July's READ THIS! BotM Announced, A Great Book Bundle, Cons, & More!

Happy July!

LibertyCon was a lot of fun (big shout out to all the Members of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing who came to see the me!) but it's nice to be home. For about five seconds. 

The hubs and I are headed to Savannah for the 4th, so I'm going to wish all who celebrate American Independence day a safe and happy holiday, and everyone else a super 4th day of the month!

READ THIS! is back this month, there's a fun story bundle I need to tell all y'all about, the Aliens Like Them preorder is live, and more, so let's get to it all, shall we? We shall!

It's Preorder Time!   Meet your doubles? Check. Terrify the bad guys with your rage? Done and dusted. Save the day and stop the intergalactic war? Well…Kitty’s working on it…

Being tossed into an alternate universe can be hard. Being tossed into one that’s drastically different from your own can be harder. Kitty & Company are handling it…so far. But they’re about to face the toughest tests yet… Aliens Like Them releases December 8, 2026 and is now available for preorder! As a mention, publishers love to see preorders -- it shows them that they made the right choice to take on a book or a series. Yes, that's a hint to preorder early and often. You can preorder from these fine distributors: Amazon: ebook, (trade paperback and hardback will be available on release day) B&N.com: ebook, trade paperback, and trophy hardback Kobo: ebook Apple Books: ebook A reminder: You cannot preorder physical books from Barnes & Noble's physical stores (different back end systems, why ask why), only via B&N.com. It's Alive!

Spread the word: Aliens Like Us -- aka the book EVERYONE has been waiting for -- is large and in charge from Ginger Blue Publishing, as in, if you've somehow missed it, it's available right now! So, now's the time to get your copy from your distributor of choice:  Amazon -- ebook, trade paperback, and Hardback B&N.com -- ebook, trade paperback, and Trophy Hardback Kobo -- ebook Apple Books -- ebook  A reminder that reviews are hugely vital and if you enjoyed (or didn't) the bookie wookie (and any of the others) a review is the best way to show it! Another One's Alive! Unidentified Funny Objects 10 is live for purchase! In it you'll find a host of great humorous SF/F stories, including one of mine, "The Cat Lady Cometh." Don't miss out, get your copy today!

Read Out Loud!

Do you have your copy of the Touched by an Alien audiobook yet? If not, don't wait! Grab yours today and start your year right!

Speaking of Reading Out Loud...

Graphic Audio has renewed the contract for The Legend of Belladonna, Part 1: Natural Born Outlaws, by moi writing as A.E. Stanton. If you haven't grabbed this fantastic audiobook, don't delay, grab it today!

New Aloud Reading!

Behold! The first Ginger Blue audiobook is A Cup of Joe by moi writing as Anita Ensal!

More New Aloud Reading!

The second audiobook from Ginger Blue is The Disciple and Other Stories of the Paranormal by moi writing as Jemma Chase!

New Funny Aloud Reading!

Random Musings from the Funny Girl is now available in audio! Listen while laughing!

IT'S TIME FOR A SUPER DEAL!

The Seriously Funny Bundle - Curated by Alex Shvartsman: Comedy may be hard, but finding good funny books to read should be easy.

Check out these awesome books (including the book that made all y'all join this newsletter in the first place) you can get for a fantastic deal! Do NOT miss out on this offer, it ends July 16!

READ THIS!

A Book Club by Moi for All Y'all

Welcome to READ THIS! A Book Club by Gini Koch. This is my chance to introduce you to some great authors that I love and know you will, too.

Every month I'll spotlight a book and, even better...every month I'll host a live discussion with the author, that all y'all can join! I know, it's too happy to be true, but true it is!

July 2026 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for July 2026 is: 
Exile's Refrain
by Mel Todd

Gini's Take: Epic fantasy set in a new world with amazing powers and dangerous, and dangerously active, gods.

About the Author: Tired of stories that didn't fill her needs, Mel Todd decided to share the weird worlds that occupy her mind. Action, magic, sci-fi, and more, her stories have it all. You can follow her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/badashbooks/. You can also sign up for her newsletter and follow her blog at https://www.badashpublishing.com. 

July 2026 READ THIS! Author Q&A

So, you've read the READ THIS! selection and you want to share what you thought with the author, hang out with them and Gini, and generally talk books for an hour. Well, guess what? You can!

The third Thursday of every month will be READ THIS! Author Q&A time. The event will be held utilizing Discord, and the invitation to Gini's READ THIS! room will come out in the week prior to the chat.

And that's not all! Near the end of each Q&A session, we'll be doing a raffle and one lucky winner will get a copy of the next month's READ THIS! selection! (You must be present in the Q&A to win. Physical book prizes will be U.S. only. Ebook prizes will be worldwide.)

July's READ THIS! author Q&A

featuring author Mel Todd

will be on

Thursday, July 16, 2026

from 9pm-10pm Eastern.

Access to Discord is available worldwide, and everyone is invited to attend!

August's READ THIS! Selection

And Remember: One Lucky Q&A Participant can win it early!

The READ THIS! Selection for August 2026 is: 
The Lady Dragon of Chinatown

By Noel Plaugher

My Big Con Season is in full swing, so check out where you can come see the me and get your hugs and bookie wookies signed! San Diego Comic-Con San Diego, CA July 22-26 Panels to come At table D-09 in the Dealer's Hall at all other times Gen Con Writers Symposium Indianapolis, IN July 30-August 2 Thursday, July 30 10:00-11:00am: Writers Symposium Opening Ceremonies  Marriott Ballroom 4 11:00am-12pm: The Mushy Midpoint  Marriott Ballroom 3 3:00-4:00pm: Story 101 - Character Voice  Marriott Boston Friday, July 31 1:00-2:00pm: The Art & Practice of Humor Marriott Boston Saturday, August 1 4:00-5:00pm: Signing Back of the Exhibit Hall, behind Author's Alley Sunday, August 2 1:00-2:00pm: Writers Symposium Closing Ceremonies Marriott Ballroom 4 DragonCon Atlanta, GA September 3-7 Panels to come

So many bookie wookies, so much time to catch up on all of them while waiting for Aliens Like Them, Deck the Falls, and the next READ THIS! selection. Check out my Bookstore for all the things!

That's it for today but, never fear, another Update, including the Discord READ THIS! Author Q&A chat invitation, will be arriving mid-month.

In the meantime, stay safe and healthy, remember we're all in this together, be kind to one another, give love and support to all those who are on the front lines in any capacity, and let's be readers out there. Peace out, my li'l gangstas, aka my Rabid Raccoons, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love, Gini

The READ THIS! BotM, New Book, & More!

Happy September!

And Happy Labor Day for those who celebrate. Happy End of Summer to everyone else in my hemisphere. 

I'm currently at DragonCon, but the wonders of the interwebs allow me to send this to you anyway. I know, all y'all feel lucky, right? Right?

No next set of cons recap yet - that'll happen once I'm back from Bouchercon and recovered from yet another round of two big cons back-to-back. 

But the next READ THIS! Book of the Month is here, so let's get to it, shall we? We shall!

P.S. I realize that I SAID that my SDCC and Gen Con updates were in the last newsletter...but they were not. Hey, I'm like a crazed wolverine in the short time between the two sets of two giant back-to-back cons. So ALL the recaps will be coming, most likely in the next newsletter. 

It's Alive! Book 9, aka Alien Collective, is available now from Ginger Blue Publishing! As per usual, it'll be easiest to go to Ginger Blue's website and choose your own adventure to get to the right version for you. Get your copy today from your distributor of choice!

Read Out Loud! Do you have your copy of the Touched by an Alien audiobook yet? If not, don't wait! Grab yours today and start your year right!

Speaking of Reading Out Loud... Graphic Audio has renewed the contract for The Legend of Belladonna, Part 1: Natural Born Outlaws, by moi writing as A.E. Stanton. If you haven't grabbed this fantastic audiobook, don't delay, grab it today!

READ THIS! A Book Club by Moi for All Y'all Welcome to READ THIS! A Book Club by Gini Koch. This is my chance to introduce you to some great authors that I love and know you will, too. Every month I'll spotlight a book and, even better...every month I'll host a live discussion with the author, that all y'all can join! I know, it's too happy to be true, but true it is!

September 2025 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for September 2025 is:  Injustice Push Chronicles #2 by J.B. Garner Gini's Take: Second in the Push Chronicles series, this book picks up soon after Indomitable ends -- and races you right into more exciting superhero action. Only this time, there's more to deal with, and that more has serious fangs. About the Author: Talented topflight author and editor Jamie Beth “J. B.” Garner has written over twenty novels across multiple genres and edited hundreds more. She writes urban fantasy, epic fantasy with noir and romantacy, science fiction, LitRPG, and pro-wrestling epics, among other things, and is always out to entertain and amaze. Reach her at: https://www.jbgarnerwrites.com/aboutjbgarner

September 2025 READ THIS! Author Q&A

So, you've read the READ THIS! selection and you want to share what you thought with the author, hang out with them and Gini, and generally talk books for an hour. Well, guess what? You can! The third Thursday of every month will be READ THIS! Author Q&A time. The event will be held utilizing Discord, and the invitation to Gini's READ THIS! room will come out in the week prior to the chat. And that's not all! Near the end of each Q&A session, we'll be doing a raffle and one lucky winner will get a copy of the next month's READ THIS! selection! (You must be present in the Q&A to win. Physical book prizes will be U.S. only. Ebook prizes will be worldwide.)

September's READ THIS! author Q&A  featuring Author J.B. Garner will be on Thursday, September 18, 2024 from 9pm-10pm Eastern. Access to Discord is available worldwide, and everyone is invited to attend!

October's READ THIS! Selection   And Remember: One Lucky Q&A Participant can win it early!

The READ THIS! Selection for October 2025 is:  Ghosts of Black Bear Mountain By Marc Monroe

In case you missed it, the first 8 books in the Alien Series are now available from Ginger Blue Publishing in ebook, trade paperback, hardback, and trophy hardback!

Ginger Blue is trucking along and getting the Alien Series re-released just as fast as they can. The situation with how the hardbacks go out is still the same - you can get the new versions in ebook, trade paperback, hardback, and trophy hardback complete with a snazzy dust cover! The trophy hardback is from B&N.com only, as a reminder, and the regular hardback is from Amazon only. The searching via Amazon and B&N.com remains spotty, in no small part because those two distributors still have some mass market copies they're determined to sell. So, as suggested for Touched and Tango, and as recommended for every book coming through 16/Aliens Abroad, go to the Ginger Blue Releases page, click on the cover of your choosing, and choose which option or options you want. The links on GBP's website will take you to the right spots at B&N and Amazon to get the version you want. Confusing? Yes. Ultimately manageable? Sure. It's only adding a step to what you'd normally do. Now for the old reviews status. On B&N all the review seem to have stuck. Not so on  Amazon -- they were there for all and, suddenly, they were not. SO, Alien Tango, Alien in the Family, Alien in the House, and Alien Research do not have all their reviews connected to the new versions. We have no idea why. Yes, they may connect at a later date, we have no idea if that will or won't happen, and if they do connect, if they'll actually remain. SO, please review early and often on either site, but particularly on Amazon, since, as we well know, reviews matter, especially at Amazon, B&N, and Goodreads. So, officially, now the first eight books are live everywhere! Huzzah!

Con Season Is Almost Over My con season is just about done. Finishing up at DragonCon as you read this, and then it's off to Bouchercon and New Orleans and my last big con of the season! Bouchercon September 3-7 New Orleans, LA Saturday, September 6th 9:00-9:55 AM, Galerie 3, Panel: Humor - Laughter in the Midst of Chaos 10:00-10:25 AM, Acadia, Signing: immediately following  panel

So many bookie wookies, so much time to catch up on all of them while waiting for The Alien Collection, Aliens Like Us, Aliens Like Them, and the next READ THIS! selection. Check out my Bookstore for all the things!

That's it for today but, never fear, another Update, including the Discord Q&A chat invitation, will be arriving in a couple of weeks! In the meantime, stay safe and healthy, remember we're all in this together, be kind to one another, give love and support to all those who are on the front lines in any capacity, and let's be readers out there. Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side! Love, Gini