This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.
So how come we are already nearly halfway through January? This last week has gone by in a blur, probably because last Monday and Tuesday I started my Creative Writing classes for the new term. It was lovely to catch up with my students and discover how they got on during the Christmas break. Unfortunately, I was unable to teach Tim this week as he has gone down with the nasty viral illness that is going the rounds. On Wednesday, I dealt with teaching admin and continued working on the manuscript of Miranda’s Tempest, which I’m rewriting.
On Thursday, Mhairi came over and we talked through our writing progress before getting down to work. She has been designing new covers for my Sunblinded trilogy and she spent some time working on the font. I’m hoping to be able to release the new cover for Running Out of Space before the end of the month. On Saturday, my sister and I went shopping together and then spent the afternoon at the hairdressers – it was lovely to meet up with her again, as she has been unwell with an ear infection.
This week I have read:
Defender – Book 2 of the Hive Mind by Janet Edwards
Becoming a telepath was hard. Being a telepath is harder.
Eighteen-year-old Amber is the youngest of the five telepaths who protect the hundred million citizens of one of the great hive cities of twenty-sixth century Earth. Her job is hunting down criminals before they commit their crimes, but this time her team arrive too late. Someone is already dead. Someone that Amber knows. Amber is determined to catch the murderer, but she doesn’t realize who she’s up against, or the true danger of opening her mind to the thoughts of others.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one – it takes the story of Amber and her efforts to help keep law and order in one of the huge underground hive cities further after the first book, Telepath. This is another page-turning adventure from this talented author. I shall be reviewing it in due course.
Virology – Book 2 of the Shock Pao series by Ren Warom
Core is dark and Slip is everywhere, vital to everything that happens in the world and outside of anyone s 
control. Avis float the skies and their arrival will trigger a tide of rebellion against the system in Foon Gung. The key is Shock Pao, within him lies the means to control Slip. Control Slip, control the world. Shock was a Haunt once, impossible to find, but he isn’t anymore, and he s running out of places to hide.
Shock finds himself on the run from, well, everyone. This time though, he’s not alone. But as the sickness infecting the Patient Zeros gets worse and begins to spread, he and his rag-tag group of friends must begin a desperate search for a cure. If they don’t find out what’s causing this, who’s causing this and find a way to put a stop to it, everything they’ve fought for, the brief freedom they’ve managed to achieve, will come undone.
This cyberpunk adventure is a great foot-to-the-floor action story, taking the characters who featured in Escapology onto another major threat to their wellbeing and freedom in this dystopian cyberworld. I remembered all over again why I cared about Shock and Amiga, while I stayed up later than I should to read this entertaining, densely written thriller.
My posts last week:
Sunday Post – 7th January, 2018
Interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last week, in no particular order:
Six Word Stories – The Readers https://richardankers.com/2018/01/12/six-word-stories-the-readers Richard has a quirky fertile imagination and I love reading his amazing output…
Max Carrados, the Blind Sherlock Holms https://interestingliterature.com/2018/01/12/max-carrados-the-blind-sherlock-holmes/ Once again, this fascinating site delivers as this article sheds light on an intriguing writer, now forgotten…
Handlanger https://photolicioux.wordpress.com/2018/01/11/handlanger/ You know that quote about a picture being worth a 1,000 words? This is one of them…
Reading Bingo Results for 2017! https://rathertoofondofbooks.com/2018/01/11/reading-bingo-results-for-2017/ At a time of year when readers are reflecting on their 2017 reading experience, this one looks like such fun. Anyone up for having a go?
Housework won’t kill you, but why take the chance? https://blogging807.wordpress.com/2018/01/08/housework-wont-kill-you-but-why-take-a-chance/ Just in case I decide to do some cleaning and tidying, instead of writing…
Thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to visit, like and comment on my site and wishing you all a happy, successful 2018!
Brainfluff 
Hope Tim is feeling better. The day out with your sister sounds wonderful! Hope you have a great week!
Thank you, Jenea – I hope Tim soon recovers, too:)
I’ve always been curious about the Shock Pao series, I’m glad you’re continuing to enjoy it😁
If you enjoy cyberpunk, this is a great series, Tammy:)
I’ve not heard of either of these series. Happy to hear both are still going good for you. And this month is flying by! I’m already working on posts for February and March! Have a lovely Sunday, Sarah:)
My Sunday Post
It is whizzing by FAR too fast, already! Yes, I’m glad they are both continuing to be quality page-turners:)
If only the nasty viruses would stay away! I say Be Gone with Them!
Enjoy your reading and teaching…and I loved that link to the Housekeeping post. I laughed out loud.
Thanks for sharing and for visiting my blog.
You’re welcome, Laurel – I’m glad the Housekeeping post gave you a chuckle. Any laugh is worth having in the depths of winter… Have a great week:)
The flu and other crud has been going around like crazy. Seven people in my area have died from the flu. It’s not something to mess around with. First day back to school I had my students Clorox their desks and Chromebooks and I Cloroxed everything else I touch on a regular basis. It was nice catching up with my students, too. For the most part they were pretty mellow this week. Your day out sounds so fun! I only go get my hair cut about every two years now. Happy writing!
Oh my goodness! No wonder you had your students antibac their things – 7 people! I’m glad you had a good start back with your students, though. I’m hopeless with long hair and it doesn’t suit me anyway. I also have it coloured pink on a regular basis, these days…
I’m with you on January going too fast but I think, for me, it was because schools,only went back this week. I feel like time has gotten away from me!
I know THAT feeling all too well:)
I can’t believe we’re almost halfway through January already either, I don’t know where the time goes! Thanks so much for linking to my reading bingo post today, I really appreciate that. I hope more people have a go at it because it’s fun and it’s a nice way to either reflect on your reading at the end of a year or as a challenge to read more widely at the start of a year. Hope the week ahead is a nice one that that you have time to read some good books.
Here’s my weekly wrap-up: https://rathertoofondofbooks.com/2018/01/14/my-weekly-wrap-up-14-jan/
You’re very welcome, Hayley – I thought it was such a lovely way of using our reading lists:). I hope you, too, have a fabulous week.
It is hard to believe January is half over either. I hope Tim is feeling better soon. It seems like so many people have been sick as of late. The viruses going around these days are very nasty. It sounds like your creative writing classes got off to a good start. I hope you have a great week, Sarah!
Thank you, Wendy – yes, I’m hoping that Tim will soon feel a lot better:). And the Creative Writing term started really well. Thank you for swinging by, Wendy and hope you, too, have a great week.
It sounds like you had a full, busy week, as did I. The week was spent trying to connect (one last time before the semester begins on the 16th) with friends and groups in person whom I haven’t seen in what seems like a long time–some former students, some just busy, busy people like me. It was fun!
I’m glad you had a busy, sociable week, Rae. As I started teaching on 5th January, I’m now in the thick of it! I hope the coming week is a smooth, enjoyable one:))
I imagine it would be nice getting back to your writing class and catching up with everyone! And it sounds like you had a great time with your sister, glad she is feeling better 🙂 Have a wonderful week!
Thank you, Kristen:)
You had a good week with some good reads too.
Hope you have another great week – although between the two of us I wish the weeks would slow down a little.
Lynn 😀
Oh so do I! It’s all a bit mad, isn’t it?
I know – how is it that we’re already halfway through the first month of the year?? Time needs to learn how to crawl instead of flying. *lol*
Sounds like you had a good week overall, though I’m sorry to hear Tim isn’t feeling well. And I was surprised to read that you’re designing new covers for the Sunblinded trilogy. How did you come to this decision?
Things are going all right here. I’ve been really busy with work and other things, so I’ve been quiet on the blogging front for a few days. But I *did* read some poetry last Thursday at the open mic night I’ve been trying to read at for the past couple months. So I was very happy that finally worked out. 🙂
Oh that’s great Sara – well run Open Mic events can be inspirational as well as very helpful:).
I’ve been increasingly unhappy with the original covers – they are a bit clunky and don’t necessarily shout New Adult and my marvellous writing buddy Mhairi had a go just for the heck of it – and I fell in love with what she produced… As I want to produce a print version later in the year, I’m delighted I have covers I LOVE.
January is going by so freaking fast! My husband was sick all last week and I’m just glad that week is over. Truthfully, I don’t mind January speeding by. It’s such a long, bleak month. I’m always happy to see the end of it.
Oh that’s horrible – I do hate it when the family are ill! And yes… you’re right – January isn’t one of the months I want to hang onto, either. But… I’m still a tad pole-axed at the speed at which it is charging by.
I agree with you. January is flying by much too fast. Glad you got to spend some quality time with your sister. I love having the occasional girls’ weekend with mine too.
Have a wonderful week!
Yes – it was lovely to spend some time with her:)
I’m with you on the flying of time. I’m hoping the days will slow just a tad so I can get to a few things a day. lol. Hope you are having a great week!
Oh, I know what you mean! I’m pinning my hopes on the fact the days are shorter because it’s winter and that’s why they are flying by so fast, but I have a nasty feeling I’m kidding myself…
Time flies, doesn’t it? I can hardly remember my January too, and it seems that February blew by even faster. Your weekly posts definitely help to remember that each week is full of happenings and prevents them from melting into one, indistinguishable “past”.
Yes… I wish it meant that my own weeks didn’t whisk by far too quickly – but they do! Though as you say, it does provide a rough sort of diary…