Funny Fest

Happy Friday!

Well, I'm about to head to Tucson Festival of Books but before I go, there's been a lot going on, so I'm going to catch all y'all up before I hit the road. 'Cause I'm just that nice a girl.

First up, it's been Gini Week over at Word of the Nerd. Check out a cool interview with yours truly combined with their review of the Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters anthology, which includes "With Bright Shining Faces" by moi writing as J.C. Koch. Then check out their reviews of Touched by an Alien, Alien Tango, and my newest release, Random Musings from the Funny Girl, which is my first ever humor collection, available now!

Then, still on reviews, see what Daydreams of a Cluttered Mind thought of Alien Tango, what Swept Away Again thought of The Night Beat and several other January reads, and which 5 books Bitten By Books honored for Flashback Thursday. And check out the latest bestsellers from Locus Online where Alien Research is making a move up!

Now, check out the io9 feature on the "One Way" web comic, created by my good friend and all around awesome guy Christopher Baldwin. And check out his comics -- they're subversively funny and wickedly cool. 

For those of you making the trek to one of the largest book fairs in the country, aka the Tucson Festival of Books, be sure to come see the me while you're there!

My schedule:
Saturday
9:30 am - 12:30 pm Valley of the Sun Booth #s 107, 108, 109, 118, 119, and 120
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm How Do You Do It? Writing Fast and Writing Well, Koffler Room 216
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm Signing area: Sales & Signing Area #6 - Koffler Patio
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm A Knight, a Zombie and a Klingon Walk into a Bar: Writing Genre Comedy, Integrated Learning Center Room 150
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm Sales & Signing Area #4 - Integrated Learning Center 
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Werewolves, Witches and Aliens: Putting the Magic in Romance, Integrated Learning Center Room 141
5:00 pm - 5:30 pm Sales & Signing Area #4 - Integrated Learning Center
5:30 pm - 6:00 pm Valley of the Sun Booth #s 107, 108, 109, 118, 119, and 120

Sunday
9:30 am - 11:30 am Valley of the Sun Booth #s 107, 108, 109, 118, 119, and 120
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Poisoned Pen Bookstore, Booth #270, 271, 272
1:30 pm - 6:00 pm Valley of the Sun Booth #s 107, 108, 109, 118, 119, and 120

That's it for today, but more's on the way! See some of you at the Festival this weekend, all of you enjoy the slide into the weekend, and let's be readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Recap Winning

I'm ba-ack...after the awesome Tucson Festival of Books, where I got to see so many awesome Members of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing. But before the recap, we have some business to get to. The business of WINNING.

We have our winner of the Christopher Baldwin giveaway. So, the lucky winner of Spacetrawler #1 is:

Root

NOTE TO OUR WINNER: You have until Thursday, March 21st to respond via email to gini@ginikoch.com with full name and physical address. If the winner does not reply by the 21st, the Gods of Random will snatch back the prize and demand a new sacrifice.

Speaking of which, the first winner of the Erin Kellison giveaway did NOT check in (shame, shame, the Gods of Random withdrew your name). So the newly minted winner is:

Betty Hamilton
  
NOTE TO OUR WINNER: You have until Thursday, March 21st to respond via email to gini@ginikoch.com with full name, email address, book selected, and requested e-format. If the winner does not reply by the 21st, the Gods of Random will snatch back the prize and demand a new sacrifice.

One of the Members of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing, the velvet-voiced Bob Mutascio gave me a lovely shout-out during his last At The Show show on Killradio. Check it out and guess which song he dedicated to moi! Then check out what KD Did It thought of Alien Tango.

And now, back to the Tucson Festival of Books. It was cold, rainy, and windy, but it was still a fantastic weekend. I got to hang with awesome authors like Marsheila Rockwell, Christopher Baldwin, Erin Quinn, Erin Kellison, Jeff Mariotte, Kris Tualla, Jennifer Ashley, and tons more! I got to panel with the ever-wonderful Nancy Holder -- twice! -- as well as the excellent Jennifer Roberson, Ed Hoornaert, and Chris Marie Green. And, thanks to the wonderful Eric Penney Haury, I got to meet Ted Danson in person. And, let me just say that not only is he gracious, he's even more handsome in person than he looks onscreen. (As in, I've recast Richard White in my mind. For reals. FOR REALS.)

Many thanks to all the Alien Collective who came by the Arizona Dreamin' booth, to my signings at the Mysterious Galaxy and Poisoned Pen booths, to Nicole from The Book Pushers () for the goody bag, and especially Hal and Dee Astell who brought me the newest cool addition to my awesome sparkly pink hat collection! Pics are on Facebook for those who want to see the hat as modeled by the Travel Poof.

And now, it's time to get Alien Research done. Because it's due, um, soon. Really soon. Scary soon. SO, if you don't hear from me too much for the rest of the month, it's because, well, the Awesome Editor would like to actually get this book in hand, and I have a long, long way to go before I sleep.

So, enjoy the coming weekend, beware the Ides of March, and let's be readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Weekending

Happy Friday! As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, it's a short and sweet one today! I know, what were the odds?

First off, another reminder to enter to win a free book from comics author and artist Christopher Baldwin, right here at the Blah, Blah, Blah Blog. Click the link or just scroll down a little and get your entry in today!

For those who won goodies in the Tidy My Office contest, your packages will go out next week, once I'm home from Tucson Festival of Books. I tried to get them ready and out before leaving but it was that or, you know, packing clothes and books and such, and for some reason, the clothes and books won. I know, I know, I need to work on my priorities.

Last but not least, this should have come out yesterday, because I have a winner to announce. But since I leave for the Festival in a few hours, we all know this means that I'm not done packing yet. I had a ton of things I had to do in order to safely get out of Dodge, and the day just basically slipped away from me.

But I'm here now! So all's good, right? Right! Especially all good for the winner of any ebook of her choice from the fabulous Erin Kellison who is: 

Erin (no joke) 

NOTE TO OUR WINNER: You have until Tuesday, March 12th to respond via email to gini@ginikoch.com with full name, email address, book selected, and requested e-format. If the winner does not reply by the 12th, the Gods of Random will snatch back the prize and demand a new sacrifice.

Now, it's back to the packing for me. And then the driving, the booth setting up, the panels and yap running, the book signings, and the repacking and unpacking and repacking and the driving home. I know, it's ALL glamor all the time. I plan to fit some fun in there somewhere, too, of course.

See some of you at the Festival. Hope all of you have wonderful 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

Spotlight: Christopher Baldwin

As promised, we have another treat for you today -- fun, funny and talented author and comics creator Christopher Baldwin is in da house!

For those of you who may not know him, Chistopher writes and draws comics, novels, and plays. Published (self and otherwise) works include Bruno, Little Dee, Spacetrawler, and regular pieces for MAD Magazine. He's been written up in the Washington Post, Wired Magazine, IO9, Salon Magazine, UK Daily Telegraph, Newsbytes, and even appeared on NPR.

Catch all his webcomics Spacetrawler, on Mondays and Wednesdays; Little Dee M-Sat; and Bruno M-Sat; his joint foodie blog, Cookrookery; and his online store for regular doses of the funny.

GK: He is WAY FAMOUS, gang, so be good and pretend we behave ourselves on a regular basis, at least until it's your turn to ask questions. Then? Go for it. So, Christopher, it's great to have you here with us today. Let's roll right in. What prompted you to become a writer? Was it voices in your head, a burning desire to tell a story, or just too creative for your own bad self?
CB: The spark came from a love of reading and of humor. My mother read to my siblings and I, and we were often at the library getting books or audiobooks. Being a solitary child, I had lots of daydreaming hours to make up stories, and since I was bored in school, it gave me lots of free time to write and doodle them down.

Also, both my parents worked at a tofu factory. Not only did this instill in me a deep appreciation for dark humor, but also, like Dorothy on back in Kansas, I knew I needed to get the hell out of there.

GK: You know, a part of me really wants to believe that tofu factory story... So! What was the first book or piece that you wrote and why? Is it published, being shopped, on the shelf waiting for you to get back to it, or in a heap of ashes at the bottom of the fireplace?
CB: I started writing stories and comics in elementary school, but what I consider to be my first serious work was a full-length play in iambic-pentameter I wrote my senior year in high school. I knew then that my writing was sorely undeveloped, but that I could capture the emotion of being a teen -- then edit it when I was older, more skilled, and out of touch.
    
I may decide to invent a time machine and go back and strangle my younger self instead of doing this. Have you ever tried to line-edit iambic pentameter? Stupid teenagers. 

GK: I can honestly say that I never tried to get overly fancy with my early efforts and I would pass on that particular form of line editing. But I applaud your younger self for being slightly insane. Speaking of insane, give us a funny story about writing your latest release. It’s okay if your funny story involves a nervous breakdown as the deadline loomed, btw. I like to relate to my guests.

CB: My latest release was the book #2 of Spacetrawler. My online-store-order-fulfillment people didn't want to handle advance sales, but I chose to do it anyway. For about a week, my girlfriend would come home from work every day and sigh at me, hiding behind my carefully stacked skyscrapers of books, frantically stuffing padded envelopes.

GK: I know what massive amounts of swag I'm bringing with us to Tucson Festival of Books -- I can't make any comment about your Fulfillment Center. So, other than that, what’s your most and least favorite things about being an author?
CB: My most favorite is that I get to sit around and make things up, my other favorite thing is knowing I've brought some laughter and delight into people lives, my other favorite thing is meeting other writers and talking to them about writing, my other favorite thing is putting my characters through the ringer, and... um. Right. Least Favorite things. Hm. Figuring out my taxes maybe? Really, I can barely express how much I love my job. Want to know MORE favorite things?

GK: Let's not talk about taxes, let's talk about one of my favorite things -- you. What’s one fact about you that someone who didn’t know you well or hasn’t read this blog wouldn’t know? Make it juicy -- my readers expect.
CB: Do you want the name of the ailment or the ointment?
GK: Both, and suggested applications and treatment methods.
CB: Kidding. Okay, um, I'm always curious about experiences from people's lives that are different than my own. One was to wonder what SOME women go through regarding body hair, and so I shaved myself bald, both my pits and down there, when I was in college. I've had the deepest sympathy ever since, and also feel I can confidently describe the experience of stubble growing back -- that isn't on one's face.

GK: You're the man. Crazy, but the man. So, can we get an excerpt, then?
CB: Sure, This is from Spacetrawler Book 2.

  

GK: Awesome! Now, how's about a giveaway? 

CB: Absolutely! 

GK: Ask for anything, gang, he's totally agreeable!

CB: Actually, I'm agreeable to giving away a free copy of Spacetrawler #1, open internationally.  It's a sci-fi humorous serialized full-color comic, heavy on character, light on its feet, wide in its scope and thin when it's living off a diet of Limbic Fizzlers and Furryite Burgers. Premise: six humans are shanghaied to save the galaxy, probably the worst plan of action EVER. 

GK: It's hilarious. And one of you will win it! Just answer this question to be entered to win: If you were shanghaied to save the galaxy, who (up to 5 others) would you want with you and, if you're feeling chatty, why them? 

Contest will run through Wednesday, March 13th. Winner will be announced Thursday, March 14th. Winner will have until Monday, March 18th to respond via email to gini@ginikoch.com with full name and mailing address. If the winner does not reply by the 18th, the Gods of Random will snatch back the prize and demand a new sacrifice.

It's Another Winning Day!

Hope everyone's had a good start to the week and all's going well. I'm girding my loins (what DOES that actually mean, anyway?) and prepping for this weekend, aka the Tucson Festival of Books. I'm all over the place, so don't miss your chance to see the me, hear the yap, and get bookie wookies signed! Yes, I will be the one in the pink, sparkly cowgirl hat. Yes, that actually does make me impossible to miss.

But before the weekend we have a lot going on, so let's get to today's installments! First off, the Tidy My office contest is over, and I'll be announcing the winner of the Alexander Outland: Space Pirate marked up galley in just a few moments. I'll also be sharing who won the Honorable Mention prize, so it's two winners today!

Speaking of winning, there's still time to get your entries in to win any ebook from Erin Kellison, so don't miss out -- click the link or scroll down a bit and get your entry in! Contest closes tomorrow, March 6th.

And speaking of tomorrow, in honor of one of my booth mates at the Tucson Festival of Books, who also happens to be a good pal of mine, we'll have the creator of the "Spacetrawler" comic, Christopher Baldwin, as tomorrow's Spotlight guest. And yes, there will be a giveaway. I know! We are just ALL about the winning this week!

Next on the hit parade, check out my latest column, The Ides of Meh, over at It's Comic Book Day. Then hit Larissa's Bookish Life and see who her favorite book duos are -- and they're not necessarily romantic.

Back at the website, don't faint, but we have a new Playlist up, Newsy Stuff has somewhat new news, and to answer a burning question a whole lot of you have asked me recently, YES, there will be more Creation Agent coming, I swears it upon the memory of the Big Fella and Dementia Kitty. (We now know I mean it.) Team Gini also swears that Sightings in the Wild will be updated before Alien in the House releases (but they didn't swear it on anything, so I remain somewhat skeptical...hopeful, but skeptical...).

And now for what many of you have been waiting for...the winner of the marked up galley of Alexander Outland: Space Pirate by moi writing as G.J. Koch is:

Elizabeth Vrabel

Note to our winner: You have until Sunday, March 10th to check in by sending me an email with your name (first and last) and your full mailing address. If I don't hear from you, the Gods of Random will demand a sacrifice and a new winner will be chosen.

And now, for our Honorable Mention Winner. While all participants made me laugh or go awww, and some of you were darned creative in your various answers, this Member of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing went out of their way to consistently make me snort tea out of my nose through all seven weeks. Said winner will get a choice of one signed and personalized book of any of the 7 offered this week, a totebag with the cover of any of the 7 titles offered this week on it, OR an I Heart the Poofs T-shirt (size 2-1XL). 

So, ratkin, baby, come on down and tell mamma what to send in the Care Package to The Home!

Well, that's it for today, but as we know, there's more on the way. So peace out my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini