The READ THIS! Book of the Month Announced Plus Other Things!

Happy May! The Mini Gini Con was great, and it was nice to be "home" for a week, too. But now I'm home for reals, and that means, you know, I get to actually write. (And there was much rejoicing.) Mother's Day is on the horizon, so here's wishing all those who've ever handled the Mom Job in any way a wonderful day filled with love. (Also, as a mention, books make wonderful gifts for the Mom Job doers in your life.) It's a short one this time, but we have the READ THIS! Book of the Month announced, which is the big deal, after all, as well as some interesting info about the next blue moon. So let's get to it, shall we? We shall!

It's Alive!

Spread the word: Aliens Like Use -- aka the book EVERYONE has been waiting for -- is large and in charge from Ginger Blue Publishing, as in, if you've somehow missed it, it's available right now! So, now's the time to get your copy from your distributor of choice:  Amazon -- ebook, trade paperback, and Hardback B&N.com -- ebook, trade paperback, and Trophy Hardback Kobo -- ebook Apple Books -- ebook  A reminder that reviews are hugely vital and if you enjoyed (or didn't) the bookie wookie (and any of the others) a review is the best way to show it!

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

Speaking of Reading Out Loud... Graphic Audio has renewed the contract for The Legend of Belladonna, Part 1: Natural Born Outlaws, by moi writing as A.E. Stanton. If you haven't grabbed this fantastic audiobook, don't delay, grab it today!

New Aloud Reading! Behold! The first Ginger Blue audiobook is A Cup of Joe by moi writing as Anita Ensal!

More New Aloud Reading! The second audiobook from Ginger Blue is The Disciple and Other Stories of the Paranormal by moi writing as Jemma Chase!

New Funny Aloud Reading! Random Musings from the Funny Girl is now available in audio! Listen while laughing!

READ THIS! A Book Club by Moi for All Y'all Welcome to READ THIS! A Book Club by Gini Koch. This is my chance to introduce you to some great authors that I love and know you will, too. Every month I'll spotlight a book and, even better...every month I'll host a live discussion with the author, that all y'all can join! I know, it's too happy to be true, but true it is!

May 2026 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for May 2026 is:  Surviving the Starways by Vincent Bek Gini's Take: The first book in an exciting, new SF adventure from a Book Club favorite! About the Author: Vincent Bek grew up in the Appalachian Mountains dreaming up stories while making trails through the woodlands. He has since been seduced by science and technology and now spends his days dreaming about where humanity's creativity will someday lead. Vincent has been writing for several decades in both the Fantasy and Science Fiction genres while working in the technology sector to pay the bills. Blessed with an amazing wife and two beautiful children, he is currently living happily in Pennsylvania and loves to hear from his readers. https://www.vincentbek.com/

May 2026 READ THIS! Author Q&A

So, you've read the READ THIS! selection and you want to share what you thought with the author, hang out with them and Gini, and generally talk books for an hour. Well, guess what? You can! The third Thursday of every month will be READ THIS! Author Q&A time. The event will be held utilizing Discord, and the invitation to Gini's READ THIS! room will come out in the week prior to the chat. And that's not all! Near the end of each Q&A session, we'll be doing a raffle and one lucky winner will get a copy of the next month's READ THIS! selection! (You must be present in the Q&A to win. Physical book prizes will be U.S. only. Ebook prizes will be worldwide.)

May's READ THIS! author Q&A  featuring author Vincent Bek will be on Thursday, May 21, 2026 from 9pm-10pm Eastern. Access to Discord is available worldwide, and everyone is invited to attend!

June's READ THIS! Selection   WE ARE DARK

The READ THIS! Selection for June 2026 is:  WE ARE DARK. Due to my travel schedule and my guest hosts' travel schedules, we are dark this June. We will see everyone in July with the next great reading selection!

Random Randomness This section is normally for Hook Me Up! Subscribers only, but it's pretty cool, so I'm sharing it with the Blog, too. (Want this kind of info monthly? Subscribe to Hook Me Up! from the bottom of most of the pages of my website.) We get two full moons this month. One, the Flower Moon, already happened on May 1st. But the other will happen on the 31st, the rare Blue Moon. See what EarthSky has to say about it!

So many bookie wookies, so much time to catch up on all of them while waiting for Aliens Like Them and the next READ THIS! selection. Check out my Bookstore for all the things!

That's it for today but, never fear, another Update, including the Discord Q&A chat invitation, will be arriving mid-month. 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, aka my Rabid Raccoons, and I'll catch you on the flip side! Love, Gini

Aliens Like Us is Here, the READ THIS! Author Q&A is THIS Thursday, and More!

The Mini Gini Con is Almost Here! Easter and Passover are over, Aliens Like Us has released (and there was much rejoicing), the Mini Gini Con is around the corner, and spring is fully here! Plus we have the READ THIS! Author Q&A THIS Thursday, and more, so let's get to it, shall we? We shall!

It's Alive! It’s not easy being a Woman of the Multiverse, but Kitty’s definitely the Megalomaniac Girl for the job. After a mad dash around the galaxy, saving the day in various important ways and expanding the Annocusal Empire left and right, all Kitty & Company want to do is go home. But that’s not in the particular hand they’ve been dealt... Amazon -- ebook, trade paperback, and Hardback B&N.com -- ebook, trade paperback, and Trophy Hardback Kobo -- ebook Apple Books -- ebook Speaking of being alive, Aliens Like Us has hit #1 in 3 categories at Amazon! So thank you to everyone who's bought the bookie wookie!

A Reminder About Bookie Wookies... All of these are available now from Ginger Blue Publishing and available at your preferred retailer. If you haven't grabbed these yet, now's the time!

Galactic War in the Steampunk Universe? Kitty's ready...sort of... Time for an impromptu galactic road trip. Don't worry, Kitty's driving...

Kitty vs. the PTA -- It's Clobberin' Time! When the Galaxy's Invading & It Doesn't Look Good, Who You Gonna Call? Kitty.

Fem-Bots & Androids & Superbeings Oh My. It's Kitty vs. the End of the World. Origin stories, side quests, alternative universes, and more!

Mastermind vs. Kitty & Company. Place Your Bets. Planets, Power Plays, and Pets. Kitty's Got This.

Double the Kitty. Double the Fun...and Mayhem. Kitty, and Nightcrawler, and Prince. Oh My!

Watch as it all gets real... What's the worth of one life?

You're invited to a party to die for! Welcome to the Belt...proceed with caution

The Jumping Game is on! Come for the scandal, stay for the explosions.

Welcome to Washington, check your Poofs at the door... The future looks utopian...until you look just a bit closer...

And baby makes...the bad guys rue the day they made Mama Kitty angry... Love, engagement, Poofs...and intergalactic war. What happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas...

More Kitty, and don't miss the gators! The Book That Started It All is alive again! Meet Kitty...all over again!

My first book of movie and TV reviews, and, as I may have mentioned a few times, it's an Amazon #1 bestseller, too! (Hey, a girl likes to share the coolness when she can!) The re-release of the first book in The Martian Alliance Chronicles. Things aren't what they seem when Princess Olivia of Andromeda jumps aboard a spaceship to escape a loveless marriage.

A group of mystery-solving grandmothers, a daring granddaughter, a surf bum, homeless men, and a mysterious stranger all involved in a series of brutal murders in a sleepy seaside town... The re-release of my first humor collection, now with bonus funny! Despite what you may have heard or believe, all the stories are true...well, almost all...

The story of the Old West's most notorious female outlaw, the infamous Belladonna. Available in Hardback, trade paperback, and ebook. Read the story that started it all... Stacey Weir didn't mean to become an amateur sleuth. But when her adoptive father's accused of murder, there was only one thing for her to do...

Friends to lovers romantic suspense set in and around New Orleans, now with an (extended) epilogue! (Re-release.) Mosaic post-apocalyptic novel set in the far future that's reverted to Old West ways, where love, friends, and family are what get you through.

A collection of paranormal tales, with new bonus stories and an introduction from the author of BITE CLUB. (Re-release.) A collection of all my humorous SF/F/P (non-Alien series) stories, together in one place for the first time!

April 2026 READ THIS! Author Q&A

March's READ THIS! Q&A featuring Author Joshua Palmatier will be on Thursday, April 16, 2025 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/GYpzD25JvW 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 May'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.)

April 2026 READ THIS! Selection

The READ THIS! Selection for April 2026 is:  Crystal Rebel by Joshua Palmatier Gini's Take: The tense, action-packed sequel, and second book in a great trilogy, from a master of epic fantasy. About the Author: Joshua Palmatier is a fantasy author with a PhD in Mathematics who also runs an SF&F small press called Zombies Need Brains. Yes, he's insane. Check out the complete "Crystal Cities" trilogy, out now!

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

The READ THIS! Selection for May 2026 is:        Surviving the Starways By Vincent Bek

It's time for the Second Official Mini Gini Con, April 24-26, in Phoenix, AZ! Friday, 4-24, 7-9pm: Reading from Aliens Like Us, Q&A, and autographing your bookie wookies.  Saturday, 4-25, 4-7pm: Meet & Greet, aka hang out and yap with moi, a Reading from Aliens Like Us, Q&A, and autographing your bookie wookies! I Sunday, 4-26, 4-6pm: Meet & Greet, aka hang out and yap with moi. I'll also autograph your bookie wookies! Space is extremely limited, so you have to register for what days you want to attend prior to the event. There is a deal for all 3 days, as well! I'll be giving away a copy of a book for each paid attendee (not copies of the Alien series, though, sorry). I'll also have some copies of Aliens Like Us to sell, too, but if you have your copies already, bring 'em, because my supplies will be limited.

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

Speaking of Reading Out Loud... Graphic Audio has renewed the contract for The Legend of Belladonna, Part 1: Natural Born Outlaws, by moi writing as A.E. Stanton. If you haven't grabbed this fantastic audiobook, don't delay, grab it today!

New Aloud Reading! Behold! The first Ginger Blue audiobook is A Cup of Joe by moi writing as Anita Ensal!

More New Aloud Reading! The second audiobook from Ginger Blue is The Disciple and Other Stories of the Paranormal by moi writing as Jemma Chase!

So many bookie wookies, so much time to catch up on all of them while waiting for Aliens Like Them and the next READ THIS! selection. Check out my Bookstore for all the things!

That's it for today, but, never fear, another Update, including details for the next READ THIS! selection, will be arriving in a couple of weeks! In the meantime, stay safe and healthy, remember we're all in this together, be kind to one another, give love and support to all those who are on the front lines in any capacity, hope this year continues to give all of you much joy and goodness, and let's be readers out there. Peace out, my li'l gangstas, aka my Rabid Raccoons, and I'll catch all y'all on the flip side! Love, Gini