It's Funny Time

Hey there! Well, as promised, we have a lot going on today. Including but not limited to the winners of my Coastal Magic Con contest. But more on that later. (Oh, not much later. Stop whining.)

First up, a big announcement happened over at Amy Lane's Yarning to Write blog yesterday, discussing a lot of new March releases. But because some of you may be impatient to know why I'm caring about March releases, it's because I have one. My first humor collection, Random Musings from the Funny Girl, is now available in both trade paperback and ebook! Yes, it's true, and if you've ever wanted to know the inner workings of my mind, or just what I find funny, this book is for you.

Now, it's live interview time! Head over to More Geek Than Gay, where you can listen to or watch their 50th and 51st video podcasts. Why should you tune in? Both feature a two-part exclusive live and in person interview with moi, that's why! Check out Episode 50 audio, Episode 50 YouTube, Episode 51 audio, and Episode 51 YouTube for all the fun!

Next up, it's the Writing Process Blog Tour. If you missed last week's entry from T.C. Blue go check it out now. Then hit yesterday's post here at the Blah, Blah, Blah Blog for information on my so-called process. You'll also find the links to next week's entrants, authors Marsheila Rockwell, T.L. Smith, and T.M. Williams

After that, see which series Larissa's Bookish Life doesn't want to end. Then see who Gizmo's Reviews picks as the top 10 female characters in all genres. 

Now it's time for some reviews and such of Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters, which includes my story, "With Bright Shining Faces", written as J.C. Koch. See what Fantasy Book Review and Mass Movement Magazine think of the anthology. Then head over to Delirium Tremens where you can get a sample of Ed Erdelac's story.

Now for something a little different. My critique partner's husband (Andrew Dovichi) is a cool game designer, and he, along with other hotshots in the gaming industry, was interviewed by Polygon in a really interesting article about checkpoints and why they're good, bad, and many times ugly.

Big reminder that I'll be at the Tucson Festival of Books March 15 and 16. It looks like all my panels will be on Saturday the 15th but that could change. I'll be signing at the Poisoned Pen's booth on Sunday (I believe), times to come. And you can find me all the rest of the time at the gigantic Valley of the Sun booth, #s 107, 108, 109, 118, 119, and 120. If you're anywhere near Tucson next weekend, don't miss this Festival or your chance to see the me!

Last but in no way least, the Gods of Random have chosen the winners of the Coastal Magic Con Contest. So, without further delay, but with a nice drum roll, a big whoo hoo of congrats, and some tossing of confetti, here they are:

U.S. Winner: Brenda Hyde

International Winner: Dawn Murphy

Winners, you have until this Sunday, March 9th, to send me an email confirming your win, with the US winner providing their full mailing address and the international winner providing both their email address and what eformat they would like to get their books in. If the prizes are not claimed by the due date, the Gods of Random will demand a sacrifice and choose another winner. Meaning you will be sad and someone else will be very happy.

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. Peace out my li'l gangstas, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

My Writing Process Blog Tour

Thanks to awesome author T.C. Blue who I met at Coastal Magic Con and bonded with over a wide variety of alcohols, I've been tagged into a gigantic Writing Process Blog Tour. As I've learned, T.C. can usually be found sitting in front of her computer, trying to wrangle rabid and numerous plot bunnies, though her muses insist that she not be too hard on the poor little fluffy things. (Poor little fluffy things with sharp teeth and claws, but whatever. Muses don’t seem to care much about the possible bloodshed if the bunnies think T.C.'s not writing quickly enough.) Clearly she's my kind of gal.

But, enough stalling, right? Of course right. So, here you go -- the questions and my answers.

1) What am I working on?
So many things at the same time. But mostly Book 10 of my Alien/Katherine "Kitty" Katt series, Universal Alien. And a variety of short stories for a variety of awesome anthologies & eZines, including 221 B Baker Streets, Penumbra eZine, Kaiju Rising II, UFO3, and more. And yes, yes, yes, Night Music and Alexander Outland: Space Avenger. (No, I never sleep.) And I'm prepping for Tucson Festival of Books, and the releases of Penumbra's May issue, Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens, and Alien Collective.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre? 
They're the best books ever written and a deal at twice the price!

No? Okay then. Mostly I differ from most science fiction because my books are funny, have a ton of action, and a lot of romance, and some of them (but not all) have extremely steamy sex.

3) Why do I write what I do? 
Because I have no choice. I try to write in all the genres -- and I do -- but at least 85% of the time it comes out as science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, or horror. I try to write seriously -- and I do -- but at least 75% of the time it comes out funny. So, I gave up and just accepted that I'm science fiction's funny girl and rolled on with the writing.

4) How does your writing process work?
Ah ha. Ahahaha. Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Um, I have no real process. I put on the right music (right now, as I write this, it's Panic! At the Disco, for example), I figure out my title, I write the first line...and when I get to the end...I stop. That's pretty much it. I edit as I go along. I'm an extreme linear writer and while I'll kind of outline short stories, I never outline novels. And I don't think that's ever going to change. Because if I know what happens, as in, I wrote down what happens, I don't care anymore. And I'm sure we don't want that, now, do we?

Up next week you'll get a dose of the same from these three awesome authors -- Marsheila Rockwell, T.M. Williams, and T.L. Smith. A little bit about the gals following me:  

Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell is the author of The Shard Axe series, the only official novels that tie into the popular MMORPG, Dungeons & Dragons Online. She also had two original short story/poetry collections published in 2013 and is currently hard at work on the second book in a trilogy based on an exciting comic book property created by one of the biggest names in fantasy today.  

T.M. Williams was born, 30 some odd years later she started writing and hasn't stopped since. She is the author of the Bohemian Grove trilogy; an ancient alien adventure, Undead Winter, and the Moonlight series. She is also a freelance business journalist, blogger extraordinaire, copywriter, and lover of cupcakes.

T.L. Smith writes Science Fiction, often from a military perspective, but with a touch of romance. Her insight into military culture came after a stint in the U.S. Air Force but the only vacuum her characters live in, is on the other side of the airlock. Come visit her vision of future worlds as we throw ourselves out into the universe.Their posts will go live on Monday, March 10th. So don't miss out on their answers to these questions!

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Overdue Recapping with a Bonus

Hey there! I know, I know, I've been MIA. Had a lot to do the moment I got back from Coastal Magic Con, and then many other things were going on. How many? Let's find out! Oh, and read on until the end, because you'll be glad you did.

First up, I can't remember if I've mentioned this before or not, but the nominees for the RT Book Lover's Reviewer's Choice Awards are in, and Alien in the House is up for Best Futuristic Romance! As always, I'm thrilled that one of my books has made the cut into the finalists. Go check out all the books nominated -- there are some fantastic reads in this year's nominees!

Next up, let's check out some reviews! See what Shiny Book Review thought of Kaiju Rising, which features a short story by moi writing as J.C. Koch. Then see what Wicked Little Pixie, Fresh Fiction, Mixed Book Bag, and Bitten By Books thought of Alien Research. 

Speaking of Kaiju Rising, the ebook version is available now! So get your copy today, you'll be glad you did!

Then see what new covers have Addicted 2 Heroines excited. And check out the article in the Arizona Daily Star about the upcoming Tucson Festival of Books including information on one of my three panels.

Now, head over to Southwest Magazine where Alien Collective Member in Very Good Standing and Lego Builder Extraordinaire Mariann Asanuma is one of many cool folks interviewed about, what else, Building Lego. And after that, see what cool author Amy Lane had to say about and coming home from Coastal Magic.

Speaking of Coastal Magic, it was made of awesome. I had so much fun with Members of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing Michele, Joe, Lisa, Jo, Bill, and more! And I got to speed date and catch up with Shannon K. Butcher, hang out with the amazing Queen of SFR Linnea Sinclair, the wickedly cool James R. Tuck, the lovely and talented Janice Hardy, the wild and wooly T.C. Blue, and the aforementioned cool Amy Lane.

And, because I had such a good time, I'm going to share some of that fun with all of you. Yes, that's right...I'm talking contest time, baby! And for this one, there will be 2 big winners. One U.S., one International.

The U.S. winner will receive signed copies of the following:
The first 3 books of the Deacon Chalk Occult Bounty Hunter Series by James R. Tuck -- Blood and Bullets, Blood and Silver, and Blood and Magick
The first 2 books of the Shifter Series by Janice Hardy -- The Shifter, and Blue Fire
3 books from Linnea Sinclair -- An Accidental Goddess, Shades of Dark, and Hope's Folly
1 book from Amy Lane -- A Solid Core of Alpha
Plus some swag, mostly courtesy of Ms. Cool, Amy Lane
That's 9 signed books plus swag!

The International Winner will receive ebook copies of the following:
Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters, from J.C. Koch, aka moi
The Keeping Promise Rock Series from Amy Lane -- Keeping Promise Rock, Making Promises, Living Promises, and Forever Promised
The Talker Series from Amy Lane -- Talker, Talker's Redemption, and Talker's Graduation
The first 2 books in the FGC Spy Series from T.C. Blue -- A Game of Chances, and A Game of Skills
Trine, from T.C. Blue
Making It Up, from T.C. Blue
That's 12 ebooks!

Doesn't it sound awesome? Because it is! It's also for Hook Me Up! subscribers only. Not on? Clearly now's the time to get on! Send an email with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line to gini@ginikoch.com and you'll be on the list and sent the contest entry rules.

So, for those on Hook Me Up! who've read and followed the entry rules and all that jazz, riddle me this: In your opinion, what's the most magical thing about reading?

Good luck to all, and let's be winning readers out there!

Love,
Gini

LEGALESE

Contest will run Thursday, February 20th through Friday, February 28th. Winners will be announced by Tuesday, March 4th, and have until Sunday, March 9th to reply -- any prize not claimed by then will be pulled back by the Gods of Random and a new winner(s) will be chosen.

This both a U.S. and an international contest -- as long as you're on Planet Earth, you can enter and win. You must have a deliverable address, though - no P.O. boxes. Prize may take 2-4 weeks to ship to the U.S. winner. International winner will be contacted by the authors providing the books to determine format, etc., within 2 weeks of the winner's claiming their prize.

On a Personal Note

Recently a lot of friends of mine have been going through tough times. Many of them have been confessing what’s gone and going on with them in public forums, like blogs and Facebook.

At first, you think, oh, they want sympathy or help or something. But that’s not really the case. My friends, authors all, are doing okay -- they’ve made peace, gotten help, are pulling through. No, they are posting about the terrible times not to help themselves, but in case their words can help someone else. Show someone else suffering that there’s a light at the end of the long tunnel, if you just hold on for one more day.

So, in light of that, and in light of a life event hitting my family, here’s my story.

By the time I post this, the woman who gave birth to me, aka my mother, will be dead. But this is not a request for condolences.

As many who are close to me know, I haven’t willingly spoken to this woman for well over 25 years. Because she was, frankly, a horrible person. She mentally, emotionally, and physically abused me for the first 22 years of my life. There’s literally not a word this woman has ever said that was true. She drove her entire family away from her. She was the embodiment of the entitlement mindset. She was a paranoid schizophrenic with severe OCD and narcissistic tendencies. Untreated. When I was 5 or 6 she left me in the care of an old man, a complete stranger we’d known for 15 minutes, at a rest stop in Northern California. I’m lucky that all he did was molest me -- he could have taken me away and raped and murdered me.

And my mother? She never noticed, never asked why I was acting funny. Just suggested I go spend more time with this man and didn’t question why I refused to leave our car. Yet she loved to accuse people of wanting to molest me, not that those ever so accused did anything negative to me. She also loved to accuse people of being drug addicts or gay. Not that she ever realized who around me actually was a drug addict or was gay, they were just things to use against someone, to try to make everyone else seem less in her warped, vicious mind.

My mother was, at her core, a bully. Most abusers are bullies, after all. All the anti-bullying campaigns make me laugh a bitter laugh -- I was bullied at school and at home. I know what it’s like, and I also know that bullies don’t change and they don’t shame -- they only stop when their victim is taken away from them or shown to be stronger than they are. I was weaker than my mother until, at 22, I realized I was bigger and stronger. She realized it at the same moment I did -- when she was going to hit me just once again and, for the first time, I was going to hit back, harder, and with 22 years of anger in that hit -- and she backed down.

And even with all that, it still took all I had to get away from her. And people -- people who knew her, people who knew me -- still tried to tell me that she was my mother, so I should forgive all her sins and all the sins she did against me. I stopped speaking to those people.

Because…I can’t, and I won’t. I don’t find strength in forgiving the sinner or the sin. I find strength in fighting the sin and triumphing over the sinner. Revenge is both a dish best served cold and also best achieved by living a happy life, despite what those who sinned against you did to you.

When I first started talking about my mother, I was shocked to discover how many people would suddenly tell me that their mother, father, spouse, or sibling, had done something unforgivable to them. Many of these people had managed to forgive the sinner. But many hadn’t. And yet, I was pretty much the only one who’d cut the abuser completely out of my life. I’m not sure why I was able and willing to do this, I just know it’s the only reason I have any “me” to talk about, the only reason I’m a successful human being.

Of course, that’s only in the physical sense. The damage is there and will be there for the rest of my life. The few good things my mother did are always outweighed by the massive number of things she did to me, and to others, that were terrible.

My nightmares tend to center on her house. My demons are all the demons she gave me. The things about myself that embarrass me come from her as well, usually because she told me I should be embarrassed. My fears come from what she did to me, said to me, said about me.

I’m an adult now -- do I blame her for all of my mistakes? No. But I give her none of the credit for any of my successes, either.

And yet…all this turned me into someone who is empathetic, supports the underdogs, and tries to protect the weak and innocent. I’ve asked “what if” so many times. All of my life, really. But I come back to the conclusion I had even before I saw "Star Trek 5" -- I need my pain; my pain makes me who I am. (Truly William Shatner’s finest dramatic performance, as far as I’m concerned.) And you know what? I’m damned happy with who I am.

I have a successful marriage to a wonderful man who, out of all the people out there, never tried to make me forgive my mother. We have a fantastic daughter who makes us proud and happy every day. My in-laws and extended family are great, I have a Mom in my mother-in-law, and I’ve found surrogate mothers all along my life’s path, including the one I proudly introduce as my Mum to everyone we meet. And I’ve had two successful careers -- one in marketing and one as an author.

And that’s why I’m sharing this. Not to say poor, poor pitiful me, nor to ask for sympathy, condolences, or anything like that. I’m writing because I know that somewhere out there are a lot of people who were like me -- trapped by an abuser, not safe at home, belittled, told they’re worthless and only exist to serve the bully. And I’m here to tell you that it’s a lie -- you are not there for them and you owe them nothing. None of us asked to be born, and we owe people nothing for our births. We owe the world the best of us, but we owe our abusers nothing but our contempt and our success away from them.

You can survive anything they throw at you because the secret they never want you to discover is that you’re stronger than them. If you find strength in forgiveness, then forgive. If, however, you find your strength in the anger and the unwillingness to forgive, then hold onto that. Hold onto whatever helps get you away, makes you strong, keeps you stronger. Don’t let them turn you into a carbon copy of themselves -- forge your own path and keep the demons they gave you right in front of you, so you can recognize them and fight them, instead of turning those demons onto someone else.

Of course, since we’re supposed to not speak ill of the dead (too late) and because no one is completely worthless or evil, I can admit that my mother did give me something. She gave me the storytelling gene. When you’re raised by a woman who lies like she breathes, you learn how to spin a few stories yourself. And learning to lie to a master means that, ultimately, you become a master yourself.

I always thought I’d laugh and cheer the day she died. I knew I wouldn’t cry, unless they were tears of joy and relief. But as this time comes, I find that I’m quoting from one of the few good things she gave me -- tickets to see “A Chorus Line” live.

I feel nothing.

And that, honestly, is the best thing I’ve ever felt about my mother.

Gini

Have a Happy!

Happy Valentine's Day to my beloveds, my fans. May you have a lovely day and an even better weekend and remember that the authors, such as moi, who you support love you with all of our hearts, not just today but every day!

Love,
Gini

Collective Kaiju

Hey there! Hope everyone had a great week last week, a wonderful weekend, and are having a fantastic week this week. I had a fabulous time at the SDSU Writers' Conference. But before I tell you about that, there's LOTS of exciting things going on, so let's get to them!

First up, I'm super excited to share a Kaiju-Level Big Reveal: the cover for Alien Collective! Check it out over at my Premieres page! And remember, it's never too early to pre-order, either online or from your favorite bookstore!

After that, The Writer Librarian is talking about Alien Research, and Feeling Fictional, Bring on the Books, and Open Book Society all have new reviews of the bookie wookie up as well.

The SDSU Writers' Conference was great. In addition to getting to spend tons of time with the Awesome Editor, I also got to run the yap with the fantastic and talented Susan Squires, Jennifer Ashley, Erin Quinn, and Mark A. Clements, and hang out with authors Shelley Coriell, Jeff Mariotte, Henry Herz, and Lisanne Norman. All this PLUS I got to spend time with several Members of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing including Glen, Allison, Joseph, and Mariann. All while celebrating my birthday in style. It was a fantastic weekend, and if you're an aspiring author or one on the brink, I can't recommend this conference highly enough.

Of course, there was more to the trip than just the conference. For all that plus many things geeky and nerdy, check out the latest edition of More Geek Than Gay either in audio or on YouTube. Then, for a little retro (as in earlier this month) fun, check out Blogging With Badger and his brush with fame via The Dish -- read all the way to the end for the big reveal!

Speaking of reveals, the ebook version of Kaiju Rising is out to the Kickstarter backers, as is the final cover for the physical books! Head over to SF Signal to get a bigger look, and get ready to read my short story, "With Bright Shining Faces" by moi writing as J.C. Koch along with a ton of other awesome shorts soon, very soon. (Perhaps sooner than you think...)

Speaking of Kickstarter anthologies (oh, yes we were), there's still time to get in on Unidentified Funny Objects 3. And there are still a couple of tuckerizations of mine left, so if you want to be immortalized in some way in the story I'll be writing for this anthology, or just see what I and all the other awesome authors involved do with it, then head on over and fund as you're able.

Speaking of short stories (yes, we definitely were), I'm doing several for Penumbra eZine this year. And why do you care, aside from the fact that it's moi writing them? You care because each and every one of them will be set in the Alien series universe. That's right -- the Clockwork Universe anthology has sparked a trend! AND, the first one, coming out in May (just like Clockwork Universe, and Alien Collective), will be something you've all been waiting for -- how Reader met Gower. I know! It's too happy to be true! But wait! There's more!

Each month Penumbra offers you fantastic fiction on a theme. And right now, they're offering you The Gini Special -- instead of paying $3.99 an issue, you'll get a year's subscription for just $24.00; that's half price. But there's more! You'll also get the Best of Penumbra 2012 AND 2013. That's a full year's subscription for half price plus two free Best Of collections and three Alien series shorts that will only be available in Penumbra...as long as you use this coupon code (exactly as shown here) when you order: 2014Gini  
 
This offer is good only through August 1, 2014, so don't miss out and get your subscription going today!

Last but in no way least, a reminder that I'll be heading to Daytona Beach, FL and Coastal Magic Con in a week. Looking forward to seeing many of you there! If you haven't registered but still want to go, send me an email, and I'll give you the legal "back door" into registration.

That's it for today, but as always, there's more on the way. So enjoy the downward slide towards the weekend, those who watch enjoy the Superbowl and its commercials, and let's all be readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Conning For Fun, Frolic, and Education

Happy Hump Day! Hope everyone had a great week last week, an even better weekend, and that this week is going swimmingly. Before and after DarkCon (which was made of awesome!) I've been busy with edits and related activities around Alien Collective, and getting Universal Alien started (Standard Operating Reminder: It's never, EVER, too early to pre-order!), but before I head off for the SDSU Writers' Conference, I wanted to catch you up on all that's been and is going on.

First off, I'm in a new Kickstarter campaign, UFO3 -- Unidentified Funny Objects 3. AND, as has become my standard, there are three tuckerizations up for grabs. (Note: at this time, not sure if this short is going to be in the Alien universe, the Alexander Outland universe, the Necropolis Enforcement Files universe, or an entirely standalone story. It may depend on whose names are used...) So check it out, and please support if you're able!

Speaking of DarkCon (I was earlier, trust me), it was incredibly fun. Probably the most fun I've had a con ever, and that's saying a lot. The Firefly vs. Dr. Who Smackdown and Evening Erotica/The Euphemism Game were highlights, but really, everything I did at DarkCon was fun, interesting, cool, or all three. And the end of con Pajama Party was DA BOMB. This con is only done once every other year, so I suggest making plans now to be here in 2016, because you'll be glad you did.

In addition to getting to panel with the wonderful Michael Stackpole, Marcy Rockwell, T.M. Williams, T.L. Smith, and Chris Swanson, I got to hang with some fantastic members of the Alien Collective, all in Very Good Standing -- Andrea and Duncan Rittschof, Hal and Dee Astell, Joseph Gaxiola and Edward Pulley, Brad Jensen, Javier, Rob Palsma, and, coming from very far away, Colette Chmiel, Missy Katano, Paul Sparks, Terry Lopez, and Betty Russell, plus many more who were both working and attending the con. Many thanks to Hal and Edward for their fantastic moderating, too! Made new friends, had a blast with old ones, got to snuggle up to Adrian Paul (who is NOT aging...seriously, this dude is clearly a vampire, and a hot, nice, charming one, at that), and generally had the best time. DarkCon for the win!

But don't just take my word for it. Check out More Geek Than Gay either via audio or YouTube for a full conference recap, complete with clips. These guys were taking care of my table during the con, so trust me, they have lots of scoop!

Speaking of audio things you may have missed, I was interviewed by the Blog Goddess last week. Check out the replay -- there were some great questions asked by the Goddess and from those phoning in.

Speaking of cons, it's not too late to get down to Daytona Beach February 6-9 for Coastal Magic. TONS of UF/PNR/SFR & other awesome authors will be there, including moi. If you want to go but missed the registration deadline, drop me a note -- I know a (legal) "back door" in for registration and we'll get you set up and all in! It's going to be tons of fun, including the Dress As Your Character party, where I will be, yes, going as Kitty.

Speaking of interviews, check out the latest one from the Nameless Zine featuring my BFF, awesome author Marsheila Rockwell.

Then, see what A Buckeye Girl Reads thought of Alien Research. And stop by and see what Larissa's Bookish Life chose as her favorite book covers of 2013.

Speaking again of cons, the Tucson Festival of Books is right around the corner, March 15-16. I've currently got 3 panels, 4 signings, and I'll be in the Arizona Dreamin' booth again all the rest of the time, so there will be a ton of chances to see the me there. It's the 4th largest book fair in the country, and brings in a fantastic number of authors, so be sure to make plans to attend!

More news is on the way once I get back from San Diego. Until then, enjoy the downward slide to the weekend, and let's be readers out there. Peace out my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini