It's Time for September's Book of the Month and Lots More!

We're at the edge of September, and I'm Off to DragonCon!

That feels like what I've been saying for the past few months...oh, wait...it's because I have been. Con season is fully upon me, but things are still going on. Many things, including the next READ THIS! Book of the Month and a WHOLE lot more, including my finalized DragonCon schedule. And it's because of DragonCon that you're getting this blog a little early, because I don't want anyone to miss out on all the things! So let's get to it all, shall we? We shall!

IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! Give it a Hearing!

The Touched by an Alien audiobook is live, large, and in charge! Get your copies TODAY!

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!

September 2022 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for September 2022 is:  SylverMoon Chronicles, Vol. 1 By Confederacy of the Quill Gini's Take: A very cool ten-volume short story anthology in the genres of Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction -- you know, things I love. Come on in, take a stroll in the light of the SylverMoon. (And yes, I did sing "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" at least once while reading, because it's me.) About the Author: It is a myriad of people who contribute to every work of art, regardless of the medium. Here at SylverQuill Press, we acknowledge and honor all those that came before us as well as all those who make what we do possible... And for those of us here, no matter the number of works produced, we are a family. Together, we make up the Confederacy of the Quill! Reach them at confederacyofthequill@gmail.com.

September 2022 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.)

September's READ THIS! author Q&A with various authors of the Confederacy of the Quill  will be on Thursday, September 15, 2022 from 9pm-10pm Eastern. Access to Discord is available worldwide, and everyone is invited to attend!

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

The READ THIS! Selection for October 2022 is:  NOIR featuring "I Am the Ink" By Hal Bodner

Speaking of Zombies Need Brains... It's Kickstarter Time!

The next Kickstarter for the latest round of Zombies Need Brains anthologies is going strong, but still needs more support to fully fund. For the publisher's 10th anniversary there will be four new anthologies, not just three. I'll be in Dragonesque and I still have one tuckerization available -- the story will be a standalone but already it feels like the start of a new series, so get your name in now, while the getting is good! Plus there are tons of other cool offers from the publisher and other authors, so check it out and get in now!

AND, speaking Zombies Need Brains and speaking of speaking, check out my interview with Chief ZNB editor Joshua Palmatier where the Yap is large and in charge and we talk about many things, especially my Belters universe and the Predator: Eyes of the Demon anthology.  AND speaking of Predator: Eyes of the Demon, we're number one! We hit number one at Audible AND at Amazon! If you haven't given it a listen or a read yet, what are you waiting for? Check out my story, "Cannon Fodder" as well as the rest of the cool stories from other awesome authors. Plus, check out the cool review of the new Predator movie, "Prey," from Interstellar Press.

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 on Version 5 of the rewrite process. Does every book take me this long? No. Will all the others in the series take this long? Likely no. Life has tossed a lot at me and mine and that's made some things a struggle, but... Kitty is always with me, and she's not going to let the bad things win, in any universe. So...Watch this space for more updates as I have them. And keep those digits crossed for the hope that my shouting "the end!" comes sooner as opposed to later. P.S. I am definitely heading towards the end game. I realize that's vague, but it means that I think we'll be shouting "hurrah" somewhere in the nearish term. Digits crossed, at any rate... P.P.S. Watch this space, I'm hoping to share happy news soon.

See The Me! The Hermitage Is Over! Here are the upcoming cons I am confirmed to be going to this year. Panels, readings, signings, and such will be updated as I have the info, but I will definitely be at these places and hope to see some of or all y'all there!      DragonCon Atlanta, GA September 1-5, 2022 Friday, September 2 through Monday, September 5 See the me at Vendor Hall Floor 2 Spartamac Booth 2125! Come on by and get your hugs and your bookie wookies signed. I should be here most of the con other than where listed below! Thursday, September 1 It's all Page to Stage Costume Contest, THE premiere cosplay event, all day for me, because I'm the Literary Interpretation Judge for the Invitational Division! Come see all the gorgeous glory! Title: Page to Stage Costume Contest Description: Love Literature, Comics, Manga, Costumes and Cosplay? This one of a kind event combines all of them. The Open and Invitational Divisions will be showing you the power of creativity and love of characters. Curious? Check out: FB: DragonConP2S or DCPAGETOSTAGE.com We will also be hosting a small charity auction while the Judges do their thing! Time: Thu 08:00 pm Location: Regency VI-VII (Length: 4 Hours) Friday, September 2 Title: Defining SF in the Era of the Sub-Genre Description: There are so many different definitions of sf. There are an equal number of sub-genres (military sf, space opera, etc.) Our panelists discuss how definitions have changed through the years. Time: Fri 11:30 am Location: Embassy AB (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Meet the Creators from this years Page to Stage: Authors, Contestants and More! Description: Join in on round robin discussion on what went into the Page to Stage everything from the character selection for the Invitational, to the creation of the costumes, to what the judges experiences and expectations. Time: Fri 02:30 pm Location: Embassy CD (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Blasters and Blades Podcast Goes Fantasy Fan Favorites Talk Books Description: Blaster and Blades Podcast fan favorites team up to talk about what they are reading and why you should check out these books too! Time: Fri 05:30 pm Location: Embassy CD (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Virtual: What Kind of Book Shall I Write Description: When you write in more than one genre, how do you decide what genre an idea goes in? Our panelists discuss this and give their views. Time: Fri 07:00 pm Location: STRM_FanTrk (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Fantasy Gather: Welcome Home Description: The best Gathering around of authors and fans! Who knows what surprises and treasures are to be found. We have more authors than the app will allow us to list, so you will be sure to find some great books to take home with your amazing Con stories. Time: Fri 08:00 pm-12:30am Location: Hanover C-E (Length: 5.5 Hours) Saturday, September 3 Title: Gini Koch booth Appearance! Description: Meet Gini Koch at The Missing Volume booth for a special signing Time: Sat 01:00 pm Location: Vendor Hall Floor 1 The Missing Volume booth 1300 (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Fantasy Dating Game Description: Cosplay meets literature in the adventure to see if our favorite characters can finally find love after all their adventures Authors will cosplay (or just act) as their characters and see if 'True Luv' of 'Con Luv' will happen. Time: Sat 10:00 pm Location: International South (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Virtual: Balancing the Dark: Where does Fantasy End and Horror Start Description: Fantasy is not Horror, but it sure can get Dark and Scary. But what is too Dark and turns that Dark Fantasy into Horror? Time: Sat 10:00 pm Location: STRM_FanTrk (Length: 1 Hour) Sunday, September 4 Title: It's All in the NAME! So why Pen Names? Description: Pen names are nothing new, its an age old tradition. First we will talk about why they have been used in the past then devil into why they are still used in an era of branding and name recognition. Time: Sun 10:00 am Location: Embassy CD (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Grave Humor: Comedy in Horror Fiction Description: Authors reveal the ways in which they combine what, on the surface, may seem like two disparate genres: comedy and horror. Time: Sun 11:30 am Location: Peachtree 1-2 (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Balancing the Dark: Where does Fantasy End and Horror Start Description: Fantasy is not Horror, but it sure can get Dark and Scary. But what is too Dark and turns that Dark Fantasy into Horror? Time: Sun 02:30 pm Location: Embassy CD (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Religion in SF Description: Do all societies have religion? How do their beliefs shape their world? What are good examples in sf? Time: Sun 05:30 pm Location: Embassy AB (Length: 1 Hour) Monday, September 5 Title: Gini Koch booth Appearance (with David Boop) Description: Come see Gini Koch at The Missing Volume for a special signing! Time: Mon 01:00 pm Location: Vendor Hall Floor 1 The Missing Volume booth 1300 (Length: 1 Hour) *Note: this is potentially not my full DragonCon schedule. As events confirm, I'll list them here, so watch this space! World Fantasy Con New Orleans, LA November 3-6, 2022

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 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

August's READ THIS! Q&A Deets Plus LOTS More!

 

I'm Home! For, Um, A Bit... I'm home from GenCon (and my recap is below) and it was marvelous. But DragonCon looms in the near future, so I won't be home for long before I'm at that con! There's lots going on besides my frenzied con schedule, as you'll see as you scroll through the blog (which is LOADED with things), including the next READ THIS! Author Q&A with someone near and dear to all y'alls hearts. (Me, it's me.) That's just a few days away and all the things need your attention, so let's get right to it, shall we? We shall!

August 2022 READ THIS! Author Q&A

August's READ THIS! author Q&A with Guest Host Hal Bodner featuring author Gini Koch aka Moi will be on Thursday, August 18, 2022 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, one lucky winner will get September'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.)

August 2022 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for August 2022 is:  The Happy Acres Haunted Hotel for Active Seniors By Gini Koch Gini's Take: The title says it all for this funny paranormal set in a senior living facility that used to be many other things, especially haunted. The little story that could: outside of requests for the next novels in any of my series, a sequel to this story is the #1 request I get. Find out why, and come find out about the upcoming sequel! About the Author: It's me! But in case you've missed my bio somehow...Gini Koch writes the fast, fresh, and funny Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books, the Necropolis Enforcement Files series, the Martian Alliance Chronicles series, and has a humor collection, Random Musings from the Funny Girl.  She’s made the most of multiple personality disorder by writing in every length and genre and under a variety of other pen names as well, including G.J. Koch (the Alexander Outland series), Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton (the New West Series and the Legend of Belladonna series), and J.C. Koch, all with stories featured in excellent anthologies, available now and upcoming from publishers such as DAW Books, Baen Books, Zombies Need Brains, UFO Publishing, Abaddon Books, IDW Publishing, Titan Books, JorunalStone, CAEZIK SF & Fantasy, Founders House Publishing, Audio Publishing, Prime Books, Eposic, and Cold Fusion Media. Reach her at www.ginikoch.com.

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

The READ THIS! Selection for September 2022 is:    The Sylvermoon Chronicles, Volume 1 By Confederacy of the Quill

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 on Version 5 of the rewrite process. Does every book take me this long? No. Will all the others in the series take this long? Likely no. Life has tossed a lot at me and mine and that's made some things a struggle, but... Kitty is always with me, and she's not going to let the bad things win, in any universe. So...Watch this space for more updates as I have them. And keep those digits crossed for the hope that my shouting "the end!" comes sooner as opposed to later. P.S. I am definitely heading towards the end game. I realize that's vague, but it means that I think we'll be shouting "hurrah" somewhere in the nearish term. Digits crossed, at any rate... P.P.S. Watch this space, I'm hoping to share happy news soon.

More Yapping!   That's right, more yapping from me and other awesome authors over at ConTinual. The latest offering is Technology in Your Tales and, as always, I have a lot to say on the subject! So head over and watch and have some fun along with the rest of us at ConTinual! 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 Sherlock Returns Christmas in July Holiday Short Reads Hot off the Press #54 Characters in the Public Domain Zombies! Holiday Special Event 2021 Christmas & New Years in Film Holidays Real and Imagined Favorite Holiday Episodes in SciFi and Fantasy Series Holiday Action-Adventure Hot Off the Press #64 Weird Westerns Pets and Familiars Intellectual Property for Creatives Separating Problematic Creators from Their Work Selling At Conventions Scarred For Life How To Write Animals Hot off the Press #72 Unicorns And Other Fantastic Creatures Tinkerers and Inventors A ConTinual Special Mystery Event: The Game is Afoot - Sherlockian Universes Hot off the Press #76 Space Opera There's a whole lot more over at the ConTinual YouTube page, so browse around and get your panel fixes in!

It's Kickstarter Time!

Yes indeed, it's time for the next round of Zombies Need Brains anthologies! For the publisher's 10th anniversary there will be four new anthologies, not just three. I'll be in Dragonesque, and will, as always, be offering tuckerizations. The story will be a standalone but already it feels like the start of a new series, so get your names in now, while the getting is good! Plus there will be tons of other cool offers from the publisher and other authors, so check it out and get in now! (Links will be live at noon eastern today, for those of you who read this in the morning.)

Speaking of Zombies Need Brains... The lastest anthologies, the ones funded last year, are here and just waiting for you to grab them! I'm in Brave New Worlds, which you should, of course, get right now, but there are awesome stories and authors in each volume. Our own Hal Bodner is in Noir and Jose Pablo Iriarte is in Shattering the Glass Slipper, so it's a regular READ THIS! cornucopia out there! So remember, you gotta get 'em all!

GenCon 2022 Recap! I had a great time at GenCon and was so busy that I had no time to do my normal updates on Facebook or Twitter. So all the updating will be here, 'cause I'm a giver, me.

I was on a ton of panels and did a variety of signings, where I gave away copies of Touched by an Alien because, as we all know in the Alien Collective, first time's free and after that, you're hooked.  I got to panel with some amazing authors, and taught a couple of workshops as well. Everyone at the con had a great attidue and the con had a fun, fizzy vibe the entire time. <-- Moi during one of my signings This was my first time at GenCon but I sincerely hope it won't be my last! GenCon 2023, here I come! <-- Moi teaching (yes, without a mask, I'm a rule-breaker, me, plus I couldn't breathe because I had to talk so much and I had everyone sit a few rows back) next to the world's tiniest white board. Hey, they TRIED to give us what we needed. One of the most fun things was the live D&D game that I got to be a part of, along with awesome authors Brandon O'Brien, Richard Lee Byers, C.S.E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez, and Laura Menzel, DM'd by Gregory A. Wilson. They're all great players, and Greg is a great DM, and you should check out all their books! | v

^^ various pics of signings and panels (panel is with awesome authors Chris A. Jackson and Richard Lee Byers) Honestly, it was hard to choose which pics to show you, so apologies for so many, but it really was a super event. vv Last night dinner (yes, where you're so tired you don't really care what you're wearing or how you look as long as they let you in to sit down and eat with old friends and new)

See The Me! The Hermitage Is Over! Now that you've gotten the big GenCon roundup, here's rest of the upcoming cons I'm confirmed to be going to this year. Panels, readings, signings, and such will be updated as I have the info, but I will definitely be at these places and hope to see some of or all y'all there!        DragonCon Atlanta, GA September 1-5, 2022 Friday, September 2 through Monday, September 5 See the me at Vendor Hall Floor 2 Spartamac Booth 2125! Come on by and get your hugs and your bookie wookies signed. I should be here most of the con other than where listed below! Thursday, September 1 Title: Virtual: What Kind of Book Shall I Write Description: When you write in more than one genre, how do you decide what genre an idea goes in? Our panelists discuss this and give their views. Time: Thu 10:00 am Location: STRM_FanTrk (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Virtual: Balancing the Dark: Where does Fantasy End and Horror Start Description: Fantasy is not Horror, but it sure can get Dark and Scary. But what is too Dark and turns that Dark Fantasy into Horror? Time: Thu 10:00 am Location: STRM_FanTrk (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Page to Stage Costume Contest Description: Premiere cosplay event! Time: Thu Prejudging 5:30pm; Judging 8:30pm (NOTE: I'll be there for prejudging, then to the panel below, then back again) Location: Hyatt International South Ballroom Title: What the %#?! is Dark Fantasy? Description: Authors discuss the slippery genre that has been dubbed "dark fantasy." Time: Thu 08:30 pm Location: Peachtree 1-2 (Length: 1 Hour) Friday, September 2 Title: Defining SF in the Era of the Sub-Genre Description: There are so many different definitions of sf. There are an equal number of sub-genres (military sf, space opera, etc.) Our panelists discuss how definitions have changed through the years. Time: Fri 11:30 am Location: Embassy AB (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Blasters and Blades Podcast Goes Fantasy Fan Favorites Talk Books Description: Blaster and Blades Podcast fan favorites team up to talk about what they are reading and why you should check out these books too! Time: Fri 05:30 pm Location: Embassy CD (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Fantasy Gather: Welcome Home Description: The best Gathering around of authors and fans! Who knows what surprises and treasures are to be found. We have more authors than the app will allow us to list, so you will be sure to find some great books to take home with your amazing Con stories. Time: Fri 08:00 pm-12:30am Location: Hanover C-E (Length: 5.5 Hours) Saturday, September 3 Title: Gini Koch booth Appearance! Description: Meet Gini Koch at The Missing Volume booth for a special signing Time: Sat 01:00 pm Location: Vendor Hall Floor 1 The Missing Volume booth 1300 (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Fantasy Dating Game Description: Cosplay meets literature in the adventure to see if our favorite characters can finally find love after all their adventures Authors will cosplay (or just act) as their characters and see if 'True Luv' of 'Con Luv' will happen. Time: Sat 10:00 pm Location: International South (Length: 1 Hour) Sunday, September 4 Title: It's All in the NAME! So why Pen Names? Description: Pen names are nothing new, its an age old tradition. First we will talk about why they have been used in the past then devil into why they are still used in an era of branding and name recognition. Time: Sun 10:00 am Location: Embassy CD (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Grave Humor: Comedy in Horror Fiction Description: Authors reveal the ways in which they combine what, on the surface, may seem like two disparate genres: comedy and horror. Time: Sun 11:30 am Location: Peachtree 1-2 (Length: 1 Hour) Title: Balancing the Dark: Where does Fantasy End and Horror Start Description: Fantasy is not Horror, but it sure can get Dark and Scary. But what is too Dark and turns that Dark Fantasy into Horror? Time: Sun 02:30 pm Location: Embassy CD (Length: 1 Hour) Monday, September 5 Title: Gini Koch booth Appearance (with David Boop) Description: Come see Gini Koch at The Missing Volume for a special signing! Time: Mon 01:00 pm Location: Vendor Hall Floor 1 The Missing Volume booth 1300 (Length: 1 Hour) *Note: this is potentially not my full DragonCon schedule. As events confirm, I'll list them here, so watch this space! World Fantasy Con New Orleans, LA November 3-6, 2022

It's Pre-Order Time! As revealed earlier, the cover for the new audiobook for Touched by an Alien is live and gorgeous. Pre-orders are live, too, and, as always, they matter. Particularly if we want Books 2-16 and on (and we do, don't we?), Book 1 has to sell well enough to warrant the additional series love. So, please pre-order your copies and encourage your audiobook loving friends and family to join in the fun and grab Kitty's first adventure today!

We're Number One!  Predator: Eyes of the Demon has hit number 1 at Audible! I'm super stoked to be in this anthology and that it's doing so well and is so well-received by fans. Haven't checked it out yet? Now's the time to get on the bandwagon and get your copy today!

Support Black Comics Week! One of my all-time fave comics creators is Robert Roach and even though Black Comics Week just finished, I see no reason why we can't keep it going! So, I encourage all y'all to support this awesome, award-winning indie comics creator! He's got plenty for you to choose from over at The Operative Network, so check out all the things!

Support the Team! Yes, these shirts (as modeled by Member of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing Cisca Small) are available. Yes, you can get them from me if you want to show your Team Gini-ness (and I may have some with me at DragonCon). Yes, we have men's/unisex and women's sizes. If you want one, drop me a line (gini@ginikoch.com) and we'll get you hooked up. (See what I did there? ;-D)

His Highness crossed the Rainbow Bridge last month, and I've only just been able to write about it now. If you'd like, check out  Requiem for a Heavyweight over at the Blah, Blah, Blah Blog. (As in, read the post below this one.)

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 Update, including details for the next 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 all y'all on the flip side! Love, Gini