Hump Day Catch Up

Happy Hump Day! Hope everyone had a great week and weekend last week and that this week's going swimmingly, too! Tucson Festival of Books was fantastic -- I had wonderful panels with awesome authors Dennis McKiernan, Gail Carriger, Erin Quinn, and Cynthia Garner, plus got to see many of the Alien Collective -- but it does take a lot out of a person, and then there was all the catching up and such, and basically, the time flew. However, we have a lot that's going on, so let's get all caught up, shall we? We shall!

First up, the Kickstarter for Unidentified Funny Objects 4 is halfway through, but we're only a little over halfway funded, too. This makes me sad, because this is going to be another great collection, and there are still a ton of cool levels that you can support in order to get another awesome humor collection created. If you haven't looked, take a gander right now. And remember, I still have one tuckerization left, meaning there's one more chance to get into an Alien series short story (and the related stories that come after)!

Speaking of UFO4, check out the latest Mind Meld over at SF Signal where I and many others discuss our favorite short humor stories. And feel free to add yours in the comments! After that, read what Crain's New York has to say about my UFO editor, Alex Shvartsman.


Next up, The Disciple and Other Stories of the Paranormal is live at all outlets including Amazon, Smashwords, BandN.com, and CreateSpace. So, get your copies today! And, for those of you coming to see the me this weekend, I will have copies in my paws for my signing this Saturday, March 28, at The Book Vault at 2055 S. Power Road, Entrance #3, Mesa, AZ. Be there from 12-4pm and see moi along with four other awesome authors, Alan Black, Kris Tualla, Deena Remiel, and Melanie Tighe. And if you haven't given them a try, don't delay, get their books today!

Speaking of upcoming books, remember that pre-orders matter hugely to authors and publishers, so please do your girl a solid and pre-order Alien Separation and Alien in Chief from your favorite bookstore (including any bookstore where I'll be going live and in person during Book Tour) or online retailer. And while you're at it, pre-order The X-Files: Trust No One, where you'll get a ton of great, creepy fiction, including my story, "Sewers".

My book tour for Alien Separation is getting solidified. I'll be at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, CA on Saturday, May 9th, at Barnes & Noble in Henderson, NV with the Arizona Wyked Writers on Sunday, May 17th, and at The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, AZ on Monday, June 8th. There will be a Livestream of the event at the Pen, so if you can't see the me in person, make plans to watch me live and get in on the fun (and the winning) that way! Full details to come soon!

Speaking of Alien Separation, see what books Larissa's Bookish Life is most looking forward to in her TBR pile!

Then see what SF Reader thought of Alien Collective.

Next up More Geek Than Gay is back! So, check out Episode 96 and Episode 97 and get caught back up on the fun. After that video fun, check out the rollicking podcast interview at Drinking with Jason #6 where fun, cool author S.P. Durnin chats lots of stuff, much of it zombies (because he writes about them), but also including Aliens, Game of Thrones, and Star Wars.

Speaking of fun, have you gone to see the live action Cinderella yet? If not, check out my review over at Slice of SciFi. And if you have, join in on the comments! Same again for Galavant, where I have my 5 Episodes In review up at Slice. Join in the comments there, too!

Last but not least, we have some science! IFL Science shares that Alliflash and Gigantagator had some very cool, and rather scary, ancestors.

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So enjoy the downward slide towards the weekend and let's be pre-ordering and Kickstartering readers out there! Peace out my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Festival Bound!

Happy Friday! Well, I'm heading off to Tucson for the weekend, but before I go, there's something you have to see!

Check out the awesome cover for the X-Files anthology my story "Sewers" is in, Trust No One, coming April 7, you can pre-order the audio version at Amazon right now. (No idea when book pre-orders will be available.)

Speaking of pre-orders, The Disciple and Other Stories of the Paranormal by moi writing as Jemma Chase is available for pre-order from Amazon. The book will release on March 20th.

The Kickstarter for Unidentified Funny Objects 4 is still underway and going strong, but it's not funded yet! Check it out -- it's going to be a good one. Also, I have one tuckerization left available. You'll be in "Support Your Local Alien", the Alien series short that's the next adventure for the characters from my steampunk universe first introduced in "A Clockwork Alien", part of the Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Zombies anthology.

I'll be signing that, Unidentified Funny Objects 3, and Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets, not to mention all the Alien series, including Universal Alien, and more bookie wookies besides, at the Tucson Festival of Books this weekend, Saturday March 14 and Sunday March 15. When not on panels or at signings, you can find me at Booth #106.

My panel and signing schedule is:
--Saturday, March 14, 4-5pm - Making Magic Real: Suspending Reader Disbelief, Integrated Learning Center Room 130; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center  
--Sunday, March 15, 11:30am-12:30 pm - I Got Nuthin' – Battling Writer's Block, Integrated Learning Center Room 141; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center  
--Sunday, March 15, 2:30-3:30pm - Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, and Sci-Fi, Koffler Room 216; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Koffler Patio

But I can't leave you without some science! Per Huff Post Science, there's a diamond planet out there. Oh, the story possibilities this creates! Also, Scientific American shares that we've got one heck of a new and improved particle accelerator on the way. This will give scientists a way to study things we haven't been able to before (and, you know, potentially get to say hi to ACE, Algar, and Sandy and the Superconsciousness Seven).

Well, that's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So enjoy the weekend, hope to see many of you at the Festival, and all of you be universally happy readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Psst, Wanna Be In One of My Stories?

Happy Tuesday! Well, it's another short and sweet one today! So hang onto your hats and away we go!

First up, the Kickstarter anthology, Unidentified Funny Objects 4 is live and in less than 24 hours two out of my 3 tuckerizations are gone! My story, "Support Your Local Alien", will be an Alien series short, set in my steampunk world, giving you the next adventures of the characters you met in my story in the Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens anthology, "A Clockwork Alien". So, if you want to get in on this and be a character in one of my stories (and unlike many, I tend to not kill off my tuckers but turn them into long-term supporting characters), now's the time!

The UFO4 anthology will also have stories from Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin, Jody Lynn Nye, Piers Anthony, and more. So don't miss out, get in on this one today! (Also authors, aspiring and otherwise -- UFO4 is accepting submissions for this antho, too, so scroll down to see what they're offering and looking for.)

After you check out this new fun anthology, take a look at what The Bookie Monster thought of one of the first Kickstarter anthos I've been in -- Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters, featuring "With Bright Shining Faces" by moi writing as J.C. Koch.

And last but not least, since we're yapping anthologies, you can still get a pre-order in for the Temporally Out of Order anthology, featuring my Alien series short, "Alien Time Warp", which takes place during Alien Separation. Pre-orders are from Zombies Need Brains -- scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to find the TOoO pre-order info.

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So let's be anthology and Alien series short story reading readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Yappin' Live

Happy Monday!

I know! It's an amazing surprise that I've managed to actually, you know, do an update on a Monday. (Don't get used to it. LOL) It's a reasonably short and sweet one today, too. I know again! What were the odds, right?

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend -- I certainly did, getting to hang out with awesome author and cartoonist Christopher Baldwin and awesome author Marsheila Rockwell. And today, I'll get to virtually hang out with some over you, over at Night Owl Reviews where the Paranormal Romance Dream Team -- Erin Kellison, Erin Quinn, Caris Roane, and moi -- will be doing a live chat at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT. You still have time to RSVP in order to win lots of prizes! When you RSVP you'll also get a reminder about the live chat. I can't wait to be able to talk (and talk, and, as all those who were on before remember, talk) to all of you!

Speaking of paranormal, a reminder that I have a collection of paranormal stories, written as Jemma Chase, available for pre-order from Amazon right now. The Disciple and Other Stories of the Paranormal will be on sale at all outlets on March 20th.

After you get all set to yap with me this evening, head over to the Nameless Digest where they're spotlighting stories from the epic A Darke Phantastique anthology. You'll get a taste of mine, "Outsiders", written as J.C. Koch, so check it out and find out why I wrote this particular story.

Then see what DAW Books Reviews thought of Alien Collective. And join the conversation about the bookie wookie, too!

Don't forget this upcoming weekend, Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, I'll be at the Tucson Festival of Books. It's the fourth largest Book Fair in the country, so you don't want to miss out. When I'm not doing panels or signings, you can find me at The Dreams Booth, Booth #106.  Yes, I'll be signing all the bookie wookies, including Universal Alien, so come out, say hi, and bring all your books to get 'em signed or buy them from me when you're there -- I'm easy that way!

My current TFoB schedule: 
--Saturday, March 14, 4-5pm - Making Magic Real: Suspending Reader Disbelief, Integrated Learning Center Room 130; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center  
--Sunday, March 15, 11:30am-12:30 pm - I Got Nuthin' – Battling Writer's Block, Integrated Learning Center Room 141; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center  
--Sunday, March 15, 2:30-3:30pm - Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, and Sci-Fi, Koffler Room 216; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Koffler Patio


The Alien Separation book tour in May is shaping up. I'll be at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, CA on Saturday, May 9th, Barnes and Noble in Henderson, NV on Sunday, May 17th, and The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, AZ on Monday, June 8th. The chicklet is graduating from law school in the midst of all that and Phoenix Comicon is the last weekend in May, so full details and more dates will be announced as we have time and sanity to announce them! Keep an eye out here and on the Datebook for updates and for alerts for which events we have Food With Fans planned.

Have you taken a picture with moi? Of the bookie wookies in the wild? Of any Gini Swag you've gotten your paws on? Then send those pics to Team Gini's most enthusiastic member, our Super Sightings Girl, Kelsey (kelsey@ginikoch.com), so she can get them up at Sightings in the Wild. She's been doing tons of updates, so if you sent in a pic a while ago, check out the redesign of the Sightings pages and see where your pic's ended up (and let her know if you don't see it there so we can hunt it down and rectify!).

Believe it or not that's it for today. But never fear, more's on the way. So enjoy the week and let's be live chatting readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Whole Lotta Lotta Goin' On

Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a wonderful week! I've been hugely busy -- how the heck IS it Friday already, anyway -- and, as you'll soon see, we have an absolute tonnage going on, so let's get to it already!

First up, the Yap is large and in charge over at KickAss Chicks. Then, check out what Heroes and Heartbreakers has to say about Comedic Sci-Fi Romance. Um, yeah, they may have mentioned Touched by an Alien.

Next, I have some good news and some bad news. Bad news first. It's now March and, as I'm sure all y'all are aware, Night Music is not in your hot little hands. All I can say is that concussions are not a writer's friend, and that I am still beavering away on it, and many other things that are also due (and, sadly, also late), and you shall have it soon, VERY soon, I swears it! *sobs* Victoria's chomping at the hambone to take you on her next wild adventure, so never fear, it'll be here as fast as I can manage. (Hey, you've been waiting a long time for it already, what's another month, right? Right? *runs*)

Now, for the good news.  What I do have coming this month is a collection of paranormal stories I've written as Jemma Chase to give you a paranormal fix until Night Music is ready -- The Disciple and Other Stories of the Paranormal. That's right, Strange Protection, Hotter Than Hell, Waiting, Amazing, and The Disciple are all together in one volume! And you can pre-order that puppy right now, too, over at Amazon. The book will be available on Friday, March 20th, and will be up at all the other retailers at that point. And yes, for those of you who only want physical books, it will be available in physical format as well. I got ya covered!

Speaking of which, according to an article at the Huffington Post, there are 9 reasons why print books are better than ebooks. I'm all for however you want to read the bookie wookies, but I found the article interesting all the same.

Speaking of found things, alert Member of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing Bibliognome has spotted that, for the first time ever, one of my books is up at NetGalley. Yes indeedy dee, if you're a reviewer, you can get to read Alien Separation ages before everyone else!

And speaking of pre-orders (we were, trust me, we were), you can pre-order Alien Separation from your favorite bookstore or Amazon or any other online retailer. Pre-orders help more than you realize, so do your girl a solid and pre-order Book 11 (and beyond, if they let you, LOL) because the publishers CARE about pre-order numbers. And so do I.

AND you can also pre-order the X-Files anthology my story, "Sewers" will be in, X-Files: Trust No One, at good ol' Amazon as well. Pre-orders for everyone!

Now for some reviews. See why Night Owl Reviews made Universal Alien a top pick!

And, while I'm still waiting to give you that news I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, in the meantime, see what the San Francisco Book Review said about the Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets anthology, which has my story, "All the Single Ladies" in it.

Then see what boeklogboek had to say about my humor collection, Random Musings from the Funny Girl.

Speaking of funny, check out SB Nation's take on Reviewing the Terrifying Dogs in Westminster's "Working Group". It's a hilarious look at the various breeds. The Big Fella was a Komondor, and quite frankly, this article got him right.

And now for some science! Frankly, lots and lots and LOTS of science. Hey, it's been a busy week for science (and it's damn fine butt), what can I say?

First off, the Red Velvet Oreos Member of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing Michael Shelton sent to me were AWESOME. So, if you like red velvet anything, these are a total winner in Oreos' growing bid to literally be put into every marketing textbook ever written under the heading "company most dedicated to brand extension in the history of the world".

Next up, things are looking up for Pluto, at least according Discover. Then Space.com has an awesomely cool series going about what it would be like to live on the other celestial bodies in our solar system.

Then we have just a tonnage of articles doing their best to prove that I'm actually an investigative reporter writing non-fiction pieces. Check out Higher Perspective's article about the possibility of aliens having "seeded" the Earth; possible water (or life forms signalling us with mirrors) on Ceres over at Mashable; NASA's findings about black hole families (Algar says hi); and, according to Yahoo Finance -- yes, you read that right, this was in the Finance section, go figure -- apparently we have a "second moon" and it orbits in a *cough* kind of figure-8 patter or similar.

A big reminder for my upcoming in-person schedule of events, because most of them are happening NEXT WEEK!

Monday, March 9, 5-6pm PST/8-9 EST - I and the rest of the Paranormal Romance Dream Team will be be participating in another Night Owl Reviews live chat. Last time we gave out lots of prezzies, and I'm sure this time will be no different. The chat will run from 5-6 pm PST/8-9 EST. Don't miss out, it's sure to be a blast and a half! 

Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15 - I'll be at the Tucson Festival of Books. It's the fourth largest Book Fair in the country, so you don't want to miss out. When I'm not doing panels or signings, you can find me at The Dreams Booth, Booth #106.  

My current TFoB schedule: 
--Saturday, March 14, 4-5pm - Making Magic Real: Suspending Reader Disbelief, Integrated Learning Center Room 130; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center  
--Sunday, March 15, 11:30am-12:30 pm - I Got Nuthin' – Battling Writer's Block, Integrated Learning Center Room 141; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center  
--Sunday, March 15, 2:30-3:30pm - Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, and Sci-Fi, Koffler Room 216; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Koffler Patio 

Saturday, March 28, 12-4 pm - mass author signing at the Book Vault, 2055 S. Power Road, Entrance #3 in Mesa AZ, featuring moi along with awesome authors Alan Black, Kris Tualla, Deena Remiel, and Melanie Tighe.  

Speaking of the Tucson Festival of Books, if you missed the interview they did with me, check out their Festival Blog where you'll find my interview and a ton more. Also speaking of TFoB and the University of Arizona, I may miss seeing the wonderful Eric Penner Haury (grandson of The Real Most Interesting Man in the World, nephew of The Silver Fox, aka Ted Danson, and a wonderful author in his own right) at the Festival. Why? Because he's going to be in Tucson the week before, for a ceremony for his step-grandmother, Agnese Nelms Haury who's donated a tremendous amount to various institutions and bequeathed some wonderful things to UofA. She was an amazing woman, and her legacy will live on, which is fantastic.

New Sightings in the Wild are up at the website. Have pics to send in? Send 'em to our SuperSightingsGirl, Kelsey, at kelsey@ginikoch.com. She LIVES to get your pics, yes she does!

Last but in no way least, the Spectrum 22 award nominations are in, and many congrats to my fantabulous cover artist, Dan Dos Santos, and Dave Palumbo (who worked with Dan on the Alien Diplomacy cover), since they're both nominated! Check out the artwork from the nominees -- it's gorgeous. I don't envy whoever has to choose the winners (though, OBVIOUSLY Dan should win) (not that I'm biased) (maybe a little), because each piece is amazing.

Well, don't faint, but that's it for today. But never fear, as always, more's on the way. So, enjoy your weekends, chat with some of you on Monday, see some of you next weekend, and all of you let's be science-loving, art-enjoying, book pre-ordering, coolest of the cool readers out there. Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini