I flew to Las Vegas yesterday, the first time I’ve been able to return here since the pandemic shut down the world.
And it’s only the second time I’ve flown since the pandemic started. The only other flight I’ve taken was last summer from Portland to Denver. Back then, we were in that blissful reprieve where the vaccines were highly effective against infection and the Delta variant had not yet taken hold.
Even so, it was weird.
Flying is still weird. But I’ve been through flying upheavals before, as anyone who flew a lot before and after 9/11 will relate to.
Still, many of my flight routines remain the same. I’m an expert packer, for example. I can go anywhere I need to go for any length of time with nothing more than a carryon suitcase and a backpack.
And I relish these rare opportunities to read a new book.
Now, you might be thinking: But Allyson, you read books for a living, remember?
True. But reading a book that you’re editing and/or publishing is not the same thing as reading purely for pleasure. When I read those books, my editing and publishing brain is always engaged. I’m scanning for typos and thinking of marketing copy or cover design options or any host of things I need to manage for that book.
When I read an airport book, I don’t have any stakes in that book at all. I can just read.
Mind you, the books that I publish here at WMG blur the lines on a regular basis. I thoroughly enjoy reading the books that Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith (and our huge stable of short story authors) write. I often find myself sucked into a story and have to back up and read again with a more professional eye.
But you folks don’t have to worry about that. You can read Kris and Dean’s books for fun. Even on a plane!
So, if you, like I, have started flying again and are looking for some amazing fiction to read while you travel (or for any other reason, of course), be sure to check out the Kristine Kathryn Rusch Starter Kit. It’s available only through our Kickstarter, which ends this Friday.
Click here to check it out.
We funded in about 30 minutes, earned the Kickstarter Project We Love status in record time, and have hit five stretch goals already, so everyone who backs the Kickstarter gets the following bonus extras:
Books:
Killer Advice
“The Scottish Play”
“Familiar Territory”
Completely Smitten (Kristine Grayson)
“Blind”
Workshops:
Series Interview #1: The Santa Series
Series Interview #2: The Whale Rock Series
Series Interview #3: The Sweet Young Things Series
Series Interview #4: The Fates Universe
I’m really excited about these interviews, which are the start of a new series on WMG’s Teachable. For this Kickstarter, Dean will be interviewing Kris about her various series.
How fun is that?
Something to watch on a future flight, too.
Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer, working mother, and brain tumor survivor.