Requiem for a Heavyweight

I haven't shared this with the general public yet because there were just too many things going on. But now it's time.

On the day I went to San Diego Comic-Con, His Highness Master of All He Surveys and Owner of His Queen Mum's Heart (aka Claude) went across the Rainbow Bridge.

He was over 19 1/2 and had a very good life, ruling over the Killer Kitties AND the Canine Death Squad for his entire existence. He was my best beloved of my fur babies, and we shall not see his like again. 

One of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing, Jan Robinson, made many hand-crocheted representations of my various works, including for The Happy Acres Haunted Hotel for Active Seniors, which memento was a ghost. The Ghost arrived and His Highness immediately claimed it for his own. He slept with it, cuddled with it, and kept all others away from it. When we moved from Hell's Orientation Area to Hotlanta it stayed in the crate with him and had a permanent home on the cat tree in our room where he slept. He loved The Ghost so much that we buried it with him.

He also loved the Pilla babies Jan made from "A Bug's Life" (Installment 3 of The Martian Alliance Chronicles) but not to the extent he loved The Ghost. Fluffy Death still has claim to the Pillas.

For those who've read my humor collection, Random Musings from the Funny Girl, you've already realized that His Highness chose his death day carefully. Not for him a major holiday or a birthday. No, for the Cat of Cats, he chose to go (thankfully on the bed, next to me, and before I had to leave for the airport) on the day I left for the biggest con in the world. Meaning he will always be connected with SDCC in my mind, and I can think of no other day more befitting the cat of an author whose first con was SDCC way back when.

So, the cheerful ghost plushie that I got from Kirakira Doodles at SDCC this year has more meaning for me than just being a cute plushie. It's the combo of Claude and His Ghost, something for me to have to remember both of them by.

The King is dead...long live the King forever in my heart.

Which means Fluffy Death is the only Killer Kitty left. For now, at least. I feel confident that, when it's time, His Highness will guide me to an appropriate replacement. And until then, Fluffy Death, His Nibs, and The Little Prince are all jockeying to fill the role of Ruler, while His Highness looks on from across the Bridge and laughs to himself, knowing that there could be and only was one of Himself.

Love, Gini

Vote for Alien Nation!

Greetings Members of the Collective! Congrats on navigating the first week of 2017 

The interwebs are talking and Alien Nation is back in the spotlight! It would be great if you could head on over to Critters Workshop and give your girl Gini a vote in the Science Fiction/Fantasy Category.

Help the world discover what you already know: Kitty and the gang are the best and the baddest around!

Voting is open for the next seven (from the 7th) days. 

Pre-orders...they're kind of a Big Deal

Calling All Alien Collective Members:

We need to have a family meeting - don't worry no one's in trouble so no need to fear hearing your full name during roll call...

*shudders at the internal echo of mom's stern voice*

I'm sure many of you've noticed the increased publicity blitz in anticipation of book releases on the interwebs. You've also probably noticed these book campaigns kicking off earlier and earlier. 

Why you ask? -- fine, so you didn't but I'm gonna throw some knowledge at you anyway.

Publishers, retailers, vendors, media sources - heck even other readers - not only want to know who's waiting with baited breath (alright that's probably an exaggeration) to get their hands on an author's next book but who's ready to put their money down right then, and there.  

ok it may be just me who gets like this when
I get a book release date notification.

The push is to coax readers to pre-order new books as soon (and as much) as possible. 

They know authors (hopefully) have faithful followers and they know these fans are a book-buying mad bunch of bibliophiles. 

Why does this matter so much you ask?  -- ok, you didn't but I'm still gonna put you in the know: 

Pre-orders are the great predictor, the magic eight ball, the magic mirror on the wall if you will - and their importance is greatly increased in the publishing world.   

As a writer Gini's gotta bring the words and the worldbuilding; as author with publishing deals, Gini needs to bring in the book pre-orders, too. 

Why else does it matter you ask? (obviously you sense my theme by now...)

Robust pre-sales can impact:

1. How may books a vendor initially orders and whether they make subsequent orders - print runs determine whether a title can make the USA Today or New York Times Bestseller lists...or not 
2. What format a publisher decides to make a book in - trust me getting a physical book is not guaranteed  
3. If an author gets a contract extension or even gets to complete their existing contract 

We want Gini's publisher to know we're excited about the next book so they keep the Gini writing giving us new books.  

Pre-order sales, along with the books sold at first release, count towards the first week sales numbers. 


Maximizing initial sales establishes bestseller contenders (wouldn't it be great to push Gini up on the lists?) and can impact the fate of future books. 

The next Alien/Katherine "Kitty" Kat book, Alien Nation, is set for release on December 6, 2016.  It is available for pre-order at major and independent bookstores and online book retailers now:

Amazon  
Barnes and Noble 

Books-A-Million
Mysterious Galaxy
Powell's City of Books 

The Poisoned Pen

Gini releases two books in the Alien series a year - that means the pre-order cycle can be fast and furious. So let's help her by getting those Alien Nation pre-orders in and to wave that banner to her publisher that the book's on our radar. 

We want the Giniverse to keep the lights on. 

Gini Koch, Featured Faculty Member

I don't know about you, but October equals watching Hocus Pocus and finding ways to work "dead man's toes" into conversation. It's a moral imperative because HALLOWEEN!!

annnny-hooo ...as the leaves continue to turn and the moon does its waxing and waning thing, Gini heads out to spend this weekend in Richmond, Virginia. 

If you've ever wanted to get writing advice from Gini - she's part of the Faculty for the 14th Annual James River Writers Conference - so here's your shot. 

Going to be in the Richmond area or up for a weekend visit? Check out the learning opportunities and sign up to a class or two! 

Come, learn things...Gini's Conference Schedule 

Friday, October 14th

11:15am-1:15pm, Workshop: Building Characters, aka the Most Important Part of Any Story
2:00-4:00pm, Workshop: World Building – Creating a full world without info dumping, aka Don’t Bore the Reader 

Saturday, October 15th
10:00-11:00am, Panel: Suspending Disbelief – the Art of World Building11:15am-12noon, Panel: Sweet Nothings: Insight, Secrets, and Intimate Details of Romantic Fiction
3:30-4:30pm, Panel: Writing Faster and Smarter: Habits, Apps, and Ideas for Today’s Writer 

Sunday, October 16th
11:30am-12:30pm, Panel: Sing It From the Mountaintops: the Fine Art of Promotion 

Be not afraid, Gini thought of all the non-conference goers out there: 

Gini's set up a signing on Sunday, October 16th at 3:00 pm ET at Fountain Bookstore in Richmond Virginia. 

This signing is open to the public so bring your friends, come make new friends, and see your author-friend! 

Ask some questions, get your copy of the latest from Alien series: Camp Alien -- or any over her titles -- signed and chat. There's a Food With Fans event immediately after, so bring your appetite and plan to have a meal with your girl Gini!

If you've preordered (and you should totally preorder) Alien Nation, bring your receipt -

Gini's bringing bookplates to personalize. 

This post a drive-by to let you know Gini is on the move! 

- Ro 

Requiem

This was supposed to be an update to recap SDCC and about things going on and contests starting and whatnot. But it's not going to be that thing after all.

R.I.P. Beth, you are & will be missed

We lost a Member of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing, Elizabeth "Beth" Vrabel, last night to a sudden, unexpected, massive heart attack. She was in her late 40's, making this loss even more shocking. Her best friend, Tera Ireland, has shared what happened on Facebook if you want the full details.

Beth has been a part of the Alien Collective for so long that I can't remember when she joined up -- in my memory, she's just always been there, being cool and fun and encouraging. We talked all the time on Facebook and in emails, she was part of Team Tuckerization because she was always supporting any Kickstarter I was in, and she was looking into coming to Westercon 70 next year so we could finally meet in person. And now that will never be.

Beth was a fun, cool, funny, and loving person, and she will be greatly missed. She loved many things, but animals -- her cats in particular -- were number one. If you'd like to make a donation in her name (since she was clear that she didn't want flowers or similar), please consider one of her favorites, the Odd Cat Out Sanctuary or any no kill shelter, animal rescue, or wildlife fund you personally support.

Also, if you're in the Portland, Oregon area, Beth's three cats are currently with Tera but will need to be re-homed as Tera's cats are indoor/outdoor and Beth's are indoor only. If you are able to take one or (hopefully) all 3 of them, please keep a lookout -- Tera will be handling their placement, probably starting next week (and I'll send out that information as I get it). Right now, things are too raw and she doesn't want to do something out of grief that might not be best for Beth's beloved furbabies who are all very confused and missing their Furmom.

Hug the people you love and like, call those you can't hug in person, don't put off until tomorrow sharing what someone means to you. In case all y'all weren't sure, I love and appreciate each and every one of you and am glad you're in my life in whatever way you are. Stay you, stay strong, stay together.

Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side.

Love,
Gini

Release Week Catch Up

Happy Friday! Well, it's been a busy release week for Alien in Chief! And I'm behind (on everything, but who's counting?) and about to leave for the out of town portions of book tour, so let's get caught up, shall we? We shall!

First off, my signing at the Poisoned Pen was a great success. Laughs, good books, and cake were shared by all, including those watching via the interwebs. Missed the signing or watching moi live? Not to worry! LiveStream has you taken care of! And you want to watch this LiveStream, because I make not one but TWO announcements that all y'all will want to know about. (Really. You will. Trust me.) And if you somehow have not gotten your copy of Alien in Chief (or any of my other bookie wookies yet), the Pen is a great place to do so -- they ship all over the world and I'm part of their Author Signing Program where you can get your books signed and personalized simply by ordering via phone or email.

Speaking of running my yap, I also did a podcast with the Two Gay Geeks wherein we drink a lot of wine and I share a lot of things, including what spin-offs I'd like to do from the Alien series.

Speaking of Alien in Chief, more reviews are in! See what Books 'N' Kisses, Under the Covers, Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell, and Gizmo's Reviews thought of it!

Then, head over to Suvudu, where you can read all about how I don't want to arrested because of my browser history and things of that nature.

Speaking of reviews, we have folks catching up all over the place. So, check out what KD Did It and Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! thought of Alien Collective.


Then head over to The Heroine Bookstore where I'm thrilled to be the Author of the Month and see what they thought of Touched by an Alien. Keep THB bookmarked, because there will be some cool stuff happening over there later this month. All y'all might want to get onto their newsletter right now, as a matter of fact...

And speaking of Touched by an Alien, hit the If List and cast your votes for who should play what parts in that far off Hollywood dream. Hey, can't hurt, right? Plus you'll get to see who sees the characters like you do...and who doesn't. 

 

Alien in Chief isn't the only new book I've got for you. For those who don't e-read or who just want Installments 1-3 of the Martian Alliance Chronicles in one place, your wait is over. Alliance Rising is available from all the usual suspects (and though we sold out at the Poisoned Pen, they'll have more copies later in the month), and I'll also have copies with me on my next book tour stops.

Speaking of which, come see the me, have cake, and get those bookie wookies signed! Remember -- books make great holiday gifts! 

Saturday, December 5th
Signing Alien in Chief
Mass Signing of the Amazing Wyked Writers
Cake and prizes!
2:00pm
Barnes & Noble Henderson
567 North Stephanie
Henderson, NV 89014
702-434-1533
Food With Fans immediately after the signing

Saturday, December 12th
Signing Alien in Chief
Cake and prizes!
2:00pm
Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore
5943 Balboa Avenue, Suite #100
San Diego, CA 92111
858-268-4747
Food With Fans immediately after the signing

Speaking of great books, have you gotten your copy of The X-Files: Trust No One yet? It's one of the 7 Short Story Anthologies You Need On Your Bookshelf according to allwomenstalk. See if you agree with their list and if you need to fill in your collection!

Speaking of filling your collection, check out what's coming in the first half of 2016 from Rebellion Publishing imprints Solaris and Abaddon, including the 3 novella anthology featuring my Holmes story, A Study in Starlets, in Alt. Sherlock Holmes: New Visions of the Great Detective.

After that, head over to Slice of SciFi and see what I think of the second season of The Librarians now that it's 5 Episodes In. Love the show? Have a favorite character, or one you hate? Haven't watched it yet or made up your mind? Join the discussion over at Slice!

And now it's time for some science! New Scientist and Cosmos both have articles about and photos capturing the formation of planets around  a distant star! Not insinuating that all y'all should pay attention to this because it might have a payoff later in the Alien series or anything...but I'm not insinuating that it won't, either.

Well, amazingly, that's it for today. But, as always, more's on the way. However, for the next two weeks, it will be a sporadic more. Those of you who want to keep close tabs on me should friend me on Facebook, since that's probably where I'll be checking in the most.

So, enjoy the downward slide into the weekend, see some of you over the next couple of weeks, and let's be Alien in Chief readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Al...Most...There...

Happy Monday! Well, the release of Alien in Chief is almost here and with it my signing at the Poisoned Pen tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 7pm. For those who can't make it in person, the LiveStream will be going on, so join in with Alien Collective Members in Very Good Standing around the world and come see the me in person or virtually!

And we have some reviews for Alien in Chief in, too! See what Pearls Cast Before a McPig and boeklogboek both thought of it! And, if you want a teaser before the main event, check out the prologue and first chapter at my Deathless Prose page, and then hit the Page 69 Test to see what's on that page in the book! And Tor.com has a nice listing of all the upcoming December releases!

That's it for today, but more's on the way before I leave for the out of town portions of book tour. So, enjoy the start of your weeks, see some of you in person or virtually tomorrow, and let's be Alien in Chief readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Winning and More Winning

Hey there! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and that your Mondays weren't totally blue. My weekend was great! Spent it in Mesa, AZ at the Comic and Media Expo and had a blast.

CMX 2015 Guests

Marcy Rockwell, Johnny Cage, Moi

Karl Yune, Moi, CMX Director/Owner Gackto Takaida

Got to meet some hotties (like actor Karl Yune and the Johnny Cage cosplayer), had great panels, got to hang and panel with awesome authors Sharon Skinner, Marsheila Rockwell, and Tom Leveen, visited with many cool members of the Alien Collective, sold and signed many of the bookie wookies at the lovely Bonny Books booth, and generally had tons of fun.

Speaking of seeing the me, if you're in the Greater Phoenix Metro Area on Sunday, October 25th, come to the Arizona Consortium for the Arts' Annual Fall Festival of the Arts. (Say that three times fast.)

The Festival is at Papago Park, which is lovely, and will be loaded with authors and artists of all kinds, including awesome authors Alan Black and T.L. Smith. It should be tons of fun, so don't miss out!

And now it's time to announce the winner of the edited galley for Alien Collective:

Gina Todaro Freed

Many congrats! Winner has until October 26th to claim their prize. After that time, the Gods of Random will snatch back the prize and demand a new sacrifice, I mean, winner.

Next up, check out my review of "Steve Jobs" over at Slice of SciFi and see if it's right for you. Saw it already? Not sure if you want to? Join the conversation about it over at Slice!

Reminder 1: Unidentified Funny Objects 4, featuring "Support Your Local Alien", is now available. And check out the release day post from one of my fellow UFO4 authors, Michael J. Martinez.

Reminder 2: Touched by an Alien is up for votes at the If List so if you'd like to see the book/series as a TV show or a movie, add in your vote (please and thank you)!

Reminder 3:  From now through Halloween, the price of The Disciple and Other Stories of the Paranormal by moi writing as Jemma Chase has dropped to $2.99 for ebook at all outlets, Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble. The price goes back up on November 1st, so get your treat now and enjoy some paranormal adventures during the rest of the Month O' Spooky.


And now, it's time for the next in our Long List O' Giveaways! That's right, now we're going to find out who's going to to be the next person to help me clean my office by winning the edited galley of Universal Alien!

The Rafflecopter is below the signature line. This contest is for Hook Me Up! subscribers only. If you're not on yet, get on now, because we're nowhere close to being done with contests this year. Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line and you'll be in and able to win, win, win. (Reminder: If you're already on Hook Me Up! you do NOT need to resubscribe to be entered, and resubbing doesn't get you extra entries.) Contest is open internationally.

Contest will run from today, October 20, 2015 through Wednesday, November 4, 2015. Winner will be announced by November 10th and and will have until November 13th to claim their prize. After that time, the Gods of Random will snatch back the prize and demand a new sacrifice, I mean, winner. And yes, if you've won in recent contests you can still enter this one. The Gods of Random enjoy being generous sometimes, and you never know when it'll be your time to score more than once!

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So enjoy the rest of the week, see some of you on Sunday, and let's be winning readers out there. Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Halloween Treats Early

Hey there! Hope everyone's been having a wonderful week! I've been busy writing away on Camp Alien and other things, but since there's much going on, I figured I needed to stop and share it.

First up, a reminder that I'll be at Comic Media Expo this coming weekend. If you're into cosplay it's definitely the place to be. There's also a literary cosplay event -- so if you're coming, bring your Converse and rock t-shirts or your black suit and get in on the fun! You'll also get to hear from me and some other awesome authors about various fun things. AND I'll be doing some random giveaways at the event, both at my panels and at the Bonny Books bookstore booth, so don't miss out!


 My full CMX schedule:

Friday, October 16, 5:30pm – A Spotlight on Gini Koch’s Alien Series
Saturday, October 17, 1:00pm – Wyked Writers Panel
Saturday, October 17, 2:30pm – Using Comics in Your Novels
Sunday, October 18, 1:00 – Humor in Science Fiction and Fantasy

Next up, I have a Halloween special for all y'all. From now through Halloween, the price of The Disciple and Other Stories of the Paranormal by moi writing as Jemma Chase has dropped to $2.99 for ebook at all outlets, Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble. The price goes back up on November 1st, so get your treat now and enjoy some paranormal adventures during the rest of the Month O' Spooky.


Also, if you haven't gotten your copy yet, don't forget to pick up A Study in Starlets, my next alternate Sherlock Holmes adventure.

And, Unidentified Funny Objects 4, featuring the next story in my steampunk Alien universe, "Support Your Local Alien", is now available at Amazon. Get your copies today!

As a reminder, you have a couple days left to enter to win the edited galley of Alien Collective. It's for Hook Me Up! subscribers only, so if you're not on yet for some reason, now's the time to fix that oversight. Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line and enter at the Rafflecopter below and hope that the Gods of Random choose to smile on you! Contest is open internationally.

Now it's time for the next Ask 5 Friends over at Slice of SciFi, and this time we're talking about Mars. Check it out and join the discussion over at Slice!

Then, head over to the If List where one of the Alien Collective has suggested that Touched by an Alien be adapted for film or TV. If you agree, please add your votes!

After that, check out the next places where you can see the me:

Sunday, October 25^th 
12-5pm, Amazing Wyked Writers Booth, Arizona Consortium for the Arts Fall Festival of the Arts, Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago Park, 1300 N. College Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281

Friday, November 6th through Sunday, November 8th 
Amazing Wyked Writers Booth, Tucson Comic Con, Tucson Convention Center, Tucson, AZ

Friday, November 13th 
Guest Speaker 
JoshuaTree Masquerade Gala 
6-10pm, Elks Lodge, 14424 N 32nd St, Phoenix, Arizona 85032

Saturday, November 14th 
Desert Rose RWA Free Writer’s Workshop 
10:15am - 4:30pm
11:30-12:20 Keeping Romance Fresh & Alive in a Long Running Series
Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N Drinkwater Boulevard, Scottsdale, AZ

Tuesday, December 1st 
It’s the Release Day Signing and Party for Alien in Chief
7:00pm 
The Poisoned Pen Bookstore 
4014 N. Goldwater Blvd., #101, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone:(480) 947-2974
Toll Free: (888) 560-9919

Saturday, December 5th 
Signing Alien in Chief
Mass Signing of the Amazing Wyked Writers
12:00pm 
Barnes and Noble Henderson 
567 North Stephanie, Henderson, NV 89014
702-434-1533

Saturday, December 12th 
Signing Alien in Chief
2:00pm 
Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore 
5943 Balboa Avenue, Suite #100, San Diego, CA 92111
858-268-4747  

More dates to come as they get confirmed!

Last but in no way least, my friend and author -- and the writer who many of you have heard me talk about as the person who gave me permission to write and who is, therefore, the reason all y'all have met Kitty and Company and all the others -- Phyllis Hemann, has a new poetry book out, The Invisible Heroine. It's wonderful, and you can get signed copies, even if you aren't anywhere near where her signings will be. 

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. See some of you this weekend at Comic Media Expo, I'll be announcing the winner of the Alien Collective galley on Monday, October 19th and another contest as well ('cause I'm a giver, me), so enjoy the rest of your weeks, have fantastic weekends, and let's be readers out there! Peace out my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side. 

Love,

Gini 

And On To The Next

Happy Thursday! Hope everyone's weeks have been going great and we're all ready for the weekend. I know I am!

First up, I'm excited for tomorrow, actually, because I'll be presenting "Make ‘Em Laugh – How to Put Humor Into Your Writing" at Dog-Eared Pages' Friday Night Writes event, 5:30-7:00, 16428 N. 32nd St., Suite 111, Phoenix, AZ 85032, 602-283-5423. $5 entry fee. Come on down and see the me!

Next up, the winner of the edited galley of Alien in the House is:

Gef Fox

Many congrats! 

Winner has until until October 7th to claim their prize. After that time, the Gods of Random will snatch back the prize and demand a new sacrifice, I mean, winner.
 

Now, I know what all y'all are thinking: is there another contest coming? Why yes, there is. But first, we have other business to attend to.


Because it's time for some reviews! Check out what Alien Romances thought of Alien Separation and the Alien series as a whole.

Then, see what Chica Reader thought of Touched by an Alien and Alien Tango, what Tiana Lagrone and Once Upon a Chapter thought of Touched by an Alien, and what Books in Brogan thought of Alien in the Family, Universal Alien, and Alien Separation.

Then see what Tangent has to say about Unidentified Funny Objects 4 -- hint: it's even better than UFO3, and they loved UFO3.

 Another reminder that A Bug's Life, A Study in Starlets, The X-Files: Trust No One anthology featuring my story, "Sewers", and the Temporally Out of Order anthology featuring "Alien Time Warp", which takes place during Alien Separation, are all available now for purchase. (Want to know what was going on with the All Seeing Mountain? Find out in Temporally Out of Order.) Don't miss out having these great reads as you head into the weekend! BTW, Temporally Out of Order hit in the Amazon Top 25. So don't miss out on what's clearly one of the best anthologies going right now!

Next, check out what science fiction romances cool author Darlene Reilley recommends over at Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal. And catch up on a late San Diego Comic-Con update (and mine was late, so no judging going on here!) from the Autograph Hound.

This Friday isn't the only chance to see the me coming up. In fact, you have plenty of chances in the next few months. Check out the Datebook for details, including my appearances at Comic Media Expo in Mesa, AZ (Oct. 16-18), AZ Consortium of the Arts' Fall Festival of the Arts (Oct. 25), Tucson Comic Con (Nov. 6-8), Free Fall Writer's Workshop (Nov. 14). And December is, of course, book tour for Alien in Chief, and more details and stops will be announced soon.

But now, what you've been patiently reading to get to has arrived. Look, it's another contest! 

That's right, we're continuing to clean my office and this time the edited galley for Alien Collective is what's up for grabs! The Rafflecopter is below the signature line. This contest is for Hook Me Up! subscribers only. If you're not on yet, get on now, because this is just one of many contests coming down for the rest of this year. Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line and you'll be in and able to win, win, win.

Contest will run from today, October 1, 2015 through Thursday, October 15, 2015. Winner will be announced by October 20th and will have until October 26th to claim their prize. After that time, the Gods of Random will snatch back the prize and demand a new sacrifice, I mean, winner. Contest is open internationally. And yes, if you've won in recent contests you can still enter this one. The Gods of Random enjoy being generous sometimes, and you never know when it'll be your time to score more than once!

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

Love,
Gini

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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