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Addicted

April 11, 2019 By JPMcLean 17 Comments

Addicted

A wise person once said that if you want to make a difficult change in your life, like losing weight or quitting smoking, the best path to success is to tell someone. The idea is that by saying it out loud not only do you reaffirm your commitment to the change, but the people you tell will shame you into it hold you to it.

That advice is crap.

After I released the final book in The Gift Legacy, I told anyone who’d listen some friends I was making a big change: I was giving up half my treasured writing time to learn how to market the books.

Half because there’s a lot to learn and I’m afraid I won’t figure it out; tech isn’t my strong suit; the books aren’t going to market themselves; time is ticking to take advantage of the new releases, etc. I’ve put it off far too long and writing a book is only half the job. The other half is marketing it.

My plan was to spend the first half of my writing time—when I’m fresh and at my most creative—writing my next book. At the halfway point, I’d shut it down, take a break, eat, get outdoors, maybe get some exercise. When I returned for the second half of my writing time, I’d dig into the Ads for Authors online course I’m taking to learn the ins and outs of advertising, followed soon after with actual advertising.

How’s that big change going you ask?

Not so well.

Not only are my friends not naggers (and far too nice), but when the halfway mark arrives, more times than not, I have zero discipline to take a break, let alone move on to marketing. Case in point: at seven o’clock last night, I was still in my PJs (and that wasn’t the first time).

I’m addicted to writing . . . there, I’ve said it.

Writing is my crack. Words are the endorphins that flood my brain with happy juice and fire my imagination. Words are the gateway drug to sentences and paragraphs and then, egads! . . . scenes. Each scene I commit to digital bytes sends out tendrils of endorphins to the next scene and on it goes.

Why can’t marketing feel like that?

There are those who’ll tell you it should and it can, but that’s a lie I’m not there yet.

Truth be known, I have tried out a few new marketing ideas. The March cross-promotion was exciting, and I had a lot of fun as a sponsor with the Creative Ink Festival, but I’ve got to hunker down and make more progress with the online course.

On the plus side, the new book broke 43K, which is about halfway, and is still going strong.

Here’s my new plan: rather than try to quit writing at the halfway point, I’m going to concentrate on marketing one day and then reward myself with writing the next day. Let’s see how that works. If you have any helpful suggestions, I’d love to hear them. Just leave a comment or contact me via the social media buttons. Wish me luck.

Secret Sky is the book that started the addiction. Get your copy of Secret Sky from Kindle with one click right here. And if ebooks aren’t your preference, click on the bookstore tab for other purchase options, or just click on the covers below.

Chocolate photo: Charisse Kenion on Unsplash
Coffee mug photo: Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

And Now Comes Disquiet

February 25, 2019 By JPMcLean 12 Comments

And now comes disquiet.

It’s an odd feeling putting a series to bed. The long build of excitement reaches a peak then fades leaving disquiet in its wake.

The excitement of the launch lifts you up: holding the physical copy of the final book, smelling the pages as if they were a new puppy, reading the early reviews, attending book signings, planning the big farewell party.

But after the final book’s release, disquiet sucks you under: bidding farewell to characters you know better than your family leaves you hollow, your next book’s characters are still strangers who can’t begin to fill the gap; not knowing if your readers will give a hoot about your next distant book provokes loneliness.

Thankfully, time doesn’t let you linger in either state for long. It ticks away, oblivious to the petty fears of mere writers, nudging you along on your way.

And so it goes

The $0.99 launch price for Lover Betrayed, a Gift Legacy Companion book, ends tomorrow. If you’re missing this book in the series, now’s your chance to get it for launch pricing. After tomorrow, it returns to its regular price of $5.99. You can read an excerpt here.

Every day, the disquiet lifts a bit. Yesterday, I broke 32K words in my new book. It’s about a young woman who was born with an unfortunate birthmark. The woman believes her birthmark is a disfiguring curse. She doesn’t know the real curse is that her birthmark is disappearing.

Next month

Next month, I’m excited to be participating in a new adventure with writers who may be new to you, but who are far from unknown. I’m teaming up with a dozen fabulous writers, many of them A-list best sellers, to bring you new books at terrific prices along with bonus prizes. I’ll provide details shortly.

As always, I’d love to hear your feedback. Just hit reply or contact me via the social media buttons.

Secret Sky is the book that started it all. Get your copy of Secret Sky from Kindle with one click right here. And if ebooks aren’t your preference, click on the bookstore tab for other purchase options, or just click on the covers below.

Secret Sky was formerly titled The Gift: Awakening
Hidden Enemy was formerly titled The Gift: Revelation
Burning Lies was formerly titled The Gift: Redemption
Lethal Waters was formerly titled The Gift: Penance
Lover Betrayed was formerly titled The Gift: Betrayal

Opening Photo by pawel szvmanski on Unsplash

Wrapping up The Gift Legacy Launch

February 6, 2019 By JPMcLean 9 Comments

Wrapping up The Gift Legacy launch.

Today marks the end of The Gift Legacy’s launch campaign. Thank you for riding this exciting release wave with me. Sharing new covers is a thrill, more so because of your support and encouraging comments.

Books 1 through 6 tell the story of Emelynn Taylor, the unwitting recipient of a remarkable gift that strips her of gravity and sends her airborne, unchecked. Today, the first book in The Gift Legacy Companion series is being released. Lover Betrayed tells the story of Secret Sky from Jackson Delaney’s perspective. Jackson’s role in Secret Sky was controversial, pivotal and demanded to be told. Love him or hate him, you won’t forget him. Lover Betrayed is Secret Sky Redux.

Rashomon treatment

Examining an event from different characters’ viewpoints is referred to as a Rashomon treatment, named after the 1950 film of the same name directed by Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa was the first to present this unique way of exploring the nature of truth by telling the same story as witnessed and interpreted by different people.

When Jackson Delaney’s wife disappears, Jackson flies into high gear to find her. But has she been abducted, or has she left him for his half-brother? With fear and retribution fueling his quest, he recklessly engages the feared Tribunal and unscrupulous thugs from his past. And when his quest for justice at any cost leads him to a mysterious young Flier with no knowledge of her arcane gift, Jackson’s vengeance gets the better of him and may cost him something more precious than his life.

Testimonials

JP McLean possesses her own unique gift: the ability to bewitch her readers with her boundless imagination.
—Elinor Florence, Globe and Mail best-selling author of Bird’s Eye View and Wildwood

Exciting action and conflict of loyalties make this a fantastic page-turner.
—Kristina Stanley, author of the Stone Mountain Mystery Series

Click here to buy your copy of Lover Betrayed from your favourite retailer.

CLICK HERE TO READ AN EXCERPT

As always, I’d love to hear your feedback. Just hit reply or contact me via the social media buttons.

✈ The Final Flight

January 23, 2019 By JPMcLean 4 Comments

The Final Flight

Wings of Prey, the sixth and final book in The Gift Legacy is now live. Like the other books in the series, it stands on its own, but if you’re reading them in order, Wings of Prey follows where Deadly Deception leaves off.

In Wings of Prey, Emelynn receives a dire warning from her father’s grave—a warning that makes her question her loyalties. Uncertain who are friends and who are foes, Emelynn chooses to stand for the powerless against the powerful. That choice comes with a terrible price and sets in motion a clash of titans that will determine if Emelynn lives or dies.

The Final Flight: Wings of Prey has launched. Read what reviewers call captivating, intelligent, and addictive. Share on X

Testimonials

A profoundly intelligent story of a captivating young woman whose victories and struggles with a unique gift will grab your every emotion.
—Jennifer Manuel, Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize winner for The Heaviness of Things That Float

Wings of Prey simmers with tension from its first pages and builds to an epic battle that sets your heart racing.
—Katherine Prairie, author of the Alex Graham thriller series

Unique and compelling—a must read for fans of supernatural thrillers!
—Lisa Voisin, author of The Watcher Saga

Click here to order your copy of Wings of Prey from your favourite retailer.

(The final book in the series is the rebranded edition of The Gift: Betrayal, now titled Lover Betrayed. Lover Betrayed is Jackson Delaney’s version of events from Secret Sky. It will be released on February 5, 2019.)