READ THIS! Q&A Deets & a Special Request

Happy Mid-First Month of Not 2020! So, how's 2021 treating all y'all so far? I know...don't answer that. The question really is: is this just a lag from the late and unlamented 2020, or did 2021 really tell 2022 to hold its beer? And do we really want to know the answer? Time's gonna tell, one way or the other. On the plus side, the next READ THIS! Author Q&A is only a couple of days away, meaning you can hang out with moi, January's author of the month, and other cool and fun readers (because if you read my books, that automatically makes you cool and fun, it's in the fine print), and have tons of fun and laughs. Also, I have a personal request for all of you, so read on for all the deets!

January 2021 READ THIS! Author Q&A

January's READ THIS! author Q&A with author Jean Marie Ward will be Thursday, January 21, 2021, from 9pm-10pm Eastern. Access to Discord is available worldwide, and everyone is invited to attend! You do not need to be a Discord member/user to attend: Use this link https://discord.gg/MnQDEKFYjU to go directly to the chat room! (You also don't need to have finished the book to join in the fun. We authors know that everyone reads at their own pace and we just want to hang out with you guys and have some good times!) Once in, you'll get to join in the fun of asking authors about their "process" and more. PLUS, every attendee will be given a coupon code for a special purchase (see below). AND, one lucky winner will get December's READ THIS! selection for FREE! I know! It's too happy to be true! But true it is, so don't miss out! (You must be present in the chat to win. Physical copies U.S. only; ebook copies worldwide.)

January 2021 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for January 2021 is:  Lost Signals of the Terran Republic anthology Featuring "The Ellsberg Variations" by Jean Marie Ward Gini's Take: "The Ellsberg Variations" -- a political thriller where the term Missing in Action has terrifying consequences for those who ask for answers -- is the closing novella in Chuck Gannon's Caine Riordan expansion 20-story anthology, a great, rousing, and thoughtful military SF read all the way through. About the Author: Jean Marie Ward writes fiction, nonfiction and everything in between, including novels (2008 Indie Book double-finalist With Nine You Get Vanyr) and two art books. Her stories have appeared everywhere from Asimov’s to the anthologies of Zombies Need Brains. The former editor of Crescent Blues and author interviewer for BuzzyMag.com, she co-edited the six-volume, 40th anniversary World Fantasy Con anthology Unconventional Fantasy. Learn more at JeanMarieWard.com.

February's READ THIS! Selection   And Remember: One Lucky Q&A Participant can win it early!

The READ THIS! Selection for February 2021 is:  Bodies in Motion by Liana Brooks

Pssst! You know what the 25th of January is? Well, this year it's a Monday, and it probably has significance in other ways, but it's also my birthday. And, for the first time ever, I'm actually asking all y'all for a birthday present. And that present is... Reviews.  Right after pre-orders and actual sales, nothing is more important to authors (all of us, even the big guys, but particularly the rest of us who are NOT household names) than reviews. Reviews on Amazon, in particular, are vital, because after a title gets 50 reviews, Amazon's algorithms kick in and they start promoting that book...for free. It doesn't matter if the reviews are 5 stars or 1 star reviews, if they're long or short, it just matters that someone took the time to review. Reviews matter on B&N.com, Smashwords, Goodreads, WalMart, Target, and on publisher's websites, too, but if you can only do one, choose Amazon, because it does the most, for free, for every author, not just me. And every new review makes the algorithms kick into gear. Reviews are a wonderful gift you can give to the authors you love. And what do I need reviews on, you ask? Every darned thing I write. Every book in the Alien series. Every book in every other series. Every standalone. All the anthologies. (You can find most - though not all, because Aliens Like Us isn't the only thing that's running behind - on my Bibliography page at my website.) So, do your girl a solid and post reviews of all the bookie wookies. If you loved them, liked them, thought they were meh, or hated them, a review will be a treasured gift, regardless. For those of you who might want to do more, I'm also asking for donations, large or small, to be given to Joshua Tree Feeding Program, which longtime readers know is a charity very close to my heart. Donations are tax deductible and go for a very worthy cause.

So many bookie wookies, so much time to catch up on all of them while waiting for Aliens Like Us and the next READ THIS! selection. Check out my Bookstore and Bibliography for all the things!

That's it for today but, never fear, another Blog, including next month's READ THIS! selection, will be arriving in a couple of weeks! In the meantime, stay safe and healthy, remember we're all in this together, be kind to one another, give love and support to all those who are on the front lines in any capacity, and let's be readers out there. Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch some of you at the Q&A and all of you on the flip side! Love, Gini