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

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

Audio Book Update & Upcoming In-person Events

November 1, 2024 By JPMcLean 2 Comments

New Retailers

I’m happy to announce that two new retailers will now be carrying my books. Sea & Summit Bookshop in Parksville and the Comox Airport Gift Shop, Compass. I encourage shopping locally and make that easy through a Shop 🍁 Local button on my bookstore page that will point you to bookshops in your neighbourhood.

(Details for all my upcoming events are available on my website.)

To learn more about me, my writing life, and my home on Denman Island, please 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.

Celebrating a New Release with a Sale!

November 9, 2023 By JPMcLean 14 Comments

My Next In-person Event

Before I mention upcoming events, I want to thank everyone who came out to the Big Island Book Fest in Courtenay. It was a terrific success. I had a great time visiting with readers and writers alike and picked up some marketing tips from the wealth of writers in attendance.

My author’s supply of Scorch Mark has arrived! So I’ll have copies available at two upcoming events:

On Saturday, November 18^th, I’ll be at the Lighthouse Christmas Market from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Lighthouse Community Centre, 240 Lions Way, Qualicum Bay, BC. My table will be in the Le’Hereux room, which is off the main hall.

On Sunday, November 19^th, I’ll be at the Union Bay Christmas Craft Fair from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Union Bay Hall, 5401 South Island Highway in Union Bay. My table will be in the main hall on the top floor.

Scorch Mark Sneak Peek

And speaking of the new release, Scorch Mark, a sneak peek is available as a pdf download. Here’s a snippet to whet your appetite…

Now that Jane Walker knew where her mother had been laid to rest, she felt drawn there. It wasn’t out of respect or duty—she’d never met her mother in the flesh—it was simply the only thing she could do as the daughter she was never allowed to be. The visceral loathing she felt for Rick Kristan, the man who’d taken her mother away from her, grew deeper as the day of his trial approached.

Heat rippled off the asphalt parking lot. It had already been a long, hot ride, and they had two hours yet to go. Jane dismounted her Honda Rebel, glad for the opportunity to stretch her legs. Ethan Bryce pulled in beside her and killed the ignition of his Fat Boy. Across a swath of summer-scorched lawn, Windermere Lake sparkled like a cool oasis. This was their last stop before the final leg to the cemetery on the outskirts of Canmore, Alberta.

She removed her helmet, shook out her dark, cropped hair, and brushed the road dust from her jeans. Ahead, just before the path to Kinsmen Beach, a tailgate party had taken root, spilling onto the lawn behind a row of pickup trucks. The tailgaters, mostly young men flaunting their abs and red Solo cups, had confiscated a collection of the park’s picnic tables. Music pounded out of speakers, and the scent of barbecue made Jane’s mouth water.

After the helmets were locked, Ethan pulled their towel rolls from one of the saddlebags. He stretched his neck and raked his fingers through his comically flattened hair. “Ready?”

Jane let a saucy smile cross her lips.

Jane let a saucy smile cross her lips. She’d happily watch Ethan Bryce’s backside all day long. “Lead the way.”

Ethan came to stand toe-to-toe with her, his light brown eyes sparkling with mischief. He leaned down and kissed her. “I love it when your mind’s in the bedroom.”

He started across the parking lot and Jane held back a moment, admiring his swagger and the broad shoulders under his leather jacket. She quickly caught up and matched his stride, looking ahead to the lake, anticipating the splash of relief from the cool water.

Her focus was on the lake, so she wasn’t paying attention to the tailgaters as she and Ethan passed. But when Ethan took her hand—an unusual gesture for him—she glanced at him, and then at the men who had stopped their partying. One by one, they nudged each other and, in turn, stared at her. Startled, Jane looked away.

“You know them?” Ethan asked.

“No.” Goosebumps skated across her arms. Jane surreptitiously checked her boots and jacket, smoothed her hair, searching for something—anything—to explain their attention. Anything other than the one thing the goosebumps foretold.

Preorder Scorch Mark from your favourite retailer here.