Interview and giveaway: G.J.Koch and Alexander Outland

This interview is a bit late, an email that got lost, but here it finally is. My interview with G.J.Koch. There is also a contest open to all. So read and enter.

Welcome!

1. Hello there, G.J.Koch J Could you tell me a bit about yourself (and all you’re alter egos).
I write science fiction. Not the hard stuff, though. Because that requires actual scientific knowledge or at least actual scientific research. Knowledge may be power and research may be cool, but they take time away from writing jokes, action, and romance, and being witty in the face of death is what it’s really all about.

Alter egos include the lovely and amazing Gini Koch, the kind and talented Anita Ensal, the dark and dreamy Jemma Chase, the quirky scaredy-cat J.C. Koch, and the tough but fair A.E. Stanton.
Or, as Gini loves to say on her blog: They’re all moi. (It’s a controlled form of schizophrenia, and if it’s working for us, who else is to judge, right? Right?)

2. Your new book is called Alexander Outland:  Space Pirate. What is it about?
Oh, it’s about 360 pages long. (Girl, I cannot TELL you how long I’ve been waiting to make that, admittedly lame, joke but it’s been for AGES.)

Trouble’s brewing out in space, and Alexander Outland -- the least likely hero in the galaxy -- and his eccentric crew have to save the day, despite the fact they’d prefer to take the money and run.

Alexander Napoleon Outland is the best pilot, and ladies’ man, in the galaxy. But Nap, as his friends call him, is more than that -- he’s a schemer with a heart of gold he desperately wants to hide, a soft spot for other people’s cargo and his exotic weapon’s chief, and the unerring ability to find the biggest misfit on any planet or space station and somehow join that person onto his crew.

Nap’s not your classic hero, but that tends to make him the right guy for the job…whatever the job happens to be.

3. Where did you get the inspiration for this book?
I actually got the inspiration for this series from a name I randomly stumbled across. I saw it and said, “Wow, that would be a GREAT name for a space pirate! A mega-cool space pirate. I wonder what kind of galaxy he lives in.” The rest, as they say, is history.

Okay, okay, honesty forces me to admit that two different songs also helped in the initial formation of the idea. “Space Boy” by Splender and “Space Cowboy” by, God help me, *NSYNC.

There. Now the whole truth is out there. I hope you’re happy. (There goes my street cred, such as it was.)

4. And now to Captain Alexander. Who would play him in a movie and why?
Ryan Reynolds or Chris Evans. Because Nap (he insists that you, being an attractive lady, call him Nap) is really handsome, and he’s also really funny. Both Ryan and Chris are really handsome and both of them can do humor really well, so either one would work for me. Or both at the same time. (But that’s a different book, innit?)

5. He has quite the crew. But who is your favorite among them?
Oh. Gosh. That’s like asking me which kid is my favorite. (Ha! The chicklet! I only have one, so that makes it easy.) But, since I have faves among my pets, I know I can admit who I favor most in Nap’s crew.
All of ‘em.

LOL, okay, well, I like the Governor because it’s fun to have the cranky, knowing oldster along. I like Audrey because she gets away with so much because, well, she can. Slinkie, of course, because beauty and brains with attitude is always fun to write. Randolph is a great straight man who gets to make the zingers once in a while. And I have to admit, I love the villains, too. A lot. I have a very soft spot for Tanner because of all he’s been through. And Lionside surprised me constantly throughout the book. And Hulky, what a hero. And when you get right down to it, Jabbob and Ol’ Temper really have an edge, just because they crack me up. So, yeah, I love all the characters, basically.

But, honesty compels me to admit the truth. Nap’s my favorite. It’s true, I do love the Outland.

6.  What’s up next from G.J.Koch?
Crossing fingers that it’ll be the next book in this series, Alexander Outland: Space Avenger. That’s up to Night Shade Books, of course. (They’re waiting until August to see how sales do, so let’s all race out there and pre-order and buy lots of Alexander Outland: Space Pirate! Go team!)

7. I do think I want to round this off with something silly. What would Alexander say to Katherine “Kitty” Katt if these two met?
“Yo, babe, c’mere and learn to love the Outland.”

THANKS!


Thank YOU for having me!

Giveaway!
Print/e-copy of Alexander Outland
If the winner is in the US then a print and if International then an e-copy

Rules:
Ends June 3rd
Open to ALL
Just enter or just comment, ask a question, anything your heart desire really.


Contact
You can reach G.J. Koch at Space…the Funny Frontier (http://www.ginikoch.com/GJKbookstore.htm).

Review: Alexander Outland: Space Pirate - G.J. Koch

Captain Alexander Outland of the Sixty-Nine (short for Space Vessel 3369, of course) is the best pilot in the galaxy. He’s also a pirate, a smuggler, and loved and loathed by women in umpteen solar systems. His crew of strays and misfits includes an engineer of dubious sanity, a deposed planetary governor, an annoyingly unflappable Sexbot copilot, and a slinky weapons chief who stubbornly refuses to give the captain a tumble.

Outland just wants to make a decent living skirting the law, but when an invisible space armada starts cutting into his business, he soon finds himself in hot water with the military, the mob, mad bombers, and an extended family of would-be conquerors. And that’s not counting an occasionally telepathic spy . . . .

Like any sensible scoundrel, he hates heroics. They’re risky and they don’t pay well. But to keep his ship and crew in one piece, and make time with a certain hard-to-get weapons chief, he might just have to make an exception–and save the galaxy in spite of himself!

Series: Alexander Outland #1, Genre: Sci-fi, Pages: 300, To be published: June 5th, 2012 by Night Shade books, Source: Blog Tour/for review

My thoughts:

Something just did not work for me as it should have with this book. I really tried to like it, I mean I love her other books, but here, no, I just couldn't fall helplessly in love with it.

Captain Alexander Outland..a pig really. Sure I like a good rake, but this guy, well it just felt like he would have picked up a few things on the way. Can’t say I loved Slinkie either, the woman he is lusting after. Though I really liked how she did not fall for his crap. And I did like that Alexander did do the right thing when it comes to everything else. He says he does not want to be a hero but he was a hero. A reluctant awesome hero. So as long as he keeps his hands to himself then he is ok in my book.

I did like the Governor though..yes, I can’t say more. And a certain crewman who made a sexbot, well good for him.

The story (even if sadly not for me), was very cool in theory. A wicked plan is set in motion in the galaxy, pirates who want everything. And the crew ending up on a military planet, one have to love a place that keeps order *laugh ironically*. It sure made it interesting and the action was sure to be had after that.

In the end I still do not know why I did not love this book. Going with my old record I should have liked Alexander, cos he really wanted Slinkie. In a good way. And the plot was amazing and kicked ass. But this time it just was not the book for me.

What others had to say:
Here is a  quote from someone who really liked it.
My World in Pages ..and more

I loved this adventure and this crew!  I CAN NOT WAIT for the next Alexander Outland book!!

So go and read Melissa's review and see the other side of the story.