January READ THIS! Q&A and Lots More!

We're halfway through the first month of 2022! After the last two years, getting halfway through January seems like no mean feat, and I'm glad we've made it through so far. It's my birthday month, and a little lower down I'll tell you what I'd like (though I'll bet many of y'all can guess). But before my birthday arrives, we have the READ THIS! Author Q&A which is only a couple of days away, PLUS plenty of more! So let's get right to it, shall we? We shall! January 2022 READ THIS! Author Q&A

January's READ THIS! author Q&A with Alex Shvartsman will be on Thursday, January 20, 2022 from 9pm-10pm Eastern. Access to Discord is available worldwide, and everyone is invited to attend! You do not need to be a Discord member/user to attend: Use this link https://discord.gg/MnQDEKFYjU to go directly to the chat room! (You also don't need to have finished the book to join in the fun. We authors know that everyone reads at their own pace and we just want to hang out with you guys and have some good times!) Once in, you'll get to join in the fun of asking authors about their "process" and more. PLUS, one lucky winner will get February's READ THIS! selection for FREE! I know! It's too happy to be true! But true it is, so don't miss out! (You must be present in the chat to win. Physical copies U.S. only; ebook copies worldwide.)

January 2022 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for January 2022 is:  Eridani's Crown By Alex Shvartsman Gini's Take: A critically acclaimed standalone political fantasy novel of revenge, warfare, prophecy, and betrayal, featuring a great female lead and all the intrigue you could want. About the Author: Alex Shvartsman is the author of The Middling Affliction (2022) and Eridani’s Crown (2019) fantasy novels. Over 120 of his short stories have been published in Analog, Nature, Strange Horizons, and elsewhere. He won the WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction in 2014 and was a two-time finalist (2015 & 2017) for the Canopus Award for Excellence in Interstellar Fiction. His translations from Russian have appeared in F&SF, Clarkesworld, Asimov’s, Apex, etc. Alex has edited over a dozen anthologies, including the long-running Unidentified Funny Objects series, and he is the editor-in-chief of Future Science Fiction Digest. He resides in Brooklyn, NY. His website is www.alexshvartsman.com.

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

The READ THIS! Selection for February 2022 is:  My Luck (Twisted Luck Book #1) by Mel Todd

Get the Humor to the Geeks! In honor of a new year, I have a new humor piece over at TG Geeks. Get a bit of funny from moi today and keep your new year going right!

They're here, they're FINALLY here!

Silence in the City Featuring "The Darkening" by moi writing as A.E. Stanton The prequel story to my The New West series Get your copy today!   The Physical Copies Are Here! Get your physical copies of Gunfight on Europa Station featuring "Showdown on Big Rock 27" by moi writing as Anita Ensal

The Audio Version Has Arrived! The audio version of the Superstitions: Tales From the Mountains anthology, featuring "Coyote and the Doorway Between the Worlds" by moi writing as A.E. Stanton, has dropped. Get your copy today!

It's My Birthday Month! And what I want for said birthday is simple: Reviews. Reviews don't need to be long or wordy or impressively written. They just need to say "I did/didn't like this book and here's why."  Reviews are the lifesblood for authors -- the fewer reviews of a book, the less any algorithms will pop that book up, the lower on the search list it goes, and soon no one knows that book is out there. But the more reviews, the more the algorithms push said book up, the more books are sold, the more new books the author gets to write. So, please -- review at least one of the books of mine you've read, or to give love to one of the many anthologies I'm featured in. Amazon is the #1 place, but B&N.com, Smashwords, Goodreads, and publisher's websites are all also good. It's what I want, what I really, really want.

Because I get asked this daily (often multiple times daily)... Yes, Aliens Like Us IS coming, but... No, Aliens Like Us still isn't ready for Prime Time, but... I'm on Version 5 of the rewrite process. Does every book take me this long? No. Will all the others in the series take this long? Likely no. Life has tossed a lot at me and mine and that's made some things a struggle, but... Kitty is always with me, and she's not going to let the bad things win, in any universe. So...Watch this space for more updates as I have them. And keep those digits crossed for the hope that my shouting "the end!" comes sooner as opposed to later.

That's it for today, but, never fear, another Update, including the next READ THIS! selection for 2022, 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 all y'all on the flip side! Love, Gini

Happy May Means the Next READ THIS! Selection!

Happy May, Everybody!

Of course, May means more than just spring being fully here. There's also Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day, both of which are pretty much around the corner. So, if you celebrate, have a safe and Happy Cinco de Mayo and to everyone who's a mom, a grandmother, a step-mom, an aunt, a sister, or anyone doing the mother role (of which there are a lot of guys out there who deserve flowers on the day), may you have a wonderful day filled with love and appreciation. Or at least chocolate. 

In addition to all that celebrating, we have May's READ THIS! Book of the Month, so read on for all the deets!

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!

May 2021 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for May 2021 is:  Shattering the Ley By Joshua Palmatier Gini's Take: First in the Ley series, a fresh, compelling take on epic fantasy, set in a city of light and magic fueled by the leyline network.  About the Author: Joshua Palmatier is a fantasy author with a PhD in mathematics. His most recent fantasy novel, Reaping the Aurora, concludes the fantasy series begun in Shattering the Ley and Threading the Needle, although you can also find his “Throne of Amenkor” series and the “Well of Sorrows” series still on the shelves. He is currently hard at work writing his next novel and designing the Kickstarter for the next Zombies Need Brains anthology project. You can find out more at www.joshuapalmatier.com or at the small press’ site www.zombiesneedbrains.com. Or follow him on Twitter as @bentateauthor or @ZNBLLC.

May 2021 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.)

May's READ THIS! author Q&A with author Joshua Palmatier, will be on Thursday, May 20, 2021 from 9pm-10pm Eastern. Access to Discord is available worldwide, and everyone is invited to attend!

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

The READ THIS! Selection for June 2021 is:  The Feral Childrean By David Simpson

Because I get asked this daily (often multiple times daily)... Yes, Aliens Like Us IS coming, but... No, Aliens Like Us still isn't ready for Prime Time, but... I'm using the Virus Troubles to git 'er dun, so... Fear not, Kitty & Company will be back sooner than you think... I promise. P.S. Despite what you'd think, pre-orders are still mattering a whole lot, so even though it SAYS it's coming in 2050 or 3000 or something, do your girl a solid and pre-order this book as soon as the various retailers allow it, please and thank you! P.P.S. The book isn't available for pre-order in most places at the moment, because it's not back on DAW's schedule yet (because, well, see above). This is the (constant) reminder that, when it IS available, it'll help a LOT if you pre-order it.  P.P.P.S. I think I'm in the last quarter of the book, which is exciting in many ways. It's not a promise, but I have hopes of gitten 'er dun very soon now.

IT'S ALIVE! The Superstions: Tales from the Mountains anthology is live! If you didn't pre-order, it's time to get your copies now! Featuring "Coyote and the Doorway Between the Worlds" by moi writing as A.E. Stanton.

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

April READ THIS! Q&A & a Whole Lot More!

Hey there! The READ THIS! Author Q&A is only a few days away and you don't want to miss this one!

April 2021 READ THIS! Author Q&A

April's READ THIS! author Q&A with moi featuring Guest Host Hal Bodner will be Thursday, April 15, 2021, from 9pm-10pm Eastern. Access to Discord is available worldwide, and everyone is invited to attend! You do not need to be a Discord member/user to attend: Use this link https://discord.gg/MnQDEKFYjU to go directly to the chat room! (You also don't need to have finished the book to join in the fun. We authors know that everyone reads at their own pace and we just want to hang out with you guys and have some good times!) Once in, you'll get to join in the fun of asking authors about their "process" and more. PLUS, one lucky winner will get May's READ THIS! selection for FREE! I know! It's too happy to be true! But true it is, so don't miss out! (You must be present in the chat to win. Physical copies U.S. only; ebook copies worldwide.)

April 2021 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for April 2021 is:  Random Musings From the Funny Girl Or How to Make the Most of Multiple Personality Disorder  by Gini Koch Gini's Take: This is my first (but probably not last) humor collection. Despite what you might think, all the stories really are true... About the Author: It's me! But just in case all y'all have never had the thrill of reading my "short bio", here 'tis in all it's glory Gini Koch writes the fast, fresh, and funny Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books, as well as many other novels, novellas, novelettes, and short stories, and she’s made the most of multiple personality disorder by writing under a variety of other pen names as well, including G.J. Koch, Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch, all with novels, novellas, and/or stories featured in excellent anthologies, available now and upcoming. www.ginikoch.com

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

The READ THIS! Selection for May 2021 is:  Shattering the Ley by Joshua Palmatier

It's Pre-Order All the Anthologies Time! Yes, it's true, I have several new anthology releases coming out this year, and they're all available for pre-order. Pre-orders, as all y'all know, are hugely important to the publishing industry, so check these out and get these great anthos pre-ordered today!

SUPERSTITIONS: TALES FROM THE MOUNTAINS coming April 24th from Audio Publishing From abandoned mines and forgotten trails, to Native American ruins and an apple orchard, the Superstition Mountains are full of history and intrigue. Forming the eastern border of Arizona's Valley of the Sun, the Superstitions have not only been an incredible source of beauty and outdoor adventure, but also a place riddled with superstition and mystery. To this day treasure hunters scour the mountains for gold. They research old landmarks and maps along with clues from generations past. Featuring "Coyote and the Doorway Between the Worlds" by moi writing as A.E. Stanton. Pre-order from Amazon.

DERELICT coming this summer from Zombies Need Brains No one can resist the mystery of the abandoned ship--whether it's the ghost ship found afloat at sea in the Bermuda Triangle or the spaceship drifting in the depths of space a la the movie Alien. What happened to the crew? What horror forced them to abandon their vessel and flee…or are they still on board, trapped or even all dead? In this anthology, we want authors to explore all of the possibilities when one runs across…a DERELICT. Featuring "Saving Sallie Ruth" by moi writing as Anita Ensal Pre-order directly from Zombies Need Brains (Amazon pre-orders will be available closer to release date).

GUNFIGHT ON EUROPA STATION coming November 2021 from Baen Books   An actual wagon train to space? Gunslinging cowpokes riding in rickety rocketships? From the lone stranger who flies into town to help a widow and her daughter to the alien rancher trying to pose as human,  the pair of mercenaries who sign on to stop a mining camp insurrection only to discover they might be on the wrong side of evolution, or the prospector who finds the strike of a lifetime but ends up stranded on a barren moon without hope of rescue, what isn’t possible when you mix science fiction and Westerns?  Featuring "Showdown on Big Rock 27" by moi writing as Anita Ensal. Pre-order from Amazon.

THE REINVENTED HEART coming February 2022 from Arc Manor Publishing The Reinvented Heart will contain Science Fiction stories of love and other relationships. Featuring "Go Where the Heart Takes You" by moi writing as Anita Ensal. Not quite ready for pre-orders yet, but I wanted all y'all to see this great cover reveal!

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

That's it for today but, never fear, another Update, including next month's READ THIS! selection, 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 all y'all on the flip side! Love, Gini