JP McLean

Writing Addictive Fiction

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Home for Christmas

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Mundane chores are dumping all over my home-for-Christmas holiday spirit. Roaming dust bunnies, dead Halloween plants, overflowing compost bins, and so many more small jobs need attending to. But they’re in stiff competition for my time. I’ve also got to promote my first book, nudge the second book along to publication, and complete the third all-important final installment in the trilogy.

Christmas ElvesYikes.  I could use an elf or three.

I’m surrounded by far more meaningfully employed and less time-challenged friends. They’re chuffed with delight at the sight of their finely decorated trees and homes.  These friends have already dispatched their Christmas gifts to faraway places.  Their Christmas baking is neatly packed in pretty tins. Their turkeys are already on ice.  Receiving their perky Christmas cards makes me want to throw up my hands in defeat.

I’m insanely envious.

This will be the third Christmas since I embarked on the project that has become the all-consuming Gift Trilogy.  In 2010 it was still a fresh endeavour and I busted my butt to make the holidays happen without a glitch.  2011 saw the new, and decidedly not improved me, beg off of all but fireplace mantel decorations and a plug-in pre-decorated tree.

This year I’ll endeavour to find a better balance. 

I’ve laid out the gifts that need to be mailed and found boxes that fit (I’ll post them this week).  I’ll schedule a day late in the week to clean the house then decorate al la Martha.  I’ll groom the dogs and write out the Christmas dinner shopping list.  But Christmas cards won’t happen and neither will Christmas baking. Molly-maid will do a drive-by, not the usual dust the ceiling fan-type of job. Those compromises are the path to sanity for me this Christmas.

Eventually the dust bunnies will be corralled, the compost will give up its gold, and Christmas will happen with all the tinsel and turkey trimmings.  But the new me includes writing, so somewhere along the way a twitter or blog post will roll out. The second book’s cover art or a catchy tag line will be born, and the third book will continue its journey to completion.

So, here’s to enjoying the holidays with friends and family, good food, some nog and a laugh or two while keeping the mundane to a dull roar.  I’ll still write – it seems to be a part of me now – but I’ll also decorate and cook and wrap and drink to the good health and happiness of all my better-organized friends.

Cheers!

Photo by erin mckenna on Unsplash

On Your Mark

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On your mark. Get set. Read . . . or Wait?

Someone told me the other day that they never read the first book in a trilogy until after the final book was published.  When I asked why, she said she didn’t want to invest her time in a story that might leave her hanging. Would you read book one of an unfinished trilogy?

It wasn’t the first time I’d heard that sentiment. I’m often asked if my books are standalones or if they leave the reader on a cliff.

Cliff-hangers

I feel confident the answer is no. The first book contains a complete story arc. In fact, I finished the book before I entertained the idea that I could carry on with the characters.

There are unanswered questions at the end of the books, but the unanswered questions aren’t cliff-hangers.

My intention is to leave enough room for readers to draw some of their own conclusions.  After all, it’s a fantasy: I want to leave the reader wondering, maybe hoping, that this parallel world exists all around them.  It’s a more believable scenario if some questions remain unanswered, just like in our own lives.

Mark Your Calendar

Whether or not you’re one of those readers holding off until I finish writing the trilogy, I’m happy to tell you that the second book, Revelation is complete. The release date is late spring 2013. I’ve already outlined the third book, Redemption, and I’m more than halfway through writing it.  I’m aiming for a fall 2013 release date.

So, hold off if you must, but mark it on your calendar—because unless I’m hit by the proverbial bus, (touch wood!) the trilogy will cross the finish line in less than a year.

Update: The trilogy is now complete at seven books. Read about it here. Purchase it here.

Book Signing Success

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This is Abraxas Books in beautiful downtown Denman Island.  Yesterday, Saturday, October 20, 2012, Juan Barker hosted my first book signing for Awakening. Luckily, it was a crisp, dry day and the sun cooperated, peeking out between clouds for the duration.

My gratitude and thanks go out to the incredibly supportive community here on Denman Island and the best friends an author could possibly have.

Comox Valley Record

Thanks to Juan’s advertising efforts, the Comox Valley Record that picked up the book signing’s press release, and the sunshine – the turnout exceeded expectations … by a landslide.  The book signing was a huge success.

Sold Out

Within fifteen minutes, Abraxas’ stock of the book was seriously compromised.  I dashed to my car and grabbed the small supply I had put there in a rather optimistic “just in case” moment the previous night.  But within the hour, we had run out AGAIN and I had to call home for reinforcements.

W O W!

Sold out – twice in one day.  I like the way that sounds!  Thanks again to everyone who dropped by to say hello and show your support.  It warms my heart.

(If you prefer ebooks, you can pick up a copy from your favourite retailer here.)

Please Release Me (Let Me Go)

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Awakening book coverRelease Date for Awakening. What made me think publishing a book meant I’d have a release date?  Maybe it’s all the release date announcements I’ve seen for other people’s books.  And music. And movies.  Even cell phones have release dates.

A release date is supposed to be part of the fun:  a “Ta Da!” moment.  Adults don’t get enough of those, and I’d been looking forward to Awakening‘s release date moment. But, as you can probably guess, my Ta Da! moment fizzled like a damp sparkler.

I’m still learning the publishing ropes, so not having a firm release date came as a surprise. The indie model is very different from the traditional route. I’ve partnered with FriesenPress, so I have even less control. Regardless of where you are in indieland, a release date is not so much a set date as it is a process that rolls out in dribs and drabs.

Coming Soon

For me, it started when I returned my final proof to the publisher.  FriesenPress worked their formatting magic, and a few weeks later, the book moved to the “coming soon” shelf. It wasn’t quite a Ta Da! moment, more like a “yippee” but it was right up there – felt a bit like graduation.

With my business hat on, I figured I should take advantage of the book’s “coming soon” status to raise awareness. I knew I had some time – I’d been told it could take two weeks for the book to hit the “available” shelf.  So, I got busy, sent out a newsletter, posted on my blog, and Facebook. Splashed the “coming soon” status around wherever I could.

Two days later the book was published.

That I learned about it after the fact, and that it happened without ceremony, is not quite what I had imagined for my big “Ta Da!” moment.

Regardless, published is good (yippee!). It was time to make my big announcement, right? Not so fast. The book is available, but only from the publisher at this point.

The publisher now hands it over to their distributor. Once the distributor has it, they make it available to retailers. Ta Da! Not quite. Retailers need anywhere from one day to three months to upload the details to their websites and make it available for sale.

As the process unfurled, the book slowly leaked out.  Amazon’s American site picked up the book in all three formats right away (yippee).  Within days I had sales on Kindle in the US.  It didn’t take long for Barnes and Noble to offer the hardcover and trade paperback on their website (yippee), but it’s not yet available for their Nook.  The Canadian Amazon site now carries it and friends have reported successfully ordering it at independent retailers (yippee x 2).  Both iTunes and Kobo have listed it (yippee, yippee) and I’m anxiously waiting for Chapters to pick it up (pending yippee).

So, I may not have had my big Ta Da! Release Date moment, but I’ve had a number of smaller yippee moments along the way.  As I said, it’s been a learning experience and I’m learning to really appreciate the yippees.

Yippee!

Update: The release date for Awakening has long passed. and the Gift Legacy is now widely available. You can find it here.