Victoria Janssen's Blog, page 123

Sale!

I've sold a short--very short--story reprint to editor Alison Tyler for a Harlequin Spice anthology titled Alison's Wonderland. The theme is modern day fairy tales. Here's the table of contents:The Red Shoes (Redux) by Nikki MagennisFool's Gold by Shanna GermainThe Three Billys by Sommer MarsdenDavid by Kristina LloydManagers and Mermen by Donna George StoreyThe Clean-Shaven Type by N.T.

Caroline Stevermer Guest Post - Digging for the Metaphor

Please welcome my guest, Caroline Stevermer!#I'm Caroline Stevermer. In addition to A College of Magics and A Scholar of Magics, both available from Tor's Starscape imprint, I've collaborated with Patricia C. Wrede on Sorcery and Cecilia, The Grand Tour, and The Mislaid Magician, all from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. (Their mass-market paperback line is Graphia.) Readers of the Kate and Cecy books

Extract from the diary of Edward Thomas, 23 February 1917

Extract from the diary of Edward Thomas:23 February 1917Chaffinch sang once. Another dull cold day. Inspected stables, checked inventory of new billet for men in Rue Jeanne d'Arc, went with Colonel round 244, 141 and 234 positions and O.P. in Achicourt. Afternoon maps. Partridges twanging in fields. Flooded fields by stream between the 2 sides of Achicourt. ruined churches, churchyard and railway

Moonlight Mistress excerpt - Setting

My offering is from Moonlight Mistress, out December 2009 from Harlequin Spice.Today's excerpt is all about the setting. It's the beginning of World War One, and Lucilla has joined a new hospital as a nurse. Ths hospital is being housed in a building that used to be a casino.#The first days were all hard work, such hard work that Lucilla fell into her bed each night already nearly asleep from

Excerpt: The Duke and the Pirate Queen

I don't normally post excerpts from works in progress, but I decided it wasn't fair that only the male protagonist appeared in my previous sample from The Duke and the Pirate Queen.#A few minutes later, Imena hailed a pony-cab and gave Sanji's address. She leaned back in the padded seat and closed her eyes, forcing herself to replace Maxime's image in her mind with Sanji's. It was more

Book Collection Blues

I'm determined to cull my books. The problem is, many of the books I would likely cull are in boxes, stored away to make room for newer books on the shelves and in the, er, more accessible boxes. And the little piles here and there, of books for which I haven't yet found spaces. (I almost typed "for whom." Which tells you something about me and books.)Notice I said nothing about not buying

My Favorite Westerns - Books, Movies, Television

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. It doesn't get much better than that.Novel:The Jump-Off Creek, Molly Gloss. Unrelentingly realistic and beautifully written, to boot.Honorable Mention to Ledoyt by

Lucienne Diver Guest Post - Agent And Author

Please welcome my guest, Lucienne Diver!#The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbinsby Lucienne DiverDo you remember growing up reading the Seuss story The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins? Well, young master Cubbins has me beat, but only by about 497 hats. I wear at least three: agent, author, mom. Wife fits in there somewhere. And sun-worshipper. Beader, scrapbooker, house-cleaner,

About Business Cards

I've only been involved in romance author forums for about a year and a half, but during that time, the topic of business cards seems to come up every month or so.I'm of two minds about them. First, they're an expense, so getting them free is a good thing. Vistaprint is a popular source for these; so long as you don't add extras (all of which are presented to you), you're only paying for

Montreal's Botanical Gardens

My friend and I spent five and a half hours at the Botanical Gardens on Montreal. Hopefully, these pictures will help explain why.