Author Archives: Victoria Janssen

About Victoria Janssen

Victoria Janssen [she, her] currently writes cozy space opera for Kalikoi. The novella series A Place of Refuge begins with Finding Refuge: Telepathic warrior Talia Avi, genius engineer Miki Boudreaux, and augmented soldier Faigin Balfour fought the fascist Federated Colonies for ten years, following the charismatic dissenter Jon Churchill. Then Jon disappeared, Talia was thought dead, and Miki and Faigin struggled to take Jon’s place and stay alive. When the FC is unexpectedly upended, Talia is reunited with her friends and they are given sanctuary on the enigmatic planet Refuge. The trio of former guerillas strive to recover from lifetimes of trauma, build new lives on a planet with endless horizons, and forge tender new connections with each other.

#TBR Challenge – Do the Hustle: The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Victoria Janssen

Content warning: this book has past harm to a dog (but it did not die). The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson would today be considered Middle Grade, I think. It’s set in 1908 Austria. Infant Annika is found abandoned … Continue reading →

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My July Reading Log

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Victoria Janssen

My reading in the first half of the month was re-reading of large quantities of work by Cecilia Tan and P. Djèlí Clark, in preparation for Readercon panels. I didn’t make substantial notes on either panel, so I don’t have … Continue reading →

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My June Reading Log

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Victoria Janssen

Fiction: Miss Morton and the Spirits of the Underworld by Catherine Lloyd turned out to be second in a historical mystery series set in 1830s England. The author managed the excellent trick of giving me enough hints of book one’s … Continue reading →

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#TBR Challenge – Back in My Day…: Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

Posted on July 16, 2025 by Victoria Janssen

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo is fantasy set in 1930s Hollywood. The nameless first person narrator, whose Chinese immigrant father owns a laundry, first sees silent films by selling an inch of her hair; later, she plays the roles of … Continue reading →

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Readercon 2025

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Victoria Janssen

I’ll be at Readercon 34 this weekend. If you’ll be there, please feel free to stop and say hello! My schedule is below. The Works of P. Djèlí­ Clark Salon I/J Friday, July 18, 2025, 1:00 PM EDT Andrea Hairston … Continue reading →

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#TBR Challenge – Road Trip: John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 18: The Gift by Mike Carey and Denise Mina, Leonardo Manco, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Lorenzo Ruggiero, and Frazer Irving

Posted on June 18, 2025 by Victoria Janssen

John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 18: The Gift by Mike Carey (Author), Denise Mina (Author), Leonardo Manco (Illustrator, Artist), Giuseppe Camuncoli (Artist), Lorenzo Ruggiero (Artist), Frazer Irving (Artist) is a road trip to hell (rather than from hell, heh). The story … Continue reading →

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My May Reading Log

Posted on June 14, 2025 by Victoria Janssen

Fiction: The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope is historical fantasy set in the 1920s Black neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.. Clara Johnson is able to speak with spirits called Enigmas, which can help humans with problems via a “Charm” but … Continue reading →

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#TBRChallenge – Older Couple: The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Victoria Janssen

I’d actually already started reading The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson shortly after it came out, then was distracted and moved on to something else (I no longer remember what or why). I think Penelope and Odysseus qualify for the … Continue reading →

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My April Reading Log

Posted on May 16, 2025 by Victoria Janssen

Fiction: In Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri, Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor whose mother, from the desert Amrithi tribe, abandoned her and her sister when they were young. While living in relatively pampered seclusion with … Continue reading →

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Steamy Couple Treats!

Posted on April 26, 2025 by Victoria Janssen

My new Steamy Couple Treats collection features ten character-driven romantic stories: “The Aid Station, 1916” (m/f historical); “In the Cold With You” (m/f contemporary); “The Magnificent Threesome” trilogy (m/f/m/ historical/poly); “Vanilla” (m/f contemporary/science fiction); “Twisted Beauty” (m/f contemporary); “No Sooner … Continue reading →

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