Welcome to the Hive, Lucy. Let’s start with the basics: tell us about Awakening: The Commune’s Curse – why should readers check it out?

Thank you for having me! Awakening is the first in a new YA trilogy, and definitely errs on the side of dark fantasy. It is about a kingdom ruled in all but name by an authoritarian cult called the Commune. The four characters who we follow—Evelyn, Raif, Commander Sulemon and Hector—are each grappling with the Commune’s existence, either fighting for or against them. There’s a lot of characters learning who to trust, questioning what they thought they knew, and coming to terms with how easily “good” and “evil” can become blurred depending on where you’re standing. It also explores mental health issues such as trauma, anxiety and grief. If you’re looking for a character-focused fantasy story, this is for you.

Tell us a little something about your writing process – do you have a certain method? Do you find music helps? Give us a glimpse into your world!

My writing process has changed a lot since I had a baby in summer 2021. I’ve had to make a lot of adjustments and am only now starting to feel like I can get some writing done again. When I write, it’s usually on my phone during nap time which isn’t ideal but it’ll do for now. If I don’t have the baby and have the luxury of writing on my laptop, I love listening to video game and film soundtrack music (think Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Lord of the Rings, anything composed by Hans Zimmer… that kind of thing!) to get me in the “epic fantasy” mood. 

Speaking of worlds, what inspires your worldbuilding? Do you have a magic system/s? If so, can you tell us a bit about it?  

I think I’ve been taking inspiration ever since I was a kid playing video games like Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VIII through X, watching the Lord of the Rings films, reading His Dark Materials and The Song of the Lioness books. These have all undoubtedly played a role in how I create my fantasy worlds—I can see little pieces from each in my stories. 

The Commune’s Curse trilogy does have a loose magic system. It is based on ancient powers which were granted by the God Ezzarah to individuals seemingly at random as a way to create conflict and build loyalty in his followers. Those powers have spread from the Noman Islands where they first took hold, across the world and into the Kingdom of Septima where the story is focused in the first book, Awakening. The Commune (that authoritarian cult I mentioned earlier) is run by the Grand Magister, a man whose powers are maintained by taking in and “training” children born with powers in Septima. When we enter the story, the Grand Magister has been increasing his hunts to find children with powers, seemingly growing more and more desperate to strengthen his hold over the kingdom. 

In terms of how the powers present, they essentially allow for mind control and sensing other people’s emotions and thoughts. Those whose powers are weaker will need to use physical touch in order to be able to control another person’s mind or read their mind, whereas those who are stronger do not need this connection to use their powers. The strongest individuals will have a link to an animal companion—a creature who becomes telepathically linked to them and with whom they’re able to share their thoughts. There are two such companions in Awakening: a cat and a dog. And I’ve been given some interesting ideas for different animals people would like to see!!

What (or who) are your most significant fantasy/sci-fi influences? Are there any creators whom you dream of working with someday?

Most significant influences would certainly be Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and Final Fantasy X video games, Lord of the Rings films, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, The Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce, A Sword of Shadows series by J.V. Jones… amongst many, many more, I’m sure! 

Creators I would love to work with include Philip Pullman, Robin Hobb and Joe Abercrombie, because I admire the writing of all of those authors. 

We see such varying opinions from authors when it comes to the time of editing their books. How have you found the editing process? Enjoyable, stressful or satisfying?

This may be a cop out, but I’m going to say a combination of all three!! The editing process is enjoyable in the sense that the story is written so that part is done, you just need to focus on polishing what you have. It’s stressful when you find a plot hole or glaring issue you didn’t notice previously, but immensely satisfying to be able to fix that. And overall it leaves your book in a far better place, which is always good. 

We always appreciate a beautiful book cover! How involved in the process were you? Was there a particular aesthetic you hoped they’d portray?

I had an initial idea to use different main characters for each cover of the trilogy. After discussing this with the publisher, we decided that going with symbolic images would work best. So book 1 is meant to represent Evelyn, who is arguably the main character in the series because we’re in her head the most. She wears a green cloak (hence the green cover) and uses an old sword (or tries to, at least) as a weapon. The white flowers growing round the sword are very significant; they are called Veritarra’s Gift and they are a key part of the story. But you’ll have to read it to find out why!

Sounds intriguing! Can you tell us a bit more about your characters? Do you have a favourite type of character you enjoy writing?

As mentioned above, there are four character viewpoints in Awakening.

Evelyn is 18 years old and grappling with a past experience that has left her traumatised. She struggles with anxiety, drinks to repress her feelings and doesn’t trust easily. She becomes reluctant protector of two children when they appear at the tavern she calls home. 

Raif is 14 years old. He, along with his 6-year-old sister Rose, finds himself under Evelyn’s protection after his home village is attacked by Commune soldiers. He is doing all he can to protect his sister and find answers as to why their home was destroyed.

Hector is part of rebel group, Veritas, who are fighting against the Commune’s hold over Septima. He has a cat companion called Cara. He does all he can to offer Evelyn, Raif and Rose safe haven from the Commune’s soldiers.

Commander Sulemon is a soldier of the Commune, following the orders of the man he loves (and Commune agent) Lord Torrant. He relentlessly hunts down Evelyn, Raif and Rose, believing without doubt that one of them possesses incredible powers and must be brought under the Commune’s control. 

I would say my favourite type of character to write is one who isn’t so clearly categorised as good or bad—one who must fight within themselves to try and work out where they truly stand. I like to use mental health and counselling theory to consider my character backstories and to work out why they think, feel and behave as they do, and I did this for all of my characters in this series.

The world shifts, and you find yourself with an extra day on your hands during which you’re not allowed to write. How do you choose to spend the day?

I would enjoy the day with my son and husband, knowing I don’t need to feel guilty about not writing (a constant struggle). That or get a babysitter and have a nice day out with my husband so we can enjoy the cinema and dinner without needing to worry about the baby for a little while!

One of our favourite questions here on the Fantasy Hive: which fantastical creature would you ride into battle and why?

Something that flies, for sure. A dragon seems like the obvious answer as they’re big, fly and breathe fire, which could certainly come in handy. But I think I might want to be a bit more subtle. Maybe a Pegasus. That’s subtle, right? Horse with massive wings. 

Although, I’m now thinking I might like that fire breath after all. Horses are a bit too easy to kill, aren’t they?

If there was a sliding scale of mythical creature subtlety then pegasus probably would be more subtle than a dragon, but would probably still be pretty high on that scale…

Tell us about a book you love. Any hidden gems?

The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies is a brilliant fantasy book by an indie author. It has a complex world comprised of numerous fascinating races who are ruled by gods who demand tithes of their people. Well worth checking out.

I’m also currently reading Gryphon’s Heir by D.R. Ranshaw which I can already tell I’m going to rate highly. It’s a really well written epic fantasy. 

Can you tell us a little something about your current work(s) in progress? Have you any upcoming projects which you can share?

Once Awakening releases on 1st May, I’ll be turning my sights to book 2 of The Commune’s Curse series. It’s written, just in serious need of editing. Alongside that, I’ve been enjoying getting into short stories as I try to find my writing stride again after having a baby. I also have two books on the back burner: a YA fantasy set in a Victorian-era style world with a serial killer on the loose, and a joint project with good friend and fellow fantasy writer Cindy van Wilder (another fantasy story, of course). Those are a way off from being finished, but I’m excited about them both. 

Are you planning anything fun to celebrate your new release? Do you have any upcoming virtual events our readers may be interested in?

I’ll be doing an online book launch for the release on 1st May—live reading and Q&A. Check out my Twitter (@lucyamclaren) and Instagram (lucy_a_mclaren) for details of this.

I’m also going to be part of the WriteHive online convention, taking place on 10-12 June. I’ll be on the Tropes vs Cliches panel—day and time to be confirmed. Keep your eye on my website (lucyamclarenauthor.wordpress.com) for details. 

I hope to be doing many more events too (lots in the pipeline), so connect with me on social media for any future announcements. 

Finally, what is the one thing you hope readers take away from your writing?

I always struggle with this question, probably because the idea of people actually reading my book still feels surreal to me. But these characters mean the world to me, and I hope they come to feel like good friends (or enemies?!) for you as much as they do for me. 

Thank you so much for joining us today!

Thank you, it’s been a pleasure!