JP McLean

Writing Addictive Fiction

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Denman Island’s Annual Herring Spawn

March 27, 2025 By JPMcLean 4 Comments

March has been a busy month with Denman Island’s annual herring spawn.

The island where I live is home to an annual herring spawn that occurs between late February and early March. The millions of herring that arrive on our shores turn the water the colour of the Caribbean. A cacophony of sea lions, seals, eagles, and seagulls, follows, along with the fishing fleet. I took this video in early March to give you an idea of what it looks and sounds like.

Oceana Canada provides a more in-depth explanation on YouTube.

It’s loud, it’s bright, and it’s busy. At night, when we’d normally only see stars and a few distant lights on neighbouring islands, we instead look out on what could be mistaken for a cityscape with glaring lights in constant motion.

I wouldn’t want to live with that full-time, but once a year it’s an exciting change of pace.

Witch Book Progress

I’m thrilled to report that my WIP (work in progress) now sits at 80K. The finished draft will end up between 90-100K.

image

When I’m writing, I find it useful to find a photo that looks like the character I’ve created in my head. This is who I picture for the main character, Adeline Thorne. Adeline is a thirty-four-year-old witch who didn’t come into the magic she should have inherited. In real life, this woman is Magdalena Zalejska, a Polish model.

Upcoming In-Person Events

Can you believe I’m already booking Christmas? Continue Reading

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.

Audiobook Update: It’s DONE!

January 1, 2025 By JPMcLean 2 Comments

 

Audiobook Update

After fourteen months and countless hours, I’m beyond thrilled to announce that the audiobooks for the Dark Dreams novels are D O N E. Finally! And I’m delighted with how the recordings turned out.

The process has challenged me, tested my patience, and convinced me that I’d rather spend my time writing. And though I may not record another audiobook, I’m proud of the quality of work I was able to achieve with these books.

image

The next step is a stamp of approval from Audible, Kobo, Spotify, and other retailers. When (hopefully not if) the audiobooks are approved, they’ll show up on the retail sites. I’ll be posting links on my Bookshop page as soon as the audiobooks are available.

Blood Mark Audiobook Sample

Ghost Mark Audiobook Sample

Scorch Mark Audiobook Sample

In-Person Events

My next in-person event will be the 2025 North Island Writers Conference, where I’ll be presenting a workshop on writing deeper dialogue.

Many writers have a love/hate relationship with dialogue. But dialogue is a key element in most fiction writing. It’s a heavy lifter in a writer’s toolbox. When done well, dialogue can reveal character, heighten emotion, define subtext, and advance the plot. If you want to take a deeper dive into writing dialogue, join me. Registration is now open.

Date: January 19, 2025

Time: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Location: North Island College Comox Valley Campus

Tyee Hall, Room 204

2300 Ryan Road, Courtenay, BC, V9N 8N6

Witch Book Progress

I’m back in my happy place, writing again. Though the outline is a mess, I couldn’t help myself. I popped the cork on all the creativity that I’d bottled-up while I finished the audiobooks. I’ll indulge in writing a little while longer, then go back and tune up the outline. I won’t even mind if I have to rewrite what I’ve written; it just feels SO good to be back to writing.

That’s all my news this final month of 2024. Have a wonderful New Year. Sending all my best wishes for a healthy, happy, 2025. If 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.

December update

December 2, 2024 By JPMcLean 8 Comments

Audio Book December Update

It’s almost done! The third book, Scorch Mark, is +60% finished. I thought with this December update, I’d be further along. And I may have been if not for Mother Nature and the wind storm she unleashed that knocked out power and then the internet for a four-day stretch. I’ll continue plugging away and keep my fingers crossed for a 2024 release.

In-Person Events

2024 poster with Santa on a pink background announcing a Christmas market on Dec 7 & 8 at the Comox LegionMy final event of the year will be Comox Valley Makers’ Market Decorates Christmas. It’s a two-day event, December 7th and 8th, at the Comox Legion. I love attending Makers’ Market events. There’s a warm sense of camaraderie among the vendors and loads of laughs. I hope you’re able to make it, and if you do, please come by and say hello.

Date: December 7 and 8, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 160
Address: 1825 Comox Avenue, Comox, BC
More Event Info

 

Happy Holidays

Thank you all for your continued support of my books. Merry Christmas and happy holidays with all my best wishes from my home to yours.

To learn 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.

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