I've been interviewed by Mad Scientist Journal, publishers of the upcoming Battling in All Her Finery anthology. Features a dashing picture of me in a hat.
http://madscientistjournal.org/2018/07/an-interview-with-jennifer-lee-rossman/
Also, this is the first time I've called myself autistic in an interview.
I haven't been officially diagnosed, and that isn't likely to happen because there are a lot of systemic barriers in place for adults who can't travel to bigger towns with specialists, but my therapist and I are pretty sure I'm somewhere on the autistic spectrum.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Review: Brave New Girls: Tales of Heroines Who Hack
Brave New Girls: Tales of Heroines Who Hack by Paige DanielsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have a story in this huge anthology (seriously -- it's the thickest book on my shelf, well worth the price in weight alone), but I'm going to review each story as unbiasedly as I can.
THE ALCHEMIST’S DAUGHTER by Selenia Paz
Well, you all know I love Ada Lovelace, and putting her in an alchemy murder mystery? Perfection!
THE ALTERED AVATAR by Mary Fan
I love a murder mystery, and this one set in an augmented reality game was so fun!
ATTACK ON AEGIS by Paige Daniels
Fun superhero story set in the 90s. The story didn't really grab me, but I enjoyed all the references to my childhood. I miss Palm Pilots...
BECOMING A WORLD BUILDER by Valerie Hunter
I didn't love the ableism coming from the bad guys, but the story itself is very accepting. I really identified with the way the main character pretended to be the "stronger" women in her life but struggled with finding the strength in herself.
DATA RECOVERY by Nicholas Jennings
Remember that episode of Magic Schoolbus where they go into the computer? It's that, but with more gummy worms!
DISCORD ON HARMONIA by M.L.D. Curelas
I wish this one was longer because I want to know more about this world.
THE EXPERIMENT CALLED LIFE by Halli Gomez
LOVE LOVE LOVE this one! I don't have Tourette's, but I identify so strongly with Gemma not fitting in.
FALSE MESSIAHS: A ROBOT REPAIR GIRL ADVENTURE by Josh Pritchett
Very interesting premise but I wasn't super into the story, maybe because I haven't read all the stories in the series.
IMPOSSIBLE ODDS by A.A. Jankiewicz
Military sci-fi isn't really my thing, but I like this. It's like if Ender's Game was actually enjoyable.
IN CYBERIA, AVATAR CONTROLS YOU by Jeremy Rodden
I found the treatment of the "vegetables" kind of offensive. I don't think that's an appropriate term for people in vegetative states, nor do I think they were beyond saving. I would have LOVED the story if Carrot was the hero. That being said, very Matrix-esque and a surprising twist.
IN THE SHADOW OF ZYRCON by Joanna Schurman
Has a kind of Firefly feel, but with gay girls and disability rep! I want more adventures from this crew.
INMATE C87 by Kay Dominguez
This one could have been stretched out to fill an entire book. I love the premise, even though the white collar corruption hits a little close to home. My one criticism is that the main character almost felt more like an adult than a teenager.
LIFE HACK by Aaron Rosenberg
I was all ready to say this is an exciting and wacky tale about outlandishly wonderful gene alterations... but the ending was very much a letdown.
LOGIN by Jennifer Lee Rossman
I'm not going to review my own story, but I'll mention that it's a Rumplestiltskin retelling that has own voices wheelchair-user rep, a helpful robot, and features artwork by my friend Sharon.
MOON GIRL by Jennifer Chow
I love the enemies-to-friends trope, and this story used it very well. Not to mention non-European mythology!
MY OTHER TREE HOUSE IS A ROCKET SHIP by Russ Colchamiro
I love the tone of this one. One of the co-authors is seven years old, and I don't know how much she wrote and how much her dad wrote, but it's much better than anything I could have written at that age. She's got a future in this business.
THE POWER OF FIVE by Jenifer Purcell Rosenberg
I found the writing of this story to be very simplistic and childish, almost distractingly so at times, but the alien is so dang cute.
PYRAMID SCHEME by Jamie Krakover
Indiana Jones with aliens and banter? Yes please.
SEA-STARS AND SAND DOLLARS by Lyssa Chiavari
GAY GIRLS STEALING SUBMARINES! That's everything I've ever really wanted in a story. Also, the robot Trite and my robot Baby need to be BFFs and go on adventures together.
SECOND SUN by J.R. Rustrian
Has a slight "A Closed and Common Orbit" feel -- tech-smart girl and an AI trying to fix a spaceship. And can we talk about that gorgeous illustration? It looks like a book cover!
SHOCKWIRED by Tash McAdam
Trans! Girl! In! Spaaaaaaace!
SWORD & SHIELD by Jelani Akin Parham
The fact that the mysterious enemies were only mentioned toward the end was a little disappointing; I didn't feel like I understood what was going on until later on, and I want a sequel that explains their origins. But gay girls versus scary murder-things? That's a recipe for a good time in my book.
TWISTED BRICK by M.J. Moores
Didn't grab my attention, but I liked how the two POVs showed how John and Cassy saw each other.
View all my reviews
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
EXCITING NEWS OF EXCITEMENT
Quick Love & Bubbles update - we're going to publish at the end of September. Stay tuned for cover reveal!
Now, on to my EXCITING NEWS OF EXCITEMENT!
My story features an alien who has learned human language through social media, so he speaks in Internet memes. Together with YouTuber Maddie Espinoza (who he comes to for help because Selena Gomez was busy), Alieny McAlienface must defeat the evil overload who protec but also attac his planet. (And if you don't get that joke, you're probably going to be a little baffled by the rest of the story.)
The Kickstarter is live today, and you can get some awesome rewards. I'm offering a custom cross stitch, and some of the stories get illustrations. This is mine. Aaaaaaah, look at Maddie and Alieny McAlienface!
***
I'm going to be in a book with Seanan McGuire. I didn't even know that was one of my writing goals until I achieved it. I LOVE her books so much, and her UFO story is about an interstellar carnival ship battling space pirates, which is what my novel is about!
I'm having trouble putting into words what this means to me.
People don't take me seriously in real life. Strangers treat me like a child, and my family... well, they're good, but I think your family is supposed to always see you as their baby. Friends that I've met in my adult life seem to see me as an adult, but it's hard for me to accept that they really see me that way and aren't just pretending.
Sometimes it's weird when I'm doing contracts and working with editors, and I realize they're treating me like equals. They really and truly see me as an adult who can handle deadlines and doesn't need to be coddled.
They see me as someone deserving of sharing a table of contents page with my idols.
I honestly didn't know that was a goal of mine until I achieved it.
Monday, July 16, 2018
Jesus and Dave is Published!
My story Jesus and Dave has been published on Diabolical Plots!
It's been a year since the second coming of Jesus, and Dave the atheist is Not Amused by all of his religious relatives flaunting their selfies with their lord and savior. But when Jesus comes to his door (flanked by two be-tentacled angles) and says He needs an atheist, Dave reluctantly teams up with the son of God to help save the world.
It's free to read, funny, and kind of sweet. It's one of my favorite things I've written.
First, let me thank Diabolical Plots, who has been amazing to work with. The editor, David Steffen, also runs the Submission Grinder, an invaluable resource for writers looking for places to submit their work. I'm overjoyed that my name and story are going to be on the top of the Submission Grinder for the rest of the month.
They've also accepted another of my stories, which will be published in January. Both of them are weird stories that I wasn't sure anyone would ever want, but the submission guidelines say "We like weird fiction."
Oh, I have that.
Jesus and Dave takes place a year after the second coming of Christ, and features Him teaming up with the world's last atheist to stop Satan.
You know. That old story.
This story came about when I wondered how people would react to incontrovertible proof that their beliefs are wrong. Would they believe something else, or stick to their old ways? Is there a middle ground? Believing in a god but choosing not to worship him? And what if that god was perfectly fine with you choosing not to worship him?
I myself am an atheist, and while I have criticisms about religion in general, I've tried to come at this story from a neutral place of love and respect (and good-natured fun-poking) for both sides.
Religion is a tricky thing to write about because it's so important to some people, and even though I ran the story by some of my more-religious-than-me family members, I'm writing about a culture that I am not deeply connected to. If it offends you, I'm sorry. It was not my intention in any way.
There's a few lines in this story about groundhogs being the most pious of God's creatures. This is a reference to a family friend, Aunt Rita. She was a sweet old lady, more Catholic than the Pope, who wielded her cane like a weapon.
And she had a groundhog.
It lived under her porch, and every day, it would come up to her glass door and stare at her. And she would stare back and say, "Why did God make you? Why did He look down at Earth and think we needed a fat little rodent that doesn't do anything but stare at me?"
We joked with her that God made groundhogs just to give her something to wonder all day, but I've always thought maybe God just thought groundhogs were the most perfect creature He'd ever made.
Aunt Rita passed away a few years ago, but some of her quirks and stories keep finding their way into my writing. I don't believe in an afterlife, but I get a kick out of thinking about her arriving at the Pearly Gates and saying, "But seriously, why groundhogs?"
It's been a year since the second coming of Jesus, and Dave the atheist is Not Amused by all of his religious relatives flaunting their selfies with their lord and savior. But when Jesus comes to his door (flanked by two be-tentacled angles) and says He needs an atheist, Dave reluctantly teams up with the son of God to help save the world.
It's free to read, funny, and kind of sweet. It's one of my favorite things I've written.
First, let me thank Diabolical Plots, who has been amazing to work with. The editor, David Steffen, also runs the Submission Grinder, an invaluable resource for writers looking for places to submit their work. I'm overjoyed that my name and story are going to be on the top of the Submission Grinder for the rest of the month.
They've also accepted another of my stories, which will be published in January. Both of them are weird stories that I wasn't sure anyone would ever want, but the submission guidelines say "We like weird fiction."
Oh, I have that.
Jesus and Dave takes place a year after the second coming of Christ, and features Him teaming up with the world's last atheist to stop Satan.
You know. That old story.
This story came about when I wondered how people would react to incontrovertible proof that their beliefs are wrong. Would they believe something else, or stick to their old ways? Is there a middle ground? Believing in a god but choosing not to worship him? And what if that god was perfectly fine with you choosing not to worship him?
I myself am an atheist, and while I have criticisms about religion in general, I've tried to come at this story from a neutral place of love and respect (and good-natured fun-poking) for both sides.
Religion is a tricky thing to write about because it's so important to some people, and even though I ran the story by some of my more-religious-than-me family members, I'm writing about a culture that I am not deeply connected to. If it offends you, I'm sorry. It was not my intention in any way.
There's a few lines in this story about groundhogs being the most pious of God's creatures. This is a reference to a family friend, Aunt Rita. She was a sweet old lady, more Catholic than the Pope, who wielded her cane like a weapon.
And she had a groundhog.
It lived under her porch, and every day, it would come up to her glass door and stare at her. And she would stare back and say, "Why did God make you? Why did He look down at Earth and think we needed a fat little rodent that doesn't do anything but stare at me?"
We joked with her that God made groundhogs just to give her something to wonder all day, but I've always thought maybe God just thought groundhogs were the most perfect creature He'd ever made.
Aunt Rita passed away a few years ago, but some of her quirks and stories keep finding their way into my writing. I don't believe in an afterlife, but I get a kick out of thinking about her arriving at the Pearly Gates and saying, "But seriously, why groundhogs?"
Friday, July 13, 2018
Surprise Publication!
Well, I got a surprise in my mailbox today. The issue of Unfading Daydream with my story "Spider" in it! I actually hadn't been aware that it was published because I thought it was supposed to be in August.
Oh well.
Issue 5: MECHA includes 7 unique stories that include giant robots in some way. From a harrowing battle with massive steampowered mechs to mecha infused with magic, these tales are sure to entertain.
Featured stories are by: Donovan Bertch, Sarah Clowder, OJ, Jennifer Lee Rossman, J.R. Rustrian, Alyssa N. Vaughn, and C. Whitmer.
"Spider" is about a bunch of orphans who live in a junkyard and build a giant fighting wheelchair for one of them to enter a robot battle.
It will always be available in digital but physical copies are only available while supplies last, so... hurry up if you want one. lol
https://unfadingdaydream.wordpress.com/2018/07/03/issue-5-mecha-is-here/
Oh well.
Issue 5: MECHA includes 7 unique stories that include giant robots in some way. From a harrowing battle with massive steampowered mechs to mecha infused with magic, these tales are sure to entertain.
Featured stories are by: Donovan Bertch, Sarah Clowder, OJ, Jennifer Lee Rossman, J.R. Rustrian, Alyssa N. Vaughn, and C. Whitmer.
"Spider" is about a bunch of orphans who live in a junkyard and build a giant fighting wheelchair for one of them to enter a robot battle.
It will always be available in digital but physical copies are only available while supplies last, so... hurry up if you want one. lol
https://unfadingdaydream.wordpress.com/2018/07/03/issue-5-mecha-is-here/
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Children of the Sky Cover Reveal!
Ooooooh, look at the pretty! This is the cover for Children of the Sky, the alien-themed anthology from Schreyer Ink that I have a story in. The ebook is available for preorder now at Smashwords. I'll update this page when the Amazon link is live, and the paperback will be available August 1.
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Anthology Announcement!
I'm pleased to announce that my story Artist Unknown has been accepted by Schreyer Ink Publishing's alien anthology Children of the Sky! https://schreyerinkpublishing.wordpress.com/
Now, this is interesting: publishing takes forever, right? I mean, I'm assistant editor on Love & Bubbles, and I know how much time and effort goes into making anthologies perfect.
Children of the Sky is being published next month.
I don't envy the editors doing this much work in a month, but it isn't their first anthology so they clearly know what they're doing!
Now, this is interesting: publishing takes forever, right? I mean, I'm assistant editor on Love & Bubbles, and I know how much time and effort goes into making anthologies perfect.
Children of the Sky is being published next month.
I don't envy the editors doing this much work in a month, but it isn't their first anthology so they clearly know what they're doing!
Thursday, July 5, 2018
Brave New Girls: Heroines Who Hack is Published!
Brave New Girls: Tales of Heroines Who Hack, featuring 23 sci-fi stories about girls in science, is now available! One of those stories is my Rumplestiltskin retelling "Login," with an illustration by Sharon Emmitt.
Welcome to the sci-fi worlds of brainy teen heroines who hack not just computers, but whatever puzzles come their way
A scrappy mechanic on an oppressed planet builds a device she hopes will be her ticket to a better future. A fledgling chemist uses her skills to catch a murderer. A teen inventor creates a weapon to battle the mysterious beasts attacking her city. A superhero-in-training puts her skills to the test when attackers strike her compound. A self-styled detective hacks an augmented reality game to solve a dastardly crime.
Girls who code, explore, fix robots, pilot starships, invent gadgets, build high-tech treehouses, and more. With tales ranging from space adventures to steampunk to cyberpunk and more this 23-story collection will delight, thrill, and enthrall. Proceeds from sales of this anthology will be donated to a scholarship fund through the Society of Women Engineers.
Let’s show today’s girls that they, too, can be tomorrow’s inventors, programmers, scientists, and more.
Brave New Girls website
Kindle
Paperback
Ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you I was born to be a writer, but that's not strictly true. I was always coming up with stories and writing them down, always had characters and scenarios running around in my head. But writing was just a hobby.
I was born to be a scientist.
My heart is filled with Magic School Bus and Bill Nye quotes, and science was the one subject in school that made sense. No interpreting historical events and poetry, no confusing numbers, just facts and rules.
When I was little, my father and I had a less than stable relationship. He was abusive and some days there were a lot more bad moments than good. But the thing all the good ones have in common? Science.
Looking at tadpoles under my microscope. Building a radio. Staying up til midnight talking about Schrodinger's cat. It just made sense.
I was "supposed" to be a scientist. The only reasons I'm not is that I physically can't do a lot of the fun parts, and that me and school don't play well together.
But I stll identify as a science fangirl way stronger than a science fiction fangirl, so being part of this anthology means so much to me.
STORIES BY: Lyssa Chiavari, Jennifer Chow, Russ and Abby Colchamiro, MLD Curelas, Paige Daniels, Kay Dominguez, Mary Fan, Halli Gomez, Valerie Hunter, AA Jankiewicz, Nicholas Jennings, Jamie Krakover, Tash McAdam, MJ Moores, Jelani Akin Parham, Selenia Paz, Josh Pritchett, Jeremy Rodden, Aaron Rosenberg, Jenifer Purcell Rosenberg, Jennifer Lee Rossman, JR Rustrian, and Joanna Schnurman.
Featuring illustrations by Jacob Atom, Brandon Bell, Jo Belle, Lyssa Chiavari, Sharon Emmitt, Ben Falco, Fauzy Zulvikar Firmansyah, Christopher Godsoe, Liana Kangas, John Kovalic, MunkyWrench, Josh Pritchett, Emily Smith, and Ronald Suh.
Welcome to the sci-fi worlds of brainy teen heroines who hack not just computers, but whatever puzzles come their wayA scrappy mechanic on an oppressed planet builds a device she hopes will be her ticket to a better future. A fledgling chemist uses her skills to catch a murderer. A teen inventor creates a weapon to battle the mysterious beasts attacking her city. A superhero-in-training puts her skills to the test when attackers strike her compound. A self-styled detective hacks an augmented reality game to solve a dastardly crime.
Girls who code, explore, fix robots, pilot starships, invent gadgets, build high-tech treehouses, and more. With tales ranging from space adventures to steampunk to cyberpunk and more this 23-story collection will delight, thrill, and enthrall. Proceeds from sales of this anthology will be donated to a scholarship fund through the Society of Women Engineers.
Let’s show today’s girls that they, too, can be tomorrow’s inventors, programmers, scientists, and more.
Brave New Girls website
Kindle
Paperback
Ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you I was born to be a writer, but that's not strictly true. I was always coming up with stories and writing them down, always had characters and scenarios running around in my head. But writing was just a hobby.
I was born to be a scientist.
My heart is filled with Magic School Bus and Bill Nye quotes, and science was the one subject in school that made sense. No interpreting historical events and poetry, no confusing numbers, just facts and rules.
When I was little, my father and I had a less than stable relationship. He was abusive and some days there were a lot more bad moments than good. But the thing all the good ones have in common? Science.
Looking at tadpoles under my microscope. Building a radio. Staying up til midnight talking about Schrodinger's cat. It just made sense.
I was "supposed" to be a scientist. The only reasons I'm not is that I physically can't do a lot of the fun parts, and that me and school don't play well together.
But I stll identify as a science fangirl way stronger than a science fiction fangirl, so being part of this anthology means so much to me.
STORIES BY: Lyssa Chiavari, Jennifer Chow, Russ and Abby Colchamiro, MLD Curelas, Paige Daniels, Kay Dominguez, Mary Fan, Halli Gomez, Valerie Hunter, AA Jankiewicz, Nicholas Jennings, Jamie Krakover, Tash McAdam, MJ Moores, Jelani Akin Parham, Selenia Paz, Josh Pritchett, Jeremy Rodden, Aaron Rosenberg, Jenifer Purcell Rosenberg, Jennifer Lee Rossman, JR Rustrian, and Joanna Schnurman.
Featuring illustrations by Jacob Atom, Brandon Bell, Jo Belle, Lyssa Chiavari, Sharon Emmitt, Ben Falco, Fauzy Zulvikar Firmansyah, Christopher Godsoe, Liana Kangas, John Kovalic, MunkyWrench, Josh Pritchett, Emily Smith, and Ronald Suh.
Sunday, July 1, 2018
Review: Anachronism
Anachronism by Jennifer Lee RossmanMy rating: 0 of 5 stars
No, I'm not reviewing my own book. My mother doesn't have a Goodreads account but wants me to share her thoughts on Anachronism.
"The snark gets to be a little much by the end. Did you base her father on your father?"
("No.")
"Mmhm sure you didn't. Are you sure you aren't going to get sued for libel over this part?"
"(Yes." [I based one small detail of a bad motel room on a real motel we stayed at. Fifteen years ago. In a different state than the one my characters stay at.])
"I knew what the twist ending was. You told me all about it. But I got so into the story that I forgot about it and now I'm mad because--can I give spoilers?"
("I mean, I'd rather you didn't.")
"Fine. The THING I WANTED TO HAPPEN doesn't happen. You need a sequel so I can know what happens to all of them afterwards. Also, did you finally fix that typo on page 33?"
View all my reviews
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