Alien Research Advanced Copy Giveaway!

When rumors of a new super-drug surface, the FBI comes to Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini for help. It becomes quickly apparent that the drug is merely the tip of a deadly iceberg and a much more insidious plan is underway involving Titan Security, Gaultier Enterprises, and YatesCorp.

As newly discovered A-Cs and hybrids begin to surface, each with expanded and deadly talents, more and more signs point to a new evil genius who’s using the A-Cs and their enemies both as guinea pigs.

Then Area 51 and the Dulce Science Center go silent while Alpha Team, Airborne, and most of the worldwide A-C Security team are there for training. And if that’s not bad enough, Centaurion Division is hit with more bad, and deadly, news: Chernobog the Ultimate, isn’t a hacker myth, he’s a real person -- and he’s on the bad guys’ side.

Now Kitty and company must find the real Dr. Feelgood and stop him or her before the latest version of Surcenthumain hits the streets and more people they love are harmed, or worse.

But when the inconceivable happens, Kitty’s focused on two things only: reviving the ACE entity before their enemies realize Earth’s best protection isn’t actually active…and revenge.

ALIEN RESEARCH GIVEAWAY
FOR HOOK ME UP! SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

DAW has sent me many shiny, final, early release copies of Alien Research, and that means I'm giving them to you! I have not one, not two, but FIVE (5) copies to give away. I know! It's too happy to be true! But true it is!

So, Hook Me Up! subscribers, answer this question: If you had to research more about any one character from the series, who would you choose and why?

LEGALESE
Contest will run weekly from Wednesday, November 13th through Wednesday, November 20th. Winners will be announced Thursday, November 21st. Winners will have until the following Sunday, November 24th, to check in -- any prize not claimed by then will be pulled back by the Gods of Random and a new winner(s) will be chosen.

This an international contest -- as long as you're on Planet Earth, you can enter and win. You must have a deliverable address, though - no P.O. boxes. Prize may take 2-4 weeks to ship; it may take 6-8 weeks for international or longer. (Yes, I'm hoping you'll have the books before December 3rd -- but because the A-Cs aren't doing the delivery, I can't guarantee it.)

Not on Hook Me Up! yet? Rectify! Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line and you'll be in with the in-crowd and also get the entry rules sent to you.

So, best of luck to all, and let the contest begin!

Love,
Gini

Halloween Humping

Made you look.

Happy Hump Day! I know, I know, I've been essentially silent and not around much. Been busy, mostly because Alien Collective is due and is (shocking no one) not done yet. So I've been focused. FOCUSED I TELL YOU. And I swear that focus has not been on Halloween candy. Much.

But, because things pile up and all that, figured it was about time (high time, past time, and half time) to catch all y'all up on the various happenings going on. So let's get to it, shall we? We shall.

First up and speaking of Alien Collective, have you done your girl a solid and pre-ordered Alien Research yet? (Did you see what I did there? Heh.) You have? I lurves you. You haven't yet? Why ever not? Pre-orders are vitally important, and if we want to keep DAW wanting to keep the series going, they matter even more. You don't want to pre-order because you plan to come see the me at a signing? Then pre-order from that bookstore, my darlings. It makes the bookstore, the publisher, AND the author happy. You get a triple! Such a deal.

Speaking of bookstores and signings and other in-person events, oh my, mark the calendars now:
--Saturday, November 9, 8th Annual FREE Fall Writer's Workshop, Scottsdale Civic Center Library, Scottsdale, AZ, 9:30am-4:30pm, presenting Finding Your Voice 11:15am-12:00noon; What Does It Take To Get Happily Published Today? 1:30-2:15pm
--Saturday, December 7, Mysterious Galaxy San Diego, CA, Eat! Read! Party! Holiday Event, 3-5pm
--Sunday, December 8, Mysterious Galaxy Redondo Beach, CA, Holiday Party, 3-5pm
--Thursday, December 12, The Poisoned Pen, Scottsdale, AZ, 7-8:30pm. There may also be another LiveStream event along with the in-store signing, so stay tuned
--January 9-12, 2014, DarkCon, Phoenix, AZ, where I'm the Local Author Guest of Honor, don't miss this one, it's gonna be huge
--January 24-26, 2014, San Diego State 30th Anniversary Writer's Conference, San Diego, CA; I'm on the faculty, panels to be announced
--February 6-9, 2014, Coastal Magic Con, Daytona Beach, FL, panels, signings, dinners, laser tag, what's not to love
--March 15-16, 2014, Tucson Festival of Books, Tucson, AZ; panels, signings, and lots of booth hours

After making plans to see the me in the coming months, head over to Larissa's Bookish Life and see who her top male book characters are. Then see what Autograph Hound thought of seeing me again at WorldCon. And last but in no way least, see who The Writer Librarian has in her mutual admiration society.

Looking for some Halloween reading? Why not check out The Night Beat or The Happy Acres Haunted Hotel for Active Seniors? Or take a stab at The Disciple, Amazing & Waiting: Two Novelettes, or Hotter Than Hell by me writing as Jemma Chase.Want more? Check out the Bibliography page for all the reading matter that's fit to print!

Last but not least, I have some friends doing a variety of Kickstarter projects you may want to check out (in order of soonest to funding's end):
Neverland's Library
Noble Ark
Publish Masochists

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So enjoy the downward slide towards the weekend, hope those who indulge have a safe and Happy Halloween, and let's be readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Winners: Alien Diplomacy ARC Giveaway

Well, the Gods of Random have spoken and the winners of the coveted Hook Me Up! Exclusive Alien Diplomacy ARC Contest have been chosen.

As is their wont and their quirk, the GoR smiled both on those who commented a lot and those who commented not at all, proving again that the GoR live to be capricious.

So, with appropriate drum rolls and fanfare, we give you the winnahs!

ARC 1 Winner: Dana Alma

ARC 2 Winner: Cody Callahan

ARC 3 Winner: Kelly Mueller

ARC 4 Winner: Shanna Clarke

ARC 5 Winner: TheKraziKat

But that's not all. Because DAW was good to us, we have two more ARCs! Normally I would have chosen these myself, using my "awww" and "snorting Coke through nose" scales. But, um, with over 1,600 blog entries, I tossed this one to the Gods of Random, too. (It was that, or not turn in either Alexander Outland: Space Pirate OR Alien vs. Alien. I'm sure you all, ultimately, understand. Well, the winners will understand. The losers, um, sorry.)

ARC 6 Winner: Jessica Flores

ARC 7 Winner: DuckNMe

NOTE FOR WINNERS: You MUST send me an email with your full name, mailing address, and what name you'd like your ARC personalized to by Friday, February 3, 2012, or the Gods of Random will demand a sacrifice and your ARC will be given to a new winner chosen at random.

Congrats to all the winners. Condolences to all those who didn't win. (Whine to the winners and the GoR, though, I'm just the messenger. I swear!) Thanks to all for making this a great, fun contest. To those who won - enjoy! To those who didn't - there's always next time...and we promise there will always BE a next time!

Love,
Gini

This Is Radio Comic-Con

Well, "Alien Diplomacy" is safely with DAW and we're heading to Radio Silence as I head off to Comic-Con. Unless you're following me on Twitter (@GiniKoch) and then you should hear from me a lot. I also plan to send photo updates to the Alien Collective Virtual HQ on a regular basis, so you can keep up with things there, too.

While the Fates have ensured that I won't see Nathan Fillion in the flesh this time around (his panel is at the same time as mine...coinkydink? I think not! I call it an evil conspiracy to keep us apart), I expect to see buckets of cool and come home with bags, scads, and cascades of swag. So, start salivating now, because the Comic-Con Swag Pack Giveaway, Year 2, will be starting once I'm home (early August). It's for Hook Me Up! subscribers only, so if you're not on, fix that situation now. Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line so you'll be all set when the winning starts!

So, to fill the time, and because it's relevant to Comic-Con, I leave you with this (somewhat not safe for work, the young, or the easily shocked) -- the new cover for DC's "Red Hood and the Outlaws #2". Is my goal to get answers about this from someone "in the know" at Comic-Con and discern whether this was intentional or if DC thinks we all have minds that live in the gutter? You betcha!

Love,
Gini

The Reviews Kept A'Comin' All Night Long

As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, another day, another super cool review of "Touched by an Alien"! Head on over to Michelle's Book Blog, check out her review, and show her blog some Alien Collective love.

There's also a DAW Book Discussion of "Touched by an Alien" over on Live Journal.

Remember to check out Tempting Persephone's awesome review, too, if you haven't been over there yet. And, you may want to check out Amber Scott's latest blog...not only is she a proud winner of a Fight the Fuglies Kit, complete with Limited Edition Gini Bag (congrats, Amber!), but she's insinuating she's got something up her sleeve for Friday, so check it out. Give Alien Collective love to the Alien Collective, that's my motto! Well, one of my mottos, anyway.

Feeling a little Gini Bag envy, for yourself or a special someone? Well don't fret...the next contest is coming soon, and it's for Hook Me Up! subscribers ONLY (and it will not matter where in the whole wide world you are, either). So if you're not on Hook Me Up! yet, it's time to join the official list of the Alien Collective. Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with Hook Me Up! in the subject line and there you are, in and all set for all the exclusive stuff that's coming up! Such a deal, how can you resist?

Love,
Gini

Answer to a Strange Question

The question being -- why have I actually been so...silent...recently?

Answer? I'm doing my edits on my first book, "Touched by an Alien", coming to bookstores near you in April, 2010.

This isn't going to be a rant, by the way. Unlike many, I'm really enjoying the process.

It helps that I have an editor who is both nice and awesome. Makes everything better. What also helps is that I found pretty much all of her editorial suggestions to be comprehensible (not always a given) and likely to make the book better and stronger (also not always a given).

So, while I've been focused on those, many other things (blogging, humor pieces, feeding my husband, paying the bills) have gotten shoved aside. Oh, not everything, to be sure (the playing of all albums by Smash Mouth and Aerosmith has not been stinted, for example, nor have any of the pictures of hot looking leading men been ignored, either), but a lot of things.

I'm not done, but I've completed what I'd call my main run-through. I'm diving back in for the next go-round, so if I'm kind of quiet, that's why.

And I'm excited. The book is better, and making the additions and changes has been fun. Not work. Enjoyment. Really, you can't ask for more than that.

Love, Gini

Whole Lotta Shakin' Going on

As my Hook Me Up! readers already know, there's a lot going on in Gini's Web Wonderland.

First off, my fabulous editor has confirmed that "Touched by an Alien" will be DAW Publishing's April 2010 release. And there was much rejoicing! All that info's up on Bookstore, Deathless Prose and Newsy Stuff. I also have a new Playlist up.

AND, because my life isn't complete without it, we have more news from the world of Kiki. "Alas, Poor Pigdin" is up on Expanded Universes, under The Misadventures of Kiki. Read and enjoy.

So, tiptoe through the web pages and have a look!

Love,
Gini

Music and Writing

I happen to be one of those writers who has to have music playing when I create.

Boy, that sounds lofty.

Let me be more honest. I’m someone who has to have music playing all the time or I risk going insane. I am not one with the sounds of silence, no matter what Alanis Morissette might want to say about it.

My issue isn’t that I’m not comfortable in silence. Well, okay, I’m not. But I’m not comfortable in silence because unless you’re in a soundproofed room all alone, there is no such thing in our world today as ‘silent’. And I have good hearing. And it’s selective. And worse, I have a vivid imagination. And it’s not selective at all.

Little tinkle that could mean the wind’s blowing the chimes or could mean someone just broke the basement window? Odd sound that might be the dog’s tummy rumbling or could indicate immediate danger of the earth opening up and swallowing the city whole? Repetitive sound the fans and air conditioning make? I hear all of them. And they distract me.

But if I put music on…then I only hear what I want to hear. And it’s not always the music.

For example, I play music when I’m on the telephone. So that I actually pay attention to the person I’m speaking with. Otherwise, they’re telling me about their latest brush with the law and I’m thinking, “Was that…was that a bug knocking against the window, or is a zombie about to attack?”

So music’s an integral part of my life. Therefore and by obvious extension, it’s a huge part of my writing life.

I need music not only to drown out the other things -- like the TV, the husband, the daughter, the pets, those damned fans -- that will distract me, but to inspire. And said music had darned well better have lyrics. In fact, I was originally going to title this Music and Lyrics, but didn’t want to make Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore all jealous. (But, I have to admit…I LOVE that movie. *cough* Okay, yeah, back to the topic. Whatever it actually is.)

I’m not a classical music kind of girl. Oh, I like plenty of it, but not to write to. With no lyrics, the music ends up, for me, just like the stupid fan -- I hear it and start going, “Is that…is that a bassoon or an oboe? I have no idea, but I think it’s a bassoon. No, oboe. No, French Horn.” That way lies madness. Trust me.

All this is to explain why I, a writer, have an entire page devoted to my playlists. And why some of my links are to band sites. (Because there is nothing cooler in this entire world than Aerosmith, okay?!? *cough* Sorry.) Because I can’t survive or create without them.

What about you? Strong, silent type, or rock ‘n’ roller all the way? No worries if you’re the former…we serve all kinds here.

Love, Gini