JP McLean Archives - Page 3 of 20

Farewell February

February 23, 2020 By JPMcLean 12 Comments

Farewell February

Have you noticed the days getting longer? I sure have. It’s almost 6:00 in the evening and still sunny outside. The logjam of short winter days is breaking up! And now that the snowdrops and crocuses are up and showing off, it feels like spring isn’t far away.

A change of season is just what I need to get the cobwebs out of my head. It’s been a long, wet winter and I haven’t kept up with newsletters or this blog.

Learning the Advertising Ropes

Instead, I’ve been spending my time figuring out Amazon advertising. It’s been a tough slog. I started tinkering with it last June, but didn’t really dig in until November. In December, the ads started getting traction. In January, sales were up. But February is the only month to date where my spend on ads hasn’t exceeded my earnings.

And the month’s not over. I could still end up in the red for February.

On the writing front, the new book is back from the first batch of beta readers. Their input, as always, helps improve the story. I’m continually surprised at what their fresh eyes pick up that I’ve missed. I’m still months away from a final draft, but it’s coming along nicely.

Whistler Getaway

Two weeks ago, we made a trip to Whistler. The last time I was there was when Secret Sky won honourable mention at the Whistler Independent Book Awards.

This time we were dog-sitting. Our sweet rent-a-dog was Babe, a nine-month-old poodle. She’s a bundle of energy and still has the puppy clumsiness that I find adorable. She also kept us active, walking at least six kilometres each day. Babe did a stellar job of tiring us out so we’d sleep through the night.

How about you? Any plans for getting a vacation in before summer is here?

If you’re looking for a $2.99 mini-vacation, download Secret Sky and enjoy an escape to Emelynn’s beach. Get your copy from Kindle with one click right here. And if kindle or ebooks aren’t your preference, click on the bookstore tab for other purchase options, or just click on the covers below.

Crocus photo by Arseny Togulev on Unsplash

Christmas Greetings from Denman Island

December 24, 2019 By JPMcLean 10 Comments

Christmas Greetings from Denman Island

December 24^th is my favourite day of the holidays. For me, it’s the calm before the storm. The day when I concede that if it (insert: baking/decorating/shopping) hasn’t gotten done, it’s not going to.

Time to grab a nog, hunker down by the hearth, and relax.

As 2019 winds down, I’m reminded how very fortunate I am. Fortunate to have a loving family. Fortunate to have friends to share a glass of wine and a laugh with. Fortunate to have a warm home and food in the cupboards. All this, and more I wish for you this holiday season and always.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, winter solstice, Kwanzaa, New Years and everything else you celebrate!

Thank you for being a part of my good fortune. I’m grateful for your continued support, enthusiasm and the small kindnesses that make my days brighter. Christmas Greetings from my home to yours.

Cheers,

Jo-Anne

You can get Secret Sky for your stocking from your favourite retailer right here.

MERRY Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

I Remember

November 10, 2019 By JPMcLean 7 Comments

In grade school in the days leading up to Remembrance Day, I remember taking home a small envelope, no bigger than the poppy tucked inside.

Parents replaced the poppy with a small donation for our veterans. They would send us back to school with a coin or a bill, something that said I remember.

The poppies then were much like today except the centre was made of felt. I remember assembling the poppy in class, threading the green centre and bright red flower onto a bent pin.

November 11

Every November 11th Remembrance Day, the students and teachers stood in silence at the appointed hour. I remember crying for men and women I didn’t know, but who looked very much like my grandparents.

As a young woman, I remember shopping in a large department store on November 11. At eleven o’clock, the overhead speakers went silent, and all around me people stopped and bowed their heads.

On this November 11^th, I will again remember our veterans’ and their family’s sacrifices when I observe a moment of silence at eleven a.m.

Lest We Forget

Helping us all remember are two inspirational Canadians whose work shines a spotlight on our nation’s veterans.

In 2016, Elinor Florence published the stories of twenty-eight World War Two veterans. Many of the men and women she interviewed for My Favourite Veterans had never before told their story. In 2017 a veteran’s memorial banner project she spearheaded came to fruition. For the next few years in streets and towns in the Columbia Valley, banners honouring individual veterans will be unfurled and on display for October and November.

In 2018, filmmaker Eric Brunt, inspired by his grandfather, began a cross-Canada trip to capture the stories of World War Two veterans before they and their stories are lost to us. Brunt’s collection of stories is a documentary in the making called Last Ones Standing. You can read about his efforts in two CBC reports, one in 2018 and another earlier this month.

Thank you for honouring those who died in service to this country.

Addicted

April 11, 2019 By JPMcLean 17 Comments

Addicted

A wise person once said that if you want to make a difficult change in your life, like losing weight or quitting smoking, the best path to success is to tell someone. The idea is that by saying it out loud not only do you reaffirm your commitment to the change, but the people you tell will shame you into it hold you to it.

That advice is crap.

After I released the final book in The Gift Legacy, I told anyone who’d listen some friends I was making a big change: I was giving up half my treasured writing time to learn how to market the books.

Half because there’s a lot to learn and I’m afraid I won’t figure it out; tech isn’t my strong suit; the books aren’t going to market themselves; time is ticking to take advantage of the new releases, etc. I’ve put it off far too long and writing a book is only half the job. The other half is marketing it.

My plan was to spend the first half of my writing time—when I’m fresh and at my most creative—writing my next book. At the halfway point, I’d shut it down, take a break, eat, get outdoors, maybe get some exercise. When I returned for the second half of my writing time, I’d dig into the Ads for Authors online course I’m taking to learn the ins and outs of advertising, followed soon after with actual advertising.

How’s that big change going you ask?

Not so well.

Not only are my friends not naggers (and far too nice), but when the halfway mark arrives, more times than not, I have zero discipline to take a break, let alone move on to marketing. Case in point: at seven o’clock last night, I was still in my PJs (and that wasn’t the first time).

I’m addicted to writing . . . there, I’ve said it.

Writing is my crack. Words are the endorphins that flood my brain with happy juice and fire my imagination. Words are the gateway drug to sentences and paragraphs and then, egads! . . . scenes. Each scene I commit to digital bytes sends out tendrils of endorphins to the next scene and on it goes.

Why can’t marketing feel like that?

There are those who’ll tell you it should and it can, but that’s a lie I’m not there yet.

Truth be known, I have tried out a few new marketing ideas. The March cross-promotion was exciting, and I had a lot of fun as a sponsor with the Creative Ink Festival, but I’ve got to hunker down and make more progress with the online course.

On the plus side, the new book broke 43K, which is about halfway, and is still going strong.

Here’s my new plan: rather than try to quit writing at the halfway point, I’m going to concentrate on marketing one day and then reward myself with writing the next day. Let’s see how that works. If you have any helpful suggestions, I’d love to hear them. Just leave a comment or contact me via the social media buttons. Wish me luck.

Secret Sky is the book that started the addiction. Get your copy of Secret Sky from Kindle with one click right here. And if ebooks aren’t your preference, click on the bookstore tab for other purchase options, or just click on the covers below.

Chocolate photo: Charisse Kenion on Unsplash
Coffee mug photo: Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash