New Interview!

As my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, there's a new interviewee in town, and it's me! Check out Mystic Visions (http://eposic.net/blog/) where they have an interview up with yours truly!

"Touched by an Alien" is popping up all over the web and the blogosphere. It's an exciting time and everyone loves my cover...'cause it rocks! Let me know where you find it -- every day it's somewhere new!

There's more coming here soon, too, so keep those eyeballs peeled! And read up on all that's already here on the site -- the upcoming contest is going to test your knowledge!

Love,
Gini

The Happening Update

The excitement just keeps on coming in "Touched by an Alien" land!

You can pre-order the book from either Amazon.com or Borders.com RIGHT NOW!

As any and all authors will tell you, pre-orders are a wonderful thing. So, do something wonderful and pre-order "Touched by an Alien"...right now! If you like action, adventure, romance and/or humor, "Touched by an Alien" is for you, and at the reasonable price of $7.99US/$9.99Canadian. Don't delay -- pre-order one of these puppies now. You'll be glad you did.

Hurry! Off you go. Don't wait. Order now. Operators are standing by. And so forth.

If you've missed seeing the cover (somehow), take a look at my Bookstore page and behold the beauty that is the artwork of Daniel Dos Santos.

And I'm heading to World Fantasy Con in San Jose, where I'll be meeting with my amazing editor, hanging with my awesome agent, and showing off my fabulous book cover. Oh, yeah, and mentioning that everyone there can pre-order "Touched by an Alien", too.

What can I say? A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. And I gotta tell people to pre-order.

Love,
Gini

The Creation Agent, Installment 3 is Live

As those on Hook Me Up! already know, the next installment of my online serialized novel, 'The Creation Agent', is up and live.

Check it out via my Expanded Universes page, and then let me know what you think on the blog.

Enjoy!

Love,
Gini

Pardon the Mess...

As some of you may have noticed, it's looking a little different around the blog and the website. True, not that much different, but different, nonetheless.

We're doing some updating and a few minor changes that are supposed to make it oh so much easier for loyal readers to stay tuned and see what they want to see (whatever that actually is).

A new Creation Agent installment is waiting breathlessly in the wings. Once the site's stable again (oh, in a day or two, relax) it'll go live. Those who are already on Hook Me Up! will know first, of course.

Maybe you should join Hook Me Up!, too so that you know the nanosecond there are new things to read and explore. Just send your email address to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line, and I'll add you onto my email blast.

In the meantime, enjoy watching things move around in strange and different manners for a while. Hey, I think it's kind of cool...

Love,
Gini

Walking Dead?

I need to find my resting pulse. Because, as near as I can tell, I've misplaced it somewhere.

See, I have to do this medical-type thing for work -- to get money. Believe me, that's the only reason why I go near medical anything. And part of the thing is that I have to figure out my resting pulse. Only...I can't find it.

I mean, I know how to find it. I know which fingers to use and where to press and everything. They even provide clear instructions with pictures. And unless you're supposed to press so hard you stop the flow of blood completely, I'm doing it right.

Only...no pulse. At all. And yet, here I am, talking, walking about, eating, sleeping, typing. All without a pulse.

So, my question is -- did I turn into an undead and just don't know it? And, if that's what's happened, how is it I missed all the fun stuff normally associated with this kind of transition?

I mean, no vampire swooped in, swept me off my feet, and proposed eternal life along with some serious necking. No werewolf panted up and humped my leg. I think someone would have mentioned if I'd gotten a love bite from a zombie, though the difference in the morning hours between me and a zombie is mostly skin tone. No ghostly visitations, no warlock waving his wand around, not even any witches hissing at me. I have no pulse and yet at the same time, no fun story to show for it, either.

Unlife's not fair, is it?

Love,
Gini

The Creation Agent, Installment 2 - Live

Alert for those of you not on Hook Me Up!

Installment 2 of my website-only serialized novel, "The Creation Agent" is up. Click on Expanded Universes and enjoy! And feel free to give comments and feedback on the blog.

Happy reading!

Love,
Gini

15 Minutes of Fame

Got to do something really fun the other night -- I got to lead a table topic at my RWA Chapter (Desert Rose) meeting. And no, it wasn’t on how to properly pick the right Aerosmith album to listen to while writing (though I could do that one in my sleep).

No, it was about networking at writing conferences.

And, before you scoff and snicker, I’m actually very good at it. It’s how I landed my most awesome agent. Well, I had good books, too, but I got in a strong position to share them with her by utilizing my networking skills.

It was great fun to share my experiences with the gals at my table. They had a lot of good questions, too, which is always great when you’re a speaker -- no one wants to present to the Silent Zombies. So, I had fun and got to impart some actual wisdom, so a good time had by all and all that.

Of course the real test isn’t how well it went with a group of writers who are already dedicated to the art and professionals in their own rights.

No, indeed. The real test is going to come next month. When I get to present to a full classroom…of high school students.

I'm sure it'll be fine. After all, to paraphrase my favorite line out of "Real Genius", the young folks love it when I get down with them verbally.

And maybe I can convince some of the nice gals who were at my table at the Desert Rose meeting to come with me as plants in the audience...hey, they were all fun and youthful, it could work...

-- Love, Gini

Hook Me Up With The Creation Agent

Here's the latest poop and scoop. I've got not one but TWO new things happening and all for YOU. (I'm such a giver, me.)

If you want to get the intimate, hear-it-first, hot-off-the-presses Gini info, then sign up for my 'Hook Me Up!' newsletter. Send an email to gini@ginikoch.com with "Hook Me Up!" in the subject line and you'll be added onto my blast email list, so you can be the first to find out what's going on in the World.

Additionally, for my beloved website readers, I'm starting an online, serialized novel, that you'll only find here. The first installment of "The Creation Agent" is up live, so head on over to Expanded Universes and check it out. Feel free to let me know what you think of it via the blog.

Love, Gini

Harsh Realities

One of the more interesting bits of information I picked up at the last conference I attended was the way the editorial process works for novels.

At some smaller houses, the editors have free reign -- they choose what they want and, if all goes well, go with it. They like your writing, they like your agent and trust his or her opinion, they think the book can sell, they buy it.

But at most of the bigger houses, it's decided by committee. So, the editor picks your book, likes it enough to champion, and then takes it to the full staff for review. The process varies a bit per house, but your book is going to need a variety of champions in order to make it to the acceptance phase.

There are pros and cons to each, of course. You know at the smaller house that if they like you, they're going for it, which is cool. You know at the bigger house that if they like you, someone fought persuasivly to ensure they ALL like you.

Either way, it helps explain in part why the process takes (to writers) so long. The editor at the smaller house, having full authority, is going to be VERY careful and really consider all the options before saying "it's for us." The editor at the bigger house is going to do that, too, because he or she is going to then have to fight for your book. Careful consideration is being given all along the way.

The positive? When you DO get the contract offer, it's nice to know it means that they like you...they really, really like you!

My World and Welcome To It

So, here it is, my first blog on my brand, spankin’ new website. Wahoo!

*cough*

So, I guess I’m supposed to say something all awesome and witty and interesting now, right? Ummm…

(crickets)

Dang.

Well, let’s just go with top of my head, semi-informative and see how it goes.

I’m a writer (yeah, okay, obviously, but it had to be said) and since I took the time to write a bio, I’m going to force you to find it to get all that bio-type stuff. It’s cleverly hidden on my Playlist page, since I’m far more into music than I’m into me.

My goal with the blog is to share some of the creative process, some of the business process, and some of the fun. I’d really love for you to make comments (though nasty for the sake of nasty ones will be taken down -- ex-boyfriends, you have been warned). My goal is also to blog on at least a semi-regular basis. I’d promise daily, but I know myself. So, let’s shoot for at least twice a week and as the mood strikes me and see how it goes.

Sounds like a plan, and I’m great with plans. We won’t talk about follow through at this precise moment…

Love,
Gini