JGSurma
@jgsurma.bsky.social
ESL teacher, stage 3 triple-neg breast cancer fighter, and YA fantasy writer who owns far more 📚 than shelf space (she/her) Minnesotan
This is an issue with today's trope obsession... the metric is very much "Did this book meet my expectations?"
Sure, those books can be fun.
But sometimes I want a book that tears apart my expectations and builds something new in the rubble!
Sure, those books can be fun.
But sometimes I want a book that tears apart my expectations and builds something new in the rubble!
When you finish a book and you just know when you go onto goodreads the ratings will be abysmal because so many people hate a story that doesn't do the things they want it to, instead of appreciating that an author is doing their own damn thing.
October 20, 2025 at 1:19 PM
This is an issue with today's trope obsession... the metric is very much "Did this book meet my expectations?"
Sure, those books can be fun.
But sometimes I want a book that tears apart my expectations and builds something new in the rubble!
Sure, those books can be fun.
But sometimes I want a book that tears apart my expectations and builds something new in the rubble!
My brother-in-law named his sourdough starter Crustin Bieber.
So of course mine needs a name too!
What should I call it???
So of course mine needs a name too!
What should I call it???
October 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
My brother-in-law named his sourdough starter Crustin Bieber.
So of course mine needs a name too!
What should I call it???
So of course mine needs a name too!
What should I call it???
It's always bugged me reading books where the male love interest has black hair and blue or green eyes. Not likely!
Then I married my literary pet peeve 🤣
(I mean for real, what are the genetic odds of true black hair and seaglass eyes???)
Then I married my literary pet peeve 🤣
(I mean for real, what are the genetic odds of true black hair and seaglass eyes???)
Has anyone ever done a study of eye color in actors? I feel like white actors with blue or green eyes are 100 x more common than in real life
October 19, 2025 at 12:26 PM
It's always bugged me reading books where the male love interest has black hair and blue or green eyes. Not likely!
Then I married my literary pet peeve 🤣
(I mean for real, what are the genetic odds of true black hair and seaglass eyes???)
Then I married my literary pet peeve 🤣
(I mean for real, what are the genetic odds of true black hair and seaglass eyes???)
Reposted by JGSurma
An adventure I wrote has been adapted to a video game!
Explore a haunted orphanage and save the spirits within!
On sale now!
#Pathfinder
Explore a haunted orphanage and save the spirits within!
On sale now!
#Pathfinder
The second Dawnsbury Days expansion, which increases the level cap to 9 and takes place in a haunted house, is now released!
Thank you everyone who contributed to this project, and good luck to players in exorcising the ancient evils within!
store.steampowered.com/app/3808170/...
Thank you everyone who contributed to this project, and good luck to players in exorcising the ancient evils within!
store.steampowered.com/app/3808170/...
Save 10% on Dawnsbury Days - Good Little Children Never Grow Up on Steam
In this haunted house adventure for level 9 characters, our heroes must confront terrible ghosts from an orphanage's past to rescue a farmer's children who have ventured inside — and perhaps stop an e...
store.steampowered.com
October 17, 2025 at 11:16 PM
An adventure I wrote has been adapted to a video game!
Explore a haunted orphanage and save the spirits within!
On sale now!
#Pathfinder
Explore a haunted orphanage and save the spirits within!
On sale now!
#Pathfinder
Reposted by JGSurma
The scoop: Trump refuses to do anything to reduce health insurance premiums; House Republicans refuse to come back to Washington due to Epstein files; and now they send layoff notices to CDC researchers dealing with burgeoning measles cases?
MAHA=Measles Are Here Again
MAHA=Measles Are Here Again
October 12, 2025 at 12:05 AM
The scoop: Trump refuses to do anything to reduce health insurance premiums; House Republicans refuse to come back to Washington due to Epstein files; and now they send layoff notices to CDC researchers dealing with burgeoning measles cases?
MAHA=Measles Are Here Again
MAHA=Measles Are Here Again
I was ready to respond "no thank you."
Instead, "YES PLEASE!" 😄
Instead, "YES PLEASE!" 😄
We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.
October 1, 2025 at 4:10 PM
I was ready to respond "no thank you."
Instead, "YES PLEASE!" 😄
Instead, "YES PLEASE!" 😄
Reposted by JGSurma
Today marks the first day in public media’s history without federal funding. And we’re not going anywhere.
Listeners like you keep our mission alive. Protect one of the last places where America comes together to hear itself.
Stand with us today. Donate at this link: n.pr/46wamAj
Listeners like you keep our mission alive. Protect one of the last places where America comes together to hear itself.
Stand with us today. Donate at this link: n.pr/46wamAj
October 1, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Today marks the first day in public media’s history without federal funding. And we’re not going anywhere.
Listeners like you keep our mission alive. Protect one of the last places where America comes together to hear itself.
Stand with us today. Donate at this link: n.pr/46wamAj
Listeners like you keep our mission alive. Protect one of the last places where America comes together to hear itself.
Stand with us today. Donate at this link: n.pr/46wamAj
What????!?!!
I didn't know how much I needed this, and now I cannot think of anything more perfect.
I didn't know how much I needed this, and now I cannot think of anything more perfect.
Has everyone heard that Reading Rainbow is coming back and that Mychal the librarian is hosting?? 🤗🌈🤗
October 1, 2025 at 12:02 AM
What????!?!!
I didn't know how much I needed this, and now I cannot think of anything more perfect.
I didn't know how much I needed this, and now I cannot think of anything more perfect.
Reposted by JGSurma
the US if Tylenol actually caused autism
September 23, 2025 at 4:13 PM
the US if Tylenol actually caused autism
Wait, isn't economics just fantastical worldbuilding?
Fantasy authors and economists create detailed systems with complex rules to explain the chaos of society. Lots of overlap in that Venn diagram
Fantasy authors and economists create detailed systems with complex rules to explain the chaos of society. Lots of overlap in that Venn diagram
My fellow men (and sadly, yes, it's mostly men who do this), don't do this.
September 15, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Wait, isn't economics just fantastical worldbuilding?
Fantasy authors and economists create detailed systems with complex rules to explain the chaos of society. Lots of overlap in that Venn diagram
Fantasy authors and economists create detailed systems with complex rules to explain the chaos of society. Lots of overlap in that Venn diagram
No.
You don't praise someone who pisses on vulnerable people, then says sorry.
You don't praise someone who pisses on vulnerable people, then says sorry.
Brian Kilmeade deserves praise for his apology.
Brian Kilmeade apologized for his comments about homeless people getting lethal injections this morning on Fox & Friends, saying "so many homeless people deserve our empathy and compassion."
Here's the clip of his apology 👇
Here's the clip of his apology 👇
September 14, 2025 at 3:53 PM
No.
You don't praise someone who pisses on vulnerable people, then says sorry.
You don't praise someone who pisses on vulnerable people, then says sorry.
Wishing the false prophets of AI a very enshittified day 🤣
OpenAI went ahead and enshittified ChatGPT, and here are some anonymized examples of why we shouldn't let ourselves rely - much less grow emotionally attached to - corporate products and especially LLMs. They are not your friends and you're purely a wallet.
August 8, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Wishing the false prophets of AI a very enshittified day 🤣
Reposted by JGSurma
OpenAI went ahead and enshittified ChatGPT, and here are some anonymized examples of why we shouldn't let ourselves rely - much less grow emotionally attached to - corporate products and especially LLMs. They are not your friends and you're purely a wallet.
August 8, 2025 at 8:57 AM
OpenAI went ahead and enshittified ChatGPT, and here are some anonymized examples of why we shouldn't let ourselves rely - much less grow emotionally attached to - corporate products and especially LLMs. They are not your friends and you're purely a wallet.
Reposted by JGSurma
A lot of great games in this sale, including my own Magical Kitties Save the Day!
Outlet Fire Sale! EXTRA 25% Off Thru August 31 #OutletSale #FireSale
Outlet Fire Sale! EXTRA 25% Off Thru August 31
We've been doing a lot of work cleaning out our warehouse this summer, in anticipation of our big Ars Magica Definitive Edition printing. Along the way we've been updating our warehouse outlet, where we collect the random items (often scratch and dent) that we don't want to sell at full price but hate to just throw away.
Visit atlas-games.com/outlet to see what's available, and use the coupon AUG-CLEARANCE at checkout to get an EXTRA 25% off the already …
dlvr.it
August 7, 2025 at 7:37 PM
A lot of great games in this sale, including my own Magical Kitties Save the Day!
Who needs to pay for lip filler when you live in the land of 10 billion mosquitoes?
August 7, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Who needs to pay for lip filler when you live in the land of 10 billion mosquitoes?
I often think of my g-g-grandmother for whom I am named.
She left home at 14 because home was a stony scrap of farmland she wasn't gonna inherit anyway.
Worked as a maid for the mother of an embassador in Stockholm, who taught her to read.
Traveled alone to Boston as a mail-order bride, but met
She left home at 14 because home was a stony scrap of farmland she wasn't gonna inherit anyway.
Worked as a maid for the mother of an embassador in Stockholm, who taught her to read.
Traveled alone to Boston as a mail-order bride, but met
August 6, 2025 at 11:02 PM
I often think of my g-g-grandmother for whom I am named.
She left home at 14 because home was a stony scrap of farmland she wasn't gonna inherit anyway.
Worked as a maid for the mother of an embassador in Stockholm, who taught her to read.
Traveled alone to Boston as a mail-order bride, but met
She left home at 14 because home was a stony scrap of farmland she wasn't gonna inherit anyway.
Worked as a maid for the mother of an embassador in Stockholm, who taught her to read.
Traveled alone to Boston as a mail-order bride, but met
I love my Preppy fountain pen so much.
Two months neglected in the bottom of a tote bag, with just a little dregs of ink in it? No problem - just take the cap off and keep writing!
Two months neglected in the bottom of a tote bag, with just a little dregs of ink in it? No problem - just take the cap off and keep writing!
August 6, 2025 at 6:34 PM
I love my Preppy fountain pen so much.
Two months neglected in the bottom of a tote bag, with just a little dregs of ink in it? No problem - just take the cap off and keep writing!
Two months neglected in the bottom of a tote bag, with just a little dregs of ink in it? No problem - just take the cap off and keep writing!
Whew! I added 5 habaneros to my grilled salsa recipe, and dangggggg, those babies aren't messing around!
10/10, no notes
10/10, no notes
a man sitting at a table with a plate of food and a sign that says spicy above him
Alt: a man sitting at a table with a plate of food and a sign that says spicy above him. He raises his eyebrows suggestively as he enjoys the spicy food
media.tenor.com
August 5, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Whew! I added 5 habaneros to my grilled salsa recipe, and dangggggg, those babies aren't messing around!
10/10, no notes
10/10, no notes
Writers and readers!
What's your favorite book cover(s)? Not necessarily your favorite book, but a cover that makes you WANT the book?
💙📚
What's your favorite book cover(s)? Not necessarily your favorite book, but a cover that makes you WANT the book?
💙📚
July 23, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Writers and readers!
What's your favorite book cover(s)? Not necessarily your favorite book, but a cover that makes you WANT the book?
💙📚
What's your favorite book cover(s)? Not necessarily your favorite book, but a cover that makes you WANT the book?
💙📚
How do you know I'm committed to turning my front yard into prairie?
This dude's 8 feet tall! 😆
Can't tell you how many people have suggested I cut this gorgeous thistle down... no way! The butterflies, bees, and goldfinches are going to love it!!
This dude's 8 feet tall! 😆
Can't tell you how many people have suggested I cut this gorgeous thistle down... no way! The butterflies, bees, and goldfinches are going to love it!!
July 18, 2025 at 3:22 PM
How do you know I'm committed to turning my front yard into prairie?
This dude's 8 feet tall! 😆
Can't tell you how many people have suggested I cut this gorgeous thistle down... no way! The butterflies, bees, and goldfinches are going to love it!!
This dude's 8 feet tall! 😆
Can't tell you how many people have suggested I cut this gorgeous thistle down... no way! The butterflies, bees, and goldfinches are going to love it!!
Reposted by JGSurma
Alligator Alcatraz is already infamous for its dangerous and inhumane conditions.
Congress must demand access and shut it down.
Congress must demand access and shut it down.
Shut Down "Alligator Alcatraz"
"Alligator Alcatraz" is an environmental and humanitarian disaster. The cruelty must end. Join me in telling Congress to demand access and block all federal funds until this compound is shut down.
action.aclu.org
July 13, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Alligator Alcatraz is already infamous for its dangerous and inhumane conditions.
Congress must demand access and shut it down.
Congress must demand access and shut it down.
My goal in life is to build more than I break.
That so many people in power would choose to break more than they build... I just...
That so many people in power would choose to break more than they build... I just...
July 3, 2025 at 9:29 PM
My goal in life is to build more than I break.
That so many people in power would choose to break more than they build... I just...
That so many people in power would choose to break more than they build... I just...
I've always told students:
If you learn to write, you'll get to work on your own ideas.
If you don't learn to write, you'll end up working on other people's ideas.
Whether kids admire authors, research scientists, or pro athletes, example after example proves this true.
If you learn to write, you'll get to work on your own ideas.
If you don't learn to write, you'll end up working on other people's ideas.
Whether kids admire authors, research scientists, or pro athletes, example after example proves this true.
I gotta say I find a lot of AI discourse around higher ed very confusing. "if ChatGPT can write your essays is college even worth it?" did people think math teachers were assigning problem sets because *they* couldn't figure out the answers?
June 30, 2025 at 5:22 PM
I've always told students:
If you learn to write, you'll get to work on your own ideas.
If you don't learn to write, you'll end up working on other people's ideas.
Whether kids admire authors, research scientists, or pro athletes, example after example proves this true.
If you learn to write, you'll get to work on your own ideas.
If you don't learn to write, you'll end up working on other people's ideas.
Whether kids admire authors, research scientists, or pro athletes, example after example proves this true.