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.

Making the Paranormal Real: Boundaries and Consequences

Posted on May 11, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

This post was originally written for Midnight Moon Cafe.I was a reader and writer of science fiction and fantasy long before I read romance, and in many ways my reading tastes still reflect that early influence. I tend to favor … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, paranormal, writing craft | 4 Comments

Occupied Lands in World War One

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

The novel I’m working on now, a sequel to The Moonlight Mistress, focuses on the main werewolf characters from that novel and their marriage of convenience. Tanneken, the female werewolf, was working as a spy in the previous novel, so … Continue reading →

Posted in research, werewolves, wwi | Comments Off on Occupied Lands in World War One

Carl Sandburg, "Among the Red Guns"

Posted on May 9, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

Among the Red Guns After waking at dawn one morning when the wind sang low among dry leaves in an elm Among the red guns, In the hearts of soldiers Running free blood In the long, long campaign: Dreams go … Continue reading →

Posted in sandburg, wwi poetry | Comments Off on Carl Sandburg, "Among the Red Guns"

Edgell Rickword, "War and Peace"

Posted on May 8, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

War and Peace In sodden trenches I have heard men speak, Though numb and wretched, wise and witty things; And loved them for the stubbornness that clings Longest to laughter when Death’s pulleys creak; And seeing cool nurses move on … Continue reading →

Posted in rickword, wwi poetry | Comments Off on Edgell Rickword, "War and Peace"

The Bashful Hero

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

I wish more romance novels featured bashful heroes.I’ve never been a huge fan of the romance novel hero who’s physically large and good at everything and gorgeous to boot. Except, I don’t mind that combination of traits if the hero … Continue reading →

Posted in reading, romance novels | 11 Comments

Sex for the Oppositional

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

I’m sure I’ve seen another discussion, somewhere on the Internet at somewhen, a discussion of villains and sex. If I could remember where or when, I would hunt it up and post the links for your reading pleasure. But since … Continue reading →

Posted in erotica, romance novels, writing | 5 Comments

Less Is Enough

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

There’s a reason stories aren’t made up of eighty percent description. It’s because there has to be room for the reader. Reading is a collaborative exercise, between the writer and the reader. The writer has a shape or picture (or … Continue reading →

Posted in reading, writing craft | 2 Comments

Conflict

Posted on May 4, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

This is one of those posts where I’m writing about something obvious, but writing about it helps me to internalize it. You can’t have a story without plot, and you can’t have a plot without conflict. Conflict is wanting what … Continue reading →

Posted in writing craft | Comments Off on Conflict

Wordles for my novels!

Posted on May 3, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

I made some Wordles. Actually, I did this before, but I didn’t save them. Click to see a larger version – you’ll be sent to the main site. It’s an application that transforms a large chunk of text (in this … Continue reading →

Posted in links, moonlight mistress, the duchess, the duke | 4 Comments

Siegfried Sassoon, "Editorial Impressions"

Posted on May 2, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

Editorial Impressions He seemed so certain ‘all was going well’, As he discussed the glorious time he’d had While visiting the trenches. ‘One can tell You’ve gathered big impressions!’ grinned the lad Who’d been severely wounded in the back In … Continue reading →

Posted in sassoon, wwi poetry | Comments Off on Siegfried Sassoon, "Editorial Impressions"