JP McLean

In Praise of Indie Bookstores

April 24, 2014 By JPMcLean Leave a Comment

Indie bookstores rock! Here’s a sight dear to my heart and one I never imagined I’d see: All three of my books on the shelf at Abraxas Books, an indie bookstore here on Denman Island. I took this photo after the third book came out and must confess to popping into Abraxas Books far too often just to sigh and smile at the sight of them perched there.

I’m fortunate to live in a community so well served by a supportive bookstore and wanted to give them a well-earned shout out. Juan Barker is one of the owners and he has not only provided me with much needed guidance when I was new to the business, but he continues to go out of his way to promote local writers.

Juan Barker

That’s him behind the counter in this photo taken at one of the book signings he organized.

And it’s not just Juan who makes you feel welcome. All of the partners and staff at Abraxas Books are knowledgeable and user-friendly. If you can’t find the book you’re looking for on the shelves at Abraxas, they’ll order it in for you . . . at a competitive price! That’s saying something in these days of mega stores and on-line retailers.

Buy local means something at Abraxas Books

They not only support local and indie authors, they also carry a selection of pottery, paintings and other crafts made by local artists. We really are quite a creative bunch here on Denman Island. (Likely has something to do with the winter rains that keep us indoors and the ferries that stymie our escape!)

So if you find yourself on Denman Island, turn left at the top of the ferry hill. You’ll find Abraxas Books at 1071 Northwest Road. Juan, Leslie, Corinne or Shaun will be happy to serve you.

Abraxas by phone: 250.335.2731 ~ Abraxas by Email: abraxas9@telus.net

Look who else thinks that Abraxas Books rocks! Here’s a five-star review I found on Yelp, written by a customer from Seattle! And if you’d like to support this indie writer, check out the buy direct from author links on her Bookstore tab.

On the Topic of Poor Planning…

April 16, 2014 By JPMcLean 24 Comments

On the topic of poor planning . . . when is a trilogy not a trilogy? When I started writing about Emelynn Taylor and her Gift, I had no idea so many people would love her as much as I do. It’s such a thrill for me to learn that readers want to know if there will be another book.

The answer is YES! I’m happy to confirm that I’m currently working on a fourth book featuring Emelynn…but it’s got me in a bit of a conundrum.

What do you call the fourth book in a trilogy?

The Gift started off as a stand-alone before it grew into a trilogy and now a fourth book is emerging. Clearly my foresight in this area isn’t stellar.

And the ideas just keep coming (some of them fueled by readers!) I can see Emelynn and her covey heading for a heap of trouble, and with the upheaval in the Tribunal, and their secret exposed, there’s no end of potential fodder. That is NOT a complaint; I love writing about Emelynn and I’m quite happy that The Gift Trilogy laid the groundwork for what may follow. The conundrum is what to call it?

Talk about poor planning! Book four cannot, obviously, be part of the trilogy. I could rename it a quadrilogy, but that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it? And what do I do if yet another book comes calling?

I could really use your help. So far, I’ve come up with the Covey Chronicles (yuck), and The Gift Series (yawn).

Your input would be greatly appreciated. In fact, if I use your suggestion, I’ll give you credit in the book as well as my unending gratitude! Give it a thought.

And if you’re curious about what started it all, you can download a copy of Secret Sky with one simple click here. Buckle up…your adventure awaits! (and if ebooks or Amazon aren’t your preference, click on the Bookstore tab for more options. Or click on the covers below:

E-ink or Paper?

April 10, 2014 By JPMcLean 10 Comments

This discussion comes up more often now that I have books for sale in both formats: do you prefer e-ink or paper? For me, it’s not an either/or situation. I love my paper books, the way they smell, the heft of them, the feel of paper. I love beautiful cover art and the way books look on a bookshelf, enticing and ready to pluck like ripe fruit.

My e-reader has earned my affection as well, but for different reasons. It’s lightweight and easier to travel with. If I wake in the night, I can open my e-reader and neither its light nor the rustling of paper will wake the Cave Master, and if I fall asleep reading, it won’t break my nose. And I love that I can touch a word and instantly get a definition. It’s lazy, I know, but you can’t deny the convenience, and with an e-reader, you never need to worry that someone is peering at your book cover and judging you by your reading choices.

Pros and cons for both formats

You can underline passages in your paper book, but if you’re anything like me, you’d never put a mark in your beloved book, let alone dog-ear a page. E-readers make it easy to bookmark and find passages.

As an author, I can sign a paper copy of my book, and I get a thrill each time someone asks. That’s not something I do with my ebooks, though I know the technology is out there.

The author in me also likes that readers who don’t know my work might take a chance on me and buy the less-expensive ebook format. That’s not a bad thing—I do it myself all the time. And, if you aren’t familiar with the publishing business, you might be surprised to learn that I earn more on a $5.99 ebook sale than I do on a $24.99 trade paperback.

But regardless of its conveniences, E-ink will never replace paper books, at least in my world. In fact, I just purchased a brand new hardcover of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander, a book I’ve already read twice in paperback. I don’t even have the bookshelf space for it, but when I love a book, I want to hold it, smell it, caress its cover and feel the paper beneath my fingers.

If you’d like to add to your ebook collection, you can download a copy of Secret Sky with one simple click here. Buckle up…your adventure awaits. (And if kindle or eBooks aren’t your preference, click on the bookstore tab for other purchase options, or just click on the covers below.)

An Unexpected Windfall

April 2, 2014 By JPMcLean 2 Comments

We recently took a road trip to Naramata to visit friends and join in a birthday celebration. The trip had been planned for weeks, so the details were well organized: ferry schedules consulted, route mapped out, and hotels booked. So imagine my surprise when an unexpected windfall cropped up.

On the day of the trip, I dropped a note on Facebook and Twitter to let folks know I’d be away then packed up my computer thinking I might sneak in some writing time. Lynn, our intrepid house and pet minder, arrived and we were soon on the road with the Cave Master at the wheel.

Shortly after we boarded the ninety-minute ferry to Horseshoe Bay

I went up to the passenger deck, took a quick tour of the gift shop, visited the loo, and grabbed a tea. Then I headed back down to the car deck, settled into the passenger sea,t and pulled my computer into my lap.

My desktop lit the screen and I hesitated. My fingers hovered uncertainly over the keyboard. I’m not accustomed to going directly to Word and calling up my WIP. It’s ridiculous how happy that made me, and for the first time in eons, I just wrote.

With no Internet, there was no pit stop at Facebook or Twitter. No need to answer emails or catch up on reading blogs. As an added bonus, there were no weeds to taunt me, no meals to cook, no dust bunnies playing hide and seek . . . I didn’t even have to drive. With nothing else I had to do and nowhere else I had to be, I was free to simply write.

The No-Internet Windfall

The unexpected windfall came in the form of an “ah ha” moment—the rare kind that makes you stop and take note. Guilt-free writing time is what I strive for each day. It’s why I take care of my email, Facebook and Twitter first; I thought I’d been clearing out the head space I needed to write. But writing on the ferry made me realize my routine wasn’t working.

It also made me realize this “guilt” I feel is entirely of my own making. It has become an anchor and I need to cut the line! I’m going to work on changing my mindset to make my writing time guilt-free. I’m sure it’s easier said than done, but I’m motivated now. I’m so much happier and more productive when guilt isn’t riding on my shoulder.