Wizard World’s Austin TX Comic Con

Jordan Dane

@JordanDane

I am no longer a Comic Con virgin. There, I said it. I joined the Writing Ninjas of TX at their large impressive exhibit where we chatted with readers about YA books and signed our featured novels. Our amazing book seller was The Book Spot of Round Rock, TX. The store will have our signed books on sale and on display if you didn’t make the Comic Con in Austin. Here is a link for their YA signed featured books.

 

Here are photos from Comic Con:

Bottom (L to R): Madeline Smoot, P J Hoover, Mari Mancusi
Standing (L to R): Jessica Anderson, Jo Whittemire, Danny Woodfill (Book Spot)

Kari Holt as a Zombie - Scary

Me in my Duck Dynasty gear - even scarier

 

HarlequinTeen made sure my latest YA Crystal Fire was “in the wild” when Comic Con was on – a special exclusive for the event. The Hunted series is complete with both books now being available.

Crystal Fire & Indigo Awakening - The Hunted Series at Comic Con

 

I took some miscellaneous shots of some crazies I saw, but there were many more photos taken by the Austin Chronicle and I’ve included a link to their images below.

Conan

Hercules and his goddess? Don't know, but they were smiling.

 

Here is a link to the Austin Chronicle posting of many more fun photos taken that day by their photographers. If you ever get a chance to go to a Comic Con, join in the fun and dress up. Tap into your inner child with a flourish. You won’t regret it.

See You at the Houston Book Rave!!!

Jordan Dane
@JordanDane



I am traveling to Houston TX today to attend the Houston Book Rave, a first year event featuring 60+ authors (including indie authors)—a celebration of reading and writing.  The extravaganza has been heavily promoted in a number of ways and is supported by a group of around 40 bloggers. We had a tweetfest last night and #HOUSTONBOOKRAVE trended with all the live chat. Tons of fun. Got to chat with bloggers and readers and the wonderful event coordinators.
 
The great thing about this is that it’s a first for such a large event in Houston, open to all types of writers, and free for readers. The energy off the coordinators and bloggers is GINORMOUS. So my fellow authors, put this one on your radar for next year if you aren’t going to be there this weekend. I’ve gotten tons of traffic to my website from this event from all over the country. It’s been amazing.
 
Here’s what’s happening:

Friday night is a dinner for HBR staff & bloggers to meet authors and each other, to socialize before the event over BBQ. What’s not to love, right?
 
Saturday there will be time for readers to meet their fav authors (without any signing going on), but a signing will follow.
 
Tons of giveaways during the event. Readers will be exposed to many new authors, authors will meet the bloggers (and vice-versa) who can be influential, and above all authors can meet READERS! This is a huge WIN-WIN-WIN.
 
I will have advance copies of CRYSTAL FIRE, my upcoming release of book #2 (which concludes the HUNTED series) in an exclusive for this event, thanks to my publisher HarlequinTeen. Some of these advance copies will be given away at the event. I’ll also be signing book #1 in the Hunted series – INDIGO AWAKENING.
 

 
There will be a costume after-party, with the theme Dia De Los Muertos, which is very appropriate since Nov 2 is the celebration of the Day of the Dead.
 
I will include HBR pictures from the event on my next post here at ADR3NALIN3. I am so excited. Have a good weekend, everyone! No chocolate comas.

5 Keys Ways to Add Depth to Your Fictional Relationships

Jordan Dane
@JordanDane

In Indigo Awakening (Book #1 in my “The Hunted” series for Harlequin Teen)—there is a love triangle that is layers deep. I’m a sucker for love triangles, but I wanted the one in Indigo Awakening to be a little more than a girl’s attraction to two very different boys. At the apex of this triangle is a very strong girl, Kendra Walker, the leader of an underground movement of Indigo children and feelings run high when beliefs and ideologies are tested.
 
Lucas Darby is psychic and becomes mentally linked to a girl he hears in his head after he escapes from a mental hospital. Kendra thinks she has made contact with another lost Indigo, but after she realizes that Lucas is a powerful Crystal child, she sees the future she always dreamed would be possible. And for Lucas to connect with the “hive mind” for the first time, the link is intoxicating and seductive. Kendra is older than Lucas, but for him their connection is as intimate as making love for the first time. It changes everything for both of them. Since Lucas is evolving into a Crystal child, the next evolution of mankind, Kendra is motivated to be with him so she can be a part of a new, more powerful movement. She is a modern day Joan of Arc on a mission to save the Indigos, but someone else is her rock when it comes to protecting her Indigo children.
 
Another boy, Rafael Santana, has helped Kendra build a safe underground oasis for the homeless Indigos. Rafe has feelings for Kendra that he’s never shared with her, but he’s also driven to protect Benny, a 10-year old boy he loves like a little brother. This conflict will drive how he reacts when Kendra’s Indigo revolution threatens the home he wants for Benny. After she focuses her attention on Lucas, Rafe becomes jealous, but in his quiet way he deals with it until the conflict between the Indigos and the Believers blows up, the fanatical church zealots who hunt Indigo kids to stop the next evolution of man. Rafael’s love for Benny collides with his loyalty for Kendra and changes everything.
 
Kendra must choose how far she is willing to go to save her Indigo family—the one she has and the one she’s dreamed about. Lucas, the powerful Crystal child, represents the future she had always hoped for, but Rafael is the heart and soul of the past she started with him—the boy who made her dream possible.
 
Key steps to adding depth to your fictional relationships:
 
1.) Give a strong character vulnerabilities that conflict with what they might want and force them to choose. There are consequences to actions. Someone’s gotta lose, even in love.

2.) Give them choices that test their emotions. Their choices shouldn’t be easy. For example, make them choose between their personal happiness or the greater good. This is classic and always relatable.

3.) Pair them with opposite types of characters to enhance the conflict potential. Opposites attract for a reason. Fireworks, baby.

4.) Create internal conflicts or flaws that make them struggle with their external goals and the goals of the character(s) you’ve paired them with. Conflict is key to any great story. But add depth to your character by layering the conflict inside them first.

5.) Give them a noble cause that is a roadblock to their personal happiness. What would they do? Not every character would make the same decision.

 
Discussion Questions:

1.) What would you add to this list?

2.) What are some of your favorite literary or film love triangles? Please share your thoughts on why they resonated with you.

 
"Dane's first offering in her new series, The Hunted, is sensational. Indigo Awakening has strong characters and a wild and intense story, matched only by the emotions it will generate within you. Readers will love this book and eagerly await the next adventure. Fantastic! A keeper."
4.5 Stars (out of 5)
—Romantic Times Book Review Magazine

V-Tour for INDIGO AWAKENING Jan 4-Jan 18

The fabulous people at KismetBT – Danny & Heather – are hosting my Harlequin Teen virtual tour for book #1 in the Hunted series – Indigo Awakening (now available). Each stop will have giveaways plus a great gift pack from Harlequin Teen as a grand prize.
 
There will be character interviews & movie cast images, a feature on psychic powers, photos of the real settings used to inspire scenes, and a peek into the dark sinister world of the Believers.
 
For the deets, check out this LINK.

INDIGO AWAKENING Virtual Tour Announcements & GIVEAWAYS

by Jordan Dane
@JordanDane



I will be launching INDIGO AWAKENING (HarlequinTEEN) on Dec 18th. Because December is such a hectic month, I will be postponing my promotion (v-tours & signing events) until January, 2013. INDIGO AWAKENING is book #1 in the Hunted series and is available for pre-order now. You can be first to read it before the virtual tours start, but here are the scoop on the upcoming online tours.

The first virtual tour will be hosted by KismetBT and scheduled for Jan 7 – Jan 18, 2013. Tour stops will have my book giveaway at each stop to one lucky winner, PLUS an amazing Harlequin Teen GRAND PRIZE pack awarded at the end of the 2-week tour.

Another v-tour will be hosted by YABOUND and held the week of Jan 28th. This will be a blast tour format, PLUS Harlequin Teen will also be giving away their GRAND PRIZE gift pack of goodies at the end of this tour too.

Here are a few other deets for the giveaways on these tours:

For anyone who has read an advance copy of INDIGO AWAKENING, you know that a silver infinity bracelet plays an important part in the story. Special bracelets will be given away on the virtual tour so the lucky winners will be part of Rafael’s street family. Rafe’s bracelet was in black leather, but I’ve added a white leather braid as my personal remembrance to you for being in MY family.



Another cool giveaway is a music from the pop punk band, Archimedes Watchout. These guys are friends of mine and are mentioned in my book. Whenever they tour in Texas and come to San Antonio, they stay with us. My husband and I love the 2 AM knock on our door. Friend them on Myspace. Very cool guys.




I also will have a special giveaway for the audio book of IN THE ARMS OF STONE ANGELS with Audible and narrated by the award winning and talented voice actor, Michelle Ann Dunphy. She's amazing as Brenna Nash, my main character.

And I'll have uber-cool commemorative INDIGO AWAKENING bookmark swag, signed of course. Here are the front and back. The design is gorgeous. The color online is nothing like the real thing in your hands.

Are YOU an Indigo Child? Take a Test to See

by Jordan Dane
@JordanDane  



In my new HUNTED series with Harlequin Teen, a strong inspiration for book #1 INDIGO AWAKENING and the series is the idea that Indigo, Crystal, or Star children are the next evolution of mankind. I am very intrigued by the idea that despite what man might believe—that we are top of the food chain and can’t foresee a 2.0 version of us—mankind is bound to evolve into something beyond what we are today. And yes, there are many people who believe that these children (or Indigo Warrior adults) exist among us and are evolving into a more enlightened version of ourselves. Query “Indigo children” online and you will get over 61 million hits. The phenomenon of Indigo children or Indigo adults have inspired books, movies, TV shows, national news coverage, and been linked to the CIA and the Pentagon.

The tag line for the book is “They are our future, if they survive.” In my fictional book, these special psychic kids are being secretly hunted by the Believers, a fanatical church that fears what these children (and the Indigo adults who are protecting them) are becoming. A storm is brewing on the streets of LA.

But today I would like to see how many of YOU are an Indigo. At ADR3NALIN3, we think all of our followers are special and exceptional. Take the Indigo test and see if you are the next evolution of mankind and share your results with us in a comment too.

Do you see people's auras? Have you ever seen the dead or angels? Are you intuitive or have you ever had a deja vu moment that struck you as sooooo real? Do you know anyone like this?  

If you were an Indigo, what kind of psychic powers would you want to have?

If you have trouble taking the quiz on the widget below, click HERE for the link to the test, but please post a comment and tell us how you did. Some of you may not need a test to tell you what you already know. I have a very strong feeling--call me psychic--that our little community at ADR3 is loaded with exceptional readers.

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Cover Reveal & Book Trailer - Indigo Awakening

I have seen the cover for Indigo Awakening (Book #1 in The Hunted series, Dec 18, 2012, Harlequin Teen) evolve through Harlequin's art department and it got better each time. Many thanks to the hard-working and creative people at Harlequin!

This cover was inspired by the first appearance of the mysterious Gabriel Stewart in Indigo Awakening, a runaway boy who rescues my brave girl, Rayne Darby, from a gang of thugs after they follow her into an abandoned zoo at night. Rayne is looking for her younger brother, Lucas, after he escapes from a mental hospital. Lucas is being hunted by a covert and fanatical church who hunts "his kind." Rayne could use Gabriel's help, but he has reasons of his own to refuse her.

Gabriel has way to many secrets that could make things worse for her, not the least of which is his strange companion, Hellboy, and unimaginable psychic powers that could put a target on both their backs.

Because of what you are, the Believers will hunt you down.

Voices told Lucas Darby to run. Voices no one else can hear. He’s warned his sister not to look for him, but Rayne refuses to let her troubled brother vanish on the streets of LA. In her desperate search, she meets Gabriel Stewart, a runaway with mysterious powers and far too many secrets. Rayne can’t explain her crazy need to trust the strange yet compelling boy—to touch him—to protect him even though he scares her.

A fanatical church secretly hunts psychic kids—gifted “Indigo” teens feared to be the next evolution of mankind—for reasons only "the Believers" know. Now Rayne’s only hope is Gabe, who is haunted by an awakening power—a force darker than either of them imagine—that could doom them all.

They are our future—if they survive…

I also have a book trailer for my book. Enjoy and let me know what you think. I can't wait to see this cover up close and in my hands.

Indigo Awakening Book Trailer - (Use this LINK if you have trouble with the video.)