Author JP McLean is in the hot seat today to share a bit about her new urban fantasy, Secret Sky.
Bio:
JP (Jo-Anne) McLean is best known for her urban fantasy series, The Gift Legacy. Her work has received honourable mentions from the Whistler Independent Book Awards and the Victoria Writers’ Society.
Her writing borrows from the thriller, paranormal mystery, and romance genres, and includes endorsements from Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize winner, Jennifer Manuel, and Canadian bestselling author, Elinor Florence, among others.
JP is a graduate of the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business and makes her home on the coast of British Columbia. She writes best when she’s within sight and sound of water, even if it’s just a fountain, and hopes never to stop reading, writing or imagining the impossible. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her cooking dishes that look nothing like the recipe photos or arguing with weeds in the garden.
Please tell us about your current release.
Secret Sky is an urban fantasy about a young woman named Emelynn Taylor, who develops an unnatural ability to snap free of gravity. Unfortunately, she can’t control when gravity snaps or when it decides to return. As a result, she suffers painful falls, most of them from the ceiling of her mother’s condo, but when the episodes begin to happen outdoors, Emelynn realizes she’s in big trouble. She knows it’s not natural, and if someone discovers her, she’ll probably be locked up and studied.
Desperate for a solution, Emelynn returns to her family’s abandoned seaside cottage, where she is determined to learn to control her condition or die trying. Her resolve is tested after a brush with death when she falls from the sky. The fall puts her in the hospital and it’s there that she finally catches a break. The ER doctor who treats her recognizes the second lens in her eyes that marks her as one of them, a Flier. He places her in the care of others like her who teach her how to control her gift, which turns out is the ability to fly.
But as wondrous as flying is, it’s not all sweetness and light and this secret society of Fliers hide a troublesome truth; they are hunted for their gift, Fliers have gone missing, and Emelynn has a target on her back.
What inspired you to write this book?
I’d been immersed in the urban fantasy genre for months and particularly liked the books that were set in the here and now. Deborah Harkness’s All Souls Trilogy, JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, Charlaine Harris’s True Blood series (I could go on). For me, those books are pure escapism, and that’s what I wanted to create – a little vacation from the daily grind.
Excerpt from Secret Sky:
(Chapter One)
“Can you tell me your name?”
“Emelynn.” I closed my eyes to dampen the cresting wave of nausea.
“She’s nonresponsive.”
No, I’m not. I forced my eyes open. The man’s face was a blur. “My name’s Emelynn,” I repeated but, oddly, I couldn’t hear my voice.
“Did you find any ID?”
Nearby, a siren wailed. Had it rained? The damp air smelled of worms and wet earth. I lost the fight with my eyelids.
“No, and no sign of her shoes or transportation either. Are you ready to move her?”
“Yes, she’s immobilized and secure. On three . . .”
The world tilted at a dangerous angle. Flashing lights throbbed, breaching my shrouded eyes.
“Female, early twenties, BP’s ninety-eight over fifty . . .” The man’s voice trailed off as I melted into the pleasant reprieve of a quiet darkness.
I liked the soft, fuzzy quality of the darkness. I felt comfortable there, but loud voices and harsh lights dragged me back and dumped me into a boisterous room. The clatter hurt my ears. I desperately wanted to shush these people, but that would be rude. A hazy face pressed in, but my eyes wouldn’t focus. The man behind the face flicked a sharp light in my eye. So . . . inconsiderate.
“Can you tell me what day it is?” he asked, as if I were an idiot.
It’s . . . hmm . . . What day was it? And why couldn’t I move? An overwhelming desire to curl up and go back to sleep tugged at me. The man finally let me close my eyes. I pulled against whatever held me in its grip, but I didn’t have the strength to fight it.
“Let’s get a CT scan, spine and head, stat, and run a panel in case we have to go in.”
Even though my eyes were closed, the room was too bright—and noisy. A cacophony of electronic beeps, bells and sharp voices assaulted my ears. I wanted to ask everyone to leave me alone, but my voice wouldn’t come. They jostled me and I dipped into that blissful darkness again—the one that pushed away all the noise.
The darkness soothed me until the man with the snap-on gloves interrupted the calm again, his sharp light piercing my eye like a knitting needle. “Can you tell me in what city you live?”
Did he think I didn’t know? I almost said Toronto, but that wasn’t right, was it? Didn’t I just move to Summerset . . . or was that a dream? Why was I so confused? God, my head hurt.
(The entire first chapter is available free from this download link.)
What exciting story are you working on next?
I’ve just finished writing a new book called Blood Mark. It’s the story of a young woman who bears a chain of scarlet birthmarks. The birthmarks are disfiguring, so she’s thrilled when, one by one, the marks begin to disappear—until she learns that the hated marks protect her from a mysterious and homicidal enemy. Now, she’s in a race against time to find this dangerous enemy before her last mark vanishes.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I suppose it was when I held Secret Sky in my hands. Until then, it was just a project I was working on, a lofty goal.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I’m very lucky to be able to write full time. My most creative hours are first thing in the morning, so I like to block out the mornings for writing. After lunch, I try to get some exercise and then I tackle marketing, promotion, and social media. And though that is my ideal schedule, I’m often pulled in other directions (odd how everyone else isn’t on my schedule). When I run into a creative roadblock, I find working in the garden or the kitchen usually shakes an idea free.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I’d say that where I write has developed into a quirk. I’ve turned a corner of the dining room into a comfortable writing nook. When I’m in that space, I’m at my most creative. When I’m perched in the living room or seated in the back office, I’m firmly in marketing, promotion, or social media mode. I don’t know how this divide came to be, but it works like a charm.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A princess. Imagine my surprise when I learned that option wasn’t going to happen?
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
If you have a favourite author, reach out and tell them, tell your friends, share their work. You’ll make their day. I know it makes mine every time I hear from a reader.
Links:
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Thanks for joining me today, JP.
Terrific questions! Thanks for the interview, Lisa. Cheers.