JP McLean

Writing Addictive Fiction

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Question for you

August 19, 2019 By JPMcLean 34 Comments

Sunglasses on beach sand.

Will you help me name a character in my new book? He’s a psychiatrist, fifty-five years old, and a bit shady with a rather high opinion of himself. The guy below fits the image in my head. Right now his name is Richard—a perfectly fine name—but it’s too fine for this guy. The one limiting factor is that his name has to start with R (and no, I won’t tell you why!).

Unnamed man behind a camera

Name a character

Which of the following names do you prefer? Or if you’re so inclined, add a new name suggestion in the comments.

1. Riker,

2. Roman,

3. Ryder

4. ??

Progress on Witness

The new book, which I’ve titled Witness (unless I find something more fitting), is now three-quarters written, and though I’m still struggling with the daily writing/marketing mix, I expect to finish the first draft by the end of September.

There! Putting it out there. In writing. It’s a little game I play with myself to help me hit the mark.

Denman Island Saturday Market

What else have I been up to? Again this summer, I’ve been setting up on long weekends at the Denman Island Saturday Market. It feels like a reunion every time, with neighbours dropping by to catch up in the shade of my tent. Mary Ann Clarke dropped by last time, which was a nice surprise. (For anyone who’s looking for me at the DI market on the Labour Day long weekend, my apologies, but I’ll be out of town. Instead, I’ll set up on August 24th. )

JP McLean at the Denman Island Saturday Farmers' Market     JP McLean with customer at the Saturday Market

 

Beach header photo credit Ethan Robertson on Unsplash
Richard character photo credit Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

If you’re looking for an addictive summer read, check out Secret Sky, Book 1 of The Gift Legacy. Get your copy from Kindle with one click right here. 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.

 

Honourable Mention for Awakening!

October 22, 2016 By JPMcLean 10 Comments

Awakening Book CoverPsst? Have you seen the shiny bronze medallion that now graces Awakening’s cover? Last weekend I travelled to the Whistler Writers Festival where the Whistler Independent Book Awards were announced. I’m thrilled to tell you that the judges awarded an Honourable Mention for Awakening. I haven’t stopped grinning since I heard the news.

Here are a few photos from the Festival taken during my wanderings around Whistler Village.

Photo of foggy ski slope in 2016 at Whistler BC photo of roaring creek in fall season in Whistler BC Photo of a muffin on a table inside hotel looking out to a wet day in Whistler BC photo of wood bench and fall foliage in Whistler Village, BC

 

Though it was a soggy weekend, the setting was so beautiful a few drips didn’t ruin a thing. Sadly, my husband suffered a torn Achilles and he’s now in a boot cast, so he was unable to accompany me to the festival. Happily, I was kept company by the terrific writers, readers, and volunteers who make this annual festival a real treat to attend.

(Have I mentioned that I was also kept cozy by the glowing warmth spilling out from the Honourable Mention for Awakening?)

Whistler Independent Book Awards Honourable Mention Medallion Nov 2016

In Lover Betrayed news (formerly The Gift: Betrayal), the manuscript is going through its final edit, the cover is almost done (OMG it’s dark and it’s beautiful) and the book is on track for a November 15 release. I can’t wait to share all of that and more, with you. Stay tuned.

The bones for Lover Betrayed (formerly Betrayal) are buried in Secret Sky (formerly Awakening). If you can’t wait for its release, get your copy of Secret Sky with one click right here. But be careful! I hear it’s addictive.  Or click on the image for more purchase options.

3D Cover collection for all formats of Secret Sky

The Freight Train Called Summer

July 26, 2016 By JPMcLean 10 Comments

bare feet on a sandstone beach in summertimeA freight trained called summer is thundering by, leaving backyard parties and BBQs in the din of its wake. Thankfully, it still has a full head of steam with miles of summer track yet to travel. And what a glorious summer it’s been so far, with good company, an abundant fruit crop, and plenty of fresh salmon.

Ripe blackberries on the vine. Living on Denman Island with roadside produce stands and a thriving Saturday market, we mark the passing season by which fruit crop is ripening. First came the cherries, then the loganberries and blueberries. We started picking blackberries a week ago, about the same time the transparent apples started falling from the trees, and yesterday we harvested the apricots.

A bowl of fresh apricotsHappily, the abundance doesn’t stop there. In book news, I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Karen Oberlaender. Check out our conversation in her short and snappy “Ten Statements” format. It’s a crafty cheat sheet for authors. And yesterday, I learned of two new five-star reviews. One for Hidden Enemy (formerly Revelation) here, and another for Burning Lies (formerly Redemption) here. The next book in the Gift Legacy series, The Gift: Betrayal, is currently in the hands of Nina Munteanu, editor extraordinaire, and while I await its return, I’ve started on the cover.

Abundance all around, and I couldn’t be more grateful. With thanks…

How is your summer playing out?

3D Cover collection for all formats of Secret Sky

Need something to read while swinging lazily in the hammock? Pick up Secret Sky from your favourite retailer right here! Or click on the image for more purchase options.

 

A Spring Update … and Bleating Lambs

March 31, 2016 By JPMcLean 7 Comments

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.

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