Denman Island is the place I call home. It’s one of the northern Canadian Gulf islands nestled between mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island. We are ferry dependent with a population of 1100 and known for our breathtaking scenery and artistic communities. At just fifty square kilometres, you can drive around the entire island in forty-five minutes.
My Denman writing perch overlooks the ocean. Songbirds flit around the deck, pecking at bugs and seeds. Unending flocks of brant geese fly by, skimming the water. Eagles ride drafts outside my window, wings stretched, seemingly hanging mid-air.
It’s an idyllic place to write. Quiet. Rural. A beach is never far away.
But as much as I adore it, small island living isn’t for everyone. Some people feel isolated or claustrophobic here. Gossip travels at the speed of light. Cellphone coverage is spotty, as is access to the internet. And if you get on the bad side of a resident—well, you’d best apologize or agree to disagree because it’s going to be difficult to avoid them.
And the ferry breaks down from time to time, leaving islanders stranded or waiting in hours-long lineups. Tourists arrive by the legions in the summer months and create their own lineups, but their dollars also add to the local business’s bottom-lines, so we welcome them.
For me, the positive aspects of living on a small island outweigh the negative. In harvest season, everyone finds a zucchini or a bag of apples on their porch. The community comes together whenever one of us is in need, whether because of a flood or a fire, sickness, or a death in the family. We are a diverse community that supports and celebrates our differences. Book signings, concerts, and art exhibits are well attended.
Denman Island is the place I call home. It’s where I write and without it, my books would be mere shadows of themselves.
My latest supernatural thriller is Blood Mark, which was released on October 19th, 2021. It’s got endorsements from heavy hitters, E.E. Holmes, Jennifer Ann Gordon, and Eileen Cook, and has won the Gold Literary Titan Award and is long listed for the Chanticleer paranormal award.
What if your lifelong curse is the only thing keeping you alive? Jane Walker survives the back alleys of Vancouver, marked by a chain of blood-red birthmarks that snake around her body. During her tortured nights, she is gripped by agonizing nightmares when she sees into the past. It isn’t until, one-by-one, the marks begin to disappear that she learns the deadly truth: She’s being stalked by a killer, and her marks are the only things keeping her alive.
Buy here book here:
Amazon: https://mybook.to/BloodMarkKindle
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ebook/blood-mark-1
Others: https://books2read.com/u/3nELOB
Website: https://jpmcleanauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JPMcLeanBooks
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jpmclean
