Jennifer Crusie's Blog, page 5

Argh Author: Jean Marie Ward’s “Brigid and the Snakes”

Our own Jean Marie Ward has a story, “Brigid and the Snakes,” in the anthology Intergalactic Rejects, out now (Calendar of Fools, June 20, 2025).

For readers: A collection of exciting, powerful science fiction and fantasy stories. For writers: a reminder that rejection isn’t the end and to never give up on stories you believe in.

A man who lost his son finds family again piloting a lab-grown dolphin and helping it navigate loss while, hopefully, preventing more; an Irish goddess must contend with the magic of a saint to save her people; and a bullied boy finds common cause with the ghosts of dead horses in the basement of the Hermitage Museum.

These stories and many more await in this anthology of stories. Each one powerfully demonstrates the point of this anthology: that great stories are rejected every day. From Science Fiction Grand Masters and New York Times bestsellers to writers just starting their career, this anthology is packed full of strong stories that waited a long time to find a home. Every story is accompanied by a rejection history from the author themselves, each with different lessons on the nature and meaning of rejection as well as words of encouragement for their fellow authors on those days when the rejections roll in too many at a time.

Along with the seven stories from our anchor authors Samuel R. Delany, Robert J. Sawyer, Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta, Gregory Norman Bossert, Jean Marie Ward, William Joseph Roberts, and David Boop, we also have an original essay from Robert Silverberg, and a foreword by Neil Clarke, the editor and publisher of Clarkesworld Magazine.

Finally, there are also thirteen original stories slushed from our open call by Christopher Blake, Laurence Raphael Brothers, Marie Croke, Sam Harris, Andrew Jackson, Stephen Kotowych, Rich Larson, Sam Loiaconi, Amelia Dee Mueller, Sam W. Pisciotta, Erica Ruppert, Paul Dale Smith, and Catherine Wells.

• The website(s) that has the book info on it: Calendar of Fools https://calendaroffools.com/intergala...

• Buy links:

Print on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Ebook
 Amazon < https://www.amazon.com/Intergalactic-...
 Barnes & Noble < https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/inte...
 Kobo < https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/inte...

Jean adds: “I’m really excited about being on the cover of a book with all those big names in the science fiction and fantasy field—and for being the only woman on the cover until Kevin J. Anderson got around to adding his wife. It’s also gratifying to be one of three stories specifically referenced in the jacket copy. Better yet, it’s the only story I’ve ever submitted that sailed from submission through proofing with no changes. I still don’t quite believe it.

“On a more productive note, for folks who would like to learn more about the anthology as a whole, Tangent Online recently published a review and recap of all 17 of the previously unpublished stories. ”

This is a Good Book Thursday: Steve Martin on Comedy

I read Steve Martin’s Born Standing Up, his memoir about his stand-up career, and it was fascinating, especially his insights about comedy and the push-pull of creativity and fame and the perils of genre-bending. Highly recommend.

What did you read this week?

Working Wednesday: Catching Up

I am finally getting sort of back up to speed. Behind on everything but still trying. Turns out my meds were making me tired because my blood pressure was too low so I was napping to extremes. (I was going to do a writing book for my next non-fiction but now I think I’m going to do one on Extreme Napping.) Then I went to lunch with Cathy Maxwell to discuss writing, found a great bookstore, and followed her to the library where I tripped on the last step and fell into a grand piano. Later I said, “I wish I hadn’t fallen into that grand piano,” and Cathy said, “That’s a great line,” and I said, “It’s yours,” so if Max’s next heroine falls into a large musical instrument, that’s on me. Our new book, tentatively titles Arresting Anna, is finally shaping up as Bob and I push and pull each other to the center again. This collaboration stuff is not for wimps.

So what did you work on this week?

Happiness is Reading During A Storm

What is it about storms that makes reading such a pleasure? Is it that I could be out in the snow or rain and instead I’m tucked in safe and warm with an alternate reality? It’s raining like blazes here this week, and while I am writing a good chunk of the day, when it gets stormy dark, I read something I didn’t write. Reading is always good, but a storm makes it better.

What made you happy this week?

This is a Good Book Thursday: Reading as Research

I’ve been reading romance this week, trying to figure out what’s going in the genre now, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter, I can only write what I can write. I never did write to market (as in “What’s the hot trope now?”) but I did pay attention. Now, I don’t care. Which is good because Bob is still bombarding me with zombie ideas.

What did you read this week?

Working Wednesday: This Book Will Never Be Finished

There’s always a time in every book when I look at it and think, “I have no idea what I’m doing.” And then I try desperately to figure out. Meanwhile Bob is saying, “And then this happens and this happens and big finish and we’re done.” The fact that I am finishing books again is solely because I’m writing with Bob “I know what we’re doing” Mayer. So I know that even though I’m panicking at the moment, we will finish this book. And the next two. Everything’s gonna be all right.

Argh.

What did you work on this week?

(Oh, almost forgot. The Rocky Start series is out in audio now.)

Happiness is Walking at Midnight

I don’t know where you live, but where I live it’s hot. I’m still walking my dog three times a day, but where he usually dances the whole time, now he’s dragging toward the end and so am I. But our last walk is at midnight and it’s heaven. The air is cool and perfect, the streets all have streetlights, and the stars are out. It’s like a movie set, and Johnny dances the whole time.

Happiness is midnight.

What made you happy this week?

This is a Good Book Thursday, the Murder Edition

I’ve been reading Rex Stout, working my way through all the novellas and starting on the novels. It helps to read books where bodies are dropping regularly, that way I don’t get so freaked out about the body counts in the books we’re writing.

What did you read this week?

Working Wednesday: The Plotting Edition

Bob and I had gotten ourselves completely tangled up in our plot so we took today off writing and just tossed ideas back and forth. We tend to have a.lot of characters, and at one point, I said, “What are we doing with Mark? He’s sort of just lurking in the background with his finger up his nose,” and we discussed that. It ended like this:

Writing with Bob Mayer, always exciting.

What did you work on this week?

Happiness is Sleeping Late

. . . and then remembering you had a post to put up. ARGH.

What made you happy this week?