I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday than to also celebrate the book birthday of On A Dark Wing by Jordan Dane.
Thanks for stopping by my blog for the
On A Dark Wing blog tour which runs til January 2nd. A huge thank you to Trisha at YA Bound for hosting the tour, which ends with a live chat on January 5th at 7pm EST with Jordan Dane.
Don't forget to stop by the tour site
HERE to enter to win a Kindle Fire, compliments of Jordan Dane! And check all the stops each day because 10 stops are giving away a hardback copy of On A Dark Wing complements of Harlequin Teen.
Today I'm pleased to feature Jordan Dane with a guest post. Make sure you read all the way through for a great surprise on at the end. You can read my review
here.
Thanks to Jordan for sharing this photo of her where she creates her wonderful stories.
So, without further ado, Jordan Dane:
Death Becomes You -
The Concept of Afterlife in “On a Dark Wing”
What do you believe about life after death? If you had to write about it, what would you say? And if you believed in such an entity as the Angel of Death and could talk to this being, what would you talk about? These were the questions that I struggled with to write ON A DARK WING. I did research on near death experiences and what people claimed to see before they were brought back, but I wanted the concept of the afterlife to be fresh and not simply someone walking toward a light.
I can’t share too much without giving away elements of the plot, but when Abbey looks into the eyes of Death, she finally sees the big secret, what he shares only with her about what happens. I wanted there to be hope in Death—that it’s a part of life too—and I wanted there to be a sense of serenity with a guardian that holds human souls in its care for eternity. Yet having this duty also would carry human sadness with it—for the Angel of Death. What a solitary purpose he or she must have? I also wanted that entity to be affected by humans in a profound way—to be in awe of them—but I knew that if I did that, whatever vision I had for the story would have a bittersweet element by the end of the book. It had to. And Abbey would have a greater understanding of what love truly is—the love of a mother, a father, a friend, and the first love a girl feels for a special boy.
But ON A DARK WING is not simply another angel book and it’s not merely about a romance between a boy and girl either, with one not being human. At the heart of this book are a young girl and her father dealing with an aching grief over the death of someone close to them—a mother and a wife and best friend—with that grief being complicated by the guilt Abbey feels for the part she played in her mother’s death, something she can’t talk about easily with her father.
This book hit close to home for me on another level. My husband’s only brother, Micheal, is in hospice now, losing his battle with cancer. I can’t even imagine what he and his family are going through. Everything I say or write about death doesn’t feel like much in light of his struggle, but I wanted my book to perhaps give a small measure of hope to those surviving a loved one’s death. Writers often work out their own personal demons this way. Sometimes that can be gut-wrenching, but it can be important to go through.
On a lighter note, another author teaches in his writing workshops that great fiction is about death in some form, whether it be physical, professional, or psychological, and the “fear of death” is a thread that runs through that. I have this posted on my computer now, along with other sage writing advice. Death is transition—a change or loss of innocence that means we can never go back. That can be scary, but in everyone’s life, we go through this in some fashion. Maybe writing about it or reading about it can help.
Thanks for hosting a tour stop and for featuring my book on your blog, Sarah. You’ve always been a wonderful supporter of my work. I truly appreciate that and I consider you a friend. I wanted you to have a special post for the tour—a personal one from me. In your insightful review, you said, “…this book addresses so many topics: bullying, self-forgiveness and understanding, true friends, love versus a crush, and communication.” I love reviewers like you, Sarah. And when you added, “…no emotion was left untouched. It is a beautiful story that will make you cry and leave you smiling. I will never think of death the same way again,” I knew you “got” the book and you inspired me to write this post, especially for you.
Best wishes!
Jordan Dane
And now for the bonus! Harlequin Teen is giving away 10 hardback copies of On A Dark Wing! So don't forget to comment on all the stops and fill out the form below. Good Luck!
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