Setting: Sumptuous, velvet-lined, private drinking room at The Bordello at the End of the Universe; secret location somewhere in the Sombrero Galaxy.
Agent Z: Hi, Gini. Thanks for meeting me here. Heather sent me on another undercover mission and I’m having bags of fun. Here, have a Gargle Blaster - no truth serum this time, I promise.
Gini: Suuuuure, there’s not. Fortunately, I brought along an anti-serum, which I will be adding to every drink you give me. It’s anti-anything you might consider slipping me, so I should be safe to toss ‘em back with you this time.
Agent Z: You’ve certainly been busy since we last got trashed together. Tell me - how does one acquire a work ethic like yours? And is it possible to buy one on E-Bay?
Gini: I’ve given up sleep. I find I can do a lot with those extra hours. And, aside from the twitching and the occasional walk into a wall, it’s not affecting me at all. NOT AT ALL!
Agent Z: I’m wildly curious about your latest venture: The Royal Scam from Musa Publishing. Give me all the juicy details. Damn, that’s a serious thirst you got going on! Here - have another Gargle Blaster.
Gini: Thanks, don’t mind if I do. The Royal Scam is the first book in my new series, the Martian Alliance Chronicles. In the Martian Alliance, we follow the crew of the Hummingbird as they take on the rich, famous and sleazy of the galaxy. They're also on a long-term secret mission, so it's a good thing they're the best con artists, spacers, and roughnecks in the Milky Way, because they need all their skills to pull off this particular Royal Scam.
As always, there’s a lot of humor, action and some romance in this series. It’s set in the far future and I really enjoy the characters. They’re all a lot of fun for me to write.
Agent Z: Tell me all about your heroine. How come I’ve never bumped into her on my travels?
Gini: Oh, she’s bumped into you, trust me. But my heroine is a shape-shifter. She can be anyone she wants to be. As a matter of fact, she could be me, right now, sitting here. You wouldn’t know, because DeeDee’s the best, and one of the last, shape-shifters in the galaxy.
Agent Z: You know, on the deck below us, there’s a huge cage-fighting arena. If Princess Olivia and Katherine “Kitty” Katt were to go head-to-head in a live feed to the rest of the universe, who would win and what weapons would she be using?
Gini: Um, you haven’t read The Royal Scam yet, have you? I’m not gonna give out any spoilers here, but if Princess Olivia went up against a stiff breeze she’d lose. Kitty would have no issues kicking her butt, though she wouldn’t because Olivia’s a nice gal. Read The Royal Scam and then ask me this question again. ;-D
Agent Z: If Motorhead, ZZ Top and Aerosmith comprised the soundtrack for your Alien series, what’s on the soundtrack for The Royal Scam?
Gini: Steely Dan’s The Royal Scam album and the soundtrack for Titan A.E. Pretty much that was what I listened to nonstop while writing this book.
For the rest of the series, I’m not sure. I’m just starting the second book, “Three Card Monte”, so I don’t know what else I’ll be adding on. I do tend to add on new bands and songs to my series play lists as I write a new book, so something else will for sure be adding in.
Agent Z: What three books are at the top of your to-be-read pile? Why’d you pick ‘em? *pours Gini another Gargle Blaster*
Gini: I have more than three, sadly. But “The Shard Axe” by Marsheila Rockwell, “Late Eclipses” and “One Salt Sea” by Seanan McGuire are on the top of the pile because I love their writing.
I’ve got a ton of ebooks I want to read too, including “Celestial Seduction” by Jessica Subject, “Blue Galaxy” by Diane Dooley, “Once Upon a Time in Space” by Heather Massey, “Ironhaven” by Misa Buckley, and The Asphodel Cycle by Celina Summers. Why? All my friends, all great writers.
Same with the rest of Erin Kellison’s Shadows series, Erin Quinn’s Haunting series, and Amber Scott’s latest releases. And all the stuff I have by Yvonne Navarro, Weston Ochse, Marcus Pelligrimas, and Jeff Mariotte. And…
Most of these books came out a while ago (though “The Shard Axe” just released in September), so you can see how quickly my TBR pile is getting smaller. *snort* And then there are all the books I have already listed at Goodreads. Nope, haven’t caught up with most of them yet, either.
Honestly, I could fill up the page listing all the books I have that I want to read. I’m looking forward to all of them, so at least there’s that, right?
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| Cover art by Dan Dos Santos |
Agent Z: I’ve got your “Alien Proliferation” on my book pile. How many books do you have planned for this series?
Gini: Well, DAW just bought Books 7 & 8, Alien in the House and Alien Collective, for publication in April and December 2013 respectively. I have through Book 12 mapped out (as much as I map) and right now I can “see” through 16. So we’ll see. Basically, as long as readers are willing to buy the books and DAW is willing to publish them, Kitty assures me that she and the rest of the gang will always have plenty going on to write about.
Agent Z: Gini, you know I love ya, right? But the thing is - Heather forgot to send me my expenses check again and I’m stony broke. I’ve had to auction you off to the highest bidder. Which science fiction hero are you hoping has bid a crapload of intergalactic credits for the pleasure of your delightful company?
Gini: It so figures I’m not even surprised. I have the cash to cover, but since I can be “sold” to an intergalactic hottie, I’ll play along.
Hmmm, Jeff Martini’s taken, as is Han Solo, as is Roy Imperius, my hero from The Martian Alliance Chronicles. Captain America’s not intergalactic. I guess I’ll take either the New Captain Kirk as played by Chris Pine, Thor as played by Chris Hemsworth, or Green Lantern as played by Ryan Reynolds (live action) OR Nathan Fillion (animated). Oh, who the hell am I kidding? I want Capt. Malcolm Reynolds to buy me. I’ll even give him the money since he’s likely too broke to afford me, especially against this competition.
Agent Z: Okay then. Before I pack you off on your trip back to Earth with Cap’n Tightpants I have a little surprise for you. On the deck above us is a small, intimate auditorium. You may have one performer singing your choice of song especially to you and for you. Name your whim, dear Gini.
Gini: Seriously, you have to ask? Good grief. And you claim to know me. Aerosmith, naturally. And let’s take “Angel” ‘cause what girl doesn’t want that sung to her?
Agent Z: You got it, Gini. Thanks for dragging your carcass across the galaxy once again. You’re a trooper! Just before we let Aerosmith sing to Gini, dear passengers of The Galaxy Express, I’d like to ask you all who you would have chosen to perform for you.
Be seeing you!
Agent Z.
Take us away, Aerosmith!