Pre-Chicago Roundup

Hey there! Hope everyone had a great week last week, a wonderful weekend, and good Mondays. As a reminder, I'm heading to Chicago tomorrow and will be there and in the surrounding environs for a week, so it's unlikely I'll be doing another blog until sometime after I'm back, meaning in October. I know! How WILL you all survive? (Facebook, Twitter, realizing that I'll still check in faster than I did due to surgery, blah, blah, blah.)

But, exotic travel aside (hey, the Windy City is exotic as compared to Hell's Orientation Area), there's plenty going on to hold you all over until I return, so let's take a look at it, shall we? We shall!

First up, the Temporally Out of Order Kickstarter is going strong. There are plenty of great freebies and awards in a variety of support levels, so don't miss out on getting in on this anthology and all the free books and more. Also there are still tuckerizations available, including 2 of mine, so if you've ever wanted to be immortalized in my, or another author's, writings, now IS your time.

After you've checked out the Kickstarter, head on over to Beyond the Veil and see what cool author Jean Marie Ward has going on. Why am I highlighting Jean Marie? She's not only an awesome author, but she's also a stretch goal author for Temporally Out of Order. SF Signal also has a nice roundup of current Kickstarter anthologies available right now, including, of course, Temporally Out of Order. (Aha, see how it all ties together.)

Next up, see what Amazing Stories thought of Unidentified Funny Objects 3, particularly what they thought of my story in the anthology, "Live at the Scene". After that's whet your appetite, guess what? UFO3 is live at the scene in terms of being available in all eformats. And physical copies will be available October 1st! So if you missed out on the Kickstarter, you can still get the anthology now.

Then check out the 10 Webcomics i09 thinks would make great TV shows. In addition to some good ones, they list a great one -- Spacetrawler by my BFF, awesome author and artist Christopher Baldwin. Get introduced to a wide variety of cool comics out there for your reading pleasure and don't miss Spacetrawler!

IN PERSON UPDATES
I know, I just did this last week, but I already have more stuff to tell you about, so here we go!

CHICAGO AREA: September 25-30, 2014 -- Chicago area peeps, if you haven't let me know you're there yet, do so now. I'm setting up very impromptu stuff that I'll be letting you guys know about privately, so don't miss your (very rare) chance to see the me when I'm in your nape of the woods!

LOS ANGELES AREA: Thursday, November 6, 2014, 5pm -- mass signing for A Darke Phantastique anthology (signing as J.C. Koch), Mystery and Imagination & Bookfellows Bookstore, 238 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203  818-545-0206
NOTE: This bookstore doesn't carry my books (yet!) so if you're coming, bring any and all of the bookie wookies along to have them signed!

PHOENIX: Friday & Saturday, November 28 & 29, 2014 -- featured speaker at the MENSA RPG, Hilton Garden Inn, 4000 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85012

PHOENIX: December 2, 2014, 7pm -- Universal Alien Release Day Signing and Party! Come get your copy of Universal Alien and help celebrate Book 10's release in style, with cake, readings, games and prizes! The Poisoned Pen, 4014 N. Goldwater Blvd., #101, Scottsdale, AZ 85251  480-947-2974 

I think Book 10 deserves this car!

SAN DIEGO: December 6, 2014, 2pm -- Universal Alien Signing and Party! Come get your copy of Universal Alien and help celebrate Book 10's release in style! Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Ste. 302, San Diego, California 92111-1040  858-268-4747
NOTE: MG is moving and the location of this signing (and related activities) is subject to change therefore. But wherever MG is on Dec. 6th, so shall I be. :-D

LAS VEGAS AREA: December 13, 2014, time TBD -- Universal Alien Signing & Wycked Women Who Write Party! Come get your copy of Universal Alien and help celebrate Book 10's release by partying with some of the Wyked Women Who Write (moi, T.L. Smith, and Sharon Skinner) while we regale you with our writing awesomeness! Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 567 North Stephanie, Henderson, NV 89014  702-434-1533

SAN DIEGO: Friday-Sunday, January 23rd-25th, 2015 -- Faculty, San Diego State University Writer's Conference, San Diego Marriott Mission Valley, 8757 Rio San Diego Drive, San Diego, California 92108  619-692-3800

Well, that's it for today but, as always, more's on the way. But not until October (barring earth-shaking news which, as you know, I'll share with all y'all immediately if not sooner). So, get down with your bad selves while I'm gone, and let's be readers out there. Peace out, my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the far flip side!

Love,
Gini

Anthos for the Win!

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I did! I finished my X-Files story for the anthology...and now the longwinded that is moi must edit it down to fit. (So, you know, I'll be whining to my crit partner a lot over the next day or so.) But the new week's here, and with it, some cool stuff, so let's get to it! (And, for those of you wondering what went on with this post going haywire -- hey, it's a Monday...so forgive the bizarre spacing...it was 99% perfect, I tried to fix one tiny thing and now? Monday.) 

First up, as I mentioned last week, there's a new Kickstarter in town -- Temporally Out of Order and I'm in it, along with a host of other awesome authors. I'm also offering 3 tuckerizations (where you get to give me a name and I make a character in the story with it -- and while most kill their tuckers, I tend to become attached to mine and keep them alive), 1 of which is already gone. I'm ALSO offering free ebook specials for certain dollar pledges, so definitely check out Temporally Out of Order and get in on this Kickstarter now!

After you've checked that out, head on over to Two Gay Geeks where they've jumped on the Alien train and have reviewed Touched by an Alien. And remember that there's chances to win cool stuff over at Shooting Stars and Bad Guys, open through 9-17, and at Books-N-Kisses, open through 9-30.  

Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens, featuring my short story, "A Clockwork Alien", is available right now, so if you don't have your copies, get them today. Also, a reminder that you can preorder a variety of works right now as well: Universal Alien; Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets, featuring my short story, "All the Single Ladies"; The Madness of Cthulhu Vol. 1, featuring my short story, "Little Lady", written as J.C. Koch; A Darke Phantastique, featuring my short story, "Outsiders", written as J.C. Koch; and Unidentified Funny Objects 3, featuring my short story, "Live at the Scene". Preorders matter more and more to authors and publishers, so if you're planning to buy, please do your girl some major solids and preorder today!

In Person Update

I'll be in Chicago from 9-25 through 9-30. Trying to figure out a meet up, so if you're in Chicago or surrounding areas, let me know so you're on my list to contact when we finally figure out what we're doing. And yes, that includes signings. (Surgery sort of derailed good Chicago planning, so now we are on Seat of the Pants Chicago Planning, which is way more exciting. LOL)

I'll be a Featured Speaker at the Greater Phoenix MENSA RPG, so if you're in the Greater Phoenix Metro Area over Thanksgiving weekend, come on by and see the me!

I'm finalizing details for my December Book Tour, but I will definitely be at Mysterious Galaxy San Diego on December 6th, party starting at 2pm. And it will BE a party, with readings, games, and prizes, so make your plans to be there now!

In January 2015 I'll be teaching workshops at the San Diego State University Writer's Conference. This is a wonderful writer's con, loaded with successful authors, agents, and editors, so if you're only going to be able to go to one writer's conference, make this the one -- you'll be glad you did.

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So have wonderful weeks, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Yapping for the Win!

Hey there! Hope everyone's had a wonderful past couple of weeks. Yes, I'm kind of slow on the updates right now because I'm still recovering from surgery, but never fear, I'm always thinking of all of you, promise!
And so you can see how I'm thinking of you, head on over to Books-n-Kisses to check out the latest yap about writing AND a contest! Contest is open internationally, there will be not one, not two, but three winners, and it runs through the end of the month. There's lots of winning over at B-n-K, so check it all out while you're there!

After that, head over to awesome author T.L. Smith's page, Shooting Stars and Bad Guys. Why? She's at Hawaii Con right now and plans to bring back a lot of goodies, that you could win! Just tell her who you think are the best female science fiction authors and you'll be entered to win! Contest is open through Sept. 17th.

Speaking of awesome authors, and since I didn't really give all y'all much of a CopperCon recap, check out what Marsheila Rockwell and Sharon Skinner have to say about it, complete with pictures.

After that, check out what Pages of Forbidden Love thought of Alien Proliferation. After that, see what Piers Anthony -- YES, THAT PIERS ANTHONY -- thought of UFO3/Unidentified Funny Objects 3, which he's in along with moi and a host of other cool authors.

Next up, some science. CNET shares the awesomely cool news that astronomers have mapped our address within gigantic superclusters of galaxies. It's extremely cool to see this the way ACE, Algar, and the Superconsciousness Collective see it. It also kind of looks like the Tree of Life in the Thor movies and comics. Science = proving fiction every day!

Heading to the movies this weekend? Head over to Slice of SciFi and see what I thought of The November Man. Staying in and reading comics instead? Then hit It's Comic Book Day and check out my review of Big Trouble in Little China #1, which I got for the hubs at San Diego Comic-Con ('cause it's his favorite movie of all time and always makes my Top 10). And feel free to join in and share your thoughts on the movie or the comic, or anything else, over at both sites!

Have you gotten Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens yet? If not, why not? It's now available in trade paperback as well as on all eformats, and it features the first Alien series short I ever wrote, "A Clockwork Alien", plus other great stories from a bunch of cool authors.

And, last but not least, there's some exciting news coming next week, from Zombies Need Brains, aka the same folks who brought us Clockwork Universe. What is it, you ask? Why, a new Kickstarter anthology featuring yet another new story by moi. There will be prizes and extras galore, along with the opportunity to get tuckerized in my story, so don't miss out on supporting Temporally Out of Order Anthology (SF&F)! This Kickstarter should go live on Monday, September 15, so check early and often, because the tuckerizations and other cool extras tend to go quickly. And check out this beautiful cover artwork for the anthology by Justin Adams of Varia Studio.

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. Hope you all have wonderful 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

Schedules & Covers & Announcements, Oh My!

Happy Hump Day! Hope everyone's been having a great week. I sure am! The edits for Universal Alien are done and it's turned in to the awesome editor, and I have a fun weekend planned with my crit partner, who's visiting Hell's Orientation Area in the middle of the monsoon season because, um, I'm worth it. (Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking with it.) But there's lots going on, so let's get to it!

To start us out, it's official -- I'm going to be one of the authors in an upcoming X-Files anthology set, edited by Jonathan Maberry! There are just a TON of awesome authors included in this anthology set, and so far, there are 3 volumes planned, and I'll be in Vol. 3. Jonathan's shared the full list at Facebook if you want to peruse and see what other fave authors of yours are going to be a part of this. I'm really excited about being able to become a little part of the X-Files mythology, and while I can't say much about my story yet, I think it's safe to say that those of you who have a fondness for Gigantagator and Alliflash will enjoy it. ;-D

Another cool anthology I'm in, this one writing as J.C. Koch, is The Madness of Cthulhu Volume 1, edited by S.T. Joshi. This Lovecraftian anthology is coming October 7, 2014. But as we know, it's never too early to pre-order, so check out all the awesome authors in this with me and get your copy lined up today! I mean, did you check out the names on this cover? Look at them! (I'll wait.) SEE? It's a darned exciting anthology, this one, and your library won't be complete without it!

This will be one of three anthologies I'm in that are all coming out in October. In addition to The Madness of Cthulhu, I will also have a story in Unidentified Funny Objects 3, and Two Hundred and Twenty-One B Baker Streets. UFO 3 is edited by Alex Shvartsman and is filled with funny SF stories, and 221B is edited by David Moore and is filled with Sherlock Holmes stories set anywhere, any time, and anyhow, and both of them are made of awesome. And you can pre-order BOTH of them right now! I mean, why not be sure you have lots of fun things to read in October?

Also, lest you think that I'm only in these upcoming anthologies, I'm also in A Darke Phantastique, writing as J.C. Koch again. This another cool Lovecraftian and horror collection, edited by Jason Brock. The link is for the collector's edition, but there will be other editions coming down the line. And don't forget Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens, edited by Joshua Palmatier, and featuring "A Clockwork Alien". This one has been a little delayed, but should be out later this month.

After you've gazed at all these pretty covers, remember that the July issue of Penumbra eMagazine, featuring my next Alien series short, is on sale now. Don't miss out on "Mr. Dash Saves the World", and also don't miss out on the Gini Special, where you can get a full year's subscription for half price, plus the 2012 and 2013 Best Of issues. Use 2014Gini when you order to get the deal!

Next up, see what Larissa's Bookish Life chose as the top five book covers of the first half of 2014! And speaking of book covers, while I can't show it to all y'all yet, I've seen the final art for Universal Alien and Dan Dos Santos has done it yet again! The cover is GORGEOUS and I can't wait to share it with you the moment I'm allowed to!

Now it's time for my upcoming appearances schedule!

First up, San Diego Comic-Con! I'm there for the whole con, but here are my scheduled appearances:
Thursday, July 24 -- PANEL: World Building and Storytelling, Room 32AB, 7pm-8pm
Saturday, July 26 -- BOOK SIGNING, Mysterious Galaxy Booth #1119, 2:00pm - 2:30pm
Saturday, July 26 -- PANEL: Small Print 101 (Indie/Small Print Run Comics), Room 9, 8pm-9pm
Sunday, July 27 -- BOOK SIGNING, Penguin Booth #1028, 3:30-4:00 pm (Note: Penguin will be giving away 48 copies of Touched by an Alien -- you'll need to get tickets for that prior to the signing; I'll also be signing any other books anyone has with them.)

San Diego Peeps: Make sure to let me know if you'll be at SDCC so we can all meet up!

Saturday, August 2: I'll be signing at the Cosplay/Superhero Day at Dog-Eared Pages from 2pm-4pm.

Friday, August 22 through Sunday, August 24: CopperCon FANtasm. I'm one of the author guests and this is a great, intimate con, where you get to hang out with all the guests and talk all things geek all weekend.

Late September: I'll be in the Chicago area. Appearance dates to come.

Friday, November 28 and Saturday, November 29: Greater MENSA Regional Gathering, Phoenix Phiesta XXXII -- "Phifty Shades of Mensa", at the Hilton Garden Inn in Central Phoenix. I'll be presenting on both days and non-MENSA members are encouraged to attend (and take the MENSA test, too!)

Saturday, December 6: Mysterious Galaxy San Diego, time TBD. I'll be signing Universal Alien either alone or at the MG Holiday Party. Hey, it's months away...plans change, but not this date, 'cause it's set. I'll have details on the rest of my book tour in a few weeks (but Las Vegas, there's a really excellent chance that I will be in you in December...just sayin'...)

Amazingly enough, I think that's it for today. But, as always, more's on the way. So 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

Insert Witty Catching Up Title Here

Happy Monday! I know it's been a while (okay, like, um, about 2-3 weeks), but I'm back from Phoenix Comicon AND Universal Alien is done and turned in to the Awesome Editor! Meaning, I get to catch up on all the things, like updating all of you, that I had to let slide to get the bookie wookie in on time. And there's a LOT to catch you up on, so let's get to it, shall we? We shall!

First up, check out the great Table of Contents for Unidentified Funny Objects 3, courtesy of SF Signal featuring "Live at the Scene" by yours truly, moi. It's coming in October, but you can pre-order UFO3 right now! Hint, hint.

Speaking of pre-orders (we always are, trust me), it's never too late or too early to pre-order Universal Alien, coming to your bookstores December 2, 2014. You can also pre-order Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens at the Zombies Need Brains website (scroll down to find the book pre-order), featuring short story that started my writing short stories set in the Kittyverse.Yes, pre-orders matter, a lot, to publishers of all sizes, so pre-order often and early!

Next up, let's check out some reviews! See what Another Castle thought of Kaiju Rising (featuring "With Bright Shining Faces" from moi writing as J.C. Koch). Then see what Zwartraafje thought of Alien in the House. Check out what Gizmo's Reviews thinks are the 10 best books she's read so far in 2014. And last but not least, see what A Succubi's Tale thought of Hotter Than Hell by moi writing as Jemma Chase.

And now it's time for some science! Check out the news about a gigantic underground ocean, or, as I put it, see how Jules Verne was a reporter, not a novelist. Then watch the amazing time lapse video of a Stellar Explosion or, as I put it, see Sandy up close and personal. Then, once again proving my hard science fiction and Star Trek loving grandma right in that what man can imagine, man can create, check out the real life Enterprise that's set to take us where, um, no man has gone before (ACE allowing).

My San Diego Comic-Con schedule will be finalized soon, so keep the eyeballs peeled. See as many of you as possible there!

Have you made your plans to hit CopperConFANtasm August 22-24? You should, 'cause I'm an author guest and it's going to be a fun, intimate con. This is the con where you get to hang out with all the authors, artists, and scientists because that's just how it rolls.

Chicago Area Peeps -- I will be there at the end of September (25th-30th); book signing dates are (hopefully) getting set up, but if you're there, let me know so you can see the me and I can see the you! I am NOT in this part of the country very often (um, this would be the first time in at least 10 years), so if you're in the Greater Chicago Metro and Outlying Areas, this will likely be your only chance, so let's be sure to make it happen! And yes, if you have a local bookstore that wants me to do a signing during this time, let me know and we'll do what we can to make that happen.

More in-person announcements are coming, as well, so stay tuned!

And now, finally, it's time for my extremely belated Phoenix Comicon wrap-up. The con was wonderful and it was great to see so many of the Alien Collective out in force! I'd list everyone here, but there were a LOT of you, so just know that I loved seeing (and hugging) you all and cannot wait for the next time!

And speaking of "out in force"...we had almost 79,000 people attend. So, yeah, it was big, and it was great, too. But don't just take my word for it. See what Rissa Watkins thought of it, too. I got to have breakfast in the con's guest suite with two very nice guys who happened to be Billy Tucci and Mark Evanier. Mark in particular was extremely gracious and we had an interesting chat about editors and deadlines. He even stopped by my booth to tell me he'd enjoyed meeting me, and wrote about his con experiences as well at News From Me.

I got to panel and hang out with and at least say hi and give hugs to a ton of cool authors and some artists, and because this is already scary long I'm just going to do the roll call here: L.E. Modesitt, Jr.; Seanan McGuire; Jim Butcher; John Scalzi; Wesley Chu; Marsheila Rockwell; Jordan Summers; T.L. Smith; Patrick Rothfuss; Myke Cole; Amber Benson; Tom Leveen; Weston Ochse; Yvonne Navarro; David Lee Summers; Joe Nacisse; Leanne Renee Hieber; Kris Neri; Robert Elrod; Mike MacLean; Zachary Jernigan; Gilead; Ed Erdelac; Jaye Wells; and many more besides who I am forgetting because I have had to sleep, and had to write a lot, since then.

Everyone was awesome and I loved all my panels, but one of my favorite things was doing my impromptu Food with Fans event which I plan to make a "thing" and have happen every year, because it was so much fun this year and last year, too.

Sadly, I did NOT get to hang out with either Nathan Fillion, Stephen Amell, John Barrowman, Michael Rooker, or Carey Elwes. Because I was hella busy, that's why. Yes, all my friends have pics with Nathan or John or Stephen. I have pics with my fans, and I'm happy about that :-D. I DID, however, get to share an elevator with Danny Glover (that man is TALL) and walked by and spoke to John Rhys Davies (that man is TALL and HANDSOMER in person than on screen). I may have had other celebrity sightings or moments, but if I did, they're just moon dust now. Next year the con is May 28-31 -- don't miss it!

Finally...that's it for today. But, as always, more's on the way. So stay tuned, have a fantastic week, and let's be readers out there!

Love,
Gini

My Writing Process Blog Tour

Thanks to awesome author T.C. Blue who I met at Coastal Magic Con and bonded with over a wide variety of alcohols, I've been tagged into a gigantic Writing Process Blog Tour. As I've learned, T.C. can usually be found sitting in front of her computer, trying to wrangle rabid and numerous plot bunnies, though her muses insist that she not be too hard on the poor little fluffy things. (Poor little fluffy things with sharp teeth and claws, but whatever. Muses don’t seem to care much about the possible bloodshed if the bunnies think T.C.'s not writing quickly enough.) Clearly she's my kind of gal.

But, enough stalling, right? Of course right. So, here you go -- the questions and my answers.

1) What am I working on?
So many things at the same time. But mostly Book 10 of my Alien/Katherine "Kitty" Katt series, Universal Alien. And a variety of short stories for a variety of awesome anthologies & eZines, including 221 B Baker Streets, Penumbra eZine, Kaiju Rising II, UFO3, and more. And yes, yes, yes, Night Music and Alexander Outland: Space Avenger. (No, I never sleep.) And I'm prepping for Tucson Festival of Books, and the releases of Penumbra's May issue, Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens, and Alien Collective.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre? 
They're the best books ever written and a deal at twice the price!

No? Okay then. Mostly I differ from most science fiction because my books are funny, have a ton of action, and a lot of romance, and some of them (but not all) have extremely steamy sex.

3) Why do I write what I do? 
Because I have no choice. I try to write in all the genres -- and I do -- but at least 85% of the time it comes out as science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, or horror. I try to write seriously -- and I do -- but at least 75% of the time it comes out funny. So, I gave up and just accepted that I'm science fiction's funny girl and rolled on with the writing.

4) How does your writing process work?
Ah ha. Ahahaha. Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Um, I have no real process. I put on the right music (right now, as I write this, it's Panic! At the Disco, for example), I figure out my title, I write the first line...and when I get to the end...I stop. That's pretty much it. I edit as I go along. I'm an extreme linear writer and while I'll kind of outline short stories, I never outline novels. And I don't think that's ever going to change. Because if I know what happens, as in, I wrote down what happens, I don't care anymore. And I'm sure we don't want that, now, do we?

Up next week you'll get a dose of the same from these three awesome authors -- Marsheila Rockwell, T.M. Williams, and T.L. Smith. A little bit about the gals following me:  

Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell is the author of The Shard Axe series, the only official novels that tie into the popular MMORPG, Dungeons & Dragons Online. She also had two original short story/poetry collections published in 2013 and is currently hard at work on the second book in a trilogy based on an exciting comic book property created by one of the biggest names in fantasy today.  

T.M. Williams was born, 30 some odd years later she started writing and hasn't stopped since. She is the author of the Bohemian Grove trilogy; an ancient alien adventure, Undead Winter, and the Moonlight series. She is also a freelance business journalist, blogger extraordinaire, copywriter, and lover of cupcakes.

T.L. Smith writes Science Fiction, often from a military perspective, but with a touch of romance. Her insight into military culture came after a stint in the U.S. Air Force but the only vacuum her characters live in, is on the other side of the airlock. Come visit her vision of future worlds as we throw ourselves out into the universe.Their posts will go live on Monday, March 10th. So don't miss out on their answers to these questions!

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