The Hollystone Mysteries Archives

First Draft of Scorch Mark

As much as I grumble about winter’s short, soggy days, the cold, damp weather keeps me indoors and focused on writing. My December thru February hibernation has been a productive one. I popped the champagne last Friday to celebrate completing the first draft of Scorch Mark, the next Dark Dreams Novel! You’ll understand the why behind the title when you read it.

A first draft always needs to steep, and then a whole lot of editing to make it suitable for public consumption, but I’ve already contacted the cover designer (JD&J), and the editor to request a place in their queues.

The Gift Legacy E-Books

In the coming weeks, I’ll be enrolling The Gift Legacy e-books into Amazon’s KDP Select program. This is great news for KDP Select subscribers because they will be able to download the books for free. But Amazon requires exclusivity while the e-books are enrolled in the program, which means I’ll be removing those e-books from all other retail sites. If you haven’t downloaded them yet from Kobo, Apple, Nook, or the other e-book retailers, you should do so now.

A New Award

I’m thrilled to announce that Ghost Mark is a Finalist in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. Ghost Mark has now received three awards, the other two being a Gold Literary Titan, and a RONE crowned heart. Seeing it do so well is a welcome boost for my confidence. If you haven’t yet read Ghost Mark, you can pick it up here from your favourite retailer.

In Other News

No one would describe me as an early adopter or as having an Einstein-like grip on technology, but I recently surprised myself! I figured out how to supplement my blog posts with audio. There “should” be a link above the title to listen to this post, but if the recording hasn’t yet materialized, you can check out a sample from my Christmas post. Let me know what you think.

Implementation of anything techy for me usually crashes and burns the moment my computer screen looks different from the step-by-step instructions. But not this time! I followed the directions for BeyondWords. The only glitch I ran into was that BeyondWords provided audio for my entire website, and not just the blog posts. This is the article by David Tvrdon that sparked my interest.

A New Endorsement for Ghost Mark

A sexy noir crime novel starring a bold, intelligent superhero who seeks justice for past transgressions in a gritty Vancouver landscape. McLean’s writing is as ingenious as her protagonist, ranging from grunge to repartee to sophistication to laugh-out-loud snarks. You won’t put it down till it’s done.

—W. L. Hawkin, author of The Hollystone Mysteries

I hope the days are getting longer in your neck of the woods. Can’t wait to get out for a walk today. Take care.

Until next time . . .

I’m humbled and honoured to share with you the sizzling hot blurbs Blood Mark has received from authors whose work I admire so much.

“Featuring a fearless, badass heroine and plot twists that will leave readers breathless, J.P. McLean’s Blood Mark is a gritty, sexy, fast-paced thrill ride from start to finish.”

—E.E. Holmes, award-winning and best-selling author of The Gateway Trilogy, The Gateway Trackers, and The Riftmagic Saga, with over 4,400 reviews for Spirit Legacy. You can find her here on Amazon.

“A deliciously addictive fever dream of a mystery with a surreal beauty akin to a David Lynch film. I loved it!”

—Jennifer Anne Gordon, author of Beautiful, Frightening, and Silent, winner of the Kindle Award for Best Horror/Suspense 2020. You can find her here on Goodreads.

“An explosive new series that combines mystery and magic into a can’t-put-down thriller.”

—Eileen Cook, award-winning author of You Owe Me a Murder and With Malice. Eileen is also a speaker, editor, and mentor. You can find her here on Amazon.

“This edgy, intelligent, psychological thriller has tantalizing touches of Inca myth and will capture your soul from beginning to end.”

—W. L. Hawkin, award-winning author of The Hollystone Mysteries. You can find her here on Amazon.

I feel very lucky to belong to this supportive community of talented writers. Please check out their books. If you enjoy my style of writing, I’m sure you’ll enjoy theirs, and you can never have enough books!

Advance Reader Team Reviews

With less than a month to go until the release of Blood Mark, the advance reader team has been busy! Their reviews are popping up on Goodreads and BookBub. I am so grateful for each one. Reviews are the lifeblood of indie writers; each one is gold—another piece of social proof that Blood Mark is worth a reader’s time. Thank you so much.

What I’m Reading

I recently read and reviewed W.L. Hawkin’s award-winning novel To Charm a Killer. The title of my review sums it how much I loved it: A deliciously sensuous dive into Wicca. This is the first in a series, so there’s lots more to enjoy from W.L. Hawkin. Highly recommended.

Publicity

Mickey Mikkelson continues to keep me busy with interviews, features, podcasts, VLOGs, and reviews. You can find links to all of my media appearances on the Featured On drop-down menu item under my Media tab, or just click here.

Blood Mark is available for pre-order from Amazon