It’s Launch Day for The Never Witch

September 16, 2025 By JPMcLean 6 Comments

Today is Launch Day for The Never Witch

Local support for The Never Witch book launch has been wonderful. I am especially pleased that the launch’s press release was picked up by the Comox Valley Record and the Parksville – Qualicum Beach News. The media coverage led to Peter McCully contacting me for an interview, which we recorded yesterday. It will air on the PULSE Community Podcast in Parksville. I’ll share the link here and on social media as soon as I have it.

Thank you to everyone who purchased early review copies of The Never Witch at Nautical Days in Comox. I sold out of the few copies I had. Your early feedback and reviews are SO appreciated. Your keen eyes caught some typos I’d missed (and have since fixed), and the early reviews warmed my heart.

💖Thank you! 💞

Upcoming In-Person Events

Book launch events are now slated for:

Saturday, September 20, 10 am–2 pm, Abraxas Books and Café on Denman Island
Saturday, September 27, 10 am–2 pm, Blue Heron Books in Comox
Saturday, October 11, 1–3 pm, Fireside Books in Parksville
Friday, October 17, 10 am–2 pm, Mulberry Bush Books in Qualicum
Saturday, October 18, 10 am–2 pm, Coles in the Driftwood Mall, Courtenay

I hope you can make it out to one of the launch events. But if not, I also have markets scheduled:

Saturday, October 25, 4–9 pm, Witchy Market at the Crow’s Nest Artists’ Collective, Campbell River
Saturday and Sunday, November 15, 10 am–4 pm, & November 16, 10 am–3 pm, Lighthouse Christmas Market, Qualicum Bay
Sunday, November 23, Union Bay Christmas Craft Fair, 10 am–3 pm

There are a few other events I’m wait-listed for and will keep you posted.

On The Home Front

My time “home” with my family was lovely. We made two side trips, one to visit an aunt and cousin in Haliburton, and another to visit my nieces in their new home on a half acre close to the beach in Grand Bend on Lake Huron (Ontario’s west coast).

This photo is of the Manitouwabing River flowing past my sister’s house.

It’s always great to visit the family. There were lots of laughs and we got a few chores knocked off the to-do lists. We power-washed my parents’ house, reorganized their kitchen cupboards, (Mom dislocated her shoulder a few months back and couldn’t get items off the top shelves), and helped install some beautiful steps at my sister’s place.

A highlight was enjoying a girls’ night with some local gals and indulged in a Friday martini (mine was dirty, half gin/half vodka, with garlic-stuffed olives; hers was a vesper with vodka, no gin, Lillet, and a lemon twist).

What I’m Reading

Again, I’m primarily listening these days. I finished The Bittlemores, written and narrated by Jann Arden. It’s part mystery, part coming of age, sprinkled with humour, a few horrific events, and some touching moments. I’m a big fan of Jann Arden, so the best part for me was listening to her tell me a story.

I’m still making my way through Louise Penny’s mystery series set in Three Pines and centred around Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. My favourite book in the series (so far) is How the Light Gets In. I highly recommend.

Following a recommendation, I’ve also started listening to The Alice Network by Kate Quinn.

And now I must get back to The Never Witch launch week activities. May your October be filled with brilliant fall colours, pumpkin-spiced anything, and a terrific new book!

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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!

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.

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.

Celebrating a New Release with a Sale!

November 9, 2023 By JPMcLean 14 Comments

My Next In-person Event

Before I mention upcoming events, I want to thank everyone who came out to the Big Island Book Fest in Courtenay. It was a terrific success. I had a great time visiting with readers and writers alike and picked up some marketing tips from the wealth of writers in attendance.

My author’s supply of Scorch Mark has arrived! So I’ll have copies available at two upcoming events:

On Saturday, November 18^th, I’ll be at the Lighthouse Christmas Market from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Lighthouse Community Centre, 240 Lions Way, Qualicum Bay, BC. My table will be in the Le’Hereux room, which is off the main hall.

On Sunday, November 19^th, I’ll be at the Union Bay Christmas Craft Fair from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Union Bay Hall, 5401 South Island Highway in Union Bay. My table will be in the main hall on the top floor.

Scorch Mark Sneak Peek

And speaking of the new release, Scorch Mark, a sneak peek is available as a pdf download. Here’s a snippet to whet your appetite…

Now that Jane Walker knew where her mother had been laid to rest, she felt drawn there. It wasn’t out of respect or duty—she’d never met her mother in the flesh—it was simply the only thing she could do as the daughter she was never allowed to be. The visceral loathing she felt for Rick Kristan, the man who’d taken her mother away from her, grew deeper as the day of his trial approached.

Heat rippled off the asphalt parking lot. It had already been a long, hot ride, and they had two hours yet to go. Jane dismounted her Honda Rebel, glad for the opportunity to stretch her legs. Ethan Bryce pulled in beside her and killed the ignition of his Fat Boy. Across a swath of summer-scorched lawn, Windermere Lake sparkled like a cool oasis. This was their last stop before the final leg to the cemetery on the outskirts of Canmore, Alberta.

She removed her helmet, shook out her dark, cropped hair, and brushed the road dust from her jeans. Ahead, just before the path to Kinsmen Beach, a tailgate party had taken root, spilling onto the lawn behind a row of pickup trucks. The tailgaters, mostly young men flaunting their abs and red Solo cups, had confiscated a collection of the park’s picnic tables. Music pounded out of speakers, and the scent of barbecue made Jane’s mouth water.

After the helmets were locked, Ethan pulled their towel rolls from one of the saddlebags. He stretched his neck and raked his fingers through his comically flattened hair. “Ready?”

Jane let a saucy smile cross her lips.

Jane let a saucy smile cross her lips. She’d happily watch Ethan Bryce’s backside all day long. “Lead the way.”

Ethan came to stand toe-to-toe with her, his light brown eyes sparkling with mischief. He leaned down and kissed her. “I love it when your mind’s in the bedroom.”

He started across the parking lot and Jane held back a moment, admiring his swagger and the broad shoulders under his leather jacket. She quickly caught up and matched his stride, looking ahead to the lake, anticipating the splash of relief from the cool water.

Her focus was on the lake, so she wasn’t paying attention to the tailgaters as she and Ethan passed. But when Ethan took her hand—an unusual gesture for him—she glanced at him, and then at the men who had stopped their partying. One by one, they nudged each other and, in turn, stared at her. Startled, Jane looked away.

“You know them?” Ethan asked.

“No.” Goosebumps skated across her arms. Jane surreptitiously checked her boots and jacket, smoothed her hair, searching for something—anything—to explain their attention. Anything other than the one thing the goosebumps foretold.

Preorder Scorch Mark from your favourite retailer here.