Short Stories Archives

Crimson Frost (A Supernatural Noel)

November 16, 2021 By JPMcLean 12 Comments

I’m pleased to announce the release of my Christmas novella, Crimson Frost: A Supernatural Noel. It’s a story I’ve been working on for a while now. I found time to polish it in the calm between finishing Blood Mark and the storm of activity that marked its release.

Crimson Frost has an unusual origin story. It started with the book cover—which I won in April of 2020 in a prize draw from Rocking Book Covers—I’m a big fan and have their covers on a few of my short stories. I had my choice of cover, and since I’d been thinking about writing a Christmas story, I chose the cover you see.

But then I had to come up with a title because, well, it is a book cover. And you know how terrible I am at choosing book titles. So, a couple of writer friends got together, brainstormed, and came up with Crimson Frost. Which left me with this gorgeous cover, a title, even a sub-title, A Supernatural Noel, but I had yet to write one word of a story to go with it.

My first two attempts were woefully un-Christmassy—seems I have a dark streak that not even Santa Claus can erase. But my third attempt felt just right. It still has a dollop of angst in it, but what family Christmas doesn’t? This is the description:

A blood moon on Christmas Eve brings magic . . . and menace

After their mother dies on Christmas Eve, eighteen-year-old Charlotte struggles to raise her younger half-brother Oliver. Then Oliver’s abusive deadbeat dad shows up with a malicious agenda to tear the siblings apart. Although Charlotte has always denied her mother’s inherited magical talent, a special holiday ornament and a mysterious handwritten poem force Charlotte to admit the truth . . . and unleash some extraordinary magical powers of her own.

Crimson Frost is available for free through the Kindle Unlimited Subscription plan or for purchase on Amazon for $2.99 US. But watch for a sale closer to Christmas (Tip: put it on your Amazon wish list and you’ll be notified when it goes on sale!)

What’s next?

The build-up to the launch of Blood Mark was a gradual process. Day by day, my calendar filled with podcast recordings, VLOG appearances, and time set aside to answer written interview questions and guest blog posts. And then release day hit and I went full throttle; my calendar was crosshatched in black as far as I could see. It wasn’t until I flipped ahead into this week and saw a day on the calendar that was blindingly white—empty of commitments—that I realized how much I’d been doing. Launch activities are far from over, but how lovely it is to see more free time in my future.

Time to write! And I’m taking advantage of those breaks in my schedule to continue Jane’s story in a second book with the working title Ghost Mark. It’s such fun to get back to the writing—the quintessential, satisfying, soul-feeding nugget that makes this writing gig worthwhile.

On the Publicity Front

Blood Mark continues to collect rave reviews:

“McLean’s writing is clear, gentle, relentless, and original.”—Ottawa Review of Books
“Blood Mark is a fast-paced suspense with a heart-pounding plot and a compelling set of characters.”—The Red Cliffs Chronicles
Blood Mark is holding a 4.8-star rating on Goodreads with 24 reviews and building.

Recent podcasts and VLOGs include:

Dennis Rimmer and I had a fascinating chat about my backstory, and the backstory to Blood Mark and on his Talking Books and Stuff podcast.
Sarah Meckler interviewed me on the GSMC Book Review Podcast. We laughed a lot, and I accidentally called her messy (oops!)
And I had tons of fun with Beth Worsdell on The Witty Writers’ Show talking all about the ins and outs of writing.
Peter Anthony Holder and I had an interesting chat on the Stuph Files (at the 28:28 mark)
And I had a light-hearted conversation with Caramel Lucas on Keeping it Real

You can read the full list of publicity events under my Media/Featured on tab.

My next live event will be on November 27 and 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Campbell River Toy and Craft Fair in the Sportsplex at 1800 S Alder Street in Campbell River, BC. Come by and say hello. I’ll have copies of all my books, including Crimson Frost. I’d be happy to inscribe books for the readers on your Christmas shopping list.

A Look Back

June 25, 2021 By JPMcLean 16 Comments

Finding this old photo of me signing my first novel reminded me how far my writing career has come.

This photo was taken at Abraxas Books on Denman Island in October 2012. I was signing copies of Secret Sky with its original cover and title. Abraxas has sold more Gift Legacy trade paperbacks than any other indie bookstore! (Thanks, Abraxas!)

Since then, there have been a few big milestones . . .

1. I’ve completed SEVEN books in the Gift Legacy, an urban fantasy series about Emelynn Taylor and a secret society of Fliers who live among us and have the gift of flight.

2. The books have received over 225 reviews like this recent one from Midwest Book Review:

“A deftly crafted, impressively original and inherently compelling read from first page to last, Secret Sky launches a new The Gift Legacy series by J. P. McLean. A fully entertaining, plot twisting novel that will leave its readers looking eagerly toward the next thrilling installment, Secret Sky is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library action/adventure, romance, and metaphysical fiction collections.”

Publication Date for Blood Mark

April 29, 2021 By JPMcLean 10 Comments

Blood Mark has a publication date: October 19, 2021!

If that seems like a long way off, I agree. But there’s still a lot of work ahead, e.g. incorporating copy and proofreading edits, finishing the back-of-the-book description, and writing the front and back-end matter. And before a cover can be finished, the interior files need to be formatted and review quotes and endorsements finalized. The good news is that all of this is in the works!

In other writing news

I’ve written a new short story called Scaredy Cat. It was my contribution to the Horror Tree. You can read it on their website.

I also finished the first draft of my Christmas story, Crimson Frost. It’s novella length, sitting at 19,000 words. The next step is to let it steep for a month before revisiting it. It will be out before Christmas.

On a personal note

I’m getting my first jab on Friday, April 30th! Yay. Can’t wait. As the last person in my social bubble to get a shot, I’ve been feeling a bit like Typhoid Mary when I’m around them.

Mickey of Creative Edge Publicity continues to keep me busy. I feel like I’ve turned a corner in terms of VLOGs and Podcasts. Repetition has done wonders to quell my nerves. You can watch my appearances and read my interviews by visiting the Media tab on my website.

What I’m reading

I recently finished Kelley Armstrong’s A Stitch in Time. I love Kelley Armstrong’s stories–even had a fangirl moment when I met her briefly at The Creative Ink Festival a few years ago. A Stitch in Time tells the story of a young woman who inherits her family’s old mansion and rediscovers a time slip through which revisits a lost love.

I haven’t quite finished reading Marie Powell’s Last of the Gifted Spirit Sight, but I’m loving it. Powell set her fantasy in 13th century Wales, when Wales and England were at war. The story is about how two siblings with supernatural abilities aid their country’s war efforts. I love all the historical details Powell infuses in her story, from clothing to food to legends.

What are you reading?

I’m always looking for a good urban fantasy or supernatural thriller.

Speaking of good urban fantasies, Secret Sky is just $2.99. Get your copy from Kindle with one click right here. And if kindle or eBooks aren’t your preference, click on the bookstore tab for other purchase options (or just click on the covers below).

Book shelf photo credit: Photo by Alexandra Fuller on Unsplash

Honourable Mention for Boone Park

September 30, 2020 By JPMcLean 14 Comments

Boone Park receives Honourable Mention

Boone Park is a short story I wrote a few years ago. I’m thrilled to announce that it recently won Honourable Mention in the fiction category from the Victoria Writers Society. It will be published in the Victoria Writers’ Magazine this December.

I wrote Boone Park on the heels of visiting elderly relatives as they lived out their final years in residential care homes. It’s a powerful story because it reflects some of our fears about aging and the institutions we’ll count on when our inevitable turn comes.

**Get Boone Park for free**

You can read Boone Park for free when you sign up for my newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. In fact, if you want to sign up, download, and unsubscribe, that’s perfectly fine. But I hope you stick around. VIP Readers get a short monthly update on what’s happening in my writing world including new-release news, insider scoop, and free short stories.

Speaking of updates, the latest news on my Christmas short-story project isn’t award-winning. Quite the opposite. I’m afraid neither of the two stories I’ve started writing will be complete this year. I guess that means two lumps of coal in my stocking.

But if you’d like to treat yourself to a decidedly not-short, not-Christmas story, Secret Sky is just a click away. Get your copy from Kindle with one click right here. And if kindle or ebooks aren’t your preference, click on the bookstore tab for other purchase options (or just click on the covers below).