fiction Archives - Page 8 of 11

On Your Mark

November 26, 2012 By JPMcLean 2 Comments

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

October 21, 2012 By JPMcLean Leave a Comment

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)

October 19, 2012 By JPMcLean 2 Comments

Release 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.

Awakening Hits Local Press

October 10, 2012 By JPMcLean Leave a Comment

Awakening Hits Local Press. Last month I wrote a blog post about my initiation into book promotion and writing press releases. Today, I’m thrilled to report that our local Comox Valley Record picked up my press release and reported on Awakening. Best of all, they published the news of my debut release right beside an article about JK Rawlings. Nice!

You can read Awakening Hits Local Press online here.

Following is a summary of the article:

Traditional publishing houses maintain their vigil at the door, but the windows are wide open.

Comox Valley author J.P. McLean is set to fly in through one of those windows when her debut novel, The Gift: Awakening, is released by Friesen Press later this month.

Just as there are listeners who want indie music and filmgoers dedicated to indie movies, so too are there readers seeking books that are published independently and online.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of this movement,” says McLean. “Some readers will continue to seek out the books that have been vetted by traditional publishers, but I like the fact that there’s a choice out there.”

Growing interest in indie books and e-books is providing that choice.

“It was never my intention to become part of the Fifty Shades of Grey print-on-demand or self-publishing phenomenon, but if it’s good enough for E.L. James and recently J.K. Rowling, it’s good enough for me.”

Authors today have a myriad of new publishing avenues open to them.

“The rules have changed,” says McLean. “I’d have been foolish not to investigate my options.”

The Gift: Awakening, the first in a trilogy of novels, is an urban fantasy thriller set in coastal British Columbia. McLean calls the book “a getaway vehicle.”

“Everyone needs an escape,” she says. “I wanted to write a story that transported readers to a place so familiar they would not only believe the impossible, but they might even believe themselves to be entangled in it.”

Thank you Comox Valley Record! I’m thrilled that Awakening has hit the local press