Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My author name is JP McLean. The “J” is for Jo-Anne, which I quickly realized was going to be a problem for internet search engines because of the pesky hyphen and the numerous ways Jo-Anne can be spelled. So, I adopted JP.
I write novels and short stories and all of them have a supernatural or paranormal twist to them, and a thriller or mystery vibe. Secret Sky is the first book I wrote, and the first in the Gift Legacy series, which is complete at seven books.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Secret Sky was inspired by a recurring dream I’ve had since childhood. In the dream, I can fly. I used to feel foolish saying that, but I’ve come to learn that most people readily relate to flying dreams. The Gift Legacy books are about a secret society of people who can fly, and the soviet-style Tribunal who are judge, jury, and executioner for their kind.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t write at a desk, never have. For some reason, I don’t feel creative when I sit at a desk – feels too much like work. I’ve written all of my books on a laptop in my lap. When I’m writing creatively, I tend to sit in a bright spot in my dining room that overlooks the ocean. When I’m doing the business end of writing, I sit in the living room.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Diana Gabaldon was an early influence, as were Charlaine Harris and Deborah Harkness. Neil Gaiman’s character descriptions are a huge inspiration, and I also find writing gold in books by Kelley Armstrong, JR Ward, Lee Child, KJ Howe, Jim Butcher, among others.
What are you working on now?
My next book is Blood Mark. It’s the first in a brand new series that will be out in the fall of 2021. In Blood Mark, a young woman who bears disfiguring birthmarks is thrilled when, one-by-one, they begin to disappear—until she learns that her marks protect her from becoming a killer’s next victim.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth is still the best method of promoting books. This is why book reviews continue to be so important to authors. Reviews are the social proof that your work is worth a reader’s time. Genre-specific blog reviewers are also good places to promote books because those bloggers have an audience who are tuned in to the genre.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write in a genre that you love because you’ll be spending a long time with the manuscript. If you don’t love it, it’ll come through in your writing, and you’ll probably lose interest in the project before it’s done.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write something every day. It keeps your head in the game. I don’t always follow that advice because life gets in the way, but I do write something most days.
What are you reading now?
A new-to-me author, MJ Arlidge’s All Fall Down.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Blood Mark is the first book in a new series. It comes out in October of 2021. In Blood Mark, a young woman who bears disfiguring birthmarks is thrilled when, one-by-one, they begin to disappear—until she learns that her marks protect her from becoming a killer’s next victim.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
John Wyndham’s The Crysalids (the first paranormal book I ever read), Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander (because it’s one of the few books I’ve read twice), Terry Hayes’ I am Pilgram because I loved the action, and Douglas Adams’ A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy because I’d like to have something I haven’t yet read.
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