See the Me via SDCC@Home!

Hey there, gang!

Just because we can't travel doesn't mean we can't attend San Diego Comic-Con this year. In fact, more people can attend than ever before! They've figured out a way to get their signature (as in, world class) programming online and, as in years past, I'll be on a panel, running the yap about the publishing business.

Date: Sunday, July 26
TIme: 2pm Pacific
Where: The comfort of your own sofa
How to view the panel:
The Four Quadrants of Publishing: SDCC@Home

Follow the instructions on how to sign up for the private Facebook broadcast of the panel.

"See" you there!

Love,
Gini

Super Team Gini Go!

Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a fantastic end of January, enjoyed Super Bowl parties (how about those commercials and dancing sharks, huh?), and that February's going great for one and all. As always, of course, there's a lot going on in Gini Land, so let's get to it, shall we? We shall!

Had a wonderful time at Mysterious Galaxy signing with the ever awesome Erin Quinn. For more pics, check out the photo gallery over at Demotix taken by Stephen Prendergast.

The San Diego State University Writer's Conference was awesome as well. In addition to getting to do a panel with The Awesome Editor and workshops with Marsheila Rockwell, I got to hang out with the wonderful Jonathan Maberry, which was excellent icing on an already delicious cake.

I have an announcement I'm dying to tell all y'all, but I can't do it just yet. But there's another announcement I CAN do right now, but that'll come a little bit later.

Before then, head over to Bull Spec and check out which anthologies The Exploding Spaceship thought were the best of 2014, which includes Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets, that has my short story, "All the Single Ladies" in it.

Then see what Night Owl Reviews thought of Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets, too.

After that, head over to Larissa's Bookish Life and see who she picked for her Top 5 Favorite Heroes from Books, Movies, and TV. Then see who she chose as her Top 5 Favorite Villains from Books, Movies, and TV, too. Also, Larissa's mom has been ill, so any good thoughts and such that the rest of the Alien Collective could send to her would be really great.

And, let us once again gaze upon the wonder that is the Alien Tango cover over at Fantasy Art Village, just because we can.

Speaking of announcements, The Night Beat was off the market other than in the Sensational Six boxed set. While the boxed set is still around for a very limited time, in honor of Night Music showing up soon, the second edition of The Night Beat is now available at all the usual suspects (Amazon, B&N.com, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, Mysterious Galaxy, The Poisoned Pen, anywhere I am, and so on).

Next up, it's time for some science! Check out the hugely exciting Super Saturn over at Science Alert. Then go to IFL Science and read about an asteroid so big it has its own moon -- and they both flew past Earth. Lastly, head over to Truth Code and find out about the second Earth some scientists have found.

Hugo Nominations are open, and great author and wonderful editor Joshua Palmatier has some suggestions for nominations. If you're eligible to nominate, please remember that many of your favorite authors, like moi, have plenty of books and shorts we'd love to get recognition. And if you're nominating, let me encourage you to nominate Sheila Gilbert from DAW Books for Best Editor, Long Form. Because she is.

Now it's time for the announcement I can actually make right now. Team Gini is expanding! This is a great thing in that it's going to give me more writing time, meaning I will have more output (at least, that is the sincere hope) to keep all y'all in reading matter. So more of the team are taking Front Line Duties.

First off, Team Gini now has an official email address: TeamGini @ ginikoch .com. You can reach any and all the team using this email. Team Gini also has a Twitter account: TeamGini @RealTeamGini. Again, you can reach everyone via this Twitter handle. We're continuing to use the Facebook Fan Page, Gini Koch: Hairspray & Rock 'n' Roll (https://www.facebook.com/GiniKochAuthor), as the main coordination area on Facebook.

Now, for the Team itself:
--Joseph Gaxiola, my Personal Assistant. Joseph's going to be taking over some of my social media (though all y'all will still be able to reach me any time of the day or night just like always, LOL), and all personal appearance on-site coordination should run through him (joseph @ ginikoch .com).
--Colette Chmiel, my Distance Assistant. Interview requests, guest post requests, and appearance requests should be sent to Colette (colette @ ginikoch .com), with a cc to Joseph (joseph @ ginikoch .com). Have a con or an event you'd love to have me at? Send Colette the information and she'll make the inquiries.
--Kelsey Rowe, aka The Sightings Girl. Yes! Sightings in the Wild is actually being updated on a regular basis now! So, any pics you've taken of me, with me, or of the bookie wookies or swag in the wild should be sent to Kelsey. If you include your name and location of the pic, she'll add that on, too, and get them up onto the site in a timely manner (kelsey @ ginikoch .com).
--Glenard Malcom, aka our Newest Techno Mage. Glen is handling all things website other than the Sightings updates, so if there's a problem you spot on the website, Glen's your mage (glenard @ ginikoch . com).
--Edward Pulley, aka the Poof Factory. All Poof (and other Depot) orders will still run through the website, but I just wanted to be sure Edward got his Poofy Making due. And yes, while we make no promises, we are considering some of the Specialty Poof Requests some of you have made.
--Lisa Dovichi remains the Head of Team Gini, and she still won't tell you what's coming in all the books, but she's also still really open to being bribed. Just sayin'... (lisa @ ginikoch .com).

Please welcome the new Team Gini members (via their own special emails, not mine, please and thank you, from them AND me, LOL) and enjoy fantastic reading weekends. Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Schedules & Covers & Announcements, Oh My!

Happy Hump Day! Hope everyone's been having a great week. I sure am! The edits for Universal Alien are done and it's turned in to the awesome editor, and I have a fun weekend planned with my crit partner, who's visiting Hell's Orientation Area in the middle of the monsoon season because, um, I'm worth it. (Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking with it.) But there's lots going on, so let's get to it!

To start us out, it's official -- I'm going to be one of the authors in an upcoming X-Files anthology set, edited by Jonathan Maberry! There are just a TON of awesome authors included in this anthology set, and so far, there are 3 volumes planned, and I'll be in Vol. 3. Jonathan's shared the full list at Facebook if you want to peruse and see what other fave authors of yours are going to be a part of this. I'm really excited about being able to become a little part of the X-Files mythology, and while I can't say much about my story yet, I think it's safe to say that those of you who have a fondness for Gigantagator and Alliflash will enjoy it. ;-D

Another cool anthology I'm in, this one writing as J.C. Koch, is The Madness of Cthulhu Volume 1, edited by S.T. Joshi. This Lovecraftian anthology is coming October 7, 2014. But as we know, it's never too early to pre-order, so check out all the awesome authors in this with me and get your copy lined up today! I mean, did you check out the names on this cover? Look at them! (I'll wait.) SEE? It's a darned exciting anthology, this one, and your library won't be complete without it!

This will be one of three anthologies I'm in that are all coming out in October. In addition to The Madness of Cthulhu, I will also have a story in Unidentified Funny Objects 3, and Two Hundred and Twenty-One B Baker Streets. UFO 3 is edited by Alex Shvartsman and is filled with funny SF stories, and 221B is edited by David Moore and is filled with Sherlock Holmes stories set anywhere, any time, and anyhow, and both of them are made of awesome. And you can pre-order BOTH of them right now! I mean, why not be sure you have lots of fun things to read in October?

Also, lest you think that I'm only in these upcoming anthologies, I'm also in A Darke Phantastique, writing as J.C. Koch again. This another cool Lovecraftian and horror collection, edited by Jason Brock. The link is for the collector's edition, but there will be other editions coming down the line. And don't forget Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens, edited by Joshua Palmatier, and featuring "A Clockwork Alien". This one has been a little delayed, but should be out later this month.

After you've gazed at all these pretty covers, remember that the July issue of Penumbra eMagazine, featuring my next Alien series short, is on sale now. Don't miss out on "Mr. Dash Saves the World", and also don't miss out on the Gini Special, where you can get a full year's subscription for half price, plus the 2012 and 2013 Best Of issues. Use 2014Gini when you order to get the deal!

Next up, see what Larissa's Bookish Life chose as the top five book covers of the first half of 2014! And speaking of book covers, while I can't show it to all y'all yet, I've seen the final art for Universal Alien and Dan Dos Santos has done it yet again! The cover is GORGEOUS and I can't wait to share it with you the moment I'm allowed to!

Now it's time for my upcoming appearances schedule!

First up, San Diego Comic-Con! I'm there for the whole con, but here are my scheduled appearances:
Thursday, July 24 -- PANEL: World Building and Storytelling, Room 32AB, 7pm-8pm
Saturday, July 26 -- BOOK SIGNING, Mysterious Galaxy Booth #1119, 2:00pm - 2:30pm
Saturday, July 26 -- PANEL: Small Print 101 (Indie/Small Print Run Comics), Room 9, 8pm-9pm
Sunday, July 27 -- BOOK SIGNING, Penguin Booth #1028, 3:30-4:00 pm (Note: Penguin will be giving away 48 copies of Touched by an Alien -- you'll need to get tickets for that prior to the signing; I'll also be signing any other books anyone has with them.)

San Diego Peeps: Make sure to let me know if you'll be at SDCC so we can all meet up!

Saturday, August 2: I'll be signing at the Cosplay/Superhero Day at Dog-Eared Pages from 2pm-4pm.

Friday, August 22 through Sunday, August 24: CopperCon FANtasm. I'm one of the author guests and this is a great, intimate con, where you get to hang out with all the guests and talk all things geek all weekend.

Late September: I'll be in the Chicago area. Appearance dates to come.

Friday, November 28 and Saturday, November 29: Greater MENSA Regional Gathering, Phoenix Phiesta XXXII -- "Phifty Shades of Mensa", at the Hilton Garden Inn in Central Phoenix. I'll be presenting on both days and non-MENSA members are encouraged to attend (and take the MENSA test, too!)

Saturday, December 6: Mysterious Galaxy San Diego, time TBD. I'll be signing Universal Alien either alone or at the MG Holiday Party. Hey, it's months away...plans change, but not this date, 'cause it's set. I'll have details on the rest of my book tour in a few weeks (but Las Vegas, there's a really excellent chance that I will be in you in December...just sayin'...)

Amazingly enough, I think that's it for today. But, as always, more's on the way. So enjoy the downward slide to 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