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.

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Until next time…

Jo-Anne

Witches and Warlocks and Magic, Oh My!

October 24, 2025 By JPMcLean 2 Comments

Happy Halloween

Are you stocked up for the trick or treaters? I wonder what the most popular costume will be this year? When I heard on the news that the cost of costumes has increased by a shocking amount, it got me reminiscing about the years before costumes were bought, to a time in my childhood when costumes were cobbled together.

I don’t think buying costumes was even an option when I was young. But if it were, with four of us kids in the family, I imagine forking out money for costumes would have been out of the question. But we had a secret weapon: our mom could sew. I remember a devil’s costume and an iridescent black and purple satin witch’s skirt. There was also a memorable paper horse’s head attached to a fabric costume body made for two. I seem to recall my older sister was the head and I was the horse’s behind. Haha! A classic. I’ll have to look for photos of those costumes next time I visit my folks.

This year, Halloween holds a special place for me with The Never Witch out and about in the local shops. The launch events have been hauntingly good and I’ve enjoyed meeting readers and lovers of witches and warlocks and magic, oh my!

My next in-person events are:

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

Editorial Reviews

I’m thrilled to share three BIG editorial reviews that have come in for The Never Witch:

McLean’s writing has never been more stylish and powerful—this book raises the bar on craft.

—Ottawa Review of Books

Original, unique, clever, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting and fun read from start to finish.

—Midwest Book Review

Action-packed, thrilling, and entertaining, author JP McLean’s “The Never Witch” is a must-read occult suspense and urban fantasy.

—Anthony Avina, Book Blogger and Reviewer

My interview with Peter McCully

As promised, here is a link to my interview with Peter McCully on The PULSE Community Podcast in Parksville. Peter and I had an interesting chat about my writing process and the inspiration behind my books. Peter is personable and curious, which makes for an entertaining conversation. I really enjoyed speaking with him and had the pleasure of meeting him in person at The Never Witch book launch at Fireside Books in Parksville.

Retailer News

I’m also pleased to announce that Laughing Oyster Bookshop and Coles in the Driftwood Mall in Courtenay are now carrying The Never Witch. It is also available from my website and at these independent bookshops:

Elsewhere, you can order The Never Witch by title or its ISBN number (978-1-988125-72-5) from your favourite bookshop.

And finally, I wanted to share this stunning video sunrise with you. Enjoy!

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Until next time…

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

First In-Person Event of the Year

March 22, 2024 By JPMcLean 8 Comments

My first in-person event of the year happens this Sunday, March 24. I’ll be signing books at the Union Bay Spring Craft Fair, Luncheon, and Plant Sale, which takes place from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm at the Union Bay Community Club, 5401 South Island Highway, Union Bay, BC. If you’re in the neighbourhood, stop by and say hello. It’s always a lively event with quality vendors and yummy food. It looks like it might be a sunny day! And if you ever want to check my schedule, you can do so here.

Denman News

The herring are back! When the herring spawn, it turns the waters a milky turquoise colour. The annual event attracts massive numbers of seagulls, eagles, herons, sea lions, seals, and orcas. It’s quite the rambunctious show. This is a drone shot, and two other photos taken from the deck.Continue Reading