JP McLean

Writing Addictive Fiction

You know that feeling?

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colour photo of dandelion weeds gone to seed in a sea of tall green grass with water in the backgroundDo you know that feeling? Like you’ve just crossed the finish line of a gruelling marathon, but you’re the only one in the race. Hands on hips, you catch your breath as you look about and wonder, “What now?”

Yeah, that feeling.

I’ve been working on another book in the Gift Legacy series for a year and a half (had to go look that up), and on Tuesday, I wrote the final scene. Since then, I’ve been fumbling around not quite sure what I’m supposed to be doing.

Don’t get me wrong – there’s no shortage of editing, re-writing, and catch-up marketing to do, and let’s not get started on house cleaning, weeding, laundry, etc. (no really – let’s not get started!), but after eighteen months of concentrating on this one project, having it done feels . . . I don’t know . . . airy.

Each time I finish writing a book, it feels different. I wrote about it here. I feel good about this one. Optimistic. Excited.

I think I’ll take a week off and play in the garden. I might even clean the windows so I can see the garden when I get back to writing.

The next book is called Lover Betrayed. It’s Jackson Delaney’s story. I’ll tell you all about it next time. If you’ll excuse me, I hear the garden calling …

3D Cover collection for all formats of Secret Sky

And what better way to enjoy your garden, than from a hammock reading your own copy of Secret Sky, the book that started it all? Get it from your favourite retailer right here!

Dandelion Photo by Jason Long on Unsplash

 

Would you get married on Friday the 13th?

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Superstition holds that Friday the 13th is the unluckiest of days, but is it?

Black and white wedding photo of Jean and Carl McLean April 13, 1956I know one couple who would disagree, at least as far as weddings are concerned, and they tell me they had their pick of church and reception venue bookings for that unluckiest of days.

That couple is Jean and Carl McLean, who were married sixty years ago on Friday, April 13, 1956.

The life they’ve lead isn’t extraordinary. They worked hard, played hard, raised four children, and paid off cars and mortgages along the way. What is extraordinary is the love and respect they share, despite the hardships and challenges they’ve endured.

To this day, my father is incorrigible where my mother is concerned, and throughout our childhood, my siblings and I rolled eyes in witness to their smooching and stolen pinches. I can’t even say “when they thought we weren’t looking” because they were and still are, unabashedly, in love.

Colour photo of Jean and Carl McLean on their 60th wedding anniversary, April 13, 2016It was a privilege to be there to help them celebrate their diamond anniversary … a celebration that spanned several days, thanks to some clandestine sibling planning, and the company of family and good friends.

Thank you to everyone who had a hand in the planning, execution and celebration.

Congratulations, Mom and Dad. Love you lots!

JP is an award-winning author of supernatural fiction. Her latest release is Scorch Mark, book 3 of the Dark Dreams Novels. Click on any of the covers below for more information:

Blood Mark Collage Collage of Ghost Mark Book Covers Three covers for Scorch Mark. One tablet, one cellphone, one paperback

A Spring Update … and Bleating Lambs

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Two black and white lambs
Lamb Antics

A spring update: Warm days with the kiss of summer test my resolve to keep my butt in the writer’s chair. Across the road, the bleat of new lambs draws me to the fence to try to catch a glimpse of their antics. Today I walked over and had a visit with John and Linda Mather and took these photos of the new lambs and the yearling calves.

Yellow primroses and glass fishing floats in a garden
Primroses & fishing floats

Wandering back to the house, I stroll by the flower gardens and can’t help but pull a weed and pick a bloom.

It’s probably a good thing I have some deadlines to keep me focused. With that in mind, I thought I’d share an update.

The Gift Betrayal

I’m very close to finishing the companion piece to Awakening, which is Jackson’s story. The title is The Gift: Betrayal. I’m starting to think about covers and need to line up editors and beta readers. It’ll be a push, but I’ll try to have it published this fall.

One black and one brown yearling cow
Cows in the ‘Hood

I’m also excited to be presenting a workshop on indie publishing which I’ll be delivering in a fifty-minute format at the Creative Ink Festival in May, and in a three-hour format at the Denman Island Readers and Writers Festival in July. My goal with both workshops is to provide participants with a better understanding of what to expect before, during and after publication.

More Spring Updates

On the audio front, the excerpts for the first three books are now done and live. You can find them here: Awakening  Revelation  Redemption. (*Update: I’ve rebranded the books. Awakening is now Secret Sky, Revelation is now Hidden Enemy, and Redemption is now Burning Lies. But I haven’t yet rerecorded the excerpts). There have been mixed reviews, and making them is far more time consuming than I imagined, but it’s a lot of fun.

Our neighbour, John Mather on his tractor
Gentleman Farmer John Mather

My other writing projects aren’t getting a lot of writing time, but they’re never far from my thoughts and percolate on the back burner while I clear the deadlines.

Meantime, boxes of books are arriving as I stock up for the year.

Enjoy the warming weather. Until next time . . .

The Gift Legacy is enjoying some fabulous 5-star reviews. See what the fuss is about. Get your own copy of Secret Sky with one click right here. And if ebooks or Amazon aren’t your preference, other options are available under the Bookstore tab.

Writing and Wellness Features J.P. McLean

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If you’ve a writer or other creative person, and have not yet discovered Colleen M. Story and her blog Writing and Wellness then you’re missing an interesting and valuable resource.

Her site’s mission statement is “Writers and other creatives need to stay well to keep producing the work they were meant to do.”

Pretty good fit, I’d say. And today, Colleen is featuring me on Writers on Wellness.

“When I think of physically challenging jobs, I imagine professional athletes, construction workers, or firefighters. Writers? not so much.”

But when back pain sidelined my writing, my gardening, and even my ability to sit comfortably, I revised my thinking. Writing and wellness go hand in hand.

So, though writing may not fit into an expected definition of physically challenging work, sitting for long periods of time, no matter how fit you are, is asking for trouble . . .

To continue reading, go on over to Writers on Wellness and check out!

Rest and relaxation is a key component of wellness. There’s no better way to relax than by reading. Click here to get a copy of Secret Sky, and if ereaders or Amazon aren’t your preference, other options are available under the Bookstore tab.

Laptop photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash