// FUNCTIONS.PHP CODE
add_action( 'wp_loaded', 'my_connection_types' );
function my_connection_types() {
	// Make sure the Posts 2 Posts plugin is active.
	if ( !function_exists( 'p2p_register_connection_type' ) )
		return;

	p2p_register_connection_type( array(
		'name' => 'books_to_series',
		'from' => 'books',
		'to' => 'series'
	) );
    
    p2p_register_connection_type( array(
		'name' => 'excerpts_to_books',
		'from' => 'book_excerpt',
		'to' => 'books',
	) );
    
    p2p_register_connection_type( array(
		'name' => 'praise_to_books',
		'from' => 'book_praise',
		'to' => 'books',
	) );
}

// TMPL-BOOKS.PHP CODE
<?php
$my_query = new WP_Query( array(
'post_type' => 'series',
'nopaging' => true,
//'order' => 'ASC',
//'orderby' => 'menu_order',
) );

p2p_type( 'books_to_series' )->each_connected( $my_query, array(), 'books' );

while ( $my_query->have_posts() ) : $my_query->the_post();

$current_series_id = get_the_ID();
$current_series_content = get_the_content();
?>

<section class="post-content clearfix">

<h3 class="h2"><a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="<?php the_title_attribute(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h3>

<?php
	// Display connected books
	foreach ( $post->books as $post ) : setup_postdata( $post );
	    	
		// testing to see if anything displays at all in the foreach loop (it doesn't if running 1.4 but everything shows in 1.3.1):
		echo 'hello!';

        if (function_exists('vp_get_thumb_url')) {
            $thumb=vp_get_thumb_url($post->post_content, 'medium');
            if ($thumb!='') { ?>
                <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><img class="coverimg" src="<?php echo $thumb; ?>" alt="<?php the_title(); ?>" title="<?php the_title(); ?> by Sherri Browning Erwin" /></a>
            <?php } else { ?>
                <div class="cover">
                    <img src="<?php echo $url; ?>/wp-content/uploads/no-cover.png" alt="<?php the_title(); ?>" title="<?php the_title(); ?> by Sherri Browning Erwin" />
                </div><!-- .cover -->
            <?php }
        }

	endforeach;

	if($current_series_content !== "") { ?>
    	<div class="series-desc"><?php echo $current_series_content; ?></div><!-- .series-desc -->
<?php } 
	wp_reset_postdata();

?>