Insert Witty Catching Up Title Here

Happy Monday! I know it's been a while (okay, like, um, about 2-3 weeks), but I'm back from Phoenix Comicon AND Universal Alien is done and turned in to the Awesome Editor! Meaning, I get to catch up on all the things, like updating all of you, that I had to let slide to get the bookie wookie in on time. And there's a LOT to catch you up on, so let's get to it, shall we? We shall!

First up, check out the great Table of Contents for Unidentified Funny Objects 3, courtesy of SF Signal featuring "Live at the Scene" by yours truly, moi. It's coming in October, but you can pre-order UFO3 right now! Hint, hint.

Speaking of pre-orders (we always are, trust me), it's never too late or too early to pre-order Universal Alien, coming to your bookstores December 2, 2014. You can also pre-order Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens at the Zombies Need Brains website (scroll down to find the book pre-order), featuring short story that started my writing short stories set in the Kittyverse.Yes, pre-orders matter, a lot, to publishers of all sizes, so pre-order often and early!

Next up, let's check out some reviews! See what Another Castle thought of Kaiju Rising (featuring "With Bright Shining Faces" from moi writing as J.C. Koch). Then see what Zwartraafje thought of Alien in the House. Check out what Gizmo's Reviews thinks are the 10 best books she's read so far in 2014. And last but not least, see what A Succubi's Tale thought of Hotter Than Hell by moi writing as Jemma Chase.

And now it's time for some science! Check out the news about a gigantic underground ocean, or, as I put it, see how Jules Verne was a reporter, not a novelist. Then watch the amazing time lapse video of a Stellar Explosion or, as I put it, see Sandy up close and personal. Then, once again proving my hard science fiction and Star Trek loving grandma right in that what man can imagine, man can create, check out the real life Enterprise that's set to take us where, um, no man has gone before (ACE allowing).

My San Diego Comic-Con schedule will be finalized soon, so keep the eyeballs peeled. See as many of you as possible there!

Have you made your plans to hit CopperConFANtasm August 22-24? You should, 'cause I'm an author guest and it's going to be a fun, intimate con. This is the con where you get to hang out with all the authors, artists, and scientists because that's just how it rolls.

Chicago Area Peeps -- I will be there at the end of September (25th-30th); book signing dates are (hopefully) getting set up, but if you're there, let me know so you can see the me and I can see the you! I am NOT in this part of the country very often (um, this would be the first time in at least 10 years), so if you're in the Greater Chicago Metro and Outlying Areas, this will likely be your only chance, so let's be sure to make it happen! And yes, if you have a local bookstore that wants me to do a signing during this time, let me know and we'll do what we can to make that happen.

More in-person announcements are coming, as well, so stay tuned!

And now, finally, it's time for my extremely belated Phoenix Comicon wrap-up. The con was wonderful and it was great to see so many of the Alien Collective out in force! I'd list everyone here, but there were a LOT of you, so just know that I loved seeing (and hugging) you all and cannot wait for the next time!

And speaking of "out in force"...we had almost 79,000 people attend. So, yeah, it was big, and it was great, too. But don't just take my word for it. See what Rissa Watkins thought of it, too. I got to have breakfast in the con's guest suite with two very nice guys who happened to be Billy Tucci and Mark Evanier. Mark in particular was extremely gracious and we had an interesting chat about editors and deadlines. He even stopped by my booth to tell me he'd enjoyed meeting me, and wrote about his con experiences as well at News From Me.

I got to panel and hang out with and at least say hi and give hugs to a ton of cool authors and some artists, and because this is already scary long I'm just going to do the roll call here: L.E. Modesitt, Jr.; Seanan McGuire; Jim Butcher; John Scalzi; Wesley Chu; Marsheila Rockwell; Jordan Summers; T.L. Smith; Patrick Rothfuss; Myke Cole; Amber Benson; Tom Leveen; Weston Ochse; Yvonne Navarro; David Lee Summers; Joe Nacisse; Leanne Renee Hieber; Kris Neri; Robert Elrod; Mike MacLean; Zachary Jernigan; Gilead; Ed Erdelac; Jaye Wells; and many more besides who I am forgetting because I have had to sleep, and had to write a lot, since then.

Everyone was awesome and I loved all my panels, but one of my favorite things was doing my impromptu Food with Fans event which I plan to make a "thing" and have happen every year, because it was so much fun this year and last year, too.

Sadly, I did NOT get to hang out with either Nathan Fillion, Stephen Amell, John Barrowman, Michael Rooker, or Carey Elwes. Because I was hella busy, that's why. Yes, all my friends have pics with Nathan or John or Stephen. I have pics with my fans, and I'm happy about that :-D. I DID, however, get to share an elevator with Danny Glover (that man is TALL) and walked by and spoke to John Rhys Davies (that man is TALL and HANDSOMER in person than on screen). I may have had other celebrity sightings or moments, but if I did, they're just moon dust now. Next year the con is May 28-31 -- don't miss it!

Finally...that's it for today. But, as always, more's on the way. So stay tuned, have a fantastic week, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Workin' for the Weekend

Honies...I'm ho-ome!

Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a fab time while I was off in beautiful San Diego with just a hundred and fifty thousand of my friends and colleagues. Comic-Con was, as always, awesome (and yes, I brought home goodies that will go into the big Combo Con Contest that's coming sometime soon).

But a lot's been going on while I was off checking out Avengers costumes and trying to get close enough to kidnap Nathan Fillion (sadly, I was thwarted AGAIN...it's as if they KNOW I'm trying to catch him or something) all while getting to do two awesome panels and a super book signing and MORE, so let's get to all that went on whilst I was away, shall we?

First off, a reminder that you only have through the end of TODAY, Friday, June 20th, to get your entries in for a chance to win a copy of The Night Beat. It's for Hook Me Up! only, so if you're not on, be quick like a bunny and send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line. You'll be in and get the info for how to register to win!

You also only have until July 23 to enter to win two books -- The Night Beat, and Skein of Shadows by Marsheila Rockwell. Head over to They're Biodegradeable and get entered now, before it's too late!

Now, onto some reviews! Check out what Bibliognome, Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell, and Readaholics Anonymous thought of The Night Beat. Not yet convinced to grab The Night Beat today? Check out Bibliognome's Sentence Sneak Peek to whet your appetite. Then see what Gameolosophy thought of Touched by an Alien, and what Long and Short Reviews thought of Hotter Than Hell, by Jemma Chase (yes, yet another side of moi).

Next, see what Larissa's Bookish Life picked as her Favorite Names of Female Characters.

Reminder that the next stop on the Split Personality Summer Signing Tour will be August 5, 2012, from 2:00-4:00 at The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, AZ. I'll be signing Alien Diplomacy, Alexander Outland: Space Pirate, and The Night Beat, and whatever else you have on you. Don't miss out, because I sign AND give you chocolate, and that's a hard combination to beat.

Now, I'd like to take a moment to thank a couple of the Members of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing. There was a pirate attack of the most plagiaristic (is too a word) kind while I was at Comic-Con. It affected me and several very impressive authors (so, I was in rather stellar company, which was flattering, in its way). You can get a run down on what happened at John Scalzi's blog, Whatever and also get an identity on the plagiarist/pirate/thief (hey, should you see his name, anywhere, know that it's attached to someone else's work that he's trying to steal). But I'd like to thank Nicole Snyder and Colette Chmiel for leaping into action when they discovered what was going on and going down, and getting it stopped, pretty close to immediately. My title (Alien in the Family) was "saved" the fastest of all the books, and it's because of these two wonderful gals who were ever vigilant for pirate-plagiarist danger. (Extra A-C clones to those women! On the double!)

My Comic-Con wrap up will be long, so I think we'll save it for another day, when there's a little less excitement going on. So, enjoy the tour around the interwebs, have wonderful weekends, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Kitty Yaps Holidays

Happy Monday! Well, with the release of "Alien Proliferation" only one (ONE!) day away, we're still wildly busy this week. There's tons going on (including the start of the long-awaited Combo-Con Contest), so let's get on with the countdown!

First up, Kitty, with Martini's help, will be talking about the Holidays over at Mark of the Stars as part of the SFR Light up the Holidays celebration. Check out all the other cool stuff going on while you're there!

Next, head over to ALPHA Reader to see what her top books of 2011 were. Then see what Larissa's Bookish Life chose as her top book covers of 2011.

Next up on the hit parade, see what I and a lot of other proud geek-girls said about being, well, proud geek girls over at The Galaxy Express. Share what it means for you to be a geek girl (or guy!), too.

Did you enter the Alien Proliferation Extravaganza over at the Alien Collective Virtual HQ? If you did, hurry on over, because the winners are announced and need to claim their prizes by the 9th, or the Gods of Random will be choosing again! Even if you didn't enter, check it out and congratulate the winners, register for the Forum, hang out and chat a bit with other Alien Collective Members in Very Good Standing.

After that, see what Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind thought of "Alien Proliferation", what A Buckeye Girl Reads thought of "Hotter Than Hell" by Jemma Chase, and what Cybermage thought of "Touched by an Alien".

Then, head over to Living Dangerously the website for author Weston Ochse, and check out some more of the fun we had at TusCon (there's also a cool pic of me, Wes, Patty Briggs and Marcy Rockwell).

This Wednesday, Dec. 7th, in addition to many other goings-ons, I'll be doing a live chat with Book Monster and Literal Addiction, from 6-8pm Mountain time (8pm start Eastern, 7pm start Central, 5pm start Pacific, open internationally but you'll have to figure out the times on your own, sorry, LOL). Here are the details, join if you can!

LINK FOR LIVE CHAT - http://www.literaladdiction.com/author-chat.php#/general/

NOTE: This Chatroom works best with Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari web browsers. It does work with older versions of I.E, though it has been known to have issues. The newer versions of Internet Explorer (I.E) do not work at all! Please use Firefox or Chrome for best results, and make sure that your Java is up-to-date!

Last but not least, a reminder that I'll be in San Diego at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore for their Eat! Read! Party! Holiday Event on Saturday, December 10th, from 3-5pm, signing "Alien Proliferation" and anything else attendees want. Hope to see some of you there!

Remember that you must be on Hook Me Up! in order to participate in the Comb0-Con Contest. If you're not on, now's the time. Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line...and do it today, because the contest WILL start this week.

That's all for today, but don't worry -- we have more coming this week, including, oh, as mentioned before, the release of "Alien Proliferation". Hope your weeks have all started well, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

The Yap Goes On a Character Spree

Hey there! Hope those who celebrate Thanksgiving enjoyed a fun, food-filled weekend. Hope those who indulge in the madness that is Black Friday and Cyber Monday got many good deals to keep the world economy moving. And hope everyone had a great weekend, no matter what!

No need to stop shopping now, btw. Go pre-order "Alien Proliferation" and "Alien Diplomacy", and race over to Musa Publishing to get a ton of ebook deals as well as all the stories available from Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, J.C. Koch and Anita Ensal. (What? Seriously, everyone else is pushing their wares right now. A girl's gotta do what she can to keep herself in chocolate and Coca-Cola, you know.)

But enough shameless begging! For this moment. As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, we have lots and lots and LOTS going on this week, so let's get rolling because, wow, do y'all have a plethora of links and some cool reading ahead of you.

First up, we have both a review of "Alien Proliferation" AND a new interview with moi as well as some of the characters over at Books-n-Kisses. You can also enter to win a signed, personalized copy of "Alien Tango", so don't miss out!

Next up, see what Caught in a Fab Romance thought of "Alien Proliferation". After that, head over to Paranormal Romance Fanatic and see what she thought of "Alien in the Family" and also check out some new covers. Then check out the nice listing of December releases over at Anna's Book Blog.

Speaking of "Alien Proliferation", check out both the website update as well as the first chapter which is live over at Deathless Prose. The 2012 Calendar is now available, too, over at the Alien Collective Depot.

Now, go weigh in on what author Dar Writes should wear to her poetry reading. And, as a belated Thanksgiving moment, check out who Smash Attack Reads! would have liked to have had at her table.

The Alien Proliferation Extravaganza is still going on through December 2nd at the Alien Collective Virtual HQ. Don't miss out -- get entered to win one of FIVE copies of "Alien Proliferation".

Next up, check out what Pearls Cast Before a McPig thought of "Hotter Than Hell" by Jemma Chase.

Of all the cons I've been to -- and I've been to a lot -- the one that I'd crown "the best" for fans and professional attendees both is Phoenix Comicon. Check out who's coming via Nerdvana and if you can be in the Greater Phoenix Metro Area over Memorial Day Weekend, make this con your destination of choice!

Speaking of seeing moi in person, reminder that I'll be at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego, CA, from 3p,-5pm on December 10th for their Holiday Party. Yes, I'll be signing copies of "Alien Proliferation"...and anything else you want signed, too!

Is that it for today? Yes. Is that it for this week? Hardly. We have lots more coming as we race up to the December 6th release of "Alien Proliferation", so stay tuned, and remember -- let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

The Yap Fights Through

Well, I'm back from TusCon and have many wild stories to share. Which I was going to do earlier in the week. Only, as my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, my wireless somethingorother (technical term), in a bold move destined to make me want to tear my hair out and actually cry, gave up the good fight and died. Leaving me with no internet connectivity.

WELL.

We'll all pause a moment while the enormity of that situation descends on everyone.

Horrified moment of silence over, I'm still awaiting connectivity at the Casa and am currently huddled at the Chicklet's Bachelorette Pad attempting to get some, you know, work done. Laugh with me. There is no chair in the study at this precise time, and my netbook cannot, despite everyone in Tech Support's best efforts, connect wirelessly over here. So, I and the SHORT ethernet cable are making do. The sacrifices I make to keep all of mah darlings up to date just don't bear contemplation.

But what does bear contemplation is the tonnage that's going on this week. I was going to parcel it out for you, but under the less-than-stellar circumstances, you're gonna get it all in one go and like it. So, on with the countdown...

First up, the yap is large and in charge over at A Buckeye Girl Reads, where I answer more burning questions about "Alien Proliferation". There's also an international giveaway of "Alien in the Family", so don't miss out!

Next up, exciting news. "Alien in the Family" has made it to the semifinal round for best science fiction novel in the 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards! PLEASE go vote for it for Best Science Fiction novel now/again -- competition's fierce and if there's any hope of "Alien in the Family" making it to the next round, it lies with all of you.

Then, check out what Larissa's Bookish Life chose as her Top 5 Favorite Fictional Pets.

And now, on to the reviews. And we have a lot of reviews!

First up, hit Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell. She's done a double review of "Hotter Than Hell" and "The Disciple" both by Jemma Chase (aka moi). She's also done a review of "The New West 1 - When Josie Comes Home" by A.E. Stanton (also moi). Then see what Bitten by Paranormal Romance has to say about "The Disciple".

Next see what Giraffe Days and Paranormal Romance Fanatic have to say about "Touched by an Alien". Then see what Paranormal Romance Fanatic thought of "Alien Tango".

Our hit parade now takes us to Lightworks.com and the Monthly Aspectarian, where Jacqueline Lichtenberg reviews "Alien in the Family" in her "Science Fiction & the Art of Storytelling" column.

Last but in NO way least, check out what I Smell Sheep and Larissa's Bookish Life thought of "Alien Proliferation". Remember to do your girl a solid and pre-order "Alien Proliferation" (releasing Dec. 6th) and "Alien Diplomacy" (releasing Apr. 3rd). Yes, they matter, even less than a month before release day. (LESS THAN A MONTH!)

In Person Reminder: I'll be presenting at the Free Fall Writer's Workshop this Saturday, Nov. 19th. It's a great day of fun education, for aspiring authors and readers who just want to know how we do it. (We do it with a lot of the 3 C's -- coffee, chocolate, and Coca-Cola, but that's not important now...)

Amazingly enough, that's it. But tune in next time, when we find out if Gini gets to be connected to the rest of the world or if she has to hide out in her Cave in the Casa, alone and lonely. Until then, peace out, li'l gangstas, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Hump Day Roundup

Hope everyone had a great week and weekend while I was away at World Fantasy Con! It was great, and I came home loaded with books. Scads of books. Cascades of books. Books which will be going out to some of you as prizes in the upcoming Combo Con Contest. Of course, as we all know by now, that contest will be for my Hook Me Up! subscribers only. So if you're not on, really, send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line and get ready to win some great reads!

However, I'm dashing off again, so don't have time to start the contest yet. But don't despair -- I'll probably be home with yet MORE books or other goodies to add to the ever-growing Pile O' Swag I've got building up.

But, there's much going on, so before I get so behind I can never catch up (I know, I know, too late already), let's get down to the various businesses at hand.

First up, those in the Greater Phoenix Metro Area should stop by Changing Hands Bookstore tonight around 7pm. I'll be there with my anthology editor, Cathi Lombardo (who is NOT moi), and a lot of other authors, to do a group signing for "A Mother's Wisdom". (Never fear, my wisdom falls more on the funny than the useful side of the house.) Bring any books of mine along, though, and get them stickered at the front (so you don't have to pay for a book you already brought), and I'll sign those, too.

Next up, check out what Pearls Cast Before a McPig thought of "Alien Proliferation". Then see what The SF Site thinks of the first three books in the series, "Touched by an Alien", "Alien Tango", AND "Alien in the Family", all in one big review.

Then head over to Bitten By Paranormal Romance to see what they thought of "Hotter Than Hell" by Jemma Chase (aka moi). While you're at it, grab "Hotter Than Hell" from Musa Publishing today, and while you're there, pre-order "The Disciple", coming THIS Friday, November 4.

Speaking of aka's and moi, check out the November issue of Penumbra eMag, which features a new story from J.C. Koch (yes, aka moi), available now!

Also, "When Josie Comes Home", first novella in A.E. Stanton's (yes, also moi) The New West series, is available from Musa Publishing right now. While you're there, pre-order the second installment, "Deacon's Ark", coming November 18.

Is there more? Yeah, there is, but that's surely enough for today. So keep your eyes peeled for the start of the Combo Con Contest, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Manic Monday with the Yap

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend. As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, mine was the usual bedlam as viewed from the air that is pretty much my standard operating procedure these days. But enough about "my process" -- let's get on with what's shakin' today!

First off, check out the great reviews "Alien Proliferation" has garnered from Publisher's Weekly and ALPHA Reader.

Then head over to catch the yap in full steam over at A Buckeye Girl Reads, talking about "The Royal Scam" and how it is and isn't like the Alien Series.

Speaking of "The Royal Scam", check out what My 5 Monkeys thought of it.

After that, check out who Larissa's Bookish Life picks as the Top 5 Rejected Love Interests (hint: yes, some of your fave men made that cut).

"Hotter Than Hell", my first release from my Jemma Chase pen name, is available now from Musa Publishing. Get your copy today!

In Person Reminders:
Mysterious Galaxy Book Store Informal Author Meet & Greet - October 26, 6:30-8:30, San Diego, CA
World Fantasy Con - October 27-30, San Diego, CA
Changing Hands Bookstore, Group Book Signing - November 2, 7:00pm-8:00pm, Mesa, AZ
TusCon - November 11-13, Tucson, AZ
Free Fall Writer's Workshop - November 19, 9am-4pm, Scottsdale, AZ
Mysterious Galaxy Holiday Party - December 10, 6pm-8pm, San Diego, CA
Tucson Festival of Books - March 10-11, Tucson, AZ
Desert Dreams Writer's Conference - April 27-29, Scottsdale, AZ

Contest Reminder:
Results for the Alien Proliferation ARC Giveaway contest will be coming out this week. Not feeling lucky enough to be sure you'll score one of the copies? It's not too late to tag in to the Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger blog contest. Check out Win Stuff and tag in as Team Blah, get another chance to win an ARC as well as other cool prizes.

Last but in no way least, check out the world premiere of the cover for "When Josie Comes Home", over at the Alien Collective Virtual HQ. It's the first in the novella series, The New West, from (my pen name) A.E. Stanton. Available from Musa Publishing Friday, October 28th.

That's plenty for today. But fear not, more's always on the way! Until next time, peace out, li'l gangstas, and let's remember to be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

The Yap Gives You MORE Chances to Win!

Well, we have another busy day again. So, let's not delay in getting to the details, shall we? Especially since many of those details include winning things.

First off, head over to Book Lovers, Inc. and check out my guest blog for their 1000 Followers Giveaway. Get entered to win a copy of "The Royal Scam" and an Alien Collective Tote, as well as even more prizes!

After getting entered to win, head over to Musa Publishing and check out "Hotter Than Hell", the first release from my Jemma Chase pen name, which releases this Friday, 10-14. It's never too late to pre-order (well, okay, sure, it's too late after the release date, but it's not too late right NOW), so do your girl a solid and check out this paranormal romance between a private investigator and a mysterious woman searching for someplace hotter than Hell.

Following on the heels of "Hotter Than Hell" will be the Oct. 28th release of the first book in my The New West series, "When Josie Comes Home", from my A.E. Stanton pen name. Yep, you know what's coming. Please pre-order that puppy while you're at it.

And since you'll be at the Musa site anyway, those of you who haven't yet scored your copy of "The Royal Scam" can easily rectify, getting a triple out of the whole deal.

But it's not all yapping, pre-orders and pen names today, no siree. Nope, we also have a cool In My Mailbox from My 5 Monkeys. Then, head over to Hanging with Bells to see what she thought of "The Royal Scam".

And we also have winning reminders. If you haven't entered the "Alien Proliferation" ARC Giveaway contest yet, what are you waiting for? Oh, you're waiting to be on Hook Me Up! and so qualified to enter? Well, wait no longer. Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line and we'll send you the instructions for how to enter to win! Don't delay -- contest ends 10-13.

Tag in for the Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger contest, and get entered to win some great prizes, including an ARC of "Alien Proliferation". Details are at the Win Stuff page -- tag in as part of Team Blah and get more win on! Contest ends 10-21.

That's it for today, 'cause that's plenty. Head off and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Oh Baby, Baby

Happy Hump Day! There's a lot going on today, and much of it's centered around winning. I know, there's so much going on, can we stand one more contest in the mix? I think we can.

But before we get to the winning, let's catch up on the news. Head over to the Alien Collective Virtual HQ where they have the world premiere of the cover for "Hotter Than Hell", my first release with Musa Publishing under my Jemma Chase pen name.

The Galaxy Express has a nice write up about Musa Publishing and "The Royal Scam".

Speaking of "The Royal Scam", check out what I Smell Sheep thought of it. Then hit the Musa Blog where the yap is running about it. And Anna Marie's Corner has a nice little shout out for the Alien Series.

Upcoming In Person Events:
-- Mysterious Galaxy Author Meet & Greet, Oct. 26, San Diego, CA
-- World Fantasy Con, Oct. 27-30, San Diego, CA
-- TusCon, Nov. 11-13, Tuscon, AZ
-- Annual Fall Writer's Workshop, Nov. 19, Scottsdale Civic Center Library, Scottsdale, CA
-- Mysterious Galaxy Holiday Party, Dec. 10, San Diego, CA
-- Tuscon Festival of Books, Mar. 10-11, 2012, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
-- Desert Dreams Writers Conference, Apr. 27-29, 2012, Scottsdale, AZ

Current Contests:
-- Daddy Crazies contest at Alien Collective Virtual HQ
-- Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger Blog Award Contest (Tag in as Team Blah if you haven't gotten tagged into the ring yet!)

NEW Contest:
Yeah, I know it's what you read through the rest of this blog to get to. ;-D The Alien Proliferation ARC contest is about to begin. But, as with most of the contests, it's for Hook Me Up! only. Not on? Truly, what ARE you waiting for? Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line, and do it now, so you don't miss out!

Love,
Gini