August's READ THIS! Book of the Month and a Whole Lot More!

Happy August!

August is a big month for me. My anniversary, the chicklet's bday, the hubs' bday, tons of other family and friends born in or celebrating anniversaries in this month -- August is one of my favorite months of the year, hot or not.

The heat's not going anywhere for a while, but this month's READ THIS! selection is pretty cool, if I do say so myself, and I do. So let's get to it, shall we? We shall!

READ THIS! A Book Club by Moi for All Y'all Welcome to READ THIS! A Book Club by Gini Koch. This is my chance to introduce you to some great authors that I love and know you will, too. Every month I'll spotlight a book and, even better...every month I'll host a live discussion with the author, that all y'all can join! I know, it's too happy to be true, but true it is!

August 2021 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for August 2021 is:  "Saving Sallie Ruth" Featured in the Derelict anthology By Gini Koch writing as Anita Ensal Gini's Take: In an anthology dedicated to derelicts of all kinds, "Saving Sallie Ruth" proves that "bedtime stories" are always rooted in truth...and the truth can set you free...or kill you. Set in my Belters universe, where magic doesn't exist. Or does it? About the Author: It's me! But since I'm writing this story as Anita Ensal, check out the deets about this particular alter ego. Anita Ensal has always been intrigued by the possibilities inherent in myths and legends and she likes to find both the fantastical element in the mundane and the ordinary component within the incredible. She writes in all areas of speculative fiction with stories in many fine anthologies out now and upcoming, including Love and Rockets and Boondocks Fantasy from DAW Books, Guilds & Glaives, Portals, and Derelict from Zombies Need Brains, Gunfight on Europa Station from Baen Books, A Dying Planet from Flame Tree Press, The Book of Exodi from Eposic, The Reinvented Heart from CAEZIK SF & Fantasy, and the novella, A Cup of Joe. You can reach Anita (aka Gini Koch) at her website, Fantastical Fiction (http://www.ginikoch.com/aebookstore.htm).

August 2021 READ THIS! Author Q&A

So, you've read the READ THIS! selection and you want to share what you thought with the author, hang out with them and Gini, and generally talk books for an hour. Well, guess what? You can! The third Thursday of every month will be READ THIS! Author Q&A time. The event will be held utilizing Discord, and the invitation to Gini's READ THIS! room will come out in the week prior to the chat. And that's not all! Near the end of each Q&A session, we'll be doing a raffle and one lucky winner will get a copy of the next month's READ THIS! selection! (You must be present in the Q&A to win. Physical book prizes will be U.S. only. Ebook prizes will be worldwide.)

August's READ THIS! author Q&A with Guest Host Hal Bodner featuring Moi and a host of other Zombies Need Brains authors, will be on Thursday, August 19, 2021 from 9pm-10pm Eastern. Access to Discord is available worldwide, and everyone is invited to attend!

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

The READ THIS! Selection for September 2021 is:  Fabulous in Tights By Hal Bodner

Because I get asked this daily (often multiple times daily)... Yes, Aliens Like Us IS coming, but... No, Aliens Like Us still isn't ready for Prime Time, but... I'm writing like a crazed wolverine (and yes, all the other projects aren't distractions, they KEEP me writing) so... Fear not, Kitty & Company will be back later than you want but sooner than you think... I promise.

Speaking of Derelict... There's a cool interview with Zombies Need Brains editor Joshua Palmatier over at Winter is Coming. Check it out and learn about all three ZNB anthologies that released in July: Derelict, When Worlds Collide, and A Modern Deity's Guide to Surviving Humanity. And why not get those other two awesome anthologies while picking up your copy of August's Book of the Month!

Pre-Orders Matter A reminder that it's time to pre-order Gunfight on Europa Station featuring "Showdown on Big Rock 27" by moi writing as Anita Ensal. And, if you missed it, here's the panel several of the authors did, moi included, for LibertyCon.

Speaking of Pre-Orders... The Reinvented Heart, featuring "Go Where the Heart Takes You" by moi writing as Anita Ensal, is up for pre-sale right now, and it's a special reduced pre-order price! Don't miss out, pre-order your copy today!

That's right, it's time for more ConTinual panels featuring the Yap large and in charge! The newest additions are Sherlock Returns, where I and several other awesome authors talk about all things Holmes and then some, and Christmas in July Holiday Short Reads, where I'm reading from Touched by an Alien. Don't miss 'em! And don't miss these other cool panels I've run the yap on: Breaking Down the Genres Economics in World Building Horror and Romance Sherlockian Mystery There's a whole lot more over at the ConTinual YouTube page, so browse around and get your panel fixes in!

That's it for today but, never fear, another Update, including the Discord Q&A chat invitation, 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 you on the flip side!\ Love, Gini