Our Story

From the author:

The story of how Read Flying Pig came to be is deeply personal and it merges two passions of mine - literacy and running. Reading bedtime stories to my daughter one night, I realized there were no children's books about the Flying Pig Marathon, and I wanted to change that. With a Master’s degree in Reading and over a decade of teaching experience, have used my skills to create children's books about this special event (yes, that's bookS with an s...hold onto your sneakers, more are coming!).

In its over 25 years, The Flying Pig has become a staple in Cincinnati and the running community. For my family, it is an annual tradition. I have completed every Pig event at least once, as well as multiple Queen Bees and races in the Beer Series that PigWorks hosts. My brother is a member of The Squadron, a group of athletes who have each completed at least 10 Flying Pig Marathons, and he is the person I "blame" for getting me into this hobby! My children and other members of my family all have their own collections of Pig medals as well! I have made incredible connections with friends and others through the running community.

My personal connection to the events, combined with our family tradition and personal race achievements, adds a special touch to these books. These children's books stand out in the market due to their unique focus on the Flying Pig Marathon, filling a void in children's literature and offering a fresh perspective on this iconic event.

Meet the Team

I have poured my heart and soul into this, sharing something I love very much with the world. It has been scary, exciting, intimidating, nerve-wracking, expensive, tiresome, thrilling, so many things at once! However, this was NOT a one-woman show! Meet some of the incredible people who have made this little piggy's dreams take flight!

Author

Kelsey Flynn

Kelsey is a dedicated mama and an experienced educator with a Master's degree in Reading. With over a decade of teaching experience, she is passionate about nurturing a love of literacy in children. As a Cincinnati native, Kelsey writes books that reflect her love of the city and its rich traditions. Her stories are heartfelt, educational, and seek to inspire joy in all those who read them.

For Kelsey and her family, the annual Flying Pig Marathon is a cherished tradition, and she wrote this book to combine her love for reading and running. It is a tribute to her city, the Pig, and all of those crazy runner people.

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Illustrator

Kay Victor

Kay is an artist currently based in Chicago, IL. They have a great passion for storytelling. Crafting compelling narratives through creative visuals. They're focus is storyboarding, illustration, and animation.

Kay graduated from Cincinnati's college of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning; studying Fine and Digital Art. They have been working professionally as an illustrator since 2020.

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Designer

Lauren Whaley

Lauren Whaley is the talented designer behind the beautiful, cohesive final product that brought this book to its final form—transforming many of my sad attempts at graphic design into something truly special. With patience and creativity, she fielded countless “Can you just…” emails, understood the ever-changing rhythm of mom life, and kept our team grounded and on track.

Lauren currently works as a freelance graphic designer and lives in the Cincinnati area with her family.

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Droves of Flying Pigs

In addition to the team highlighted above, I want to give a BIG shout out to all of the additional people who have helped make it happen - friends, family, neighbors, even some complete strangers! They have read drafts, provided feedback, voted on illustrations, took some amazing branding photos, baked delicious cookies, and read countless emails and texts! They've given many hours of invaluable behind-the-scenes work.

And a BIG shout out to the local businesses who gave this indie author a chance and provided space for my books: Queen City Running, The Bookery, The Book Rack, The Bookshelf, Handzy Shop + Studio, OTR Premium Cigars, REI, Fleet Feet, and a handful of local hotels.

What Comes Next?

Writing a book is not for the faint of heart, but I have loved every minute of this self-led adventure and cannot wait to share even more ideas with you all! Here's a sneak peek of some themes & ideas that are rolling around in these storm clouds of my brain:

ABC, Run With Me for other marathons
Middle grades chapter books
Girl power
Cincinnati history
Partnering with a veterinarian
Farm life
Sewing and Quilting