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.

Steampunk Bronze

Posted on January 21, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

I recently attended Arisia, a Boston-area science fiction/fantasy/a lof of other things conference. I got permission from Butch Honeck, one of my favorite sculptors in bronze, to post some photos from his dealer room at the convention.Here’s a steampunk-style pistol … Continue reading →

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Grasping Tentacles of DOOOOOM

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

There’s a stage in writing when I’m too busy writing, and thinking about the specifics of the novel, to think about the task of writing itself. Of course I am thinking about writing. I have to be, because I’m doing … Continue reading →

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Purposeful, Habitual, and Gratuitous

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

“As early as 1959 or ’60, I’d noticed that there was something terribly wrong with the female characters in most novels I was reading. Most of the writers (men and women) tended to conceive of their male characters as combinations … Continue reading →

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Fun with Plot Generators

Posted on January 18, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

Recently, I went on an internet search for plot generators. Here are some of the most intriguing scenarios that popped up for me. These came from Archetype Writing.“The story starts when your protagonist opens the closet to find clothes that … Continue reading →

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Louise Glück, "Parable of Flight"

Posted on January 17, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

Parable of Flight A flock of birds leaving the side of the mountain.Black against the spring evening, bronze in early summer,rising over blank lake water. Why is the young man disturbed suddenly,his attention slipping from his companion?His heart is no … Continue reading →

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The Duchess, Her Maid, The Groom and Their Lover Excerpt – Animals

Posted on January 16, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

# Perhaps an hour later, Camille heard hooves approaching, a horse at a gallop. She ran to the doorway, bridle in one hand and cleaning cloth in the other, determined to see. From a distance it was clear there was … Continue reading →

Posted in free read, promo, the duchess | 2 Comments

Arisia 2010

Posted on January 15, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

I’m at Arisia this weekend. Here’s my schedule: Saturday, 11:30 am, Paul Revere BBroad Universe Reading90 minutes Saturday, 2:00 pm, Crispus Attucks“Jack the Ripper and the Historical Character”Katherine Crighton (mod.), Victoria Janssen, Gardner Dozois, Susan Casper, Sarah Clemens Saturday, 10:00 … Continue reading →

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For Further Reading

Posted on January 14, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

This is a Post of Pimping. I really enjoy these blogs, to the point that I’m excited when there’s a new post, and think some of you might like them, too.Racy Romance Reviews. Great thoughtful reviews, and some wonderful discussions … Continue reading →

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Werewolves in WWI? Why Not?

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

This post was written for Harlequin’s Paranormal Romance Blog. For The Moonlight Mistress, I combined a historical novel with paranormal elements. As you probably know already if you read this blog regularly, the book is set during the early days … Continue reading →

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Tell Not Show

Posted on January 12, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

One of the main pieces of writing advice I’ve received over the years is “show not tell.” It’s good advice. It can remind you that it’s easier for a reader to form mental pictures of characters whom they’ve seen in … Continue reading →

Posted in erotica, the duke, writing craft | 2 Comments