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.

My June 2022 Reading Log

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Fiction: Aunty Lee’s Deadly Specials is second in this mystery series set in contemporary Singapore. Aunty Lee provides catering, including a dish that can be deadly if prepared improperly, and two people die after eating it. As you might imagine, … Continue reading →

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#TBRChallenge – After the War: The Great Silence by Juliet Nicolson

Posted on June 15, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

The Great Silence: Britain from the Shadow of the First World War to the Dawn of the Jazz Age by Juliet Nicolson is nonfiction about, well, the time after the First World War. I took this month’s theme very literally! … Continue reading →

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My May Reading Log

Posted on June 10, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Fiction: Strong Wine by A.J. Demas is third in a trilogy about former solider and all-around mensch Damiskos and his spy/dancer lover Varazda, set in a world reminiscent of Classical Greece. I’d recommend reading this series in order, as a … Continue reading →

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#TBRChallenge – Tales of Old: Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson is set in New York City before the United States has entered World War Two; it seems to be an alternate history in subtle ways. In this world, people of color with mystical/magical … Continue reading →

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My April Reading Log

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Victoria Janssen

Fiction: Can’t Find My Way Home by Gwynne Garfinkle is a ghost story that’s also a period piece. Vividly set in mid-1970s New York City, it features Joanna Bergman, a young actress in a soap opera who’s developing an intense … Continue reading →

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#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 →

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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 →

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#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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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