Creative Profile – James McLean
Prepare yourself for a month filled with swords, sorcery, and literary delight. Local award-winning fantasy author, James McLean, is coming out with a new novel!
James is an up-and-coming author who published his first book in February of 2022, his second in February of 2023 and he will be releasing his third this April. He takes great pride in his ability to create a fantasy world that is refreshing while staying loyal to the fantasy genre. His characters bring a realistic and down-to-earth feel with every chapter and person offering something different for every reader while also avoiding many of the more cliche tropes that typically follow heroes from town to town.
On April 27th at CK Expo, James will be releasing the third book in his Fall of Valenfaar series, Dance of Ashes, where we will see the plot of his two prior novels clash spectacularly in James’ biggest novel yet.
https://www.ckexpo.ca/
After the launch, James will be promoting his books and several fantastic local businesses in a “Book Tour” through the month of May!
Fresh off the heels of CK Expo, James has begun work with Turns and Tales to bring the people of Chatham-Kent a fantasy-themed “tavern night”. On May 4th from 2 pm-4 pm, you can come out, in costume, for an afternoon of Valenfaar-inspired cuisine and drinks. There will be board games, drinks, food, a costume contest, and of course … books! The winner of the costume contest will get copies of all three Valenfaar books, signed and stamped, by James himself and a prize from Turns and Tales! You can find the cafe here:
https://turnsandtales.com/
The following week, on May 11th, also from 2 pm-4 pm James will be appearing at the Art and Heirloom Shoppe as part of their Fantasy Art Contest! The winner will be announced and they will walk away with a $100 cash prize AND a set of signed and stamped Valenfaar books! You can find the art gallery here:
https://www.artandheirloomshoppe.ca/
With 2 weeks left in May, James will be appearing at the Game Master’s Emporium (GME), on May 18th (time to be determined), to do a trivia-themed activity related to many a hobby. If you’re into Warhammer, Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic: The Gathering, D&D, Star Wars, Superheroes, or Comic Books, this book signing will be right up your alley and allow you to test your knowledge. There will be prizes, once again a full set of Valenfaar and a to-be-determined prize from the GME itself! You can find the comic book store here: https://thenewgme.com/
To round off the book launch tour, on May 25th from 2 pm-4 pm, James will be swinging into The Studio Art Gallery in Dresden to celebrate all things fantasy. Anyone will be able to draw/paint their own fantasy art (regardless of skill level) and anyone who participates will be entered into a draw to win their own set of Valenfaar books. The winner will be announced by 3:45 pm that day! You can find the art gallery here: https://thestudioartgallery.square.site/
If you are a fan of fantasy, there are many things to look forward to this spring. You can find James here:
https://www.facebook.com/authorjmclean/
