Cover Goodness: NAUTIER AND WILDER

The blurb isn’t available yet but I think I may be in love *happy sigh*

December 6, 2011

http://jaciburton.com/

http://loraleigh.com/

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Interview with Shannon K. Butcher

After a devastating injury, Lucas Ramsay knows he’s finished as a soldier.But when the general who saved his life asks him for a favor, he says yes. All Lucas has to do is keep the general’s daughter from getting on a plane to Colombia — which is easier said than done…

Independent to the core, Sloane Gideon is a member of the Edge-a group of mercenaries for hire. But she’s not on the clock for this mission. Her best friend is being held by a vicious drug lord, and Sloane must rescue her — no matter how many handsome ex-soldiers her father sends to dissuade her.

With little choice, Lucas tracks Sloane to Colombia-where she reluctantly allows him to aid her in her search. But as they grow closer to the target, they grow closer to each other. And before the battle is over, both will have to decide just what they are willing to fight for…

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NT: Hi Shannon! Thank you for being my guest today.

Shannon: Thanks for having me!

NT: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Shannon: I think I was different than a lot of writers in this.  I never even thought about writing until I was 30.  I mostly wrote my first book because I wanted to see if I could do it.  Being married to a writer, I thought it would help me become more sympathetic to him, as well as helping me learn some skills that might be useful when he ran into a problem with his books.  I wrote that first book and loved it (the process, not the book, which was awful).  So I wrote another bad book, and another, all with an eye toward getting better.  After starting thirty-two bad books and finishing eight, I finally wrote one that wasn’t so bad.  I’m not sure exactly where in that process I decided to try to do this professionally, but by that time, the work was publishable (barely) and I started sending it to agents.

NT: You have a new release on March 1st, can you tell us about LIVING ON THE EDGE?

Shannon: LIVING ON THE EDGE is the first book of a brand new romantic suspense series, The Edge.  The series is centered around the characters who work at a mercenary company that’s run by a woman.  It’s a return to the style of my first two romantic suspenses (NO REGRETS, NO CONTROL), with plenty of action and intrigue.  There’s a larger, overarching story that flows through all the books, with a big cast of characters, which I love writing.

NT: What inspired the idea for this new series and how many books do you have planned for it?

Shannon: It’s always hard to say what inspired an idea for me.  Books, TV, music, movies…it all kind of melts together in a big pile of goo, and sometimes things float to the top.  That’s what happened for this series.

How many books there are in a series is not something that’s entirely up to me, but if it was, I’d write 8-10 in this series.

NT: Which do you find easier to write — your suspenses or your paranormals?

Shannon: When I’m getting toward the end of a suspense, I’m dying to get out of the real world and into my paranormal world where magic and monsters are real.  Then, by the time I’m finishing up a paranormal, I’m ready to get back to the real world where I don’t have to explain so much and spend so many words world building.  I love both, and I’m really happy that I have the opportunity to switch between genres.  I think it keeps the work fresh, and keeps me from burning out.  Both very good things. 😀

NT: Do you have a writing routine? What is your average writing day like?

Shannon: When I’m in writing the rough draft of any book, I pretty much fall out of bed and start writing.  I’ll break during the day to deal with email and to play with folks briefly on Twitter or Facebook.  Each day there’s a specific word count goal that I want to achieve, and I try to work until I get at least that far.  How many words that is depends on whether I’m on schedule or lagging behind.  I’ve learned that the schedule has to be fluid and move as things change and life happens, so I always build in a week or two of wiggle room so I never turn things in late.

When I’m not writing the rough draft, there’s almost always planning, outlining, revision, copy edits, or page proofs to work on.  And in the rare times when I’m not doing one of those, I work on promotional efforts, work with other writers, and travel to meet readers.

NT: When not busy writing, what do you like to do in your spare time? (If there is such a thing 😀 )

Shannon: Spare time is rare, but I’ve learned to schedule in fun so that I don’t go insane and start killing heroes halfway through a story.  I love to craft with friends.  We get together and each do our own thing, spending the day together laughing and eating food we probably shouldn’t.  I play with beads or glass, and sometimes quilt.  If you keep an eye on the contest page of my website, I sometimes give away the fruits of my labor.  They may be lumpy and lopsided, but I like to share none the less. 😀

NT: The next question is a two parter (and totally not my fault!) 

1. What can your fans look forward to from you in the near future?

Shannon: I have four releases in 2011:
February—ON THE HUNT is an anthology with Gena Showalter, Deidre Knight, Jessica Andersen and me.  It contains a Sentinels novella, which is Neal’s story, and it takes place between books 3 and 4 of The Sentinel Wars.
March—LIVING ON THE EDGE is the first book of my new romantic suspense series.
August—BLOODHUNT is book 5 of The Sentinel Wars, and is the first book that focuses on the Sanguinar race.
November—RAZOR’S EDGE is book 2 of The Edge series.

NT: 2. I have a friend that loves the Sentinel Wars series and this question is from her. If you do not plan to do more books in that series, what bribes would you accept to continue it or what begging position do you prefer your readers to assume? 😉

Shannon: Bribes?  Awesome!  I’ll take mine in shiny bits of colored glass. J  I do plan to continue the Sentinel series, and I’ve contracted for 9 books so far.  I’d love to write several more books so that each of the main characters I’ve introduced can get their own story, but we’ll have to see how things work out.

NT: How can readers contact you?

Shannon: They can email me using the link on my website: www.ShannonKButcher.com, or Tweet me @ShannonKButcher (don’t forget the K or you’ll end up talking to a jazz singer, and that’s definitely not me), or come by the fan forum, where there’s a specific place for asking me questions: http://skbbooks.proboards.com/, or visit my fan page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shannon-K-Butcher/136762219616, or my personal page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001028124810#!/profile.php?id=100001028124810.  I’m really not hard to find. 😀

NT: Thank you so much for blogging with us here at Novel Thoughts!

Shannon: Thanks for asking me!  I hope to do it again sometime!

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Shannon is giving away a copy of LIVING NIGHTMARE to one lucky reader. To be entered, just leave a comment below.

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Hidden Away and A Lot Like Love – Giveaway!

A man who shoots first and asks questions later…

Most people would take an all-expenses-paid trip to the beach in a heartbeat. Garrett Kelly only accepts to keep tabs on Sarah Daniels, who’s in hiding after witnessing a murder by Marcus Lattimer, her half-brother—and a personal enemy of KGI. This gig may be beneath a disciplined soldier like Garrett, but if he gets a shot at Lattimer, it will all be worth it…

…and the ultimate moving target.

But Garrett hadn’t counted on falling for Sarah. He’d considered seduction as a tactical maneuver, but when he glimpses Sarah’s dark past, he feels an urgent desire to keep her safe—even after she disappears on him. Garrett doesn’t know exactly who, or what, Sarah’s running from, but whatever it is, she’s running for her life…

~~~*~~~*~~~

The FBI wants her cooperation.

As the daughter of a billionaire and the owner of the city’s top wine store, Jordan Rhodes is invited to the most exclusive parties in Chicago. But there’s only one party the FBI wants to crash: the charity fundraiser of a famous restaurateur, who also happens to launder money for the mob. In exchange for her brother’s release from prison, Jordan is going to be there—with a date supplied by the Bureau.

Agent McCall just wants her.
As the top undercover agent in Chicago, Nick McCall has one rule: never get personal. This “date” with Jordan Rhodes is merely an assignment—one they’re both determined to pull off even if they can’t be together for five minutes before the sarcasm and sparks begin to fly. But when Nick’s investigation is compromised, he and Jordan have no choice but to pretend they’re a couple, and what starts out as a simple assignment begins to feel a lot like something more. . .

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Contest rules:

We will be giving away 3 print copies of HIDDEN AWAY by Maya Banks and 3 print copies of A LOT LIKE LOVE by Julie James. To be entered, all you need to do is tell us which book you want to win.  Winners will be drawn on Sunday, March 6. Good luck!

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Winners!

 

Yadira A.

wins HEALING THE HIGHLANDER by Melissa Mayhue

*

Kacie V.

wins AGAINST THE LAW by Kat Martin

Congratulations to all the winners! You have 48 hours to contact Mad at mad at romancereaderatheart dot com to claim your prize.

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WILDER’S MATE by Moira Rogers – Review

Wilder Harding is a bloodhound, created by the Guild to hunt down and kill vampires on America’s frontier. His enhanced abilities come with a high price: on the full moon, he becomes capable of savagery beyond telling, while the new moon brings a sexual hunger that borders on madness.

Rescuing a weapons inventor from undead kidnappers is just another assignment, though one with an added complication–keeping his hands off the man’s pretty young apprentice, who insists on tagging along.

At odds with polite society, Satira’s only constant has been the aging weapons inventor who treats her like a daughter. She isn’t going to trust Wilder with Nathaniel’s life, not when the Guild might decide the old man isn’t worth saving. Besides, if there’s one thing she’s learned, it’s that brains are more important than brawn.

As the search stretches far longer than Wilder planned, he finds himself fighting against time. If Satira is still at his side when the new moon comes, nothing will stop him from claiming her. Worse, she seems all too willing. If their passion unlocks the beast inside, no one will be safe. Not even the man they’re fighting to save.

Warning: This book contains a crude, gun-slinging, vampire-hunting hero who howls at the full moon and a smart, stubborn heroine who invents mad-scientist weapons. Also included: wild frontier adventures, brothels, danger, betrayal and a good dose of wicked loving in an alternate Wild West.

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Welcome to my first adventure with steampunk. This one made me nervous. It’s an ARC from an auto-buy author with a theme that is totally outside my comfort zone. What if I hate it????

I started the book with a little trepidation but by the end of chapter one, I was hooked. We have a strong, smart heroine that has a logical plan on how to save Nathaniel. And then Wilder is introduced…

He was dark and forbidding, a large man wrapped in the savagery of a hound. Some hid their other natures well, but this one… Satira met his eyes, and a beast stared back.

Wilder isn’t the typical arrogant hero that I usually associate with historicals. He’s confidant in himself and his abilities but he is willing to accept help and apologizes to Satira for underestimating her. I may be in love.

Then we get to the sexy times. Satira is a woman that knows what (and who) she wants and Wilder is a dirty, dirty boy in the best sense of the word. Crazy hot!

The descriptions of this world makes me very happy. It is detailed enough that I can clearly picture the different gadgets and settings without having an info dump that would make my eyes glaze over.

In conclusion, I didn’t hate it. In fact, I kind of loved it. A lot. There wasn’t any part of Wilder’s Mate that I didn’t love. It all worked for me and I’m eagerly anticipating more books in this series.

For more information on WILDER’S MATE, visit the Moira Rogers website.

(This is not my original review. I read this book a few months ago and wrote a glowing review for it. It was detailed, it flowed smoothly, quotes galore. It was fabulous ! But you’ll have to take my word for it 😉 because a virus wiped my computer and that review was lost forever. The above is my attempt to recapture it)

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Cover Goodness: Moira Rogers

May 3, 2011

After three years at war, the High Lord of the Forest returns to his lands, a victorious wolf leader intent on claiming his mate. Instead Ciar finds an empty bed and a court with no recollection of the woman he loved. Following her long-cold trail proves far easier than facing what awaits him at the end.

Sabine’s first instinct is to beg her beloved to leave. The High Lord’s mother hired a witch to curse Sabine, desperate to wipe the lowborn wolf from her son’s mind. But the spell worked too well, and Sabine has vanished from the thoughts of everyone who sees her. Including her own family.

The edges of his memory already blurring, Ciar and Sabine must race to find a way to reverse the spell. Yet every searing moment together is not enough to stop the curse’s inexorable progress. His only chance is to bind Sabine to him too tightly to be forgotten, before she disappears once and for all.

Warning: This story contains cruel betrayal, destined love, vile curses, smoldering reunions, wicked deeds between wanton shapeshifters and a happily-ever-after worthy of any fairy tale.

 

June 21, 2011

 

After three years at war, Ennon bears the burden of seeing the High Lord’s vast armies home. Keeping thousands of fiercely independent lions in line isn’t easy. When his soldiers discover a beautiful, royal female hidden beneath an illusion spell, the lure of her inheritance threatens the order of his camp.

The men of her family protected Kisri, until the war stole them away. Tired of defending herself from greedy suitors, she’s in search of her only remaining male relative. Instead she finds Ennon, her cousin’s most dangerous warrior. Perhaps the only man in the kingdom who has no interest in claiming her birthright. Which makes him unique…and tempting.

Delivering Kisri to his High Lord’s side–while keeping his distance–is Ennon’s one and only duty. Yet Kisri’s untutored advances crack his formidable resistance. And she proves to be a dangerously adept student. Especially when their passion wakes a magic beyond their control…

Warning: This story contains a dangerous shapeshifter warlord, a lioness with a sword, innocent passion, sexual awakenings and a happily-ever-after worthy of any fairy tale.

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For more information (including excerpts) please visit http://www.moirarogers.com/digital-coming-soon

 

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Hitting the New York Times Bestseller List by Kat Martin

The most unsettled of the “no-account Raines boys,” Devlin Raines has long been protecting his heart from injury. But his latest case—and client—forces him to lay everything on the line…

At thirty-two Dev is “mostly retired” from Raines Investigations, content to run operations from his sprawling Arizona home. But Dev has never been able to say no to a beautiful woman, so when Lark Delaney comes to him for help, the former U.S. Army Ranger from Wind Canyon gets back in the game.

Lark is sexy, successful and dedicated to tracking down the baby girl her sister gave up for adoption. It should be a straightforward case, but it’s not long before Dev uncovers a shady adoption ring and worse—the child’s parents have been murdered and the little girl has been taken.

As the case grows dangerous and Lark needs him more than ever, Dev can’t ignore his growing attraction for her. He also can’t trust his judgment with women or the emotions he’s long since buried. But there’s a chance, if he gets this right and saves Lark’s niece, that he’ll end up saving himself, too.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Twenty five years ago when I first started writing, my goal was to become a successful author. I wanted to be able to quit my real estate job and write full time. Fortunately, with my husband still working, I was able to make that happen fairly quickly.

Still, when I finally I sold my first book after months of trying and numerous rejections, I earned the whopping sum of four thousand dollars–not much money for a year and a half of working ten hours a day! But I never lost faith. I thought, “I can do this. I know I can.”

I think one of the toughest things about being an author is continuing to believe in yourself. Insecurities swamp you. Is this book any good? Is this book as good as the last one? Will my readers like it? Will the publisher renew my contract?

After twenty five years, those questions remain. It’s only sheer force of will that keeps a writer pounding the keyboard, sheer determination that keeps an author from quitting.

So when I hit the New York Times printed list (as opposed to the extended list, which I had been on a number of times), it was the kind of validation that keeps a writer going.

Someone must like these books, I thought. Ohmygod, it’s really selling! It was a thrill to get that phone call–a notification that usually comes late on a Wednesday night. That Wednesday, I didn’t get any call so I figured any chance I had was past.

Then early Thursday morning, my agent phoned. “AGAINST THE FIRE made the list! You’re on the New York Times!”

It’s a real moment for an author, the thrill of a lifetime. I had made the Times list last year for RULES BRIDE, one of my Victorian Historicals, but this was different.

My heart is in these books, AGAINST THE WIND, AGAINST THE FIRE, AGAINST THE LAW. Not only did I love the brothers, Jackson, Gabe, and Devlin, but I loved the ladies who snared these hunky men.

When I finished AGAINST THE LAW, I didn’t want to let go.

Couldn’t.

So I didn’t.

In Dev and Lark’s story, AGAINST THE LAW, three of Dev’s friends show up to help him rescue Lark’s missing four-year-old niece. Trace, Johnnie, and Jake were such amazing guys I knew I had to tell their stories.

Fortunately, Mira agreed, and in November, AGAINST THE STORM, Trace Rawlin’s story, is scheduled to hit the bookshelves.

I’m hoping by the time readers finish the Raines Brothers Trilogy, they’ll be wanting more of the yummy AGAINST men and their sexy ladies, and that they’ll be watching for AGAINST THE STORM.

Until then if you haven’t read AGAINST THE LAW, I hope you’ll look for it. And don’t forget AGAINST THE WIND and AGAINST THE FIRE, the first two books in the trilogy.

Until then, happy reading and all best wishes, Kat

Enter Kat’s Contest

Join my mailing list

Visit my website

View the Against the Law Video

Read Excerpt for Against the Law

Become a Facebook fan of Kat Martin

 

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Borders

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Many thanks to Kat for joining us today!

For a chance to win AGAINST THE LAW, just leave a comment below. Good luck!

 

 

 

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Ranty McRant

I have went through a few titles for this post. It was originally titled “What A Reader Wants” but then I realized my wants are fairly simple. It’s what I don’t want that took over the post. I’m not talking about book content, I’m talking about what happens before and after I get the book in my hands.

I want to be able to go to an author site to find the blurb and reading order. Anything else on the site is a bonus but those things are musts for me. If I don’t know what the book is about then I don’t care that 15 reviewers are quoted as saying it’s awesome. I need the blurb! (And please do not make things pop out or sing to me. I don’t like it and I will run away before I ever get to the blurb.)

Now I have found a blurb, I’ve bought the book, enjoyed it, and I follow the author on twitter or “like” her on Facebook. Sometimes this turns out great, other times…not so much. This is social networking, folks. If you don’t plan on being social, don’t do it.

Examples:

A friend mentions on twitter that Author A is giving away a book to her followers. This is a new-to-me author and I like free books so I follow. I don’t win the giveaway but Author A’s tweets are entertaining. I ask a question, Author A answers. We engage in conversation and she’s friendly. I realize that if Author A can entertain me in 140 characters, then I should spend the money to try her books. Author A is now an auto-buy and I review her books here quite a bit and I tell everyone about how great they are.

Then there is Author B. I read a book by Author B, start following her on Twitter and suddenly the tweet stream is filled with nothing but links on where to buy her book. No responses to questions, no chit chat about every day life. Just those links. Over and over. Watch me run away.

Now we are getting to my biggest pet peeve.

No, not the emails telling you that you can have a bigger penis or that an unknown relative has left you 2.8 million dollars. Author spam. I get a lot of it (and I’m guessing I’m not alone) but it has been argued that it’s simply “promo” not spam. I disagree. If it’s unsolicited, it’s spam.

Examples:

If you recommend your own book to me on Goodreads, it’s SPAM.

If I do a review and you leave a comment saying “if you liked this book, you should read my book *insert title here*”, that is SPAM.

If you send me a friend request on Facebook, then post about your book on my wall, it’s SPAM.

Then there are newsletters. I like author newsletters. They give me sneak peeks into future books and remind me of release dates so they are a total win for me but I only like the ones I subscribed to. Every month, I get at least 10 newsletters that I did not subscribe to. This is what tipped the scales on me writing this post. I received an unsolicited author newsletter last week. I went through the usual process of unsubscribing (bitching the whole time) then I got an automated response telling me that since I unsubscribed, I am now on her “blacklist.”  Seriously? WTF? Is this suppose to scare me and make me beg to be back on a list I never wanted to be on in the first place? Is the poor little reader suppose to be intimidated? Whatever the intention was, it failed. All it did was piss me off and guarantee that I would never spend a dime on that author.

If you’ve made it this far, you are probably wondering what the point of this rant is. No point, really. I’m just hoping that an aspiring author may be reading this and when she gets that book deal, she’ll stop and think. When she was just a reader, what made her buy a book? Was it other readers and bloggers talking about how good a book was or was it that author that wasted her time with spamming.

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Melissa Mayhue – The First Step is the Hardest

ANDREW MACALISTER longs for a cure to free him from the excruciating pain caused by an old wound, but when he rescues a drowning woman, he has no idea how much his life is about to change. All Drew knows is that this mysterious woman is hiding secrets—and that he’s never felt such a consuming desire before. Yet he cannot deny her request for help, even if it means bringing the detested English army to his Highland clan’s home.

LEAH NOBLE MCQUARRIE still harbors a deep hatred of the Fae who tortured her eleven years ago, forcing her to escape back in time to the thirteenth century. A descendant of the Fae, Leah denies her heritage and her magical healing abilities. But the English army is holding her beloved adoptive grandfather captive, so Leah must seek help from the Fae—and the captivating man whose touch she craves.

Then Drew discovers Leah’s secrets, and he’s torn between old loyalties and trusting a woman who has the power to give him the future he’s sought—but could destroy his clan forever…

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

 

My thanks to Lillie for inviting me to spend today with the readers of NovelThoughts. Not just because it’s great fun to meet all of you [it is!] but also because today is Release Day for book seven in the Daughters of the Glen Series, HEALING THE HIGHLANDER and I’m always a basket case on Release Day.

Crazy, huh?

It’s wonderfully exciting to have the next book out there so that I can finally share with readers all that’s been happening in my world of Faeries and Highlanders. The flip side is that it’s scary, too, waiting to see if readers will like the characters as much as I do.

That’s doubly the case for me with HEALING THE HIGHLANDER. Though it’s my seventh book, it wraps up what has been a sort of mini-series within the series that began with HIGHLANDER’S DESTINY, so I’ve gotten especially attached to the heroine of this story, Leah Noble MacQuarrie.

We first met Leah as a teenager. She was the heroine’s sister in DESTINY. The evil Fae [the Nuadians] had kidnapped Leah, attempting to make use of her ability to heal, a gift of her Faerie heritage. Once Leah was rescued, she knew there was no place on Earth where she would ever be safe from her captors.

In the following book, A HIGHLANDER’S HOMECOMING, a decision is made that the only way to keep Leah safe is to hide her where the Nuadians can’t look – the Scottish Highlands of 1293 – seven hundred years in the past.

HEALING picks up eleven years later, finally giving us Leah’s story. She’s adapted to life in Medieval Scotland where she feels loved and safe, and she’s determined to avoid Faeries and their magic at all costs. As you can guess, rather than avoiding the Faerie Magic, Leah must learn to accept it.

Like all my heroines, Leah has a personal journey to make before she finds her Happy Ever After. One of her challenges is accept that she’s stronger than what she thinks she is and that taking that first step – often the hardest! – is all that stands between her and what she really wants.

And isn’t that true for so many of us? It certainly was the case in my life. I spent years wanting to be a writer before I took that first critical step… writing my first book! [It’s amazingly hard to be a writer without actually writing J ]. We may not always have the power to make our own dreams come true, but without a doubt, if we don’t take that first step, we’ll never know.

What about you? Do you have ‘first steps’ you’re working toward? Or ‘first steps’ you’ve already taken?

 

MELISSA MAYHUE writes award-winning paranormal romance for Pocket Books, all set in an imaginary world of Faeries and Mortals. Her seventh book, HEALING THE HIGHLANDER hits stores on February 22 and her eighth, HIGHLANDER’S CURSE, is available on March 29, 2011.

You can visit her on the web at: www.MelissaMayhue.com or come Twitter with her at www.Twitter.com/MelissaMayhue

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Many thanks to Melissa for joining us today!

For a chance to win an autographed copy of HEALING THE HIGHLANDER, just leave a comment answering the above question. Good luck! 😀

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Winners!

June M

wins KISMET by Monica Burns

*

Helen L

wins ANGEL’S REST by Emily March

*

JackieW

wins DESIRE UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer

Congratulations to all the winners! You have 48 hours to contact Mad at mad at romancereaderatheart dot com to claim your prize.

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