Breakout Author Jen Trinh's "Crushing on You"

​I met Jen in the summer of 2010 when she was a REU student (Research Experience Undergraduate I think) in my research group, that is, Prof. Xiaomei Jiang’s research group at the Physics Dept., USF.  I was a newbie at the time and Jen worked with a more senior graduate student, but it doesn’t take a long time to figure out that she is a really cool person.  
 
She also was a witness to the most wildly extravagant as well as personally and professionally embarrassing drunken rampage of my life.  I’ve been told she even cleaned my puke up off the shuttle we came home in that night.  So, the least I could do is buy and read her book.  But enough about me…
 
She eventually went on to get her Ph.D. but recently decided to try out something new.  On her website https://www.jentrinhwrites.com, Jen describes her recent transition from scientist to fiction author.

If you know me from my past lives in academia or tech, you might be a tiny bit surprised to find that I'm now trying to make it as an author. 
 
To be honest, I'm a bit surprised, too. 
 
But in hindsight, it makes so much sense. I've always loved creative writing—letters, blog posts, marketing collateral, etc...but most especially, emails. I've spent way too much time drafting and editing emails because I get so much satisfaction out of crafting a really good email, the kind where you're like, "Damn, I just said that [mic drop]," and then have to reread it again because you just got someone so good. (That's part of the reason why I've chosen to write my first three books in first-person—it's what I'm most practiced in.)

​That’s weird.  To me, writing an email is like an enema, it feels good when it’s over.  But you do you, Jen.  She continues:

Even so, whenever I wrote a journal article or added a chapter to my dissertation, I always had to stifle my natural voice and write dispassionately, to sound as objective as possible.

I am not a dispassionate person (just the opposite), and while I can be objective when I need to, I've always been better at the subjective side of things.

…
 But more than escaping, writing allows me to share my true self with all of you, and therefore, to build something between us. You know something about me now, and by enjoying my book (and perhaps through literally reaching out to me), I know something about you, and what brings you joy, and how I can be a better friend. There's so much that connects us as people, and I hope that my writing will be the catalyst that brings us closer together.

I thought that last part was nice.  I’m happy that Jen is seeking her true passion and following in the footsteps of great scientists turned artists such as Brian May of Queen, Tom Scholz of Boston, and probably some others who work in genres outside of Rock ‘n Roll.  

​So how about the book?

Everyone's got a type, but Anna's got a non-type: Asian guys. She's been traumatized by her own family and she's not looking to double the trouble. Besides, she's busy chasing her dream of becoming a music journalist, and she's going to march towards it single-mindedly—and single, if need be. But when she meets a handsome stranger on a flight to a wedding, she's reluctantly charmed. Intrigued. Seduced.Too bad he's not her type. Ian has a great tech job, a beautiful Williamsburg condo, and rock-hard abs. He can even climb V7 and send 5.12. But does he have what it takes to climb the big walls around Anna's heart? Love, like climbing, requires hard work, commitment, and of course, good communication with one's partner. They'll need all three, plus a little help from their friends, if they don’t want to go it solo. (available on amazon).

There are explicit sex scenes and rock-climbing analogies.  Sounds like it is right up this group’s alley, or canyon, if you prefer.