Monday, 5 May 2014

Review, Interview and Giveaway: Gini Koch Alien collective extravaganza

Despite not having run for office, nor wanting to remain in office, Representative Jeff Martini is being wooed as the vice presidential running mate for a charismatic senator who seems likely to win the campaign. While the Diplomatic Corps has to deal with the pressures of a political campaign sure to uncover secrets they don’t want shared with the world, Ambassador Kitty Katt-Martini has other worries—handling the reemergence of her most potent nemesis, thought dead and buried.

My thoughts:
Lots of thinking going on in this one, slowly trying to figure it all out. Who are all the enemies? Who is the mastermind? Oh the riddles.

Right, Martini is running for VP. Kitty is trying to hold it all together, figure out who is attacking them and save the day (and the world).

The baddies are still bad, and they keep crawling out from under rocks. But maybe this is all now, the master plan is in motion and perhaps we will get a conclusion soon...or not as more books are coming (goes to check the blurb for book 10, omg it sounds awesome!). But that is the next book, which I totally want at once now.

Anyway, action! Poofs! Dogs! Those damn Ronnie's kids! Smooching with her honey, figuring stuff out.

There have been 9 books, I have pretty much said it all by now ;)

Conclusion:
Fun series, with the coolest heroine around

Cover
Cool

Paperback, 544 pages
Expected publication: May 6th 2014 by DAW
Katherine "Kitty" Katt #9
Sci-fi
For review

And now on to the interview and awesome giveaway!!

1. Tell me 3 weird things about yourself?
Wow. Um, 3, huh? Okay, here goes…

1. I’m extremely shy and also extremely extroverted and I love public speaking. Meaning I’m often really stressed in groups but no one knows it. However, if I get to run my yap I tend to feel comfortable.
2. I really have a pen/pencil/writing implement hoarding problem. I currently have more pens, pencils, and markers than I can probably use up in my lifetime and yet I will still get more because…pens! You can’t have too many! At least not if you’re me…
3. Similarly to pens, I really have a “thing” for luggage and always have. I’ve sort of sublimated that into purses (mostly because the hubs refuses to have enough luggage to service the needs of the entire state) but I literally have to be dragged away from or out of luggage stores. And don’t ask me how many purses I have strewn about the Casa, either…

2. How do you manage to be so funny in your books? ;)

LOL, I’m a funny person naturally, and that translates in. I also work at the craft of it, much like you would if you were doing standup comedy. Chris Rock doesn’t just waltz on stage and wing it. He practices and hones his jokes, his delivery, his timing. It’s the same thing for writing. And, if it doesn’t make me laugh, it doesn’t get in, and if I don’t laugh the 10th read through, it doesn’t stay in.

3. How many more Alien books are there to come?
Right now I’m contracted through Book 13, but am hoping to get to 16-20. Frankly, the characters feel that they’re nowhere close to retirement age and that they’ll be having adventures for a long time to come, so here’s hoping. :-D

4. In your latest book, Martini is running for VP. How would our world react to an alien VP?
Sadly, probably more like Club 51 than what we’d all like. It seems that, regardless of how beloved someone is when they’re a candidate, the moment they win they’re attacked from all sides. I expect it would be the same, and potentially worse, for an alien. That’s if it was a benign alien, of course. If it was an evil dictator alien, I imagine we’d be busy reacting by being enslaved, eaten, destroyed, or planning our rebellions.

Giveaway
Giveaway is winner's choice of one of the first 8 books of the series (Touched through Research), along with postcards and magnets. 

1. Open internationally.
2. Ends May 18th
3. Just enter :D




Author Bio
Gini Koch lives in Hell’s Orientation Area (aka Phoenix, AZ), works her butt off (sadly, not literally) by day, and writes by night with the rest of the beautiful people. She writes the fast, fresh and funny Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books, the Necropolis Enforcement Files series, and the Martian Alliance Chronicles series for Musa Publishing. As G.J. Koch she writes the Alexander Outland series. She also writes under a variety of other pen names including Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch. She speaks frequently on what it takes to become a successful author and other aspects of writing and the publishing business. She is also the Lead Editor at Raphael’s Village, an online, nonpaying ’zine. Because she wasn’t busy enough, Gini’s added on featured guest columnist, reviewer, and webcaster for Slice of SciFi and It’s Comic Book Day. She can be reached through her website at www.ginikoch.com.

53 comments:

  1. I have some serious catching up to do on this series! I'm still back at book 3 which is just unacceptable. Glad to know she's contracted for 13 books and fingers crossed we get those 16-20!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is so unacceptable! ;) Lol, hopefully you will catch up soon

      Delete
  2. I'm almost up to date with my reading of the series. I just need to read the latest one to be all caught up. I'd to win a book of my choice to add to my collection (and yes I have friends who'd help me bury the body). I hope I'm the lucky winner.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just an update, my local Queens County library has 6 copies in progress and I'm #2 on the list to borrow one. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

      Delete
    2. WohooO! Hopefully soon then

      Delete
  3. I love this series!
    I need more books so I can make my friends addicted as well ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the interview.... And the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Almost all of my bloggy BFFs have read this series and absolutely LOVE it. I'll admit to being curious, but I'm still not sure about the whole alien aspect. You're kinda enticing me though with your whole "coolest heroine around" speal, so I'll enter the giveaway. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The whole alien thing is AWESOME: I am in love with Martini

      Delete
  6. i never have enough of kitty so i can't wait until i get alien collective*finger crossed* it's really funny and i enjoy reading it.
    thank you a lot for this giveaway and the interview.... i must said that i quite share the love of pens... i haven't accumulated enough as of yet but it's on teh way^^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love pens too, I was at a fair recently and got a few freebies, yay

      Delete
  7. She does sound like a great heroine that I would enjoy. Not entering giveaway now, just stopping by

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think I heard that they are on audio now

    ReplyDelete
  9. Okay, no one else enter this giveaway. I SO need to win. This is a great giveaway and B has me wanting this series every time she reviews a book. Also, wish I would love public speaking. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love the hoarding! Mine tends to be anything I "think" I'll repurpose "eventually," books, eye-catching clothes, and beads for DIY jewelry. Love you, Gini! bookwormpov (at) gmail (dot) com ----> Currently, Amazon Top Reviewer #4,792

    ReplyDelete
  11. My husband loves pens..LOL This series sounds like fun, and is new to me, so thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love, love, love this series and I can't wait to read Alien Collective! :D

    ReplyDelete
  13. This sounds like a great book series. I'd love to win book 1. Best to start at the beginning.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Read each book at least twice. Hard to pick a favorite. Even tougher to pick a favorite scene.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I've seen so many praising reviews for this series and I'm ashamed to say I haven't read them, but they sound fun! :) Now I'm just thinking how I'm going to fit in a ("hypothetical") 20-book series into my reading schedule. :D

    ReplyDelete
  16. OMG sign me up! I have been wanting to read these books for forever! They sound like so much freaking fun and she has such kick ass covers. I was lucky enough to meet her at WorldCon last year and I ADORE her pink cowboy hat she was even wearing it there.

    I can't believe she is really hoping to go all the way to 20 books in the series! That is a lot of story to keep up on! I think I have book one so I'll have to verify if I actually happen to win LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is sure a lot. I know the feeling of catching up

      Delete
  17. love this series!!! Thanks for such a fun interview! can't wait to get my hands on this newest!

    ReplyDelete
  18. love this series and man I missed seeing Gini live and in person at Coastal Magic but with my sister passing I had to miss it. Oh well maybe next year oor some other time.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh man, sign me up for the giveaway. I've been curious about these books for ages!

    ~Mogsy

    ReplyDelete
  20. I loved all the books I read in the series but I'm still behind I confess, I think I need to read book 3 or 4. But well I have it.

    ReplyDelete
  21. This series sounds utterly spectacular!! I am without a doubt going to be adding Gini Kotch's books to my reading lists!!

    I would also love to be entered for the AMAZING giveaway.

    My email is - lfountain1(at)hotmail(dot)co(dot)uk

    Thank you x

    ReplyDelete
  22. *my bad* this is a series I've been meaning to start ... thanks for giveaway, please count me in!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Great interview! I really need to try this series (b/c ALIENS).

    ReplyDelete
  24. I always enjoy looking at the evolution of Kitty in the covers. Glad you are still enjoying it after so many books.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wow I need to catch up on this series, it sounds amazing! Glad to hear there's a healthy dose of humor. I agree, if we had an alien VP I think there would be a lot of attacking from all sides. Politics is already like a cage match, and it'd be even worse for an alien. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Love this series, always been one of my favorites. It such a great mix of humor, romance and action. Can't wait to read this one and hope she gets contracted for more. I need more Martini.

    fsteph55(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Glad to see I'm not the only one who needs to catch up.

    Need to quit my job.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  28. I don't know why I stop reading this series. I need to get up to date.
    I also have a pen and purse addiction and let's not forget shoes... a woman can never have enough shoes and purses, and pens, and... :)
    Great interview.

    ReplyDelete
  29. this series looks awesome, I so wanna meet kitty

    ReplyDelete
  30. I feel yah about pens. I used to have a hoarding problem with colored gel pens and metallic markers

    ReplyDelete
  31. Wonderful interview. Then, you're always wondeful daaarling! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  32. OOOOOOH you gotta love riddles. lol.
    Awesome interview - like usual ;D

    ReplyDelete
  33. I totally understand Gini's shy/extroverted thing. I'm the same way privately and publicly.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I haven't read any of the series, but it sounds great. Will put them on my list. Thanks for having the giveaway.

    ayancey1974(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  35. I have got to start this series! It sounds so good!!!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I've been meaning to start this series. I just absolutely love the entire cover theme =)

    ReplyDelete
  37. 16-20! I love the way you think Gini!!! Here's hoping for book 20 as well!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I agree with your review B, and I love the interview questions. Gini, if you ever come to Europe, we will not only provide you with all kinds of delicious foods, but also with enough pens to sign all our books!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Oh, I love this series! I'm a bit behind, but Kitty's always a favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  40. I love this series, not sure which one is my favorite. "Touched by an Alien" (the first book) had the most impact on me, but maybe because it was the first?
    It's also interesting that it reads/feels different in paper vs. ebook.

    ReplyDelete
  41. This is my favorite series of books, can't get enough.

    ReplyDelete
  42. winner Melissa books and things

    ReplyDelete