A Different Kind of News & Other Things

Hey there! First off, I'm trying something new to save time -- yes, it's the old copy/paste ploy. I'm not really sure how it's going to translate to the Blog from the Hook Me Up! newsletter, but if it's not heinous, wow, does it save me a ton of time. So, if you love it or hate it (or don't care either way LOL), I'd appreciate you letting me know in comments so I know whether this is good for all y'all or not. Now...I have some news. News that is not the normal news that I normally share. Some of you are going to hate this news, some are going to love this news, some are not going to care about this news. (What a build up, huh?) Due to the fact that the hubs works, as I used to, for Corporate America, and due to the fact that this means that Corporate America has a lot of control over our lives, it seems that though we are both lifelong and happy Southwesterners, we're about to discover what it's like to be...Southeasterners. We are being moved to Atlanta, GA. When we're going is somewhat up in the air, but by the start of January the hubs will be walking into an office in Atlanta that is not in our home (for the first time in over 15 years) and we will be fully moved by first quarter 2018, if not before. So, what does this mean?  Well, not too much for 2017, at least for all y'all. Deacon's Ark releases next week, The Deacon of Desert Springs is coming in the next month or two, the audiobook of The Legend of Belladonna Part 1: Natural Born Outlaws will be out by, they tell me, the end of summer, Aliens Abroad will be coming out in December, and all the anthologies I'm in are headed for publication in the next few months as well, plus hopefully more things as I can get them done. (We will NOT discuss my current track record for the whereabouts of Night Music or the next installment of the Martian Alliance, no we will not. They're coming. I swear. Just as Alexander Outland: Space Avenger is. Soon, they will be here. Cross my heart and hope to write like the wind.) But the move means that 2018 will only see one Alien Series release -- Book 17, Aliens Like Us -- and it's likely coming out in August 2018. I plan to have my short story collection, The Alien Collection -- which will have all the Alien Series shorts that are in print, out of print, and not yet printed in it -- release in May 2018. (Yes, I said it was coming this year. I've chosen to ensure that there's a May Alien release of SOME kind in 2018, plus I really need to take the time to, you know, move.) And I plan to have other releases coming out during the rest of this year and next year as well. For those of you who saw me all the time in the Southwest, or who have planned to see me but just haven't gotten around to it yet, your last easy chances for the foreseeable future are Westercon, San Diego Comic-Con, the High Desert Book Fair (and related signing events in Victorville, CA), and my December book tour (still being set up, but it will be the usual suspects and probably nothing extra). For those of you who live in the Southeast, or within a reasonable distance from Atlanta, when I get my bearings, I do plan on being active in that region as I was in the one I've called home for all of my life, and I'm looking forward to all the new experiences and, hopefully, getting to see a lot of you in person for the very first time. (If it's a second time or more, I can't wait to see you again and now it will be easier!) And, you know, for those of you who are too far away, um, well, you're probably still too far away. But, hey, hope likes to spring eternal, right? So, start looking at things like DragonCon (yes, I am hoping to be there in 2018) and other Atlanta-adjacent things. But, speaking of seeing the me...

CHECK OUT ALL THE WAYS TO SEE THE ME THIS SUMMER!

July 1-4 I'm the Local Author Guest of Honor at Westercon70 Tempe Mission Palms Hotel Tempe, AZ If you can only make it to one con this year, make this the one! Find me at my tables in the Dealers Room and all over the con! Click HERE for my Panel Schedule AND DON'T MISS THE LAST EVENING EROTICA EVENT OF THE YEAR! Haven't been to an Evening Erotica event and aren't sure what you're missing? Then check out The Two Gay Geeks' podcast from the event at Phoenix Comicon! Trust me, it's even funnier and more fun in person, and if you're there, you get to be the one winning the prizes! July 19-23 San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Convention Center San Diego, CA Full Schedule to Come    Don't miss seeing me this Summer -  make your plans today! Fall and Winter Dates are coming, so stay tuned!

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Need Things to Keep You Occupied Until Aliens Abroad Releases?   We've got you covered.

Deacon's Ark, Book 2 of the New West (by moi writing as A.E. Stanton) is available for pre-order right now from Amazon or Smashwords. It goes on sale everywhere June 27 (and yes, you can get it from me directly at Westercon). Head over to the Premieres page to check out the cover! And don't forget to pre-order!

Speaking of The New West series, have you gotten Book 1, When Josie Comes Home (by moi writing as A.E. Stanton) yet? If not, why not? Head over to Amazon, B&N.com, Smashwords, orCreateSpace to order. Mysterious Galaxy has signed copies, and The Poisoned Pen can get personalized copies to you, too! And you can always get copies directly from me at Westercon, too!

Check out the Q&A I did over at Unbound Worlds about Alien Education and a whole lot more, and read about the biggest WTH moment (so far) of my book signing career! Then, did you miss out on the Livestream event for Alien Education's book signing at The Poisoned Pen Bookstore? While I can't say that it had the same "zip" as the event described in the interview, it was still pretty darned fun. So, rectify and check it out!

Don't forget, the mass market re-release of Alexander Outland: Space Pirate (by moi writing as G.J. Koch) is available NOW, so get your copy from your favorite bookstore (Mysterious Galaxy and Barnes & Noble Victorville both have signed copies available, and you can get personalized copies via MG or The Poisoned Pen as well) or online retailer (such as Amazon or B&N.com). And you can always get copies directly from me at Westercon, too!

And now for some science! Per SyFy Wire, a pair of black holes sent ripples of time to Earth. I think we all know that probably indicated when Algar came to town, so to speak. Then, per HuffPost, an Aerospace executive is convinced that aliens are living on Earth. I think he's about to lose his security clearance and spend some time hanging out in the Dulce Science Center chatting with Christopher and Chuckie about why being a blabbermouth is a bad idea. Per Yahoo News, cold spot discoveries could mean there are parallel universes out there. Which Kitty finds hilarious and all y'all already know about, but it's nice to see everyone else catching up. And last but not least, per AIRS, NASA has discovered that we've created an artificial barrier around the Earth that protects it. ACE says hi and that ACE might be ready for ACE's closeup, but that ACE would prefer that Kitty do all the real talking.

And now, a little more about the whole moving thing. The hubs and I grew up in Southern California, and we loved it. All our friends and family were there and we never planned to live anywhere else. But then I got that job with Corporate America and the first thing they said was, "You're moving to Phoenix." So we did. We moved to Phoenix 22 years ago, and though I was leaving the home I loved with all my heart, I was excited, because Phoenix was also a place I loved. I had no idea that it would, essentially, give me my second career and show me the way to my "one thing" that I would do no matter what, which is writing. We made friends that became family, found our tribe, got a home we love, and created a new life in the Valley of the Sun. I love everything about Phoenix and Arizona, including the heat. (And yes, that's being tested this week. LOL)  But now we're going to leave that. And, just as we did when we left Los Angeles, we're looking at Atlanta in the same way as we did with Phoenix -- we have no idea what this city will bring to us, but we know that wherever we go, we will find new friends, new family, and a new home we'll love. We're choosing to live by the Girl Scout Motto -- make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver, and the other gold. So, soon I'll be saying "goodbye my love" to Hell's Orientation Area and "hel-looo sailor!" to Hotlanta. I won't say that it's not bittersweet to do this, but I also won't say that it's not a cool adventure awaiting us. And, after all, cool adventures are my business. Well, that's it for today but, as always, more's on the way. Enjoy the rest of your weeks, stay as cool as you can, and regardless of where you are, let's be readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side! Love, Gini

Excerpt from Alien Nation!

You know you want to head on over to Deathless Prose for the full Prologue and Chapter One.

wwwwwwww

As the release date draws ever near, you should keep an eye on the blog and social media. There will be tidbits and teasers coming your way. There may even be a newsletter subscriber sneak peek in your future. Now's a great time to sign up to Hook Me Up! if you're not already on the list...

Morning-ish all!

Just stopping by all quick like to let you know, there's new, easy way to subscribe to the Hook Me Up! Newsletter on the Gini Koch: Hairspray & Rock and Roll Facebook fan page.  If you take a look-see at the side menu, you'll now find a lovely Subscribe to Hook Me Up! option.

You know you want to get all the latest news and be ready for the return of the contests! Click the link, give Gini your email and enjoy Hook Me Up! for news and exclusives from the Giniverse.

Catch you on the Flipside...

Ro

P.S. No I don't really sleep. Good for you, not so much telemarketers I talk to on extreme caffeine

Premiering 2016

Hey there -- I'm not dead!

I know, right? I've been silent for, um, 2 months, and so I'm sure you wondered. But, hey, I warned all y'all that I was going to be less active due to deadlines. The last batch of deadlines are done, the current batch are still conceivably on time, so I'm able to kind of look up and share things.

And there's lots that's been going on TO share, so let's start getting caught up. (No, we won't be all caught up today, but hey, well begun is half done, am I right?)

First up, I've hit the visual media a lot for Slice of SciFi. So head over there to see what I thought of Deadpool, my 5 Episodes In review of Supergirl, and hear what I and other Slice reviewers thought of The Force Awakens. Agree, disagree, or just want to share your thoughts? Join in the discussion over at Slice!

If you missed seeing the me at The Poisoned Pen in December or elsewhere while I was on book tour, no worries, 'cause LiveStream has you covered. Lots of news and laughs and some announcements, all for your viewing pleasure.

There is SO MUCH MORE COMING (including a contest for Hook Me Up! subscribers only and a really exciting announcement), but I'm doing my best not to bury the lead (too much), which is this:

You wanna see the cover for Camp Alien?

I knew you did! Head over to my Premieres (http://www.ginikoch.com/premiere.htm) page and check it out!

That's it for today, but, trust me, more's on the way. So let's be cover viewing readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

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