N. A. Le Brun

Hathor Hosts – how a Goa’uld is making pandemic life easier

I know I say it every week on one platform or another, but Suanne Braun’s Hathor Hosts on Instagram live really is a bright spark in the turmoil of pandemic life right now. It’s something that I look forward to every week without fail and I honestly cannot believe we are three months in already.

This pandemic has been a trial in many ways for many people. It has brought a lot of stress and a…

11 months alcohol free tomorrow…

…and I nearly fell off the wagon tonight. For reasons I won’t go into, I chose instead to jump on the phone to my sister sobbing my eyes out, and extremely tempted to make an order for a large bottle of wine which I would have swallowed down in a heartbeat. But I had the sense of self to hold myself responsible and reach out to someone who would talk me down. I will see that year and after that…

– or learning to ask the universe and yourself for answers to those tougher questions

If you know me, you know that my approach to life is holistic. That I attack things from all corners and as my sister in Germany said to me today, I persevere. I don’t give up, and I succeed in the long run. I like to call that tenacity. But what you might not know unless you really know me is that it’s not…

There’s a sentiment amongst many disabled people right now when they see able bodied people struggle with the lockdown in place that is along the lines of, “welcome to my world.” I get it. In fact, I’ve felt it myself.

We live in a world where our self-worth is measured by our ability to earn money. And to suddenly be faced, in many situations, with a long period of being stuck at home and…

Journeys – the most important book you’ll read in 2020

Today I received a copy of a book that back in 2018 I was handed by an American friend and asked if I would consider editing it for clarity of flow, spelling, and grammar. Yes, I can see the irony in asking a Brit to check an American’s spelling, but I am fluent in both British and American English on an editing level and since this book was a passion project, and for my friend’s advocacy work, I…

Tulip from my garden (c) N. A. Le Brun 2020

It’s funny how people see you as one thing or another but they never really get the full view. There’s a person I know who saw me, rightfully so, as shy. What she didn’t realise though, is that I can be anything but when you get to know me, when it comes to looking after those I love, or campaigning for human rights. That when I’m at a sci-fi…

Am I still your buttercup? That’s the question that’s been playing through my head. I know we’re still rebuilding bridges right now and I know that that takes time. But it’s the question that’s been on my mind for a while. I know that without a doubt you are still ma chou, my witchy woman, my Chóvihánni. You never stopped being. You never will.

It isn’t a question that needs an instant answer. In…

Snack Hacks – a definite hit in this spoonie’s house

I don’t review cookbooks as a general rule. Actually, as a general rule I don’t use cookbooks. My recipes come from long Saturdays and Sundays spent in the kitchen beside my mum or my grandad, or my own culinary experiments. If I really want to try something I might look up a recipe online occasionally and then I still adapt it to fit my needs.

But there’s a cookbook that was released on June…

Am I still your buttercup? That’s the question that’s been playing through my head. I know we’re still rebuilding bridges right now and I know that that takes time. But it’s the question that’s been on my mind for a while. I know that without a doubt you are still ma chou, my witchy woman, my Chóvihánni. You never stopped being. You never will.

It isn’t a question that needs an instant answer. In…

A bientôt Lunegosse, ma cherie

I’m busily writing a whole new world right now, and it’s a scary prospect. I have to admit. I can’t quite believe that it’s happened. I’ve said goodbye to The Lunegosse Tales after 19 years with the publishing of The Final Battle. All three of her books are now out in the open. And yes I did say 19 years. She first came to me when I was almost 18. I started writing her story when I was 18 and at…

The Stolen Generation – Freddie’s abandonment issues

As a writer, every single one of my characters has a little bit of me poured into them, and none so much as the protagonists I write. With my last published novel, The Stolen Generation, I talked about the nature of being non-binary, about addiction, and brought lesbian relationships to the forefront. I also brought something else into the story that I’ve struggled with for a lot of my own life.…

Have you ever sat and listened to the ludicrous waffle spouted by the right wing in the US when it comes to transgender people using the toilets for their actual gender rather than their birth assigned sex? Have you sat and read the articles on how it puts our children at risk of assault, etc. etc. etc.? There’s nothing more ridiculous in my eyes than this debate.

As a disabled person who uses a…

Beware the healthy mommy blogger

So a friend posted that they’ve worked with Goop magazine recently. This has given me huge issues. I get that they were working with a particular friend who was featured in the magazine, but here’s the thing, Gwyneth Paltrow is a hack. Her website advocates crap like Autism Speaks without challenge. In articles such as this one: https://goop.com/wellness/health/the-autism-epidemic/

It talks about…

I’m tired

I’m tired. Perhaps that’s the hardest thing to explain. Because when I say I’m tired, I don’t mean that I’m just ‘tired’, I mean that I’m tired to my very soul.   I’m tired of being a chronic pain patient. I’m tired of being in pain all the time, I’m tired of having to explain what it’s like to be in pain all the time. I’m tired of people telling me that they don’t know how I do it or that they…