General

The blog has been quite quiet lately – but a whole lot of little bits have been going on. They’re not big enough to warrant individual blog posts, but I thought it might be fun to share what I’ve been doing behind the scenes.

Growing my author socials

Various people (publishers, friends, fellow authors and more) have all emphasised the importance of having a healthy following on social media. So I’ve been trying to create amusing or meaningful book-related content and grow my author social media accounts. I find this time-consuming and a bit of a maze as I don’t really know how to do that, but I can see it’s worthwhile.

Working on the work in progress

My beta-reader-turned-friend CJ is currently making her way through my work in progress. I particularly wanted CJ’s perspective as she’s a phenomenal author and her ability to pace a story and keep the reader on a simmering tenterhook is second to none. While my stories tend to get going, get in and get it over with, CJ could run a masterclass in creating and maintaining anticipation. So I really wanted her to consult with me on how I’m doing when it comes to the book I’m currently working on. This book has absolutely nothing to do with Mirrordom and is a stand-alone novel set in the future. And, yes, I’ll be trying to get it published. I have such a deep and abiding affection for this book.

Lots of reading

I’ve been accepted as one of Stag Beetle Books’ Street Team, which means I now get ARCs of their latest books and be able to review them. I’m currently halfway through my very first read for them.

I’m also reading a book I was sent by author, Sue Moorcroft. Sue and I have been chatting on and off as some of her lovely books are set near where I live. I always enjoy reading books set in Scotland as it feels familiar.

Learning about gardening

I love salad so I’ve always wanted to try and grow my own lettuce. This desire hasn’t developed further than me thinking: “I’d like to grow my own lettuce” but I have successfully kept a jasmine plant alive for over two days and some mint for over three. Not to mention the fact that I planted some sweet peas in tubs and they grew! I never saw the appeal of gardening before at all, but the idea that something grew and thrived because I had a tiny hand in it is just lovely. So I’m trying to learn this new skill.

Waiting for the print copy of Venom and Blaze to arrive

I’ve been reliably informed this should come by next week, so I will probably do an unboxing video to celebrate. Then I’ll go through it for my final proofread and sign off on any changes to be made. That will be the last review and edit I ever do for my debut novel. Once that’s done, it’s off into the world.

The day job

I am not a full-time author, so all of the above needs to be balanced around my day job. I’m lucky enough to work from home in the main, which takes away the stress of travelling, but it does mean I can’t just sit and write novels whenever the mood takes me.

What’s next?

I have three books accepted, with two due to be released this year. So, I’ll need to do editing, admin and promotion for all three of them. I also have plans for more in the series, so I need to actually get on and write them!

The work in progress has pulled me out of Mirrordom for a bit as well. I’ll need to get on with editing that, especially once CJ gets back to me as her eagle eyes will no doubt have spotted grammatical issues and typos. Then I will try and find a good home for it with a publisher. I would be really sad if this one never saw the light of day as I love the story and am very proud of it.

What are you up to this week? Tell me all about it in the comments.

My debut novel comes out this year (THIS YEAR!!!) Still, there’s a good few months to go between now and the summer, so what should you read while you’re waiting for my book to come out?

Scythe by Neal Shusterman.

10/10.

I’m still to finish this trilogy (I’m just partway into The Toll) but I can honestly say it’s been a long time since I read a book that gripped me like Scythe did. Neal Shusterman’s writing style is exceptional and his ability to create multi-faceted characters is incredible.

Katy by Jacqueline Wilson.

8/10.

Like most 90s babies, I grew up devouring Jacqueline Wilson books. I went on the run with Lola Rose, I learned about Victorians with Charlie, I felt left out like Dolphin and I wanted to be a twin like Ruby and Garnet. However, I wasn’t sure the inimitable Ms Wilson could pull off a retelling of the classic story What Katy Did Next. I was wrong.

I should point out I’ve never read the original by Susan Coolidge so there was never any risk of me making any comparisons but I will say Ms Wilson’s version is exceptional in its own right. I’ve no idea if she includes any nods to the original, but she has done a fantastic job of telling a heart-breaking story.

The book is directed at readers that are slightly younger than my target audience, but I’m confident even teenagers would enjoy this one. It did lose marks in my opinion for having quite a slow-moving opening. There is a lot of scene setting before the crux of the story begins. Fortunately, Ms Wilson’s unique writing style pulls the reader through without feeling like it drags.

Heist Society by Ally Carter.

7/10.

I’m showing my age with this one, which was published in 2011! Thirteen years ago?! But it’s one of my go-to novels when I want something slick and suspenseful. As a teenager, I loved Kat’s personality – arguably more than Cammie in Ms Carter’s other popular series, Gallagher Girls – and how her brain worked. Toss in a cast full of characters, like rich boy Hale, and you have the magic formula for keeping me entertained.

What YA books have you read recently? Maybe you’ve written one? If so, I’d love to read it and review it on the blog – so please get in touch.

Up in Scotland, we take New Year quite seriously. Traditionally, we’ll have a holiday on 2 January as well as New Year’s Day.

I’ve never really been a party person – so my main concessions to the fact that we’ve switched 2023 for 2024 were staying up until midnight, watching fireworks and having moments of self-reflection.

Plus: New Year Resolutions. I’ve always made New Year Resolutions for as long as I can remember and find it a good way of taking stock. What have I achieved? What did I fail to accomplish and why? How can I improve next year? I try to set attainable goals and measure how far I’ve come.

As well as personal resolutions, I’ve also created some book-related ones.

Last year, I didn’t manage to read as many books as I’d have liked. I use an app called StoryGraph to keep track of what I’ve read. It’s super simple to use and I’m excited to think that I’ll see one of my books on there one day!

StoryGraph also creates a fantastic Reading Wrap-Up at the end of every year. 2023 saw me read 35 books, with the first being The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell and the last being I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto.

I make no apologies for my eclectic taste!

This year, I want to smash my reading goals and enjoy a minimum of 80 books. I am a firm believer that to be a good writer, you need to be a voracious reader. As a child, I could devour hundreds of books each year.

I’ve already kicked 2024 off with two amazing books. The Dark Queen by Dana Gricken caught my eye because of its gorgeous cover. I bought the ebook and I’m loving it so far. I’ve also started the utterly captivating Scythe by Neal Shusterman. I can only aspire to such brilliance.

But my resolutions don’t end with just putting a dent in my TBR list. 2024 is also the year the first two novels in my trilogy are set to come out. That means editing them to within an inch of their lives, choosing covers, promoting, kick-starting my non-existent presence on social media and badgering local independent bookshops to stock my book. Plus more stuff I probably haven’t thought of. And, alongside all that, I need to get the third in the trilogy written. And the novel I started and haven’t finished because I got too excited to go back to Mirrordom. So, yeah. Wish me luck. I’m going to need it.

Do you have hopes and dreams for 2024? Do you make New Year Resolutions? Leave a comment below – I’d love to hear all about what you’re up to.

Hello! I’m Roz MacLaren, which, if you’re reading this, I presume you already know. Here are some more quick-fire facts.

I’m a YA author based in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. I live with a black and white cat and own far too many notebooks.

I’ve wanted to be an author since I was five. It would have been earlier, but I don’t think I knew what an author was then. The first books I remember reading were Black Beauty and the Famous Five stories (which I still read because they’re awesome).

My stories tend to be on the darker side, but I do plan on writing something mature and light-hearted when I grow up. If that ever happens.

My debut novel was accepted by a really cool publisher – something that made me so excited I gasped out loud. I’ll never forget reading the acceptance email and grinning for the rest of the day. The novel is called Venom and Blaze.

I’ll be updating this blog with a host of different topics, including book recommendations and reviews, updates on my own books, tips* for new or aspiring authors (get me. Not even had a book released yet and I’m already giving out advice!) and a smattering of personal (in case anyone is interested. I’m told people like to know the person behind the pen.) Is there anything you’d particularly like me to write about? Let me know in the comments.

*Disclaimer: all my tips will just be me saying what worked for me. There’s absolutely no guarantee they’ll work for anyone else. It was a miracle they worked for me, in my opinion.