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

So Long, Farewell...Oh, Not For LONG

Happy Friday!

Well, as y'all know, I'm going to RinCon 10 today, and as my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, we'll be going to mostly radio silence until I'm back (sometime on Monday).

If you're in the Tucson area this weekend, check my Datebook page, or my page at BookTour.com to see where I'll be when at the RinCon Games.

Remember that the "Alien Tango" ARC Giveaway contest is still going strong. And, no, it's not too late to get in on the contest action. That is, if you're on Hook Me Up! Not on yet? Well, now is certainly the time to change that status. Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line, and get in on this contest while you still can!

I leave you with a teaser -- come Tuesday, Oct. 12th, we'll have a special author interview with Janice Hardy right here at the Blah, Blah, Blah Blog, and come Wednesday, Oct. 13th, we'll have an interview with moi, or a side of moi, at The Galaxy Express. In other words, enjoy the down time, 'cause I'll be back with a LOT to keep y'all occupied!

So, keep it real while I'm gone and get down with your bad selves and have an awesome weekend! Peace out, li'l gangstas!

Love,
Gini

The Sheep Hits the Fan

Or something like that...

Well, as my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, the news I was hoping to share last week or even yesterday is now promising to be ready to be shared later this week. I'd gnash my teeth and all, but it does no good. Instead, I'm choosing to chew some cud.

Say what? Say we've got another interview up! This time it's at I Smell Sheep, who are, as we know, Alien Collective Members in Very Good Standing. New questions, newer answers, and, finally, someone has asked me the question I've been waiting patiently for since "Touched by an Alien" first released. So, head on over, have a read, leave a comment, get entered to win the excellent "Sheeped by an Alien" t-shirt!

Reminder for those in the vicinity of Southern Arizona and Tucson: I'll be at the RinCon 10 Gaming Con, running the yap from Friday, Oct. 8th, through Sunday, October 10th. If you're nearby, come on by, say hi, listen to the yap in person, or challenge me to a game of whatever's on the tables (there's a Celebrity Texas Hold 'Em game, but the hubs has forbidden my participation, on the grounds that it's the one form of poker I have no idea how to play). Should be fun, so let me know if you think you'll be there!

Remember: the "Alien Tango" ARC Giveaway starts this Friday, October 1st. It's for Hook Me Up! subscribers only, so if you're not on Hook Me Up! yet, head over to the Win Stuff page and see what could be yours -- and there's a lotta "what" to be won, too. And it could all be yours! But only if you're in with my in-crowd. Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line, and do it now. Friday's coming faster than you realize.

Love,
Gini

Yet Another Manic Monday

Happy Monday to all! As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, I'm happy to announce that I'm done with my final editing/read-through round on "Alien in the Family", and that puppy heads to my awesome editor tomorrow. (And there was MUCH rejoicing.) Next up? Carrying edits through to Book 4, "Alien Proliferation". I know, I live, don't I?

We have a lot of focus on reviews today, and not just because I've been doing a lot of editing. There's a lot of reviews and review-related stuff going on out there in the happy blogosphere.

First up, Alien Collective Members in Very Good Standing have a dual review of "Touched by an Alien" on the docket. Check out what The Book Pushers have to say, leave some Alien Collective love, you know the drill.

Next, if you're a book reviewer, you've read and reviewed "Touched by an Alien", you're open to reading and reviewing more Science Fiction Romance, and you're NOT on this list compiled by the folks at The Galaxy Express, let them know, pronto, so they can add you. (Hint: many SFR authors are looking for SFR-friendly reviewers to send books to for review, and they'll be using this list for reference.)

Another Alien Collective Member in Very Good Standing has "Touched by an Alien" on her Unexpected Treasures list. Check out what A Buckeye Girl Reads has to say, leave the love, share what books you didn't expect to love that you did.

Yet another Alien Collective Member in Very Good Standing just awarded her 500 Followers Birthday prizes. Check out what the winners at Ex Libris picked as their book prizes. (Yeah, of course "Touched by an Alien" is on the prize list. ;-D)

Datebook reminder: If you'll be in the Tucson area over the weekend of Oct. 8-10th, check out the RinCon Games 10 con. I'll be there, yapping and gaming (nonstop and probably badly, respectively).

Contest update: There might be more contests before this one, but the next biggie I'm planning is an ARC giveaway for "Alien Tango". But if you're not on Hook Me Up! you won't be eligible. Save yourself the agony later and sign up today. It's free, and easy. Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line and you're in, and all ready for the chance to get your hands on "Alien Tango" before anyone else does. Really, what are you waiting for?

Love,
Gini

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

Ready for the (CopperCon) Weekend!

Well, CopperCon 30 starts tomorrow and since I'm on 8 panels, doing a signing and, as we all know, my very first public reading from "Alien Tango", we're going to radio silence, other than Twitter, until mid-week next week.

But, as my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, I've got some things to tide you over until then. First up, The Galaxy Express has a write up on the October issue of RT Book Reviews. Why am I so excited about this? I'm in it, in the "Sci Fi's Newest Stars" inset! Yes, I'm uber-thrilled. So, hunt down a copy and check out the whole issue, it's all good and will highlight a lot of other authors in addition to moi who you'll enjoy!

Next, Alien Collective Member in Very Good Standing, Steven's Spot, has a nice little write up on "Touched by an Alien". Check it out, leave some love, you know the drill.

Last but not least, it looks like I'll be hitting another con this year. I've been invited to participate in RinCon 10, a big gaming con in Tucson. Will be finalizing the deets while at CopperCon, but I'm all kinds of excited about it. Alien Collective Gamers -- wanna hook up at RinCon?

So, have an awesome weekend (and, for those in the U.S., a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend), and until sometime next week, remember to get down with your bad selves and keep it alien! Peace out, li'l gangstas!

Love,
Gini