Hexborn Is Here: Book 2 in the Thorne Witch Series Has Launched

August 7, 2026 By JPMcLean 2 Comments

Hexborn has Launched!

Hexborn was officially released on Tuesday, August 4^th. This is the second Thorne Witch novel and continues Adeline Thorne’s story which began in The Never Witch. And if the interest I’ve seen at my in-person events prior to launch week is any indication, Hexborn is already the popular girl in town!

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Witch by birth, warlock by trade. Adeline Thorne is a witch. The magic inside her is not. The warlock magic coursing through her veins is volatile, incompatible with her witch blood, and growing more unstable by the day. When Luke Churchwell, a powerful runecaster, returns and sees how far her magic has spiralled, he steps in to train her—but every lesson is a gamble, and his desire for her may take them both down.

Far across the country, the hexborn are tracking a killer whose trail leads straight to Adeline.

The hunter is closing in. And the secret that created him is deadlier than the man himself.

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Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer here. If you haven’t yet read the excerpt for Hexborn, you can download it now. Or watch the YouTube video of me reading the excerpt.

The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

My Wishing Shelf Book Award medals have arrived—real, hefty medals! One is for The Never Witch, and the other for the audiobook narration of Blood Mark.

Every book entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards is read by two reading groups: one in the UK and one in Stockholm. I proudly display the medals at my in-person events. Drop by and see them for yourself. Speaking of which …

My Next In-person Events

Campbell River Pagan Pride
Date: August 8, 2026, 11 am – 4 pm
Location: Robert V Ostler Park, Campbell River

Courtenay Farmers Market
Date: Saturday, August 15, 2026, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Location: Comox Valley Fairgrounds, 4835 Headquarters Road

Campbell River Farmers Market
Date: Sunday, August 16, 2026, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Location: Spirit Square, Shoppers Row, Campbell River, BC

These are my final in-person events before I leave for a family visit in Ontario. I’ll have some Hexborn book launch events coming up in September and October, dates to be announced.

My Next Project

At the moment, I’m still pondering which project to work on next. Truth be told, I’m enjoying the between time, catching up on some reading, working with Shawn Wernig of Eggplant Studios on a website refresh, and getting out on my new trike. Time away from writing is time well spent refilling my creative well.

What I’m Reading

I recently read Alchemised by SenLinYu. Though it took some getting into, I ended up loving it. It has a unique structure, and I ended up reading it twice in succession, just to pick up nuances I’d missed the first time through. It’s a dark fantasy about an alchemist who finds herself a prisoner on the losing side of a civil war. Her memories have been altered, and both she and her captors are racing to recover them first and learn what warranted the drastic measure of rewiring her brain. I highly recommend it, with the caveat that you should be prepared to push through the first few chapters. If you can get past that, I think you’ll enjoy it.

I also just finished the audiobook for Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab. It’s told in three voices from three different eras. Having read Schwab before (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue), I expected beautiful writing and a touch of the supernatural, but she still surprised me with this one. I won’t spoil the nature of the magic, except to say it’s not about witches, and it’s wonderfully original.

YouTube Update

I’ve now finished recording the YouTube version of the teasers for the Thorne Witch novels and The Gift Legacy. You can watch the finished excerpts by selecting any cover:

That’s all my news this month. Until next time…

Jo-Anne

Silver Medal Winners, Hexborn Update & a 70th Anniversary

May 8, 2026 By JPMcLean 2 Comments

Silver Medal Winners

I’m thrilled to announce that The Never Witch and the audio edition of Blood Mark have each won silver medals from the Wishing Shelf Book Awards. It’s gratifying to see these books doing so well, and to know that the writing and packaging are resonating with readers and judges alike! The medals are en route from Britain and haven’t arrived yet. I’ll include a photo next month.

Hexborn Progress

The second book in The Thorne Witch Novels, Hexborn, will be released on August 4, 2026. It has now completed the editing process and I’ll soon be handing it off to my intrepid team of beta readers. You can already pre-order it here from your favourite retailer.

Next up … the cover. This time, the folks at 100 Covers are handling the design. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.

A Special Anniversary

My husband and I travelled to Ontario’s cottage country in April to celebrate my dad’s ninetieth birthday and my parents’ seventieth wedding anniversary. They married on a Friday the 13^th —brave of them, I thought. I wrote about it ten years ago on their 60^th. You can find that post here: https://jpmcleanauthor.com/would-you-get-married-on-friday-the-13th/ This is a photo from this year.

April weather in Ontario is unpredictable—sometimes warm and dry, other times wet and windy. This year was wet and wet. Here is a photo of the flooding of the Manitouwabing River at my sister’s place. Happily, the water didn’t cause any major damage.

Next In-Person Events

On May 9^th from 11 am to 4 pm, I’ve been invited back to Coles in the Driftwood Mall on Cliff Avenue for an encore book signing of The Never Witch. That’s the Saturday before Mother’s Day, so if your mom prefers books over flowers, swing by and get a signed copy. Better still, get her a book AND flowers.

What I’m Reading/Listening To

I’m listening to the audiobook of Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister—a paranormal mystery about a woman stuck in a time loop trying to prevent a murder. I’m finding it quite interesting, especially the mechanics of waking up one day earlier each morning. My novel Blood Mark has some time slip in it, so I know firsthand how tricky that can be to write.

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If you’d like to know more about me, my writing life, and my home on Denman Island, sign up for my monthly newsletter. It’s where I share photos, updates, FREE short stories, and insider scoop. But I’ll never share your email address, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Until next time…

Jo-Anne

On First Drafts, New Awards, and a Special Anniversary

March 18, 2026 By JPMcLean 6 Comments

The Never Witch is now a Finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards. The winners will be announced at the beginning of April, so keep your fingers crossed. Three of my other books have reached the Finalist stage, but none have gone on to win. At least I'm consistant. Maybe the fourth time’s a charm??

I’m also thrilled to announce that my narration for Blood Mark (book one of the Dark Dreams Novels) is likewise a Wishing Shelf Finalist! Submitting for the audiobook was a leap of faith, as I truly didn’t know if my performance reached the calibre expected by listeners. I'm pleased to say it has surpassed my expectations.

Next In-person Events

My first market of 2026 will be at the Union Bay Community Hall. Normally, I’d also attend the Union Bay Fall and Christmas events, but I’m double-booked on both occasions. Darn! If you’re a Union Bay reader looking for an inscribed book, check my events schedule here, or catch me in Union Bay:

Date: Sunday, March 29, 2026, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Union Bay Community Club
Address: 5401 South Island Highway, Union Bay, BC

I’m excited to say I’ve been invited back to Coles and Chapters for encore book signing events. I’d be delighted to inscribe a book for you at either location:

COLES in Courtenay
Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location: Driftwood Mall, Courtenay
Address: 2751 Cliffe Avenue

CHAPTERS in Nanaimo
Date: Saturday, July 18, 2026, Noon - 3:00 pm
Location: Woodgrove Centre, Nanaimo
Address: 6670 Mary Ellen Drive

What I’m Reading/Listening to

Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices, Book Three) by Cassandra Clare. This is the third tome/brick in the series. Though I've thoroughly enjoyed Clare's imagination and the characters, I’m ready for something new.

Chatterley (A Corrupted Classics Novel) by Cara Clare. I listen to a weekly podcast about indie publishing, and she was one of the hosts for a time, so I was curious about her work. This book isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve ever imagined Lady Chatterley’s Lover, but with vampires, chains, and risque lust, you might enjoy it.

The Black Wolf by Louise Penny, the latest in her mystery series set in fictional Three Pines and centred around Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. Her characters have found a home in my heart. Books in this series will always be on the top of my TBR list.

In Other News

The switch of host for my website went smoothly thanks to Shawn Wernig of Eggplant Studios. Can’t say enough good things about how on top of everything he was during the transition. The few glitches I had were minor and ironed out quickly. Whew!

On the Home Front

My parents were married on a Friday the 13^th in April, way back in 1956. This April is their 70^th wedding anniversary, and my husband and I will be travelling to Ontario to help them celebrate.

Sign up for my VIP newsletter

If you’d like to know more about me, my writing life, and my home on Denman Island, sign up for my monthly newsletter, where I share photos, updates, FREE short stories, and insider scoop. I never share your email address, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Until next time…

Jo-Anne

First Reviews for The Never Witch

August 15, 2025 By JPMcLean 3 Comments

August Highlights

August is the best of our summer months: sunny days, warm nights, vacations, and outdoor festivals. Sadly, we also have forest fires. So, though I do love August, I keep those affected by the forest fires in my thoughts.

In Canada, the first Monday in August is a civic holiday. This year, once again, I spent my long weekend at the Nautical Days Festival in Comox.

I love talking to readers and watching their eyes light up when a pitch lands perfectly. Some readers gravitate toward the Dark Dreams books, others to the Gift Legacy, and this year, I also had advance review copies of The Never Witch.

And finally, Denman’s Reader/Writer Festival

The Denman Readers and Writers Festival sold out again this year. This festival is unlike any other I’ve attended. The atmosphere is laid back, the authors are approachable, and the audiences are enthusiastic. Invited authors are billeted with families on Denman and mingle with attendees during lunches and dinners at the event’s venue. This year’s opening session was over-the-top entertaining! I dare say there is no other festival where the invited authors’ books are shown this much love! This is a video link to that very special opening session. Enjoy!