Winners and Other Lovers

Happy Hump Day! Well, the votes are in and the Gods of Random have made their selection. But, of course, I'm gonna make you wait for it. Just a little bit, though.

So, first off, we have a couple of reviews. Check out what boeklogboek thought of the first installment of The Martian Alliance, The Royal Scam, then see what A Buckeye Girl Reads thought of installment number two, Three Card Monte.

Then check out who My Five Monkeys is dressing up as for Halloween. And if you recently asked me a question via email (or even if you didn't), check out Ask Gini in Extra Me! for the latest Q&A additions.

I was going to fill you in on my haunting experience at the Hotel Gadsden, but then it occurred to me that Halloween is just around the corner. So, I'm gonna trick you a little longer and make you wait for the treat, so to speak. (And my being in the throes of writing Alien in the House had absolutely nothing to do with this decision. The major power spike that caused a lot of electronics to go kaput and an emergency run to Best Buy? Now that might have had a hand in the decision. But I'm not saying for sure.)

The Mysterious Galaxy Eat! Read! Party! Holiday Event date's been set -- Saturday, Dec. 1st -- but the time wasn't. And now it is! Come see the me from 3pm-6pm (give or take on the end time). It's also been confirmed that MG will have Alien vs. Alien in stock and able to be sold! (So you can get your copy a few days early and lord it over those who have to wait for Dec. 4th.) San Diego (and SoCal in general) Area Alien Collective Members in Very Good Standing: let me know if you also want to meet up before or hang out after.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...the winners of the Alien vs. Alien ARCs!

In no particular order of luckiness, they are:
Jessica Whitfield
rissatoo
Michelle Watson
bejeweledcat

Special winner of the Snort Coke Through My Nose Award goes to our ancient, but hilarious, oldster:
ratkin638 (rumor has it the numbers represent his real age)

NOTE FOR THE WINNERS: You have until Sunday, October 28th to check in by sending an email to gini@ginikoch.com with your full name and physical mailing address; any ARC not claimed by then will be pulled back by the Gods of Random and a new winner(s) will be chosen.

Well, that's it for today. But as always, more's on the way. Congrats to the winners, everyone enjoy the downward slide to the week, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Yap Humpin'

Made you look.

Happy Hump Day! And a Happy Hanukkah (or Chanukah, depending ;-D) to all those celebrating 8 crazy nights. And an early Merry Christmas and Joyful Kwanzaa for those enjoying those upcoming holidays. It's a fun couple of weeks.

Speaking of fun, let's check out the yap running in a couple of places. Well, okay, in one place, the Musa Publishing Blog, but two times. First off, check out my Tasty Tuesday offering of my easy and quite delicious Simple Sangria. Then it's on to learn about My Secret Selves, otherwise known as my various pen names. Learn a little bit more about that madness that is moi.

Next, we have some new questions, and answers, over at the Ask Gini! section of Extra Me! Then check out a short & sweet review of "Touched by an Alien" from the Evanston Public Library.

"Contingency Plan" by Anita Ensal (yes, aka moi) releases from Musa Publishing this Friday, December 23, just in time to be both a fun read in The Neighborhood series as well as do duty as an excellent last-minute gift.

Remember that there's one day left for the Combo-Con Contest. Tons of cool prizes, so don't miss out! It's for Hook Me Up! subscribers only, so if you're not on, send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line so you'll be in in time to get entered and win!

That's it for today. May everyone get tons of goodies over the next couple of weeks, enjoy yourselves to the fullest, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Friday Wrap-Up

Happy Friday! It's been a busy week over here. What's been going on, you ask? Well, as my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know -- lots! So let's get to it!

Team Gini's been particularly busy. Check out the new live links at the Author Splash page, the Extra Me! page has been revamped including a new question (and answer!) under Ask Gini!, and Newsy Stuff has new news.

But wait -- there's more! Pre-orders are open for "The Royal Scam" over at Musa Publishing. It releases October 1, 2011, and now that the cover's premiered over at the Alien Collective Virtual HQ, check it out even larger and more in charge at my Ta-Daaaa! page.

Also, the Powers That Be have been kind and granted me an intern. Will he last? We can but hope. So, for however long, help me welcome Chris who has already started saving tiny bits of my sanity. (No, he's not "that" Christopher, though he said it was okay if y'all thought of him that way. ;-D) Check out Blogging with Badger where Chris shares his untold joy with his new position, particularly with his introduction to the Canine Death Squad. (Okay, that may just be how I'm choosing to see it, but it's my party and I'll fantasize if I want to.)

That's it for this week, though there's lots more coming on the horizon. So, get down with your bad selves, have as much fun as possible over the weekend, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Maniacal Monday

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I did a lot of editing on "Alien in the Family" and a whole lot of needless stressing about getting ready to head to SoCal and Comic-Con.

But that's all in the past! Yes! It IS! I SWEAR! Ahahahahahahaha! *cough*

So, what do we have for you today? Well, as my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, we have a lot! First up, there's a question I've been getting somewhat frequently and one of our newest Hook Me Up! subscribers just asked it again. So, hit the Extra Me! page and check out Ask Gini for an answer about Kitty and how she does what she does so well.

Next up, in case you've somehow missed it, I have another Twitter contest going, my 300 Followers contest. For full details, hit Dark Wyrm Reads where the contest is more clearly stated than I've managed to do yet. Check out the reviews of other books while you're there, too! (BTW, while I'm gone, Twitter may be the best place to hear from me, keep in touch with me, etc. Because that Blackberry of mine will be with me at all times, and my netbook will not.)

In other news, ALPHA Reader has a nice shout out to "Touched by an Alien" as well as a lot of other books you might want to check out and put on your summer reading list. And my 3-part guest blog about the 3 P's to Writing Success is up at That's QUEEN Bitch to You so check it, and the reviews (and the Robot Chicken!), out there.

As I think I've mentioned (oh, once or twice), I'll be gone the latter half of this month at Comic-Con (where I'm going as a professional! Yeah, I know, you thought I was over that, based on the opening paragraph, but you were wrong, it's still a required addendum). If you've also somehow missed what my session there will be about and who I'll be on the panel with, check out Super Freaks are Super Freaky for a quick overview. And if you'll be at Comic-Con, let me know!

Last but not least, a reminder for those in the general vicinity of Phoenix/Scottsdale -- I'll be doing an author workshop and book signing this Wednesday, July 14th (you know, instead of packing...'cause I like to make the stress really WORK for me). Would love to see you there!

Writers Workshop Wednesdays
Borders Scottsdale Waterfront
7:00 p.m., July 14
7135 East Camelback Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Stay tuned. Tomorrow the stuff I've been telling you about that we've all be waiting for will be announced...well, that you've all been waiting for me to actually coherently tell you about and I've been waiting to get all ready before I coherently tell you about it. That stuff. It'll be here. Tomorrow. Promise.

Love,
Gini

Whole Lotta Informin' Going On!

As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, there's more going on at Team Gini Central. First off, there's a new question, and, therefore, a new answer, in the Ask Gini! section of the Extra Me! page.

There's also a new Playlist up (I know, don't faint -- the soundtrack doesn't stop, but I sometimes forget to let y'all know I've changed the channel), and for those of you who may have missed it, the Cool Links page has been revised, improved, and added to. And, as I'm sure you've noticed, the Blog Roll on Blah, Blah, Blah... keeps expanding 'cause, well, there's a lot of cool blogs out there.

I know I promised a Desert Dreams Conference update, and you shall finally have it.

It was awesome.

Okay, okay, I'll toss out some details. It's always a great conference -- lots of great authors and aspiring authors, great speakers, lots of learning, networking and fun. I got to hang with several members of the Alien Collective, even though I didn't get to hang with them as much as I'd thought I would, because we were all so busy racing around being individually awesome. (It's a tough job, being as awesome as we all are, I know, but that's just the cross the Alien Collective has to bear. You all do it so well, though, that you make it look easy.) I didn't get a full count, but it seemed like we had between 200-250 people there.

Got to moderate informative and fun sessions for Tina Gerow, Jennifer Ashley, and Deborah LeBlanc and learn a lot in the process. Got to sign books sitting between Deborah and Kathryne Kennedy. Since Deborah and I know each other, but get to see each other like once every two years, we might have been a tad raucous. But the rumors are totally untrue and unfounded and not based in any kind of fact at all! Got to have dinner with Eileen Rendahl who is even cooler and more fun in person than you already expect from her books. Had Cat Brown ASK if she could have Romance Junkies review "Touched by an Alien", even before we realized we're both total NCIS nerds. Got to hang at the bar with Erin Quinn and Calista Fox. Again, the rumors are SO not true! Well, okay, maybe a little true.

Hmmm, this sounds like all I did was party. Well, I was also left in charge of a large sum of money, which somehow only struck a few of us as potentially dangerous. It struck ME as foolhardy, but the folks in charge seemed to think the money was safe and secure in my paws. Amazing, really. All's well that ends well and all that -- Erin came to her senses and took the cash before I could get into trouble with it. And no, we were NOT spending it in the bar! That was different cash.

But enough about that! As I said earlier, I had my first book signing, which was both totally beyond awesome and very successful. Many thanks and much love to the non-conference-attending Alien Collective folks who showed up, "Touched by an Alien" in hand, for the signing, as well as to all those who bought the book from me and will hopefully be joining the rest of us in the Collective. And...drum roll, please...Diana Gabaldon bought my book! Many thanks to Little Bit, the youngest member of the Collective, for her awesome and precocious salesgirlship in the brokering of that deal.

I'm sure there's more, there always is. But that's going to have to do for now. I mean, I have to save SOMEthing for tomorrow.

Love,
Gini

More, More, More (How D'Ya Like It?)

Despite the headline, we're not heading into Disco Fever, but rather Alien Fever! As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, there's a lot more going on, both here and there.

First up, there's new questions up on the Ask Gini section of Extra Me! Head over to find out even more about me than you might possibly already know. Have a question you want answered? Send it to gini@ginikoch.com and you could see it and the answer up there soon.

Next on our hit parade is a new page here at Gini Central -- Sightings in the Wild. Since it's been taking me forever to actually see a copy of "Touched by an Alien" on an actual bookstore bookshelf, many fans and friends have started taking pity on me and sending pics they've taken of the book. I figure, why not continue a good thing? Take a look at whose pics are immortalized on the Book Wall, and then, hey, go take a pic of your own! Send it to gini@ginikoch.com and we'll get it up there, for all the world to see and marvel at. So far, everyone's taken better pics than I'm personally capable of, so see how your skills stack up!

Moving on to more coolness, there is another awesome reader review for TBAA up at ALPHA Reader. Check it out and show our newest member of the Alien Collective some love!

Finally, a reminder for all in or near the Greater Phoenix Metro Area (lovely in the winter and not nearly as hot as the deepest depths of Hell in the summertime! Paid for by the 'Boost Phoenix City Council Summer Committee') -- this coming weekend, I'll be signing "Touched by an Alien" for all comers on Saturday, April 17th, from 5:45-7:00pm, at the Chaparral Suites in Scottsdale. Info is on Datebook as well, and also somewhere on my Facebook Fan Page. Not on that yet? Friend me on Facebook and look for Hairspray and Rock 'n Roll...and join that particular party, too!

Not on Hook Me Up! yet? I wonder about you, but it's not too late to join. Just send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with Hook Me Up! in the subject line and there you are, all signed up. What could be simpler? That's right, nothing!

There's more to come, so stay tuned!

Love,
Gini

Straightening Up the House

Well, so to speak.

There's been a whirlwind of activity here at the website, and I thought I'd remind you of all that's going on.

Check out the Spotlight page. There are two interviews with two awesome writers, Chris Stevenson and Celina Summers. Both have great books you can buy -- I know you'll enjoy them.

Celina also has some awesome news. Her novella, "Bride of Death", which is the first book of her Mythos series, just cracked the top fifty on the Fictionwise bestseller list! Here's the blurb, and, blurb or no, I can promise you a well-researched, interesting, sexy and exciting read:

When the mischievous god of love targets Hades, the god of death falls hopelessly in love with the spring maiden Persephone, the one immortal most ill-suited for his dark domain. Her mother Demeter will never allow the Lord of the Underworld to court her beloved daughter. The king of the gods proposes an unconventional solution: Hades may kidnap Persephone and take her to the Underworld to woo her. If Persephone agrees to marry Hades, Zeus will support the match.

But neither god has reckoned on Demeter's inconsolable grief at the loss of her daughter. If Persephone is not returned to her, the goddess has vowed to destroy all life. Can Hades win Persephone's heart before her mother discovers who has taken her? Or will Persephone make her own wishes known as the intended bride of death? Even in the world of immortals, time is not on Hades' side.

What else is going on? Well, check out my Datebook for upcoming events, and scroll through the Blah, Blah, Blah blog to catch where I've guest blogged, been interviewed, and find early reviews of "Touched by an Alien".

Is there more? Of course there's more! Don't miss out on my first contest -- head over to Win Stuff and see what's going on and get your entries in! Remember, the contest deadline is Thursday, April 1 for regular web fans...but it's Sunday, April 4 for Hook Me Up! subscribers.

Seriously, you're not on Hook Me Up! yet? Why not? It's how you hear the Gini news first and fastest, how you get extra clues for contests, have Hook Me Up! only events, and much, much more. It's free and easy to join. Just send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with Hook Me Up! in the subject line and, whomp, there it is, you're on the list.

Check out the Ask Gini section on the Extra Me! page. It's where I'm answering reader questions. Have one? Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com and I'll get it answered and posted for all to see. Such a deal, right?

More coming, including the release of "Touched by an Alien", some news on "Alien Tango" (coming in December 2010), and the contest winners. I know, I know! How, truly, can you not stay glued to the screen?

Love,
Gini

You Asked For It

And I'm delivering!

As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, I've gotten a lot of questions coming to my email, and it dawned on me (slowly) that if one person's asking, others may want to know; and if lots of people are asking, then likely even more want to know. Possibly everybody wants to know. Even me.

So, in the attempt to be fully transparent, or whatever the current 'in' phrase is, I'm adding "Ask Gini" to my Extra Me! page. I have the first set of Q & A's up, and will be adding more as questions come in.

Don't be shy. If you have a question for me you haven't asked yet, feel free to go for it. (You know, like everyone else has; at least, so it seems.) Just send me an e-mail (gini@ginikoch.com) with your question/s, and I'll post the question and answer as soon as I can.

Thanks for being a curious bunch, and feel free to keep the queries coming.

Love,
Gini

The Creation Agent, Installment 7

As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, the latest installment of my online, serialized novel, "The Creation Agent" (available only for my web readers), is up. Go to Expanded Universes and have a read!

Haven't read it yet? All of the preceding installments are there, so you can catch up.

Haven't read the first excerpt from "Touched by an Alien", coming from DAW Books on April 6, 2010? Head over to Deathless Prose and take a look!

Have somehow missed my mentioning that you can pre-order "Touched by an Alien" right now from Borders.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or Amazon.com? (How, would be the question, but anyway...) Well, you can. So get your pre-orders in immediately, if not sooner!

Lots more coming in the near future, so check the site often. Or, if you'd like to know immediately when there's something new or exciting going on, sign up for my Hook Me Up! subscribers list. Go to Extra Me for directions (or, just send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line, and you'll be all set).

Oh, and as a mention...I'm going to be launching my first contest (ever! Whoo hoo!), and not only will my Hook Me Up! subscribers know about it first, they'll also get clues no one else does. So, why not sign up today so you don't miss anything or miss out?

Love,
Gini

Oh, Wow, My First Excerpt

You read that right! The first excerpt from my upcoming April 6, 2010 release from DAW Books, "Touched by an Alien", is now live on my Deathless Prose page.

Take a look, have a read, and keep your eyes peeled for a lot more stuff coming in the next couple of months.

Not on Hook Me Up! yet? My Hook Me Up! subscribers hear it first and see it first, and they get some things others don't. With lots more coming, including my first contest on the horizon, why not sign up for Hook Me Up! today and stay on top of the action? Go to my Extra Me! page and sign up now.

Also, just in case I haven't mentioned this in, oh, the last five minutes, "Touched by an Alien" is available for pre-order right now from Borders.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Amazon.com. If you haven't already, do a girl a solid and get your pre-ordered copy today!

Love,
Gini