Bláithín O’ Reilly Murphy interviews Lucy A McLaren

Author to Author interview between

Bláithín O’ Reilly Murphy  [@whatbladidnext]

and Lucy A McLaren [ @lucyamclaren ]

 


  1. We’re meeting for this chat in your favourite cafe/ bar/ pub/ restaurant/ hotel lobby. Where are we and why is this your favourite? And what have you ordered for us?

 

Oooh tough choice!! I’m going to say anywhere that does tea and cake. There’s a bakery near me that does gorgeous cupcakes and brownies. I’d order a selection of their goodies because, honestly, it’s hard to pick just one, and two cups of tea!

 

  1. What name[s] do you write under? My own! Lucy A. McLaren. I felt the ‘A.’ made it a bit different (and fits in with other fantasy authors…!) I didn’t even think of using a pseudonym to be honest.

 

  1. When was the last time you wrote? Story wise, a few weeks ago. I’m working on some edits for the second book in my fantasy series, The Commune’s Curse. I’ve been working on some other bits every day though, including an article on feminism in fantasy. I used to write every day but I had a baby in July and it’s been a real challenge finding my flow again. I’m getting there though… slowly.

 

  1. What is your most recently published book or current work in progress? Who is most likely to read it?

 

My debut YA fantasy book, Awakening: The Commune’s Curse Book 1 is due for release in May 2022. It’s a multi-perspective story told from the viewpoints of Evelyn, Raif, Hector and Commander Sulemon, set in the kingdom of Septima which is ruled by an authoritarian cult. It includes ancient powers, found family, animal companions, a rebellious group and an exploration of mental health issues including anxiety and trauma. You can read more about it on my website, or there’s an excerpt available in my publisher SFWP’s latest catalog!

 

I’d say my book will appeal to fans of Leigh Bardugo, Heidi Heillig, Kat Dunn, Katy Rose Pool… other YA fantasy series, basically! But I will say it is aimed towards the older end of YA because of the nature of the themes explored.

 

  1. What is your writing Kryptonite?

 

Oh, it’s got to be new notepads. I have such a weakness for them. There’s something special about opening a new one, starting to write and seeing what ideas come out.

 

  1. What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

 

I’d say entering some writing competitions was worthwhile spending money on, especially those where I got feedback from the judges. Otherwise, a MacBook Air because before that I was writing on an iPad and the version of Word on there was temperamental, to say the least!

 

  1. As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal and why?

 

Hmm, my mascot would be an owl. I’ve always been drawn to them as mystical, wise creatures. And apparently, they represent regal silence—I like that!

 

  1. What did you [or would you do] with your first advance or payout from your first book?

 

Umm I’ll treat myself to a new notebook! A really fancy one. I might have my eye on a few…

 

  1. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have? Care to share the [working] titles with us?

 

I have a few chapters of my “serial killer fantasy”, the working title of which is The Etherstone Project, about 2/3 written with a friend of a joint YA fantasy project (which I won’t share the working title of because it’s not just mine!) and some very sparse notes of a story which is only very loosely formed but has the working title of The War Long Lost.

 

  1. Describe your perfect writing location/set-up?

 

Somewhere peaceful and scenic. Perhaps a lovely little cabin, surrounded by trees and sitting next to a lake. There’s a log fire, I have a desk by the window and a hot chocolate to drink. Perfection!

 

  1. What is your actual writing location/set-up like?

 

Haha, well, currently it involves writing on the Notes section of my phone when my son is asleep on my shoulder.

 

If my husband has our baby, I’ll have my laptop on my lap on the sofa. Not ideal—we’re in a tiny flat—but it’s what we have right now.

 

  1. How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?

 

So far, the two I’ve written took about 6-8 months each from start to completed first draft. Editing adds on… a significant chunk of time. I’ve only now finished my first book (the one releasing next May), having first “finished” it at the end of 2018. That’s the only book of mine that is polished finished so far, so hopefully that 3 year average will go down!

 

  1. How do you select the names of your characters? Would you ever let someone else, say a reader name one?

 

I probably shouldn’t admit to this, but a lot of the names I use have been family pets (mainly dogs). Others are names I’ve come across over the years (on TV shows, films or in real life) and noted down at the back of a notepad. Sometimes a character name will just pop into my head as I’m writing them. I’d be happy to let a reader name one, I think that could be fun!

 

  1. What’s your favourite underappreciated book?

 

Great question. I’m going to say The Memory of Flames series by Stephen Deas because I remember loving those books when I read them years ago and they don’t seem to have as much recognition as I believe they should have!

 

  1. Do you ever Google yourself or your books? If so, what's the most surprising thing you’ve found?

 

I have done recently since the pre-order link for my book started going live. Nothing overly surprising, really—though the amount of images of myself there are in Google images thanks to social media was a tad worrying!!

 

  1. What or who are you currently reading yourself?

 

I’m currently reading The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies and The City of Reckoning by Brianna da Silva. Both fantasy books that I’m very much enjoying!

 

  1. What other books are in your ‘to be read’ pile?

 

Soooo many!! Off the top of my head, I need to: finish the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb, read RJ Barker’s The Call of the Bone Ships, Foretold by Violet Lumani, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir… the list goes on and on.

 

  1. Where and how can we all stalk you and your great work from now on? Leave us all the links below!

 

Okay so…

-        Author website: https://lucyamclarenauthor.wordpress.com

-        Twitter: @lucyamclaren

-        Instagram: lucy_a_mclaren

-        Facebook: Lucy A McLaren Author (page)

-        Happy stalking!


                                            



Please do follow both Bláithín O’Reilly Murphy [@whatbladidnext] and Lucy McLaren [@lucyamclaren]



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