November READ THIS! Author Q&A and More!

Happy Feast to Come!

It's almost Thanksgiving in the U.S. Thanksgiving is my fave holiday for a variety of reasons (none of them having to do with the Pilgrims), but the biggest one is that it's an official day to get together with friends and family and eat a lot of delicious goodies and not feel one bit of guilt about it. However you do or don't celebrate it, I still hope you have an abundance of all good things.

But before the Big Feast we have the READ THIS! Author Q&A, which is only a few days away, PLUS an abundance of more! So let's get right to it, shall we? We shall!

November 2021 READ THIS! Author Q&A November's READ THIS! author Q&A with Liana Brooks will be on Thursday, November 18, 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 December'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.)

November 2021 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for November 2021 is:  The Day Before By Liana Brooks Gini's Take: Clones, murder, and a twisty plot -- what more can you ask for from a SF Mystery? A rollicking ride and a book you can't put down, and this book delivers all of it. About the Author: Liana Brooks writes science fiction, fantasy, and romance for people who like fast ships, big guns, witty one-liners, and happy endings. She has lived almost everywhere in North America and currently resides in South Carolina. She is best known for her super villain romances starting with EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE and the enemies-to-lovers space opera series, Fleet of Malik. You can find Liana on the web at www.lianabrooks.com or on Twitter as @LianaBrooks.

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

The READ THIS! Selection for December 2021 is:  A Cup of Joe by Gini Koch writing as Anita Ensal

The Yap, the Yap, the Yap is on Fire! The Yap is large and in charge over at the Blasters and Blades Podcast. And when I say large, I mean it -- settle in for a long and wild ride wherein chaos reigns and I talk about everything and anything with the cool hosts and we go hella long. But long in a good way! So, take a listen and enjoy!

The Yap is also running over at TG Geeks with my yearly review of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Amazingly enough, there are those who haven't seen it yet. If you're among them, or if you want to see if you agree with moi, check out my review!

More Yapping! That's right, more yapping from me and other awesome authors over at ConTinual. The latest offering is Holidays Real and Imagined wherein I discuss the holiday I've created in the Alien Series among other things. And don't miss these other cool panels I've run the yap on: Breaking Down the Genres Economics in World Building Horror and Romance Sherlockian Mystery Sherlock Returns Christmas in July Holiday Short Reads Hot off the Press #54 Characters in the Public Domain Zombies! There's a whole lot more over at the ConTinual YouTube page, so browse around and get your panel fixes in!

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

Happenings This Week

Hey There!

I know I said no new blog until next month, but new stuff just went live, and I don't want all y'all to miss out!

New Stuff and Reminders of Other Fun Stuff Going On This Week All times shown are Eastern.   Staying in Touch with Gini Koch interview over at Ninetoes Loves Books (Printed interview, read at your leisure. Right now. Go read it right now. But at your right now leisure. And remember to peruse the site, because there's lots of cool stuff there, including more stuff with or about moi.) Wednesday, Feb. 17, 8:00-9:00pm, Russ's Rockin' Rollercoaster Pod/Vodcast with Q&A (Live event, don't miss out on seeing if my filters are working or not.) Thursday, Feb, 18, 9:00-10:00pm, READ THIS! Author Q&A with BotM author Liana Brooks (Live event, NOT RECORDED. Don't miss out on getting to ask questions of moi, our Author of the Month, and the other READ THIS! authors who are there hanging out.) That's it for today but, as always, 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

Lo

The Yap's All Over, Nov. READ THIS! Q&A, & More!

 Guess what time it is? That's right, it's Yappin' Time! There are a variety of ways to see, hear, and read about the me, starting with this week's READ THIS! Q&A and going on from there!

November 2020 READ THIS! Author Q&A

November's READ THIS! author Q&A with Elle E. Ire will be Thursday, November 19, 2020, 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/rnNBGfS 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, every attendee will be given a coupon code for a special purchase (see below). AND, one lucky winner will get December'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.)

November 2020 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for November 2020 is:  Threadbare by Elle E. Ire Gini's Take: SFR in a gritty, military setting, action that will make you keep turning the pages, and romance to root for. About the Author: Elle E. Ire writes science fiction and urban fantasy novels featuring kickass women who fall in love with each other. So far, these include VICIOUS CIRCLE (2015/2020), and the STORM FRONTS trilogy: THREADBARE (2019), PATCHWORK (2020), and WOVEN (2020). When she isn’t writing, Elle enjoys getting into her characters’ minds by taking shooting lessons, participating in interactive theatrical experiences, paying to be kidnapped “just for the fun and feel of it,” and attempting numerous escape rooms.

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

The READ THIS! Selection for December 2020 is:  Plush Life by Gini Koch

It's Episode 300 of the TG Geeks podcast and guess who's the guest star? That's right, moi! I've had the great honor of being Podcast Interview #1 and getting to be the Milestone Guest of this cool and fun and all things geek podcast, and I look forward to many more milestones! Check it out and join in the fun of seeing where my mind takes us!

The Yap is large and in charge in an interview with ShoutOut Atlanta! Take a look and have a read and find out more things about moi! That's it for today but, never fear, another Update, including more info about the December 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 some of you at the Q&A and all of you on the flip side! Love, Gini

It's All About the Book

Happy Friday! Wowza, hearing from me twice in a week. I know, it's shocking, right? It's like the old days of, you know, last year. But today it's a short and sweet one, so let's get to it so we can all get to the weekend!

The yap is large and in charge over at Tome Tender where not only am I sharing three never-before-revealed things about moi, but there's also a chance to win your choice of one of the first ten books in the Alien series (Touched by an Alien, Alien Tango, Alien in the Family, Alien Proliferation, Alien Diplomacy, Alien vs. Alien, Alien in the House, Alien Research, Alien Collective, or Universal Alien). And of course it's open internationally. Contest runs through May 4th, so get your entries in today!

And why is this happening? Leading up to the release of Alien Separation on May 5th, of course! And, to see what's coming -- and why RT Book Reviews made Alien Separation a Top Pick -- check out the review of said bookie wookie over at Larissa's Bookish Life.

After that, check out the headers (look up) all over the website, including Newsy Stuff that has new, um, newsy stuff. There's also a new Playlist to check out as well. And, while you're at it, hit Deathless Prose where the prologue and first chapter of Alien Separation are there for your reading pleasure and enticement.

BTW, I hear tell that a Hook Me Up! exclusive contest is on the horizon. Not on Hook Me Up! yet? Now's the time. Just send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line and you'll be in with the in-crowd and all set for the winning.

That's it for today, but as always, more's on the way. So enjoy the downward 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

More Collective Yapping

Hey there! Have we all been enjoying release week? I have, in part because so many of you are enjoying Alien Collective! But there's more in store, and it's a short but very sweet one today, so let's get to it!

First off, head over to I Smell Sheep where they have both a review of Alien Collective and a chance for you to win your choice of one of the first 8 books in the series.

Then hit Under the Covers where they have the latest running of my yap and yet another chance to win. I know, it's too happy to be true!

There's a special prize available, at this stop as well as at Bibliognome (contest ends May 15); Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell (contest ends May 18); Gizmo's Reviews; A Buckeye Girl Reads (contest ends May 12); and boeklogboek (contest ends May 14) but it's for my Hook Me Up! Subscribers only. Not on? Perhaps now's the time to rectify that mistake. Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line and you'll be in and sent the special instructions!

That's it for today, but, yet again, more's on the way! So, peace out my li'l gangstas, and let's be winning readers out there!

Love,
Gini

Spotlight: Erin Kellison

As promised, we have a special treat for you today. The ever-awesome Erin Kellison has dropped by to share with us!

For those who might not know who she is, Erin Kellison is the author of the dark fantasy romance Shadow, Shadow Touch, and Shadow Kissed series. Stories have always been a central part of Erin's life. She attempted her first book in sixth grade, a dark fantasy adventure, and she still has those early hand-written chapters. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English Language and Literature and went on for a masters in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on oral storytelling. When she had children, nothing scared her anymore, so her focus shifted to writing fiction. For excerpts, newsletter, and giveaways, go to www.ErinKellison.com.

Erin, thank you for taking the time to answer some questions. My readers, and my website, appreciate!

GK:  What prompted you to become a writer? Was it voices in your head, a burning desire to tell a story, or just too creative for your own bad self?
EK: Probably all of the above J. Writing has been a passion of mine since I was a kid. I asked for a typewriter for Christmas when I was in fourth grade. I don’t think I got much further than typing the title, but stories have always been part of my life. I always have one going on in my head, and have been known to make them up about strangers I see at stoplights or at adjacent tables in restaurants.  After I had kids I got serious about writing.

GK: What was the first book or piece that you wrote and why? Is it published, being shopped, on the shelf waiting for you to get back to it, or in a heap of ashes at the bottom of the fireplace?
EK: I’ve written a million bits and pieces over the years that are mostly in a trash heap somewhere. I wrote a crime thriller novel with my sister, unpublished. It taught me how to write a novel – it was the first thing I’d ever written that was longer than a few chapters. The first full-length book I wrote myself was also my debut novel, Shadow Bound.

GK: Wow. My first novel that I wrote...was not my debut novel. Or even close to my debut novel...*makes awed face* Moving on! Give us a funny story about writing your latest release. It’s okay if your funny story involves a nervous breakdown as the deadline loomed, btw. I like to relate to my guests.
EK: I was happily working away on Shadow Hunt, my latest release in my Shadow Touch Novella series, making good progress, feeling the story, hitting my writing stride, when I was suddenly thrust into Hell. One night I got crazy sick and was in some serious pain. I went to the ER, absolutely certain I had food poisoning. I wanted the pain to stop. Drugs, please. I have a habit of self-diagnosing, so I told the doctor what I was sure I had, which she promptly disregarded. I always find disregarding my internet-based diagnoses so frustrating, though my track record is not good (two years ago, my “ulcer” was really appendicitis—thank you, Dr. Cheng, for insisting on those tests). Anyway, I had to have my gall bladder removed, so I was pretty far off on the food poisoning.

GK: OMG! So glad you're okay...and that your doctor doesn't listen to you, LOL. So, what’s your most and least favorite things about being an author?
EK: My most favorite part is telling a story. When the writing is coming fast and easy and I’m in the zone, there’s nothing better. My least favorite part is (pick one): stressing over deadlines, the moments where I realize I have to delete entire passages that I’ve worked on for days because they just don’t work, etc.

GK: Yeah, that deleting entire passages thing is not my fave, either. Now, for the biggie. What’s one fact about you that someone who didn’t know you well or hasn’t read this blog wouldn’t know? Make it juicy -- my readers expect.
EK: I love to people-watch and eavesdrop on people when I’m out in public.

GK: So, Eavesdropping Author, can we have an excerpt?
EK: Yes, this excerpt is from Shadow Hunt, part three in my Shadow Touch Novella series:

   Marcie rinsed her chef's knife in the kitchen sink of the Segue Institute, and in a flash of overhead light on the long triangle of steel, she caught the brief reflection of an unfamiliar brown-haired man watching her from the doorway. Something about the tilt of his head signaled stealth and menace. She knew and cooked for everyone at Segue, so…
   Intruder.
   Fear thinned her breath, but her heartbeat didn't jolt, thanks to the beta blockers she was taking for her high blood pressure. She kept her hands steady, gripping the wet handle of the blade in her right.
   She forced herself to turn, the knife uplifted. Drops of rapidly cooling water slid down her arm to amp her spook-born goose bumps.
   She glanced around the kitchen—stainless walk-in fridge, island stacked with clean dishes to put away, double-wide dishwasher open to her left. The corners and cubbies of the kitchen were dark, while the air smelled soapy and water fresh.
   There was no one there.
   Which, after so many years of working there, she knew that meant she had to look harder.
   The Segue Institute was the preeminent research organization for all things paranormal and it was housed in a haunted, renovated turn-of-the-century hotel. The place was supposedly loaded with what the scientists there called Shadow, capital S, a scary word for magic. Dark magic.
   What she'd learned from all their research, however, was to trust the skittish hairs on the back of her neck. And right now they were tingling with a message of imminent danger.
   She reached back and tagged the panic button under the counter and primed herself for the wait. Steam rose from the sink to dampen the back of her T-shirt.
   Everyone either had retired for the night or was downstairs on the research level in a supersecret meeting—not so secret if she knew about it. They might as well have had the meeting in the kitchen, because if she lived through this, she would know the details in bits and pieces by the end of tomorrow anyway. And if she died, she'd take the secrets with her.
   She giggled a little hysterically, then went for an old-fashioned, "Who's there?"
   He wasn't a ghost or a wraith. A ghost, like that mean, hollow-eyed girl who haunted Segue, could scare her but couldn't do much else. And a wraith would've killed her already and eaten her soul. The intruder wasn't beautiful like the angels who'd been in and out of Segue this last year. And the fae were trapped in Twilight.
   Which left something new. Goody. She got to be today's ambassador to the paranormal.
   "Just so you know," Marcie said to the kitchen, "I'm using you for a raise."
   Most of the staff were required to do some defensive training; she was required to feed them. But she was proud of her fast and even chopping skills, had her tool of choice in hand—the only knife a chef needs really—and was prepared to use it, even if she had to flail into open air.
   She held her breath to listen for the slightest movement. Felt something cold … there.
   She struck out as an unearthly light shimmered into sight on the other side of the island. A little girl in gold ringlets and a pinafore appeared out of nowhere, ultrareal yet otherworldly. Segue's ghost. Her eyes were hollow, and her expression was contorted with rage. Behind her face lurked another, that of a grown woman, bitter and violent. Darkness was etched around her as if she were punched out of time.
   "This is my place!" the girl shrieked in the direction of the lasagna dishes on the island.
   The ghost's anger blasted through the air like ripples on water, and for a moment, the intruder was revealed. A man, on the thin side. Average height. He'd recoiled at the ghost's appearance, then glanced at Marcie, and she frowned at his black eyes. Oh. You're one of those. He was clutching a black dagger, ready to kill. And he was now standing close enough to strike.

GK: Oooh, love it! So, what's next for you?
EK: Up next for me is Hotter On The Edge, a sci-fi romance anthology. For excerpts, buy links, and details, visit www.HotterOnTheEdge.com.

GK: Erin, thanks for being here today! And thank you also for your contest, which is open internationally.

Erin will be giving away one e-copy to one lucky commenter, winner's choice of the books at her website, so check out all the prize options and then answer this: What's your favorite thing about shadows?

Contest will run through Wednesday, March 6th. Winner will be announced Thursday, March 7th. Winner will have until Monday, March 11th to respond via email to gini@ginikoch.com with full name, email address, book selected, and requested e-format. If the winner does not reply by the 11th, the Gods of Random will snatch back the prize and demand a new sacrifice.

Spotlight: Carolyn Crane

As promised, we have a treat for you today -- that's right, we're bringing Spotlight, and sexy, back! Awesome author Carolyn Crane is here today to talk about her newest release, Mr. Real, Code of Shadows #1, AND do a giveaway! I know, it's too happy to be true!

For those who may not know, Carolyn Crane is the author of the Disillusionists trilogy and assorted novellas. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two cats, and works a day job as a freelance writer. During rare moments when she’s not at her computer, she can be found reading in bed, running, or helping animals. She's also hella fun. So, welcome, Carolyn, and thanks for taking the Spotlight!

CC: Hey, thanks so, so much for having me here!! 

GK: What prompted you to become a writer? Was it voices in your head, a burning desire to tell a story, or just too creative for your own bad self? 

CC: You know, I just love working on stories, and kind of wrestling and tussling with them. Sometimes I hate it, or I’m not in the mood, but when I don’t do it, I feel all sludgy and barely human. So I keep on. 

GK: What was the first book or piece that you wrote and why? Is it published, being shopped, on the shelf waiting for you to get back to it, or in a heap of ashes at the bottom of the fireplace? 

CC: My first book, a full novel written entirely in seven super gossipy letters from seven officemates to be placed in a time capsule, will never see the light of day. I know that must be so shocking. Please, take a moment to recover!! 

GK: No way. I can't believe it. At all. That never happens to any of us, ever. ;-D 

CC: The second or third books I wrote will also never see the light of day. They live in my computer in a dark, dark hole!! 

GK: So, so far, you're a normal writer. Well, as normal as we get. Give us a funny story about writing your latest release. It’s okay if your funny story involves a nervous breakdown as the deadline loomed, btw. I like to relate to my guests. 

CC: OMG, doing a full book on my own was completely harrowing. I had ten nervous breakdowns, seriously. The learning curve was so intense. I made so many mistakes. I had three different covers made! I think my husband nearly had me committed by the third one. Okay, funny, funny. Here’s one thing: I got to use this punctuation?!  I so always wanted to. Would that ever be allowed in a NY pubbed book? No. But I find it a very meaningful form of punctuation. 

GK: It's the little things you treasure. What’s your most and least favorite things about being an author? 

CC: I really love when a story is coming together, sort of hitting its stride and it feels suddenly like its own awesome and fiery little universe of characters. Usually on a later draft. My least favorite thing is how organized and detail oriented you have to be about the business and promo side of it. I was that kid with mismatched socks and dirt in her desk, staring out the window. I so suck at details. 

GK: Aww, you weren't alone, trust me. What’s one fact about you that someone who didn’t know you well or hasn’t read this blog wouldn’t know? Make it juicy -- my readers expect. 

CC: I am frequently wracked by guilt. I think everybody has their go-to bad emotion, and I’m totally in the guilt camp. I can be wracked by guilt for days for wronging a person. It really affects me poorly when people are mad at me over the Internet. I can easily let myself get haunted by things I’ve done. When the Disillusionist trilogy was coming out, I was petrified that there would be this whole subset of people who’d lost loved ones to aneurysms, or like, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and think I was making fun of them with my fake diseases, and making light of disease. This had occurred to me only after I wrote it, and it sort of haunted me. Okay, now I probably sound crazy! Stop this interview! Gini! You stop laughing! Put away the popcorn!!   

GK: Not to worry. My go-to emotion IS worry, so you don't have to. Believe me, I can relate to taking an emotion to ridiculous heights for no good reason at all, and welcome to the Writer Girls Neuroses Club! We have cookies! And booze. So, while you're getting a drink and a box of Thin Mints, can we get a description of and a short excerpt from Mr. Real? 

CC: Sure!

From the back cover:

The woman of his dreams…with the secret agent of his nightmares

Alix Gordon is a woman who doesn’t take life too seriously. What’s the fun in that? So when she stumbles across occult software that can bring any computer image to life, she conjures up lots of awesome outfits and accessories. And then, on one drunken, horny night, she conjures up Sir Kendall, the sexy TV ad spy . . . who looks exactly like Paul Reinhardt, the hot martial arts teacher who kicked her out of class a few years ago.

Fighter Paul Reinhardt has good reason to hate Sir Kendall, the character he brought to life to land a part in a TV ad; he’d do anything to forget him. A cross country road trip seems just the thing . . . until Paul finds himself inexplicably drawn to Minnesota and is shocked to discover Sir Kendall – in the flesh – with the girl he’d once loved from afar. He barges into Alix and Sir Kendall’s love nest, determined to stop the madness – somehow.

But is super spy Sir Kendall transforming into something more dangerous anyone can imagine? And what will Sir Kendall do when Paul and Alix finally give into their mad lust for each other?

Excerpt from Mr. Real

Sir Kendall was so much more than a TV spy, so much more than the Denali man. He was the ultimate dark stranger in a tuxedo, a magnificent male animal whose blue eyes twinkled with secrets as he lingered in dark doorways, always just back from some exotic place. Sir Kendall exuded a predatory charm; his sense of entitlement was arrogant, and slightly humorous—you would give him exactly what he wanted, and you would give it breathlessly. And you knew that giving Sir Kendall exactly what he wanted would be an unforgettable experience.
 

And that’s when it hit her: A sexy visit from Sir Kendall…it was totally within her reach now!

GK: I've had the pleasure of reading Mr. Real, and I can tell you, it's totally fun and totally sexy. And one of you gets to totally win a copy! Check it out below. Carolyn, thanks so much for being here and relaunching Spotlight! Anything you want to say to the readers? 

CC: Hey, thanks so much for stopping by! And Gini, thanks for having me. Leave it to another writer to ask the crazy questions. 

GK: Hmmm...I may have to TAKE OFFENSE at that. (Heh. She's gonna be sending me chocolate for DAYS now. ;-D) So, while I haze the newest member of the Writer Girls Neuroses Club, let's find out what all y'all need to do to win.

Carolyn is giving away one (1) ebook copy of Mr. Real, to one (1) commenter chosen by the Gods of Random. Yes, this is open internationally. You have until Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, to comment in order to be entered to win. Winner will be announced the week of Nov. 19th; winner will have a week to reply before the Gods of Random demand a new sacrifice and that a new winner be chosen.

In order to actually GET the prize, you must: 1) Leave a name by which we may call you and to which you will answer; 2) Provide a working email address that we can send the prize to; and 3) Answer this question -- If YOU had the power, what character would you choose to make come to life?