And the Yap Runs On

Well, as the blog title indicates, and my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, we have another interview with moi large and in charge. But there's more than just an interview with moi out there. AND more things to win. So let's get to all the news, shall we?

First off, Alien Collective Member in Very Good Standing Larissa's Bookish Life has an interview with yours truly. There's also a chance to win a signed copy of "Touched by an Alien". Head over, learn yet more about me and my so-called "process", leave a comment, you all know the drill.

Next up, there's another interview, but it's not with me (though I did get a lovely shout-out). Alien Collective Members in Very Good Standing I Smell Sheep have interviewed Alien Collective Member in Very Good Standing and awesome author Amber Scott. There's a chance to win a copy of "Play Fling". So, head over, read the Sheep Girls' first interview, check out Amber's much more of a real process, leave a comment, again, y'all know the drill.

Now, head over to another Alien Collective Member in Very Good Standing, the Bibliognome Blog, and check out the contents of the Comic-Con Ultimate Swag Pack Becky the blog owner won from yours truly. Then check out her listings of free things available out there -- my Free Stuff page and contents get a lovely shout out.

Speaking of winning, my latest contest, the CopperCon Movie Poster Pack Giveaway is closed to entries. We'll be tallying the entries and have the winners for you tomorrow. (So, you know, stay tuned and all that.)

Speaking of Comic-Con, the pictures are finally up. Well, some of them are up. Team Gini's threatening to add some catchy captions to them, but so far my threats of retaliation have worked. Sorta. Check it all out at Sightings in the Wild.

Finally, a reminder for those Alien Collective members in or around the Tucson and Phoenix, AZ and Columbus, OH areas. I'll be at several cons and workshops through the end of the year. All info is on the Datebook page, but here's the relevant info:

RinCon 10, Tucson, AZ - Oct. 8-11
World Fantasy Con, Columbus, OH - Oct. 27-Nov. 1
TusCon 37, Tucson, AZ - Nov. 12-15
Desert Rose Writers Workshop (FREE event), Scottsdale, AZ - Nov. 20
Author Workshop & Book Signing (FREE event), Borders Scottsdale Riverfront, Scottsdale, AZ - Dec. 8

So, until next time (yeah, yeah, tomorrow, when I announce the CopperCon Poster Pack winners), remember that nothing says "I love you" like pre-ordering "Alien Tango". (I did warn y'all that the drumbeat for pre-orders was starting...but don't worry, the moment you've all confirmed your pre-ordered status, I can stop.)

Love,
Gini

Monday Update

Happy Monday!

The winner of Amber Scott's "Play Fling" is identified in the blog post below. Congrats to our lucky (chick wins ALL the time, everywhere!) winner! And, despair not if you didn't win. More winning will be coming in the near future!

Reminder for those in the area: I have a book signing tonight at my chiropractor's office (no, I really wasn't kidding about that). Lots of food and drink will be served, the office is lovely and has plenty of parking, so come on over, would love to see you! (I'll be the one in the Aerosmith t-shirt.)

Haggard Chiropractic
18205 N. 51st Ave., Glendale, AZ 85308
Monday, June 28, 7:00 PM
602-843-6300

Sightings around the web: The Galaxy Express has a fun listing of all SFR with the word "Alien" in the title, so check it out, there's some cool stuff there; nice thread start at Hurog; Babbling About Books has some lovely things to say regarding her mid-year review; and Amber Scott's not only suggesting everyone pre-order "Alien Tango" (yes, please!) but she's also looking for another debut author to start the next round of Project Pay It Forward, so head over and give her your suggestions.

Of course, my Hook Me Up! subscribers knew this first. Why not join them and be in the Gini Know sooner? You get access to cool HMU! only contests, info, and much more! Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line, and get in with the in crowd today!

Love,
Gini

Announcing the Winner...

...of a personalized, signed copy of Amber Scott's "Play Fling"!

And the winner is...

*drum roll*

...the ever-lucky, wins all the time, Kelly Anderson! (I think I should do a series, "Kelly Anderson Can't Lose" 'cause it seems like she wins everywhere. Kelly, rub the ol' keyboard for luck, will you?)

Congrats, Kelly! Contact me via email to arrange getting your book! And thanks to everyone who participated...more winning is coming soon, so stay tuned!

Love,
Gini

Tango Tuesday

As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know and you've undoubtedly guessed from the title of the blog post, we're focusing on "Alien Tango" today.

The Galaxy Express is featuring the most awesome cover, so head over and share your Alien Collective love about all that is the wicked cool Daniel Dos Santos artwork!

Heather Massey from TGE also has an article up at Tor.com for those of you who are interested in the science fiction versus romance versus Science Fiction Romance debate. It's a good message, and the comments so far are very interesting. (Would particularly love the male Alien Collective members to chime in on this one.)

Our own ALPHA Reader has a great "Where are they now" column that's featuring "Alien Tango" as well as some other great, upcoming releases. Head over, check it out, share what books you can't wait for!

The new "Alien Tango" freebies are in and available! Check out the Free Stuff page for details and get your requests in! (BTW, they look AWESOME, possibly more awesome than the TBAA ones, which is saying a LOT.)

Lest "Touched by an Alien" feel left out, it's still popping up all over the web. Here are some mentions to check out: Fun interview with our own Lynn Crain at Midnight Seductions; author Audra Wyatt has a good explanatory piece up about the workshop series I'm a part of; cute post up at the Random Book Girl site about her initial impressions of "Touched by an Alien" based on cover and title.

Remember that the giveaway for Amber Scott's "Play Fling" is still going on. Hit yesterday's Blah, Blah, Blah Blog post, leave a comment or a question, and you're entered to win! Also, for those of you participating in the Project Pay It Forward, don't miss the latest updates.

Speaking of winning, it's not too late to win over at The Book Addict -- not only is there a "Touched by an Alien" giveaway, but there are lots of other great giveaway chances, too! Don't miss out, head over there today!

I'd share more, but I have to get certain descriptions of certain key things from "Alien in the Family" over to awesome artist Daniel Dos Santos, so must dash. (Yeah, I DO like to tease all of you...what's your point?)

Love,
Gini

Amber Scott "Play Fling" Interview & Giveaway!

As promised, we have interview and giveaway fun today! Alien Collective Member in Very Good Standing and awesome author Amber Scott’s here today to tell us all about her latest, “Play Fling”!

But first, let me tell you a little about Amber. In between naptimes and laundry, Amber Scott writes romance in varying genres including paranormal and erotica. She knew she wanted to be an author before she could read and, at age four, vividly recalls telling her mother as much. She began writing novels and screenplays after the birth of her first child to see if her childhood dream could come true. She's addicted to chocolate, detests cooking and is a sucker for happily ever after.In other words, my kind of girl! So, let’s roll into it.

Face Your Target...
Brooke Munkle didn't leave a lukewarm marriage just to flounce into the first hot bed. Too young, too hot, Elliott Jovovich has no business distracting her from starting over. If only he'd get out of her fantasies. Maybe if she keeps things simple, she can allow herself one naughty indulgence. After all, who will know?

Pull The String...
Elliott sees through Brooke's stiff facade. Underneath her struggle to hold it all together, a vibrant, wanton woman is waiting to be freed. To win her heart, he'll play by her rules, which would be a a lot easier if her hostile best friend didn't fight so dirty. Sure, he has ammo of his own, but what he knows could hurt Brooke.

Steady. Aim. Release...
Millie Match isn't sure what she did to deserve this matchmaking hell. The sneaking around, the spying, compatibility issues, chemistry crises. Her target, Brooke, is keeping secrets. Elliott is definitely Mr. Wrong. And if Millie doesn't make true love magic now, she'll lose the one thing in this punishment worth fighting for.

Q: Amber, in “Play Fling” we meet Millicent Match for the first time. How did you come up with her?

A: Brooke and Elliott’s story had already formed in my mind. But something was missing. I had begun my first screenwriting online class and the instructor referenced one of my all time favorite shows, Quantum Leap. One afternoon, while thinking about why I loved that show so much, and wondering what ever happened to it, Millie was born. She has a similar situation as the show’s hero, Sam, had. In a futuristic science experiment gone wrong, Sam “leapt” from life to life over time to put right what once went wrong. But Millie won’t leap time and where Sam was simply dealing with the new life he’d entered with his caring jovial self, Millie is matchmaking and hates it. Becoming a cupid is her punishment, and she has no clue how to match people because she’s never loved or truly been loved.

Q: Interesting! So, how many books do you see Millie in before she gets her own happily ever after? After that, will the series be over or continue on? (You know, in that perfect world we authors all want.)

A: I imagine three to six books, the last being where Millie matches AJ, her partner in time. But AJ won’t remember who she is, having completed his matchmaking time served. She’ll also be returned to her life as Kiki, but with her love lessons learned. Of course, not all lessons because where’s the torturous fun in that, right?

Q: Of course right! I like that you make Millie “ordinary” looking, and that it’s sort of her cross to bear. This may be a spoiler, but do you plan to ever let her be “hot” again, say in the last book?

A: Yes, in the final book in the series she’ll return to being her stunning original self, Kiki, but with the new awareness that being attractive comes with its own hurdles, particularly pre-judgments people make which she’s been able to live without for so long. Envy alienates and most don’t see her for who she really is, except…well, we can’t give away too much, right?

Q: So, Millie’s been, what, reborn into this new life? Can you give us a little more about the Kiki situation (as you know, I love that name!) and how it relates to Millie’s punishment and potential redemption?

A: Kiki, an infamous socialite still presumed missing in life, becomes Millie, a cupid, as her punishment for a life of gross indifference. Each book filters in more about Kiki’s disappearance and choices as well as her growth as Millie, until she ultimately returns to that life, changed by her matchmaking. But the sentence term will depend on how fast she learns. She’s a very slow, resistant learner. Much fun!

Q: Totally! “Play Fling” has a May/December romance. What prompted you to have Brooke be older than Elliott? Ashton and Demi or just happened that way?

A: I love the idea of starting over and of deserving something you never imagined possible. The fact that Elliott is younger gives Brooke a surface excuse to hide her true fear of surrendering to love behind. But, Elliott’s age actually surfaced when I asked my muse what man would Brooke want most, fear most to love but also who would free her from her fears.

Q: Very cool! So, other than Millie, Brooke & Elliott, who’s your favorite character in this book and why?

A: Oh, that’s a hard one. I suppose AJ, Millie’s partner in time, because he’s so bad boy sexy yet good guy levelheaded all at once. He helps Millie through some really bad decisions and their consequences without ever judging her. He’s a bit of the dark brooding type that has a shadowed past we haven’t seen yet.

Q: Oooh, he sounds delish! Can’t wait to see more of him. Heh heh. Okay, mind back to the issue at hand. For now. “Play Fling” isn’t your first book. Tell us about what else you have out there and where/how we can find it.

A: I have three erotica ebooks with Liquid Silver Books. “Wanted”, “Jessie’s Girl”, and “The Best Revenge”. After two years off from indulging my muse’s naughty side, I gave in and just finished an erotica novella called “Love Lust” which is in submissions right now.

Q: “Play Fling” has a light, fun tone even while dealing with the very real subjects of divorce and starting over. Is that your normal ‘voice’ or was this something you did for this series in particular?

A: I don’t normally write so light. But, I wanted this to be a fun romantic comedy with heart and magic. Millie is just so bad at matchmaking and so much fun to torture. Comedy is a challenge for me to write. But I like a challenge and the alternating between genres keep me energized.

Q: I’m so with you there! Okay, I see “Play Fling” as an urban paranormal romance, since Millie, and AJ, are Cupids and there is a fantastical element. Do you agree? If not, why not?

A: I wish I could nail down the genre it falls in! I think of it as a paranormal romantic comedy but Coffee Time Reviews sees it as a paranormal romantic suspense. Maybe paranormal light? Go figure.

Q: Can we have an excerpt?

A: Sure!

If Brooke Munkle checked her watch again, it might as well be announced on loudspeaker: Would the pitiful owner of the rude, no-show friend please remove her denial and vacate the big table? Brooke glared down the lines of creamer skinning her half empty latte cup. Her best friend, Millie, had, in fact and without a doubt, stood her up. Brooke didn’t have ten more minutes. She would be in class by then, forced to hand in her paper, unread. “Is this seat taken?” a quiet, sonorous voice asked.

Brooke locked eyes up to one fine specimen of male. He gave her a crooked smile, the charming kind, and pushed his glasses up his very straight nose. Her tongue sucked to the roof of her mouth. “Umm. No.” A flutter tickled her voice. “Be my guest.”

She straightened, gathering her papers and stack of novels to make room where Millie should be warming space, should be sitting next to her. How awful.

He plopped down a stuffed file folder, his smile brightened, and the chair he took practically screamed over the floorboards. A stream of pages from his folder spilled onto hers. He swept them back into the tattered manila. His loopy smile tipped her way again.
Flutter. This time down in her belly.

Was he searching for something to say? No, no. No need to break any ice on her account. Brooke didn’t smile back. Or return his friendly nod. She glanced around the café, double-checking the bookstore entrance Millie typically came through. Three other tables sat empty. Better seats, certainly, than this one.

She shouldn’t have taken the big table alone. Everyone tried to muscle in on the big table. Well, he could soon have it. Millie had five minutes left before Brooke gave up. Gaze averted, Brooke sipped her lukewarm latte and put on a cloak of aloof confidence. Eyebrows up, finger to her lips. Looking finely busy and unperturbed, if she said so herself.

Her turtleneck scratched her throat and her pulse thrummed. She kept her hands in her lap. Was it warm in the cafe or was it him?

When Jenny, the barista, abandoned her perch to wipe down Brooke’s already clean table again, no question remained. Brooke stuck out. Jenny meant well. Her smile shined a world of good intentions. She couldn’t know she made Brooke feel all the worse. Like some charity case. Jenny wiped and lingered. Smiled and wiped.

Or maybe Jenny just wanted a healthy eyeful of broad shoulders. Shoulders angling to make Brooke relocate. Maybe Jenny thought Brooke should move, too.

Where the hell was Millie?

(Want more than the short excerpt we gave you? Head over to The Amber Scott Project and check out the first three chapters (http://amberscottproject.wordpress.com/playfling-excerpt/). Trust me, by the time you’ve read them, you’ll want the rest, pronto!)

Q: Love it, especially that the humor’s so there right away. So, are you contracted for and/or writing the next book in this series? If so, when can we expect it? If not, why the heck not?

A: I am about halfway through the next book, “The Sweetest Fling”, and now that “Fierce Dawn”, my steampunk paranormal romance is finished, and “Love Lust” is in submissions, I’ll be completing its draft. Since this whole series will be Indie published, I’m hoping for a January release but much of that will depend on my editors.

“The Sweetest Fling” is about the one that got away and takes Millie up to small town Washington. Lots of wine and lots of complications.

Awesome! I cannot wait!

Q: Now, this last question Amber felt I should have asked but didn’t, so, because we believe the interview guest is always right, here goes… Finally, Amber, why are you stalking me?

A: Oh, I’m so pleased you asked, Gini! I have two reasons. One, reading “Touched By An Alien” changed me as an author. I read it and thought, wow, this is how it’s done. I not only adored the read, I learned from it.

My blushes! But, you know, do go on…

Secondly, because I learned so much and so thoroughly enjoyed your Desert Rose PAN/PRO pitch class that I will do all I can to support your career. The work you put into my pitch progress alone is worth more money than I could fork over. So, I stalk.

Is it any wonder I love her?
And, here’s another reason to love her. Amber’s giving away a personalized, signed copy of “Play Fling” to one lucky blog commenter chosen at random (and yes, this IS an International contest). So, leave a comment or a question for Amber or me, and see if you win! The contest will be open until Sunday, June 27, 2010, with the winner announced on Monday, June 28. Good luck to all!

Can’t wait to find out if you win or not? No worries, here’re the links to buy “Play Fling”:
Print Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Play-Fling-Amber-Scott/dp/1451588739/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276619931&sr=8-1
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Play-Fling-ebook/dp/B003JBI2AM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1276619931&sr=8-2

Amber’s easily found at The Amber Scott Project (http://amberscottproject.com). You can also find her plotting away with the rest of her gang, The Plot Mamas (http://plotmamas.com).

The Weekend's in Sight!

We're on the downward slide of the week! Whoo hoo!

As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, after the whirlwind that was the beginning of the week, we're back to calm and relaxed in Gini Land. Well, sort of. Team Gini might argue, 'cause they've been busy little worker bees.

Check out the updated Accolades page for the latest and link to any reviews of "Touched by an Alien" you might have missed. Have a review I haven't linked to somehow? Let me know and we'll rectify that pronto!

The Datebook also has yet more new events on it. My BookTour.com page is all up to date. And if you missed the fun interview with Erin Quinn we did here at the Blah, Blah, Blah Blog from a few weeks ago, it's now live on Spotlight.

Speaking of interviews, if you haven't checked out my latest, head over to The Book Addict and do it right now. She's giving away cool prizes all week long but you have to comment to win!

Also speaking of interviews, don't forget that we have Alien Collective member Amber Scott here on Monday to discuss her latest release, "Play Fling", as well as a giveaway! Amber's also got some cool news about an upcoming 1st Turning Point interview, with someone I consider a mentor, so check out The Amber Scott Project and mark your calendars! Authors aspiring to publication in particular should check this out.

I'm heading out to see Dream Theater and Iron Maiden. Hope you all have something equally fun and awesome planned for your weekends!

Love,
Gini