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.

Fun With Rhetoric

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

As I mentioned a while ago, I’ve been slowly working my way through a book on rhetoric by James Phelan, Experiencing Fiction: Judgments, Progression, and the Rhetorical Theory of Narrative. I’m taking great joy in reading this book and letting … Continue reading →

Posted in reading, writing craft | Tagged , | 2 Comments

“Arms and the Man,” Siegfried Sassoon

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

Arms and the Man Young Croesus went to pay his call On Colonel Sawbones, Caxton Hall: And, though his wound was healed and mended, He hoped he’d get his leave extended. The waiting-room was dark and bare. He eyed a … Continue reading →

Posted in sassoon, wwi poetry | 3 Comments

Change in Publishing Frequency

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

(No, this is not an April Fool’s post!) Public Service Announcement: Starting this month, I’m reducing my weekly blog posts from seven to four – in general, I plan to post on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, though the weekday … Continue reading →

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Accomplishments This Month

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I haven’t spent a lot of time writing this month (mostly on purpose), but I did accomplish a few things, most of them very necessary. 1. I bought some books on the craft of writing, which I haven’t done in … Continue reading →

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Fashion Magazines and Writing

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I have a confession to make. I subscribe to several fashion magazines. I keep them in the bathroom, mostly. Sometimes I take them on airplanes. But, see, they are good for my writing. Really. Fashion magazines are very image-heavy. They … Continue reading →

Posted in writing process | 2 Comments

Coffee, Tea, and Worldbuilding

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

One component of worldbuilding that’s often forgotten is background economics. Take coffee, for example. Coffee originated in Africa. It wasn’t readily available in Europe until after 1616, and didn’t start to be cultivated on a large scale by Europeans until … Continue reading →

Posted in sf/f, writing craft | 2 Comments

Saddle Shoes

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

If you missed it Friday evening, I posted on “Undressing the Hero: Judith Ivory’s Untie My Heart” for Heroes and Heartbreakers. # For my birthday this year, I decided to get myself a pair of shoes. My first choice was … Continue reading →

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Siegfried Sassoon, “The Death-Bed”

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

The Death-Bed He drowsed and was aware of silence heaped Round him, unshaken as the steadfast walls; Aqueous like floating rays of amber light, Soaring and quivering in the wings of sleep. Silence and safety; and his mortal shore Lipped … Continue reading →

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Robert Service, “My Bay’nit”

Posted on March 26, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

My Bay’nit When first I left Blighty they gave me a bay’nit And told me it ‘ad to be smothered wiv gore; But blimey! I ‘aven’t been able to stain it, So far as I’ve gone wiv the vintage of … Continue reading →

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Academic Heroines

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I wrote a post, “Undressing the Hero: Judith Ivory’s Untie My Heart” for Heroes and Heartbreakers that went live today. Now on to today’s topic. I don’t intend to make “unusual heroines” a weekly thing, but I do want to … Continue reading →

Posted in contemporary, genre, romance novels, women | 2 Comments