Interview with thriller author JP McLean

Thriller author JP McLean is chatting with me about her new supernatural thriller, Scorch Mark, A Dark Dreams Novel, #3.

book cover for scorch mark

JP was here in March 2021 to talk about her urban fantasy novel Secret Sky.

Bio:
JP (Jo-Anne) McLean is a bestselling author of urban fantasy and supernatural thrillers. She is a B.R.A.G. medallion honoree and has three gold Literary Titan awards. She is an Eric Hoffer and Global Book Award winner and was also a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, the Chanticleer International Book Awards, and the Independent Author Network Awards. Reviewers call her books addictive, smart and fun.

JP holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, is a certified scuba diver, an avid gardener, and a voracious reader. She had a successful career in Human Resources before turning her attention to writing.

Raised in Toronto, Ontario, JP now lives with her husband on Denman Island, which is nestled between the coast of British Columbia and Vancouver Island. 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.

Welcome back to Reviews and Interviews, JP. Please tell us about your newest release.
Scorch Mark was released on November 14. It’s the third in the Dark Dreams novels and continues the story of Jane Walker, a woman who was born with prominent blood-red birthmarks that snake around her body. Jane also suffers debilitating nightmares wherein she dreams of the past. In this new installment, Jane is enjoying a reprieve from the dreams and on a road trip with her partner Ethan, when a group of tailgaters she doesn’t know seem to recognize her. Their recognition can only mean that they’ve seen her in a dream she has yet to experience. While she slips away to await the dream and learn how she’s connected to the group of strangers, her BFF’s boyfriend, who is a cop, starts digging into Jane’s history. He stumbles across inexplicable deaths in her past and the cop in him sends him searching for more. And when his current investigation into illegal firearms crosses paths with Jane, she must convince him of the supernatural forces at play before he gets himself killed and causes the deaths of his entire law enforcement team.

What inspired you to write this book?
After writing the first two books, I got to thinking about what might happen if the tables were turned and corrupt individuals had the protection of the marks instead of good-hearted souls like Jane. It’s a take on the classic good vs evil, which is always fun to write.

You can check out an excerpt from Scorch Mark (download it as a PDF):
https://jpmcleanauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SM-Sneak-Peek-for-website.pdf

What’s the next writing project?
I’m researching and making notes on a new book I’d like to write that centres on witches and magic. Lots of magic.

What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book? (or the biggest challenge with this book)
The biggest challenge with all the books in the Dark Dreams series has been weaving the three separate point-of-view narratives into one cohesive storyline. The narratives have to cross at just the right point in time. It’s a lot like solving a three-dimensional puzzle.

If your novels require research – please talk about the process. Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?
If the research is non-essential to the writing, like the correct spelling of something, I’ll asterisk it and look it up when it’s convenient.

But if the scene I’m writing depends on the research, like the choreography of a fight scene in a particular setting, for example, then I’ll look it up right away. This is so that I don’t have to go back and rewrite afterwards when I know the layout. I like to use genuine locations in my books, and readers have come to expect that, so I make sure I’m describing and moving the characters through the actual setting.

And if the research is critical to the story, like the law courts scenes in Scorch Mark, where I needed to research not only the physical setting, but the legal issues, I will write around those details until I can do the research. I had the very good fortune when writing these books to have the ear of a retired Crown council prosecutor. Not only did she work in the Supreme Court building where the courtroom scenes were set, but I was able to tour the building and sit in on several trials, including a murder, a sexual assault, a fraud, and a few others. It was fascinating.

What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.
I’m at my most creative first thing in the morning, before I go online. I write on a laptop with my lap desk and prefer quiet, or instrumental music, classic or otherwise. A chair with good back support is essential. When I’m at home, I like to perch somewhere with the ocean in view. Doors open in the summer, and fire crackling in the winter.

What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?
Within the genre, I love Deborah Harkness (All Souls Trilogy), Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse), Ann Charles (Deadwood). Outside the genre, I love reading thrillers. Terry Hayes (I am Pilgram), Lee Child (Jack Reacher), and James Patterson (Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club).

Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?
Thank you for having me back! If your readers want to brighten their favourite author’s day, they can leave a short review of their favourite book on Goodreads, Bookbub, or at the retailer of their choice. Reviews help other readers find the books.

Links:
Website | Buy Page | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

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