Book interview - Awakening, the first book in The Commune’s Curse trilogy by Lucy A McLaren

Please tell us a little about the book

My debut YA Fantasy book is Awakening, the first book in The Commune’s Curse trilogy. 

The Kingdom of Septima is ruled in all but name by the Commune, a ruthless cult that seeks control of an ancient power that has taken root in unsuspecting children in Septima. 

To maintain their hold on the kingdom, the Commune will stop at nothing to capture children who show signs of this power, to be weaponised or eliminated. 18-year-old Evelyn Folksman is in hiding. Taken in by a tavern-owner, she is haunted by the horrific events that drove her from her home years before. Evelyn is forced to face her past when two wayward children, Raif and Rose Huntsman, arrive at the tavern, pursued by Commune soldiers. The children fall under Evelyn’s reluctant care as the trio narrowly escape a raid. 

Relentlessly hunted by Commander Jonah Sulemon and Commune agent Lord Eirik Torrant, Evelyn and Raif cannot fathom why they pose such a threat to the Commune, until six-year-old Rose unwittingly reveals a terrible secret: she possesses powers more fearsome than any the Commune has unearthed in decades. There are only two options: to be captured and imprisoned, or to run for the rest of their lives.

Where did the inspiration come from for your book?

I started writing the book when I was creating the backstory for my D&D fighter, Evelyn. She was someone with a troubled past and, as I began thinking about it more, I found myself drawn into this whole new world. I merged that with an old short story about siblings Raif and Rose, and things really started taking shape. 

I’d also say I’ve been very much inspired by my favourite fantasy stories over the years, including His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce, The Sword of Shadows series by J.V. Jones, Final Fantasy games, The Legend of Zelda games… the list goes on!

How did you find the experience of writing this book?

It was really enjoyable, actually. It was my first attempt at a full length novel and I was determined to get it finished. NaNoWriMo 2018 was when I completed the first draft. I’m not much of a planner, but the story flowed pretty easily from start to finish. It’s been through ample edits since then, of course, and is much more polished from when I first wrote it. 

I learnt a lot from beta readers and critique partners. I found people I could really trust who gave me great, honest feedback—some of which I took on board and some of which I ignored. That was probably one of the most challenging parts of writing Awakening, learning when to trust my gut and stick to my story and when to take on critiques that would help improve the story.

Did you draw any inspiration from any real life people with any of your characters?

Absolutely! No one specific is based on any one person; it’s more taking elements of people I know alongside applying counselling theories which provide explanations for why people are how they are based on early experiences. Ultimately, I wanted to make my characters as realistic as possible and I think you have to borrow from real life to do that.

If you could say anything to readers of this  book then what would it be?

Good question! I would say I hope you love reading about these characters as much as I enjoyed writing about them. 

Are there plans for more from these characters, or is it a stand alone piece?

Oh yes, there are two more books to see them through to the end of their adventure. Lots more to get through for Evelyn, Raif, Hector and Commander Sulemon! 

Where can we purchase your book?

You can buy my book anywhere that sells books. Here’s the bookshop.org links, and you can find more links on my author website.

Pre-order on Bookshop.org (U.K.)

Pre-order on Bookshop.org (U.S.)

Please tell us where readers can connect with you and find out about any new book releases too.

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

Twitter - @lucyamclaren

Instagram - lucy_a_mclaren

Facebook - Lucy A. McLaren Author Page

Please do connect, I love meeting fellow fantasy authors and readers!