Victoria Janssen's Blog, page 95
June 4, 2010
Linkgasm of Writerly Business
It's been a while since I had a Linkgasm! Today's is concerned with the business side of writing.io9 on "5 Ways The Google Book Settlement Will Change The Future of Reading".Kristine Kathryn Rusch, who's written in a range of genres, has created an in-depth Freelancer's Survival Guide that all writers, full-time or not, ought to visit and browse.Courtney Milan, romance author, crafted a program
June 3, 2010
May-Ten-Centuries-Back Vampire Romance
The May/December romance is one thing. The May/Ten Centuries Back romance is quite another.It's always disturbed me a little that vampire heroes in romance are so often much older than their heroines. When the heroine is not only not immortal but young for a human, it's even harder to convince me that they could have anything in common. Perhaps that's why writers sometimes rely on strong
June 2, 2010
Roll Your Own - Anna Katherine Guest Post
Please welcome my guest, Anna Katherine!#Roll Your OwnOne of the biggest issues with writing any paranormal beastie is the need to bring something new to the table. With everybody writing about vampires these days, why should someone want to read about yours? Let's say you want to make your vampires stand out from the pack by being different from your everyday Count Dracula stereotype. Where do
June 1, 2010
Vulnerable Vampires
I would love to see vampire heroes and heroines who are more vulnerable, even, than ordinary humans. I know most readers don't want to see that, but I do. Vulnerability is what draws me to a character. I want them to be in trouble so I can become involved as they struggle to get out of trouble.The vampire novels I enjoy aren't any different. If the vampire is all-powerful, I can't get
May 31, 2010
Wherefore the Poppy?
Decoration Day, renamed Memorial Day beginning in 1882, was first celebrated in the United States following the Civil War; it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military. One of the most famous parts of Memorial Day, however, arose during World War One.The practice of red poppies on Memorial Day originated in 1918 with Moina Michael, who was inspired by Canadian John McCrae's
May 30, 2010
"Cramped in that Funnelled Hole," Wilfred Owen
Cramped in that Funnelled HoleCramped in that funnelled hole, they watched the dawnOpen a jagged rim around; a yawnOf death's jaws, which had all but swallowed themStuck in the bottom of his throat of phlegm.They were in one of many mouths of HellNot seen of seers in visions, only feltAs teeth of traps; when bones and the dead are smeltUnder the mud where long ago they fellMixed with the sour
May 29, 2010
Booths at BEA10
These are some of the more visually interesting booths I saw at BEA 2010.
May 28, 2010
More BEA 2010 Photos
The Image Comics booth.Osprey Books! I used many titles from their "Men-at-Arms" series for World War One research. I, umm, visited them twice. A sales and marketing person found me (and my uses for their books) quite amusing, I think. Since their main audience is usually wargamers and historical reenactors.Upcoming books from Small Beer Press. The Kathe Koja historical is out in October.
May 27, 2010
Final BEA 2010 Report
Today I had the happiness of introducing people to each other because they ought to have known one another already but didn't. (I think I got those tenses right...I'm really tired!) I first met up with erotica writer Sacchi Green, whom I met many years ago at a reading for Best Lesbian Erotica, in which we both had stories. We wandered the floor and I got to see things from a different
BEA 2010 Pictures, Thursday
Sculpture of a typewriter. I think it was the Abrams booth.Poster for Lucienne Diver's new book Revamped.Delia Sherman and publisher Gavin Grant of Small Beer Press, signing copies of Interfictions 2 in the autograph area. The chutes are less scary when friends are at the end of them!Cecilia Tan with some of her upcoming books from Red Wheel.
