Greetings readers,
In this issue, I have a bunch of recommendations for you, including books sourced from BookFunnel, and releases from my bookish friends.
Read on for more details...
Showing posts with label novels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label novels. Show all posts
Pre-Order Now: Ink Of Deception, by Clare Bentley and M.B. Feeney
Ink Of Deception is a standalone suspense novel, which is part of a shared world for the Eastwood Prison series.
Blurb -
For Catherine Syms, it’s all real. Since the very first letter she received, she’s been falling for him. He’s broken, shaped by the environment he was raised in, and she wants to help fix him. Believes she can.
For Raymond Carr, the letters he writes to Catherine are a safety net for when he’s released from prison. He’s playing the role of a lifetime, and she isn’t his only leading lady, but she’s certainly the one who can set him up once he’s free.
Looking out for Ant, his cellmate and Catherine’s younger brother, is the best way for Ray to continue getting the kind of money he needs to make a life for himself on the outside. Though it's difficult to deal with the privileged little prick.
When he gets a second chance at life, Ray doesn’t intend to waste it.
Will he be able to keep Catherine blind to his intention to use her or will she eventually tire of the bad boy she fell in love with?
My First book Signing
I have exciting news to share. This coming April (2025) I will be attending my first-ever book signing. I'd love it if anyone local (or even those further afield) could drop by and say 'hi' and grab a signed copy of one of my books.
Tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-lovers-in-birmingham-2025-tickets-813012912507
And if you are attending, be sure to join the Facebook group, where authors will be posting take-overs so you can get to know those who're attending. https://www.facebook.com/groups/842648176074116/
Tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-lovers-in-birmingham-2025-tickets-813012912507
And if you are attending, be sure to join the Facebook group, where authors will be posting take-overs so you can get to know those who're attending. https://www.facebook.com/groups/842648176074116/
Introducing Write On - my alternative to NaNoWriMo
Earlier this month, in my post The Importance of Finding Your People I talked about the recent discourse involving NaNoWriMo, and how many people I'd seen online expressed their sadness at the loss of community leaving NaNoWriMo created.
Of course, this got the wheels in my head turning.
If you know me, you know I'm a huge advocate for doing NaNoWriMo at least once in your life. If circumstances had been different, I would have been doing it this November...
We've already discussed the problems with the well-known website, but another spanner in the 'write 50k words in November' works is the fact E.A Games has decided to ruin my life by releasing BOTH Dragon Age: The VeilGuard and Sims 4: Life and Death on October 31, so I won't be doing much writing in November.
But I need to finish THE STARLIGHT PRINCE and I have another StorytellerPublisher22 submission to work on, so I thought, why not try to write as much as I can in October, instead? And I don't want to do it alone...
That's why I'm inviting you all to join my new venture Write On: Writing in Tandem with Encouragement & Nurturing.
The aim is to set a goal for October and then work towards that goal throughout the month.
The twist is that you don't have to aim for the 'traditional; 50k words.
You can aim for 30k, or 100k or whatever you want. And you don't have to write EVERY DAY. You can write on just Mondays, or every day except for Sundays. Or whatever works for you.
And of course, while you're getting your butt in your seat to write however many words you're aiming for, you have a community of other writers there to cheer you on, and share you woes with. There will be daily check-in posts and a spreadsheet for everyone to keep track of their words, and if you're also a member of the Write Here, Write Now Community I will be doing regular writing sprints in addition to the usual one sprint per week the group typically hosts.
Now is the perfect time to join WH,WN, because not only will there be more sprints than usual in October, but we're also doing a 'Face Your Fears' event where we're pushing ourselves to move out of our comfort zones, and complete a bingo board of challenges such as going live on Facebook, writing outside your usual genre, and writing more words than you typically do.
And to sweeten the deal, this month anyone who joins Write On: Writing in Tandem with Encouragement & Nurturing will be sent a 50% discount code for one month's membership over at Write Here, Write Now!
To begin with, I plan on keeping Write On to Facebook only, as that's where I do most of my writerly connecting, but if there's lots of people interested in joining, but who don't use Facebook, I may consider alternatives like Discord etc.
If you're interested in taking part in my NaNoWriMo alternative, I'd love for you to join me over at the Write On Facebook Group.
If you have any issues joining the group, please leave a comment on this entry, or send me an email at claredugmore@gmail.com.
I'll be back on Monday with the cover reveal for the WH,WN Christmas anthology, so until then,
Take care & Stay Creative!
T.T.F.N
Favourites Friday - Books I Love
Happy Friday, Readers!
Thank you to anyone who has visited or commented on my blog or social media posts this week. The support is greatly appreciated.
Today, I want to discuss some of my favourite books.
I was going to start with a disclaimer about my previous love for the Harry Potter Series and how that has changed since J.K. Rowling's true anti-trans ideology has become more apparent. However, I have decided to write a full-length blog post about that in the future, as I think it's something important that should be discussed.
Now onto books I love. Please note, if there are issues with the author (i.e. Patrick Rothfuss not fulfilling charity incentives), I don't discuss that here. For the sake of this post, I am separating art from the artist.
In order of when the books were introduced to me:
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
As I mentioned above, in my late teens, I was a Harry Potter fan, which renewed my love of reading, and I was on the lookout for new books to read. At the same time, I was heavily into gothic subculture. One night, my sister and I were looking for something to watch on TV and stumbled across the Interview with the Vampire movie starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.
I was instantly in love.
As soon as I was able, I went to the bookshop and bought as many Anne Rice books as I could get my hands on, absolutely devouring The Vampire Chronicles. By the time I'd read all the Chronicles that had been published, Anne Rice was firmly one of my favourite authors, and I ventured into her other works. I already loved all things witches, so The Mayfair Witches trilogy seemed like a no-brainer.
Ironically, I started the book and could not get into it. I hated that I'd bought this book, by an author I loved, about witches, and I couldn't get into it. I honestly don't remember why; it just didn't pull me in, and I put it down and moved on to something else.
One of these something else's was Blackwood Farm, another book in The Vampire Chronicles, which briefly featured appearances by Rowan and Mona Mayfair.
Mona Mayfair captured my heart completely, and I needed to know more about her and the Mayfair Family, so I tried to read The Witching Hour again.
This time, something clicked. I think maybe the first few chapters aren't a true representation of the book as a whole, and the switching POVs was frustrating for me (ironic given I later fell in love with GRRM).
But once the story got going, I was hooked. I loved the history of the Mayfair Witches and the gothic horror that came with it, and I was intrigued by how that history would affect the current-day storyline and romance between Rowan and Michael.
The Talamasca were fascinating to me, and I wanted to join them. Lasher was equal parts enthralling and terrifying.
The end of the book left me reeling, and I immediately dived into the next, thrilled to see my beloved Mona featured more prominently.
By the time I got to the final book and then read the tie-in/cross-over with The Vampire Chronicles, The Witching Hour had cemented itself as one of my favourite books ever.
The Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
I am super lucky to have a bookworm for a brother-in-law, and when we saw each other during the holidays, we'd discuss our favourite books. B-I-L always mentioned His Dark Materials and recommended I read them. One year, he bought the complete series for me as a birthday gift.
I'm so glad he did.
I instantly fell in love with Lyra, her world, and the idea of Dæmons. I needed to know what Dust was, and how it connected to Lyra, Pantalaimon, and the world as a whole.
Then we were introduced to Iorek Byrnison, and that changed everything. How can you not love an armoured, talking polar bear? That's the point I knew these books were something special.
As I often do with series I love, I jumped from one book to the next in quick succession, so they all blurred into one big story. A story I adored, and still hold close to my heart many years after finishing the series.
The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The other bookish person in my life is my sister, and we sometimes have a similar arrangement as me and B-I-L, where we recommend books for each other, and buy the recommended books for the other as Christmas or birthday gifts.
The Name of the Wind was one of these books. I think she bought it for me in exchange for me buying her the His Dark Materials trilogy.
Another book of magic and mystery that instantly pulled me in. I spent hours thinking and theorizing about who or what The Chandrian are, and how Kvothe will defeat them. It also helped that Kvothe was a redhead with green eyes—a sure-fire way to win my heart!
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
By now, it should be clear I love books with magic, mysteries, great world-building, and lore. A fellow Harry Potter fandom friend recommended the books to me, saying that the Lannisters made the Malfoys look like babies in comparison.
I was intrigued.
Then I heard there was going to be a TV show based on the books, starring Sean Bean. I decided I wanted to read the books before I watched the show so that my first impression of the characters and the story was directly from the books.
Comparing the A Song of Ice and Fire series to the Harry Potter series in any way absolutely does not do justice to George R. R. Martin's books, which are phenomenal and one of the best fantasy book series ever.
My redhead-loving streak continues as Sansa Stark became one of my favourite characters. I also have a love-hate relationship with the Targaryen Family and can't decide if they're the coolest people ever or psychopaths. Maybe a bit of both.
Even though the TV series finished on a sour note, and we don't know if and when GRRM will finish the book series, the world of Ice and Fire is so rich and full of lore that I could spend hours reading theories and watching videos about different obscure characters. It's no surprise I'm currently obsessed with the mysterious and witchy Alys Rivers.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I'm one of those people who, when something becomes super popular, I become curious and want to check it out. Sometimes I end up hating the super popular thing (Twilight just was not for me), and sometimes I love it.
The Hunger Games series was one of those 'I love it' times. Although I'd read some YA fiction, I had never read anything set in a world like Panem, and I wasn't sure what to expect.
I had a sort of vision in my mind of what YA books were like (again, Twilight ruined my perception here), and I was expecting a love story set in a war-torn world. Yes, The Hunger Games has that, but oh boy, does it have SO MUCH more. I don't think I've read another book like it that focuses on war, corruption, class systems, and rebellion. It's a series that really makes you stop and think.
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Ghibli movies are my guilty pleasure. When I'm stressed and feeling down, I snuggle in bed and watch one. My favourite is Howl's Moving Castle, so imagine my surprise when I learned it was based on a book.
I also have a soft spot for children's and young adult fiction, especially if it's fantasy. Sometimes you just need something easy and fun to escape into.
I started reading Howl's Moving Castle recently, fully expecting it to be exactly the same as the movie. While it's very similar, there are many key details that make it stand out, and in my opinion, make it better than the movie. Sophie is slightly different, and I liked her much more in the book. Howl is even more of a brat in the books than he is in the movie, and somehow, that made him more endearing. I do love a troubled, broken man. Bonus points if they are magical. ;)
The book is whimsical, light, and easy to read, which for me is perfect. I can switch off and lose myself in another world for a few hours, without having to think too deeply about anything or worry about the world. Perfection.
While these six are just some of my favourite books, if I listed all the books I've read and enjoyed, we'd be here forever. Honestly, I'm pretty black and white when it comes to reading. It either hooks me early on and I become obsessed, or it doesn't hook me and I forget about it.
I can only think of a few series I completed (or nearly completed) that I didn't enjoy. I jump between genres, enjoying both contemporary and other-world stories. Romance is a bonus for me, but not always a necessity. But I'm more often drawn to stories with magic, mysteries, world-building, and lore.
That's all I have for you this week. Now I really should get back to writing my own book, and resist the temptation to play with the new Sims expansion.
Be sure to come back on Monday, for an interview with indie author and graphic designer Clare Bentley.
Until then,
Take care and stay creative.
T.T.F.N.
Writing Wednesday - My Author Origin Story
Happy Writing Wednesday, folks!
First off all, thanks to everyone who stopped by my first Memorable Monday post, and showed Kyra Lennon some love! I'll be back next Monday with a guest post from Beyond Starlight author Diana Dawn.
Today, I'm going to talk about when and why I started writing, the journey I took to self-publishing, and what writing means to me.
Liches, Legends and Love - Chapter Twenty
Chapter 20 of my serial urban-fantasy web-fiction LICHES, LEGENDS AND LOVE just went live on my website! http://claredugmore.weebly.com/webfiction/liches-legends-and-love-chapter-twenty
Liches, Legends and Love - Chapter Nineteen
Happy Weekend, everyone! A new chapter of my serial UrbanFantasy WebFiction LICHES, LEGENDS AND LOVE is now live on my website! http://claredugmore.weebly.com/webfiction/liches-legends-and-love-chapter-nineteen
Liches, Legends and Love - Chapter Eighteen
It's Friday, and you know what that means? A new chapter of my serial Urban Fantasy Web Fiction LICHES, LEGENDS AND LOVE is now live on my website!
http://claredugmore.weebly.com/webfiction/liches-legends-and-love-chapter-eighteen
Nobody Knows, by Kyra Lennon
Congratulations to Kyra Lennon on the re-release of her rockstar romance, NOBODY KNOWS.
Blurb:
It's not easy being friends with rising rock stars - especially when you're the glue holding them together.
Razes Hell are climbing the charts, and Ellie can't believe her childhood friends, Drew and Jason Brooks, are drawing in crowds after years spent playing in dodgy bars.
From obscurity to overnight success, Ellie soon realizes life in the public eye isn’t all it’s cracked up to be when dark secrets become headline news and old conflicts are re-ignited.
When a fake feud meant to boost the band’s popularity threatens to rip the boys apart for real, Ellie finds herself torn when her loyalty to Jason collides with her blossoming relationship with Drew.
Nobody knows how deep their issues run—nobody but Ellie. With friendship, a music career, and a new love on the line, can Ellie keep their tangled pasts from ruining their futures?
ORDER HERE:
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSTQ1VWD/
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BSTQ1VWD/
It's Complicated, by Georgina Hannan
It's the final day of the Write Here, Write Now LoveFest, and we've got Georgina Hannan, and her new-adult romance IT'S COMPLICATED.
It's Complicated by Georgina Hannan
Starting university and turning 18 are big things in a teenager’s life, but to have that happen at the same time as losing the closest person Rachael’s ever had makes things a whole lot more confusing.
Her mother’s abandonment means she has no choice but to start university and a new life with her Father’s best friend and his two sons.
She’s known them for years so why is it when Jake comes to pick her up she feels like she’s seeing him for the first time?
Then when Rachael’s old friends collide with her new life she has a fight on her hands for love but is it one she’ll win? Is it one she really wants to win?
Can love conquer all or will it turn out to be too complicated in the end?
Sing, by Anna Edwards
It's Day Seventeen of the Write Here, Write Now LoveFest, and we've got Anna Edwards, and her rockstar romance SING.
𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛
Tate Gordon is the lead singer of Saving Tate, the hottest new rock band in Seattle. Having been mentored by music legends, Berrettini, for several years, the group are about to head out on their first world tour. Tate’s excited, but he’s struggling at the same time with the secrets he’s been keeping. His friends don’t know the truth about his youth or the confusion running through his head. Will Tate’s past destroy everything the group have been working for when his past returns in a chance encounter?
Zoey Danson is a hot commodity in the record industry, and her boss wants her to travel with one of his top clients, Saving Tate, as they embark on their world tour. She’s not entirely sure about being stuck on a tour bus with four famously horny men but mounting debts, thanks to her deadbeat mother, mean she doesn’t have a choice.
When Zoey ascends the steps of the tour bus, looking hot and carrying a clip board with a full itinerary, sparks instantly fly between her and Tate. Can these two keep it professional, or will their instant attraction lead to an explosive disaster no one could have foreseen?
𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠, Book 1 - Tate's story
• Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3dxWdWY
• Amazon US - https://amzn.to/3dw1puj
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnaEdwardsWriter
My Ex's Son, by MJ Rutter
It's Day Sixteen of the Write Here, Write Now LoveFest, and we've got Melissa J Rutter, and her erotic romance My Ex's Son.
MY EX'S SON
Jenna Lindon had everything, well, almost. She had an amazing career working for one of the most successful publishing houses on the west coast of America. She had her own house and a nice car. She worked hard, enjoyed her free time and appeared content. It had taken her a long time to get where she was after almost being emotionally destroyed, she was where she needed to be. During a storm on a sticky June night, her phone woke her, a voice from a time better best forgotten sent shivers down her spine. Cain Macalister, her ex-boyfriend's son, needed her help. Dragging her from her bed, she helps him just as she did when he was a drunk teenager because his father simply didn't seem to care about him. Once again he was stuck with no one to help. Discovering the truth about his life, and how messed up he is, she opens up her home and her heart. Knowing this would upset her ex, she risked everything to help Cain with a home, a step in the right direction.
She wasn't prepared for the implications of taking him in, she certainly didn't expect him to change her life the way he did. She felt that it was wrong, Cain was now a twenty-five-year-old man with his own dreams and his own mind. Estranged from his father and a man who just needs to be loved, he tells her how he feels and it opens up a whole new can of worms. Should she take a bite of this forbidden fruit, or should she deny her heart for the sake of someone who never even gave her a second thought?
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09X3LXZGF
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaJRutter
MY EX'S SON
Jenna Lindon had everything, well, almost. She had an amazing career working for one of the most successful publishing houses on the west coast of America. She had her own house and a nice car. She worked hard, enjoyed her free time and appeared content. It had taken her a long time to get where she was after almost being emotionally destroyed, she was where she needed to be. During a storm on a sticky June night, her phone woke her, a voice from a time better best forgotten sent shivers down her spine. Cain Macalister, her ex-boyfriend's son, needed her help. Dragging her from her bed, she helps him just as she did when he was a drunk teenager because his father simply didn't seem to care about him. Once again he was stuck with no one to help. Discovering the truth about his life, and how messed up he is, she opens up her home and her heart. Knowing this would upset her ex, she risked everything to help Cain with a home, a step in the right direction.
She wasn't prepared for the implications of taking him in, she certainly didn't expect him to change her life the way he did. She felt that it was wrong, Cain was now a twenty-five-year-old man with his own dreams and his own mind. Estranged from his father and a man who just needs to be loved, he tells her how he feels and it opens up a whole new can of worms. Should she take a bite of this forbidden fruit, or should she deny her heart for the sake of someone who never even gave her a second thought?
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09X3LXZGF
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaJRutter
It's Day Fifteen of the Write Here, Write Now LoveFest, and we've got Samantha Jayne Grubey and her new-adult, coming-of-age romance ESCAPING REALITY.
Escaping Reality
Nobody wants to live without their best friend, but when Holly is murdered, Chlo has no choice.
Chlo is the only person who has the answers - too bad she can’t remember when she wakes up two weeks later.
Chlo is sent to a rehabilitation centre where she has to learn to grieve, along the way of trying to access her memories she has to deal with her feelings for Corey, her best friend’s brother.
For Holly was always a reason to stay away, now it’s their reason to try.
Buy Link: https://books2read.com/EscapingReality
Add to your TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/.../show/46131626-escaping-reality
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaJayneGrubeyAuthor/
Liches, Legends and Love - New Chapter Coming Soon!
Accidental Daughter, by Rosie East
It's Day Fourteen of the Write Here, Write Now LoveFest, and we've got Rosie East and her contemporary romance ACCIDENTAL DAUGHTER.
Accidental Daughter
Blurb
ANDIE
There are two things I’ve got my heart set on.
Graduating at the top of my class, and succeeding in taking over from my father as the CEO of Prescott and Sons.
Neither of those involve the muscular arms of the rugby captain, or the dark eyes I can’t help but get lost in.
All it takes is one mistake, and all those best laid plans could be ruined.
ROB
I should have had a plan by now.
It’s the final year, my last opportunity, time to make mistakes and live life to the full.
But I can’t imagine my life without her in it, and she’s determined to walk the steps laid out before her.
I need a way to show her I’m serious; a way to ingrain myself in her plan.
Can I convince her she’s my end game? Or was I always destined to be left behind?
➜ Buy Link: https://books2read.com/AccidentalDaughter
➜ Add to your TBR: https://bit.ly/3DdtmDc
➜ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/rosieeastauthor
Twisted Fate, by Tracey Jukes
It's Day Thirteen of the Write Here, Write Now LoveFest, and we've got Tracey Jukes and her Romantic Suspense, TWISTED FATE.
Twisted Fate
Fourteen months ago, she should have died
She was told it was a robbery gone wrong.
They were the victims of a violent tragedy
Esme Lewis always tried to be the model daughter. She followed the rules set by her parents until the day her world crashed around her, and the rules disappeared.
The life she had no longer exists. All she faces now is fear… until a chance encounter changes what’s left of her life in ways she can’t comprehend.
The last thing she expects to find when moving apartments is Reid Taylor, the kind of man her parents warned her about. He’s tattooed, muscular, and used to getting his own way whatever the situation.
With the attraction towards Reid undeniable, Esme decides it’s time to take some risks and have a little fun. But when a horrifying truth rears its head, she quickly realizes some rules were not made to be broken.
In the blink of an eye, Esme’s life is in danger, and both she and Reid hold vital pieces of the puzzle that will keep her safe. But can she trust him enough to give her what she needs, or will those who took so much from her finally take her life too?
The Dark Heir, by Corrine M Knight
It's Day Twelve of the Write Here, Write Now LoveFest, and we've got Corinne M Knight and her Contemporary Fantasy THE DARK HEIR.
The Dark Heir (Book 1 in Of Knights and Monsters series)
The Order of the Dragon looms ominously over Europe, controlling and manipulating every supernatural creature within its grasp.
When member Lucien de Winter is assigned a case that involves mysterious demonic activity at a privileged academy, he meets Avery, whose electric spirit captivates him.
Avery can’t help but be pulled into the maelstrom of danger and supernatural creatures surrounding Lucien. With no idea of what lies ahead, she knows she must do whatever it takes to help Lucien stay alive.
But when Lucien is forcefully turned into a vampire, the Order ruthlessly dispatches its knights to hunt him down.
Embarking on a perilous journey across Europe, Lucien must find Vlad Dracula—the one person who can save them both and tear apart the Order of the Dragon forever.
Purchase Link: books2read.com/TheDarkHeir
Find the author on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corinnemknightwrites
Taming Wrath, by S. Lucas
It's Day Eleven of the Write Here, Write Now LoveFest, and we've got S. Lucas and her paranormal erotica Taming Wrath.
Work, fight, drink, sleep. Rinse and repeat.
That’s pretty much how my life works day in, day out. That is until a mysterious man turns up at the bar one night. He’s cocky, and gorgeous and I wouldn’t say no to getting a piece of that. After I win my fight, I let him take me home ready to quench my darkest desires. All that changes when he forces me to drink his blood and drives a dagger through my chest.
The world I wake up in isn’t my own, and there are more problems than just trying to find a way to escape the one place I really don’t want to be in. This isn’t my world, and I don’t want to be the one to try and sort out its issues, I have plenty of those back home.
Now I find myself surrounded by demons who want me dead, and even my dark prince might not be able to save me from their wrath.
Buy Link: https://books2read.com/tamingwrath
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorslucas
All It Takes, by Clare Dugmore
It's Day ten of the Write Here, Write Now LoveFest, and we've got ME! Here's my dual-POV, new-adult, contemporary-romance, ALL IT TAKES, which is currently on sale for 99p/c.
Megan Green has her whole life figured out. She’s six months away from graduating uni, then she plans on backpacking around Europe for a year, before following her dream of becoming an interior designer.
What she doesn’t account for is meeting local MMA fighter Kian Murphy.
With his athletic body and Irish charm, Kian has no trouble scoring with the ladies, and one night is all he’s after.
But All It Takes is one night to change the rest of their lives.
After a chance meeting and passionate encounter, Megan finds herself pregnant with Kian’s child.
But with a womanizing reputation, and a temper that often leads him into trouble, Kian is hardly boyfriend material, let alone father material.
Now Megan and Kian must work out if they have All It Takes to turn their one-night-stand into a relationship that will connect them for a life-time.
All It Takes is a dual-POV, new-adult, contemporary-romance about responsibility, love and discovering who you are in life.
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N4LXGMV
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4LXGMV
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33216001-all-it-takes
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