Gift Legacy 99¢ Book Sale, JP McLean Author Reading, and Hexborn Preorder News.

May 29, 2026 By JPMcLean Leave a Comment

The books make a great summer binge read—or gift them to a friend who could use some quality escapism.

YouTube News

While I'm taking a bit of a break, I’ve recorded a reading from Secret Sky and another from Hidden Enemy, the first two books in The Gift Legacy. Over the summer, I’ll be recording excerpts for all seven books in the series. You can find them on my YouTube channel and on this website under the red "hear an excerpt" button: Secret Sky and Hidden Enemy. Your feedback is always welcome.

Hexborn Update

Hexborn is now widely available for preorder at all the usual outlets, and its cover is very close to being finalized. The design is on-brand with The Never Witch, featuring vivid depth of colour. I’ll share it with my VIP newsletter subscribers first, then post it here.

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.

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. 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

The Never Witch is Finalized

July 18, 2025 By JPMcLean 3 Comments

I’m pleased to report that The Never Witch is finalized. The ebook and paperback editions are now available wherever pre-orders are permitted. I’ll soon have a copy to hold in hands and will share photos when it arrives. In the meantime, here’s a look at the bookmark:

Upcoming In-person Events

The following are my upcoming events. Come by and say hello. Pick up a beach read for yourself or a gift for a friend. (All of my in-person events are listed here.)

Campbell River Farmers’ Market, Sunday, July 20, 2025, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, in Spirit Square, Shoppers Row, Campbell River, BC

Parksville Summer by the Sea Street Market, Tuesday, July 22, 2025, 6:00-9:00 pm, on Craig Street in downtown Parksville

Comox Valley Makers’ Market, Saturday, July 26, 2025, 10:00 am – 2:30 pm, at The Old Farm Market (across from the courthouse), 660 England Ave, Courtenay, BC

Comox Nautical Days, August 2-4, 2025, 10-6 Sat & Sun, 10-5 Mon, at Comox Marina Park, 127 Port Augusta St, Comox, BC.

What I’m reading

Or perhaps rereading. I picked up Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare, but I have the sneaky suspicion I’ve read it before. Regardless, I’ll keep reading because I don’t recall how it ends.

I’m also bingeing Louise Penny audiobooks set in Quebec and centred around her character, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. Penny has thoroughly hooked me, and so has the narrator, Robert Bathurst, who is masterful.

The Denman Island Readers and Writers Festival

Denman Island’s annual festival is taking place July 18th to 20th this year. The festival organizers have, once again, lined up an interesting mix of authors to present their work. I’ll be attending and volunteering. Looking forward to it, especially Caroline Adderson, A Way to Be Happy, and Timothy Taylor, The Rise and Fall of Magic Wolf.

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…

Cover Reveal

June 11, 2025 By JPMcLean 4 Comments

The Never Witch Cover Reveal

I’m so excited to share with you the cover for The Never Witch. A cover reveal is a milestone in a book’s journey. It’s a promise that the book is on its way, and a glimpse of the story’s tone. For this cover, I worked with a Canadian team at ebooklaunch.com. I love their visual interpretation of the story, and they are a pleasure to work with. The book will be available in digital and print formats. Audio to follow.

If magic fires you up and you’re looking for an escape, you’ll enjoy The Never Witch. It’s a supernatural suspense set in present day in the Pacific Northwest.

When power bites back, beware the Never Witch

Adeline Thorne was a witch with no power, until a convicted warlock, in an act of desperation, dumps his magic into her. Power was an irresistible drug to Adeline. The Never Witch now had magic. The only problem? The warlock wants it back.

If you can’t get enough of Rachel Griffin, V.E. Schwab, and Alix E. Harrow, then you’ll love The Never Witch

The Never Witch will be released on September 16, 2025, and is available now for pre-order at all the usual outlets. More outlets added every day.

Upcoming In-person Events

I’m looking forward to being a part of the very first Summer Solstice Market on June 20^th from 5:00 pm until sundown at the Crow’s Nest Artist Collective in Campbell River, 2550 Island Highway South.

The event will have many fun options, including a fire dancer, live music, interactive booths, and free activities. Come by and say hello, and enjoy the festivities.

What I’m Reading

Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin. I’d read her first book, The Nature of Witches last month, and really enjoyed it. Wild is the Witch is also good. The aspect I love most about Griffin’s stores is how she finds new takes on magic and sets the stories in the real world. That’s right up my alley.

I also read My Notorious Life by Kate Manning. It tells the story of a scrappy orphan named Axie Muldoon, raised in 1860s New York. The author drew on actual events and conditions. Her story is unflinching and eye-opening for anyone not familiar with the time period. Axie’s story is a testament to the struggles of women, the dangers of midwifery, and the impossible choices women were forced to make under the anvil of what we’d now call morality police. It’s a timely reminder.

Sign up for my VIP newsletter

That’s all my news for June. 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…