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.

#TBRChallenge – Location, Location, Location: A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney was on my TBR for two reasons: first, I know the author, and second, I knew it involved at least one fictional quilter, and I love reading about quilting. It’s mostly a ghost … Continue reading →

Posted in lgbtqia+, sf/f | Tagged | 2 Comments

My March Reading Log

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Fiction: Rescue Operations: Changes of Life by L.A. Hall, sixteenth in the Clorinda Cathcart’s Circle series, includes the return of Josh Ferraby to England amidst a complex plot, involving a vast number of people, to free a woman from an … Continue reading →

Posted in fanfiction, historical fiction, lgbtqia+, mystery, romance novels, sf/f | Tagged | Comments Off on My March Reading Log

#TBRChallenge – Grumpy: Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki blends: a detailed portrayal of a particular mostly-Asian neighborhood in California; the competitive world of classical music, including performers and luthiers; a transgender queer violinist; lots of lovingly described food; and Faustian bargains … Continue reading →

Posted in lgbtqia+, sf/f | Tagged | 5 Comments

Embracing Refuge launches today!

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Embracing Refuge, third in A Place of Refuge, launches today! Is it too late for a cynical super soldier to right the wrongs in her past? Enhanced soldier Faigin Balfour defected from a fascist military to the revolution. Once the … Continue reading →

Posted in Kalikoi, promo, refuge series, sf/f | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Embracing Refuge launches today!

My February Reading Log

Posted on March 4, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Fiction: To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers is a novella about crowdsourced interstellar exploration, astronauts sent off from a world suffering the ravages of climate change, with the twist that they do plan to come back, after interfering … Continue reading →

Posted in fanfiction, reading, sf/f | Tagged | Comments Off on My February Reading Log

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Posted on February 26, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

I did a lot of experimenting with grilled cheese sandwiches this month. I learned some things! Colby-Jack melted a lot more smoothly than cheddar, my previous go-to cheese when not using processed “American” slices. For this rather excellent sandwich, I … Continue reading →

Posted in recipe, writing | Comments Off on Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

#TBRChallenge – Fairy Tale: Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise is in conversation with Peter Pan, a story so familiar and entrenched in general English-speaking cultural consciousness that I’m counting it as fitting the fairy tale theme. Peter Pan is easily read as extremely creepy, … Continue reading →

Posted in sf/f, wwi | Tagged | 5 Comments

Updates on My Kalikoi Novellas

Posted on February 15, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Finding Refuge received a lovely review at Phoebe’s Randoms: “Janssen has laid the ground floor for what could be an exciting series about PTSD, life after war, human and non-human relations, and just personal relationships in general.” Sapphic Book Club … Continue reading →

Posted in writing | Comments Off on Updates on My Kalikoi Novellas

My January Reading Log

Posted on February 11, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Fiction: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton is a bitingly satirical alternate Victorian England in which women have learned to make their houses fly, and of course have used this ability to become pirates, and also spend … Continue reading →

Posted in alternate universe, contemporary, glbtqia+, historical fiction, m/m, romance novels, sf/f | Tagged | Comments Off on My January Reading Log

#TBRChallenge – Quickie: Instead of Three Wishes by Megan Whalen Turner

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Instead of Three Wishes: Magical Short Stories by Megan Whalen Turner was the slenderest volume on my TBR shelves. I dearly love Turner’s “Queen’s Thief” series, marketed as Young Adult, that begins with The Thief. In my opinion this short … Continue reading →

Posted in sf/f | Tagged | 2 Comments