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!

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