Category Archives: reading

My Favorite Westerns – Books, Movies, Television

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Wendy the Super Librarian and Kristie of Ramblings on Romance are posting about Westerns this week, so I thought I’d list a few of my favorites. Song: Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other, covered here by Willie Nelson. … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, reading, recommendations, western | 15 Comments

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Ultra-Brother!

Posted on July 27, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Why does the coolest brother in the romance series usually turn out to be such a dud? I began to make a list of all the series of historical novels featuring brothers as heroes, but then realized that would be … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, reading, romance novels | 2 Comments

Confessions of a Luddite

Posted on July 20, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I have a confession to make. I don’t really like reading e-books. I spend all day in front of a computer at my day job. On the weekends, I spend at least half of each day in front of my … Continue reading →

Posted in reading | 3 Comments

Why I Love the Marriage of Convenience Plot

Posted on July 6, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

The “marriage of convenience” plot in historical romance might focus on an arranged marriage, but more typically, shenanigans are involved; the couple marries to save the heroine from ruin at the hands of a dastardly plotter, or to ensure the … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, historical fiction, reading, romance novels | 3 Comments

Normative Heterosexuality and the Alpha Male Fantasy

Posted on June 29, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Normative(Adjective): of or establishing a norm or standard. Romance novels feature vast numbers of heroes who are so-called “alpha” males – usually taken to mean men who are better-looking and stronger than other men, with more dominant personalities, and usually … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, reading, romance novels | 13 Comments

Reading and Writing Erotica as a Feminist Act

Posted on June 10, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Recently, I followed a link to a fascinating-sounding blog post on erotica only to find that I had already read the post almost a year ago, and had in fact commented on it. I still stand by my comment, and … Continue reading →

Posted in erotica, reading, romance novels, writing | 4 Comments

Pirate Romance For The Win!

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I think romances with pirates in them, or at least sea adventure, have some of the best backcover copy ever. These are best enjoyed if read with great expression and appropriate emphasis on any use of pirate/sea/sailing terminology. Bonus emphasis … Continue reading →

Posted in pirates, reading, romance novels | 4 Comments

Reading For The Writer

Posted on May 11, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

One of the most important things I do as a writer is read. I don’t think it’s possible to become a writer unless you’re a reader first, and for most writers, reading is as integral to their development as writing … Continue reading →

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

Elves

Posted on April 10, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Why do people love elves? Or hate elves? Does it all come down to Tolkien in the end? Did Orlando Bloom in the Lord of the Rings movies give elves a boost? Where did you first learn to love or … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, reading, sf/f | 6 Comments

My Favorite Romance Tropes, and Not-So-Favorite

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I will always pick up books with plots based on these ideas: *Nice, ordinary heroes (think Carla Kelly, or the so-called “beta hero”) *PTSD, Napoleonic Wars-style; angstful spies from the same period *Marriages of convenience *Virginal males (not that you … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, reading, romance novels | 4 Comments