Awards Archives - Page 3 of 6

Another Medal and a Blank Calendar (be still my beating heart)

April 26, 2022 By JPMcLean 12 Comments

Another Medal

I’m thrilled to announce that Blood Mark has won another medal! It received silver at the 2022 Global Book Awards for occult and supernatural fiction.

And there’s more. Because Blood Mark earned a five-star review in InD’tale Magazine (page 103), it’s now nominated for a RONE award.

RONE awards are selected by readers just like you!

A Blank Calendar

I’ve had my share of techno scares. Screens that flash black and don’t come back, a computer that boots up to display a desktop stripped of icons, a document you were certain you’d put in Dropbox but can’t find now that you’re away from home.

It’s why I don’t trust on-line calendars to keep track of my schedule. Sure, I have one, but the calendar I depend on is the paper version beside my chair.

Each Sunday night, I flip the page on my calendar to look at what’s on the following week. Living on an island, I have to plan ahead and check ferry schedules, even for mundane chores like shopping. This week, when I turned that page, there was nothing but white squares stretching all the way to next Sunday! A blank calendar (be still my beating heart).

I got so excited. An entire week with no obligations! I can write to my heart’s content, garden if the weather goddess plays nice, find a quiet corner and read until some body part goes numb. Heaven.

Speaking of heaven, and writing

I’m happy to report that the first draft of the second book in the Blood Mark series is almost finished! It’s so close that I’ll go out on a limb and say it’ll be done by my final blank calendar day, this Sunday.

I’ve already peeked ahead in the calendar to next week. It’s a full one with an overnight off-island trip, and a newcomers’ welcome event at the facility where I volunteer. Knowing I’m going to be tied up next week, and now that I’ve put my deadline in writing, I’d better get busy and make good on finishing that draft.

Wish me luck.

And if you want to get your hands on Blood Mark, you can buy it from your favourite retailer right here.

Celebrations Amid the Chaos

March 20, 2022 By JPMcLean 16 Comments

Some days it’s difficult to celebrate the wins, especially under the black cloud of chaos caused by a madman in Russia and the ongoing pandemic. Still, there are celebrations amid the chaos, nuggets that shine despite the gloom around us.

What I’m celebrating:

Bood Mark is now a finalist (FINALIST) for two (TWO) international book awards!

The Chanticleer Paranormal Award for Supernatural Fiction. The winner of this US book award will be announced in June.

The Wishing Shelf Book Award for Adult Fiction. The winner of this British book award will be announced in April.

I am so proud to add these new nominations to Blood Mark’s cover.

I’m also celebrating:

Mandatory mask mandates lifted in BC.

Although the pandemic is not yet over, it’s a relief to see the mask mandate lifted. A small, but hopeful celebration. Though I hate the damn things, I’m still wearing one in crowded situations. I’m not alone. In my outings since the lifting, I’d guestimate 2/3 of shoppers continue to wear masks. It’ll take time for people to get comfortable re-entering this new normal.

As much as I’d rather be celebrating Russia’s defeat at the hands of brave Ukrainians, and the end of the pandemic, I’ll take these small wins and celebrate the hell out of them. It’s me thumbing my nose at the madman and the pandemic.

These are my small celebrations amid the chaos. I hope you find nuggets of your own to celebrate. Every win counts.

You can purchase Blood Mark at your favourite retailer or right here.

Slow but Steady Progress

January 28, 2022 By JPMcLean 18 Comments

The second book in the Blood Mark series is coming along with slow but steady progress. I discovered the outline wasn’t as strong as it needed to be, so I’m beefing it up, adding scenes, increasing the tension. A popular saying repeated in writing circles is that the writer’s job is to get the main character up a tree, and then once they are up there, throw rocks at them. At this stage, I’m throwing rocks at them.

I considered adding references to the pandemic but decided not to. Figured we’re all getting enough of that stress in our day-to-day real lives and don’t need more of it in our downtime. Besides, having the characters masked, socially distant, and staying home feels a little (a lot) boring.

Working Title

I’m still uncertain about a title. The working title is Ghost Mark, but I’m open to suggestions. If you’ve got one, jot it down in the comments below. If I use it, you’ll get credit in the book.

Last month I told you about becoming a bestselling author in three Amazon categories: New Adult and College Fantasy (Books), Ghost Suspense, and Occult Horror. The novelty of calling myself a bestselling author hasn’t worn off.

Now there are two more achievements to add to Blood Mark’s success. On January 12, it was short listed for the 2021 Chanticleer Paranormal Book Awards for Supernatural Fiction. And on January 5, Blood Mark placed 3rd on Go Indie Now’s 2021 books of the year.

Hidden Enemy

And if you haven’t yet, you’ve got to read the review for Hidden Enemy on Scribble’s Worth Book Reviews. I’ve read it a dozen times and it still makes me laugh. Julio Carlos’ enthusiasm is over the top. You can read more about Hidden Enemy here, where you’ll also find buy links and a downloadable PDF of the first chapter.

Successes like those keep me motivated. I can’t say it often enough: Thank you for your part in supporting my books, whether it’s recommending them to a friend, asking your local library to shelve them, or writing a review. Your support means the world to me.

What I’m Reading

On the reading front, I’ve just started Three Mages and a Margarita by Annette Marie. It was a recommendation from someone in the “Fans Of Urban Fantasy!” Facebook group.

I’m always on the hunt for books like mine, commonly referred to as comps (as in comparables) in the book world. If you’ve read a book that would fit on the bookshop shelf alongside mine, I’d love to know about it. Put the title/author in the comments below.

Until next time . . .

XO Jo-Anne

Throwing Stones Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash

Hello 2022

December 30, 2021 By JPMcLean 10 Comments

Hello, and welcome 2022. I hope you enjoy a magnificent year. Your predecessor, 2021, had a rough go of it. Made a bit of a name for himself, and not in the good way. To help you avoid 2021’s mistakes, I’ve prepared a cheat sheet (pay close attention to the legend):

✔ = Good | X = Bad

X Heat Domes

X Atmospheric Rivers

X Landslides

X Flooding

X Wildfires

X Droughts

X COVID variants

Happily, 2021, got some things right:

✔ +79% of British Columbians are now fully vaccinated

✔ Adele released her new album “30”

✔ the Perseverance Rover landed on Mars.

On a personal note, Blood Mark launched in 2021 ✔. Not only has Blood Mark won a Gold Literary Titan award ✔, it’s been long listed for a Chanticleer award ✔, and, on December 16, it became an official Amazon Best Seller! ✔✔✔

And 2021 was my first year in partnership with Creative Edge Publicity, and what a year it’s been. Thank you Mickey Mikkelson! For the complete list of what I’ve been up to (with links) see the Media/Featured On page. And if you’ve not seen it yet, the Media/Fast Facts page contains my publishing career highlights.

So thank you, 2021!

I hope you, too, can find some some successes to celebrate from 2021.

May 2022 be the best year yet with health, happiness, and abundance for all of us.

Cheers!

Jo-Anne XO

Fireworks Photo by Trust “Tru” Katsande on Unsplash