New Kickstarter with Chances to Get Your Name Into My Story!

Hey there! There's a new Kickstarter in town, and it's Unidentified Funny Objects 10. And you have first crack at tuckerizations (aka my putting your name, or name of choice, in lights in the story). Most authors kill their tuckers. I tend to make mine the stars and keep them around forever. The title is "The Cat Lady Cometh," currently planned as a new standalone (but we know how that tends to go, too, right?), and it should be a lot of fun with, you know, the standard mayhem and all that jazz.

From The Editor, Alex Shvartsman: Do you like funny science fiction and fantasy? Short stories that are humorous, unusual, and most of all fun? The Unidentified Funny Objects anthology series has been publishing such stories for the past thirteen years! (GK edit: And I'm in most of them!) In that time I have edited nine volumes as well as three supplemental books of reprint stories (Funny SF, Funny Fantasy, and Funny Horror.) The last of those came out in 2022. Then, I took a break. Well, not really a break. I was busy doing All The Things. But UFO has always been my passion project and I clawed out some extra time (mostly by sleeping less) to finally, finally work on UFO10. The goal of this campaign is to produce the latest volume in the series of funny, irreverent anthologies of humorous  science fiction and fantasy short stories. The series features a recurring cast of amazing headliners (GK edit: like moi), and the best funny up-and-comers I can find.  Each UFO volume features offbeat and unique stories unlike any to be found in other anthology series. We publish a range of humorous stories, from the outright hilarious to snarky (GK edit: *cough*), and try to cover a wide range of humor styles, from satire to absurdist. I already have the following stories in hand for UFO10: "How to Make Everything Better for Everyone" -- Gamification of everything leads to its natural absurdity. -- by Jane Espenson, screenwriter of Buffy, Firefly, Gilmore Girls, Battlestar Galactica, Game of Thrones, and many other TV series. "Passengers" -- What are the Yeti, the Sasquatch and the Mothman doing on a flying saucer? -- by Simon R. Green, NYT bestselling author of Deathstalker and Nightshare series. "The Shank of the Evening" -- Dating in NYC is tough and you meet all kinds of people. -- Some of them may not even be people. by Nick Mamatas, Hugo, World Fantasy, and Bram Stoker Award finalist "I Hate This Planet" -- What's it really like to be an alien researcher stranded on Earth? -- by Alan Dean Foster, bestselling author of Star Wars, Alien, Star Trek, Terminator, and Transformers novels "Back to School Guidelines for Exceptiolon Planetary" -- Things at the school are going to be a little different under the new Tentaculon administration. You know, just minor stuff. -- by Tina Connolly, Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy award finalist "Stupid Cupid" -- Cupid's assistant has h̶u̶g̶e̶ tiny shoes to fill as she takes over matchmaking duties. Before long, a lovelorn tree is the least of her problems. -- by Zach Shephard, UFO series regular whose fiction has also appeared in F&SF, Galaxy's Edge and other venues. "Opacity" (translated from Russian) -- When an AI chatbot advises a man on how to get rich quick in the kakistocracy of modern Russia, it seems to miraculously work--but not for long. -- by Leo Kaganov, award-winning author and poet whose English language translations appeared in Clarkesworld and Asimov's. Additional authors who have also agreed to contribute a story include Caitlin Rozakis, Esther Friesner, Gini Koch, Jody Lynn Nye, and Lavie Tidhar.  Once the funding goal is met, UFO will open to general submissions in December.  From Moi: I enjoy writing stories for this anthology series. They keep my snark fresh for Kitty & Company as well as all the others. So, please support the Kickstarter if you can, whether it's by tuckerizations or just regular award levels, and also share the info if you're willing. The cool kitty below wants your support just like the editor and I do.

So many bookie wookies, so much time to catch up on all of them while waiting for The Alien Collection, Aliens Like Us, and Aliens Like Them. Check out my Bookstore for all the things!

That's it for today but, as always, more's on the way. Have great weeks, stay warm and dry or cool and comfy, depending on where you are in the world, and let's be readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side! Love, Gini

The READ THIS! Author Q&A is TONIGHT (Thursday) and More!

I'm Home! My con season is over and I'm back in the Manse. And just in time, too, since the READ THIS! Author Q&A is TONIGHT (aka Thursday), and it's gonna be good, so don't miss it! Plus there's more stuff, too, so let's get to it, shall we? We shall!

My Con Season Wrap-Up is Coming But not today, because your author girl is wiped and needs time to catch her breath. But I CAN give you one shot to tide you over...moi in front of Anne Rice's childhood home.

A Reminder About Bookie Wookies... All of these are available now from Ginger Blue Publishing and available at your preferred retailer. If you haven't grabbed these yet, now's the time!

Watch as it all gets real... What's the worth of one life?

You're invited to a party to die for! Welcome to the Belt...proceed with caution

The Jumping Game is on! Come for the scandal, stay for the explosions.

Welcome to Washington, check your Poofs at the door... The future looks utopian...until you look just a bit closer...

And baby makes...the bad guys rue the day they made Mama Kitty angry... Love, engagement, Poofs...and intergalactic war. What happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas...

More Kitty, and don't miss the gators! The Book That Started It All is alive again! Meet Kitty...all over again!

My first book of movie and TV reviews, and, as I may have mentioned a few times, it's an Amazon #1 bestseller, too! (Hey, a girl likes to share the coolness when she can!) The re-release of the first book in The Martian Alliance Chronicles. Things aren't what they seem when Princess Olivia of Andromeda jumps aboard a spaceship to escape a loveless marriage.

A group of mystery-solving grandmothers, a daring granddaughter, a surf bum, homeless men, and a mysterious stranger all involved in a series of brutal murders in a sleepy seaside town... The re-release of my first humor collection, now with bonus funny! Despite what you may have heard or believe, all the stories are true...well, almost all...

The story of the Old West's most notorious female outlaw, the infamous Belladonna. Available in Hardback, trade paperback, and ebook. Read the story that started it all... Stacey Weir didn't mean to become an amateur sleuth. But when her adoptive father's accused of murder, there was only one thing for her to do...

Friends to lovers romantic suspense set in and around New Orleans, now with an (extended) epilogue! (Re-release.) Mosaic post-apocalyptic novel set in the far future that's reverted to Old West ways, where love, friends, and family are what get you through.

A collection of paranormal tales, with new bonus stories and an introduction from the author of BITE CLUB. (Re-release.) A collection of all my humorous SF/F/P (non-Alien series) stories, together in one place for the first time!

September 2025 READ THIS! Author Q&A

September's READ THIS! Q&A with  Author J.B. Garner will be on Thursday, September 18, 2025 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/GYpzD25JvW 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 October'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.)

September 2025 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for September 2025 is:  Injustice Push Chronicles #2 by J.B. Garner Gini's Take: Second in the Push Chronicles series, this book picks up soon after Indomitable ends -- and races you right into more exciting superhero action. Only this time, there's more to deal with, and that more has serious fangs. About the Author: Talented topflight author and editor Jamie Beth “J. B.” Garner has written over twenty novels across multiple genres and edited hundreds more. She writes urban fantasy, epic fantasy with noir and romantacy, science fiction, LitRPG, and pro-wrestling epics, among other things, and is always out to entertain and amaze. Reach her at: https://www.jbgarnerwrites.com/aboutjbgarner

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

The READ THIS! Selection for October 2025 is:        Ghosts of Black Bear Mountain By Marc Monroe

A Big-Little FYI... Due to all the things happening with the Alien Series and other things, Deck the Falls is going to be a little late. Sadly it's more than a little late now, but the end is near and I'm hoping for an October release. Book 3 (Cruise the Falls) should be right back on schedule for March 2026 but may be moved to a first half of the year release, depending on what the publisher thinks. And, as soon as Deck the Falls is finalized, all y'all will, as always, be the first to know!

Read Out Loud! Do you have your copy of the Touched by an Alien audiobook yet? If not, don't wait! Grab yours today and start your year right!

Speaking of Reading Out Loud... Graphic Audio has renewed the contract for The Legend of Belladonna, Part 1: Natural Born Outlaws, by moi writing as A.E. Stanton. If you haven't grabbed this fantastic audiobook, don't delay, grab it today!

So many bookie wookies, so much time to catch up on all of them while waiting for The Alien Collection, Aliens Like Us, Aliens Like Them, and the next READ THIS! selection. Check out my Bookstore 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, hope this year continues to give all of you much joy and goodness, 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