tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30282377542779303132012-01-28T08:00:05.433-05:00Harlequin Spice author, aka Elspeth Potter, on Writing from the InsideVictoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.comBlogger6811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-7315068882582075842012-01-28T08:00:00.000-05:002012-01-28T08:00:05.493-05:00

I have a few new short stories out and upcoming."Vanilla." May 2011. Dream Lover: Paranormal Tales of Erotic Romance. Cleis Press. Kristina Wright, editor."Crimean Fairy Tale." August 2011. The Mammoth Book of Hot Romance. Sonia Florens, editor. Running Press (USA)/Robinson (UK)."Under Her Uniform (Hailey's Story)." May 2012. Spice Brief. Harlequin. Available only in electronic format.

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-85488169843785196472011-02-02T10:08:00.004-05:002012-01-27T11:35:52.624-05:00

This blog has moved! New posts appear at my website. You can susbscribe to the new feed here.You can also follow me on Twitter.

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-78082172164258627742010-12-11T08:00:00.000-05:002010-12-07T11:45:53.565-05:00

I've moved this blog to my website - all new posts will appear there. RSS Feed for the new address. Please stop by and visit!I'm having a launch party for The Duke and The Pirate Queen, and if you're in the area, I'd love for you to attend.Saturday, December 11, 2010, 3 pmBig Blue Marble Bookstore, 551 Carpenter Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19119Food! Drink! Books!More info and directions at the

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-42339817432461752772010-12-02T08:00:00.006-05:002010-12-02T08:00:00.897-05:00

I've moved this blog to my website - after this week, all posts will appear there. RSS Feed for the new address. Please stop by and visit!Remember how, a while back, I mentioned that a journalist friend was helping me with promotion? Well, she interviewed me. Below is the result.#Captain Leung, the coolly powerful privateer, silk-clad and barefoot. Maxime, the charismatic, magnificently

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-49427220920481542312010-12-01T08:00:00.005-05:002010-12-01T09:19:10.617-05:00

Today, I posted on "The World Beyond the Story" at Ella Drake's blog.And it's release day for The Duke and The Pirate Queen! Imagine fireworks going off! And check out my new website design, including blog!!!"Captain Imena Leung, imperial privateer, is a woman who answers to no one – until her parents decree that she must marry and give up her ship. Her employer, the magnificent Duke Maxime, is

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-72291712490179886072010-11-30T08:00:00.003-05:002010-11-30T08:37:09.523-05:00

Today, I'm posting on "Writing Explicitly" at Kate Elliott's blog - visit, comment!

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-25307887817915685062010-11-29T08:00:00.007-05:002010-11-29T08:47:22.746-05:00

I'm a guest of The Smutketeers all this week talking about "Sexy Pirates" - and am also giving away a print copy of The Duke & The Pirate Queen. Stop by their blog to enter!Also, keep an eye on this blog; in the next few weeks it's going to be moving to my website domain, with a new design and everything. I'll make sure to have pointers when it happens.

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-22814764390710903292010-11-28T08:00:00.000-05:002010-11-28T08:00:01.886-05:00

HauntedEvening was in the wood, louring with storm. A time of drought had sucked the weedy pool And baked the channels; birds had done with song. Thirst was a dream of fountains in the moon, Or willow-music blown across the waterLeisurely sliding on by weir and mill. Uneasy was the man who wandered, brooding, His face a little whiter than the dusk. A drone of sultry wings flicker

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-63756771511968198482010-11-27T08:00:00.001-05:002010-11-27T08:00:01.585-05:00

To My BrotherGive me your hand, my brother, search my face; Look in these eyes lest I should think of shame; For we have made an end of all things base. We are returning by the road we came. Your lot is with the ghosts of soldiers dead,And I am in the field where men must fight. But in the gloom I see your laurell’d head And through your victory I shall win the light. --Siegfried

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-75741098296564820632010-11-26T08:00:00.001-05:002010-11-26T08:00:02.630-05:00

I'm trying to find my bliss.It's been so long since I've deliberately sought out inspiration on this scale that it feels like something new! I haven't had time to come up with a totally new project since back in 2007. Ever since then, I've been writing from book to book, under contractual demands. It's freeing to imagine all the different things I could be writing right now; or, at least,

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-5799873587668851162010-11-25T08:00:00.005-05:002010-11-25T08:00:13.110-05:00

And in other news, Erotic Exploits is now available for the Nook. If you have a Nook, and are willing to download the free sample, please let me know if the formatting looks all right or is terrible. The preview function does not seem to be working for me.

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-75240034258351386622010-11-23T08:00:00.003-05:002010-11-23T08:42:03.469-05:00

Almost every year at Philcon, I moderate the panel on selling fantastic (science fiction and fantasy) erotica. It was interesting this year to note how the panel topics have shifted over time: print to electronic to self-electronic.For several years, after I first began to publish erotica, just before the beginning of the twenty-first century, at science fiction conventions I would give talks

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-82973249292615845832010-11-22T08:00:00.000-05:002010-11-22T08:00:02.986-05:00

Please welcome my guest, Rachel Kramer Bussel! Rachel and I met almost a decade back, when we were both reading our stories from Best Lesbian Erotica at Bluestockings in New York City. She graciously consented to answer some questions I had about the process of editing and her latest anthology, Passion: Erotic Romance for Women.#How do you choose a focus for an anthology? How did you choose

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-91970871852009421842010-11-21T08:00:00.002-05:002010-11-21T08:00:04.616-05:00

Elegy To Robert RossYour dextrous wit will haunt us long Wounding our grief with yesterday. Your laughter is a broken song; And death has found you, kind and gay. We may forget those transient thingsThat made your charm and our delight: But loyal love has deathless wings That rise and triumph out of night. So, in the days to come, your name Shall be as music that ascendsWhen

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-61034173150970404182010-11-20T08:00:00.001-05:002010-11-20T08:00:03.897-05:00

The Dug-OutWhy do you lie with your legs ungainly huddled, And one arm bent across your sullen, cold, Exhausted face? It hurts my heart to watch you, Deep-shadow’d from the candle’s guttering gold; And you wonder why I shake you by the shoulder;Drowsy, you mumble and sigh and turn your head... You are too young to fall asleep for ever; And when you sleep you remind me of the dead.St.

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-73697103023942155532010-11-19T08:00:00.006-05:002010-11-19T11:29:39.062-05:00

Three things today:1. I sold a short erotic story, "Vanilla," to Kristina Wright's anthology Dream Lover: Paranormal Tales of Erotic Romance for Cleis Press. It's already available for pre-order!2. I am at Philcon this weekend, hanging out with a UK friend, an archivist who was one of my chief resources about male homosexuality during World War One for The Moonlight Mistress. If you're there,

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-18266714486754338972010-11-18T08:00:00.005-05:002010-11-18T08:00:03.908-05:00

Please welcome my guest, Ella Drake!#A Space Western worldWhen I started to write Silver Bound, a space western releasing Nov 22nd from Carina Press, the elements of world-building excited me. What’s not to love about creating a world for a book with the tagline: “A dangerous journey across the galaxy”? During the course of the story, we visit five shuttle craft, two planets, two space stations,

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-24237833655355295622010-11-17T08:00:00.007-05:002011-01-12T15:37:44.027-05:00

Today, I'm visiting K.S. Manning's Blog talking about "Hints of Mystery" in the plot of The Duke and The Pirate Queen.Please stop by!I'll be at Philcon 2010 this weekend (November 19-21). Here's my schedule:Fri 7:00 PM in Plaza VII (1 hour)Breaking into the fantastic erotica marketVictoria Janssen (moderator), Stephanie Burke, Jennifer Williams, Lynn PerkinsHow to be part of this burgeoning

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-86223159477567296342010-11-16T08:00:00.002-05:002010-11-16T08:00:10.397-05:00

I was in the shower last week when I finally felt the merest flicker of enthusiasm for a new writing project.I've been deliberately taking some time off from writing. I took a week off solely to read (though I did end up writing a little bit on a short story). Before taking the time off, I wrote two synopses which were fine, adequate, but though they might be salable, I decided I wanted to

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-67621768091469738342010-11-15T08:00:00.006-05:002010-11-15T08:00:10.677-05:00

The winner of the signed print copy of The Duke & The Pirate Queen, per Random.org, is Crystal Jordan. Congratulations, Crystal! I'll email you to obtain your mailing address.Now, please welcome my guest, Stacey Kennedy!#What do we know about wolves? They live in a social hierarchy which is lead by an Alpha. They mate for life and will defend that mate to their death. They’re loving, yet

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-73873774607413506092010-11-14T08:00:00.000-05:002010-11-14T08:00:05.073-05:00

ThrushesTossed on the glittering air they soar and skim, Whose voices make the emptiness of light A windy palace. Quavering from the brim Of dawn, and bold with song at edge of night, They clutch their leafy pinnacles and sing Scornful of man, and from his toils aloof Whose heart's a haunted woodland whispering; Whose thoughts return on tempest-baffled wing; Who hears the cry of God

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-26689240780893826262010-11-13T08:00:00.002-05:002010-11-13T08:00:00.651-05:00

The FathersSnug at the club two fathers sat, Gross, goggle-eyed, and full of chat. One of them said: ‘My eldest lad Writes cheery letters from Bagdad. But Arthur’s getting all the fun At Arras with his nine-inch gun.’ ‘Yes,’ wheezed the other, ‘that’s the luck! My boy’s quite broken-hearted, stuck In England training all this year. Still, if there’s truth in what we

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-12127350196207856252010-11-12T08:00:00.012-05:002010-11-12T08:00:11.532-05:00

Two friends and I made the trip up to New York City last weekend, for the GreenFlea Market at 77th and Columbus. The setting:Where furs go to Live Again. Or be Unalive Again? Zombie furs?I declined to purchase this little fellow. Yes, you are intended to wear him.Yarn!!! I don't even knit but I was tempted by the bright colors and the oh-so-soft textures. I have friends who knit....These

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-20117023255307568842010-11-11T08:00:00.002-05:002010-11-11T08:00:09.477-05:00

For The FallenWith proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,England mourns for her dead across the sea.Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,Fallen in the cause of the free.Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royalSings sorrow up into immortal spheres.There is music in the midst of desolationAnd a glory that shines upon our tears.They went with songs to the battle, they

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-6985297127420637802010-11-10T08:00:00.005-05:002010-11-10T09:36:15.881-05:00

I have purchased a Kindle! My first surprise, when I announced my purchase of an e-reader on Twitter, was how many people immediately demanded details. So I guess others have been pondering which e-reader, if any at all, just as much as I have.My decision was based on a whole string of factors including reviews, personal discussions, and, umm, me having a gift certificate.Before the actual

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-80164575908816009412010-11-09T08:00:00.004-05:002010-11-09T08:00:06.768-05:00

I've had people ask me why I think it's good to give out free books instead of selling them. Having been a reviewer, I know that regardless of my opinion on the matter, publishers want reviews and will send all kinds of things to reviewers in hope, even if the reviewer hasn't published a review in years. (Having served on an award jury, I also know that publicists will send books on the mere

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-87882238489557855942010-11-08T08:00:00.003-05:002010-11-08T08:00:13.349-05:00

I have received my author copies of The Duke & The Pirate Queen! Therefore, it is time for the Traditional Giving Away of A Signed Advance Copy.Comment on this post between now and midnight, U.S. Eastern Time, on November 14th. On Monday, November 15th, I'll use a randomizer to choose a winner and announce it in the blog.It's not required, but I'd appreciate it if your comment was amusing or

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-26827793117187677892010-11-07T08:00:00.002-05:002010-11-07T08:00:00.731-05:00

Wirers‘Pass it along, the wiring party’s going out’-- And yawning sentries mumble, ‘Wirers going out.’ Unravelling; twisting; hammering stakes with muffled thud, They toil with stealthy haste and anger in their blood. The Boche sends up a flare. Black forms stand rigid there,Stock-still like posts; then darkness, and the clumsy ghosts Stride hither and thither, whispering, tripped by

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-69450851150827403262010-11-06T08:00:00.002-04:002010-11-06T08:00:04.030-04:00

Break of DayThere seemed a smell of autumn in the air At the bleak end of night; he shivered there In a dank, musty dug-out where he lay, Legs wrapped in sand-bags,--lumps of chalk and clay Spattering his face. Dry-mouthed, he thought, ‘To-day We start the damned attack; and, Lord knows why, Zero’s at nine; how bloody if I’m done in Under the freedom of that morning sky!’ And then

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-25789281861229231712010-11-05T08:00:00.003-04:002010-11-05T08:00:13.445-04:00

I'm still--yes, still--thinking about getting an e-reader. As part of my decision-making process, I started thinking of why I would choose e-books over print, and vice versa.1. A good friend wrote the book. Then I might want the print version, so they could autograph it; particularly if it was their first book, which is special. However...I rarely read short stories, despite having piles of

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-39562713043934622492010-11-04T08:00:00.008-04:002010-11-04T08:00:08.095-04:00

I first met fantasy writer Shveta Thakrar when her writing group invited me to give a reading or talk about my writing. I chose to answer their questions about writing and my experiences with publishing, and a good time was had by all. My life is the richer for the friends I made that day.I was thinking about Shveta's journal recently as I gave advice to someone about their blog. Shveta

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-23563393348279045392010-11-03T08:00:00.005-04:002010-11-03T08:00:13.654-04:00

One of the reasons for my reading vacation was to refill my brain with stuff that I will, eventually, use to write. Letting new water seep into the well, as it were. Eventually, I will write again, and I don't want to have to dig that writing out of the dry and cracked ground of my brain with a pickaxe.(Another reason was that if I didn't get some hermit-time, I was going to start banging

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-37364960318248438452010-11-02T08:00:00.005-04:002010-11-02T08:00:02.397-04:00

...sounds naughty, doesn't it?It's been a while since I posted a linkgasm, and in keeping with my recent week of vacation, here are some fun websites.Paula's Art and Illustration includes links to a large number of Flickr groups for vintage photos and illustrations.Old Time Candy from the 1950s on. I haven't yet ordered anything from them, but I have been tempted. It could be research.Radio Guy

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-45210696251197748922010-11-01T08:30:00.003-04:002010-11-01T08:49:11.550-04:00

I had the most awesome vacation ever. Also, it was cheap!I traveled in my imagination, just like those library posters always told me I could. For an entire week, I did nothing much but read.I could very easily do it again. Right now.I began with White Cat by Holly Black, which I think is her best book so far (Though Valiant remains my favorite of her novels.) For such a short novel, it packs

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-43801678333376431882010-10-25T08:00:00.003-04:002010-10-25T08:00:01.355-04:00

I am on vacation this week, and so is my blog. (Its first vacation ever!)I'll resume posting on November 1. If all goes well, at some point during November, the blog will migrate to my website URL as part of the website reorganization. I'll put pointers here for a bit after that happens, so hopefully there won't be too much discombobulation.I'm not going anywhere in particular for my vacation,

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-11260329859135399462010-10-23T08:00:00.000-04:002010-10-23T08:00:00.648-04:00

Only a BocheWe brought him in from between the lines: we'd better have let him lie;For what's the use of risking one's skin for a tyke that's going to die?What's the use of tearing him loose under a gruelling fire,When he's shot in the head, and worse than dead, and all messed up on the wire?However, I say, we brought him in. Diable! The mud was bad;The trench was crooked and greasy and high, and

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-18988838117229111522010-10-22T08:00:00.003-04:002010-10-22T08:00:11.084-04:00

A friend knitted me these socks. I am so excited. For many months, it was only one sock (she has two small children, and I was impressed she even finished one of them). Then I mentioned my sock again, and she finished the other one. Aren't they beautiful?The socks are relevant because I plan to wear them while sitting at home writing. I think they will make me an absolutely brilliant

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-76390351241412963882010-10-21T08:00:00.000-04:002010-10-21T08:00:02.794-04:00

I could easily spend hours every day reading other people's blog posts. Plus, I'm always finding new blogs, often through interesting links I'm given on Twitter or LiveJournal. After a long weekend, where I may or may not have gone online, it gets worse.I add links to my blog reader probably a lot more often than is good for me. Luckily, not every blog has a new post every day, or even every

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-89876172175637484532010-10-20T08:00:00.000-04:002010-10-20T08:00:06.226-04:00

All of us are good at something. Sometimes the hard part is recognizing what we’re good at, and not only what we’re good at, but what we’re really good at. You can be good at a lot of things, but only one or two of those things sing.For a writer, fiction that sings is the fiction that engages and involves people on a deeper level than most of their everyday reading. Naturally, that varies

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-75952634366277709482010-10-19T08:00:00.004-04:002010-10-19T09:19:16.356-04:00

Behold! I have headshots! Well, really, head-and-torso-shots.Tell me in comments which one you like best, and why. Thanks!All photos by Kyle Cassidy.

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-8775925719257855642010-10-18T08:00:00.008-04:002010-10-18T09:12:27.795-04:00

Since I'm getting my website redone, I knew I had to have an author photo. I've been resisting this for a really long time, since I have chubby chipmunk cheeks and dimples and would much prefer to be dramatic, angular, and perhaps tubercularly pale in the fashion of a Romantic. Also, I tend to have frozen grins.However, needs must, and I did know a photographer in Philadelphia where I live.

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-43012124444365876962010-10-17T08:00:00.000-04:002010-10-17T08:00:01.049-04:00

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyondany experience,your eyes have their silence:in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,or which i cannot touch because they are too nearyour slightest look will easily unclose methough i have closed myself as fingers,you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens(touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first roseor if your wish be to

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-19813077388644806272010-10-16T08:00:00.000-04:002010-10-16T08:00:04.512-04:00

Preparations For VictoryMy soul, dread not the pestilence that hags The valley; flinch not you, my body young. At these great shouting smokes and snarling jags Of fiery iron; as yet may not be flung The dice that claims you. Manly move amongThese ruins, and what you must do, do well; Look, here are gardens, there mossed boughs are hung With apples who bright cheeks none might excel, And there's a

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-80021213605661734252010-10-15T08:00:00.006-04:002010-10-15T08:00:12.481-04:00

The time always comes when I have to make new writing goals, but I never like it. Right now, since I'm not under contract, I am at looser ends than usual.My "business" goals are pretty well laid out for right now. I'm getting my author photo done, and my website re-design is in progress, and I've already set up a dozen or so guest blogs in conjunction with the release of my next novel, The Duke

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-59585606661335199162010-10-14T08:00:00.000-04:002010-10-14T08:00:03.364-04:00

My website's makeover is in progress. The hard part, for me, was telling the designer what I want. I'm not that great with visual stuff and when I organize things, they tend to spiral on and on and on rather being laid out in tidy grids. Luckily for me, the designer had a questionnaire for me to fill out.It's much easier for me to formulate my website ideas around what I like and dislike

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-62162297251257293122010-10-13T08:00:00.005-04:002010-10-13T08:54:07.058-04:00

The 2008 adaptation of Persuasion is good so far as it goes, but it doesn't go very far.Though the acting is excellent, and the settings very historical and scenic, it felt like the postcard version of the novel. It's only ninety minutes long, which explains a lot. The adaptation focuses on the romance between Anne and Frederick and the rest of the characters fade into shallow background, a

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-72374561721046785392010-10-12T08:00:00.003-04:002010-10-12T09:44:20.270-04:00

Sometimes I read while I'm exercising. Usually, it's an article or newsletter I've printed out, so I can discard the pages into recycling when I'm done. Occasionally, I read a magazine, particularly thin ones like the SFWA Bulletin, because they're easy to fold flat.I've noticed that the elliptical trainers at my gym have little ledges that look broad enough to support a Kindle or other

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-13122843796079412162010-10-11T08:00:00.003-04:002010-10-11T08:21:20.900-04:00

I'm a guest poster today at the Novelists, Inc. Blog on "For Love or Money?"Please drop by and check it out!

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-39381852701964622062010-10-10T08:00:00.000-04:002010-10-10T08:00:05.803-04:00

Between the LinesWhen consciousness came back, he found he layBetween the opposing fires, but could not tellOn which hand were his friends; and either wayFor him to turn was chancy--bullet and shellWhistling and shrieking over him, as the glareOf searchlights scoured the darkness to blind day.He scrambled to his hands and knees ascare,Dragging his wounded foot through puddled clay,And tumbled in

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-19493968303245561232010-10-09T08:00:00.000-04:002010-10-09T08:00:05.571-04:00

Lights OutI have come to the borders of sleep,The unfathomable deepForest where all must loseTheir way, however straight,Or winding, soon or late;They cannot choose.Many a road and trackThat, since the dawn's first crack,Up to the forest brink,Deceived the travellers,Suddenly now blurs,And in they sink.Here love ends,Despair, ambition ends,All pleasure and all trouble,Although most sweet or

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-62504419547687772382010-10-08T08:00:00.002-04:002010-10-08T08:00:03.356-04:00

Please welcome my guest, Janet Mullany!#IMMORTAL JANEHe released her hands and stood. “Consider, Jane. You’ll marry some bore of a country gentleman who’ll kill you in childbed and who won’t want a bookish wife anyway. Perhaps you’ll stay a spinster and lose your bloom and die young of some disease they’ll find an easy cure for in a hundred years or so. Or you’ll see your sister die first.”“Now

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-59488258488508701362010-10-07T08:00:00.003-04:002010-10-07T08:00:09.315-04:00

I adore looking at old photographs, particularly photographs of people.I found this one on the web. It's of actress Marjorie Day. There's not a lot of information about her out there that I was able to find on a cursory search. But for my purposes, that doesn't really matter.I feel like I know her from the photo, in a different way than knowing facts, in a kind of abstract way. It's a casual

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-86366414308431615392010-10-06T08:00:00.003-04:002010-10-06T08:00:11.765-04:00

Recently, I decided to experiment with Smashwords and Kindle publishing. So far, I much prefer the interface and FAQs on Smashwords, though I've been told most people sell more copies through Kindle.For my experimental book, I compiled all of my lesbian erotica that was also speculative fiction (some science fiction, some fantasy). All of these stories were originally in print.Here's the result

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-30583673980774599312010-10-05T08:00:00.005-04:002010-10-05T08:00:06.454-04:00

The Mammoth Book of Threesomes and Moresomes, edited by Linda Alvarez, releases today in the U.S.!(My contributor's copy has a different cover than the one shown on Amazon. Not sure why.)It includes one of my favorites of my own stories, "The Magnificent Threesome." One day, I want to write more about those characters. There are a few classic Western plot elements I wasn't able to include in

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-73913127618944749232010-10-04T08:00:00.002-04:002010-10-04T08:00:12.686-04:00

I am sure there must be at least a few writers who've never been rejected, but I'm equally sure they're the exceptions that prove the rule. It's part of being a writer. If you don't submit your work, it can't be rejected; but if you don't submit your work, it can't be accepted, either. It's important to remember that even when you're feeling especially crushed.Every submission is a risk, even

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-20456748708670241162010-10-03T08:00:00.000-04:002010-10-03T08:00:02.845-04:00

As the Team's Head-BrassAs the team's head-brass flashed out on the turn The lovers disappeared into the wood. I sat among the boughs of the fallen elm That strewed the angle of the fallow, and Watched the plough narrowing a yellow square Of charlock. Every time the horses turned Instead of treading me down, the ploughman leaned Upon the handles to say or ask a word, About the weather, next about

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-24545576324249664142010-10-02T08:00:00.000-04:002010-10-02T08:00:02.420-04:00

Eyes in the AirOur guns are a league behind us, our target a mile below,And there's never a cloud to blind us from the haunts of our lurking foe--Sunk pit whence his shrapnel tore us, support-trench crest concealed,As clear as the charts before us, his ramparts lie revealed.His panicked watchers spy us, a droning threat in the void;Their whistling shells outfly us--puff upon puff, deployedAcross

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-74501775374588871232010-10-01T08:00:00.005-04:002010-10-01T08:00:00.835-04:00

Telepathy and romance are two great tastes that ought to taste great together. So why is it that, so often, a telepathic heroine or hero--finds true love with the one person whose mind can't be read?It's part of a romance novel's plot, of course, for a couple to get to know each other better. There need to be obstacles in the way. If one person can read the other's mind, a lot of the tension

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-12984424741140001772010-09-30T08:00:00.001-04:002010-09-30T08:00:00.471-04:00

What do you look for in a romance heroine? Or the heroine of a space opera, or of a quest fantasy? What kind of heroine always makes you want to read further?Does she need to be an orphan, or have a big happy family, or a mean and awful family?Should her eyes be amethyst or only ever brown? Can she ever be conventionally beautiful?Is she spunky? Angry? Sweet? Cynical? Kickass?Can she physically

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-85444217265269684282010-09-29T08:00:00.005-04:002010-09-29T08:00:03.921-04:00

What does it mean, to be a man? To be masculine? What does it mean to be a man who is the hero of a romance novel?Romance readers, including me, often talk about "alpha" or "beta" heroes as two generalized types. The alpha can be seen as a protector and/or a provider (rich in money or at least in skills) as well as a person with a need to dominate a relationship, or at least romantic

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-69102671435027523632010-09-28T08:00:00.004-04:002010-09-28T08:00:00.883-04:00

How's that for a pretentious title? But aren't all writers, really, their own muses? It's sort of in how you talk about it. Some personify, and talk about their "muse" as if it's something/someone outside of them. Others, like me, feel the "muse" is internal, ideas cooked up by the subconscious.When I think about writing and inspiration, I go around and around in my opinions. (It's one thing

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-59460773221873524812010-09-27T08:00:00.004-04:002010-09-27T08:00:03.304-04:00

The Duke and the Pirate Queen is now available on NetGalley if you're a reviewer who's registered with the site. If you're just curious about the service, here's the FAQ.Excerpt from the opening chapter.Second excerpt.Third excerpt.Fourth excerpt.Amazon link for pre-order.

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-64729550875124819552010-09-26T08:00:00.000-04:002010-09-26T08:00:04.741-04:00

Retreat Broken, bewildered by the long retreat Across the stifling leagues of southern plain, Across the scorching leagues of trampled grain, Half-stunned, half-blinded, by the trudge of feet And dusty smother of the AugustHe dreamt of flowers in an English lane, Of hedgerow flowers glistening after rain-- All-heal and willow-herb and meadow-sweet. All-heal and willow-herb and meadow-sweet-- The

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-84421472615033024592010-09-25T08:00:00.000-04:002010-09-25T08:00:02.750-04:00

The Zonnebeke RoadMorning, if this late withered light can claimSome kindred with that merry flameWhich the young day was wont to fling through space!Agony stares from each grey face.And yet the day is come; stand down! stand down!Your hands unclasp from rifles while you can;The frost has pierced them to the bended bone?Why see old Stevens there, that iron man,Melting the ice to shave his

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-80812020451449152852010-09-24T08:00:00.003-04:002010-09-24T08:00:05.814-04:00

Back when I wrote a lot more short stories, I used to use each one as an opportunity for experimentation. This was partly because I feel experimentation is one of the best ways to improve your writing, and partly so I wouldn't get bored.I experimented with different aspects of craft and character. I wrote a story in first-person. I wrote stories in second-person present tense. I tried out a

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-9858697277113792702010-09-23T08:00:00.001-04:002010-09-23T08:00:01.840-04:00

The Ursula LeGuin Festschrift, produced last year for her 80th birthday in an edition of one, will be coming out in print for the rest of us October 21, which happens to be Ursula LeGuin's 81st birthday.You can pre-order (at a 25% discount) here.Contributions include fiction from John Kessel, Andrea Hairston, Sheree Renee Thomas, Ama Patterson, and Pan Morigan, and essays and poetry from Richard

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-72441270421923503052010-09-22T08:00:00.005-04:002010-09-22T08:00:16.183-04:00

I recently read a contemporay romance and got into a brief discussion about the sex scenes.I'd been perfectly comfortable with the amount of sex that was shown. The story focused on the two characters' relationship issues and issues that were them versus society; basically, Love Against the Odds. So far as sex went, they didn't really have any issues. They were physically compatible from the

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-3795019468772007432010-09-21T08:00:00.001-04:002010-09-21T08:00:00.497-04:00

I'm not as dedicated to marketing my books as many advisors recommend, but I invest some effort because I can't resist the idea that I can find more readers. In particular, I hope to find readers who have never heard of me and who wouldn't necessarily search for a Harlequin Spice novel; readers who might not even know the Spice line exists. Specifically, I felt I had to market because I thought

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-25223325580666683592010-09-20T08:00:00.000-04:002010-09-20T08:00:13.846-04:00

Before I wrote The Duke and the Pirate Queen, I didn't realize quite how many websites existed about pirates, especially pirates from the 1600s through around 1720, particularly in the Caribbean. That's the most common idea most people have of pirates, based on movies and novels such as Treasure Island.Because I was writing a fantasy, I was able to use a mixture of ideas about "classic" pirates

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-72379910912599372592010-09-19T08:00:00.000-04:002010-09-19T08:00:01.438-04:00

Breakfast We ate our breakfast lying on our backs, Because the shells were screeching overhead. I bet a rasher to a loaf of bread That Hull United would beat Halifax When Jimmy Strainthorpe played full-back instead Of Billy Bradford. Ginger raised his head And cursed, and took the bet; and dropt back dead. We ate our breakfast lying on our backs, Because the shells were screeching overhead. --

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-42222419017471839872010-09-18T08:00:00.000-04:002010-09-18T08:00:05.398-04:00

A PrivateThis ploughman dead in battle slept out of doors Many's a frozen night, and merrily Answered staid drinkers, good bedmen, and all bores: 'At Mrs Greenland's Hawthorn Bush,' said he, 'I slept.' None knew which bush. Above the town, Beyond 'The Drover', a hundred spot the down In Wiltshire. And where now at last he sleeps More sound in France--that, too, he secret keeps. --Edward Thomas

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-52295090565067973622010-09-17T08:00:00.005-04:002010-09-17T08:45:13.703-04:00

I'm a guest poster today at the Novelists, Inc. Blog on "The Art of Letting Go."Please drop by and check it out!And a Public Service Message:"Call for Manuscripts - Journal of American Culture Special Issue: Love and Romance in American CultureIdeas of romantic love suffuse our lives and guide our emotional experiences and behaviors. Romance comes in various forms of romantic entertainment--books

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-17010723596386846812010-09-16T08:00:00.003-04:002010-09-16T08:00:10.843-04:00

Have you ever done one of those writing exercises to make you think more about using all your senses in your writing?I've at least tried some, but I get bored pretty quickly with exercises, so instead I steal the ideas and try to use them in my normal writing.One thing I feel strongly is that it's not necessary to use every sense in every bit of description. For some writers that may be a

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-21611426807985178422010-09-15T08:00:00.001-04:002010-09-15T08:00:07.337-04:00

Please welcome my guest, Louisa Edwards!#When I sat down to write Just One Taste, I had only one thought in mind: I want to write about a nerd. And not a nerdy hero, either--I wanted my heroine to be a first class, grade A+++, Wookie-loving, Magic card-carrying friend of Buffy. If you know what I mean, and I think you do.Oh, I had justifications. I wanted to play with themes of emotional

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-22289439526042402032010-09-14T08:00:00.003-04:002010-09-14T08:00:08.701-04:00

After I learned the novel I'd been working on had been cancelled, I went with friends to Longwood Gardens and spent a gorgeous, idyllic afternoon and evening there.

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-24024043612450389732010-09-13T08:00:00.003-04:002010-09-13T08:00:05.863-04:00

What are some common themes of steampunk fiction? (If you have suggestions, please comment!)I'm thinking along these lines:Punk, to me, at base means rebellion against an establishment. Because steampunk is influenced by the culture of Victorian England, I also feel there needs to be some kind of commentary on colonialism and empires, and on class divides. Looking at these issues through a "

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-31501639593398653502010-09-12T08:00:00.001-04:002010-09-12T08:00:08.878-04:00

The JokeHe'd even have his joke While we were sitting tight, And so he needs must poke His silly head in sight To whisper some new jestChortling. But as he spoke A rifle cracked-- And now God knows when I shall hear the rest!--Wilfrid Wilson Gibson

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-11555037678747108462010-09-11T08:00:00.000-04:002010-09-11T08:00:02.959-04:00

Gone, Gone AgainGone, gone again, May, June, July, And August gone, Again gone by, Not memorable Save that I saw them go, As past the empty quays The rivers flow. And now again, In the harvest rain, The Blenheim oranges Fall grubby from the trees As when I was young And when the lost one was here And when the war began To turn young men to dung. Look at the old house, Outmoded, dignified, Dark

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-70734628850717755622010-09-10T08:00:00.003-04:002010-09-10T11:01:25.839-04:00

There are various schools of thought about adding historical detail to fiction. Sometimes you want more detail, sometimes less; partly, that depends on the book's genre. For example, in a Tom Clancy novel such as The Hunt for Red October, there is a lot--a lot--of detail about nuclear submarines. But if you're reading that book, it's likely that one of the reasons is because of all that lovely

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-88469767995057805182010-09-09T08:00:00.003-04:002010-09-09T08:00:00.997-04:00

I've begun basic research on the history of the American West for a western steampunk novel. My book isn't going to be a historical, but I want it to be informed by history and in dialogue with history.I chose Frontiers: A Short History of the American West as my basic overview book.The Encyclopedia of North American Indians: Native American History, Culture, and Life From Paleo-Indians to the

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-27011421841814790042010-09-08T08:00:00.001-04:002010-09-08T08:00:06.770-04:00

If you've never been to New York City before, and if you're debating whether or not to attend the 2011 RWA National Conference in New York City, here are some of my thoughts.Because the city is a major destination, it might be easier to find cheap flights; if you live in an area where it's possible, it's also very easy to take the train to Penn Station, which is close to the conference hotel.

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-67818909671817779442010-09-07T09:16:00.002-04:002010-09-07T09:20:26.877-04:00

I'm sorry to announce that the steampunk Western novel for Spice has been cancelled.I'm not sure if I will continue to work on that project for another possible publisher, or work on something else entirely, since I have a number of different projects clamoring for my attention.I'll post when I've decided.

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-10427748680899267802010-09-07T08:00:00.001-04:002010-09-07T08:00:02.516-04:00

Today, some recent steampunk novels.Caveat - I have not yet read any of these books, but I've been collecting them for my To Be Read pile. Suggestions welcome if you have them! Please refrain from spoilers in the comments.The Native Star by M.K. Hobson. "The year is 1876. In the small Sierra Nevada settlement of Lost Pine, the town witch, Emily Edwards, is being run out of business by an

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-80750195167002170652010-09-06T08:00:00.001-04:002010-09-06T08:00:03.062-04:00

This post was originally written for The Naughty Girls Next Door. Since then, I learned from author Michelle Styles in a comment to that post that Harlequin Mills & Boon has been seeking out unusual historicals, publishing one a month - so there's a market right there! You can check out her comment in more detail here.Here's the original post:And now for something completely different.A

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-37329471841128566732010-09-03T08:00:00.003-04:002010-09-03T08:00:12.662-04:00

A friend of mine is providing me with quite a lot of her own time and energy to help me with promotion for The Duke & The Pirate Queen. Recently, we met for lunch a couple of times and she, who once worked as a journalist, walked me through an outline she'd created, of things she saw as easy opportunities for book promotion.She has a lot more confidence in me than I do. Which is one of the

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-5492839581583974702010-09-02T08:00:00.000-04:002010-09-02T08:00:09.017-04:00

Back when I first posted about promotional bookmarks and postcards for The Duke & The Pirate Queen, I promised to give an update on how it was going. So, here's how it's going...sort of.I don't actually know yet how it's going. I carried quantities of the bookmarks and postcards with me to the RWA conference and to Readercon, and left them on the freebie tables. People took them. I had taken

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-23500143673646559542010-09-01T08:00:00.004-04:002010-09-01T08:00:02.501-04:00

I think genre fiction is the highest form of literature. I really do. If "highest" means most important to humanity. How's that for a sweeping claim? Romance, fantasy, mystery, and science fiction. Those are the highest literature out there.For one thing, look at history. Today, Dickens is "literature." To contemporary readers, he was cheap "escapist" entertainment. So longevity, I feel,

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-43802656145555841572010-08-31T08:00:00.007-04:002010-08-31T08:00:06.699-04:00

I like playing with the tracking on my blog sometimes. Here are the most popular posts on this blog, by month, for 2010 so far. It's very interesting to see which posts seem to be of more general interest.January: Tell Not Show, a writing craft post.February: My Favorite Girls Dressed As Boys (Fantasy Edition), which continues to get visits along with its companion post from September 2009,

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-74508812649841035762010-08-30T08:00:00.001-04:002010-08-30T08:00:03.818-04:00

One of my favorite pithy sayings about writing is “ass in chair, fingers on keyboard.” It’s short and to the point. Unless you write standing up, or perhaps sitting on a rubber doughnut, it’s pretty standard for a writer to sit in a chair and write. You can’t write while roaming the streets or hurtling off a diving board or driving, or rather you shouldn’t because that could lead to

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-87248891477007280902010-08-29T08:00:00.001-04:002010-08-29T08:00:00.363-04:00

Barbury Camp We burrowed night and day with tools of lead,Heaped the bank up and cast it in a ringAnd hurled the earth above. And Caesar said,“Why, it is excellent. I like the thing.”We, who are dead,Made it, and wrought, and Caesar liked the thing.And here we strove, and here we felt each veinIce-bound, each limb fast-frozen, all night long.And here we held communion with the rainThat lashed us

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-7617470546343778372010-08-28T08:00:00.000-04:002010-08-28T08:00:02.263-04:00

After The BombingMy hesitant design it was, in a time when no man feared,To make a poem on the last poor flower to have grown on the patch of landWhere since a gray enormous stack of shops and offices rearedIts bulk as though to eternity there to stand.Moreover I dreamed of a lyrical verse to welcome another flower,The first to blow on that hidden sites when the concrete block should ceaseGorging

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-57306873976770516772010-08-27T08:00:00.000-04:002010-08-27T08:00:14.341-04:00

I actually stole this topic from a discussion I read...somewhere, a while back. The question was, "when do you stop researching?" I have two answers.My first answer is never. You never stop researching because everything you read or look at might eventually find its way into your fiction. If you stop researching, I think your stories can grow stagnant.My second answer is to stop when you have

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-35377485413552089332010-08-26T08:00:00.003-04:002010-08-26T08:00:04.816-04:00

I'm in the early stages of creating a world in which a steampunk Western can take place. Here are some of the questions I'm asking myself. Some of them I answered promptly; some of them I'm still pondering.1. Alternate history or alternate world fantasy? How close will my world be to the "real" world? Is geography the same as in the real world?2. Overall mood: is it utopic, dystopic, or

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-1549580253955875512010-08-25T08:00:00.008-04:002010-08-25T08:00:04.803-04:00

It's been an eventful couple of weeks for me.For the last few months I've been working on a sequel to my World War One werewolf novel, but my next published novel for Spice will be a different project instead: a steampunk Western. The tentative release date is spring/summer 2012.I don't have a title yet, but I do have characters! The men include a Native American scientist who's also a bit of

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-72702068871780312282010-08-24T08:00:00.005-04:002010-08-24T08:00:08.786-04:00

French soldiers with a bicycle.A bicycle ambulance.Belgian soldiers on motorcycles.

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-57161516038214121722010-08-23T08:00:00.003-04:002010-08-23T08:49:34.624-04:00

I'm a guest poster today at the Novelists, Inc. Blog on "I Like Being Reviewed. Really."Please drop by and check it out!

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-85396617992000797912010-08-22T08:00:00.000-04:002010-08-22T08:00:02.509-04:00

Hill-bornI sometimes wonder if it's really true I ever knew Another life Than this unending strife With unseen enemies in lowland mud;And wonder if my blood Thrilled ever to the tune Of clean winds blowing through an April noon Mile after sunny mile On the green ridges of the Windy Gile.--Wilfrid Wilson Gibson

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-36473951200067398812010-08-21T08:00:00.001-04:002010-08-21T08:00:00.486-04:00

Such, Such Is DeathSuch, 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 who have seenSo marvellous things know well the end not yet.Victor and vanquished are a-one in death:Coward and brave: friend, foe. Ghosts do not say,"Come, what was your record

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-83553121421698156152010-08-20T08:00:00.003-04:002010-08-20T08:00:01.871-04:00

And now for something completely different!I thought I'd share a few of my favorite MP3 music blogs. It was hard, but I limited myself to five.1. The Hype Machine is a blog aggregator - it's a great place to find links to a huge range of music blogs.2. Motel de Moka has long been one of my favorite music blogs. Posts are organized into playlists, usually by mood or theme. The bloggers choose

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3028237754277930313.post-36462006081033822512010-08-19T08:00:00.002-04:002010-08-19T08:00:02.226-04:00

I read about a workshop at the RWA Conference whose topic, I think, was writing for women versus writing for men. I didn't attend, so the actual title didn't stick in my mind. However, it sparked thoughts, and I of course had to pour those thoughts into a blog post. With a hot picture of Josephine Baker wearing a top hat.I write for women. At least I think I do. The line that publishes my

Victoria Janssenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259793807283856761noreply@blogger.com4