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 . . .
Congratulations on all your successes, Jo-Anne. I think you’re right that the bad weather can be a great reason to write. I’m looking out the window today and all I see is rain!
Thanks, Barb. Soon enough, the warm weather will be here and I’ll be struggling to keep my butt in the chair. It’s always nice to have you stop by. Have a great weekend.
That’s fantastic!
I suppose, next chapters will come along.
It’s still cold in Ontario, colder than in January.
Spring should arrive soon, though.
All the best!
Thanks, Inese. I can’t wait for spring! Thanks for stopping by. Cheers.
Great post JP. And congratulations on getting the first draft done of Scorch Mark. Must remember to buy champagne when I finish the first draft of my next writing project. Congratulations also on being selected as finalist for Wishing Shelf Book Awards. Yay!
And thanks for the info re: Beyond Words. How interesting! Not sure if I can figure it out, but I’ll try. 🙂
Thanks, Diana. I’ve taken Crystal Hunt’s advice to heart and always have a bottle chilled, even if it’s just one of those mini bottles. Celebrate every step forward. As for Beyond Words, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.
Congratulations, JP. That’s a lot of work in a relatively short time. It doesn’t feel that long ago since your second book in the series was released.
It feels short to me as well, but it’s still a long ways from done. Thanks for dropping by.
You are unbelievable – your imagination is next to none – and your energy is enviable! Oh yes, to be so much younger again!
I very much enjoyed meeting you again after several years at the Library Book Fair!
Hugs without bugs,
Giselle
Thanks, Giselle. It was fun to catch up with you and Trevor as well. I hope there’s another Library event next year. XO
Feels good to have it behind me. I might get the house cleaned now.
it looks like you’ve been busy! A good use of the winter months.