My PCC Schedule & Other Cool Things

Hey there! I know, I know, again I'm gone for over a week with no word. Well, I imagine all y'all will forgive me, since I'm writing like a crazed wolverine on Universal Alien. Yeah, I thought you'd be okay with my silence.

I also have Phoenix Comicon starting this Thursday, June 5. My schedule is:

THURSDAY, June 5
*Exhibit Hall, Table 2426, 4:00pm - 9:00pmFRIDAY, June 6
*Exhibit Hall, Table 2426, 10:00am - 12:30pm
*Comedy's Hard-The Secrets of How and When to be Funny, 1:30pm - 2:30pm, Sheraton Hotel, Valley of the Sun Room
*Exhibit Hall, Table 2426, 3:30pm - 7:00pm
*Evening Erotica, 7:30pm - 8:30pm, North 126bc
SATURDAY, June 7
*Star Wars, Star Trek, & The Terminator All Had It-What Is It?, 10:30am - 11:30am, North 128a
*Exhibit Hall, Table 2426, 12:00pm - 7:00pm
SUNDAY, June 8
*Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters Anthology, 10:30am - 11:30am, North 128a
*Keeping a Long Running Series Fresh, Sunday 12:00pm - 1:00pm, North 132
*Exhibit Hall, Table 2426, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
*Crossing the Streams - How to Effectively Cross Genres in Your Writing, 3:00pm - 4:00pm, North 127c
*Exhibit Hall, Table 2426, 4:30pm - 6pm

My hours in the Exhibit Hall are subject to change (in case I can stalk and capture Nathan Fillion and Stephen Amell and so on), but I should be there mostly as noted. Hope to see a ton of you there!

DAW Book Reviews has a discussion of Alien Collective going on. And I'm dropping in there as I can, so if you want to yap about Kitty's latest adventure, head on over!

Missing some books? Walmart Online has the Alien Series on sale. Then, head over to Mixed Book Bag where she's musing about Alien Collective. And after that, check out what More Geek Than Gay is talking about -- Phoenix Comicon among other things...I know, what were the odds -- either on audio or video.

Some of what More Geek is talking about I'm going to talk about right now. My BFF author Marsheila "Marcy" Rockwell has an AWESOME announcement you really want to read about right now. No, trust me, right now. You do. You really do. 'Cause it's really huge.

After oohing and aahing over what upcoming book of Marcy's you cannot wait to get your hands on, it's time for some science! Check out what Algar and his people are doing over at Phys.Org News. I know! IT'S SO COOL!

Speaking of cool -- my next Alien Series short story, "Mr. Dash Saves the World", will be in the July issue of Penumbra eMagazine. If you haven't taken advantage of the special subscription rate you get merely by typing in 2014Gini when you order, well, now's the time. And, you can still get the May issue if you missed it, featuring "Alien on the Runway".

Thanks to all of you who bid on my Alien Pack, and all the other great things at the Brenda Novak auction. The auction did really well, and I'm thrilled that my Pack went for well over it's listed value. So it's a win all the way around!

That's it for today. Well, really, that's it for this week. Needless to say, what with PCC and Universal Alien taking my focus, you're not going to hear from me again until I'm back from the con and the book is turned in (this month...let's have a rounding chorus of You Can Do Eeet!). So, see some of you this coming weekend, all of you have a wonderful week and weekend and week after it regardless of where you are, and let's be readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Names and Other Strangers

Happy Hump Day! Well, Arizona Dreamin' was a lot of fun, and coming right after Phoenix Comicon means I was also a lot of tired. LOL But I'm done with cons until San Diego Comic-Con next month, so revving back up. My con wrap up is coming (still), but there's again so much going on that it'll have to wait while we get to all the new!

First off, head over to Shadowhawk's Shade where the yap is large and in charge, talking about names and how I create and use them.

Next, head over to The SF Site and see what they thought of Alien vs. Alien.

Others have managed to get their Phoenix Comicon recaps done. So, head over to I Smell Sheep for some fun con pics, to They're Biodegradeable for Marcy Rockwell's take on things, and to More Geek Than Gay  for a full blown (2.5 hours!) worth of podcast mostly about the con, complete with clips.

Some of you have asked, and Team Gini has answered. There's now a complete, easy-to-read Bibliography  at the website, linked off of the Bookstore page. So, check out what deathless prose of mine you might be missing.

Change to the information on DarkCon -- I was told the wrong dates, so here are the REAL dates for this con: January 9-12, 2014. SO, please alter the plans made and make plans to attend -- I'm the Local Author Guest of Honor and it's gonna be a big party you don't want to miss!

And now, for something kind of completely different. Two somethings, really. First, for those of you who've been asking me when the next Alexander Outland book would be coming, I direct you to Media Bistro and A View From Corona for the explanations of why there's been no sign of Book 2 and why I can't tell you when Book 2 will be coming. But I do plan on writing at least two more books in the Alexander Outland series...I just can't yet tell you when to expect them.

Second, there's another kind of drama going on related to SFWA. For a good recap, check out this article at Adweek. Then check out the plethora of author responses, nicely collected by author Jim Hines. Then...I wasn't going to actually participate in all of this, feeling that Kitty and Victoria and my other female characters already speak my thoughts clearly, but author Stuart Sharp has pulled me into it, with the Huffington Post coming down firmly on the side of women authors being allowed to write whatever they want, and Sharp giving his rebuttal of same.

My response to this will be my June column at Slice of SciFi/It's Comic Book Day!, going up somewhere in the very near future, just as soon as my editor there can find the appropriate beefcake and women in uniform shots.

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way, hopefully but not limited to my con recaps. So, enjoy the downward slide towards 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

Kissing in the House

Hey there, I'm home! It was great seeing so many of you in San Diego at the big Mysterious Galaxy birthday party! Had a great time there and can't wait to see you all again for San Diego Comic-Con.

But before then there's lots going on, so let's get to some of it! Head over to Books-n-Kisses to check out the Top 10 Ways to Tell if Your Parents Are Actually Leading Secret Lives. There's also a chance to win a signed, personalized copy of winner's choice between Book 2/Alien Tango, Book 3/Alien in the Family, or Book 4/Alien Proliferation, along with a set of cover magnets, cover postcards, and signed flyers.

Next, head over to author Marsheila Rockwell's page, They're Biodegradeable, and see some pics from the signing on the 11th!

Phoenix Comicon and Arizona Dreamin' are at the end of this month. Don't miss another chance to see the me -- make your plans to attend NOW!

That's it for today, but more's on the way. So enjoy the week and let's be Alien in the House readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Recap Winning

I'm ba-ack...after the awesome Tucson Festival of Books, where I got to see so many awesome Members of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing. But before the recap, we have some business to get to. The business of WINNING.

We have our winner of the Christopher Baldwin giveaway. So, the lucky winner of Spacetrawler #1 is:

Root

NOTE TO OUR WINNER: You have until Thursday, March 21st to respond via email to gini@ginikoch.com with full name and physical address. If the winner does not reply by the 21st, the Gods of Random will snatch back the prize and demand a new sacrifice.

Speaking of which, the first winner of the Erin Kellison giveaway did NOT check in (shame, shame, the Gods of Random withdrew your name). So the newly minted winner is:

Betty Hamilton
  
NOTE TO OUR WINNER: You have until Thursday, March 21st to respond via email to gini@ginikoch.com with full name, email address, book selected, and requested e-format. If the winner does not reply by the 21st, the Gods of Random will snatch back the prize and demand a new sacrifice.

One of the Members of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing, the velvet-voiced Bob Mutascio gave me a lovely shout-out during his last At The Show show on Killradio. Check it out and guess which song he dedicated to moi! Then check out what KD Did It thought of Alien Tango.

And now, back to the Tucson Festival of Books. It was cold, rainy, and windy, but it was still a fantastic weekend. I got to hang with awesome authors like Marsheila Rockwell, Christopher Baldwin, Erin Quinn, Erin Kellison, Jeff Mariotte, Kris Tualla, Jennifer Ashley, and tons more! I got to panel with the ever-wonderful Nancy Holder -- twice! -- as well as the excellent Jennifer Roberson, Ed Hoornaert, and Chris Marie Green. And, thanks to the wonderful Eric Penney Haury, I got to meet Ted Danson in person. And, let me just say that not only is he gracious, he's even more handsome in person than he looks onscreen. (As in, I've recast Richard White in my mind. For reals. FOR REALS.)

Many thanks to all the Alien Collective who came by the Arizona Dreamin' booth, to my signings at the Mysterious Galaxy and Poisoned Pen booths, to Nicole from The Book Pushers () for the goody bag, and especially Hal and Dee Astell who brought me the newest cool addition to my awesome sparkly pink hat collection! Pics are on Facebook for those who want to see the hat as modeled by the Travel Poof.

And now, it's time to get Alien Research done. Because it's due, um, soon. Really soon. Scary soon. SO, if you don't hear from me too much for the rest of the month, it's because, well, the Awesome Editor would like to actually get this book in hand, and I have a long, long way to go before I sleep.

So, enjoy the coming weekend, beware the Ides of March, and let's be readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Big Thing Monday

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Mine was busy, filled with Alien in the House and Alien Collective (no, we never sleep here at Team Gini). But things roll on and we like to keep you advised of them. And since many of them involve winning, we know you want to know.

First off, head over to The Qwillery where there's not only a review of Alien vs. Alien, but a chance to win signed copies of Touched by an Alien, Alien Tango, and Alien in the Family. "Oh, pshaw," I hear you say. "I have signed copies already." Maybe you do. But do you have them signed by moi AND awesome artist Daniel Dos Santos? No, you do not. But one of you will, if you race over and get entered today!

Speaking of reviews, check out what Kirkus Reviews thought of Alien vs. Alien. And speaking of winning, head over to For What It's Worth where she's giving away two boxes full of books, one of which contains Touched by an Alien and Alien Tango.

Remember that on this Friday, December 14th, I'll be at Barnes & Noble Desert Ridge, in Scottsdale, AZ, from 7-8:30pm, so come for the next Alien vs. Alien release month extravaganza and get your bookie wookies signed!

Next up is the Next Big Thing. I know, I promised it on Friday, but I got around to it today. So sue me. Check out some insights into Alien in the House, and be sure to read 'til the end, 'cause there's more info after the, um, info.

What is the working title of your book?
Alien in the House, and it's not a working title, it's the title that's coming out May 7, 2013.

Where did the idea for the book come from?
It's the next in my Alien/Katherine "Kitty" Katt series, and it came from events that have happened in the series already, so to speak.

What genre does this fall under?
Science Fiction (with a lot of romance, action, and humor)

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie version?
This answer changes all the time, and is dependent upon a lot of things. Today I'd pick Emma Stone for Kitty and Chris Hemsworth for Martini, but, as always, Matt Bomer for Reader.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of the book?
When a newly elected Representative dies under mysterious circumstances while at the American Centaurion Embassy, it’s up to Kitty Katt-Martini and the rest of the Diplomatic Corps to find out how and why and stop the killer, before the rest of the U.S. House of Representatives become casualties, particularly the replacement Representative -- Jeff Martini.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Repped by my wonderful agent and coming from the ever-awesome DAW Books.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Longer than either I or my editor wanted.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Um, the other books in this series. LOL I haven't had time to do anything but write madly for a while now, so I can't do a good comparison. I leave that to my readers.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My characters and my contract.

What else about your book might pique the interest of readers?
I consider this the team's first official murder mystery story. Of course, it's a murder mystery in Kitty's world, so it won't be easy to solve. But the view to a kill, as always, will be good. Oh, and one other thing: Jeff Martini in a trench coat and fedora. Enjoy the visualization! Trust me, Kitty does. ;-D

And now, a confession.
This is supposed to be a chain letter of sorts. But as anyone who's known me a while knows, I am the Chain Letter Killer, wanted in at least fifteen states and territories for my abject apathy when it comes to passing things along, rules or no rules. My BFF, awesome author Marsheila Rockwell, tagged me, and then between her and other awesome author Yvonne Navarro, who tried to tag me, they covered all my first easy picks. I could ask others to do this. I could, especially if I had more time. OR I could finish my edits on Alien in the House. (Ah, good, I see we agree.)

BUT, never fear, I've covered it. In a way. Tomorrow, we're going to turn the Spotlight on excellent author Caris Roane, who is not only going to share tidbits, but also has an A-MA-ZING contest going that you will NOT want to miss. (See? I knew you'd forgive me for breaking the chain.)

So, that's it for today, but we'll see you tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the beginning of another great week, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Alien vs. Thursday

Happy Thursday! Hope everyone's having a great week. I know I am, what with the release of Alien vs. Alien, and so many of you letting me know you're enjoying it. (No, trust me, that never gets old.)

The signing at the Poisoned Pen was great, and thanks to so many Alien Collective Members in Very Good Standing who came out to listen to me run the yap (waves madly to Dee, Hal, Stacy, Tyler, Linda, Rob, Lee, and Mary, who came out all the way from Chicago) along with everyone else. And thanks to all who were watching live via LiveStream. Did you miss either the live or the webstream event? Not to worry! You can watch it at LiveStream right now! (See how good we are to you? I know, I know, we give and give, don't we?) Don't miss whatever brilliance and information I shared (no, I don't remember what I said now, so it's all new for everyone).

Want another chance to see the me in person? No worries, it's coming up on Friday, December 14th. I'll be at Barnes & Noble Desert Ridge from 7-8:30pm, so come for the next Alien vs. Alien release month extravaganza and get your bookie wookies signed!

Speaking of which, check out what Pearls Cast Before a McPig and Readaholics Anonymous thought of Alien vs. Alien. Then see all the awesome books released from DAW this week over at DAW Books Inc.

Then check out The Next Big Thing over at my BFF Marsheila Rockwell's page They're Biodegradeable. She's tagged me on this thing, too, so read Marcy's info on her upcoming titles, and then look for mine talking about Alien in the House, most likely, coming, um, probably tomorrow. (But could be next week, seeing as it's me.)

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So enjoy the downward slide towards the weekend and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Thursday's Lovers

Made you look. (See? I don't pull the double entendres out JUST on Hump Days. You've been warned.)

Well, the downward slide towards the weekend has really begun. But before we get there, there's still lots going on. So, let's get to it!

First off, head over to the next stop on the Necropolis Blog Tour. Check out the latest excerpt at Book Lovers Inc. and while you're there, be sure to enter to win a copy of The Night Beat.

Speaking of winning, the first blog to announce a winner is Bibliognome. Check it out to see if you're the lucky winner!

Then see what The Peasants Revolt thought of The Night Beat. 

Be sure to hit all the other stops on the Tour -- you can enter to win a copy at each stop, and increase the ol' odds of winning exponentially. If you've missed a stop, get caught up at Invasion of the Blog Tour, including: Stop 5/Ex Libris, contest ends Sept. 21; Stop 6/Pearls Cast Before a McPig, contest ends Sept. 29; Stop 8/A Buckeye Girl Reads, contest ends Sept. 28; Stop 9/Hanging with Bells, contest ends Sept. 25; Stop 10/The Peasants Revolt, contest ends Sept. 27; and Stop 11/Sara's Urban Fantasy Blog, contest ends Sept. 29.

Now it's time for my belated CopperCon recap. CopperCon happened over Labor Day weekend, and while goes for four days, it's a smaller, relaxed con, so it's very vacation-like. For a smaller con it was loaded with panels, meaning I didn't get to panel with everyone I'd have liked to. BUT, I did get to panel with Marsheila Rockwell, Jordan Summers, Saul Garnell, and Thomas Watson, along with non-authors Brian Duncan aka the Movie Whiz, and Geologist and bio-hazard waste specialist Kay Pannell who you want with you when the zombie apocalypse hits -- all of which were tons of fun. I also got to hang out with a variety of cool authors including David Lee Summers, T.L. Smith, and Janeen O'Kerry, and some wonderful Members of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing.

I also got to get to know awesome author James A. Owen better. Yes, it's true -- he really IS the nicest man in the world, and that's saying something, because I know a lot of nice men. (Insert whatever joke you want here.) If you get a chance to see him, don't miss it. Though I don't recommend seeing him right before you have to do a panel (especially not a Writing Erotica panel) because your audience looks at you funny when it appears you've been crying over someone's awesome life story. Hey, it's a really moving, follow your heart and your gut story. *sniffle*

Because of scheduling, I missed the opening ceremonies, which was disappointing because my friend Colette Vernon won CopperCon's short story contest and I'd wanted to cheer when she got her prize. (I had her sign my program and she forgave me.) I also missed the masquerade, meaning that I've seen a total of 1 masquerade -- at the first con I ever attended -- in all the time I've been going to cons (um, about 3 years). I liked the one I saw. One day, perhaps I'll get to see another one, but CopperCon was not that day.

Bottom line: a lovely time was had by all and I left the con feeling refreshed and ready to get back to writing, and really, you can't ask for more than that.

Well, that's it for today, but more's on the way. So keep your eye on the weekend prize and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Urban Revolt

Happy Hump Day! I know you're all shocked that you didn't hear from me yesterday, what with the Necropolis Blog Tour still going strong and all. I had Effectiveness Fail on Tuesday, caused in no small part by Writing Inspiration. So, hopefully you'll all forgive me.

So, let's get right to it. First off, head over to The Peasants Revolt where Excerpt #10 of The Night Beat, and it's accompanying chance to win a copy of the bookie wookie, are large and in charge. It's a very nicely laid out site, so take a moment to check it all out. Contest ends Sept. 27.

Then head to Sara's Urban Fantasy Blog where Excerpt #11 and yet another chance to win a copy of The Night Beat await you. Contest ends Sept. 29.

Remember to hit all the prior stops -- collect 'em all and you'll have gotten to read the first 10 chapters of The Night Beat. Enter everywhere and get that many more chances to win your own copy. So, check out Invasion of the Blog Tour for any stops you've missed, including: Stop 5/Ex Libris, contest ends Sept. 21; Stop 6/Pearls Cast Before a McPig, contest ends Sept. 29; Stop 7/Bibliognome, contest ends TODAY Sept. 19; Stop 8/A Buckeye Girl Reads, contest ends Sept. 28; and Stop 9/Hanging with Bells, contest ends Sept. 25.

Next, check out the cool, fun, and funny interview with my BFF Marsheila Rockwell over at Civilian Reader.

After all that, check out The Nameless Zine where there's a nice listing of my upcoming October personal appearances. There's also a cool interview with awesome author James A. Owen (part of which I got to hear live at CopperCon), so check the Zine out and enjoy the reading.

A note for those who normally see me at TusCon in November -- I have a conflicting event and will NOT be at TusCon this year. So, if you were planning to come see me there (and I know several of you who were), please come see me in October in Douglas, Queen Creek, Sedona, or Phoenix.

Speaking of said conflicting November event, if you're an aspiring author, you don't want to miss the 7th Annual FREE Fall Writers Workshop. You'll get 12 multi-published authors, including moi, all teaching on different aspects of the writing world and the publishing business. PLUS the amazing Jennifer Ashley (aka Allison James and Ashley Gardner) will be the keynote speaker. Truly, if you want to learn to write or learn how to get published, don't miss this event. And, yes, no joke -- it's completely FREE. Why do we do it? 'Cause we're givers, that's why. And, you don't have to be a writer to attend. If you just want to come to meet some awesome authors and get to hang out with them...well, you can do that, too. All are welcome!

Speaking of CopperCon, I realized yesterday, during Writing Inspiration time, that I haven't actually done my recap. So, that'll be coming up this week. I know, how can you stand the suspense of it? Hey, it was a great little con and deserves the update. But today was plenty full, so the recap will be coming on a less full, but no less exciting, day.

So until next time, peace out, my li'l gangstas, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

And Yet...More Winning

Happy Friday! Yes, as my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, it's true -- you just can't stop the winning signal. We've had 9 winners of a copy of The Night Beat, and one lucky winner of a copy of both The Night Beat and Skein of Shadows by Marsheila Rockwell.

But, it's not over yet! That's right, the second half of the Double Kickass Heroines contest is on! Just leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address, which also notes who YOUR fave kickass heroine is any time from today, Friday, July 27, through Sunday, August 5th. One winner will receive an ebook copy of BOTH books, to be announced in the week of August 6th. And yes, the contest is open internationally.*

I know! It's too happy to be true! But it is, so get some more win on and get your bad selves entered to win! Yes, contest is open to everyone. So...who's YOUR favorite kickass heroine?

Love,
Gini

Note: Not all the winners of The Night Beat Hook Me Up! exclusive contest have checked in yet, so if you entered, check yesterday's Blah, Blah, Blah Blog lest you not claim your prize in time and therefore forfeit it to someone else.
*International winner will only get a copy of The Night Beat, due to restrictions the authors have no control over.

Winner, Winner, Undead Dinner

Well, as I'm sure you've guessed by the title, the votes are in, the Gods of Random have spoken, and the winners of The Night Beat are ready to be announced. But first, let's get caught up on some business, shall we?

Congrats are in order to Jo Jones, who won a copy of both The Night Beat and Skein of Shadows by Marsheila Rockwell. Never fear, though...there's another chance to win, both books, and it's coming soon.

But before then, see what both Larissa's Bookish Life and Calliope's Domain chose as the top 5 fictional houses they'd like to live in. Then see what Guys Lit Wire thought of Alexander Outland: Space Pirate by G.J. Koch (yes, moi, in case you've forgotten ;-D). And last but not least, head over to My 5 Monkeys and catch the start of Loki's Alien vs. Alien Pre-Release Tour.

And now, y'all want the winners, don't you? Well, wait no more! In no particular order of greatness ('cause they're all great), here are the winners of a copy of The Night Beat:

1. writewithbutterflywings

2. Adrian Payne

3. Denise Z.

4. Victoria Slobada

5. Krissa Klein

6. Linda J./Guinan

7. Terri Waddell

8. Bananas in the Void

9. Scarlett

WINNERS TAKE NOTE: Remember that all winners MUST send an email to gini@ginikoch.com by Tuesday, July 31 (extended from prior notices), or your prize will be forfeited and the Gods of Random will choose another recipient. In the email, if you live outside the U.S., please provide what e-version you want/need. If you're within the U.S., please advise if you want electronic or trade paperback, and, if electronic, what e-version you want/need, or, if trade paperback, your full mailing address (including first & last name, please).

Congrats to all the winners, and, until next time, aka tomorrow, when yet another contest will be announced and you just might finally get my Comic-Con Recap, peace out, my li'l gangstas, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Weekend Roundup

Happy (late) Friday! By the time most of you read this, it'll probably be Saturday. But hey, I have an excuse. I had to visit the doctor, aka the Vampire Squad, earlier this week and what with all the blood they drained, I was out of it for about a day and a half. But I feel great now! Ahahahahaha! I don't even look all that pale any more! *thud* No, no, really. I feel awesome. Honest. *double thud*

But I digress, and since there's plenty going on, let's stop talking about the "fun" I've had the last couple of days and get onto the more interesting stuff, shall we? We shall.

First up, head over to Literary Escapism where the potentially most in-depth and accurate round-up of releases new and coming exists. Catch lots of info on books you might not have realized were out or about to be out, as well as contests, interviews, etc.

Then it's on to the reviews. See what Fantasy Literature and catty-wumpus thought of Alexander Outland: Space Pirate by G.J. Koch (yes, moi), what A.B. Keuser thought of Alien Proliferation, and what Alien Invasion at Science Fiction Reviews thought of When Josie Comes Home by A.E. Stanton (yes, also moi).

Then see what My Not So Vacant Shelf read in June and how she ranked and rated her reads. And Fictitious Musings shares a little more about the new cover for Alien vs. Alien.

Contest Reminders
There's a lot going on, contests-wise. There's still time to get entered to win one of 9 copies of The Night Beat that are up for grabs. True, the contest is for Hook Me Up! subscribers only. Not on? Get on! Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line and you'll be in and on your way to winning!

Marsheila Rockwell and I are doing a joint giveaway this month and two lucky winners will get both a copy of The Night Beat AND a copy of Skein of Shadows! The first half of the giveaway's large and in charge at her site (the second half will be at mine), so head over to They're Biodegradeable share which kick-ass heroine is your favorite, and get entered to win. Yes, is IS that easy!

In Person Reminders
San Diego Comic-Con. Me. There. Find me if you'll be there, too. Find me how? Look for the gal in the pink, sparkly cowgirl hat. But find me specifically at these events:
Guerrilla Marketing Panel, 8pm Saturday, July 14, Room 9
Stunted Fools and Scary-Ass Clowns Panel, 10am, July 15, Room 25ABC
Book Signing, 11:30am-12:30pm, July 15, Autograph Area, Table AA04

I'll be at CopperCon 32 from August 31-September 3. Lots going on, so if you're in or around the Greater Phoenix Metro Area, definitely make plans to join us on Labor Day Weekend!

It's quite a ways away, but I'll also be at Arizona Dreamin' May 31-June 1, 2013. Great event, lots of one-on-one time with a LOT of authors. Ticket prices start climbing bit by bit on August 1st, so if you're planning on attending, get your tickets now.

That's it for today. I hope to yap at you once more before I hit the road for Comic-Con and all that is great and good and massive about geekdom. So, have wonderful weekends and I'll catch you on the flip side! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Just Another Winning Release Day

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a fab weekend and is ready for a great week ahead. I myself saw Magic Mike with the chicklet, and we both agreed Rock of Ages was better, probably showed as much skin, and was a much more fun experience. (It's true -- they had the nerve to give Magic Mike a PLOT and it was a DOWNER plot, at that. Oh, the humanity.) But enough of my cinematic disappointments (particularly the disappointment of not nearly enough screen time for Matt "James Reader" Bomer, which was the biggest travesty of all in regards to Morose Mike) because there's a lot going on. So let's get to it!

First off, as I mentioned last week and the subject line reiterates, the first book in my new Necropolis Enforcement Files series, The Night Beat, officially releases today. And while I want you all to rush right out and get your copies -- at Amazon, B&N.com, or Smashwords -- there's a Hook Me Up! exclusive contest going on right now. Of course, if you're not on Hook Me Up! you can't enter. So fix that problem and send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line and get in with the winning in crowd.

Want a little info about The Night Beat? Check out the alert at Pearls Cast Before a McPig.

But, there are other releases this week, and therefore MORE ways to win! Yes, it's true! My BFF Marsheila Rockwell's next awesome book, Skein of Shadows, releases tomorrow, July 3. And, to celebrate, Marcy and I are doing a double Kick-Ass Heroines giveaway. You can win a copy of her book AND my book, and you'll get chances to win both at both of our sites. So, head over to They're Biodegradeable and get entered to win for the first half of this giveaway.


Also, during this month, you'll get to hear from me and Marcy about what it's like "behind the scenes" when we're at cons. Or, rather, you'll hear from Margi Kochwell, who'll tell it like it REALLY is.

Next up, a Member of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing has just launched a blog, so head over to Bama's Book Ramblings and give her blog some brand new love.

Speaking of families that get created, see which fictional families Larissa's Bookish Life thinks are tops.

In Person Reminder -- I'll be at San Diego Comic-Con from July 11-15. Look for the gal in the pink, sparkly cowgirl hat. But find me specifically at these events:
Guerrilla Marketing Panel, 8pm Saturday, July 14, Room 9
Stunted Fools and Scary-Ass Clowns Panel, 10am, July 15, Room 25ABC
Book Signing, 11:30am-12:30pm, July 15, Autograph Area, Table AA04

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So have a wonderful week, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Releasing the Roundup

Happy Release Day!

Yes, today's the big day for Alexander Outland: Space Pirate by G.J. Koch. If you didn't get a pre-order, get an early release copy at Phoenix Comicon, or score a free copy somewhere during the first part of the Blog Tour, now's the time to get those ebooks or head to the bookstore to get your copies!

But as my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, there's more going on than just the release of Alexander Outland: Space Pirate. Much more, as a matter of fact.

First up, let's check out some reviews. Head over to Ramblings From a Chaotic Mind to see what she thought of Alexander Outland: Space Pirate, go to A.B. Keuser to see what she thought of Alien Tango, and then check out My Not So Vacant Shelves to see what they thought of Alien in the Family.

For those of you on Goodreads, Member Buddy Reads is starting Touched by an Alien this month. And for those of you on Library Thing, check out what Roni 'ncats Relishes is reading and has read for 2012.

Speaking of new releases, My Bookish Ways has a good listing of books releasing this month.

Speaking of older releases, Long and Short Reviews is having a contest for the book that sounds the best from their reviews done in March, April and May. The Disciple by Jemma Chase (yes, as with G.J. Koch, that's moi) is trailing a distant third *sniffle* so if you can spare a moment to go over and do your girl a small solid by voting, it'd be most appreciated.

Now it's time for my Phoenix Comicon roundup. The con was, in a word, awesome. I was on 8 panels, and they were all well attended with really interesting and involved folks in the audience. My favorite was probably Evening Erotica, which I did with Jordan Summers, because we played The Euphemism Game and it was so much fun, with a really involved, fun, and funny audience.

The Balancing Humor and Action panel was also fun, but I'll let the gang over at I Smell Sheep tell you all about that one. I also quite liked the audience participation in the Beyond the Fangs panel (and I must give a wild shout out to our Official Gangsta Fairies, Edward and Joseph, whose quick wit and reactions really made that panel for me).

The Space Pirates panel with David Lee Summers was also very fun. And if you haven't checked out David's space pirate books, you really should. I got to panel frequently with Jordan, my BFF Marcy Rockwell, and Kris Neri, hey, 8 panels means you get to hang with your homegirls, which was a lot of fun for us and for those in the audience. I also got to meet and panel with totally fun dude Joe Nassise for the first time.

Marcy and I also participated in a critique session that was really great -- some awesome aspiring authors read from their works and got us basically saying they were, um, pretty darned awesome. LOL It was a real joy to see how good everyone's pieces were, and how professionally they accepted constructive criticism. There will be some great new voices coming up in SF/F in the not-so-distant future.

There were tons of great costumes, too many to list here, but the con has them all and more besides at the website and Facebook page. And it was awesome to see so many of the Alien Collective -- including but not limited to Adrian, Lisa, Raul, Terry, Hal, Dee, Rachel, Shannon, "Hundred Dollar Bill", Heidi, Joanne, Mariann, Colette, "Delicious", Saul, Joel, Casey, and so many more I'm not able to list them all without making this double in size, but love you ALL and so glad you came and stopped by the booth, attended my panels, and hung out! And extra special love to all of you who bought books (oh, so many books!), swag, and Royal Poofs (who are all very pleased with their new homes).

To sum up, I'm going to let the chicklet, via 2DrinkMinimumShow tell you all about it. (Yes, she is a chip off the old block!)

UPCOMING IN PERSON REMINDERS:
June 12, Queen Creek Writer's Group, Queen Creek, AZ: SF Worldbuilding, 5-8pm
June 20, Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, San Diego, CA: Split Personality Summer Solstice Signing, 7:00-8:30pm
July 11-15, San Diego Comic-Con, San Diego, CA:
     Saturday, July 14, Guerrilla Marketing, 8pm, Room: 9
     Sunday, July 15, Stunted Fools and Scary-Ass Clowns, 10:00-11:00a.m., Room: 25ABC
     Sunday, July 15, BOOK SIGNING, 11:30am-12:30pm, Room: Under the Sails (final location TBD)

Whew! That's it for today, but never fear, more's always on the way. So, get those copies of Alexander Outland: Space Pirate, and enjoy the reading!

Love,
Gini

CopperCon Recap

I'm back! Yeah, I know, I was back Monday night. But, um, well...I was busy. Unpacking, checking the new swag that'll be part of the next Hook Me Up! exclusive contest, and generally collapsing, in between writing and editing like a fiend.

But, couldn't leave you without the CopperCon recap, now, could I? Okay, yes it's me. I could. But I won't. See how good I am to you?

This is a smaller but quite engaged and engaging con, with a lot of fun panelists and attendees. After Comic-Con, which is so huge and frenetic, it's nice to hit CopperCon and get to hang out, relax, and just do it. (No, I couldn't resist the Frankie Goes to Hollywood tie-in. Sue me.)

The word of the con (per my posse, at any rate) was: Mollusks. This was especially fun on the Writing Erotic Fiction panel.

I got to run the yap quite a lot, which we all know I live to do. I also got to panel with some awesome authors and one musician. In no order of their awesomeness, I rocked and rolled with: Marsheila Rockwell, Jeff Mariotte, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Carrie Vaughn, Janni Lee Simner, Emily Devenport, Janeen O'Kerry, David Lee Summers, Chris Swanson, Jack Mangan, and Darren Reale.

Also got to see and hang with some awesome Alien Collective Members in Very Good Standing (waves madly to Anna, Penni, Raul, Terry, and Vaughn) and got to meet new friends and teach them the Alien Way. All in all, a lovely con, even if I didn't get enough sleep by far.

In other news, check out the latest releases and sales in SFR over at The Galaxy Express. Then check out Liz Writes who's giving away a ton of Comic-Con swag, including something from moi.

More coming before the week's out. But until then (um, you know, tomorrow), have fun and let's remember to be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Roundups and Winning

Happy Hump Day! Well, I've been promising two things -- recaps of my NYC trip and LepreCon and a Hook Me Up! exclusive contest to give away all the stuff I picked up in NYC and at LepreCon.

The memory is a bit fuzzy, since I've been working nonstop on first getting "Alien Proliferation" edits done and in to DAW, and then working on getting "Alien Diplomacy" finished, but here are the highlights!

Had a great time in NYC and surrounding areas, but the best times were seeing Alien Collective Members in Very Good Standing all through the week, leading up to the big day in Grand Central Terminal, with the book signing at Posman Books, and at dinner later. The food was great, the company was better! Thanks again to everyone who came out -- especially because you did it in the very heavy rain. And, I don't think it's bragging to say that Posman sold out of every copy of my books. Thanks SO much to all of you who made that happen!

I also visited a variety of editors, and got my hands on a variety of books. But more on that later...

LepreCon was a lot of fun and they kept me nice and busy. Got to run the yap a lot, sign books, share the first sketch for the cover of and read excerpts from "Alien Proliferation". (Reminder to those in the room: No sharing those spoilers!)

I also got to hang with the awesome Marsheila Rockwell, as well as be on panels with the hilarious Christopher Baldwin, the ever amazing triple-threat Seanan McGuire, new author Kevin Hearne, the always fun Michael D'Ambrosio, the sweet Janni Lee Simner, the fun and snarky Chris Swanson, as well as many other awesome authors and fan panelists. (I have to stop listing folks...I was on a LOT of panels!) Plus I got to see several Alien Collective Members in Very Good Standing (waves madly) for more than a few minutes, which was great.

Oh, and I picked up posters. Movie posters. Huge ones, large ones, regular sized ones. Lots of them. Tons of them. Cascades of them. But...more on that later...

Well, why wait, right? I've got Poster Packs. They include such gems as "Black Swan", "Your Highness", "Twilight", "Saw", "Legion" (because you can never see that shot of Paul Bettany's abs enough), "Limitless", "Priest", "Green Hornet" and more, so very many more. And books? We have books, too.

So, what's a girl to do? Why, give them all away, of course! There are going to be a variety of poster packs up for grabs, many of which will include books. So, watch this space for the official contest start (coming before the end of this week...because Phoenix Comicon is just around the corner, and you KNOW I'm coming home with swag from that). Until then, get your trash talking skills out of mothballs, because we're back, baby, better than ever!

Oh, unless you're not on Hook Me Up! yet. Then, there's nothing to see here. But, you can rectify that situation. Just send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line and you'll be in. But do it fast, because the winning waits for no one!

Love,
Gini

Meme Fun

One of my good friends, Steve Sarber, hit me with the Meme Challenge this past week. A meme is basically a mini-interview, started by someone who picks a set number of people to answer a group of questions, those people copy the questions to their blog and pass them on to the set number (in this case 3) of unsuspecting victims, who pass it along, and so-forth.

So, since we KNOW I love to run the yap here we go:

1. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Why?
You know, I get asked this a lot, mostly because of "Touched by an Alien" and my also being a total comics geek-girl. My answer tends to vary, but these days, I think I have to go for the Flash's super speed, because I just cannot seem to get it all done and the only way to get more hours in the day is to be able to go faster than everyone else. Or something like that.

2. Who is your style icon?
ROFL. Style Icon? Who makes up these questions, Heidi Klum? But, okay, I agreed to play along. Marilyn Monroe. For all the obvious reasons and a lot of the not-so-obvious ones.

3. What is your favorite quote?
Oh, I have a lot of these. Most are listed on my GoodReads page. BUT, if forced to choose, I really have to go with this one:

"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work; I want to achieve immortality through not dying." Woody Allen

4. What is the best compliment you've ever received?
I'm happy to say I've received a lot. I think my all time fave though was from when the chicklet was young. It was Halloween, and, per her request, we were dressed as tigers -- Mama Tiger and Tiger Cub. The hubs was with us, but not in costume. We hit the home of an older man, who proclaimed thus when he opened the door: "Awww, isn't that cute? A mama tiger and a baby tiger...and Mama Tiger's a KNOCKOUT!"

I was willing to stay with this gentleman and chat, potentially for hours, but the hubs, for some strange reason, ran up and dragged us off...

5. What playlist/CD is in your CD Player/iPod right now?
My Alien playlist, because I'm working on "Alien Proliferation". So, lots of Smash Mouth right now, particularly "Get the Picture?" For all playlist options and updates, hit my Playlist page.

6. Are you a night owl or a morning person?
What is this morning you all speak of and why do you seem to like it so? Night owl, all the way. I'm a night creature and prefer it that way.

7. Do you prefer dogs or cats?
I love them both, but when forced to choose, cats. I also love horses, bunnies are just fine, as are ferrets, etc. I'm not much of a girl for birds, though...

8. What is the meaning behind your blog name?
It's what my MC of my Alien series, Kitty, says all the time, kind of her catchphrase. I also felt it was fitting, since this is where I most consistently run the yap.

Choosing who to hit next was hard, since this one's limited to 3. So, I went for other authors:
Amber Scott
Marcy Rockwell
Weston Ochse

RinCon Roundup & Other Fun Facts

As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, as promised, and as the title declares, my somewhat overdue RinCon 10 update is finally coming to you. I know, jump back with excitement, right?

Well, it WAS exciting. I had a great time. This was a gaming con, and the first I'd ever attended. Made me want to go to many more. Both the attendees and the staff were great -- fun, welcoming, and interesting. I played several games (none all that well, but hey, it was still fun), but not as many as I wanted to. Why? Because I had panels and signings to go to!

I got to be on panels and visit with some awesome authors. In no particular order of awesomeness, I spent all or part of the weekend with (oh, minds OUT of the gutter, people!): Marsheila Rockwell, Michael Stackpole, Weston Ochse, Yvonne Navarro, and Jeff Mariotte. In addition, the wonderful Maryelizabeth Hart from Mysterious Galaxy (http://www.mystgalaxy.com/) was there, too. Shout outs to coordinators extraordinaire Lee and Nadine Whiteside, and awesome show-runner Bo Radakovich and his merry band of uber-staff who made it a great experience for all.

Got to hang with some of the Alien Collective and eat fab Spanish and Mexican food, and also an extremely delish and exotic PB&J, and in general have a really great working weekend.

Fun facts: Both Michael Stackpole and Jeff Mariotte have over 40 books published. Each. I'm in awe. And they're both really generous with their advice, both for aspiring and newer authors. Great dudes, get their books...with close to 100 between them, really, don't ask for a recommendation, just trot out and grab. Okay, okay, one recommendation from Jeff's list -- I came home with a copy of the Angel Omnibus, written by him and some others. Yes, it's a big, thick book of Angel comics. LOVING it (especially the sections Jeff wrote).

Marcy Rockwell's "Legacy of Wolves" is still available from her directly, and she gave me the happy word that her next novel should be coming out in a year or so. Love her writing, get LoW if you can, get the next one no matter what.

Got to see the lovely cover for Yvonne Navarro's newest, "Highborn", in person. Book looks amazingly awesome. Yvonne has over 20 books published, but I have to say, "Highborn" sort of screams "tell everyone to buy ME 'cause I'm so cool", so, um go get it 'cause it's so cool. (Hey, I do what the covers tell me to do.)

Also got to see my fave clandestine ops zombie author, Weston Ochse. Check out his blog...you'll find a pic of the two of us at RinCon (you shouldn't have to search all that hard, either, LOL). Weston's "Empire of Salt" is literally sold out in the U.S. If you can get a copy, do so -- great zombie book (and we do know the Collective likes zombies, don't we?). Copies ARE still available in Europe, and it's worth hunting for; a little clandestine birdy tells me that Amazon.uk is the easiest place to find and order from.

For all the Swag Hounds out there, I have bad news, though. The only swag I came home with is staying with me. ('Cause Bo gave said swag to ME, that's why! MY preciouses!) Call me selfish, I'll just cackle as I play with my cute little stuffed germ microbes. (Erm, don't ask.)

Speaking of drifts and all that, we have some more updates from the Alien Collective. Tale a look at the lovely blog re-do and what books Absorbed in a Book is waiting on, and then check out the overall SF/F/SFR roundup at Literary Escapism. Finally, head over to Queen of the Frozen North and see what books she thinks would make great movies.

Is there more? Oh, I'm sure there is. But that's what Friday and the weekend are for, right? Of course right!

Love,
Gini

The Swag Returns!

Happy Hump Day everyone! Well, it's been a week since you've heard from me, and what a busy week it was! And, as my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, what a busy update we have today, as well.

First off, there's a new review of "Touched by an Alien" up at Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks. Check it out, leave some Alien Collective love, you know the drill.

Next up, CopperCon was awesome! Much love and tons of smootchies to my beloveds who came to see me -- Chrissy, Terese, Nicole, Lynn, Colette, Steven, Diana, and Vaughn. Per the Posse, my "Alien Tango" reading went well (it really IS all about the 'gators) and, heaven help us, they recorded it, so there could be Live: Bootleg Gini out there somewhere.

Panels were so much fun. I was on them with our own awesome Lynn Crain, as well as with other cool authors such as Weston Ochse (pronounced "Oaks"), Dani Kollin, Marsheila Rockwell, Emily Devenport, Janeen O'Kerry, Michael D'Ambrosio, and Patti Hultstrand. I was also on with non-author experts like Craig Porter, Kevin McAlonan, and Henry Vanderbilt. Met tons of aspiring authors and fans, got to hang at the pool with the Posse, ate and drank more than a lot. All in all, good info, fun times, the yap ran nonstop. (You know, routine.)

But, from the subject line, you know there's more. More for YOU. Well, if you're on Hook Me Up! there is! There were tons, and I do mean TONS, of movie posters available for the attendees, and I grabbed a bunch. Included in them are posters for Kick Ass, Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, Salt, The Expendables, and many, MANY more. There are also signed bookmarks from Weston Ochse and Dani Kollin to go along with all the cool wall coverings. I haven't divided them up into Poster Packs yet, but there will be at least 2.

The contest announcement will be coming out soon, very soon. If you're not yet on Hook Me Up!, now's the time to stop dragging those heels. Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line. Do it today, so you don't miss out on the next sets of swag!

Is there more? A bit. I'm confirmed to be at RinCon 10, October 8-10, 2010 in Tucson; at LepreCon 37, May 6-8, 2011 in Tempe; and Phoenix ComicCon, Memorial Day Weekend-ish (they're still finalizing for this one) in Phoenix. That's in addition to World Fantasy Con 36, October 28-31, 2010 in Columbus, OH. Datebook and my page at BookTour.com will have updates as they become available.

So, keep your eyeballs peeled for the Next Great Poster Giveaway, and remember that no matter where I go, I'm always thinking of YOU, 'cause y'all rock.

Love,
Gini