JP McLean

Writing Addictive Fiction

Happy Hot Toddies!

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JP McLean with her dog, Molly, sitting on the hearth of a blazing fireplace
JP McLean and Miss Molly

Happy hot toddies. Another Christmas Eve has arrived. The tree is up, the wreath is hung, and the shopping is done. December 24th is my favourite day of the holidays. For me, it’s the calm before the storm; a quiet day to enjoy with a warm toddy, a soft dog and fluffy blanket in front of the fire.

And as the seasonal gatherings roll on, and we exchange holiday cheer with our friends and family, I’m reminded how very fortunate I am, and for that, I am grateful.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your encouragement, laughter and support over this past year.

From our home to yours, here’s wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas, and a healthy and happy 2016, and many hot toddies.

If you’re looking for a book to enjoy during the calm before the storm, you can gift yourself Secret sky with one click right here. And if ebooks or Amazon aren’t your preference, other purchasing options are available under the Bookstore tab.

Revelation’s New Cover

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Revelation Book CoverThe house is a mess, laundry is piled up, the Christmas wreath is still not hung, but Revelation has a new cover! Viona Halim’s artwork remains front and centre. The new title font for all of The Gift Legacy books is Cinzel.

WindStorm Press reports that Revelation with its new cover will be back in print and e-book on Christmas Eve! (Maybe even sooner?)

(*Update: Revelation is now Hidden Enemy)

A forbidden book. A dangerous secret. A life in the balance.

In the wake of a bullet and a broken heart, Emelynn Taylor learns the true portent of a gift she can barely control. Her discovery of a forbidden book unlocks explosive secrets that connect her to a past she never imagined.

Now someone is threatening to expose those secrets, and an unknown assailant is hunting her. With everyone hiding something, whom can she trust? Emelynn is thrust into the eye of a storm as two powerful factions clash: one ancient, one evil. And both of them want a piece of her.

Knowing that not even her gift of flight will save her, Emelynn forms an uneasy partnership with a dangerous man she must learn to trust—and then she must risk her gift and her future to protect her friends’ lives.

The second book in The Gift Legacy series, Hidden Enemy is a thriller that skirts the edges of reality in a world within our own. Climb aboard and escape the ordinary: take flight with Emelynn Taylor.

Get your copy of Hidden Enemy with one click right here. And if ebooks or Amazon aren’t your preference, other options are available under the Bookstore tab.

Paying the Couch Surfing Piper

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View of storm from inside Denman Island houseThe sideways rain is here again. The wind paints the windows in a revolving display of fir needles, leaves and arbutus bark. Miss Molly and I both prefer the comfort of the couch in weather like this. And that means one of us will be paying the couch surfing piper.

The windy rain is just my latest excuse for sitting on my derrière. Writing is my regular excuse. When I’ve been inactive for too long, my back protests, which happened a few months ago. It prompted me to re-ignite my cardio routine at the gym. I try to keep it to twenty minutes a day so it doesn’t become a chore. It works like a charm and keeps my back ache at bay.

A New Workout Routine

Then, a couple of days ago, a friend suggested I join her for a different kind of workout. I figured a change in routine would be good. She likes Jillian Michaels’ twenty-minute workouts, which fits my “not a chore” criteria. There are four workout levels on this CD. We chose the first level—the one for beginners. I felt pretty good going in with my twenty-minute cardio down pat.

JP's dog, Molly, wearing red Christmas antlers
Miss Molly

Ha! Jillian stomped on my sad cardio prep (and I think she was smiling sadistically). I didn’t make it through the measly twenty minutes without rest stops, plural. I tripped over my own feet, lost my balance and couldn’t hold the plank position for more than a few seconds. Afterward, muscles I only pretended to use before that, let me know the truth. Foolish me, I went back for another run at it the next day and before I crawled into bed, my hamstrings, stomach and derriere each made their protests known.

On day three, I had to go shopping off island. Thank god. Laughing hurt, sitting down hurt, getting up was worse, even walking hurt. I had a number of stops to make, and getting in and out of the car hurt. The most memorable stop was Home Depot. I was looking for an oddball piece of hardware and saw something promising on a bottom shelf. Bending down to look was tenuous, squatting proved impossible. I ended up on all fours, and the promising item didn’t even pan out. I had to pull myself up on the shelving, which hurt because I was laughing.

Today is day four and I’m going back for more. I will get through that damn routine if it kills me. You hear that Jillian!

You know what’s not a workout and doesn’t hurt a bit? The Gift Legacy books. Start with Secret Sky. Get it with one click right here. And if ebooks or Amazon aren’t your preference, other options are available under the Bookstore tab.

The Gift: Awakening has a new cover

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Awakening’s new cover is here! We’ve not strayed far from Viona Halim’s gorgeous design, just a little tweak here and there.

Awakening Book Cover(Update: Awakening is now titled Secret Sky.)

Everybody wishes they could fly—until it happens. When Emelynn Taylor wakes up in the emergency room, her injuries present Dr. Avery Coulter with more questions than answers. Who is this guarded young woman? Why was she found in the middle of Sunset Park? How can she have injuries consistent with falling from above the tree line? Seemingly from nowhere? And, more importantly: Why is she lying about it?

The truth is stranger than anyone could have imagined – least of all Emelynn herself.

Nine Years earlier . . .

Nine years earlier, during the same summer she’d lost her father, 12-year-old Emelynn accepted a ‘gift’ from a mysterious woman called Jolene. Now, as she recovers in Dr. Coulter’s emergency room, she’s left wondering if that blessing was really more of a curse. Jolene’s gift planted the seeds of incredible power within Emelynn – but what’s the point of such abilities if you can’t control them? Her emerging gift of flight, for example, nearly killed Emelynn when it sent her plummeting to the sidewalk in Sunset Park. Next time, she might not be so lucky.

But Emelynn is determined to master her abilities, and returns to the seaside cottage where Jolene had once granted her this ‘gift.’ There, Dr. Coulter guides Emelynn in uncovering a secret society of others just like her, who inhabit a mysterious world-within-a-world that challenges everything Emelynn thought she’d known. But the more she uncovers, the murkier the truth becomes. Soon, Emelynn is left questioning the motives of those she’d trusted the most – and is forced to rely on her barely mastered powers in a desperate fight for survival.

Secret Sky is the first book in the thrilling, otherworldly The Gift Legacy series by JP McLean. Seamlessly blending paranormal mystery, fantasy, and romance, this beautifully written and deeply resonant adventure will swoop you into a vivid, new reality and leave your imagination soaring.

Awakening Book CoverFor those who prefer the older design (see below), which is no longer in print, I do have a limited number of first edition copies available. While supplies last, I’m happy to sign and personally inscribe a book, and ship it. Please contact me here for details.

You can pick up a copy of Awakening, now titled Secret Sky, with one click right here. And if ebooks or Amazon aren’t your preference, other options are available under the Bookstore Tab.