Publisher’s Note: Giving Thanks to One and All
Thanksgiving has taken on new meaning for me since my brain surgery. Near-death experiences tend to change your perspective.
My experience of American Thanksgiving before the pandemic revolved, like many celebrations do, around food.
I only had one “normal” Thanksgiving after my surgery, which was spent with my husband’s family and a huge buffet of Thanksgiving dishes. In the beforetimes, I enjoyed spending Thanksgiving elsewhere. Growing up, we always traveled for Thanksgiving, so I was never involved in the meal preparation aspect of the holiday. My experience was seeing family I rarely saw otherwise and eating food prepared by others. There’s pretty standard fare at American Thanksgiving: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie…
When we visited my dad’s family (of Spanish heritage), there was also lasagna (which I grew up thinking was a Spanish dish) and Caldo Gallego (which actually is a Spanish dish). When we visited my mom’s family (of Irish heritage), there were lots of interesting vegetable sides (and lots of adult beverages).
So, as an adult, my idea of the perfect Thanksgiving was going somewhere else to eat food made by other people.
But when the pandemic hit (with no signs of ending by the holidays last year), we knew we’d be home. Alone. Just my husband and me (our daughter was with her biological father). So, we reevaluated Thanksgiving dinner. As it turns out, we both craved simplicity. I decided to focus on making a couple of key things from scratch: my mom’s pumpkin pie recipe and my grandmother’s Caldo Gallego. We’re not huge fans of turkey, so we got smoked turkey legs instead that just needed reheating. Stuffing and gravy are musts, but those were easily made from a box and a jar. Mashed potatoes were optional and available on-demand thanks to a package. Per my husband’s request, I also made a simple candied yams recipe (because that’s his memory food).
We enjoyed each other’s company, watched movies, and relaxed. We reflected on the many blessings in our lives. We learned to value the little things—the simple joys.
And thus, a new tradition was born.
That is my preferred celebration of Thanksgiving now—the literal giving of thanks. It’s about gratitude for those simple joys and the many blessings in our lives.
One of the things I’m grateful for is having a job that I love. And I’m grateful for all of our readers who support the books we create.
So, whether you celebrate American Thanksgiving or some other holiday this time of year, thank you for your support. I am truly grateful.
And as an expression of that thanks, click here to read one of my favorite Thanksgiving stories—“Snow Day” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch—for free this week.
And because the day after American Thanksgiving is when some of us in the States turn our thoughts immediately to Christmas, let me take a moment to remind you that the WMG Holiday Spectacular Calendar of Stories makes a great gift (and actually starts on Thanksgiving Day!)
Click here to go to the Calendar of Stories sign-up page and read more about it.
I wish you all a happy, healthy, safe holiday season full of joy and love.
Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer, working mother, and brain tumor survivor.
Run!! Creatures, Critters, and Pulphousers…: Stories from Pulphouse Fiction Magazine
Pulphouse BooksPulphouse Fiction MagazineAnthology Available in:ebook, $3.99Trade paperback, $9.99 Add to cart Get the ebook! Get the trade paperback! Get the ebook from the WMG store! Run!! Creatures, Critters, and Pulphousers…:Stories from Pulphouse Fiction Magazine...Publisher’s Note: An Alien Landscape
We live in crazy times. (An understatement, I know.) Weird shit keeps happening. And nothing goes the way it’s supposed to go. These are the times we live in.
Take this blog, for example.
We couldn’t post the one I originally wrote for Monday, Aug. 30, because our web host decided to delete all the content on our site (it’s a long and frustrating story filled with gross incompetence that I’d rather not rehash at this time). We finally got the site back up thanks wholly to the ingenuity of WMG’s intrepid IT Manager.
And just in case more website weirdness happens over the long holiday weekend upcoming, I felt like we should post the next blog early.
So, here we are days late for one blog and early for the next. Somehow, that seems wholly appropriate for the times we live in.
Speaking of strange times, school starts on Tuesday. At least, I think it does. The district calendar lists two start days. And I still have very little information as to how school will be handled.
I do know two things thanks to state mandates, at least: Masks will be required by everyone entering school buildings during school hours, and vaccines will be mandated for all teachers, support staff and volunteers.
Other than that, we’re flying blind here. Even my teacher friends don’t fully know what’s going on yet.
You might think I’m angry about all this. I’m not. Frustrated, yes. But I also know that the schools are dealing with extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Before they could even assemble the classroom rosters, for example, they have the daunting task of tracking down all the students who got “lost” during online schooling. Given last year’s attendance rates, which by the end of the year were about 30 percent, that’s a lot of lost kids.
I can’t even imagine what school administrators are dealing with now, and I’ve worked in enough fields to understand that if you’re not in the field, you don’t fully understand the challenges. Just because you eat in a restaurant, for example, doesn’t mean you know what it takes to run one.
The pandemic has certainly driven that home. I approach everything with even more patience now than I would have before. Everyone is struggling. I get it.
We’re trying to navigate school on a different world than the one we’ve always known. We continue to be in uncharted territory. And that requires flexibility, backup plans, and no small measure of creativity.
Good thing I navigate other worlds all the time. They might be fictional, but I find science fiction helps explain a lot these days.
At the very least, it helps distract us from the bizarre reality we live in now.
So, if you’re looking for a little otherworldly distraction too, check out the Cosmic Visionaries StoryBundle, curated by frequent Pulphouse Fiction Magazine contributor Robert Jeschonek.
Here’s a bit about the bundle in his words:
What is it about space opera that makes us love it so much? The action, the exotic settings, the colorful characters, the alien species? The promise of countless adventures in the face of the great unknown? The excitement of imagining what humanity may someday become and accomplish in the vast reaches of the final frontier?
Or is it mostly just that space opera is so gosh-darn cool? The ships…the technology…the planets…the ray guns and laser swords. In many ways, it’s the ultimate escapist genre, transporting us to places and situations that dwarf our everyday troubles in every possible way. And yet, at its heart, space opera is all about us, about what it means to be human and how we can triumph over our limitations.
WMG has two books in this ten-book bundle: Maelstrom: A Diving Universe Novella by Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Ball of Confusion: An Earth Protection League Novella by Dean Wesley Smith.
Click here to learn more.
And if Maelstrom makes you crave more adventures in Kris’ Diving Universe, her newest novel in the Diving Series, The Chase, publishes Sept. 21 but is available for preorder now in ebook, trade paperback, and hardcover.
Click here for more information.
Back in the real world, I’m taking it day by day. Nola will learn new things one way or the other. Crazy times are certainly not short on life lessons.
Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer, working mother, and brain tumor survivor.
Publisher’s Note: Setbacks and Opportunities
I remember just a couple of months ago writing about our last 50 percent off workshop sale, which we called The Last Sale. Vaccination rates were going up here in the US, Covid numbers were coming down, and we seemed to finally see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. It wasn’t over yet, to be sure, but we had hope.
I knew Covid wasn’t done with us yet (as I’ve mentioned, Nola still isn’t eligible to be vaccinated, so my family never really left masking and other mitigation measures behind), but I didn’t see the Delta variant coming.
Maybe I should have, but that’s neither here nor there at this point.
In Oregon, case numbers are exploding, including here on the Oregon Coast. Our governor just reissued a statewide mask mandate (the third state to do so) and our local casino shut its doors for the next two weeks. Including the hotel. During a heat wave in the Valley where tourists are flocking here in droves. They’re losing big money with that move, but the safety of their employees and guests was paramount.
And we’re not even one of the worst-hit states. Not by far.
Whether this should have been able to happen in the US, with our fortunate and easy access to highly effective vaccines is not a topic I’m going to delve into in this blog.
But the reality that things are shutting down again (and have been in other parts of the world) has led us to realize that this thing is far from over.
And so, we’re bringing back our sales. It’s the way we can help, and we all need as much help as we can get to get through these trying times.
So, from now until Aug. 25, we’re offering 50%-off sale on everything on Teachable. Every WMG Publishing Workshop, Lecture, Pop-Up, Class, or Subscription on Teachable is half price.
Go to the WMG Teachable page and click on “see all courses.“ Then find the course you would like to buy and hit purchase. On the top of the next page there is a place to put in the code:
SETBACK
Click here to learn more.
At least the opportunity to learn new skills is something we can count on paying off in the future, no matter what happens.
Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer, working mother, and brain tumor survivor.
Mule Creek Landslide: A Thunder Mountain Story
Thunder MountainScience Fiction Available in:ebook, $2.99 Get the ebook! Mule Creek Landslide: A Thunder Mountain Story Dean Wesley Smith Dita Jean Harris believed that long-haired Henry Nye died under the mudslide that submerged the mining boomtown of Roosevelt....Publisher’s Note: When Life Hands You Lemons
Sometimes life throws you for a loop. After 2020, we all seem to be experts in that.
A pandemic. An accident. The death of an elderly pet. All are hard. We navigate them the best we can.
But sometimes life doesn’t throw you for a loop, it pitches you a curveball. And in those cases, it has help.
Superhero Marble Grant knows all about that. And you can read her story in the latest novel by Dean Wesley Smith: The First Year.
Here’s the synopsis:
Superhero Marble Grant dies suddenly on a blind date, a bullet between her eyes. Maybe the worst ending of a blind date in recorded history.
But instead of taking the white light to the next world, she finds herself still here. Her first year as a ghost agent begins with her sitting on a dumpster in a dirty alley watching the man who killed her and her date.
The entire first year got stranger from there. And over that year Marble Grant and her lover, Sims, saved a lot of lives.
So, if you’re dealing with your own loops or curveballs, take a break from reality and see how Marble Grant makes the most of a really crappy life roll.
Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer, working mother, and brain tumor survivor.
Publisher’s Note: Teaching is a Hands-on Business
I’m writing this blog from the beautiful Western Colorado University campus this week, where I’m co-teaching the summer residency for the Graduate Program in Creative Writing’s publishing concentration, along with Director Kevin J. Anderson.
Kevin, who I met through my work with WMG and who has edited and written stories for our anthologies, including Fiction River and Pulphouse, recruited me last year to help with the residency. This year, I’ve joined the faculty to teach year-round.
We’re passionate about teaching here at WMG (as you might have surmised by the copious amount of WMG Publishing Workshops we offer on Teachable). Publishing is like that. We love to share what we know with others to help them avoid pitfalls and achieve success. In fact, our own Dean Wesley Smith has already been a guest speaker twice this residency.
One of the things Dean spoke with our students about was the history of Pulphouse Fiction Magazine. And this week, I’ll be teaching them how to run their own Kickstarters.
All of which will be a lot more interactive than usual because we will be launching our next Pulphouse Fiction Magazine Subscription Drive Kickstarter this week. And the students will be able to watch it progress live.
So will you, of course! (And we hope you’ll support it, too.)
Pulphouse Fiction Magazine not only survived the pandemic but emerged even stronger. We now publish six issues a year (instead of the four we started with), so you can find incredible new genre-bending fiction in your inbox or mailbox every other month.
We have new Pulphouse books in the works and special new Kickstarter-special workshops for writers. Plus collector’s editions from the original incarnation of Pulphouse and so much more!
Click here to read all about it.
The Kickstarter launches later this week, but you can preview it now at the link above.
Thank you to all of our subscribers who have kept this magazine going for so long. And to all of our new subscribers and Kickstarter supporters, thank you for joining in on the fun!
Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer, working mother, and brain tumor survivor.
Tips About the Film/TV Industry for Novelists: A WMG Writer’s Guide
WMG Writer’s GuidesNonfiction Available in:ebook, $5.99trade paperback, $7.99 Get the ebook! Get the ebook direct from WMG! Get the trade paperback! Tips About the Film/TV Industry for Novelists: A WMG Writer’s Guide Kristine Kathryn Rusch Mention Hollywood and...Publisher’s Note: Writing and the Future
It’s no secret that WMG is the home of great fiction. But we’re also the home of great nonfiction. And workshops to help writers create great fiction.
Well, we’re covering all three of those missions right now with two projects that give a whole host of great deals to writers and readers.
For the writers, we have The Write Stuff 2021 StoryBundle, curated by bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch, which offers everything you need to get you or the writer in your life back to the keyboard with new creativity and vigor! It includes Tips about the Film/TV Industry for Novelists by bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch; How to Write a Novel in Half a Month by Dean Wesley Smith, one of the most prolific authors working today; WMG online workshop The Pop-Up Series #22: Dealing with Toxic People; plus seven other fantastic writing resources.
Here’s what Kris has to say about this bundle:
In 2021, there are hundreds of ways to get your books to an audience, but most writers just go through bookstores, online and brick-and-mortar. The Write Stuff Bundle 2021 will help writers in their relationship with bookstores, but also includes books that will help writers get their stories in front of new readers. If the writers follow the advice they’ll find in this bundle, they’ll make a great living.
To learn more about all the fantastic books in this bundle, click here. But hurry. The bundle ends Thursday.
And for the fiction fans, The Chase: A Diving Kickstarter has already reached its second stretch goal and is well on its way to the third. This latest Diving Series Kickstarter offers supporters the new novel, The Chase, months ahead of its September release (in all formats, including signed limited hardcover), plus new Diving Pairs, special workshops and so much more.
You can check out the Kickstarter here to read all about it, see Kris’ video, and check out all the fantastic rewards, stretch goals and more.
The Kickstarter ends next week, so you’ll want to hurry on this one, too.
From planning for the future to diving into incredible stories set far in the future, your present just got a whole lot more interesting.
Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer, working mother, and brain tumor survivor.
Publisher’s Note: Cats, Wild and Whimsical
My two oldest cats—Truman and Sydney—turn 17 tomorrow. They are litter mates I rescued when they were about four weeks old. They weighed an ounce either side of one pound when I got them. They were tiny little furballs of personality.
They are elderly in cat years now. They both have renal disease but we’re managing that as best we can. Truman broke his leg three years ago this week. He shattered his right thigh. We still don’t know exactly how he did it, but we think it involved a miscalculated jump and an awkward fall from the bannister onto the stairs.
Despite their health issues, they are still full of personality—fantastic, whimsical personalities.
Much like the cats in our latest volume of The Year of the Cat, edited by Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith: A Cat of Fantastic Whims. Here is the synopsis:
Most cats pursue the business of their lives in ways both fantastic and whimsical.
In this entertaining volume of stories, cats perform as muses, inhabit fairy tales, consort with ghosts and zombies, and one cat even reigns as fantasy queen.
Enter the fantastic world of whimsical cats and enjoy!
Includes:
“Searching for the Familiar” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“Speechless in Seattle” by Lisa Silverthorne
“Queen of the Mouse Riders” by Annie Reed
“The Kingdom of Cats and Birds” by Geoffrey Landis
“Cat Leading the Way” by Dean Wesley Smith
“A Powerful Friend” by E. Nesbit
“Clyde and the Ghost Cat” by Jamie Ferguson
“Dead Fred” by Liz Pierce
“Un-Familiar” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
The book is available now in ebook and trade paperback here. And be sure to check out the rest of the series here.
While my cats prefer napping these days—especially if I’m reading and there’s a lap available—they still chase each other around the house from time to time. How is it that such small creatures can thunder around the house making more noise than even the most frenzied storm?
It’s a mystery. Just like the mystery surrounding a very different kind of storm in the latest entry in Kris’ award-winning Diving series, which publishes tomorrow. Maelstrom is a standalone novella in that series, and a powerful story, but I suspect its significance in the Diving Universe will be revealed at some point in the future.
Here’s the synopsis:
Nedda Ferguson-Lithe lost her father on the Gabriella’s final mission. The ship’s disappearance remains one of the great mysteries of the sector.
But as Nedda interviews the crew’s survivors, she finds more questions than answers.
No one knows who or what causes the maelstroms that make exploring Nájar Crater on Madreperla so dangerous. But everyone knows that the rumors of the crater’s riches prove far too tempting despite the danger.
Every time a ship ventures into that crater, a maelstrom drives it out. Or destroys it. Ned-da hopes to find out which fate met the Gabriella—and her father.
Nominated for the Asimov’s Readers Choice Award for best novella, Maelstrom proves a heart-wrenching addition to Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s award-winning Diving Series.
Maelstrom is available in ebook, trade paperback, and hardcover. Click here for more information starting Tuesday.
My cats fully support this bevy of new releases. They say the more books humans read, the longer that laps are available for napping.
So, help a cat. Read a book.
Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer, working mother, and brain tumor survivor.