The Never Witch Is on Sale for $2.99

October 27, 2026 By JPMcLean Leave a Comment

The Never Witch is on sale for $2.99, until midnight on Halloween. Don't miss out! Get your copy from me or from your favourite retailer today!

In her witch’s blood, a warlock’s power awakens . . . and it could destroy her.

Adeline Thorne is a witch in name only. She has no power, but she’s learned to accept it. The quiet west coast life she’s built as a gifted portrait painter is enough. It has to be.

Until a convicted warlock, in an act of desperation, dumps his magic into her. He doesn’t care that warlock magic is incompatible with her witch’s DNA. He doesn’t care that his power will tear Adeline’s world apart.

The Never Witch now has magic, an irresistible drug. The only problem? The warlock wants it back.

If you can’t get enough of Rachel Griffin, V.E. Schwab, and Alix E. Harrow, then you’ll love The Never Witch.

Murder on the Menu Anthology

A few weeks ago, I was invited to blurb Murder on the Menu, an anthology of tasty mysteries edited by Winona Kent and Joanna Vander Vlugt. Tasty because, as the title suggests, there's a food theme running through each of the short stories. The joy of an anthology such as Murder on the Menu is in the consumption: devour it in one sitting or savour each morsel over time. Murder on the Menu is a perfect sampling of what fine Canadian crime writing has to offer. The authors are Judee Fong, Debra Henry, Winona Kent, C.J. Papoutsis, and Joanna Vander Vlugt.

Supporting a Fellow Author

Gaining visibility in the ebook marketplace is a trial at the best of times, but having one of the world's biggest retailers cancel your account is devastating. Unfortunately, this happened to a friend of mine, Karen J. Mossman. She's a fine writer and a big supporter of other authors. Karen has moved her business to her author-owned online Payhip store. It's a storefront that many authors, including me, are using to give readers another purchasing option. Buying from an author's Payhip store supports authors by ensuring the biggest share of the proceeds goes to the author.

Karen writes in a variety of genres and offers free books as well, which gives readers an opportunity to sample her writing. If you're in the market for a new mystery, romance, sci-fi, or thriller, check out her Payhip store.

Upcoming Events

Lighthouse Community Christmas Market
Date: Saturday and Sunday, November 21 & 22, 2026, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Qualicum Bay, BC
Address: Lighthouse Community Centre, 240 Lions Way, Qualicum Bay, BC

Campbell River Toy & Craft Sale
Date: Saturday and Sunday, November 28 & 29, 2026, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location: Campbell River Sportsplex
Address: 1800 South Alder St, Campbell River BC V9W 7J1, Canada

A Very Merry Artisan Chistmas Market
Date: Sunday, December 6, 2026, 10:00 am - 3:30 pm
Location: Qualicum Beach Community Hall, 644 Memorial Avenue, Qualicum, BC
A fundraising event for Oceanside Hospice

My schedule, including any last-minute additions, is on my Upcoming Events page. And if you know of an event that you'd like me to attend, please let me know.

That’s all my news for this month. Until next time . . .

Jo-Anne

Hexborn Tour Dates & Family Fun

September 23, 2026 By JPMcLean 6 Comments

Hexborn Launch Events

Hexborn launch events continue into the fall, and there’s no better time to highlight a book featuring witches, warlocks, and magic, than Halloween. Following are the details for October’s launch events. If you’re in the neighbourhood(s), drop by and say hello. And if you’ve already picked up your copy, bring it along and I’ll sign it for you.

Chapters Woodgrove, Saturday, October 17, 2026, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Woodgrove Centre, 6670 Mary Ellen Drive, Nanaimo.
Coles Driftwood, Saturday, October 24, 2026, 10:30 pm – 2:00 pm, Driftwood Mall, 2751 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay.
Abraxas Bookshop and Cafe, Saturday, October 31, 2026, 12:00 am – 3:00 pm, 1071C Northwest Road, Denman Island.

Family Fun

I ended August on a high note, with a trip to McKellar, Ontario, to visit family. My childhood summers and weekends were spent there on the Manitouwabing River. This year I took a video of the river where my siblings, cousins, and I swam on hot summer days. We’d float down the river from my paternal grandparents’ place, past my aunt and uncle’s cabin to my maternal grandmother’s home, then on to my parents’ place. You can watch the video here.

And here’s a snapshot of the river from the pontoon boat.

On the Home Front

By the time you read this, the biennial Denman Island Charity Auction will be over. It’s a huge event that takes many, many volunteers to pull off. The community donates a treasure trove of items that are collected over the course of the week, and these are either auctioned off or sold in a giant garage sale. All proceeds go to local charities. It’s a lively event with an entertaining auctioneer and lots of laughs and bargains. The 2026 event was a huge success!

What I’m Writing

Though I have a few ideas swimming around in my head, I’m leaning toward starting a new project. I’m not actively writing yet, but I am outlining a story about a woman with telekinetic abilities. It’s in the early development stages, but I’ll keep you posted.

What I’m Reading

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart. A spin on a patriarchal society that represses women. Tropes include hero to villain and villain to hero, weaknesses turned to strengths, and underdogs winning. It was a quick listen, good writing, but I wouldn’t invest in a second book, if there is one–there’s enough male dominance in real life. I don’t need to supplement it.

Ink Witch by Lindsey Fairleigh. About an immortal woman who owns a tattoo parlour. When her brother goes missing, she sets out on a dangerous mission to find him. Ink Witch has over 5,000 ratings, so it has a huge audience, but it wasn’t for me. Too many coincidences for my liking.

Lucky by Marissa Stapley. About a young woman who’s been raised by her father to be a con artist/grifter, and together they swindle their way across the US. Tropes include found family and morally grey characters. I enjoyed the story and the characters. There is no magic in Lucky, except for sleight of hand, but I found myself anxious to know how they’d get out of some of their tight spots.

If you’ve found a book that you love, tell me about it. I’m always looking for new reads. And if you haven’t yet picked up Hexborn, You can find it at your favourite retailer here.

That’s all my news for this month. Until next time . . .

Jo-Anne

Witches and Warlocks and Magic, Oh My!

October 24, 2025 By JPMcLean 2 Comments

Happy Halloween

Are you stocked up for the trick or treaters? I wonder what the most popular costume will be this year? When I heard on the news that the cost of costumes has increased by a shocking amount, it got me reminiscing about the years before costumes were bought, to a time in my childhood when costumes were cobbled together.

I don’t think buying costumes was even an option when I was young. But if it were, with four of us kids in the family, I imagine forking out money for costumes would have been out of the question. But we had a secret weapon: our mom could sew. I remember a devil’s costume and an iridescent black and purple satin witch’s skirt. There was also a memorable paper horse’s head attached to a fabric costume body made for two. I seem to recall my older sister was the head and I was the horse’s behind. Haha! A classic. I’ll have to look for photos of those costumes next time I visit my folks.

This year, Halloween holds a special place for me with The Never Witch out and about in the local shops. The launch events have been hauntingly good and I’ve enjoyed meeting readers and lovers of witches and warlocks and magic, oh my!

My next in-person events are:

Saturday, October 25, 4-9 pm, Witchy Market at the Crow’s Nest Artists’ Collective, Campbell River
Saturday, November 15, 10 am – 4 pm & Sunday, November 16, 10 am – 3 pm, Lighthouse Christmas Market, Qualicum Bay
Sunday, November 23, Union Bay Christmas Craft Fair, 10 am – 3 pm

Editorial Reviews

I’m thrilled to share three BIG editorial reviews that have come in for The Never Witch:

McLean’s writing has never been more stylish and powerful—this book raises the bar on craft.

—Ottawa Review of Books

Original, unique, clever, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting and fun read from start to finish.

—Midwest Book Review

Action-packed, thrilling, and entertaining, author JP McLean’s “The Never Witch” is a must-read occult suspense and urban fantasy.

—Anthony Avina, Book Blogger and Reviewer

My interview with Peter McCully

As promised, here is a link to my interview with Peter McCully on The PULSE Community Podcast in Parksville. Peter and I had an interesting chat about my writing process and the inspiration behind my books. Peter is personable and curious, which makes for an entertaining conversation. I really enjoyed speaking with him and had the pleasure of meeting him in person at The Never Witch book launch at Fireside Books in Parksville.

Retailer News

I’m also pleased to announce that Laughing Oyster Bookshop and Coles in the Driftwood Mall in Courtenay are now carrying The Never Witch. It is also available from my website and at these independent bookshops:

Elsewhere, you can order The Never Witch by title or its ISBN number (978-1-988125-72-5) from your favourite bookshop.

And finally, I wanted to share this stunning video sunrise with you. Enjoy!

Sign up for my VIP newsletter

If you’d like to know more about me, my writing life, and my home on Denman Island, sign up for my monthly newsletter, where I share photos, updates, FREE short stories, and insider scoop. I never share your email address, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Until next time…

Jo-Anne

First Reviews for The Never Witch

August 15, 2025 By JPMcLean 3 Comments

August Highlights

August is the best of our summer months: sunny days, warm nights, vacations, and outdoor festivals. Sadly, we also have forest fires. So, though I do love August, I keep those affected by the forest fires in my thoughts.

In Canada, the first Monday in August is a civic holiday. This year, once again, I spent my long weekend at the Nautical Days Festival in Comox.

I love talking to readers and watching their eyes light up when a pitch lands perfectly. Some readers gravitate toward the Dark Dreams books, others to the Gift Legacy, and this year, I also had advance review copies of The Never Witch.

And finally, Denman’s Reader/Writer Festival

The Denman Readers and Writers Festival sold out again this year. This festival is unlike any other I’ve attended. The atmosphere is laid back, the authors are approachable, and the audiences are enthusiastic. Invited authors are billeted with families on Denman and mingle with attendees during lunches and dinners at the event’s venue. This year’s opening session was over-the-top entertaining! I dare say there is no other festival where the invited authors’ books are shown this much love! This is a video link to that very special opening session. Enjoy!