JP McLean

Writing Addictive Fiction

Margaret Atwood visits Denman Island

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Margaret Atwood with JP McLean on Denman Island

Margaret Atwood’s visit to Denman Island was a huge success. Not only did she lend her name to a charity fundraising cocktail party that benefited many Denman charities, but she was generous with her time and attention, chatting with many of us, and allowing her photo to be taken with anyone who asked. She's small in stature, so I scooched down for this photo.

She told me she’d visited our local bookshop, Abraxas, and had been keen to learn about what locals call Denman’s Green Cemetery, though it's official name is Denman Island Natural Burial Cemetery.

The following day, she attended two events. In the morning, she read a short story from her latest release, Old Babes in the Wood: Stories, after which she took audience questions. Her answers were thoughtful and often included humourous or poignant anecdotes from her life.

And in the evening, she and Des Kennedy—a cherished local author and seasoned interviewer—sat down to talk about her life and work. Again, she answered audience questions and often had the audience in stitches—she’s got a great sense of humour and has lived an interesting life.

Upcoming In-person Events

Comox Valley Makers' Market

On Saturday, June 22, 2024, from 10:00 am - 2:30 pm, I’ll be at the Comox Valley Makers’ Market at the Old Farm Market, 660 England Ave, Courtenay, BC (across from the courthouse). I’ll have my newest release with me, along with all my other books. Stop by and say hello.

Denman Island Saturday Market

On Saturday, June 29, 2024 (July 1st long weekend), from: 9:30-12:30 pm, I’ll be at the Denman Saturday Market at the Marcus Isbister Old School Site, 5901 Denman Road, Denman Island, BC. I’ll have all my books along and fingers crossed, it won’t rain.

Denman Island Farmers Market Logo. Drawing of fruit, eggs, & veggies in a basket

Upcoming Social Media Changes

I’ve written previously about how many hats I wear as an indie author in the publishing business. As much as I love it, it’s been a struggle to keep up. My writing and personal life are falling off the edge of my desk. So, I’m making some changes that I hope will free up a little more time for the things I love most.

Over the coming months, I’ll be transitioning this blog into a much shorter news and upcoming events post. If you wish to continue getting my author-life updates and behind-the-scenes scoop, then please sign up for my monthly VIP Reader Newsletter. I’ll never sell or trade your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Over the coming months, I’ll also be streamlining my Facebook accounts. I currently have two pages, a personal page, and a business page. The dual effort to maintain both pages, when the business page gets minimal traffic, is not a productive use of my time.

If you’ve “liked” or are “following” me on my business page, please consider “friending” me on my personal page instead. I’ll post my intent on Facebook, but most of the people who have liked or followed me there won’t likely see that post.

Until next month . . .

XO

Jo-Anne

Margaret Atwood is coming to Denman Island!

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You read that right: Margaret Atwood is coming to Denman Island! The Denman Island Readers and Writers Festival Committee has enticed Ms. Atwood to our island. She’ll be attending a fund-raising meet-and-greet event on the evening of May 31, and the following day, June 1st, she’ll give two presentations. The morning event is a talk sprinkled with readings, and the evening event is a moderated discussion with Ms. Atwood and Des Kennedy.

Audiobook Progress

The audio recording for Blood Mark is DONE! I’m now recording the second Dark Dreams book, Ghost Mark. The sneak peek recording of Blood Mark remains available here.

In-person Event Update

My next in-person event is a book signing for my newest release, Scorch Mark, on May 18th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Blue Heron Books, 1775 Comox Avenue in Comox, BC. If you’re in the neighbourhood, drop by and say hello. If you can’t make it on the 18th, drop in anytime to visit with Dirk Meckert, the owner of Blue Heron. He’s an interesting man with eclectic tastes and a love of art and old books.

Blue Heron Bookshops's logo featured a blue line drawing of a blue heron

Author Chat with Book Club Mom

I had a great chat with Barbara Vitelli. She interviewed me for her Book Club Mom Author Chat which is posted on YouTube. We talked about living on a small island, my two series, and how I arrived at this point in my writing and publishing career. Barb is a joy to speak with. She's open, curious, and supportive. I've interacted with Barb many times over the years, liking and sharing her posts, but this is the first time we've "met." I apologize ahead of viewing for my gimpy right eye. I had a bad reaction to some bug bites (the dangers of gardening!).

 

Feature in May 2024 Issue of SAM Magazine

Joanna Vander Vlugt interviewed me in connection with Scorch Mark. She asked great questions about my story inspiration, writing process, and the research I conducted. Most interesting, she asked how my life experiences intersect with my characters and their stories. The May issue also features
PJ Donison, Kate Gateley, donalee Moulton, Steven Raaymakers, Amy Tector, and Penny Astley.

What I’m Reading

You won’t be surprised to see that I’m reading Margaret Atwood. Aside from the fact that she’s coming to Denman, her writing is a lesson in storytelling craft, which is instructive to me as an author.

It’s been a few years since I read Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. The Testaments is a follow-up novel, fifteen years after the events in The Handmaid's Tale.

It's about a dystopian future where the USA is run by corrupt male religious zealots, society is strictly segregated into social classes, and women who aren’t sterile are treated as faceless breeders or servants for the upper classes. Some aspects of Atwood’s story hit a little too close to home given the news cycles of late. The Handmaid’s Tale was published in 1985, which makes me wonder if Atwood has a crystal ball on her desk (maybe I’ll have the opportunity to ask her!).

In Other News

I’ve written previously about how many hats I wear as an indie author in the publishing business. As much as I love it, it’s been a struggle to keep up. My writing and personal life are falling off the edge of my desk. So, I’m making some changes that I hope will free up a little more time for the things I love most.

Over the coming months, I’ll be transitioning this blog into a much shorter news and upcoming events post. If you wish to continue receiving my author-life updates and behind-the-scenes scoop, then please sign up for my monthly VIP Reader Newsletter. As a bonus, you'll get free and exclusive short stories. I’ll never sell or trade your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

I’ll also be streamlining my Facebook accounts. I currently have two pages, a personal page, and a business page. Facebook has throttled traffic to the business page. Probably because I’m not advertising there, but who knows. Maybe it’s an algorithm. The end result is the same. Even when I post identical content on each page, my personal page has ten times the engagement I get on the business page. The dual effort is not productive and not a good use of my time.

If you’ve “liked” or are “following” me on my business page, please consider “friending” me on my personal page instead. I’ll post my intent on Facebook. But most of the people who have liked or followed me there won’t likely see that post.

Until next time,

XO Jo-Anne

Big Island Book Fest

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sun shining through fog and fir branchesAutumn is rolling onto Denman Island in foggy waves, which is the perfect atmosphere for tomorrow’s Big Island Book Fest in Courtenay. There will be 50 local authors attending, book signings, book readings, children’s face painting, and live music.

JP Bailey (another JP!) is the main driver behind the event, and she’s done a stellar job promoting the event, including a terrific article in the Comox Valley Record and coverage in Compass Magazine.

Big Island Book Fest is tomorrow, Saturday October 14, from 10 to 4 at the Florence Filberg Centre (the one in Courtenay, not Comox). The address is 411 Anderton Ave, Courtenay, BC. There’s lots of parking outside on both levels of the building. We’ll be on the top floor.

Canadian News Ban

I ran up against the social media ban on sharing Canadian news when I tried to share the Comox Valley Record link on social media. Facebook prevented me from sharing it. It’s really too bad that issue can’t be sorted out equitably so we can get back to sharing these events.

Dark Dreams news

Scorch Mark has a wonderful new review:

Scorch Mark is glamor and grit, spliced with a magical sense of the macabre. —W.L. Hawkin, award-winning author of Lure and the Hollystone Mysteries.

If you are interested in joining my early review street team, reply to this newsletter and let me know. I’m looking for readers who can review Scorch Mark on book retailer sites and help me get the word out. Speaking of which, don’t forget, Scorch Mark is available for preorder right now from your favourite retailer.

What I’m reading

I just finished reading The First Time I Died (Garnet McGee) by Jo Macgregor. The title drew me in, and the description sealed the deal. It’s a murder mystery with a touch of the supernatural. That’s exactly the type of book I’m devouring right now. And Macgregor did a fine job of creating memorable characters and a story that made it easy to suspend disbelief. Five stars.

I’m off to pack the car for tomorrow’s Big Island Book Fest. With ten+ books now, it’s quite a load. I’ll be at booth 4 against the back wall. Stop by and say hello!

Until next time . . .

XO

 

Slow but Steady Progress

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The second book in the Blood Mark series is coming along with slow but steady progress. I discovered the outline wasn’t as strong as it needed to be, so I’m beefing it up, adding scenes, increasing the tension. A popular saying repeated in writing circles is that the writer’s job is to get the main character up a tree, and then once they are up there, throw rocks at them. At this stage, I’m throwing rocks at them.

I considered adding references to the pandemic but decided not to. Figured we’re all getting enough of that stress in our day-to-day real lives and don’t need more of it in our downtime. Besides, having the characters masked, socially distant, and staying home feels a little (a lot) boring.

Working Title

I’m still uncertain about a title. The working title is Ghost Mark, but I’m open to suggestions. If you’ve got one, jot it down in the comments below. If I use it, you’ll get credit in the book.

Amazon best selling author badgeLast month I told you about becoming a bestselling author in three Amazon categories: New Adult and College Fantasy (Books), Ghost Suspense, and Occult Horror. The novelty of calling myself a bestselling author hasn’t worn off.

Now there are two more achievements to add to Blood Mark’s success. On January 12, it was short listed for the 2021 Chanticleer Paranormal Book Awards for Supernatural Fiction. And on January 5, Blood Mark placed 3rd on Go Indie Now’s 2021 books of the year.

Hidden Enemy

Hidden Enemy Book CoverAnd if you haven’t yet, you’ve got to read the review for Hidden Enemy on Scribble’s Worth Book Reviews. I’ve read it a dozen times and it still makes me laugh. Julio Carlos’ enthusiasm is over the top. You can read more about Hidden Enemy here, where you’ll also find buy links and a downloadable PDF of the first chapter.

Successes like those keep me motivated. I can’t say it often enough: Thank you for your part in supporting my books, whether it’s recommending them to a friend, asking your local library to shelve them, or writing a review. Your support means the world to me.

What I’m Reading

On the reading front, I’ve just started Three Mages and a Margarita by Annette Marie. It was a recommendation from someone in the “Fans Of Urban Fantasy!” Facebook group.

I’m always on the hunt for books like mine, commonly referred to as comps (as in comparables) in the book world. If you’ve read a book that would fit on the bookshop shelf alongside mine, I’d love to know about it. Put the title/author in the comments below.

Until next time . . .

XO Jo-Anne

 

Throwing Stones Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash