It's Monday

First of all, I've been posting once in a while tidbits about a writer named J.A. Campbell and the books that she's written and had published, as well as some of her writing that's not yet published.

Julie has been posting snippets of her work on her website; and available as freebie reads, is a series of short stories featuring Doc, a vampire hunting border collie. The stories are written from the dog's point of view, which I find very fun to read. Recently she re-worked some of these stories, adding to them, and is now offering them for sale in e-book form...only the best news is that it is possible to buy the Doc book in print form - which is my very favorite book form. I know that e-books and most other information is going to be eventually all available only through the internet, but I still love to be able to hold a book in my hands. So I love when book is available both ways - e-book and print. So if you're interested in buying a print copy of Doc the vampire hunting dog - you can visit Create a Space and order your very own copy. You won't be disappointed. I ordered two - late Christmas presents, or birthday presents. I happen to have a few nieces who love to read. I'm also thinking of ordering a couple of copies for the older (almost teen) section in our library - I think J. A. Campbell's writing is Library Worthy. If you have a kindle, Nook, or other e-book reading appliance (like a laptop or P.C.) then you can order e-copies from Amazon.com, Amazon.comUK, or Barnes & Noble. Print copies will soon be available at Amazon, also. Bonus - if you visit the amazon or Amazon UK site, you can read an excerpt to help you decide you want to buy this work.

J.A. Campbell (Julie) is also the author of the Into The West series, (available through Echelon Press- sold by Amazon or Barnes and Noble) and Senior Year Bites from Decadant Publishing (about the high school senior who fights crime, and by the way, she's been turned into a vampire - good book). Echelon Press has finally got it's thumb out of it's...ahem...finally! after a long delay has finally released the fifth installment of a six book series (someone over in that business seems to be having a bit of a hard time staying on top of things...unfortunately for their authors This does not take away from the talent of the writers, though. Even though Echelon is taking forever to get things published, the works by J.A. Campbell and a few other writers are worth getting - it's too bad for them that Echelon is representing them in this manner.). Hopefully we won't have as long a wait for the sixth and final installment of this young teen series. Also keep your e-book eyes out for a fantasy titled Arabian Dreams by J.A.Campbell - about a young woman and a horse with some mysterious powers, alternate realities, villians...It's going to be good.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly Bloggery meme that is hosted by Sheila of Bood Journey. Now, Sheila usually has her post up on Sunday night, all ready for us bloggers to add our links to Mister Linky, but it's Christmas on Sunday so I'm not sure if anyone else is crazy enough to be posting in the middle of the night on Christmas into day after Christmas...but here I am - feeling a bit insomniac as usual....and no post yet. If it doesn't happen, oh well - it was Christmas. If it does happen, yet a little later than usual, then no problem. Either Way. And either way, here is my post for whatever it's worth:

With Christmas shopping and wrapping to do, the school schedule running right up through Friday, with limited ability and stamina of hands and body...I think I ended up getting a lot accomplished - but only with the shopping and gift wrapping - LOL. I did NOT clean house (but then I don't usually, so no change there). I did NOT do much laundry. I did NOT prepare any holiday baking 0r dinners....(wow - now I'm beginning to feel like a Christmas slug...)...and I did NOT get much of a chance to read. I bought presents for my grandchildren and worked. I wrapped presents into the wee morning hours. I had help - picked up my four year old granddaughter (she's actually going to be five in February) and put her to work. LOL - the plan was to have her wrap all the little presents for her cousin and I would do the big presents. LOL. That was the plan. Then there is this thing called Realism. Realism means that what really happened was that she wrapped two of the presents on her own, then decided she wanted to color. Well, she's four. So I decided NOT to be a child slaver, and I pulled out her color books, ended up with even less room on the kitchen table to wrap presents and had to wrap the rest on my own. However, she is very good company while wrapping presents. We talk about all kinds of things while she's coloring and I'm wrapping. Even though she didn't do a lot of wrapping, I had a good time visiting with her, while I worked my fingers to the bone wrapping presents for my grandson. I am getting off track - Christmas Blog closing for now.

Back to the topic of reading and books - I was able to finish one book by Sunday. Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews. I love this writing team - they consistantly put out very interesting novels with characters who aren't quite law abiding citizens. The dialog is always entertaining and there's all kinds of creepy villians. And they have two series going on - both great reads. But there's something seriously off with this cover - can you spot it? it kind of POPs right out. Very...VERY round and yet...oddly shaped. haha - leave a comment if you think you know what I'm referring to.
current read - my current read is a Free for review read. Rosemary Harris was giving out free copies of her second to last novel, Dead Head to celebrate her newest release - Slugfest. Ever since Pushing Up Daisies came out, I've been interested, but since I rarely go anywhere but the SciFi/Fantasy section of any bookstore, I always forget to even look for other novels. Once this offer for a free book came out, I took a chance and was fortunate enough to be included in the many responders to get a copy of Dead Head to read and review. A promise to review is a small price to pay for a novel. I love the cover also - beautiful artwork, which matches the general feel of the book - the main character works with plants, and of course, it's a murder mystery - hence the skull. (hence - who uses that word in real-life conversation? NO ONE - this is one of those words usually only found inside of books)

After I finish reading Dead Head, I hope to finish a few of the other books I've started in the last few months -

These are some of the books I've started, yet for one reason or another (not all good reasons) I didn't stay with the reading...remember though - that I suffer from B.A.D.D. it's serious, folks....very serious. :)
If I'm up to it (meaning if I'm not completely exhausted) I plan to blog just a bit about my Christmas shopping experiences.

If a Monday post Linky goes up, I'll put up a link - other wise, I'll be looking for other monday posts by bloggers I follow.

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas and at least a few hours to rest before work. I am fortunate that I work for a school and am on a school schedule - so even though we had to work up until Friday night - we do get a couple of weeks to recuperate.

Have a good week everyone, and Happy Reading!