Virtual Book Tour ~ Blood Diamond by RJ Blain

Blood Diamond

by RJ Blain

Paranormal Suspense / Urban Fantasy / Supernatural Thriller / Light Paranormal Romance

Date Published: June 25, 2015 

The world is full of corpses, and Jackson knows them by name. When a group strives to destroy the Inquisition, his powers may be all standing between the supernaturals and extinction.

However, when he learns the truth behind the deaths of his wife and unborn daughter, Jackson may prove to be the greatest threat of all to the survival of mankind...

The world was full of corpses, and I, Dante Jackson Emmett Anderson, knew them by name. Unfortunately for me, my brother knew my secret.

When my brother asked for help, it usually involved unidentified bodies or paperwork. When he had showed up at my door, I hadn’t expected an invitation to join an Inquisition field operation, one dangerous enough to warrant the use of my brother’s armored truck. He had me dead to rights when he told me I’d be driving, and judging by the way he had smirked while spinning the keys around his finger, he had known it.

I doubted the red-painted, tempting seductress of a monstrosity could be eliminated by anything other than a missile or a tank; even if someone wanted to blast their way in, they’d need a ladder to reach the door. I wasn’t small, not at six foot three, and I needed the help of the step rail and roll bar to climb in. The rest of the team needed me to give them a hand.

I drew a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. I should have refused my twin and ignored the lure of driving his absurd, stupid truck. I should have told him I would do a stint at the Inquisition headquarters shuffling papers and naming dead people instead of pretending I was trained for field operations.

Drumming my hands against the leather wheel, probably the only normal thing in the truck, I waited. The manila envelope on the dashboard mocked me, reflecting in the windshield as I watched the darkening forest for any signs of the team’s return. Once I opened it, I’d know more about the operation and its Inquisitors than I wanted. I’d know the names and faces of the dead, and if my bad luck held, I’d get a glimpse of their final moments.

The dead were vindictive like that.

I leaned forward, resting my forehead on my hands. My brother had been in enough of a hurry to get me into his truck and on the road I hadn’t had time to change out of my suit. Combat boots, fatigues, and Kevlar protected the Inquisitors. I wore a silk dress shirt and an equally thin jacket a bullet would ignore before tearing a hole through me.

Clenching my teeth, I bumped my forehead against the wheel as I cursed my idiocy.

A smart man would’ve put the idling engine into gear and left. If I did that, I’d be the target of my very own Inquisition operation. I doubted even the Red Beast could withstand a pack of angry Fenerec armed with more firepower than the military. They had missiles, and I had supplied all six warheads to them. If they launched one at the truck, they’d blow it—and me—into scrap metal and unidentifiable bits.

RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.

When she isn't playing pretend, she likes to think she's a cartographer and a sumi-e painter. In reality, she herds cats and a husband, and obeys the commands of Tsu Dhi, the great warrior fish.

In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.

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Book Blitz ~ Salvaged Soul (Ignited Series #3) by Desni Dantone

Salvaged Soul
(Ignited Series #3)

by Desni Dantone
Publication date: September 19th 2015
Genres: Mythology, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Life in paradise isn’t exactly what Kris thought it would be. Treated like a prisoner and forced to keep her romance with Nathan hidden, she struggles to adapt to island life with the Kala. Worse, her specialties are coming in faster than she can control, and she fears the Skotadi within her will soon win the battle for her soul. Her only hope is to embrace her Incantation lineage, master the skills she’s supposed to have, and free herself of her destiny. If only she could figure out how to do it…

The ghosts of Nathan’s past still inhabit the island. Adapting to the Kala way of life again is something he will grudgingly accept, as long as they agree to help Kris. But falling back into the Kala system means being a Kala soldier, and when the gods ask for help, he cannot refuse. Sent around the world on a mission, he faces new dangers and stumbles upon a startling discovery that could change everything…

Together, they face their biggest hurdle yet and put their relationship to the ultimate test. When old temptations arise, new enemies emerge, and emotions run high, can their love survive?

From Amazon’s bestselling author, Desni Dantone, comes the third installment of The Ignited Series, where the danger is real, the stakes are higher, and nothing is as it seems. Continue the journey with Kris, Nathan, Alec, and Callie as they discover that when friends become enemies, enemies become friends, and the battles lines between good and evil blur, choosing the right side isn’t always easy.

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What is The Ignited Series about?

It’s a 4 part series with a mild Greek Mythology theme. Our heroine, Kris, discovers some truths from her past that lead her on an adventurous ride to find answers as she tries to avoid the unwanted future she discovers she was meant for. She is aided by several fun and likable characters, most notably, Nathan and Alec, the two men who each hold a piece of her heart. There’s a lot of mystery, action, and romance along Kris’s bumpy journey of self-discovery. 

What made you want to start writing this series?

A few years ago, I got into reading young adult books, and loved the genre. Vampires, angels, demons, werewolves… they were everywhere! Up until then, I had only dabbled in romance, and I wanted to try writing something in young adult, because they were so fun to read. Back then, no one had done anything with Greek Mythology in it yet, and I kind of wanted to read a book about demigods…so I wrote one!

Tell us about the main characters in The Ignited Series.

Kris is the main character. She starts off as a seventeen year old girl that, despite her troubled past, thinks she is normal teenager. When a group of frightening ‘non-humans’ attempt to kill her, she learns that she is anything but normal. Though she hits some bumps along the way, she maintains her wit and shows some serious growth throughout the series. By the end, she is a much stronger person.

Nathan is a hero by all accounts. He’s a skilled fighter in their world, and very good at what he does. He has rescued Kris from danger her entire life, and is the one that protects her from this enemy that is after her now. He attempts to keep his distance from her…unsuccessfully, and eventually realizes the extent of his feelings for her.

Alec is the sharp-tongued bad boy with a heart. He has a past as well, which is linked to Kris in ways that neither of them could have imagined. Unlike Nathan, Alec isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, and the level of his devotion to Kris has been known to pull at readers’ heart strings. 

I’m not usually a fan of love triangles, but yours was written in a way that I enjoyed, and I have come to like both leading males. What made you decide to write a love triangle? 

I love to read them! As the saying goes, “write what you love,” so I naturally penned a love triangle. Honestly though, it doesn’t end up being so much a love triangle as a deeply rooted love that the character has for both men. But one has a romantic base, while the other develops into a super strong friendship. From the beginning, Nathan is the “it guy,” but I wanted readers to form an attachment to Alec as Kris does…and they have! Maybe a little too much, because I certainly have my “Team Alec” members!

How much time do you spend researching the Greek Mythology used in your books?

In the first two books, the Greek Mythology element doesn’t contribute that much to the plot. It’s more of a background setting. Aside from learning more about the gods and goddesses, and what traits they were known for, I didn’t spend too much time on research. Books 3 and 4, however, dive much deeper into the inner workings of Greek Mythology. Though I’m far from an expert, I have learned a lot about it. The books straddle the line between keeping with some of the more widely known facts about Greek Mythology and my own imagination, creating an additional word on top of what the research suggests. If you’re looking for a factual Greek Mythology series, this isn’t it. There’s a lot of other made up stuff that I’ve created in the name of fiction.

Are you a full-time writer, or is writing something you do for fun on the side?

Writing, for me, started off as a hobby...which I have enjoyed for 20 years! After the release of Sacrificed last year, I was able to quit my “day job” and I am a full-time writer (and stay at home mom) now.

How do you balance having three small children with writing?

A lot of late nights, caffeine, and patience. Now, I mostly find time to write when my babies (10 month old twin boys) are napping, and after I put them to bed for the night. They’ve recently started sleeping through the night (for the most part), and my oldest has just started kindergarten, so I’m finding much more time to write now. I didn’t get anything done for a long time, hence the huge gap between the release of Sacrificed and Salvaged Soul.

Books 1 and 2 of The Ignited Series are written from Kris’s POV. I would love the opportunity to get into Nathan’s head. Do you have any plans to write any books, or scenes, from his POV?

Salvaged Soul (Book 3) is written in alternating POVs, between Kris and Nathan. So you will have the opportunity to see what makes that man tick. Though I only have rough ideas at this time, I would like to create some bonus material after the series is over, and go back to rewrite a few of the more popular Kris/Nathan scenes from his POV.

Do you ever imagine or fantasize about living the life of your characters?

All the time! The entire storyline for The Ignited Series started off as a fantasy in my head. That was where I imagined up the character’s relationships to each other. Early in the development of the books, scenes or ideas would suddenly come to me in the oddest of locations, like the shower, and I would quickly run to jot down whatever scene had played out in my head before I forgot it.

Your characters have some extraordinary powers. If you could choose one, which power would you like to have?

I think the ability to communicate with the dead would be awesome, only because in this world it’s not weird and creepy. It would be cool to see missed loved ones. Or receive pertinent information from the dead (hint!)

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Desni Dantone is the author of The Ignited Series: Ignited (2013), Sacrificed (2014), and the upcoming Salvaged Soul and Avenging Heart. 

She resides in Everett, PA with her husband, 3 sons, dog and cat, where she can usually be found writing on her laptop or engrossed in a book, usually of the paranormal romance variety. She loves to hear from her growing fan base on facebook or on her website at: www.facebook.com/ignitedbooks or www.desnidantone.com

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Release Day Blitz & Giveaway ~ Birthright (Ivy Granger #4) by E.J. Stevens

Today we are celebrating the release of BIRTHRIGHT, the fourth full-length novel in the award-winning Ivy Granger urban fantasy series by E.J. Stevens.  We have a special book excerpt, commenter prizes, and a HUGE swag giveaway. So grab a cupcake and some punch. It's time to party!

Birthright

(Ivy Granger #4)

by E.J. Stevens

Release Date: July 14, 2015

Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Being a faerie princess isn't all it's cracked up to be...

Ivy must go to Faerie, but the gateway to the Wisp Court is through Tech Duinn, the house of Donn—Celtic god of the dead. Just her luck.

Unable to share her secret with Jinx, and with Jenna called away on Hunters' Guild business, Ivy must rely on Ceff and Torn to lead her to Death's door, literally, and back again. As if that wasn't dangerous enough, there's no saying what horrors lay in store within the Faerie realm. Too bad the Wisp Court is the one lead Ivy has in the search for her father—and possible salvation.

Maybe hiding away and dodging sidhe assassins isn't so bad after all...

Add Birthright to your TBR list:

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    Wisps buzzed through the air, their musical humming rising in pitch as they darted in for a closer look.  I sat on the mossy embankment and smiled, watching the playful wisps.

     With my father’s key helping to guide us, we’d left the deadly bog and its poisonous gas behind.  I breathed deeply, and let out a happy sigh.

     “I don’t know what you’re so happy about,” Torn said, shaking water from his hair.  “We’re covered in mud and smell like troll farts.”

     It was true.  The sulfurous swamp gasses did smell an awful lot like something that would come out of Marvin after he ate an entire cauldron of Kaye’s chili, but I didn’t care.  We were alive.  And so far, my wisp brethren weren’t trying to kill me.

     I’m not sure what it said about my life that the lack of fratricide upon my homecoming made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Probably best not to think too much about it, and just enjoy the moment.

     I shrugged, and kept on smiling.

     “Well don’t get too comfortable, Fish Breath is on his way over with his pensive face,” Torn said.

     He stalked off to sit on a rock a few paces away, but I shrugged again and closed my eyes, turning my face to the moon and stars above us.  I wasn’t going to let Torn ruin this moment.

     “Are you feeling well?” Ceff asked, settling on the mossy ground beside me.

     I cracked an eye open, grinning from ear to ear.

     “I feel great, never better,” I said.  In fact, I felt a bit dizzy and my lips tingled, like I’d had too much to drink.  Only I would get buzzed off the buzzing of wisps.  “Just buzzed off the buzzing.”

     I hiccupped, and giggled, the laugh coming out in an undignified snort that startled the nearest wisps.

     “Are you sure that you are not angry, or afraid?” he asked.

     I forced myself to look up into Ceff’s face.  His head was titled to the side, as if listening for something, but his attention was focused solely on me.

     “I’m fiiine, really,” I said, waving a hand.  My eyes widened, and I let out another giggle.  “I’m glowing.”

     “Which is probably what has his highness’ panties in a bunch,” Torn said, coming over to tower above me, arms crossed.  “There is something weird about seeing you smile like that, especially when you’re glowing.”

     “What?” I asked.  “I smile.”

     “Almost never, and when you do, it’s usually because you’re killing something,” he said.  “Not that I’m judging.  I’m just saying Fish Breath has a point.  You’re different.”

     “She is high on power,” Ceff said, eyes going tight.  “I should have recognized the signs sooner, but I was focused on our flight through the bog, and then with releasing the water magic that held our  masks together.”

     “You think it’s the wisps?” Torn asked.

     “That would be my guess,” Ceff said, rubbing his jaw.

     “This didn’t happen after our run in with those wisps in Ocean Overlook cemetery, did it?” Torn asked.

     “No,” Ceff said.  “Not that we noticed.  But Ivy was badly wounded that night, and took days to recover consciousness.  And…I…I was not at my most attentive.”

     That was the night that I’d killed his ex-wife.  Melusine may have been the raging psychotic bitch who’d murdered his children, and tried to kill us as well, but that didn’t mean her death had been easy on Ceff.

     The memory of Ceff’s grief flooded me, pushing the giddiness away.

     “I think…I think I’m back to normal now,” I said.  I yawned, covering my mouth with the back of my gloved hand.  Ignoring the encroaching bone deep fatigue, I tried to pull myself to my feet, but sank back down when a wave of dizziness nearly toppled me over.  “I just need a minute.”

     “You are exhausted,” Ceff said, brow wrinkling.  “Rest here.  I will keep first watch.”

     “But my father’s court…” I said, but my words were cut short by another yawn.

     “Will still be there tomorrow,” Torn said.

     “Plus, I can scout ahead while you sleep,” Ceff said.  “We will make better progress if we are rested and certain of the path ahead.”

     “Fine,” I said, eyes fluttering closed.  “But just a quick nap.”

     The last thing I saw, before losing myself to the darkness of sleep, was a cloud of wisps hovering over me, lending me their warmth…and their power.

Shadow Sight (Ivy Granger #1)

 Blood and Mistletoe (Ivy Granger #1.5)

Ghost Light (Ivy Granger #2)

Club Nexus (Ivy Granger #2.5)

Burning Bright (Ivy Granger #3)

Now available (ebook/trade paperback) at

Amazon * Amazon.uk * Kobo * iTunes

and other fine retailers. 

E.J. Stevens is the author of the SPIRIT GUIDE young adult paranormal romance series, the HUNTERS' GUILD urban fantasy series, and the award-winning IVY GRANGER urban fantasy series. She is known for filling pages with quirky characters, bloodsucking vampires, psychotic faeries, and snarky, kick-butt heroines.

When E.J. isn't at her writing desk, she enjoys dancing along seaside cliffs, singing in graveyards, and sleeping in faerie circles. E.J. currently resides in a magical forest on the coast of Maine where she finds daily inspiration for her writing.

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Birthright Release Day Giveaway

We are giving away a BIRTHRIGHT t-shirt, button, signed postcard, and mini poster to one lucky winner!

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Giveaway ends August 4, 2015.

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Thank you all for partying with us!

In addition to the huge swag pack giveaway, we are also giving away Ivy Granger series stickers, buttons, and signed postcards.  Each tweet, FB post, and blog comment using the hashtag #BirthrightParty will count as an entry.  Winners will be randomly selected throughout the day.  So party with us and spread the word all day July 14th for a second chance to win!

Book Blitz & Giveaway ~ Saving London by Taylor Dawn

Saving London

by Taylor Dawn
Published by: Booktrope Publishing
Publication date: June 9th 2015
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

The List. That Signified Finality.

The Journey. That Would Span The Globe.
The Sacrifice. That Would Decide The Outcome.
The Choice. That Could Unleash Evil On Earth.
The End Is Only The Beginning…

“You have terminal cancer.”

London Patterson, a seemingly healthy young woman, had her entire life ahead of her. That was until four little words brought everything to a screeching halt. As the shock and grief begin to fade, London decides to map out her last year and embark on an epic journey to complete a bucket list. She wants to do the things she’s been afraid to do in her life, step out of her self-contained box, and see the world. What she didn’t expect was for a mysterious stranger named Adam to breeze into her life like a breath of fresh air.

Adam offers to help London complete her list on one condition…that she sees it through to the end. Agreeing on those terms, the two set out on an adventure of a lifetime. But London soon realizes that Adam isn’t quite…human. Along their journey odd occurrences happen that cause London to question who or what Adam is and why he’s helping her.

Follow London as she checks off her bucket list in this inspiring new Urban Fantasy novel from Taylor Dawn.

Click HERE to add to Goodreads

Prologue

 

I’d come to believe that we are privy to an overabundance of petrifying sounds in our lives. Noises that breeze through our ears enter our brain and cause chills to run down our spine. We attempt to shake off the feelings that these sounds illicit, but the sheer terror of them do nothing but brand our skin with gooseflesh and nervousness. I thought I’d heard most of them already. That I’d taken in the echoes that strike fear through most individuals. However, I was mistaken. I undoubtedly found myself absorbing the most chilling of them all. It was unexpected and I still have trouble convincing myself that what’d happened was tangible. No, it wasn’t the shrill scream of someone in grave danger. Or the fictitious screech of a science fiction creature with hefty teeth and an appetite for human flesh and blood. The one thing that I heard was something that stopped me dead in my tracks. It put my life at a stand-still, in only a fraction of a second. I developed tunnel vision when I grasped onto the spine-chilling noise, my entire body seized up as if I’d been taken over by another life form. The ability to control what I was thinking was gone, out the window it flew like a winged creature that’d been set free. What was it? It was the sound of fear in my own voice. There was an unstable quake when I’d open my lips to speak and nothing came out. The Words I’d tried to construct wouldn’t form themselves and I felt as if I’d lost the capacity to communicate. I’d never had a reason to be afraid of it…until now.

“That can’t be right. Maybe you need to check it again.” The wavering of my speech told me I was somewhere between disbelief and denial. Neither of which was welcome near me.

“We went over the results with a fine tooth comb, Miss. Patterson. Science doesn’t lie in this case.” The expression on the doctor’s face was dripping with subtle bleakness.

“Well, there must be some other explanation. Maybe you mixed the results up somewhere along the line.” I felt a tinge of hope color my weak words.

“Listen, I know this is hard. But I assure you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the tests.” The salt and pepper haired man sat down behind his desk.

“Okay, fine. I’m assuming there’s some sort of treatment I should start soon?”

I didn’t much care for the grim look that fell over his face like a mask of doom. “I wish I could say yes. But unfortunately there isn’t anything we can do. The surgery is too risky. You could undergo Chemotherapy and Radiation treatment, but if I’m being honest, I don’t feel as though either would do much good.”

“So I don’t have any options. This is just…it?”

He slowly nodded. “At best, in a case such as this, I would say you have a year.”

“A year to do what exactly? Sit in my house and rot?” I felt my anger bubbling to the surface like an over baked pan of lasagna.

“I understand your indignation, I really do. I think maybe if there’re some things you’ve wanted to do, it’s time to start doing them.”

How could such few words have a blatant finality to them? How could I come down with a common cold and then find out my life had been reduced to a handful of months?

“I can prescribe some medication to get you through the general symptoms, but above that…” He trailed off. He was being somewhat compassionate I suppose. I wouldn’t want to tell someone they were dying either, what a crap job.

I’d thought medical professionals were supposed to heal you? They would diagnose the issue and bam you were handed a bottle of antibiotics and better within a week. But unless he had a freaking miracle stashed beneath that prescription pad, I was toast.

“If you’d like someone to talk to, I can recommend someone.” He began to extend some sort of business card across the desk toward me.

I abruptly raised myself from the chair that felt as if it were squeezing the life from me. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’d rather not waste the time I have left lying on a sofa and spilling my problems to a stranger.”

It was difficult holding my anger at bay. Counting to ten while I exited the medical facility helped but the urge to hit something was a fierce impulse to fight off. Did I cry? For some reason, I didn’t at that moment. I can’t say why either. I wanted to, but the tears wouldn’t come. They stayed hidden in their little duct homes while I walked around seeing red.

Cancer of the Liver is what they called it. Yeah, he’d given me some mumbo jumbo scientific name for it, but all I heard was the ‘C’ word. The word that no one wants to hear in their lives. The word that rips hope away from the person being diagnosed, and replaces it with desperation and depression. With a disease like that, you’d think I was a raging alcoholic who did nothing but fill her days by holding down a bar stool while finding the bottom of a bottle. But I wasn’t. I didn’t touch the stuff. So how was it I became strapped with a terminal disease such as that? Why was this happening to me of all people?

I know life isn’t some kind of tranquil state that we float through without a care in the world. I would be utterly stupefied if I honestly believed that. No, life is a series of unfortunate circumstances that lead us to make decisions we don’t really want to make. What to have for breakfast, what to wear, and even what to say to the person occupying the seat next to us on the city bus. We don’t really put much thought into it all, but what are we really doing here? Why were we put on this planet for only a miniscule amount of time? Is there some grand plan that we aren’t seeing, like a big picture that has our entire life mapped out already?

Up until the dreaded news, I’d thought life was something to take for granted. That I could wake up every day and be guaranteed tomorrow. It’s hard to believe that everything can be changed in the course of a few ounces of blood and a doctor’s visit. I continued to shake my head wondering what really happened, was I dreaming of all of this? I wish I was. Things would be easier that way. But such as life, nothing is easy. We’re screwed no matter which way we go, and end up paying the consequences for it every day of our lives.

I made a decision. I wasn’t going to sit around and watch myself waste away like a banana rotting slowly on a counter. Nope, I was going to live my life like I just didn’t give a crap anymore…well, not in a negative way. I was going to throw caution to the wind, balls to the wall, take no prisoners and do the things I’ve always wanted to do. You could call it my bucket list, or my death list, whatever you feel comfortable with is alright by me.

My life is timed; I have an expiration date stamped on my rear like a yogurt container in the dairy section. After my time is up, that’s it. I don’t get a free pass. I’m okay with it now. I have to be. If I weren’t, I’d be that banana…I am not a banana.

But in the end I’ll get to laugh and smile at the things I’ve accomplished with my time on this earth. I can’t wish my fate away, I can’t find a genie in a bottle on a desolate stretch of beach to grant me more time. I’m accepting it like you’d accept a second place trophy in a one-legged man’s butt kicking contest.

At least I was given a year. To some it might seem like a small amount of time, and truly it is. But when you’re given only that long to live, it can in a way, seem like an eternity. I’ll do the things I’ve wanted to do because in the end…no one can save London Patterson.

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C.D. Taylor/Taylor Dawn began writing as an item to check off her bucket list. She resides in the southernmost part of Illinois, right on the mighty Mississippi river. She enjoys the quiet country life with her husband, son and the many farm animals that make up the rest of the family. She. decided that farm life was just a little too mundane, so she started writing erotica and fantasy to liventhings up, so far so good. C.D./Taylor entered cosmetology school right out of High School and practiced the art of hair styling for 12 years. When she isn't writing, she can usually be found sitting around a table making people laugh. She has always wanted to be a standup comic. She loves pulling practical jokes, dresses up in a costume every Halloween and believes that dancing is the key to a happy life (even if you aren't a good dancer). She believes that life shouldn't be taken too seriously, we will never get out alive anyway. More than anything, she is a kid at heart, she doesn't believe in bedtimes, eating everything on her plate, or having ice cream only for dessert. Her favorite quote is by Dr. Seuss..."Why fit in, when you were born to stand out."

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