Diana and I. We must have been up bright and early before this post was done.

Thanks for hosting me and I'll be here all day, from time to time. feel free to ask any questions.

Anonymous said...

Harry Potter meets Buffy.

That made me laugh.

In a good way.

Tell us about your book tour, Jordan. What have you got lined up in the four walls world?

Jordan Dane said...

I actually have a number of blogs set up this month, including two tomorrow with Killer Fiction (you know, Kathy Bacus, Gemma, Christie Craig etc) and Joyce Tremel also has me on her blog - The Working Stiffs. I know Joyce from Crimespace.

So two blogs in one day. I think I can handle it, but I've got to find time to do a little research. I need to find someone who knows about the operation of a nuc plant. Security sensitive areas. As a new author, with questions like I have planned to ask, it's tough to get someone's cooperation.

Plus with the questions I have planned, I'll probably have the FBI one me, if I'm not already on their watch list. LOL

TWC also has me on a few more blogs this month--Diana Castilleja on this Saturday, Renee Barnes next Wed (the day after my release---SQUEEE) and Glenn Walker on the 29th. Glenn is one cool dude--Mr Pop Culture. And then there's the moderated chat on Mar 30th with other authors too on TWC. We'll have book giveaways and the announcement of the virtual book tour winners--the B&N gift cards. Very cool.

So basically, I'm coasting and doing absolutely NOTHING.

Linda J. Hutchinson said...

Doing NOTHING? HA! Jordan, I've been on your trail all month and you are one busy, busy woman!

It's so much fun to read the different reviews--and different interviews. Loved the line about Harry Potter/Buffy/Cops. What a hoot!

To those leaving comments for Jordan, I'm making a list and checking it twice. This list will be used to grant "winner" wishes at the "Launch P-A-R-T-Y!" at The Writer's Chatroom on March 30th.
I'll check back in later.

Cricket, thank you so much for hosting today's stop on Jordan's virtual book tour.

Linda J. Hutchinson
http://writerschatroom.com
www.lindajhutchinson.com
http://reviewhutch.blogspot.com

Jordan Dane said...

Linda--Thanks for cyber-stalking me. (Never thought I'd say that)

This has been fun and the build up to my release is getting me all excited. It's hard to focus on my work right now.

Unknown said...

Huff puff huff puff - I've been chasing my tail today - I'm so sorry to leave you hear by yourself Jordan but I see you've been in good company!
Thanks for coming by - I'm going to go see where some of my cohorts have stopped off. We'll be back promise
Yeah Harry Potter meets Buffy You Go girl!
Cricket!

Jordan Dane said...

I'm busy plotting domestic terrorism right now. Be back in a few...

JanetElaineSmith said...

Jordan,
I have read several of your blog stops. I love the sound of your books. Having spent 9 years in Venezuela, how did you decide to include some of the South American world in your books? Have you spent any time there?
Best of luck with the books. You make my schedule seem tame, and that takes some doing!
Janet Elaine Smith
www.janetelainesmith.com

Jordan Dane said...

Hey Janet--For my book NO ONE LIVES FOREVER, I wanted to pick an area of the world that borders on the primitive and is a dangerous place to be. I also wanted my crime boss Nicholas Charboneau to be a little out of his element, although you'd never know it by his attitude.

I researched various countries on the CIA website and decided that the Tri-borders area of S America looked interesting. It had gun running, drugs and all sorts of criminal elements that would be Charboneau's cup of tea. I also wanted him to have some secret interests abroad that even his own criminal organization back home may not know about.

Once I settled on Brazil and the tri-borders area, I had a friend who worked with me that was from Brazil and through him, I researched various locations within his country, giving him some choices. Cuiaba seemed to have it all.

Brazil is also known for political and police corruption, so I thought that added another dimension to my story and one that would also appeal to Charboneau, where he could thrive in a world her understood.

I loved the exotic richness of settings in Brazil, and the cultural diversity, including the varied religious beliefs like Macumba (the equivalent to voodoo). And the locale of Cuiaba is still on the edge of civilization, in the cradle of the Amazon jungle.

What's not to love?

I've never been there, but I used my travels to other places in Europe and Mexico to fill in the gaps for my lack of experience. And I had my Brazilian friend to help with the Brazilian Portuguese. I had been to Portugal but the language is different from what I understand.

I have two other Brazilian author friends, Leighton Gage & Sibylle Barrasso, who read the excerpt I have on my website and they both loved the authenticity of not only the language but the feel of their country. That thrilled me to no end.

Jordan Dane said...

Another funny thing about the excerpt of FOREVER on my site and the use of Portuguese.

I had many contest judges that thought I should translate the context of the language right away for the reader, but with me being a purist about POV, I chose very deliberately not to do that. If Charboneau didn't speak the language, I didn't think it would be right to have him explaining it to the reader any more than the limited words he would know--like the word DEAD and PIG. He knew enough to know he was in trouble, even if he hadn't gotten the clue with the AK-47 pointed between his eyes.

But the funny part was that if you knew Portuguese, you'd know that the leader of the men who burst into Charboneau's room with his weapon, that man DID speak English. He was sarcastically responding to all of Charboneau's antics with his own choice words in his own language so his men would understand.

Charboneau thought he was in control when nothing could be further from the truth. I really liked that. It appealed to my wicked sense of humor and it's a bit of an inside joke.

I speak some spanish and I can read a little of the Portuguese enough to know what's going on. I asked my Brazilian friend for my English lines to be translated, to capture the subtlety.

And if you're a fan of Paul Harvey, "Now you know, the rest of the story."

Linda J. Hutchinson said...

I've never been to Brazil either, but will do so, at least voyeuristically, by reading No One Lives Forever.

We just keep learning more and more as this VBT heads down the final stretch.

I'll be disappearing in a short while to open TWC's chatroom for the regular "open" chat. Will see if I can send any of the chatters this way.

Oh ... and btw, just in case anyone wondered, I'm not eligible to win any of these fabulous prizes. I'll pick up the names of those who visited the previous post before this one opened. LOL

Unknown said...

Jordon,
You truly do give us an insightful look into the world you are writing about - It's so nice to know that it isn't just off the top of your head. You do a lot of research to make your books come alive. I can see why Avon HarperCollins snapped you up.
I'm looking forward to knowing more about your books and you.
Thanks so much for providing even the lurkers with a good read.
Billie

Jordan Dane said...

Hey thanks, Billie--The research is a perk, I figure. It allows me to learn so much in the process. And I've got a natural curiousity about a lot of subjects.

But since I love a good challenge, I'm constantly trying to make things difficult for me. One of the things I've always wanted to try (since I'm not a plotter) would be to create a dart board with character occupations, plot elements, and other crazy things. It throw a dart to come up with all the seemingly unconnected dots, then try to write a story about what I came up with.

I did this recently at one of my chapter meetings and our hero came out to be a shy mortician with Tourette syndrome who talked to dead people. Six Feet Under meets Medium with a crime fiction twist.

My little group actually came up with a great story line that I think one of us should write one day. LOL

Unknown said...

Beautiful idea Jordan. I have a story wheel, it isn't quite that much fun though. I like your idea.
Well, It's nearly my bed time so I'm going to be bidding you a fond g'nite--hope all your dreams are good ones and they come true. You so deserve it.
Thanks for being here. WE loved it!
Cricket

Unknown said...

These books look interesting. If I ever have time to read, I'll take a look at them. I wouldn't mind reviewing one for my review site.

Ron