The First READ THIS! Author Q&A of the Year, My Con Schedule, & More!

It's Almost My Birthday!
Yes, it's true, I'm a January baby. I am not, however, a Year of the Rabbit baby because I fall at the very end of the Year of the Tiger. The hubs, however, is a Rabbit, though, happily, rarely a wrascly one. (And for those who know both of us, it's never been a mystery for which one of us was born in which cycle.)
But before my "big day" we have the first READ THIS! Author Q&A of the year, plus other fun things including a rather big announcement. So let's get to it, shall we? We shall!

January 2023 READ THIS! Author Q&A

January's READ THIS! author Q&A with author Alex Shvartsman will be on Thursday, January 19, 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 2023 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for January 2023 is:  The Middling Affliction By Alex Shvartsman Gini's Take: A great start to what I hope is going to be a series, this funny paranormal has a different take on powers, the hierarchy of the powerful, and snark for days. You know it got me with the snark, right? About the Author: Alex Shvartsman is the author of The Middling Affliction (2022) and Eridani’s Crown (2019) fantasy novels. Over 120 of his stories have appeared in Analog, Nature, Strange Horizons, etc. He won the WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction (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, Tor.com, Asimov’s, etc. Alex has edited over a dozen anthologies, including the long-running Unidentified Funny Objects series. Alex resides in Brooklyn, NY. His website is http://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 2023 is:      Harsh Reality By Elle E. Ire

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. P.S. I am definitely heading towards the end game. I realize that's vague, but it means that I think we'll be shouting "hurrah" somewhere in the nearish term. Digits crossed, at any rate... P.P.S. Watch this space, I'm hoping to share happy news soon.

Speaking of more things to read, Unidentified Funny Objects 9, featuring "Sgt. Yeti" by moi, has been reviewed by Tangent Online. Check out the reviews, then grab your copy and enjoy!

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

SEE THE ME! Con Season is starting early for me this year, so here's the list of the cons I'm guaranteed to be at in 2023. This list is definitely subject to change, with schedules to come and other events added on. CoastCon 45 Biloxi, MS March 3-5, 2023 I'm super excited to announce that I'm the Author Guest of Honor at Mississippi's longest running science fiction, fantasy, and gaming con! Come on down to the Gulf Coast and hang out with moi for a super fun weekend! LibertyCon 35 Chattanooga, TN June 23-25, 2023 San Diego Comic-Con 2023 San Diego, CA July 19-23, 2023 GenCon 2023 Indianapolis, IN August 3-6, 2023

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 details for the next 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, hope this year starts wonderfully for all of you, 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

It's A Bird, It's a Plane...No, It's A Blog, Finally!

Hey there, long time no hear from me! 

I know, I know...what were the odds that it would only take me 8 months to do an update? (I know that, too -- the odds were ever in favor of that.) 

But an update is (finally) here, and there's a lot to it (including a link to a brand new humor short, so keep the eyeballs peeled for that). So let's get to it, shall we?

First up, the big question, issue, and concern -- why has Aliens Like Us disappeared from everyone's preorders? Well, as many of you know and as most of you may have guessed by the lack of my actually managing to keep in regular touch, the last 2-3 years have been one thing after another for my family, and the move across the country was merely one in a long line of "things" that caused stress, and I was getting later and later with everything and buckling under the pressure. Plus, I'd written a lot of words that my editor and I both felt weren't good enough. So, the bookie wookie has been pulled from the schedule so that I can make it the awesome book I see in my head and have described to my editor. What does this mean? Aliens Like Us is still coming (as are Books 18, 19, & 20), but I have to rewrite it first, so I can't tell you WHEN it's coming. But it WILL be back on the schedule and all the book it's meant to be. And the moment I know you guys will know, too. BTW...these days, pre-orders matter more and more, and I want to thank EVERYONE who pre-ordered only to get weird "coming in the year 3000" and similar notices. Please do your girl a solid and pre-order Aliens Like Us when it's once again scheduled -- and anything else from me and your other favorite authors -- from your favorite bookstore or online retailer. Kitty & Company will appreciate it, and so will I. So, what have I been doing to fill the hours in between rewrites? Lots of things, really. So read on and read all about them! As always, I have so many things going on at TG Geeks! So, check out all my various yaps, and then all the rest of the coolness over there! Because, you name it, we ALL talk about it! And remember -- we love your comments on pretty much everything, so if you have thoughts on the reviews and so forth, share them...you might end up with your comments shared and discussed on the podcast. Old Classics? Newly Reviewed! Bringing Up Baby School For Scoundrels The Hidden Eye Kismet Dr. Doolittle The Third Man My Fair Lady North By Northwest King Solomon's Mines His Girl Friday Mystery Movie aka The Worst Live-Action Disney Film of All Time Double Feature -- Dick Tracy 1945 & 1990 Double Feature -- The Awful Truth & My Favorite Wife  Christmas Classics The Man Who Invented Christmas The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sing Along Version Bachelor Mother for the Holidays The Santa Clause Office Christmas Party Home Alone Trading Places Reindeer Games Double Feature -- RED & RED 2 Double Feature -- Die Hard & Die Hard 2 Binging My Life Away The Time Tunnel  Three Episode Thoughts The Rookie Magnum, P.I. (2018) Social Saturdays The English Beat at City Winery Atlanta  Miscellaneous Moi Holiday Memories -- This is a BRAND NEW humor piece (don't faint)   You say: Gini, I'm all caught up on all the fun stuff over at TG Geeks. Now what? I say: Scroll on down... It's A Book Club! As I hope all y'all know, I write horror as J.C. Koch and am a member of the Horror Writers Association. Since getting to Atlanta, I've become a charter member (and, somehow, President) of the HWA Atlanta Chapter. And we have a Book Club. Every month, we spotlight a different book from one of our members and encourage everyone we know to buy them, read them, and review them (and, yes, we accept reviews that are less than 5 stars because not everyone loves everything and we know it). The Book Club has been active for a while, so here's what we've featured so far...so join our Club and get to reading! The Book Club Selection for February 2019 is Frightful Fables, Vol. 1, by D.C. Phillips. We started 2019 with January's selection of The She-Wolf of Kanta by Marlena Frank. December 2018's selection was I Never Meant to Start a Murder Cult and Other Stories by Darrell Z. Grizzle. November 2018's selection was Zombie Road (1) by David A. Simpson. I strongly suggest you check it out, and the other 5 books in the series, for REASONS I will be sharing with you soon... October 2018's selection was All Those Broken Angels by Peter Adam Salomon. Peter's also the one who created Dark Poetry Day, which was inaugurated in 2018 as well! September 2018's selection was Bring Her Back by Jeff Strand.  The inaugural Book Club selection for August 2018 was The Night Beat, by Moi. If you somehow haven't read it yet, now's the time! And check out this lovely review from author Marlena Frank: "This book is an incredible roller coaster ride of action, monsters, and special guests." The March 2019 selection will be Will Haunt You by Brian Kirk. Want to share what you thought with the authors directly? Head over to our Facebook page -- Horror Writers Association Atlanta Chapter -- and talk all things books with us! In regards to Valentine's Day, a little poem to share how I feel about all y'all... Roses are red, violets are blue, my fans are the best, and I love all of you. Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest So, there's this odd new site that many of my author pals have discovered, and apparently I'm there, too. Sort of. There are so very many things wrong here (not all, just most) that I can't figure out why anyone bothered or how they aggregate the information. BUT, because I'm a giver, me, I share VIP FAQ with you because, well, someone has to, I guess.  Need More Things to Keep You Occupied Until I Get Aliens Like Us Over to DAW?   We've got you covered. From Zombies Need Brains Featuring "The City Under the Sea" by moi writing as J.C. Koch. Featuring "A Kitty-Bot's Tale", an Alien Series Short that takes place during the events of Alien Education. Featuring "Missy the Were-Pomeranian vs. the Masters of Mediocre Doom". Featuring "Alien Epilogue", an Alien Series Short, taking place right after the events of Universal Alien. From the Independent Collection My humor collection. Yes, really, all the stories are true... Standalone romantic suspense with humor and alligators. The first three Martian Alliance novellas ("The Royal Scam", "Three Card Monte", and "A Bug's Life") in one collection. Meet Mattie. She sees dead people. But they're cool. Mostly... Book One of The New West series, by moi writing as A.E. Stanton Book Two of The New West series, by moi writing as A.E. Stanton  From Baen Books     From UFO Press Featuring "H.P. and Me", a Necropolis Enforcement Files prequel. Featuring "The Vampire's Apprentice"...one of Tangent Online's 3 Star Short Stories for 2018! So many bookie wookies, so much time to catch up on all of them while waiting for Aliens Like Us. Check out my Bookstore and Bibliography for all the things! I mentioned Tangent Online up above...here are their reviews of several of the anthologies I've been in that you might want to check out if you've missed them. Unidentified Funny Objects 7/"The Vampire's Apprentice": "Excellent overall." The Cackle of Cthulhu/"H.P. and Me": "An action-driven romp." Unidentified Funny Objects 6/"Alexander Outland: Space Jockey": "...fast paced with a lot of action..." Unidentified Funny Objects 5/"The Problem with Poofs": "...this is a great read..." Unidentified Funny Objects 4/"Support Your Local Alien": "...entertainingly preserves "Miss" and "Missus" in the age of warp travel..." Unidentified Funny Objects 3/"Live at the Scene": "It's a clever satire on television reporting..." Tangent Online Recommended Reading List 2014 -- "Live at the Scene" awarded 1 Star Tangent Online Recommended Reading List 2018 -- "The Vampire's Apprentice" awarded 3 Stars There's a cool story about one of my brothers from another mother, Jeff Twohig, and what he's been doing in Digital Print for on demand comic books over at Xerox. (And, do a Where's Gini and see if you can spot me in one of the pics. :-D) The Science Fiction Romance Blog gave Touched by an Alien a nice recommendation: "This novel is a madcap caper that should appeal to fans of Men In Black." Check out the full review! That's it for today but, despite all the evidence to the contrary, more's on the way. Have great weeks, stay warm and dry or cool and comfy, depending on where you are in the world, and let's be readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side! Love, Gini