Roz Maclaren

Teen Fiction with a Dark Twist

Roz MacLaren

Is there life after YALC?

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Mentally, I’m still at YALC. Physically, I’m at home working through edits of my upcoming YA sci-fi novel.

It’s hard to believe YALC 2025 was TWO WEEKS AGO. All is not lost, though, as I’m already planning for next year’s convention. And juggling lots of other exciting projects. Here’s what’s going on at the moment.

Join my Street Team

YALC 2025 was officially the day my Street Team was born! Street Team members receive exclusive first looks at the character art and cover reveals. They might get the chance to input on character names. And they’ll definitely be first in line for ARCs and the latest news.

If you dare to join us, you’re more than welcome.

JOIN MY STREET TEAM!

Stuff your Kindle

I’m participating in my very first Stuff Your Kindle event (kicking off today!). Typically, these events involve free or discounted books available to download to your Kindle as part of a team effort. So I’ve included Venom and Blaze.

The event runs from 28-30 November and you can check it out below.

STUFF YOUR KINDLE

The Boy With Wings For Hands

I’m currently editing The Boy With Wings For Hands, my upcoming YA sci-fi novel. It’s due out with Evernight Teen (release date yet to be announced). If you want to be first to see the cover reveal and get access to ARCs, click on the link above to join my Street Team.

I’m working with an amazing editor at Jesterbell Editing, who really goes above and beyond to make my work shine.

Seventeen-year-old Sparrow has never known freedom. An alien from the planet Mykzon, she’s caged and forced to perform in Obsidian’s Travelling Show of Rarities and Fascinations.

That is, until Felix crashes into her world. He’s human, reckless and has wings where his hands should be. And when Felix’s arrival attracts powerful enemies, Sparrow’s world is thrown into chaos.

As Sparrow is drawn into a rebellion she never asked for, she must choose between staying hidden or risking everything to fight back.

Because Obsidian doesn’t just want the spotlight.

She wants the world.

The Mirrordom Legends on sale

My first three books in my Mirrordom series are all on sale. The Amazon Kindle versions are either free (Venom and Blaze) or heavily discounted (Fable and Legend, City and Shadow). Grab them while you can!

YALC 2025 – Day One!

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It’s been an incredible first day at YALC!

From kicking off the day with a 6:30am start, I quickly set up camp in the Inspiring Indies zone and arranged my stall.

Inspiring Indies’ POV

This year, I had four books to sell – and I was shocked and thrilled to sell out of Venom and Blaze before the afternoon was over! Fable and Legend, City and Shadow and January are all still available at the Inspiring Indies zone – so if you’re at YALC tomorrow, come and grab one. I should be floating around in the general area to sign one for you.

My lovely friend and fellow author, Marie Voinson

I was thrilled to share my slot with Marie Voinson, author of Us Against The Likes. Marie is just the loveliest person and her story about sisterhood and finding your place in the world is simply beautiful.

The Inspiring Indies zone

It really felt like being reunited with family. Some of the original Inspiring Indies from last year came back for more – including Kiera Nixon, Sara Sultane and John Tarrow. We were joined by lovely new faces, like Luke O’Connor, S. J. Clarke, Emma Whitehall, Alex Darkfell and Kestral Gaian.

My slot ended at 1pm, and then it was immediately over to the panel to discuss Breaking The Rules – The Rise Of The Indie YA Rebel. The room was packed (which was lovely but did nothing to assuage my deep discomfort at speaking in public!) and the answers from my fellow authors were fabulous. I learned so much just from listening to them. The intelligent questions from the audience were deeply insightful and made us think too – so it was one of the most rewarding panels I’ve been part of.

I also met the amazing team behind UKYA spotlight. Their non-profit organisation does so much to publicise UK YA authors and it was great to put faces to the names. I also learned it’s surprisingly hard to sign a T-shirt with a Sharpie…

Do it all again tomorrow

Sunday Panel – Indie Author Life

Join us for Indie Author Life: What They Don’t Tell You About Going Solo.

It’s on from 4-5pm.

Come and see me and:

  • Kiera Nixon
  • SJ Clarke
  • John Tarrow

From 1:30 until 6pm, you’ll get the chance to meet John Tarrow (who is also participating in a workshop at 1pm), S. J. Clarke and Kestral Gaian.

The authors taking over the bookseller stand will be:

  • John Tarrow 11-12
  • Kerry Williams 12-1
  • Becky Jones 1-2

I’ll also be floating around in the general vicinity of the Inspiring Indies zone – as well as circulating around the other amazing stands I didn’t get the chance to see on the first day. You’ll probably see me – I do an excellent impression of a human disco ball.

Are you coming tomorrow? Let me know in the comments!

Less than a week until YALC!

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The Young Adult Literature Convention is FOUR DAYS AWAY! I’ll be joining several other indie authors in our very own stand. This means you can:

  • come and get your books signed and personalised
  • participate in exciting giveaways
  • snag epic merch
  • meet indie authors in person and chat all things books

Tickets, please…

It’s not too late to grab your ticket for YALC.

I found getting tickets a little confusing, so here’s a few instructions which you can scroll past if you’re more tech savvy than I am!

  • Click the link below. Don’t worry about the fact that it seems to take you to the London Comic Con website and not YALC (this threw me off at first!)
  • Click ‘Get Tickets’.
  • Scroll down the list of options until you get to YALC. You can choose to buy a Saturday ticket, a Sunday ticket or weekend entry (you need to scroll slightly further down to see this).
  • Your YALC ticket will also gain you access to the London Comic Con, so it’s well worth doing. Also, David Tennant will be there. You can buy a ticket for a photoshoot with him.
Get your tickets

Inspiring Indies zone

The Inspiring Indies zone is in the bottom left corner – so come and see us!

Here’s what you can expect:

Author appearances

Saturday morning

From 9am until 1pm on Saturday morning, I’ll have my own dedicated stand. This is the best time to come and chat to me, get your books signed, participate in my extra-special giveaways, snag some free merch and your exclusive opportunity to join my Street Team.

I’ll be accompanied by my lovely author friend, Marie Voinson. Marie is the author of Us Against The Likes, a gorgeous novel about the bond between sisters. Joining us will be fellow indie author, S. J. Clarke.

You’ll also get the chance to see some of the indie authors taking over the bookseller stand. Come and meet:

  • Kiera Nixon 11-12
  • Emma Whitehall 1-2

Saturday afternoon

The authors on the stand are Luke O’Connell, S. J. Clarke and Kestral Gain.

On the bookseller stand will be:

  • Alex Darkfell 2-3
  • Sara Sultane 3-4

Sunday morning

The authors appearing on the stand will be S. J. Clarke, Daniella Draven and Emma Whitehall. Catch up with them from 9am until 1pm.

John Tarrow will be on the bookseller stand.

Sunday afternoon

From 1:30 until 6pm, you’ll get the chance to meet John Tarrow (who is also participating in a workshop at 1pm), S. J. Clarke and Kestral Gaian.

The authors taking over the bookseller stand will be:

  • John Tarrow 11-12
  • Kerry Williams 12-1
  • Becky Jones 1-2

The Inspiring Indie panels

Helen Lewis, Director of Literally PR, is going to chair two awesome panels. I’ll be participating in both of them, so here’s when you can come and see us. This is a very special chance to hear from real life indie authors about their experiences. I see this as a lovely chance to encourage aspiring authors to think about the direction they want to go in; not just for their books but for their careers.

Saturday Panel – Breaking The Rules

Join us for Breaking The Rules – The Rise Of The Indie YA Rebel.

It’s on from 1-2pm.

I’ll be joined by the following authors, including two familiar faces you might recognise from last year’s YALC:

  • Kiera Nixon
  • Kestral Gaian
  • Luke O’Connell
  • Sara Sultane

Sunday Panel – Indie Author Life

Join us for Indie Author Life: What They Don’t Tell You About Going Solo.

It’s on from 4-5pm.

Come and see me and:

  • Kiera Nixon
  • SJ Clarke
  • John Tarrow

Roz MacLaren at YALC

I’ve got plans. Big ones.

I’ll be running a couple of fun competitions and giveaways.

You’ll also have an exclusive chance to join my Street Team and win yourself a phenomenal prize.

This is the perfect chance to shop all four of my books and get them signed and personalised.

Plus, you’ll be able to snag exclusive merch, including very special, limited-edition postcards with this gorgeous portrait of City and Shadow.

Will you be joining us at YALC? What are you most excited to see? Let me know in the comments.

Character art: Fable and Legend

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Fable and Cobalt – two of the main characters in my novel, Fable and Legend – finally had their character art commissioned.

Created by the very talented Anna, I wanted a very simple drawing of Fable and Cobalt. They’re both two of my favourite characters from the series and it’s lovely to see them brought to life.

Read the book

“The beast is out of the cage. And she thirsts for vengeance.”

In the world of Mirrordom, secrets lurk like shadows. For every child that’s born is entirely Good, unable to kill, steal or lie. But immediately after it appears a Mirror twin, capable of only bad things.

Fable, a Mirror girl with a twisted past, dares the impossible—to find her Good twin. Along the way, she meets Cobalt, a mind-reader with secrets of his own. As alliances shift and betrayal beckons, can Fable protect Cobalt from someone who wants to kill him? Or will the darkness consume them both?

READ FABLE AND LEGEND

Deal announcements

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I am delighted to announce that the final two books in The Mirrordom Legends series have been accepted for publication.

Flame and Phoenix will be coming out in Summer 2026.

Quiver and Arrow will follow in Winter 2026.

I am so grateful to Fire and Ice YA for allowing me to tell all these stories and for helping me bring my fantasy world to life. I hope you enjoy reading the books as much as I enjoyed writing them.

September wrap-up

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Well, I think it’s fair to say I’ve been fairly hopeless at writing these monthly wrap-ups. The idea was to post one at the end of every month, but I can see the last time I actually did that was in April!

However, lots has been happening behind the scenes so here’s the September wrap-up (and an optimistic but vague ambition to keep them coming more frequently!)

The Mirrordom Legends

The final books

I submitted the last two novels in The Mirrordom Legends series to my publishers at Fire and Ice YA. If they are accepted, the series will finally be complete and I have no plans to write any further about the world of Mirrordom – although you never know! The next two books are entitled Flame and Phoenix and Quiver and Arrow – and take the series down an even darker path. I’ll announce any further updates on the blog.

City and Shadow

City and Shadow made it to the Bookstagram Awards finals in the Fantasy Of The Year category! While it didn’t win, I was just thrilled it was nominated and want to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for it. Of all the Mirrordom books, I am proudest of this one and I’m so glad quite a few people have enjoyed reading it.

City and Shadow also went on tour with Love Book Tours this month. It was so interesting to hear readers’ opinions. Some of my favourite comments are:

This was a great read, I think it was a really interesting and enjoyable story. I thought the writing style was great and there were some fab plot twists, and I wasn’t expecting that ending.

The overall premise of the book is brilliant and really pulls you right in. I really enjoyed this book.

This book had me in actual tears!! it was dramatic and poetic and deeply satisfying!

I absolutely loved the idea of people in this world being born as a twin, with one being born inherently “good” and not able to lie, kill, steal etc, and their Mirror twin being born immediately afterwards and being “only capable of doing bad things” and where all Mirrors are removed from their families after birth, and sent to live on a remote island. It was such a unique and intriguing concept, so I was instantly hooked right from the start, and it did not disappoint!

I loved how the author created characters which are morally grey, and throughout their self exploration we get to see them challenge the restraints of their ‘black and white world’.

SHOP CITY AND SHADOW

A Wild Run anthology

A Wild Run

I was delighted to contribute a short story to this glorious anthology. My standalone fantasy story is called The Girl With The Heart Of Glass and you can read more about what inspired it here.

A Wild Run is a gorgeous anthology, showcasing the full range of human creativity in a world increasingly complacent about AI. The concept came from author, Melanie Mar, who gave us all one single prompt.

SHOP A WILD RUN

New deal announcement

In September, I also signed another contract with Evernight Teen for my YA standalone sci-fi novel, The Boy With Wings For Hands. The book will be out no later than September 2026 and I can’t wait to share it with you. In the meantime, here’s the blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Sparrow has never known freedom. An alien from the planet Mykzon, she’s caged and forced to perform in Obsidian’s Travelling Show of Rarities and Fascinations.

That is, until Felix crashes into her world. He’s human, reckless and has wings where his hands should be. And when Felix’s arrival attracts powerful enemies, Sparrow’s world is thrown into chaos.

As Sparrow is drawn into a rebellion she never asked for, she must choose between staying hidden or risking everything to fight back.

Because Obsidian doesn’t just want the spotlight.

She wants the world.

Evernight Teen also published my first YA sci-fi novel, January. Why not give it a read while you’re waiting for The Boy With Wings For Hands?

SHOP JANUARY

What have you been up to this month? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Deal announcement

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I’m delighted to announce that my sci-fi YA novel, Funeral For A Robot, has been accepted by my publishers at Fire and Ice YA.

Funeral For A Robot is due out in Spring 2026 and I can’t wait for you all to enter the year 3034 and meet Serena, Kristopher, Silver and Scorpio.

Here’s the blurb:

London, in the year 3034.

Seventeen-year-old Serena has just enrolled at a prestigious academy, staffed entirely by robots. When the headteacher is found destroyed, Serena crosses paths with Kristopher, the troubled son of a detective. Can she and Kristopher find out who would destroy a robot – before Serena becomes the prime suspect?

A Wild Run – out now!

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A Wild Run is out now! It’s currently in the Top 100 Fantasy Anthologies on Amazon Kindle.

The multi-genre anthology was organised by Melanie Mar and brought together fifteen incredible authors in a defiant mission to prove that AI will never replace human creativity.

GET YOURS!

All stories were inspired by one prompt: your MC is running through the woods – why? Every author produced a completely different twist on this theme.

My short story for the anthology is called The Girl With The Heart Of Glass – a fantasy story about a girl who realises being broken can make her stronger than ever before.

All proceeds from the anthology go to charity.

The reviews are coming in thick and fast:

Every story in this anthology is a treasure and it was amazing to see how the authors each made the prompt their own. Thank you for the ARC!

I’ve never read an anthology before. I love how the authors have come together to write their own stories based on the same setting – the woods.
Each story showcased the author’s individuality while keeping in harmony with the theme. Some had a dash of romance, others focused on thriller elements, and some did not have a happy ending. Surprisingly, I loved those dark ones with the emotional heaviness the most (I’m not sure what that says about me LOL)

An amazing mix of genres. There’s truly something for everyone!

So what are you waiting for? Hop onto Amazon and grab your copy. (Be sure to check the trigger warnings before diving into each story. As usual, my story is quite dark and there are elements that could cause distress.)