Psst! Wanna see something cool?

I have both the privilege and honor to be one of the few people to present you with something truly AWESOME!

Becca J. Campbell - an amazing writer and all around lovely lady - is giving me a chance to reveal the cover of her soon-to-be released novel, Foreign Identity.

And here it is.....

Isn't it wonderful? I know we aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover, but look at this cover! That creepy shadow hand, the bloody lettering - this cover screams READ ME!

Yes, book! I shall indeed. Please don't send the shadowy hand after me *gulps*

For those of you - like me - that look at this cover and think...

OH MY! What's THAT all about?

Never fear! I've got you covered! Below is the synopsis for Becca's novel.

Cold. Confusion. Fear. This is how it all begins.

Waking up without your memory in a cell and bound by chains is terrifying.

Two nameless strangers, a man and a woman, find themselves imprisoned together. With no memories of their own identities, let alone their captor and tormentor, escape is the only option. The pair faces a bizarre labyrinth of rooms and clues that confuse more than they explain. Every discovery only brings more questions.

Who captured them? Why were they taken? What does their captor want from them? What can the riddles mean?

Who are they?

Lacking allies and options, the duo must learn to trust one another. Mazes, puzzles, and even strange, lurking creatures force them to rely on their wits--and each other--for survival. But survival isn’t enough. They need answers.

Will the answers be enough? Will the truth bring them closer together, or drive them forever apart? Will discovering their identities finally bring them home?

Intriguing, right? So I bet you want all the details now. Again, I've got you covered!

Foreign Identity by Becca J Campbell

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Consortium Books (http://www.consortiumokc.com/)

Pub. Date: May 15th, 2012, available as e-book and paperback 

Photography and Cover Design By: Anna Howard (http://dailyikon.com/)

For more information, visit her at the following sites.

Author Blog: http://www.beccajcampbell.com/ 
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/beccajcampbell

Goodreads Author Profile: http://www.goodreads.com/beccajcampbell

Who is Becca?

An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line between fantasy and reality (even when they plunge off one side or the other), Becca J. Campbell looks for new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a special place in her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity.

Becca’s journey into writing began as many of her other creative endeavors do – by daring herself to try something new. The question “what if I wrote a novel?” and some hastily scribbled notes on a church handout were the inspirations that jump-started her first book. Since then, she has written three additional novels and several shorter works.

As the wife of a musician and mother of three young boys, Becca’s life is never dull. Whether it is writing, painting or knitting, she enjoys making stuff that wasn’t there before.

Congratulations to Becca on her upcoming novel. I hope you all decide to check it out for yourselves, I know I will!

Sanctuary, thy name is LIBRARY!

Some people shop. Others head to the gym to tone up those muscles or lose those pesky pounds. Some gather friends for a good chinwag. But when the clock strikes 12:00 p.m. I head to the library. I grab whatever novel I'm reading, a pen and my notebook and leave the world behind in search of solitude. The library has become my sanctuary. A place I can escape the demands work places upon me. It's here I spend my lunch hour, every day.

Winnipeg's Millennium Library

I work about 10 minutes away from the largest library in my city. The Millennium Library boasts four floors of books, resources, computers, meeting rooms, study areas and comfy chairs. The entire south side of the building is constructed of glass and allows the beautiful sun to shine in. (We get a lot of sun in Winnipeg.) It's a book lover's paradise. A writer's dream too!

I always head to the third floor where the Local History Room is kept. The books inside this space hold all the details of our city's past. They are often fragile old books that require white gloves to be touched. The third floor is also home to newspapers - local, international and archived - magazines, and the microfiche machines that I can't believe are still in use.

It's a spacious and quiet floor, perfect for me. I nestle into my favourite grey chair and make myself at home. Usually I read. Sometimes I write. I always enjoy the atmosphere and the sun shining upon my face. Hundreds of people enjoying the written word in all its forms. It's magical!

I'm not sure when my fascination with libraries took root. As a child I remember going on occasion to check out a resource for a school project. It was still exciting to see all those books in one place, but only as an adult do appreciate it.

When I travel - which isn't all that often - I like to check out the libraries. So far I have visited Vancouver's Central Library and the British Library in London, England.

Vancouver's Central Library.

Inside the main entrance.

 
The Central Library in Vancouver is amazing. Not only is this building beautiful, it has seven levels! SEVEN! There are a variety of neat shops to explore before going into the main library. I've been to Vancouver a few times and each visit I make sure to stop by and walk the countless rows of books. It's just wonderful for me to see all of Vancouver's citizens making use of such a fabulous space!

GEEK ALERT! The following will really reveal what a nerd I am.

When my husband, Brandon and I booked our trip to London this past May, one of the very first places I listed as a Must-See was the British Library. I planned one whole day around stopping into see the rows of books. Images of old leather-bound, first additions, swimming in my head. Oh man, was I excited! I dragged Brandon through the streets of London to see this treasure. Okay I didn't really have to drag him, he was pretty stoked as well. We're both geeks. 

When we arrived I was ready to bust through the doors screaming "I'm here! I made it! Let me see all the amazing books!"

Well, it didn't quite go as planned. 

In the entrance was a visitor booth. We stepped up to get a map or something so we would make the most of our time there. Now, I'm not sure if we were duped or what, but the guy plainly told us there was nothing to see. All the books were held in storage facilities beneath the library. In order to see a book, you had to put a request in and since we were not members, well...nothing to see here.

We turned around, our shoulders slumped in disappointment, and made our way to the only place where there was something to see - the gift shop.

Brandon. Can you see his disappointment?!

It was a very nice gift shop, but just not the same. We did take a couple of pictures of the outside.  The red bricks mark out the storage units below the surface where the books are held. Okay, this is what the Dude told us, I have no idea if he was just yanking our chain. He did say that every so often you'll come across a metal "brick" which is where the fire department would insert a hose if - Heaven forbid - the books caught fire inside. *GASP* I hope they never have to use them.

Funky sculpture at the British Library

I've often thought of taking a library job. A chance to spend my days in my sanctuary is pretty tempting. I think they frown upon their employees spending all their work hours reading and writing. Go figure!

I'll just keep my daily jaunts to the library as my escape. My sanctuary. A place where my creative self can exist for an hour out of my work day.

Never growing up. Not EVER!

I am fairly certain I'm just a kid trapped in a 32 year old's body. It's sad, but true. Well, sad for the poor kid strutting around in an increasingly weight-gaining, back-aching, joint-creaking body. But that's a whole other post.

All the really cool things that got my little heart fluttering with excitement back then, still hold all the magic for me. There are WAY more cool things out there now, then when I was a kid though.

* Cue the old lady in a rocker*

In my day we played with sticks and rocks and we liked it!

Okay, that may  be a bit of an exaggeration. I had cool stuff, of course I did, but today's children have a plethora of really cool stuff to choose from. It's what keeps me from growing up. I like cool stuff, more than just a little and I want to play with it! *stamps foot angrily*

Thankfully I am married to a man who also suffers from the Peter Pan Syndrome. This post was inspired by a gift he recently gave me.

Drum roll please.......

YAY!

This gorgeous and super fun book is all mine! There is nothing about it I don't love. Unless you count that fact that it's too short. Books are always  too short.

Now you see me!

Let's get this out of the way early. I haven't actually read the Spiderwick series. I saw the movie, which I'm willing to bet wasn't nearly as interesting as the books. (Are movies ever as good? Maybe a few.) But you see, that doesn't even matter to me. What I love about this book is all the really cool stuff inside.

Now you don't!

There are maps to pull out, secret flaps to lift and hidden notes to read. The colourful pictures and the creative way it's all jumbled together is more than enough to stimulate even the most adult-like mind.

How could you not love this book? Every time I flip through the pages I want to run out into my backyard and build a fort. Perhaps a treehouse, if only I had a tree large enough to hold two grown adults (I'm sure the hubby would want to hang out too.)

Soon I shall be a mistress of the wand!

This isn't the only book I've come across lately that makes me want to squee! I also purchased A Practical Guide to Wizardry, because you just never know when that will come in handy. Heaven forbid I am thrown into a situation where I must wield a wand or cast a spell, then where would I be?

I also purchased a book on weapons which has all the cool stuff like Spiderwick. I call this research  for my new WIP - a fantasy novel with epic battles and...errr...stuff to be determined.

Close!

Open!

Okay I realize this post has been overloaded with pictures - I apologize profusely - but I'm a visual person and pictures make me happy!






If I had books like these when I was a kid, I am more than certain I would have received my Hogwarts letter. Sadly, they were never this cool. The only one I even remember - with some fondness - was Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. I freakin' loved that book! All the kids in my class did. I wanted so badly to:

a) Be able to draw like Jess.
b) Be as cool and free-spirited as Leslie.
c) Have a rope to swing across the creek to Terabithia.
d) Have a creek near my house in which to swing said rope.

I also wanted to be a spy for a short period of time. I can't even recall the book that inspired me to creep around my grandparents house, spying on all their neighbours through the windows. Plus, they had a back lane where the older kids lingered...SCORE! But I digress.

If Bridge to Terabithia had a pop-up-find-the-secrets book, I would have gone insane with excitement. I would still go insane now! Right after I built my fort and read it, oh I don't know, a million times! Read until insanity hits - that's my plan.

A new Unresolution for 2012 has just formed: No longer will I let the shackles of adulthood keep me from buying all the really cool children's books I want. This year I will give into my inner child and have some fun! Hell, I might even build me that fort - once the snow melts of course.

What makes your inner child go SQUEE!?