Interview with Jennifer Lee Rossman, Author of “Mari Lwyd”

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The following is an interview with Jennifer Lee Rossman, author of the short story “Mari Lwyd,” which appears in Neon Druid: An Anthology of Urban Celtic Fantasy (available now on Amazon in digital and paperback).

1) What inspired you to write your Neon Druid story, “Mari Lwyd”?

I’ll confess, I had originally written this story with a different anthology in mind, a Christmas horror anthology. So I wasn’t trying to write about Celtic mythology specifically, but the Welsh tradition of the Mari Lwyd caught my attention.

2) What’s something that always seems to pop up in the stories you write?

Dorks. I’m autistic, and a huge nerd besides, so a my quirks and love of nerdy references tend to bleed into my characters.

3) Excluding your Neon Druid story, what piece of writing are you most proud of, and why?

“The Good, the Bad, and the Utahraptor.” It’s a weird western — with Jurassic Park references aplenty.

4) What’s a “universally loved” book/story/movie/TV show that readers would be surprised to learn you are NOT a big fan of?

The original Star Trek. I love Voyager and TNG, but the original is just… campy and a product of an era where diversity was new and taboo. It was good for its time, but I don’t feel it holds up as well as the newer series.

5) What do you do when you’re NOT writing?

I cross stitch! I design my own patterns, because the ones at the store don’t have nearly enough dinosaurs. I grew up doing pixel art, so designing images from little squares comes naturally to me.

6) What writing project(s) are you currently working on?

I’m editing Space Opera Libretti with Brian McNett. It’s an anthology of humorous, musical sci-fi. We just had our open submission period, and are winnowing down our shortlist as we speak. For updates, check out our blog.

Thanks, Jennifer!

Jennifer Lee Rossman is an autistic and disabled lover of all things weird and mythical. Her work has been featured in several anthologies, and she co-edited Love & Bubbles, a queer anthology of underwater romance. Her debut novel, Jack Jetstark’s Intergalactic Freakshow, is now available from World Weaver Press. She tweets @JenLRossman and blogs at jenniferleerossman.blogspot.com.

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