My partner, John, and I recently started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I’ve seen the series before, but this is his first time. It’s so much fun experiencing it again with him, but it’s hard at the same time. I don’t want to give any spoilers.

That joy of introducing a friend or loved one (or even a random stranger) to a beloved series is, I believe, universal, at least for story people like us.

That’s one of the many reasons we started releasing series bundles this year.

And this month, I have two new bundles to tell you about. Another three-book series starter and the first of the WMG Starter Bundles.

But first, the series starter. The Cold Poker Gang Starter Bundle is hard-boiled mystery.

Here’s the synopsis:

If you love puzzle mystery novels, complicated cold cases, and detectives tackling the most twisted crimes, take this opportunity to introduce yourself to USA Today bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith’s Cold Poker Gang.

This starter bundle includes the first three books in the Cold Poker Gang series: Kill Game, Cold Call, and Calling Dead.

The second new bundle this month is the WMG Starter Bundle: Science Fiction.

Here’s the synopsis for that one:

Find your next science fiction adventure from WMG Publishing in this four-book bundle containing the first book in some of the best sf series being written today.

Meet Miles Flint—called one of “the top ten greatest science fiction detectives of all time” by io9—from Hugo Award-winning Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Retrieval Artist series. Gear up for page-turning space adventure in Rusch’s Diving series. Get ready to travel in time to the Old West with USA Today bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith’s Thunder Mountain series. And prepare to unravel the mysteries of the human race in Smith’s Seeders Universe. 

This starter bundle includes: The Disappeared, Diving into the Wreck, Thunder Mountain, and Against Time.

So, whether you want to share a new mystery series with a friend or sample several new science fiction series yourself—or anything in between—these starter bundles are a great way to launch into something new.

Or, like me, rediscover something old in new ways.

Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer.