Jordan Dane, the nationally bestselling author of the Sweet Justice and No One series, makes her electric YA debut with In the Arms of Stone Angels.
Byrt: On your blog you mentioned that the character of Brenna was inspired by a photo you found online – can you tell us a little bit about that?
JD: I hope to blog about this soon, but you’ll get the scoop here. When I was researching this book, I used a site called Model Mayhem for the images. You can query the type of character you are looking for (height, age, hair color, etc) and you can scroll through a list of model portfolios that meet your criteria. When I saw the portfolio of a model named Libby, one photo of her really resonated with me. She was PERFECT for the Brenna in my mind. And the clothes she had on inspired Brenna’s taste in clothes and her love of cool sunglasses to hide behind. Libby was layered in scarves and clothes, had on sunglasses, and had tousled thin reddish hair. But it was the vulnerability in her lips and her childlike face that really got to me. But after I had centered my book around this real girl’s image, I went back to see if my publishing house would use her as a possible model for the cover, but Libby’s portfolio was taken off the site. I’d love to find out if anyone knows the real Libby. I wanted to thank her for inspiring my story.
Here’s the link to the image of Libby on my YA website blog.
Byrt: You’ve also mentioned that the Euchee tribe was a source of inspiration for In the Arms of Stone Angels – how did you first learn of the Euchee, and what about them inspired you? And how did you go about learning more?
JD: I’ll have links on my YA blog soon, but I researched the Euchee tribe through a librarian friend of mine, Susan Johnson, who is in charge of the Native American cultural section of the Oklahoma library in Sapulpa, OK. She is part Native American herself. She had read my adult books and loved them so much that she contacted me through my website. We met at a librarian function and have been friends ever since. She thought it would be a good idea to highlight a tribe that not many people know about and I agreed with her. The Euchee are struggling to retain their heritage. And their language is almost extinct. It’s not an easy language to learn and the younger members of the tribe are not embracing it. Susan was a big resource for me on anything Native American, but she also helped me in another unique way.
When I described the boy in my book, White Bird, she said, “I know that boy.” I had wanted a kid who was part Euchee, part something else, so that he didn’t fit in with either race. I’m part Hispanic and had trouble with my identity and the prejudice I saw growing up. And with the real Whitebird (his way of spelling it) being in foster care until recently, he fit my idea of this kid from the start. Although he’s not Euchee, he works hard at fitting into his tribe, but many tribes wouldn’t recognize a boy like him if he was not an official member of a clan through his mother, for example. He was a friend of Susan’s and helped at the library. A really nice boy. (And definitely cute, but don’t tell him I said that. Shhhhhh.) I loved his name so much, I asked if I could use it and he graciously said, “yes.” We’re now friends on Facebook. I blogged about him recently. You can check it out on this link. He’s someone I respect and I’m glad we met.
Byrt: Were you at all nervous about the possibility of offending the Native American community?
JD: That’s why I wanted to work closely with Susan Johnson who is respected by the Native American community in Oklahoma and has many friends within the different tribes. And she was excited that I had used the Euchee tribe in my book to draw attention to them. Bigotry exists for many races, cultures, and religions. And even though it’s often disguised or less overt, it’s often more apparent if you are a minority or sensitive to subtle prejudices against others. But the most noble characters in my book are American Indian (a term the real Whitebird prefers). Susan Johnson said, after she’d read my book, that she felt like she knew Joe Sunne, the Shaman. And she certainly saw the real Whitebird in my fictional character. That made me feel really good.
Byrt: In the process of researching the character that became White Bird, you discovered the real life White Bird, who let you use his name for the character – how much did your character evolve, after meeting the real White Bird? And how does your White Bird differ from the real one?
JD: I have never officially met the real guy, although I would love to. We’ve chatted online and exchanged emails. It’s hard not to want to mother him. (insert smile here) I already had a fictional boy in my mind and I didn’t want to make this about the real one. That would make me nervous if I didn’t get him right. I also didn’t need to put the real boy in my book. My fictional character was accused of murder and was locked in a mental hospital. The real Whitebird has never been in trouble like that, thankfully. I really imagined the character in my book, but Susan Johnson (the real Whitebird’s good friend) said that after she read the book, she really saw him in the scenes. He’s a very special kid and she loves him like a son, so for her to say she saw him in my book was very special for me. And from our recent chats, the real Whitebird is a charmer and funny. He’s more outgoing than the quieter, more introspective boy in my book, but the real Whitebird still is facing a future most kids don’t have to because they have at least one parent to care for them. I really admire Whitebird’s positive attitude. He’s a cool kid.
Byrt: Brenna and White Bird are both ostracized outsiders – in your own life, have you ever witnessed cruelty of the type that Brenna and White Bird endure? And do you hope people take something away from this book?
JD: Yes. Being part Hispanic, I witnessed bigotry firsthand. That’s why I wanted readers to sense what it’s like to straddle the line between cultures and races when you’re younger and trying to figure out who you are, when you don’t fit in on either side. In my YA blog on “The Real White Bird,” I talk about this in more detail. It’s my job as an author to make the obstacles in front of Brenna and White Bird to seem insurmountable. That’s why they are strong enough to earn the right to be the stars of my book. So the cruelty of the Sheriff and the other kids really seems to be a hot button for readers. And I’m really glad that I can stir this kind of emotion in people. I also wanted readers to be okay with their own differences, things that set them apart, like Brenna’s clothing choices and the way she preferred to be alone. Her differences set her apart, as did White Bird’s rejection from his tribe. And I hoped readers would get that. Prejudices aren’t just about race. And I had hoped my book might stir up conversations about how we treat people who are different.
Byrt: Did you find it at all challenging to write a YA story, after years of writing suspense/thrillers for the adult market? Did you have to censor yourself at all? Or was it freeing, being able to have the paranormal elements?
JD: When I first looked at the YA voice, I expected YA books to be in more typical teen speak, but when you look at the bestselling books, that’s not necessarily the case. I think authors do this so they don’t have to add “YA voice” to the things they have to research or maybe their futuristic dystopian worlds or unique characters don’t require it. Teen readers are receptive to virtually any type of voice as long as the story is compelling. An author is only limited by his or her own imagination when it comes to writing YA. Plus, YA is very cross genre, which means that the story is the story and it doesn’t matter if it’s got paranormal, mystery, romance elements to it. It could have any combination. Adult books are separated by genre so each book can be shelved in book stores and in libraries, but in YA, there is only the one category of YA. Stories can be multi-faceted with more than a few elements to them. I tend to write like this, even for my adult books, so this really intrigued me. But there are other differences I saw and liked about YA too.
In my adult books, I tend to hear the characters in my head before I develop the story that will showcase them. But in YA, I think it’s important to come up with the story first so you can pick the right type of character for the plot. This keeps you from developing a “type” of character or having a cookie cutter approach to the characters you create. And in my adult books, I minimize the amount of character introspection (getting into their heads) so I can keep a fast pace to my plots, but in YA, the internal voice to the characters is just as important to the story line. Character motivation is key so readers can identify with and relate to them. I may change my mind about this later as I write more books, but for now, that’s one of the differences I’ve seen.
I’m also an observer and watch human behavior a great deal, especially after becoming an author. And I try to be objective when I show a character’s traits, without sugar coating a character’s personality or “preaching” to the reader about an adult point of view. I’ve never had kids, so I didn’t have to censor any parental viewpoint. I never had to be a good example to anyone, thankfully. And I’ve always been attuned to my inner child. I relate more to that part of my personality than I do to my adult side. It was interesting for me to tap into my experiences, good and bad, to create the voices of these young characters. It’s cathartic, actually. For example, at the beginning of the book when Brenna has the out of body experience as she yells at her mom, out of control with rage. That was me. A rebellious, strong willed 13 yr old. I distinctly remember feeling as if I had lifted out of my body and could see my mom and I arguing as if I was an outside observer. It was spooky and enlightening too. I really saw my mother as being scared of me…and for me. So I infused Brenna with the brutal honesty that I had developed over the years, honesty to assess the perceived behavior of my mother as well as my own faults. And it wasn’t a fluke that I only showed Brenna’s point of view and never her mom’s. I wanted the reader to see Brenna’s development through the story from only her head and not be swayed by what was going on from her mother’s perspective.
Byrt: Would you ever consider writing an Urban Fantasy series?
JD: OMG…I really want to do this. I’ve been looking for the right idea and will propose something to my agent soon. I’m pumped that you asked this question. YES! YES! YES! I would definitely be interested in doing an urban fantasy series.
Byrt: Will there be a sequel to In the Arms of Stone Angels? (I hope! But if not, can you tell us if Brenna stays in Shawano or goes back to North Carolina?) And can you tease a little bit about your next YA novel, On a Dark Wing?
JD: I would LOVE to do a sequel to Stone Angels. For now, I think Brenna would have a hard time leaving OK, although she does have a life in NC. Leaving Whitebird and Joe Sunne behind would be hard for her. But I deliberately left seeds planted in the book for her connection to her estranged father. She got her abilities to see the dead from someone and I hinted that it might be from his more mysterious side of the family. I can see White Bird and Joe Sunne playing a very big part in her life, so if she gets a chance to explore her paranormal side, I know they will both be involved.
On A Dark Wing is book #2 for Harlequin Teen and it’s set for release in 2012. I had a blast writing this book. I used to live in Alaska. This book is full of high octane adventure as well as general creepiness from a mesmerizing grim reaper, the darkest of angels. Abbey is a quirky kid whose father is the only mortician in a small town. And her home has dead people in cold storage in her basement, waiting for the spring thaw in Alaska to bury them. As you can imagine, her social life is DOA. And her best friend, Tanner Lange, is an ex-jock who was paralyzed in a four-wheeler accident and is confined to a wheelchair. When cyber-bullies target her and Tanner before school lets out for summer, Abbey doesn’t think her life could get any worse until she leaves town with her dad, heading for their cabin 4 hours north. And Death and his horde of Ravens follow her.
Here’s a sneak peek at the book jacket summary:
On a Dark Wing
Harlequin Teen (2012)
ISBN 978-0-373-21041-1
The choices I had made led to the moment when fate took over.
I would learn a lesson I wasn’t prepared for.
And Death would be my willing teacher.
Five years ago Abbey Chandler cheated Death. She survived a horrific car accident, but her lucky break came at the expense of her mother’s life and changed everything. After she crossed paths with Death—by taking the hand of an ethereal boy made of clouds and sky—she would never be normal again.
Now she’s the target of Death’s Ravens and an innocent boy’s life is on the line. When Nate Holden—Abbey’s secret crush—starts to climb Alaska’s Denali, the Angel of Death is with him because of her.
Abbey finds out the hard way that Death never forgets.
Byrt: And lastly, have you read any good books lately that you’d recommended?
JD: The last series that I read and absolutely loved was Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments. And I’m eagerly awaiting #4. I also loved The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. What an amazing book! I just bought a kindle and have been searching for bargain YA books, trying new authors. I just bought Hush Money (the Talent Chronicles) on kindle today. Can’t wait to read it.
Thanks again to Jordan Dane for stopping by the Book Yurt!
For more on all things Jordan, you can find her website here.
(And you can find our rave review of In the Arms of Stone Angels here)
Leave a Reply