January

I’m very excited to announce the paperback version of January is now available to buy!

If you’re like me and enjoy having a physical book in your hands, then this is great news. And I’ve just been speaking with the lovely team at Evernight Teen and my author copies are on the way – which means I’ll be able to sign and send paperback copies if you wish to order one directly through me.

This also means I’ll be taking January to the various book festivals I’ll be attending this year, including one in Edinburgh and YALC in London.

So what’s January about?

January is my first YA sci-fi novel. Here’s the blurb:

Leon knows January is trouble. She has magical hair with a mind of its own – and powerful enemies on her trail. When they track her down, Leon is caught up in her fight to survive. But January’s past is unraveling – and it’s threatening to destroy everything. Is she ready for the truth about who she really is? And can she and Leon survive the fallout?

Like all of my books, it’s dark and twisted – so check the content warnings before you shop yours.

January contains:

• Violence and death (including depictions of murder, gun use, blood, injury, threat and death of a loved one)
• Human experimentation
• Parental betrayal
• Manipulation and gaslighting
• Survival situations
• Panic and anxiety
• Confinement and captivity
• Mild language
• Medical trauma
• Animal experimentation (but no animal death or injury)

Ready to dive into a fast-paced YA sci-fi? Grab your copy now.

I’m always so pleased to see what readers think of the worlds and characters I create. It’s always interesting to see something so personal go out into the world for everyone to freely comment on. So I got a lovely surprise to read this amazing review today!

Okay, January by Roz MacLaren absolutely surprised me in the best way. I picked it up thinking I was getting a quirky fantasy with a dash of magic… and what I got was a whirlwind of mystery, danger, slow-burn connection, and the kind of chaotic magic that makes you feel like anything could happen.

From the moment January appeared on the page—with that wild, magical hair and secrets spilling out behind her—I knew she was going to stir up trouble. But it’s the kind of trouble I couldn’t get enough of. She’s stubborn, a little bit broken, and totally fascinating. There’s this haunted feel to her, like she’s trying to outrun more than just the people chasing her—and that hooked me fast.

Then there’s Leon. Oh, Leon. The reluctant hero who just wants to stay out of it but keeps getting dragged deeper. Their dynamic is so compelling—it’s not instant love or easy trust, it’s messy and earned, and I loved that. Watching him unravel her walls while being tangled in a magical mess he never asked for? Chef’s kiss.

The story has this almost surreal rhythm—like it exists half in our world and half in one that’s slipping out of control. Secrets come at you fast. The tension is thick. And when the truth about January’s identity started to crack through the surface, I felt that unraveling right along with her.

There’s something quietly emotional in how this book handles identity, trust, and survival. It’s not just about magic and bad guys (though those are very much present)—it’s about discovering who you are when the truth is dangerous.

If you like mysterious girls with powers they can’t control, morally gray protectors, and stories where you genuinely don’t know what’s coming next—I highly recommend January. I finished it feeling breathless and a little bit raw, and now I need more.

For those of you who like a physical book to read, I have some exciting news!

January is coming soon in paperback!

I’ve just spoken to my lovely publisher, Evernight Teen, who said that they’ll be working on it this week. So, hopefully, it won’t be long until the paperback version is ready to order!

January

Leon knows January is trouble. She has magical hair with a mind of its own – and powerful enemies on her trail. When they track her down, Leon is caught up in her fight to survive. But January’s past is unraveling – and it’s threatening to destroy everything. Is she ready for the truth about who she really is? And can she and Leon survive the fallout? 

The Kindle version is available to buy on Amazon now.

January is my first YA sci-fi novel, written and set in America (so you can expect American English!).

I’ll also be appearing at various book festivals throughout the year – and bringing January. More details to follow, but it would be lovely to see you there.

I’m delighted to announce that my first YA sci-fi novel, January, is coming out with Evernight Teen on 21 March!

January

Leon knows January is trouble. She has magical hair with a mind of its own – and powerful enemies on her trail. When they track her down, Leon is caught up in her fight to survive. But January’s past is catching up – and it might just destroy them both… 

January is a novel I wrote back in 2021. It was definitely inspired by the fact that my own hair just gets everywhere. I started thinking how useful it would be if my hair was semi-sentient or prehensile – and January was born!

January is a standalone contemporary sci-fi novel, perfect for fans of The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. I’m so excited to share it with you!

The cover

One thing that attracted me to Evernight Teen was their gorgeous covers – so I was very excited to see what their creative artists came up with for January. I think the subject matter is quite hard to portray (a girl with sentient hair that has all kinds of abilities) and the team did a brilliant job of capturing how I envisaged January. I often described her hair has having an almost electrical quality about it, as if every strand is a live wire, and the cover absolutely nails that.

Are you ready for January?