“Optimism,” A. Victor Ratcliffe

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Victoria Janssen

Optimism

At last there’ll dawn the last of the long year,
Of the long year that seemed to dream no end,
Whose every dawn but turned the world more drear,
And slew some hope, or led away some friend.
Or be you dark, or buffeting, or blind,
We care not, day, but leave not death behind.

The hours that feed on war go heavy-hearted,
Death is no fare wherewith to make hearts fain.
Oh, we are sick to find that they who started
With glamour in their eyes came not again.
O day, be long and heavy if you will,
But on our hopes set not a bitter heel.

For tiny hopes like tiny flowers of Spring
Will come, though death and ruin hold the land,
Though storms may roar they may not break the wing Of the earthed lark whose song is ever bland.
Fell year unpitiful, slow days of scorn,
Your kind shall die, and sweeter days be born.

–A. Victor Ratcliffe

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Happy New Year! It’s 1912, right?

Posted on January 1, 2012 by Victoria Janssen

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2011 Reading: Best Nonfiction

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I went through all the nonfiction I read in 2011, and the books below are the volumes I enjoyed the most; they cover a range of topics.

London 1900: The Imperial Metropolis, by Jonathan Schneer, is pretty much what it says on the cover – it gives a detailed picture of the different ways British imperialism affected and interacted with London in 1900. I particularly liked chapters which gave me a lot of good information on anti-imperialists of the period.

The Art of Time in Fiction: As Long as It Takes, Joan Silber is a book I will probably read more than once. Possibly several times. It’s short, but crammed with concepts and new ways to think about writing.


Experiencing Fiction: Judgments, Progression, and the Rhetorical Theory of Narrative, by James Phelan, is probably not for everyone, but I was delighted with its theoretical density, and am still mulling over its implications for my own writing. This is another book that I will have to read again, so I can deepen my understanding of what Phelan is saying.

Finally, Inside the Victorian Home: A Portrait of Domestic Life in Victorian England, by Judith Flanders, is perhaps the most useful book I’ve read yet on everyday life in the English Victorian household, and I highly recommend it both for general interest and for writers interested in setting fiction during that period. The book’s bibliography is even more valuable!

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Peace

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

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Basic Gumbo

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

Here is a basic recipe for one of the best wintertime dishes ever.

Gumbo is or is related to an African word for okra, but not all gumbo has okra in it–sometimes file (pronounce with accent on the e) is added as a thickener. File is powdered sassafrass, that you can buy in a jar. The difference between the two is that you cook okra with the rest of the ingredients, but file is added in the bowls at the table–if you cook file, it gets stringy and gross.

This recipe is mostly from a book called Quelque Chose Piquante, with many personal changes and additions and notes from other cookbooks which it would be impossible for me to track down.

Basic Gumbo

–1/2 oil and 1 cup white flour for the roux
–1 chicken cut in serving pieces (recipe says “a rooster,” i.e., tenderness is not a requirement)
–1 large chopped onion
–1 chopped bell pepper
–1 bunch chopped onion tops
–1 bunch chopped parsley
–1/12 pounds pork sausage, spicy if you want
–salt, black pepper, red pepper; can use prepared Creole or Cajun seasoning
–file

First, you make a roux. Roux for gumbo should be a deep brown. Take 1/2 cup high grade oil and heat it up in a heavy iron pot over medium heat. When it’s hot, gradually add 1 cup white flour, stirring as you go. Then keep stirring for 30-45 minutes. Don’t let it burn. If it burns, there’s nothing you can do but throw it out and start over. Believe me, it will be nasty. The roux is a pain to make and not at all good for you, but adds a wonderful flavor. You can leave it out if you wish. (Some lovely places, you can buy prepared roux in a jar. There’re also recipes for baked roux–it’s for a lighter roux than this one.)

Put chicken in large, heavy pot. A stock pot is good. Add cold water, enough to cover, and the seasoning. Bring to boil and hold it there for about 30 minutes.

In another pot, saute the onion and bell pepper in your roux until wilted. Add the sausage and brown it well. Stir, then pour all this into the gumbo pot. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the chicken is tender. Check the seasoning as you go. If you have to add water, add only boiling water. Once chicken is tender, add onion tops and parsley. Cook for about 15 minutes.

Serve over hot white rice in a shallow bowl. Add a sprinkle of file to
each plate at the table, if thickening is needed.

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Holiday Hiatus

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

The blog is going to be (mostly) on hiatus for the winter holidays, while I travel and spend time with my family. I might even go ice skating…but not in the illustrated dress. I did schedule a few posts, so you won’t be too lonely without me – look for a recipe on December 23rd.

I’ll be back in the New Year!

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Writing and Holidays

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I had a new post up Friday at Heroes and Heartbreakers, a preview of Death and Resurrection, the new novel by R.A. MacAvoy.

This post originally appeared at Novelists, Inc..

Writers take holidays? Is that possible?
Some writers write every day, no matter what; some, like me, take time off now and again. The winter holidays (for me Christmas and the New Year) are, for me, a time of genuine vacation, when I visit family who live far away. Except on rare occasions, I do not write during that time; I usually don’t even bring my netbook with me.

There are ways to manage taking time off, if you plan ahead.

1. Be aware of deadlines.

Either turn the work in before you leave, or make sure there’s enough time after your return (realistically!) to finish. This is easier if you have a good idea of what your writing pace is, normally.

2. Let your editor know.

If, for example, you are waiting for an editor to send you edits on a piece you’ve already turned in, it’s polite and, I believe, necessary to let them know when you’ll be away. Especially if you aren’t checking email while you’re gone. One email can save a lot of annoyance.

3. Take real advantage of the break.

If you’re taking the time off, don’t spend it all worrying about projects in progress. Sure, you might be reading a research book on the plane (guilty!), but the idea is to rest. Who knows what amazing connections your brain will turn out when you get back to work?

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“The Battlefield,” Sydney Oswald

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

The Battlefield

Around no fire the soldiers sleep to-night,
But lie a-wearied on the ice-bound field,
With cloaks wrapt round their sleeping forms, to shield
Them from the northern winds. Ere comes the light
Of morn brave men must arm, stern foes to fight.
The sentry stands, his limbs with cold congealed;
His head a-nod with sleep; he cannot yield,
Though sleep and snow in deadly force unite.

Amongst the sleepers lies the Boy awake,
And wide-eyed plans brave glories that transcend
The deeds of heroes dead; then dreams o’ertake
His tired-out brain, and lofty fancies blend
To one grand theme, and through all barriers break
To guard from hurt his faithful sleeping friend.

–Sydney Oswald

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2011 in Sales and Publications

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I have a guest post up at the Novelists, Inc. blog today: Writing and Holidays.

And now, the time has come for me to sum up the year, in terms of sales and publications. This year was a hard one because of a death in my family, so my writing was sidelined. But here goes.

First, I did a new thing: I became a paid blogger for Heroes & Heartbreakers (romance) and The Criminal Element (mystery). As of this writing, I have not counted exactly how many posts I submitted to those two blogs over the course of 2011, but it was close to fifty. Not bad. Finally I have made commercial use of all those years of reading genre literature! Also it’s been a lot of fun.

I critiqued in-progress novels for members of my writing workshop, and commented on a story by a friend who hasn’t yet made a professional sale. Early in this year, I provided topic-focused comments on a novel that came out later on in 2011, as well as extensively critiqued a tie-in short story for the same author.

I only had two short stories published:
“Vanilla,” May 2011, in Dream Lover: Paranormal Tales of Erotic Romance from Cleis Press. Kristina Wright edited the anthology; and “Crimean Fairy Tale,” August 2011, in The Mammoth Book of Hot Romance, edited by Sonia Florens.

I’d written “Vanilla” many years ago, but never managed to find a version that would sell until now. More than one review of the anthology mentioned it favorably, which was great, as I love the characters and setting. “Crimean Fairy Tale” was written in the month before it was due, and was my first attempt at writing a short story that was romance rather than erotica, though it does have sex scenes. I had fun researching it; it was my first time reading about the Crimean War in detail.

My sales, I can count in two ways. If I count the three stories to a cancelled anthology, I sold five in 2011. If I count only those that are not cancelled, then I sold two that will be published in 2012.

“Under Her Uniform (Hailey’s Story),” is due out in May 2012. It’s a Harlequin Spice Brief, so will be available only in electronic format. This story involves characters who appeared in The Moonlight Mistress, and takes place during World War One. (The Moonlight Mistress: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, Powell’s)

“The Airplane Story,” June 2012, will appear in Girl Fever: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex for Lesbians from Cleis Press, edited by Sacchi Green. That was another story I’d had around for a while, in several versions, for which I finally found an appropriate market.

As yet unsold officially, I also agreed to write a story for an anthology; that’s due February 1, 2012, so I can add it to next year’s list.

Finally, I’ve been doing a lot of nonfiction research reading, for my next project, and made a few notes for it. I guess I’d better start writing that in 2012….

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Holiday Gifts Query

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

Do you purchase gifts for the various winter holidays? In particular, do you purchase items online and have them shipped?

I’m asking because I don’t live near most of my family. I was once very adept at choosing things that I could fit into a suitcase, even carrying along my own wrapping paper. But I’ve given that up since most airlines now charge a fee for checked baggage. Now I stick to small things that can fit in my carry-on luggage; I’ve also wrapped and shipped things myself. But it’s certainly easier to have the retailer ship the items for me, particularly since I don’t have a car, and must carry everything to the post office myself. Not so useful for shipping in bulk.

What are your favorite online retailers? I am especially interested in retailers that ship food (cookies, cakes, fancy cheeses, etc.); soaps and lotions; scented candles; and similar usable items.

Thanks!

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