Auntie Renita’s Galactic Motel by Gary Alan Henson

11/6/2025

Rooms to let for all Species

Multi-genre, multi-volume, author Gary Henson introduces us to his humorous, sci-fi story about unexpected adventures in a small corner of the galaxy, “Auntie Renita’s Galactic Motel”:
It's 2323 and the Galaxies are booming with Tourists!
Plouton II is a thriving planet of Galactic diversity in the Andromeda Galaxy.
Interstellar travelers across the Universe visit and do what all intelligent beings do... look for a motel.
Auntie Re's has fresh bed sheets and hot tubs of lava!
Enjoy your stay!

This story was fun to read. I love how Jake and Arlo have changed since I read "Arlo and Jake Enlist."
No matter where in the universe our heroes go, there will always be greedy bad guys who need to be brought to justice. Jake and Arlo are the human and sentient chameleon to do the job.
I can't share any more details without breaking my promise of no spoilers. Read the story and enjoy the ride. Maybe you can drive one of the hover bikes. ;-)
I award 4.7 stars because I am picky about certain things.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Auntie-Renitas-Galactic-Motel
https://www.goodreads.com/book/-auntie-renita-s-galactic-motel

You can follow the author:
https://x.com/garyalanhenson
http://garyalanhenson.blogspot.com
https://bsky.app/profile/mrgort.bsky.social

I have reviewed another book by the author:
www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/arlo-and-jake-enlist

Copyright © 2025 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction.

16 Comments

Gary Alan Henson link

11/10/2025 01:59:07 pm

Thanks for the review, Mark!
Looking forward to talking to you about this books and my writing process.

Mark

11/10/2025 02:53:15 pm

You're welcome, Gary. This conversation will pick up from where we left off in Arlo and Jake Enlist. The link for that review and discussion is just above. The previous question was about that book being in the Kindle Unlimited program. Authors are paid a fraction of a penny for each page read. You said it was not as profitable as you hoped and you were going to let the listing expire on November first, a few days ago.

New questions.

Did you allow the listing for Arlo and Jake Enlist expire or not?

Do you have other books in that program?

What are your plans for them in KU?

11/10/2025 06:03:13 pm

I no longer have any book on KU. It never took off for my books.
I know that SciFi is a difficult genre to break into, especially on Kindle and B & N. There are so many authors and many, many great stories for readers to choose from that it's hard to stand out.
I don't plan on using KU in the future.
I'd rather find other ways to get my books in front of Readers.

11/10/2025 08:12:37 pm

It is hard to stand out enough for readers to see your books. You have an advantage over new authors because you have so many books. When a reader falls in love with your writing, they will read all of your books. It is still a long game. There is no easy answer.

New question.

What is your favorite food and beverage?

11/11/2025 09:47:12 am

I would dine on Sushi and Sake every day if I could afford it!
The lightness of the various sushi and sashimi pieces delights my mouth without stuffing me.
Yellowtail, salmon and spicy tuna are my favorites, though I love octopus and squid almost as much.
Even the more intense fish, like mackerel, is yummy, especially if eaten with a little dab of wasabi to brighten the flavor.
I save the unagi (cooked eel) for last, as a kind of dessert.
Sushi rice with a little soy sauce and wasabi mixed in is a great snack!
I prefer my sake warm, but cold is okay as well.

11/11/2025 09:49:33 am

I love sushi and sashimi also. I haven't had much sake for a long time.

New question.

What is your least favorite food and beverage?

11/11/2025 12:02:26 pm

Had to think about that one a while, I like most foods and drinks.
I'd have to say beets and boiled okra are at the bottom of the food ladder for me.
Fried okra is good, but the packages say to boil it...
Nope! It makes a slimy, gooey mess that tastes, well slimy and gooey. ;-)
I stay away from sodas. Too sweet. I make my own beverage by adding a little lime juice to a glass of iced seltzer water.
Not fond of gin, either. Tastes like fermented pine needles...

11/11/2025 12:56:14 pm

Good choices.

There are several foods I am not very fond of, such as rutabaga, eggplant and beef liver (especially the way my mom overcooked it when I was very young). There is one food that I cannot eat in its popular form: cottage cheese. My stomach sets up for a violent hurl if I bring a spoonful close to my mouth. If it's part of another dish in a fairly low concentration then I am okay.

New questions.

Have you ever gone through the query process?

Were you seeking an agent or submitting directly to publishers and why did you choose that path?

11/13/2025 09:06:42 am

I've tried off and on to get an agent and to query.
Not much luck, I'm afraid.
I had a few responses that were not form letters. One was a very polite 'I liked your story but we're not in the market for new authors at this time.'
I know that if I wrote vampire porn or sappy romances, I'd get a lot more traction, but those are not genres I like. So I'd probably not write them very well, since my heart is not into it.
An agent would be my dream.
Someone to 'manage' my stories, so that I could just write!! ;-)

11/13/2025 09:16:47 am

That is the dream of so many writers. To be able to write only, without concern for the business side of writing. The business of writing is important because there are safeguards for intellectual property and that is how a writer makes money. American copyright law protects the IP of a writer for 75 years after the writer's death.

Traditional publishers and agents are struggling to keep the lights on. Advances have shrunk. Since many publishers are only one or two poor-selling books away from closing their shop, they are highly adverse to risk. They don't take chances any more, if they ever did. Publishing a book is very expensive for them, and they don't see any income until the book sells.

New questions.

What do you think of the query process now?

Will you ever query a manuscript again?

11/13/2025 09:22:03 pm

Being able to query online is OK. At least then I get a 'not for us' response fairly quickly, like 2-4 weeks later... ;-)
I get it. They have tons of wannabe writers like me knocking on the door. We all think our story will be the next Harry Potter and should get scooped up quickly. Actually, I don't think I have a block buster book, just good, solid fun stories.
What I don't get is why publishers/agents can't survive without a block buster. In this age of electronic readers their overhead is zilch! Pay for a web site, an input page and a database and you're in business.
Yes, hardbound is costly, but no more now that ever before, I believe.
I could be wrong... nah, I'm never wrong! ;-)
I still query occasionally. But I realize that without a stable of books that have sold > 10K I'm not likely to be picked up.
It's the ol' Catch 22 problem.
I just keep writing and hoping that enough Readers will take a chance on a new author.

11/14/2025 09:02:09 am

Traditional publishers, especially those that have been in business for more than a decade or two, put money into physical books, hoping for placement in bookstores and libraries. They order far more copies to be printed, in China, than they need to bring the cost per copy down. They sell the remainder to discounters and overseas sellers. Many of them have physical locations and staff of editors, illustrators and proofreaders.

I think many of them also have their own website and probably sell the e-book also. Many of them offer the e-book at a slight discount from the physical copy. That is how shortsighted they are.

New questions.

Did you seek specific help in formulating your query letters?

Did you use querytracker.net or some other website like that?

11/14/2025 06:51:33 pm

I used several online query trackers and 'helper' sites at the time.
Each publisher/agent has their own requirements, though most are fairly similar.
I read up on the best query tactics and tried to keep my letters brief and to the point.
I remember getting several responses, but again nothing happened.
I would try again, but I'm not confident the results will be different.

11/14/2025 07:11:19 pm

You certainly gave it a good shot!

I have heard some agents create stringent requirements to help them reduce the inbox pile. Any submission not meeting the standard goes into the round file.

New questions.

Did you use an indie publisher for this book or did you start your own imprint or press?

Or did you choose self-publishing as the best way and why?

11/17/2025 11:25:31 pm

I use the Amazon KDP venue and also Barnes and Noble's Press.
My books also appear on Goodreads and other affiliate sites.
I choose these publishers because I could get my books out at little or no cost to me. ;-)
If I ever get an interested 'traditional' publisher I will go that route!

11/19/2025 08:20:55 am

I think self-publishing is the best way to go. You keep control of your intellectual property and you don't have to share the profits from selling your books.

Thank you, Gary, for hiring me to promote Auntie Renita's Galactic Motel. I enjoyed the story a lot.

Until next time, keep on writing.

Auntie Renita’s Galactic Motel by Gary Alan Henson

Rooms to let for all Species

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