Editing Archives - Page 2 of 3

Teasing Out the Weeds

April 29, 2018 By JPMcLean 15 Comments

We’ve had a little taste of summer here on Denman Island with a stretch of warm, sunny days. What a treat! The first of our asparagus has been picked (it was delicious), and the rhubarb is perfectly crisp and a brilliant red. I even got out in the garden in my shirtsleeves and tidied up a few neglected corners. My achy back aside, it felt good to get outdoors, teasing out the weeds and planting a few cheery annuals.

I’ll soon be doing the same with the next book in the Gift Legacy series—tentatively titled Deadly Deception. The editor has just returned her notes and I can hardly wait to dig into them.

The New Titles

But first, I wanted to share with you the new titles I’m considering for the rebranding of the Gift Legacy series. If you haven’t been following this blog, the new titles and covers will better position the books in the contemporary fantasy/thriller genre, and clear up any confusion about whether or not they’re religious. Elinor Florence has been instrumental in this effort and I can’t thank her enough for her enthusiasm and imaginative title suggestions. I’d love your feedback, your critique or your two cents. Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think.

Book 1 The Gift: Awakening becomes Secret Sky

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Book 2 The Gift: Revelation becomes Hidden Enemy

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Book 3 The Gift: Redemption becomes Burning Lies

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Book 4 The Gift: Penance becomes Lethal Waters

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Jackson Delaney’s story The Gift: Betrayal becomes Lover Betrayed

What I’m Reading

Check out Elinor Florence’s latest book, Wildwood. It’s the story of one woman’s incredible resolve to make a better life for herself and her emotionally challenged daughter in the backwoods of northern Alberta. I loved it and gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Author Update: In 2019, the rebranding was completed. The original covers and titles are no longer available. But you can read the same magical story in Secret Sky from your favourite retailer right here! Or click on the image for more purchase options.

Cherry blossoms photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash

Edits and Shiny New Toys

October 28, 2015 By JPMcLean 10 Comments

Half of me is thrilled to be going full tilt on the editorial review of The Gift Legacy books for WindStorm Press. The work invigorates me and the view from my writing desk inspires me. The other half of me is champing at the bit to get back into the new material. Four exciting projects stamp their feet at the gate. It’s shiny new toy syndrome, and it tempts me.

But I know my limits and the review requires my full attention. The shiny new toys will have to wait. Besides, the more hours I devote to the review, the faster I’ll get back to the shiny new toys.

The opportunity to revamp the books and their covers came with the new publisher. Over the years I’ve grown as a writer, so I jumped at the opportunity to re-visit these early books.

The edits:

The goal is to ensure the story and language are as tight as they can be. Here’s a sampling of what I’m doing (the crossed-out words are gone, the underlined words are new):

Better and active verb choice:

There was a lot of laughter cascaded around us and I welcomed the change from the gloom that Cassandra cast over us moments earlier.

Removing unnecessary dialogue tags that can slow down the pace.

Oh, god, no. I knew what this was. I had to stop him. “No! Don’t go!” I shouted.

Tightening the prose:

If you missed the sound of waves, you might just smell the briny air or catch a whiff of briny air or pungent seaweed in the ocean breeze.

The changes are small, but powerful. I’m halfway through the review and excited with the results. I can’t wait to share them with you.

Meantime, enjoy the sunset.

All of The Gift Legacy books are available with one click right here. And if ebooks or Amazon aren’t your preference, you can choose another purchasing option on the Bookstore tab.

New Publisher for The Gift Legacy

October 6, 2015 By JPMcLean 8 Comments

In my last post I referenced some exciting news that I am now able to share. It gives me great pleasure to announce that I have a new publisher. The first three books of The Gift Legacy will soon be re-released by WindStorm Press.

In the coming days, Awakening, Revelation and Redemption will be temporarily pulled from the market. It’s a necessary step as the books change hands from one publisher to the next.

When the books are re-released, they will have updated covers. So if you’re looking for first editions, get them while you can. Awakening’s first edition is on its way to the vault. Editorial review on Revelation and Redemption is still incomplete, but I expect they will also undergo a nip and tuck.

Revisiting these books has been an interesting experience. It reminds me that every writer is a work in progress. Each offering improves our craft, and The Gift Legacy will sparkle with the effort of the editorial review.

I can’t wait to share them with you!

Update: A work in progress indeed. The books underwent a major rebranding in 2018/2019 to better position them in the market. You can read about the series of events as they unfolded under the Media>Fast Facts Tab.

And here are the latest covers:

Christmas and Odds & Sods

December 20, 2014 By JPMcLean 18 Comments

Christmas and Odds & Sods. Miraculously, five days before Christmas, I find myself in the position of having some free time. Not sure how that happened. Somehow the parcels got wrapped, mailed, bagged, and tagged; the vacuum and dust mitt performed a slap and dash; the decorations made it out of the crawl space; and the meals planned themselves.

So I’m sitting here on my duff with a glass of wine in hand and the computer in my lap, and it occurred to me that I probably owe you all an update!

But before I get to that, I’d like to take a moment to say thank you. Your enthusiasm for these characters and this story is heartwarming. Writing is often a solitary venture and every time I hear from one of you, it makes my day. Truly. Thanks for that.

Odds & Sods

And so…Book IV, titled Penance*, has been through the first round of beta readers and is now in the capable hands of intrepid story editor, Nina Munteanu. When she sends it back, I’ll incorporate her comments, and then send it out to the second wave of beta readers. After their comments are folded in, it’ll go to the copy editor. Finally, another beta read and then off to the proof-reader. When those tweaks are done, it’ll be ready to publish. It may seem like an arduous journey but believe me, all those extra eyes will make for a much better story!

Meantime, Viona Halim, has been working on the cover art, which will, once again, originate with a photo. This time the photo was taken on Granville Island, where pivotal scenes in Book IV take place. Viona will edit the photo and then paint it to achieve the same ominous “feel” to it that the others have.

At the same time, I’m working on the back cover blurb, summaries, tag lines, book marks and other promotional material. I’m writing press releases for the spring launch and seeking pre-release reviews (wink, nudge, hint-hint). If you are interested in receiving an e-copy of Penance for review, please let me know. Reviews that are posted to coincide with the book’s release are better than balloon rides, rum in your egg nog and snow on Christmas!

Coming Soon . . . Boxed Sets

Also, I decided to offer the first three books of the Gift Legacy in a “boxed set” format for the eBook market. Viona Halim has prepared a phenomenal cover for the boxed set, which I can’t wait to share with you. For the first time, I’m trying my hand at formatting this edition myself. I’m not the most tech-savvy person, so wish me luck. If the challenge proves too much, I’ll have to hire the expertise.

And then, because apparently I should be offering a nugget to entice readers to sign up for my newsletter (which, sadly, I’ve been neglecting), I’ve been writing a give-away short story.

Of course, I’m still jotting down ideas for the continuation of Emelynn’s story in yet another adventure with Sam Jordan, James Moss and hmm, well…not sure who else might make an appearance in Book V, but it’s sure to be exciting. If you have any ideas, I’d love to hear them.

All the best, from our house to yours, over this holiday season. Cheers!