Flightlog by Susan Humphrey Book Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway! {Ends 3/31/23}

Mar 7, 2023 | 0 comments

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Book your flight now with this very enjoyable read, put your seat back in the upright position, and enjoy the ride!

Book Details:

FlightLog: The Novel Adventures of a Stewardess Wannabe Who Becomes a Flight Attendant by Susan Humphrey
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 338 pages
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Chick Lit, Memoir(ish), Coming-of-age
Publisher: Majuscule Press
Release date: August, 2022
Tour dates: Mar 6 to Mar 24, 2023
Content Rating: PG. A few romantic encounters but light on the details. Reference to tobacco use.

Book Description:

“It was 1978. People didn’t have home computers, video players, or answering machines. We rented our telephones from local phone companies and hand-wrote letters. The terms ‘politically correct’ and ‘African-American’ had not been coined. ‘Eating disorders’ and ‘alternate lifestyles’ were not yet common household phrases. Only strippers wore thongs, which made perfect sense to me, as they only caused one to gyrate their hynie in a desperate attempt to dislodge the bothersome wedgie.”

So writes Sherri Van Ness, an unassuming girl from the burbs of Kansas who’s about to embark on the adventure of her life when she signs up to become a stewardess. But it’s much more turbulent than this doughy-eyed 19-year-old ever imagined as she tries to navigate past grouchy passengers, fly-by-night relationships and the unforgiving, relentless, humiliating, monthly weigh-ins. Some dreams come true. Others require a vomit bag.

That’s not to say Sherri doesn’t enjoy herself. Au contraire! There are friends to be made and men to be made and the maid who made up her room in New York is so nice!

Yes, the work is difficult at times and the money isn’t always good, but there are perks: free flights and an endless supply of tiny vodka bottles and salted peanuts (peanut allergies hadn’t been invented yet.)

Like Dorothy Gale sans Toto, Sherri leaves Kansas and finds herself amidst a cast of characters as strange to her as the Scarecrow and the Munchkins were to Dorothy. Her whirlwind journey takes her from an innocent, insecure stewardess to a mature and confident flight attendant. Or does she?

~ Add to Goodreads ~ BUY THE BOOK: AMAZON ~ Audible ~BAM ~ B&N ~ Bookshop.org

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Review By LAWonder10:

Check back by on 3/13 for the review!

Guest Post:

So … new writer; what’s your backstory?

You finally enrolled in that writing class and it’s your second day. The teacher
reads your homework aloud and you’re bursting with pride, sure that she’ll
shower you with praise when she’s done.

“Jane Doe,” she asks, peering down at you in the first row because you want to be
her pet pupil. “What’s your backstory?”

My back story? You squirm. How does she know I have back problems you think?
Especially since aging (or after participating in amorous trysts exploring new positions). Does she want to hear about that? What did I sign up for? True, there’s been talk of surgery and endless chiropractor visits; you’ve had needles stuck in all kinds of places to alleviate the pains; but … what does that have to do with your story?

Well, that is not the backstory she’s asking about. Backstories are so crucial for good storytelling, every writing instructor will insist you craft them for each of your characters – whether you use them or not. Not just in a novel or short-story tales, but in TV shows, movies, and plays. I’ve even had actors tell me they had to create and share aloud backstories while auditioning for TV/Radio commercials; now that’s pressure! (I’ll stick to writing.) Of course, many times, they are used.

Flashback scenes are all backstories.
But backstory info doesn’t always appear as flashbacks; consider The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy imagines larger-than-life characters in her tornado dream. There were hints about them in the beginning, but we weren’t sure until the end, when all those characters came to light. We understand who the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, the Wizard of Oz, and even the Wicked Witch were based on; it makes sense that Dorothy would dream about people she knew. It’s one of the best parts of the movie, giving us a truly ‘satisfying ending’.
Remember, we didn’t know it was a dream!

The reveal of backstory is crucial in most mysteries and whodunits. Your tutors will expect you to treat every character’s backstory with as much attention to detail as you would writing a mystery, even if you’re penning a comic book featuring adorable, cuddly animal creatures, like Peter Rabbit. And they’re right (write?) to do so; don’t roll your eyes.
We all have backstories; for characters to seem real, they need one too. And who knows, if your writing is successful, maybe your backstory can keep that success going. Since George Lucas brilliantly used backstories as Star Wars sequels, more movies, and TV series are following suit: Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Cruella, Maleficent – even the Broadway Smash hit, Wicked is the backstory for the Wicked Witch. (Somehow, I doubt that prequel was L. Frank Baum’s idea.) But borrowing from someone else’s writing and using their characters is another subject for another day.

Meet the Author:

Susan Jo Humphrey, the daughter of a diplomat, was born in Izmir, Turkey where she lived for three years. She also lived in Korea and Thailand, before returning home to the US with her family as a teenager. She has traveled all over the United States, and has called several parts of this country ‘home.’ Her many airplane rides as a child convinced her she must one day become a stewardess. Suz was a flight attendant for thirteen of her twenty-five years with UAL. She began penning FlightLog with the help of the Naperville Writer’s Group, outside of Chicago. There, she published in their annual pamphlet, had a humor piece printed in an online magazine, and contributed many articles to local newspapers. At the time of publication, she is busy working on FlightLog II.

Away from the keyboard, Suz loves yoga, reading, cooking, listening to music and playing her guitar. She still enjoys mapping out travel to faraway places she’s never seen, as well as planning return trips to her favorite spots.

She currently lives in Southern California and has two grown children. Today, she’s in healthcare, where she’s worked since 2014. Suz was the ‘baby’ of her flight attendant classes – and the ‘senior’ student in her nursing classes. She’s eager to write that story as well: a novice baby-boomer RN begins her dream career as a travel nurse – just as a pandemic breaks out!

Connect with the author: website