#accordingtomyscience

We’re in for a treat starting tonight when six planets will be visible in the night sky. This planetary parade will culminate on February 25, when Mercury joins the lineup, and all seven planets appear to align. While it’s not a once-in-a-lifetime event, it is rare. The last time this happened was 2022.

I am a loud and proud space geek. My mom took me to Long Beach Island State Park in the middle of the night when I was nine to watch Halley’s Comet make its once-every-72-to-80-year fly-by. I used to dream about being an astronomer so badly back then. (Other careers I wanted to pursue at one point or another include: pediatrician, nun, and Rockette. This might explain a lot about me, I realize.)

This path was doomed to fail because, as it turns out, I don’t have a single scientifically inclined bone in my body. It was a bummer on many levels, but it cleared the way for the thing I am good at: writing.

My true gift is weaving words together into stories. And a few years ago, I had a crazy idea to write a story about an astronomy professor. While I don’t have the chops to be an astronomer, I got to live vicariously through one in my new book, ACCORDING TO MY SCIENCE, which launches (ha-ha…get it?!) March 11, 2025.

When the stars (or planets) align, dreams can come true. They may just look a little different than they once did.

A brand new shiny year always brings such wonderful possibilities. We all get the chance to reset at the same time and ride the collective energy to meet our goals.

I’m strange. I tend to view goals and days as a type of choose-your-own-adventure. Who didn’t love those books? I remember holding my breath as I turned to the appointed page, waiting to learn the fate I’d picked for the characters.

Because sometimes I think of myself as a character in one of those books, this happened just before lunch:

“Jen has exactly 45 minutes between writing sessions. Since she’s set a goal of running a 10k in an hour this year, this is the perfect time for her to get on the treadmill. If you think Jen should go on the treadmill, turn to Page 7. If you think Jen should skip it and upload her new book to Amazon instead, turn to Page 13.”

Page 13
“Jen uploads and submits details of her new book to Amazon. Does a happy dance. Eats chocolate. Stares at the Kindle preorder page. Watches it go live. Sheds a little tear. Goes back to work and writes this newsletter. Turn to Page 7 tomorrow.”

Remember that long-ago planned and plotted book I resurrected last year? It’s finished and I am in love with it. I smile and swoon just thinking about this story.

I seriously can’t wait for you to meet Dr. Ellery Conroy in ACCORDING TO MY SCIENCE, releasing March 11, 2025. Here’s a first look:

She’s used to studying the stars. Now, she’s caught in the orbit of one.

Brilliant astronomy professor Dr. Ellery Conroy has spent most of her 38 years looking up at the stars while keeping herself carefully grounded. From a young age, she was taught to blend in and live by three simple rules: work harder than everyone, don’t ask for help, and never let anyone get too close.

Until a chance encounter thrusts her into the orbit of a man who turns out to be Ben Foster, the charming—and single—President of the United States who sees Elle in a way no one else has. Their chemistry is instant, and for the first time ever Elle finds herself questioning her lifelong practice of shutting everyone out.

So despite navigating a new boss, juggling an increased workload, and locking horns with a genius mentee, Elle starts a surreptitious relationship with the most powerful man in the free world. What could possibly go wrong?

According to My Science is a journey of self-discovery, love, and the courage it takes to let someone in, even when the risks are astronomical.

Tag: #accordingtomyscience

What I wanted to be when I grew up

New year, same me, still writing