Educational Preview

Happy Monday!

Alien Education's not all that far away. In fact, just about a month away. And you know what that means?

As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, that means it's time for all y'all to hit the Deathless Prose page for the prologue and first chapter, that's what it means!

Enjoy the "pre-read" and, while you're at it, please remember to do the other "pre" and pre-order Alien Education (and Aliens Abroad), too, 'cause those pre-orders matter.

Know what else matters? Cool Kickstarters getting funded. It's basically the last days of disco for the Unidentified Funny Objects 6 Kickstarter. There's no book if it doesn't fund and, much to my dismay, this one's still got a ways to go to fully make it.

So please take a look, check out all the great backer rewards, and help this cool, fun, and funny anthology see the light of day!

Next up, while the Tuscon Festival of Books seems so far away now (you know, 3 weeks), it's right here, because the HBS Author's Spotlight has done a lovely write-up of the Dreams booth where I and a ton of other awesome authors were based. We routinely get voted the best author booth at the Festival, so check out why! Candid photos, book blurbs, and more for your perusing -- and new book/author finding -- pleasure! (And I think the candid taken of moi is very good, too!)

Remember that I'm going to be all over the place in the coming months, so hit the Datebook early and often to be sure that you don't miss seeing the me!

And, while you're at it, check out Newsy Stuff for top headlines, the Bibliography for new (or old) releases you may have missed, Extra Me! for interviews, reviews, and all that jazz, and the Alien Collective Depot for all your cool swag needs!

That's it for today but, as always, more's on the way. Enjoy the first week of April and let's be readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

March Mania Cage Match Festival!

Hey there, everybody,

Check it out! There's an exciting contest going on right now, the March Mania Giveaway where you could win a $500 Amazon Gift Card! I know, it's too happy to be true! But true it is! Click on the link and get entered to win!

It's going on all month, but don't delay, get entered to win today!

But that's not all that's going on!

Come See The Me at the Tucson Festival of Books, March 11 & 12, 2017, University of Arizona Mall!

I'll be at Booth 111 selling and signing all the bookie wookies, and Museum of Robots will be with me, too, selling all the cool stuff, including all the items in their Gini Koch Collection!

In addition to finding me at the biggest author booth of the Festival, come hear me and other awesome authors chat about various fun things!

Saturday, March 11, 4:00-5:00pm
Building Alternate Worlds
How to create worlds where magic is real and gods, ghosts, and ghouls walk among us.
Integrated Learning Center Room 150 (Seats 155, Wheelchair accessible)
Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Horror
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center (following presentation)
Panelists: Gini Koch, Erika Lewis, Brian McClellan, Samantha Shannon
Moderator: David Lee Summers

Sunday, March 12, 1:00-2:00pm
How I Got Published
Stories of perseverance, resourcefulness, and serendipity.
Koffler Room 218 (Seats 142, Wheelchair accessible)
Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Horror
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - Koffler Patio (following presentation)
Panelists: Gini Koch, Erika Lewis, Brian McClellan
Moderator: Janni Lee Simner

GET READY TO HELP KITTY RUMBLE!

Next up, it's time once again for the Unbound Worlds Cage Match 2017!

The Unbound Worlds Cage Match 2017 begins TODAY (March 6th)! And Kitty's in the battle and needs all your votes to be able to win! Please vote early, and check out all the other matches going on, too!

Last time I didn't make it out of the second round, but last time Kitty wasn't in the battle. Since she is, show her you believe that she's the best and Vote for Kitty!

Speaking of Kitty, remember to do your girl a solid and pre-order Alien Education and Aliens Abroad. You'll be happy you did and I'll love you even more than I already do.

Next up, we have a new Kickstarter starting on Tuesday, March 7th! (Say that three times fast.) Unidentified Funny Objects 6 is ready to start funding. There are lots of prizes, and I have four (that's right 4) tuckerizations available. So, if you've ever wanted to be in the Alien Series, now's your time, because my story for this antho is Tim's origin story, "Alien in the Classroom".

The Kickstarter is going live on the 7th, so watch my Facebook and Twitter feeds for the links to the campaign, or look on Kickstarter for Unidentified Funny Objects 6.

After that, listen to Moi run the Yap over at the Spaced Out With Lisa Caskey Podcast! Lisa's an awesome author, and she and I yapped for quite a while. So, there's a Part 1 and Part 2 for you to check out!

And, as a little teaser, I'll have some new (and good) Alexander Outland news coming soon!

Last but not least, if you're heading to the movies, check out my review of "Table 19" over at Pop Culture Geeks.

That's it for today, but, as always, more's on the way. So let's be March Mania, Cage Match fighting, Festival attending, with a side of Kickstartering readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love, Gini

Working for the Weekend

Happy Friday!

Hope everyone had a fun, safe, and happy St. Patrick's day if you were indulging in all things Irish, and a great week regardless of celebrations! I'm still recovering from Tucson Festival of Books last weekend, which was great. Got to hang out with great authors, moderate a great panel with other great authors Judith Tarr, Jeffe Kennedy, Yvonne Navarro, and Beth Cato, and visit with tons of great Members of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing. A fantabulous weekend all the way around!

I also had a dozen advanced copies of Plush Life on hand and do not have them anymore. So, congrats to those who scored the book early!

For the rest of you, the bookie wookie goes on sale everywhere on April 1 (and that's not an April Fools joke, either). And don't panic -- while the physical version up at Amazon says it's out of print, it's not -- it's just not available until April 1. The very important pre-orders are all available right now, however, at Amazon and Smashwords.

For some giggles and because tarot does figure into Plush Life, check out the Lisa Frank Tarot Cards over at Huffington Post and look closely at The Devil card. Apparently my reputation has reached Lisa Frank's ears. :-D (Kudos to Shawn Sumrall and Beth Vrabel for pointing this out.)

Speaking of pre-orders, don't forget to do your girl a solid and pre-order Camp Alien and Alien Nation from your favorite bookseller or online retailer today! Pre-orders matter as much as sales these days, and to keep a series going, and going strong, pre-orders are a must. You can also pre-order from bookstores you know I'll be visiting, in order to get said bookie wookies signed.

Speaking of Camp Alien, in its May issue RT Book Reviews says "...readers are in for more wildly over-the-top adventures that will be filled with edge-of-your-seat danger and wackiness!" So you know you don't want to wait to see what Kitty & Company are up to -- pre-order today!

I have lots of anthologies coming this year. And right now one of them needs your Kickstarter support. Check out Unidentified Funny Objects 5 which will feature the third installment of my Steampunk Alien series, "The Problem With Poofs". Lots of cool rewards are still available, including one last tuckerization from me, so if you want to be in an Alien series story (that, trust me, affects the main Alien series in ways that all y'all are going to discover as we move ahead into the upcoming books in the series), then now's your chance!

Speaking of Kickstarters and tuckerizations, the long-awaited MECH: Age of Steel anthology is about to roll out its Kickstarter. And I have a LOT of tuckerization options possible in my story, "Jaegermeister", including characters who are mech pilots and location naming rights. And, unlike most who tuckerize, I tend to not kill my tuckers but instead turn them into supporting characters who stick around for the long haul. And this is a story you want to be in. It's also kind of cool that the cover art looks like it could be taken from my story...just a hint to whet your appetites! So, keep the eyeballs peeled, because the MECH Kickstarter is going to kick off soon!

Last but not least, check out my review of Season Two of Galavant over at Slice of SciFi. Did you like it, too? Hated it? Aren't sure you want to check it out? Join the conversation over at Slice!

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So let's be weekend enjoying, pre-ordering, and Kickstartering readers out there. Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

It's Time To Vote - For Characters You Can Believe In!

Happy Monday! It's a busy week this week, so let's get right to all the things going on today.

First up, the Suvudu Cage Match of 2016 has begun and Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg need your votes! There are plenty of other cage matches going on, too, so check them all out and have some fun!

Next, the Kickstarter for Unidentified Funny Objects 5 is still going strong. If you haven't pledged yet to get this cool anthology of funny science fiction and fantasy funded yet, don't miss out! There are lots of cool reward levels available and I still have one tuckerization left, so if you want to be in a story of mine, specifically in "The Problem With Poofs" set in my Steampunk Alien universe, it's time to head on over and take a looksee!

A reminder that the Tucson Festival of Books is happening this weekend. I'll be at Booth 108 for most of the weekend, but will be moderating the very cool Kick-Ass Women of Science Fiction panel on Saturday, March 12, 2:30pm to 3:30pm, Optical Sciences 410.

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So let's be Cage Match voting and Kickstarter supporting readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Where In the World is Gini? March Edition

Happy First of March!

It's been brought to my attention that I've neglected the Datebook and so all y'all have no idea where to find me in the upcoming months. So, seeing as I'm in the midst of the usual deadline madness and more (there's always more), let's see where I shall be this month.

March 12 and 13, Tucson Festival of Books -- I'm not a panelist this year but I am moderating the Kick-Ass Women of Sci-Fi Panel on Saturday, March 12, from 2:30-3:30pm, in Optical Sciences Room 410. This panel features awesome authors Yvonne Navarro, Jeffe Kenndey, Beth Cato, and Judith Tarr and I expect it to be epic. The rest of the time I'll be at Booth 108 with a ton of other awesome authors selling all the bookie wookies including Alien in Chief, The X-Files: Trust No One, Alliance Rising, and more! Museum of Robots will be there with me, and they'll have the first of their Gini Koch line to show off along with the rest of their awesome things, so if you're there, you'll be among the very first to see what's coming.

And, if you come to Booth 108 and buy anything (like, you know, one or more of the awesome books I and the many other awesome authors have for sale) you'll be getting a cool totebag, featuring Mous-Mous, which is our "booth bag" for the Festival. You know you want it, so come on down to one of the biggest book festivals in the country!

My next forays out of the Casa will be in May for Book Tour for Camp Alien and other related pursuits, and I'll have details on that for all y'all coming up in the nearish future.


ALSO, this month I'm also in the latest Kickstarter coming from UFO Press -- Unidentified Funny Objects 5, which just went live today. And, I have tuckerizations galore, including one for the cover. Yes! My story incorporates the cover image and it's gonna be so much fun. At this moment, though, only 2 of my tuckerizations are left, so if you want to get into my story, "The Problem With Poofs" (which is set in my Steampunk Alien Universe), head over right now. Even if you're not going to have your "name in lights", definitely check out this Kickstarter and get in while the getting's good. It'll be another really fun and funny anthology from a wonderful small press that I know all y'all will enjoy.

So, until then, let's be Unidentifiably Funny supporting readers out there and I'll see some of you at the Festival next month! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Festival Bound!

Happy Friday! Well, I'm heading off to Tucson for the weekend, but before I go, there's something you have to see!

Check out the awesome cover for the X-Files anthology my story "Sewers" is in, Trust No One, coming April 7, you can pre-order the audio version at Amazon right now. (No idea when book pre-orders will be available.)

Speaking of pre-orders, The Disciple and Other Stories of the Paranormal by moi writing as Jemma Chase is available for pre-order from Amazon. The book will release on March 20th.

The Kickstarter for Unidentified Funny Objects 4 is still underway and going strong, but it's not funded yet! Check it out -- it's going to be a good one. Also, I have one tuckerization left available. You'll be in "Support Your Local Alien", the Alien series short that's the next adventure for the characters from my steampunk universe first introduced in "A Clockwork Alien", part of the Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Zombies anthology.

I'll be signing that, Unidentified Funny Objects 3, and Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets, not to mention all the Alien series, including Universal Alien, and more bookie wookies besides, at the Tucson Festival of Books this weekend, Saturday March 14 and Sunday March 15. When not on panels or at signings, you can find me at Booth #106.

My panel and signing schedule is:
--Saturday, March 14, 4-5pm - Making Magic Real: Suspending Reader Disbelief, Integrated Learning Center Room 130; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center  
--Sunday, March 15, 11:30am-12:30 pm - I Got Nuthin' – Battling Writer's Block, Integrated Learning Center Room 141; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center  
--Sunday, March 15, 2:30-3:30pm - Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, and Sci-Fi, Koffler Room 216; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Koffler Patio

But I can't leave you without some science! Per Huff Post Science, there's a diamond planet out there. Oh, the story possibilities this creates! Also, Scientific American shares that we've got one heck of a new and improved particle accelerator on the way. This will give scientists a way to study things we haven't been able to before (and, you know, potentially get to say hi to ACE, Algar, and Sandy and the Superconsciousness Seven).

Well, that's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So enjoy the weekend, hope to see many of you at the Festival, and all of you be universally happy readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Yappin' Live

Happy Monday!

I know! It's an amazing surprise that I've managed to actually, you know, do an update on a Monday. (Don't get used to it. LOL) It's a reasonably short and sweet one today, too. I know again! What were the odds, right?

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend -- I certainly did, getting to hang out with awesome author and cartoonist Christopher Baldwin and awesome author Marsheila Rockwell. And today, I'll get to virtually hang out with some over you, over at Night Owl Reviews where the Paranormal Romance Dream Team -- Erin Kellison, Erin Quinn, Caris Roane, and moi -- will be doing a live chat at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT. You still have time to RSVP in order to win lots of prizes! When you RSVP you'll also get a reminder about the live chat. I can't wait to be able to talk (and talk, and, as all those who were on before remember, talk) to all of you!

Speaking of paranormal, a reminder that I have a collection of paranormal stories, written as Jemma Chase, available for pre-order from Amazon right now. The Disciple and Other Stories of the Paranormal will be on sale at all outlets on March 20th.

After you get all set to yap with me this evening, head over to the Nameless Digest where they're spotlighting stories from the epic A Darke Phantastique anthology. You'll get a taste of mine, "Outsiders", written as J.C. Koch, so check it out and find out why I wrote this particular story.

Then see what DAW Books Reviews thought of Alien Collective. And join the conversation about the bookie wookie, too!

Don't forget this upcoming weekend, Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, I'll be at the Tucson Festival of Books. It's the fourth largest Book Fair in the country, so you don't want to miss out. When I'm not doing panels or signings, you can find me at The Dreams Booth, Booth #106.  Yes, I'll be signing all the bookie wookies, including Universal Alien, so come out, say hi, and bring all your books to get 'em signed or buy them from me when you're there -- I'm easy that way!

My current TFoB schedule: 
--Saturday, March 14, 4-5pm - Making Magic Real: Suspending Reader Disbelief, Integrated Learning Center Room 130; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center  
--Sunday, March 15, 11:30am-12:30 pm - I Got Nuthin' – Battling Writer's Block, Integrated Learning Center Room 141; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center  
--Sunday, March 15, 2:30-3:30pm - Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, and Sci-Fi, Koffler Room 216; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Koffler Patio


The Alien Separation book tour in May is shaping up. I'll be at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, CA on Saturday, May 9th, Barnes and Noble in Henderson, NV on Sunday, May 17th, and The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, AZ on Monday, June 8th. The chicklet is graduating from law school in the midst of all that and Phoenix Comicon is the last weekend in May, so full details and more dates will be announced as we have time and sanity to announce them! Keep an eye out here and on the Datebook for updates and for alerts for which events we have Food With Fans planned.

Have you taken a picture with moi? Of the bookie wookies in the wild? Of any Gini Swag you've gotten your paws on? Then send those pics to Team Gini's most enthusiastic member, our Super Sightings Girl, Kelsey (kelsey@ginikoch.com), so she can get them up at Sightings in the Wild. She's been doing tons of updates, so if you sent in a pic a while ago, check out the redesign of the Sightings pages and see where your pic's ended up (and let her know if you don't see it there so we can hunt it down and rectify!).

Believe it or not that's it for today. But never fear, more's on the way. So enjoy the week and let's be live chatting readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Cover Premiere Friday

Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a great week. It's been busy over here in Gini Land, and, as our title suggests, we have a cover premiere for all y'all. So let's get to it, shall we? We shall! 

Leah Cannon attended all of the workshops I taught at the SDSU Writer's Workshop in January and she blogged about it, too, over at Leah Can Science. Check it out and discover some of the wisdom I extolled.
 
Then check out Heroes and Heartbreakers to see why they recommend Touched By An Alien as one of their book to read as well as re-read.
 
After that, author Henry Hertz's newest book, Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes from Birch Tree Publishing is now available. It's full of fun stuff for all of us into geek and nerd culture, so have a looksee!

Next up, check out a new review of Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters from United Federation of Charles to see what he thought of all the stories, including With Bright Shinning Faces by moi writing as J.C. Koch.
 
Now for some science! Per IFL Science, mathematician and Father of the Computer Alan Turing’s code-breaking papers were recently discovered by some workers at the multimillion pound restoration project of Bletchley Park. These papers will be going on display soon, right after the Dazzlers have a look at them.
 
Universal Alien is turning out to be fact and not fiction according to a report from The Spirit Science. I'm sure all y'all will agree with me when I say that I told you about it first!  

A reminder for my upcoming in-person schedule of events:

Monday, March 9, 5-6pm PST/8-9 EST - I and the rest of the Paranormal Romance Dream Team will be be participating in another Night Owl Reviews live chat. Last time we gave out lots of prezzies, and I'm sure this time will be no different. The chat will run from 5-6 pm PST/8-9 EST. Don't miss out, it's sure to be a blast and a half!

Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15 - I'll be at the Tucson Festival of Books. It's the fourth largest Book Fair in the country, so you don't want to miss out. When I'm not doing panels or signings, you can find me at The Dreams Booth, Booth #106. 

My current TFoB Schedule: 

Saturday, March 14, 4-5pm - Making Magic Real: Suspending Reader Disbelief, Integrated Learning Center Room 130; signing immediately after Sales & Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center 

Sunday, March 15, 11:30am-12:30 pm - I Got Nuthin' – Battling Writer's Block, Integrated Learning Center Room 141; signing immediately after Sales & Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center 

Sunday, March 15, 2:30-3:30pm - Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, and Sci-Fi, Koffler Room 216; signing immediately after Sales & Signing Area - Koffler Patio

Saturday, March 28, 12-4 pm - mass author signing at the Book Vault, 2055 S. Power Road, Entrance #3 in Mesa AZ, featuring moi along with awesome authors Alan Black, Kris Tualla, Deena Remiel, and Melanie Tighe. 

New Sightings in the Wild are up at the website. Have pics to send in? Send 'em to our SuperSightingsGirl, Kelsey, at kelsey@ginikoch.com. She LIVES to get your pics, yes she does!

Last but not least, it's time for what you've been waiting for. Yes! The cover for Alien Separation is here! Check it out over at my Premieres page and revel in its awesome beauty!

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So, enjoy your weekends, for those of you watching the Oscars like I'll be, enjoy the fashions and the fashion disasters, and let's be cover adoring readers out there. Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Happy Face Friday

Happy Friday the 13th! Hope everyone had a great week, no one has anything nasty happen to them today, and that all y'all are ready to celebrate Valentine's Day and/or Single Awareness Day this weekend. Go out and have some fun with your someone special or just with some good friends. And remember that the A-Cs and Poofs love each and every one of you, and ACE says you never walk alone. Of course, Danger Day and Romance Weekend aside, there's lots going on in Gini Land. So let's get to it, shall we? We shall!

I finally have my Amazon Author page up and active, so head over there and  follow me on Amazon to get the updates for when to pre-order my upcoming bookie-wookies. Also, don't forget to follow TeamGini @RealTeamGini on Twitter as well as my Facebook Fan Page, Gini Koch: Hairspray and Rock 'n' Roll, and the Alien Collective Virtual HQ Fan Site. There's lots of cool stuff all over!

Speaking of which, Kelsey is hard at work getting the Sightings in the Wild page updated with all the pics from Joseph (and a few I remembered to send over, too). So, keep your eyeballs over there, because if you sent a pic, it will be getting up for all to gaze upon its wonder!

Speaking of bookies wookies, check out what My ParaHangover thought of Alien Proliferation.

Then, head over to Heroes and Heartbreakers to see what books they're recommending if you like book-to-movie and/or TV properties.


Next up, see if you can spot Universal Alien (below) sharing the same shelf with some cool books. Check out the full post over at Pleated Jeans for more fun "section reassignments".


Recently one of my Team Gini members was in a car accident and his car is in the shop. He's looking for some help to pay for his car to get fixed. If you're able and so inclined to help out, he'd very much appreciate it, and at certain donation levels you can also get free stuff from moi. It's all over at Go Fund Me.

Next up, check out a list of top ten reasons why books matter over at the Design Observer Group.

Did you miss getting your Gini fix in December and January? Fear not, because, I will be out and about in March!

Monday, March 9 - I and the rest of the Paranormal Romance Dream Team will be be participating in another Night Owl Reviews live chat. Last time we gave out lots of prezzies, and I'm sure this time will be no different. The chat will run from 5-6 pm PST/8-9 EST. Don't miss out, it's sure to be a blast and a half!

Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15 - I'll be at the Tucson Festival of Books. It's the fourth largest Book Fair in the country, so you don't want to miss out. When I'm not doing panels or signings, you can find me at The Dreams Booth, Booth # to come.

My current TFoB Schedule:  
Saturday, March 14, 4-5pm - Making Magic Real: Suspending Reader Disbelief, Integrated Learning Center Room 130; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center
Sunday, March 15, 11:30am-12:30 pm - I Got Nuthin' – Battling Writer's Block, Integrated Learning Center Room 141; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center 
Sunday, March 15, 2:30-3:30pm - Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, and Sci-Fi,  Koffler Room 216; signing immediately after Sales and Signing Area - Koffler Patio

Speaking of TFoB, check out my TFoB interview with Dani Weber, where she asks some new questions, and all y'all get to hear all about the Crazy Dog Lady.

Saturday, March 28, 12-4 pm - mass author signing at the Book Vault, 2055 S. Power Road, Entrance #3 in Mesa, AZ, featuring moi along with awesome authors Alan Black, Kris Tualla, Deena Remiel, and Melanie Tighe.

Next up, I wanted to share that yes, the universe is smiling down at us. The Hubble Telescope took a picture of a cluster of galaxies and it looks like a giant smiley face. ACE and Sandy definitely approve.

I have seen the cover of Alien Separation and it...is...AWESOME. Cannot share it, or my other announcement, with all y'all just yet, but the very MOMENT I can you know that I will.

Until next time, enjoy your weekends, and let's be readers out there. Peace out, my li'l gangstas and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

On the Road Again

Hey there, everyone! Well, this is the last missive before I go off on Book Tour. I'll be checking in as I can, but not nearly as much as recently. So, you know, don't worry or anything. :-D

Actually, come see the me! On Saturday, Dec. 6th I'll be at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego, CA at 2pm for the Universal Alien Party. We'll have games, prizes, and cake! And if you're out of town and missed getting a signed book ordered, Mysterious Galaxy has you covered, just call or email and order!

After that I'll be bouncing around Los Angeles, and then off to Las Vegas, for my signing with half of the Wyked Women Who Write -- T.L. Smith and Sharon Skinner. We'll be at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Henderson, NV, from 1-4pm on Saturday, Dec. 13th. Again we'll have prizes, games, and cake, but we're also doing a workshop as well as signing books, so if you're an aspiring author, or an author who just wants to hear more "this is how we do it" stuff, come on down, too!

Then I'll be home again, in time for my last official tour stop at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore at Desert Ridge Marketplace in Phoenix, AZ, at 7pm on Wednesday, Dec. 17th. Prizes and games for sure. Still checking on the cake situation, but there will at least be candy, so it's all good!

Haven't read Universal Alien yet? Have read it? Either way, check out what Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell thought of it! Also, Universal Alien needs your vote! Head over to Addicted 2 Heroines and vote for Kitty and Universal Alien as the Hottest Heroine Cover of 2014!

BTW, if you missed seeing the me at the Poisoned Pen on Tuesday, you can still check out the LiveStream recording! It's broken up because of, well, honestly, a crazy dog lady. But most of the interview and party is there, and we had a blast, so check it out!

After that, see what Lu's Buchgefluster thought of Alien Diplomacy and Alien vs. Alien. And yes, yes, bring along Google Translate. Then see which anthology I'm in that The Passionate Foodie chose as one of the best of the year.

Speaking of being out of town, the appearance rota never stops (not that I'm really complaining -- I like getting the chance to see all y'all out in the wild), so mark these upcoming 2015 appearances on your calendars now.

Book signing with Gini Koch & Erin Quinn -- Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, San Diego, CA, Thursday, January 22n, at 7pm

San Diego State University Writer's Conference -- Jan. 23-25, San Diego, CA; teaching Finding Your Voice, World Building in SF/F/H, and Short Story and Novella Writing workshops

Tucson Festival of Books -- March 14-15, Tucson, AZ; in The Dreams Convention booth all weekend, tentative panel schedule:
--Saturday, March 14th, 4:00-5:00pm, Integrated Learning Center Room 130 - Making Magic Real: Suspending reader disbelief
How to make imaginary things so real you can touch them
Panelists: Gail Carriger, Gini Koch, Dennis McKiernan
Signing immediately following the panel
--Sunday, March 15th, 11:30am-12:30pm, Integrated Learning Center Room 141 - I Got Nuthin': Battling Writer's Block
How do you deal with writers block? Ask the professionals
Panelists: Gini Koch, Dennis McKiernan
Signing immediately after, Sales & Signing Area #4 - Integrated Learning Center
--Sunday, March 15th, 2:30-3:30pm, Koffler Room 216 - Paranormal, Urban Fantasy & SciFi
A Different Kind of Screaming
Panelists: Gini Koch, Erin Quinn, Cynthia Garner
Signing immediately following the panel, Sales & Signing Area #6 - Koffler Patio

And last but not least, let's have some science! See what the Huffington Post article about the Black Hole Universe (well, that's my take on it, anyway) has to say about all things wormholey. Algar thinks you need to educate, just in case.

That's it for today, but more's on the way next week. So, everyone enjoy the race to the weekend, see some of y'all at Mysterious Galaxy, others all over L.A., and some more of y'all in the Vegas area. And for the rest of you, let's be Universal Alien reading readers out there! Peace out, my li'l ganstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Funny Fest

Happy Friday!

Well, I'm about to head to Tucson Festival of Books but before I go, there's been a lot going on, so I'm going to catch all y'all up before I hit the road. 'Cause I'm just that nice a girl.

First up, it's been Gini Week over at Word of the Nerd. Check out a cool interview with yours truly combined with their review of the Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters anthology, which includes "With Bright Shining Faces" by moi writing as J.C. Koch. Then check out their reviews of Touched by an Alien, Alien Tango, and my newest release, Random Musings from the Funny Girl, which is my first ever humor collection, available now!

Then, still on reviews, see what Daydreams of a Cluttered Mind thought of Alien Tango, what Swept Away Again thought of The Night Beat and several other January reads, and which 5 books Bitten By Books honored for Flashback Thursday. And check out the latest bestsellers from Locus Online where Alien Research is making a move up!

Now, check out the io9 feature on the "One Way" web comic, created by my good friend and all around awesome guy Christopher Baldwin. And check out his comics -- they're subversively funny and wickedly cool. 

For those of you making the trek to one of the largest book fairs in the country, aka the Tucson Festival of Books, be sure to come see the me while you're there!

My schedule:
Saturday
9:30 am - 12:30 pm Valley of the Sun Booth #s 107, 108, 109, 118, 119, and 120
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm How Do You Do It? Writing Fast and Writing Well, Koffler Room 216
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm Signing area: Sales & Signing Area #6 - Koffler Patio
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm A Knight, a Zombie and a Klingon Walk into a Bar: Writing Genre Comedy, Integrated Learning Center Room 150
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm Sales & Signing Area #4 - Integrated Learning Center 
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Werewolves, Witches and Aliens: Putting the Magic in Romance, Integrated Learning Center Room 141
5:00 pm - 5:30 pm Sales & Signing Area #4 - Integrated Learning Center
5:30 pm - 6:00 pm Valley of the Sun Booth #s 107, 108, 109, 118, 119, and 120

Sunday
9:30 am - 11:30 am Valley of the Sun Booth #s 107, 108, 109, 118, 119, and 120
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Poisoned Pen Bookstore, Booth #270, 271, 272
1:30 pm - 6:00 pm Valley of the Sun Booth #s 107, 108, 109, 118, 119, and 120

That's it for today, but more's on the way! See some of you at the Festival this weekend, all of you enjoy the slide into the weekend, and let's be readers out there! Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

It's Funny Time

Hey there! Well, as promised, we have a lot going on today. Including but not limited to the winners of my Coastal Magic Con contest. But more on that later. (Oh, not much later. Stop whining.)

First up, a big announcement happened over at Amy Lane's Yarning to Write blog yesterday, discussing a lot of new March releases. But because some of you may be impatient to know why I'm caring about March releases, it's because I have one. My first humor collection, Random Musings from the Funny Girl, is now available in both trade paperback and ebook! Yes, it's true, and if you've ever wanted to know the inner workings of my mind, or just what I find funny, this book is for you.

Now, it's live interview time! Head over to More Geek Than Gay, where you can listen to or watch their 50th and 51st video podcasts. Why should you tune in? Both feature a two-part exclusive live and in person interview with moi, that's why! Check out Episode 50 audio, Episode 50 YouTube, Episode 51 audio, and Episode 51 YouTube for all the fun!

Next up, it's the Writing Process Blog Tour. If you missed last week's entry from T.C. Blue go check it out now. Then hit yesterday's post here at the Blah, Blah, Blah Blog for information on my so-called process. You'll also find the links to next week's entrants, authors Marsheila Rockwell, T.L. Smith, and T.M. Williams

After that, see which series Larissa's Bookish Life doesn't want to end. Then see who Gizmo's Reviews picks as the top 10 female characters in all genres. 

Now it's time for some reviews and such of Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters, which includes my story, "With Bright Shining Faces", written as J.C. Koch. See what Fantasy Book Review and Mass Movement Magazine think of the anthology. Then head over to Delirium Tremens where you can get a sample of Ed Erdelac's story.

Now for something a little different. My critique partner's husband (Andrew Dovichi) is a cool game designer, and he, along with other hotshots in the gaming industry, was interviewed by Polygon in a really interesting article about checkpoints and why they're good, bad, and many times ugly.

Big reminder that I'll be at the Tucson Festival of Books March 15 and 16. It looks like all my panels will be on Saturday the 15th but that could change. I'll be signing at the Poisoned Pen's booth on Sunday (I believe), times to come. And you can find me all the rest of the time at the gigantic Valley of the Sun booth, #s 107, 108, 109, 118, 119, and 120. If you're anywhere near Tucson next weekend, don't miss this Festival or your chance to see the me!

Last but in no way least, the Gods of Random have chosen the winners of the Coastal Magic Con Contest. So, without further delay, but with a nice drum roll, a big whoo hoo of congrats, and some tossing of confetti, here they are:

U.S. Winner: Brenda Hyde

International Winner: Dawn Murphy

Winners, you have until this Sunday, March 9th, to send me an email confirming your win, with the US winner providing their full mailing address and the international winner providing both their email address and what eformat they would like to get their books in. If the prizes are not claimed by the due date, the Gods of Random will demand a sacrifice and choose another winner. Meaning you will be sad and someone else will be very happy.

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. Peace out my li'l gangstas, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Conning For Fun, Frolic, and Education

Happy Hump Day! Hope everyone had a great week last week, an even better weekend, and that this week is going swimmingly. Before and after DarkCon (which was made of awesome!) I've been busy with edits and related activities around Alien Collective, and getting Universal Alien started (Standard Operating Reminder: It's never, EVER, too early to pre-order!), but before I head off for the SDSU Writers' Conference, I wanted to catch you up on all that's been and is going on.

First off, I'm in a new Kickstarter campaign, UFO3 -- Unidentified Funny Objects 3. AND, as has become my standard, there are three tuckerizations up for grabs. (Note: at this time, not sure if this short is going to be in the Alien universe, the Alexander Outland universe, the Necropolis Enforcement Files universe, or an entirely standalone story. It may depend on whose names are used...) So check it out, and please support if you're able!

Speaking of DarkCon (I was earlier, trust me), it was incredibly fun. Probably the most fun I've had a con ever, and that's saying a lot. The Firefly vs. Dr. Who Smackdown and Evening Erotica/The Euphemism Game were highlights, but really, everything I did at DarkCon was fun, interesting, cool, or all three. And the end of con Pajama Party was DA BOMB. This con is only done once every other year, so I suggest making plans now to be here in 2016, because you'll be glad you did.

In addition to getting to panel with the wonderful Michael Stackpole, Marcy Rockwell, T.M. Williams, T.L. Smith, and Chris Swanson, I got to hang with some fantastic members of the Alien Collective, all in Very Good Standing -- Andrea and Duncan Rittschof, Hal and Dee Astell, Joseph Gaxiola and Edward Pulley, Brad Jensen, Javier, Rob Palsma, and, coming from very far away, Colette Chmiel, Missy Katano, Paul Sparks, Terry Lopez, and Betty Russell, plus many more who were both working and attending the con. Many thanks to Hal and Edward for their fantastic moderating, too! Made new friends, had a blast with old ones, got to snuggle up to Adrian Paul (who is NOT aging...seriously, this dude is clearly a vampire, and a hot, nice, charming one, at that), and generally had the best time. DarkCon for the win!

But don't just take my word for it. Check out More Geek Than Gay either via audio or YouTube for a full conference recap, complete with clips. These guys were taking care of my table during the con, so trust me, they have lots of scoop!

Speaking of audio things you may have missed, I was interviewed by the Blog Goddess last week. Check out the replay -- there were some great questions asked by the Goddess and from those phoning in.

Speaking of cons, it's not too late to get down to Daytona Beach February 6-9 for Coastal Magic. TONS of UF/PNR/SFR & other awesome authors will be there, including moi. If you want to go but missed the registration deadline, drop me a note -- I know a (legal) "back door" in for registration and we'll get you set up and all in! It's going to be tons of fun, including the Dress As Your Character party, where I will be, yes, going as Kitty.

Speaking of interviews, check out the latest one from the Nameless Zine featuring my BFF, awesome author Marsheila Rockwell.

Then, see what A Buckeye Girl Reads thought of Alien Research. And stop by and see what Larissa's Bookish Life chose as her favorite book covers of 2013.

Speaking again of cons, the Tucson Festival of Books is right around the corner, March 15-16. I've currently got 3 panels, 4 signings, and I'll be in the Arizona Dreamin' booth again all the rest of the time, so there will be a ton of chances to see the me there. It's the 4th largest book fair in the country, and brings in a fantastic number of authors, so be sure to make plans to attend!

More news is on the way once I get back from San Diego. Until then, enjoy the downward slide to the weekend, and let's be readers out there. Peace out my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini