Blog

  • A little about me

    It’s been a while since I did a post discussing my writing inspirations and plans. I wrote this out for an author interview that fell through–why waste it? Here’s some more about me, for anyone intrigued to know. Intro I’m Lucy A. McLaren, a dark fantasy author and professional counsellor. When I’m not writing or

    Read more →

  • Phenomenology: The Individual Perspective I want to start this post by introducing (or perhaps reintroducing) you to the concept of phenomenology. Aside from being a word I have to say phonetically every time I type it, phenomenology is the philosophical “study of structures of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view” (Stanford Encyclopaedia,

    Read more →

  • As a fantasy author and counsellor, I love exploring books within the genre which explore topics I am passionate about. One of those topics is feminism: the seeking of equality for all. This got me thinking about the favourite fantasy books I have read which include an exploration of feminist themes within their characters and

    Read more →

  • I’ve previously written a similar post to this for fellow author Zoe Walker’s website, but I decided to give it a bit of a rewrite in light of… well, the last 18 months. That previous post was focused on writers and the specific anxieties and self-doubts they may face. I will still focus on those

    Read more →

  • Just a quick post today to share the exciting news that I’ve done my first spoken interview with my dear friend and fellow author, Cindy Van Wilder. Want to find out what adjective I’d use to describe myself or about my journey to finding a publisher as a debut writer? Then today’s your lucky day!

    Read more →

  • As 2020 draws to a (scarily rapid) close, I’m looking back on the books I’ve enjoyed this year. It’s actually been the first year I’ve kept track of what I’ve been reading (no idea why I didn’t do this before… I’d love to be able to recall everything I’ve ever read). I’m not the fastest

    Read more →

  • I’ve recently been playing a video game called Kingdom Come: Deliverance. This is a role-playing adventure which prides itself on creating a “realistic” portrayal of life as a medieval peasant. And, to be honest, it’s bloody hard! (Read: I’m not very good at it). At the same time, it’s an enjoyable game and one that

    Read more →

  • If I could spend one day more with you, I know in my heart just what we’d do. We’d start with some tea—a pot for two, I’d pour it out, a whole cup for you. I’d bake you a cake, chocolate with cream, You’d lick the bowl ‘til it’s sparkling clean. Then it’s time for

    Read more →

  • I’ve been reading fantasy books for about twenty years. Though I will venture off to other genres (horror, thriller, even sometimes a good romance), I will always be drawn back to the magical lure of the fantasy section in my local (read: any) bookshop (much to my husband’s chagrin). There is something incomparable about being

    Read more →

  • I’ve been playing video games for as long as I can remember. The earliest were floppy disks (showing my age) on our family PC – games such as Doom or Duke Nukem that I was undoubtedly too young to appreciate (and terrible at). Luckily, my skill has improved with age (I don’t die *quite* as

    Read more →