JP McLean

Writing Addictive Fiction

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The Dark Dreams Audiobooks are LIVE

January 31, 2025 By JPMcLean 5 Comments

Dark Dreams Audiobook Update

collection of three audiobook covers for the Dark Dreams series of books featuring a woman from the shoulders up in mysterious poses

I’m happy to report that the Dark Dreams audiobook files have passed the approval hurdles at all the big retailers. Whew! Fourteen months of work has not been wasted. The audio files will continue to roll out to new retailers, with more being added all the time.

Something frustrating I learned during this process is that creators can’t set the price of their audiobooks on Audible. Audible sets the price, which in my opinion, is much too high for this genre. But in the markets where I was able to set the price, I priced the audiobook at the paperback price of $16.99 US. And for those of you who have subscriptions to Audible, Kobo, or others, you’ll get an even better deal.

The unaffiliated retailer links are listed under “All Other Retailers” on my Bookstore Page. You can also find the unaffiliated links below (the link to audible is glitchy—you may have to search for the book by title and JP McLean).

Blood Mark

Ghost Mark

Scorch Mark

If you’re a library customer, please ask your local library to order the audiobooks, which are now on Libby and Overdrive.

Witch Book Progress

Writing on the WIP (Work in Progress) is speeding along at an unprecedented clip. I’m at the 25% mark on my way to 90-100K words. Let’s hope I can keep up the pace.

That’s all my news for January of 2025. My thoughts and prayers go out to those of you impacted by the California wildfires.

JP McLean Author Headshot #4If you’d like to know more about me, my writing life, and my home on Denman Island, please 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.

Margaret Atwood is coming to Denman Island!

May 17, 2024 By JPMcLean 4 Comments

You read that right: Margaret Atwood is coming to Denman Island! The Denman Island Readers and Writers Festival Committee has enticed Ms. Atwood to our island. She’ll be attending a fund-raising meet-and-greet event on the evening of May 31, and the following day, June 1st, she’ll give two presentations. The morning event is a talk sprinkled with readings, and the evening event is a moderated discussion with Ms. Atwood and Des Kennedy.

Audiobook Progress

The audio recording for Blood Mark is DONE! I’m now recording the second Dark Dreams book, Ghost Mark. The sneak peek recording of Blood Mark remains available here.

In-person Event Update

My next in-person event is a book signing for my newest release, Scorch Mark, on May 18th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Blue Heron Books, 1775 Comox Avenue in Comox, BC. If you’re in the neighbourhood, drop by and say hello. If you can’t make it on the 18th, drop in anytime to visit with Dirk Meckert, the owner of Blue Heron. He’s an interesting man with eclectic tastes and a love of art and old books.

Blue Heron Bookshops's logo featured a blue line drawing of a blue heron
Photo of JP McLean superimposed over photo of a ferry heading to Denman Island and the words Author Chat

Author Chat with Book Club Mom

I had a great chat with Barbara Vitelli. She interviewed me for her Book Club Mom Author Chat which is posted on YouTube. We talked about living on a small island, my two series, and how I arrived at this point in my writing and publishing career. Barb is a joy to speak with. She's open, curious, and supportive. I've interacted with Barb many times over the years, liking and sharing her posts, but this is the first time we've "met." I apologize ahead of viewing for my gimpy right eye. I had a bad reaction to some bug bites (the dangers of gardening!).

 

Feature in May 2024 Issue of SAM Magazine

Joanna Vander Vlugt interviewed me in connection with Scorch Mark. She asked great questions about my story inspiration, writing process, and the research I conducted. Most interesting, she asked how my life experiences intersect with my characters and their stories. The May issue also features
PJ Donison, Kate Gateley, donalee Moulton, Steven Raaymakers, Amy Tector, and Penny Astley.

SAM Magazine cover with futuristic artwork image beside Scorch Mark's cover on a dark forest background
Margaret Atwood's The Testaments book cover featuring neon green and white stylized handmaid figure on navy background

What I’m Reading

You won’t be surprised to see that I’m reading Margaret Atwood. Aside from the fact that she’s coming to Denman, her writing is a lesson in storytelling craft, which is instructive to me as an author.

It’s been a few years since I read Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. The Testaments is a follow-up novel, fifteen years after the events in The Handmaid's Tale.

It's about a dystopian future where the USA is run by corrupt male religious zealots, society is strictly segregated into social classes, and women who aren’t sterile are treated as faceless breeders or servants for the upper classes. Some aspects of Atwood’s story hit a little too close to home given the news cycles of late. The Handmaid’s Tale was published in 1985, which makes me wonder if Atwood has a crystal ball on her desk (maybe I’ll have the opportunity to ask her!).

In Other News

I’ve written previously about how many hats I wear as an indie author in the publishing business. As much as I love it, it’s been a struggle to keep up. My writing and personal life are falling off the edge of my desk. So, I’m making some changes that I hope will free up a little more time for the things I love most.

Over the coming months, I’ll be transitioning this blog into a much shorter news and upcoming events post. If you wish to continue receiving my author-life updates and behind-the-scenes scoop, then please sign up for my monthly VIP Reader Newsletter. As a bonus, you'll get free and exclusive short stories. I’ll never sell or trade your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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I’ll also be streamlining my Facebook accounts. I currently have two pages, a personal page, and a business page. Facebook has throttled traffic to the business page. Probably because I’m not advertising there, but who knows. Maybe it’s an algorithm. The end result is the same. Even when I post identical content on each page, my personal page has ten times the engagement I get on the business page. The dual effort is not productive and not a good use of my time.

If you’ve “liked” or are “following” me on my business page, please consider “friending” me on my personal page instead. I’ll post my intent on Facebook. But most of the people who have liked or followed me there won’t likely see that post.

Until next time,

XO Jo-Anne

April News and Author Project Updates

April 26, 2024 By JPMcLean 6 Comments

The warm weather has me struggling to juggle outdoor chores with writing and working on the audio book. Read on for my April news and author project updates.

Audio Book Progress

The feedback I received on the sneak peek of the audio book was positive, for the most part, which makes me feel like I’m on the right track (haha! Not the old 8-track). The recording is available here if you’re interested in listening to it.

The static ‘ticks’ in the raw recordings continue to be a problem, and though I’ve figured out how to get rid of them in the final product, I’d rather not have to deal with them at all. It’s likely an equipment issue, but I’m open to suggestions. If any of you have any expertise in this area, I’d be glad for your input.

I’m now past the halfway mark recording Blood Mark. It’s getting faster, but it remains a grind.

Witch Book Progress

Continue Reading

The End of my Experiment

February 10, 2024 By JPMcLean 8 Comments

Book cover for Blood Mark featuring a Caucasian woman with her face to the sky on dark background.Ending my Sales Experiment

Since last November, I’ve been experimenting with 99c sales on select books in The Gift Legacy and The Dark Dreams series. That experiment is coming to a close this weekend with the final 99c sale on Blood Mark. Going forward, I’ll still have sales, but much less frequently. So, if you still haven’t treated yourself to the multi-award winning Blood Mark, or if you haven’t yet gifted it to a friend, now’s the time.

And speaking of the Dark Dreams novels . . .

Scorch Mark book cover featuring young woman peeking out from behind a wall with a glowing dial on her hand.There’s a New Review for Scorch Mark!

I’m over the moon that the Ottawa Review of Books has reviewed Scorch Mark! A pull quote is now proudly displayed on the cover.

Wickedly clever, original, suspenseful, and action-packed, McLean’s impeccable writing and razor-sharp plotting will draw you in and keep you rivetted.—Ottawa Review of Books Read the full review here.Continue Reading

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