JP McLean

Writing Addictive Fiction

On Festivals and Readings

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On Festivals and Readings . . . When you don’t hear from me for ages, you can assume the writing is going well, but even so, where did August go?

JP's luggage inside the Vancouver airportI’m at the Vancouver airport on an extremely long **yawn** layover to Toronto, and thought I’d take the opportunity to catch up with you.

In July, at the Denman Island Reader and Writer Festival (DIRWF) I had the great pleasure of introducing award-winning author, Eliza Robertson. She read three short stories from her book, Wallflowers. I also had the opportunity to introduce eight of Denman Island’s local writers to the stage, and I then shared a reading from Penance (now titled Lethal Waters).

I also attended the DIRWF writer-in-residence program with Steven Price. You might remember that I’ve got a few writing projects on the go. One of them is a companion piece to Secret Sky. It’s the story told from Jackson’s perspective with the working title Sins of the Father. I took Sins to Steven Price’s workshop and the participants’ feedback improved and inspired the story. Can’t wait to finish it.

A New Story is in the works

Dinosaur hanging inside the Comox airportI also have a new work in progress tentatively titled Witness. I’ve worked out most of the outline and even written a number of chapters. Interestingly, because I’m writing Witness from the third person point of view and Sins from the first person point of view, I’m finding it a challenge to work on both at the same time.

Last week I attended When Words Collide in Calgary and had the opportunity to meet the extremely personable Diana Gabaldon and hear her read from the as yet unpublished ninth book in her Outlander series. What a treat.

Which brings me to now . . . waiting to board a plane to Toronto and from there, points north. In addition to visiting family, I’ll be doing a reading at McKellar Public Library on Monday, August 24th at 1:30. If you’re in the neighbourhood, please stop by (701 Highway 124, McKellar, Ontario). I’ll be reading from Lethal Waters and offering a few other surprises. Come and check it out, and then check out a fishing rod and head down to the river to catch your dinner.

See you there.

The Gift Legacy books are available to borrow from the McKellar library, but if you’d like your own copy, you can pick up Lethal Waters for Kindle with one click right here. And if ebooks or Amazon aren’t your preference, other purchase options are available under the Bookstore tab.

What’s Next?

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Penance Book CoverSince finishing the fourth book in The Gift Legacy Series, I’ve given a lot of thought to what’s next. Which trail should I traipse down? There are a number of tantalizing story lines in the gift series I could follow up on, and a number of dormant ones that would roar to life with a poke in the right place. But is this the right time to tread that path?

After all, I’ve been on that merry-go-round for a while now. The Gift has been a great ride, but perhaps it’s time to develop the other story ideas that vie for the limited space available in my head? After all, the new characters look interesting—the story lines are suitably dark and mysterious. The promises they whisper are compelling. Maybe it’s time for a change?

I’m sure I’m not the first series writer who has wondered if readers, who enjoyed the initial series, would be interested in a new, unrelated story. Are the new protagonist and story line suitably distinct and interesting enough to hold their attention?

Sometimes I even fantasize that what’s next involves writing both stories simultaneously. But then I trip on my exuberance and remember that for me, multitasking only extends itself to autonomous functions like breathing while pumping blood. Interfering in those processes inevitably leads to capsized canoes, broken unicorn horns and soggy underwear.

If you have an opinion on the subject, I’d love to hear it. Otherwise, I’ll just stand here awhile and savour the crossroads like an early riser at the bakery counter contemplating the tasty options.

Have you ever wonder which tasty morsel prompted The Gift Legacy? It was Secret Sky. You can have your very own copy of Secret Sky on Kindle with one click right here. And if ebooks or Amazon aren’t your preference, other purchase options are available under the Bookstore Tab.

On Summer, Cherries, and Shoulds

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On Summer, cherries, and shoulds. Abundant cherries on a cherry-tree branchLook at those cherries! Man, what a crop. It’s been a fabulous spring—biggest, sweetest cherries ever! And now spring is behind us and the cherries are already gone. Even these long perfect days of summer will fly by far too quickly.

So why not take the time to savour what’s right in front of us while it’s still sweet?

We’ve all got things we should do, and they won’t go away for neglecting them. For example, I should clean the spider webs out of the window casings, and I should transplant the winter jasmine before it croaks. I should definitely promote my new book.

But summer days aren’t getting any longer, so I’m going to put the shoulds on the back burner and spend a day writing in the shade of the brolly with an iced tea—I might even up my game with a glass of wine. I’m going to enjoy the hell out of a girl’s night out—late—on a weeknight! I may even indulge in a lazy afternoon pedicure and let my nails dry in the sunshine with a book in my hands, my phone close by and my friends on speed-dial.

I hope you’re able to put away your shoulds for an afternoon or two as well. Enjoy the summer while it’s here.

If you’re looking for something to read in the shade of that brolly, click here to buy Lethal Waters. It’s good for the soul! And if ebooks or Amazon aren’t your preference, you can find other purchase options under the Bookstore Tab.

On Summer, cherries, and shoulds

Sizzling Summer Read

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Penance Book CoverWindStorm Press has released Penance (now titled Lethal Waters) just in time for a sizzling summer read. So go ahead—put the wine on ice, frost the beer glasses, or chill the iced tea and settle in for an exhilarating ride. This time Emelynn Taylor has two partners, one a detective, the other her lover. Both will prove pivotal as she serves her penance for shedding light on a secret that’s been kept safe in the dark for hundreds of years. Emelynn is playing a deadly game in Lethal Waters . . .

—Giselle Roeder, Author of We Don’t Talk About That, calls Lethal Waters An exciting journey.
—Annie Siegel, lyrasist, says Lethal Waters is Fun, exciting and addictive.

A body in the water. A vast ocean. A killer on the loose. 

In the midst of a bloody rebellion, Emelynn Taylor exposes her gift of flight to save a man’s life. Now International Covert Operations knows her secret. The powerful organization is willing to cover up the carnage and protect her secret—in exchange for her services.

Her first assignment, a drug case in the coastal city of Vancouver, soon reveals a grisly murder that implicates one of her own kind.

Stalked by the ancient Tribunal Novem and vilified by a distrustful team of detectives, Emelynn takes on a perilous undercover role embedded in a drug ring where anyone could be the murderer.

Intrigue and danger lurk in the cold Pacific, challenging Emelynn’s unique gift and pitting her loyalties against her honour. And her choice is guaranteed to hurt someone.

The fourth book in The Gift Legacy series, Lethal Waters is a thriller that skirts the edges of reality in a world within our own. Don your life jacket and escape the ordinary: take flight with Emelynn Taylor.

Lethal Waters is a dark supernatural thriller, perfect for fans of JR Ward, Deborah Harkness, Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, and Keri Arthur. A Sizzling Summer read.

Get your copy now on Kindle, on Kobo, on Apple Books or at Barnes & Noble, including Nook. For all formats and retailers, please click on the Bookstore Tab.

Download a PDF excerpt here.

*Penance is now titled Lethal Waters