INTERVIEW with the characters of 'Katherine "Kitty" Katt' series

Hello Darling Readers,

I have an itty-bitty obsession. It all started last year, when I sunk my teeth in 'Touched by an Alien' by Gini Koch. It was my first taste of the intergalactic space-opera with Armani-wearing aliens and a kick-butt, heavy-metal adoring heroine. I was hooked. And since then I have become a devout and dedicated member of the Alien Collective.

So when the book's creator, Gini Koch herself, told me that the stars of her space-book series were willing to sit down with me for a chat ... well, I reached embarrassingly high levels of fan-girl squealing.

I was very lucky to sit down with Jeff Martini and his wife Katherine 'Kitty' Katt. As well as Martini's right-hand-man and cousin, Christopher, and head-honcho of the C.I.A.'s Extra-Terrestrial Division, Charles 'Chuckie' Reynolds.

I was especially lucky to nab them for an interview now, before the whirlwind tour of their latest book 'Alien Proliferation', out on December 6th. So, with sweaty palms and racing heart (hey, the guys look really good in Armani) I present to you - the characters of the 'Katherine "Kitty" Katt' series! Woooooooo!!!

Q: Welcome everyone! Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here! Although, Kitty, I notice is a little less busy and more bed-bound than the three men. How are you coping with bed rest, Mrs Katt-Martini?

Kitty: I hate it.

Martini: She’s doing great.

Kitty: I really, really hate it.

Martini: But it’s important for your health and the health of our baby.

Kitty: I didn’t say it wasn’t. But the question was ‘how am I handling it’ and my answer is that I hate it.

Chuckie: She’s not handling it with a lot of grace.

Martini: You don’t get to say what my wife does or doesn’t handle.

Christopher: Jeff, he’s right.

Martini: Why are you taking his side?

Christopher: Because he’s right. Kitty’s a pain to be around right now.

Kitty: Next question…please!

Q: Jeff and Kitty, congratulations are in order (double the congrats, in fact!). First the wedding extravaganza (seriously, is Reader thinking of switching professions and entering into the wedding planner gig?) not to mention the bundle of joy is well and truly on the way! First things first - what was your favourite moment from your big day?

Kitty: That we weren’t invaded and that a superbeing didn’t form. And James says he’s not changing careers, but he’s pretty amazing, so you never can tell.

Martini: I was going to say when you said ‘I do’. And I’m ignoring you, once again, giving my gay friend more props than you give me.

Kitty: That part was great. But I was also very happy that we weren’t invaded. And I give you props all the time, Jeff, especially in the bedroom.

Martini: Well, that’s alright then.

Christopher: I’m with Kitty. I really expected at least one superbeing formation.

Chuckie: I think my favorite part was you two running around the room.

Kitty: Thanks for bringing that up.

Martini: You looked great, baby.

Kitty: I’ll stick with your answers, then, Jeff.

Q: And are you nervous about the baby? How's the morning sickness? Do you know the gender? What brand stroller have you chosen (you know Posh and Becks went for the iCandy multi-mode system stroller, in lilac. Just a suggestion).

Kitty: No, not too much. It sucks. We’re not allowed to find out the baby’s sex by A-C law. *whispers* But I have a good guess.

Martini: What was that?

Kitty: I said I wanted a Guess stroller!

Martini: Huh. That’s not what it sounded like.

Kitty: It’s what I said. So, answer the questions, Jeff.

Martini: Okay. I’m excited about the baby, not nervous. Kitty’s a real champ in dealing with her morning sickness. As she said, we don’t find out the sex until birth. And I think the overdone strollers are too much for a baby.

Kitty: I don’t feel like hearing your ‘simple things are good things’ lecture, Jeff.

Martini: She asked.

Kitty: Next!

Q: So, Jeff, no longer a bachelor. You are off the shelf. Officially. You've got the old ball and chain. You're spoken for. Taken. *subtly wipes a tear away*. So! That's great, and everything. That you're married! To Kitty! No longer single! How is married life treating you so far? All good? No problems?

Martini: Well, you know, married life is great. But here’s a signed picture, for you especially.

Kitty: Let me see that. Chuckie, grab it from him.

Chuckie: Interesting choice, Martini. You’re against wearing shirts when being photographed?

Martini: Ah…

Kitty: ‘To Danielle, with all my love, your Jeff’. Really, Jeff? Again? You do this for every interview where the interviewer likes you.

Martini: I’m just being nice. She’s a nice girl, pretty, too. It’s only polite.

Kitty: Wow, and yet you’re the one with the jealousy problem.

Martini: Ah, next question, please.

Q: Chuckie and Christopher - I hear congratulations are in order for you too! Larissa over at 'Larissa's Bookish Life' recently ranked you two in her 'Best Rejected Love Interests' poll. How does that feel? And I know quite a few lovely readers are eager to pass their phone numbers onto you two lovelorn underdogs .

Christopher: Yeah, that’s a poll I was dying to win.

Chuckie: I’m with White, here. We’re tops in the ‘can’t land your girl’ category? My ego hasn’t felt this good since high school.

Kitty: Geez, you two. It’s a compliment! I saw some other blogs, like Bibliognome, had listed you two as well. It means people think you’re hot and cool and sexy.

Chuckie: Fine, I’ll take it.

Christopher: Me too. I suppose. Did you give her our numbers?

Chuckie: I sent them over before the interview even started.

Christopher: I see why Kitty thinks you’re the smartest guy around.

Q: But, seriously. Chuckie and Christopher - are either of you thinking about settling down? Getting serious with someone special? What with wedding-fever and now the baby-bonanza? Are you two feeling clucky?

Chuckie: Clucky?

Kitty: Clucky Chuckie. It’s got a cute ring.

Chuckie: Say that again and I’ll conveniently forget you’re a pregnant woman and strangle you. No, I’m not feeling ‘clucky’ or anything else like that.

Christopher: For the record, I’ve never felt ‘clucky’ in my life, and I’m not looking to settle down any time soon.

Chuckie: Me either. We’d both like some time to at least consider playing the field.

Martini: My wife isn’t available.

Chuckie: We know, Martini. Believe me, we know. We’re clear. We were both at your wedding, remember?

Kitty: Boys, don’t start. You don’t want me flashing the rack during the interview, do you?

Chuckie: Well --

Martini: Next question!

Q; This next question is a bit of a sensitive one . I have sources that say tensions are rife between the C.I.A. and Centaurion Division. That there's some *ahem* frictions between the two authorities. Care to comment on these vicious rumors? Should the people of earth be concerned that there's a rift between alien-human security relations?

Chuckie: We’re not at liberty to say. However, I can assure you that all measures are in place to protect the people of this world.

Martini: What he said.

Christopher: And if anything happens, it won’t be the fault of Centaurion Division.

Chuckie: White, what part of ‘not at liberty to say’ escapes you?

Martini: Reynolds is right, Christopher. We’re good here, folks, nothing more to say.

Kitty: You know you’re not getting anything else if they’re in agreement. But keep your eyes on Paraguay. And Paris. And all the other places that begin with ‘P’, too, just in case.

Q: So the new book 'Alien Proliferation' is out on December 6th. Can you all tell us a little bit about this new installment to your intergalactic adventures?

Kitty: Per The Creator, we’re not at liberty to say much.

Martini: I’d like to mention that, again, I’m put into situations that, in the hands of a kinder Creator, would be less horrible. But in the hands of OUR Creator, they’re beyond life-threatening.

Christopher: I’m in those situations, too.

Chuckie: As am I.

Kitty: The Creator loves all of you.

Martini: I question her love, for me, especially.

Chuckie: You got the girl. The Creator loves you best.

Martini: Yeah? You’re not the one who has to have a huge needle slammed into your hearts pretty much every book, are you?

Christopher: Well, I know what’s going to happen to me, and it’s not any prettier.

Kitty: Boys, The Creator does NOT want us talking about this. Danielle, I can say that there’s lots of action, exotic locales, and some surprising folks get in on the action. My new partner, in particular.

Martini: I thought you said no spoilers.

Kitty: That wasn’t a spoiler, that was a teaser. The Creator’s all over teasers.

Martini: And adrenaline harpoons.

Kitty: Aww, poor baby.

Q; And then after that it's 'Alien Diplomacy' coming out April next year. But your creator, Ms Koch, has had some really good news regarding her DAW book deal. Can you tell us how many more installments readers will get of the amazing 'Katherine "Kitty" Katt' series? And are you happy about the extended book deal?

Kitty: Well, right now, we’re contracted through Book 8 and I’m totally jazzed about it. However, I can promise you that we won’t run out of excitement, so I’m hoping we keep on going forever!

Martini: I was good with us stopping at Book 1.

Christopher: Really?

Martini: Yeah. I almost died, more than once, but I got the girl and was on a beautiful beach. I was happy.

Kitty: But the other adventures were so fun and exciting.

Martini: Yeah? I’d like to mention the adrenaline harpoon, and the fact that it seems like I almost died in every book so far. Several times per book.

Chuckie: You got the girl. It evens out.

Martini: Yeah, but with this Creator, who knows how long that’ll last?

Christopher: I’m with Reynolds, I think The Creator likes you best, Jeff.

Martini: Hah. I happen to know she loves Reynolds more than me.

Chuckie: And yet, you got the girl.

Christopher: I get tortured, too, and I didn’t get the girl.

Kitty: Boys, really, bitter much? The point isn’t who got whom --

Chuckie: Yes it is.

Kitty: Okay, but that’s not the whole point. The point is that we save the world from the fugly monsters and insane politicos trying to destroy it. If some adrenaline needs to be slammed into someone’s heart, or some others don’t get their first, or even second, dream girl, really, it’s all for the greater good of entertaining the readers, so we should be happy with a job continuously well done.

Chuckie: That short marketing career of yours continues to pay off, again and again, doesn’t it?

Kitty: I’m not gracing that with a response.

Q; Well, that's all we have time for. Thank you all for stopping by and taking the time out to do this interview. Do you each have some final parting words you'd like to say?

Chuckie: Per my position, I’m required to say that we were never here, this interview never happened, and aliens do not, point in fact, exist.

Christopher: Great being here, thanks for having us, even though, per Mister Spy here, we weren’t here and you’ve never seen us.

Martini: I have those pictures in wallets as well as bigger blowups, and a calendar, too, if you’re interested.

Kitty: They’re all so cute, aren’t they? In that ‘just wanna pinch your cheeks and really thump you one on the head’ way. Thanks for having us, Danielle, we had a blast, and next time, maybe you want to have Reader along to keep everyone else in line. Love you and see you all in the pages of our next book!

Big thanks to Martini (I sleep with your picture under my pillow), Kitty, Christopher and Chuckie. But especially Gini Koch!