Escaping... One Book @ a Time: Closed Hearts Launch by Susan Kaye Quinn: BONUS CONTENT

Mindjack BONUS CONTENT: Jackertown Slang by Susan Kaye Quinn [Ed. Note: In celebration of the release of my novel Closed Hearts, I've created bonus content that relates to the Mindjack Trilogy. This bonus content arises from the story time between Open Minds (Bk#1) and Closed Hearts (Bk#2) - it's not terribly spoiler-ish, but you'll enjoy it more if you've read Open Minds already.]

Sometimes all that fantastic worldbuilding you do in the course of writing a novel never makes it into the story. Hopefully this happens a lot, because otherwise your story will be padded with worldbuilding that only peripherally relates to the story and bogs it down. In Closed Hearts, I created a slum-like place where displaced mindjackers gathered on the outskirts of Chicago, called Jackertown. It is a society of Clans, in some ways reminiscent of the Camp in Open Minds, and there's a delicate power balance between them. Most are involved in some way in jackwork - the trade of mindjacking favors for cash, often facilitated by a contractor, someone who travels between the two segregated worlds of mindreaders and mindjackers. Jackertown isn't as brutal as the Camp, and is more business-oriented. But that doesn't mean it's a safe place to be. :) Here are some slang terms I created while monkeying around with creating Jackertown. Many of these terms (jackworker, contractor, wetjack) made it into the story, but some did not. (They may or may not be used in Free Souls (Mindjack#3).) When creating slang, I usually come up with several variants for a particular term, only settling on the final one in later drafts.

someone who does mindjacking for hire, usually jacking mindreaders, but potentially up against mindguards or other jackers. (early version: jobber)

someone who facilitates contracts for hiring jackworkers. The contractor "rooks" or passes for a mindreader in the general mindreading society, then dons a mask when traveling to Jackertown, so that his identity is unknown there. (early versions: runners, bonders, jackmailers, bloodrunners - for those who traffic in the deadly jacking arts)

mindjackers who pretend to be mindreaders so that they can hold normal jobs in larger mindreading world.

mindjackers who kill for money, usually through a contractor. (early version: wetjobbers)

a mindreader who pays for jackwork.

a mindreader who still lives in Jackertown, running businesses or convenience stores useful to the jackers. Not directly under mindjacker control, but "owned" by a Clan.

a mindreader who is captured and turned into a slave in Jackertown. (early version: pawn, puppet)

a mindjacker who brings in mice (mindreaders) for trade to jackers - either for ransom (they get a cut) or for a puppet. Trades mice for cash or favors.

the act of kidnapping a mindreader and bringing them to Jackertown for human trafficking.

jackwork, or the contracting to exchange mindjack favors for cash.

a group of jackers working together for particular jackwork jobs.

a more permanent group of jackers, gathered together for protection and support.

I'm sure I'll be crafting new slang for Free Souls. After all, what's the fun, if there's not new stuff to play around with?

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Closed Hearts (Mindjack #2) $2.99 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble (ebook and print)

When you control minds, only your heart can be used against you.

Bestselling YA novel Open Minds, Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy, is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes. The sequel Closed Hearts has just been released. Susan Kaye Quinn's business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist," but she mostly plays on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.