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.

Love & Mysteries

“Love interest nearly always weakens a mystery because it introduces a type of suspense that is antagonistic to the detective’s struggle to solve the problem. It stacks the cards, and in nine cases out of ten, it eliminates at least … Continue reading

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Charles Sorley, "When you see millions of the mouthless dead"

When you see millions of the mouthless dead Across your dreams in pale battalions go, Say not soft things as other men have said, That you’ll remember. For you need not so. Give them not praise. For, deaf, how should … Continue reading

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Bearded Heroes

I’m a guest today at the Novelists, Inc. blog on “Five Ways of Thinking About a Writer’s Conference.” As for my own personal blog, I’ve been wondering something. Where are all the romance heroes with beards? Or even moustaches? I’m … Continue reading

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When to Submit.

How do you know if you’re ready to submit a story or novel to an editor? When’s the deadline? Have you proofread? Have you put “the end” at the end? Then it’s time. Go for it.Okay, so I’m being a … Continue reading

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Eroticism in To Have and To Hold by Patricia Gaffney

I recently read Patricia Gaffney’s To Have and to Hold for the first time. If I’d only read the first section of the book (a bit less than half), I could easily interpret it as an erotic novel, though one … Continue reading

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Women in WWI Picspam

Women served in many capacities during World War One. Nurses. VADs. Drivers. Radio Corps. Fundraisers. Factory Workers.

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Readercon Linkgasm

For those who are interested, I’ve been collecting some links to reports on Readercon, which took place July 8-11, 2010. These are in no particular order, but grouped by topic. There are lots more than this. I recommend checking out … Continue reading

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Charles Sorley, "To Germany"

To Germany You are blind like us. Your hurt no man designed,And no man claimed the conquest of your land.But gropers both through fields of thought confinedWe stumble and we do not understand.You only saw your future bigly planned,And we, … Continue reading

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Charles Sorley, "Such, Such Is Death"

Such, Such Is Death Such, such is Death: no triumph: no defeat:Only an empty pail, a slate rubbed clean,A merciful putting away of what has been. And this we know: Death is not Life, effete,Life crushed, the broken pail. We … Continue reading

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Mansfield Park Revisited, Part the Third

My final notes on my last re-read of Mansfield Park. Mansfield Park can be read online at Gutenberg.org. #November 18, 2004 After finishing my reread I confess I’m a bit puzzled about Henry Crawford. Either he was a great actor … Continue reading

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