Speculation, Fact and Fiction

There's a part of me that gets wistful when the school holidays end and the lads disappear back to school. Even though we didn't go away as such, it was a good break including Eastercon for me and Junior Son and then a couple of family days out - to Waddesdon Manor and to HMS Belfast.

But my reaction is mostly, phew, I can get back to work undisturbed. Okay I did some things over the last coupla weeks. Actually, quite a few things. Including updates to my website where I've added a section specifically for The Lescari Revolution.

That includes a few things some other writers have had to say about Irons in the Fire. I find one of the most toe-curlingly excruciating things about this writing business is soliciting publicity quotes. On the other hand, praise from the praiseworthy is one of the most completely gratifying things. As in:

Dan Abnett
Gaunt's Ghosts, Eisenhorn, The Horus Heresy (WH40K); 2000AD, Marvel and DC (comics); Doctor Who, Primeval and Torchwood (books)
"Magically convincing and convincingly magical, this book delivers the kind of engrossing read you only get when a writer of Juliet's calibre is in effortless and enviable control of the world she's creating."

Kate Elliott (hereabouts, kateelliott)
Crossroads Trilogy; Crown of Stars series
"If you're not reading Juliet McKenna, you should be. The things I love about her work:
it's sharp, well observed, well written, pays attention to the right
kind of detail to ground the world-building, and offers a comprehensive
understanding of class, politics, war, and human nature. Plus:
sorcery, mercenaries, and the little people rising up against their
oppressors. I mean, really, what more could you want?"

Paul Cornell
Doctor Who (TV/books); Primeval (TV); Captain Britain and MI-13 (Marvel Comics)
"Juliet McKenna is an excellent modern fantasy writer. Irons in the Fire shows her at her best, combining politics, sudden, violent action, and a concern for the domestic, for ordinary people. What's best about it is that it's fundamentally about clever people, trying to do their best, in swift-changing circumstances. Precise, thorough, heartfelt and restrained, and thus very British.

All of which makes me even more eager to get on with writing the third book while the second is away at the copy-editors!