Victoria Janssen's Blog, page 74

Research Mashups

This post was originally written for Risky Regencies.

The Duke and the Pirate Queen isn't a historical. However, it is set in a fantasy world, and I've often noted that my approach to creating a fantasy world is very similar to the way I research to write a historical novel. The difference is in the variety of sources I feed into my brain. My subconscious, which I call my "backbrain," assimilates all the information and, hopefully, leaves me with an idea of a world that holds together like ...

The World Beyond the Story

This post was originally written for Ella Drake's blog.



The Duke and the Pirate Queen is set in a fantasy world that's based on all kinds of elements taken from our own world. Maxime's duchy is a Mediterranean-esque land with aspects of several centuries and countries.

Imena comes from an empire that's very loosely based on fifteenth-century China–I say "loosely" because though I read Gavin Menzies' 1421: The Year China Discovered America, no specific facts from it made their way into the ...

Writing Explicitly

This post was originally written for Kate Elliott's blog.



I think there are several keys to writing good explicit sex scenes. The first is to give up any pretense of hiding yourself. You can't hide from the reader, and you most especially can't hide from yourself.

By the way, it doesn't matter if you've never done the thing you're writing about and never intend to do it. What matters is what you think and feel about the action you're depicting. Writing, in some ways, works on the brain ...

Siegfried Sassoon, "Together"

Together

Splashing along the boggy woods all day,
And over brambled hedge and holding clay,
I shall not think of him:
But when the watery fields grow brown and dim,
And hounds have lost their fox, and horses tire,
I know that he'll be with me on my way
Home through the darkness to the evening fire.
He's jumped each stile along the glistening lanes;
His hand will be upon the mud-soaked reins;
Hearing the saddle creak,
He'll wonder if the frost will come next week.
I shall forget him in the morning light;

Siegfried Sassoon, "To Any Dead Officer"

To Any Dead Officer

Well, how are things in Heaven? I wish you'd say,

Because I'd like to know that you're all right.

Tell me, have you found everlasting day,

Or been sucked in by everlasting night?

For when I shut my eyes your face shows plain;

I hear you make some cheery old remark–

I can rebuild you in my brain,

Though you've gone out patrolling in the dark.

You hated tours of trenches; you were proud
Of nothing more than having good years to spend;
Longed to get home and join...

"Satisfying Endings" Guest Post

It's the end–I think–of my blog "tour" in celebration of this month's launch of The Duke and The Pirate Queen. The last stop is Shelley Munro's Blog where I'm talking about, appropriately, "Satisfying Endings."

Stop by and let me know what you think!

(The shark pirate figurine is one of three "mutant pirates" that live atop my dresser. He tries to look mean, but he's really quite sweet! Look at his little shark-shaped sword! And I love his snazzy buccaneer boots.)

Pirate Appeal

I've been thinking a lot lately about the appeal of pirates, particularly in romance novels. Pirates seem to hold a special place in the genre, at least among heroes, along with The Rake or The Highlander.

My theory (I always have a theory!) is that for pirates, their transgression is what appeals. Transgression is important, I feel, in romantic/sexual fantasies. Being allowed to transgress boundaries, even in fantasy, significantly affects our thoughts and feelings about those boundaries i...

"The Lotus Eaters" guest post

There's a (new) excerpt from The Duke and the Pirate Queen posted at RT Book Reviews. There's also a message from the author. Which is me.

And I'm posting about "The Lotus Eaters" and The Duke and The Pirate Queen at Stephanie Draven's Blog.

Excerpt from "The Lotos-Eaters" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson:

…And round about the keel with faces pale,
Dark faces pale against that rosy flame,
The mild-eyed melancholy Lotos-eaters came.
Branches they bore of that enchanted stem,
Laden with flower and fruit...

Book Launch Picspam – The Duke & The Pirate Queen

My friend L. threw my book launch party for me; I had very little to do aside from buying beverages and helping to set up. Her 6 year old daughter Geeklet (not her real name!) drew me a picture of a gorgeously dressed pirate queen with tattooed scalp, an octopus pirate (you can tell by the eyepatch) and, coincidentally since she didn't know the book's title, a duck (she likes ducks). So my next novel should clearly be The Duck and The Pirate Queen.

I had the picture on my signing table, but ...

"Researching Asian Pirates" Guest Post

I'm visiting Jeannie Lin's Blog today to chat about "Researching Asian Pirates," which was a tricky thing to do since I'm only fluent in reading English. I'm still looking for additional sources for future projects. Please drop by and comment!