Friday, 30 June 2017

Royal Replicas


"Princess Amelia is dead... and one of you will replace her."

Seventeen-year-old Victoria Sandalwood has served the Duke and Duchess all her life. Over the years, she’s learned to make due with what she has and endure her surrogate father’s awful punishments. She dreams of escape, but never expected it to come in the form of a message from the Queen of Westeria.

Victoria learns that she’s the Queen’s daughter, the younger sister to Princess Amelia, and it’s time to come home and claim her birthright. When she arrives, she discovers she’s not the only one who received the royal message. Victoria must compete with six other girls to earn the affection of both the Queen and a princely suitor… and to replace the secretly deceased Princess Amelia. If she fails to win the crown, Victoria may just have to fight for her life…

DNF 43%

Confession time - I recieved a free e-copy of his book in exchange for an honest review. However, as you can see, this didn't influence my rating or feedback in any way, shape or form.

The story started out promisingly enough and had an interesting premise, however it suffered in my eyes from an lacklustre protagonist and a big dollop of misogyny. The idea of a poor, put-upon everygirl who turns out to be a long lost princess is fairly standard, so I loved the twist that this everygirl was one of seven, and she'd have to compete for her place. Unfortunately the book seems to go out of its way to bring to mind The Hunger Games; the salt-of-the-earth love interest named "Kale" (K's not all that far from G on a keyboard, right?), the wards of varying poverty and importance surrounding the all-powerful First Ward, the train journey to the power centre and the lavish parties worlds away from our heroine's rough upbringing. Some of the story elements felt a little unpolished too. Four kingdoms called Westeria, Easteria, Northeria and Southeria sounds like something from a first draft. Even the blurb, which states that Victoria is the sister of Princess Amelia is proven to be incorrect in the story - she's actually a clone. Not the same thing.

Victoria was too flat for me to connect with as a narrator. She barely reacted to huge, life-altering events and I never got a sense of how she was feeling. She accepts and never questions. The potentially interesting reveal that she is in fact one of seven clones of the secretly-dead Princess Amelia is squandered, because she - like the other clones - immediately and wholly concerns herself with getting into the prince's pants.


She doesn't worry for her future (presumably there can't be clones of a princess running around the realm, so are the six surplus ones executed when the princes makes his choice? We don't know, because none of the girls even think to ask the question), she doesn't fret over her humanity, or lack thereof, and she stomps around referring to herself as a princess within about five minutes of arriving at the castle. I don't want pages and pages of inner turmoil, but Victoria accepts every twist in the tale that's presented to her laughably easily without so much as a raised eyebrow.

Her "relationship" with Prince Byron was unbearably trite too. He seems to take an immediate shine to her after she stumbles ass-backwards and literally falls into his arms (bleurgh!) but there didn't seem to be much going for him other that the fact he was pretty. There's an incredibly uncomfortable scene when they first kiss where she outright states that she can't pull away or refuse him - and he knows it - because he's a prince. That is not cool. Later on, the author tries to ret-con this by having Victoria say that the prince was forceful, but didn't force her, but no, I'm sorry, I call bullshit on that. She literally said that she couldn't refuse him, and he knew it. Ergo, he forced her. Add to this the numerous scenes of Victoria's step-father/owner beating and abusing her with a thinly-veiled sexual angle and her sort-of-boyfriend-who-she-can't-remember Kale turning up uninvited to "rescue" her from the castle (because women are of course things that you can lay claim to) despite her having no desire to leave, this book's treatment of its main character - and women in general - was a little too skeevy for me.


Once Prince Byron is introduced, the seven clones, seven young women who've had their entire worlds turned upside-down and their very existence thrown into question, descend into the absolute worst cliche of girls fighting over a guy. They bitch, they back-bite, they throw each other under the bus, and for what? The chance to marry some guy they've never met before? And what happens if they don't want to marry him? Who the hell knows, because it never comes up. What happens to the clones who fail to win the prince's hand? Who knows that either, because they never ask. They just get down to the business of fighting amongst themselves, because that's what girls do right? I detest stories that pit women against each other over a man, and, when it became apparent that this was the entirety of the plot, I put the book down because I knew it wasn't going to get any better for me.

 

Thursday, 29 June 2017

The Sparks and The Flames Blog Tour




The Sparks (The Feud Trilogy #1)
by 
Kyle Prue
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: January 31st 2017
Cartwright Publishing

Summary: 


One teen assassin-in-training must unite three warring supernatural dynasties before death comes to them all…

Find out why USA Today calls The Sparks “a crackling read” that “builds a vivid world (both) otherworldly and relatable.”

Neil Vapros just wants to make his father proud. The sixteen-year-old aspires to serve his family as an assassin, but he nearly dies in the process. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Neil’s family, as well as two rival dynasties, have abandoned an ancient promise to protect their city. An unknown evil has begun hunting all three houses from the shadows…

As Neil’s relatives fall one-by-one, he attempts to unite the three supernatural families against a common enemy. But earning trust after years of assassination attempts could prove impossible. Neil’s fight may involve more than a bloodthirsty empire, as betrayal rears its ugly head… 

The Sparks is the first book in the award-winning Epic Feud trilogy of young adult fantasy novels. If you like captivating characters, inventive world building, and supernatural battles, then you’ll love Kyle Prue’s action-packed coming-of-age tale.


The Flames (The Feud Trilogy #2)
Release Date: April 22nd 2017

Summary:

To survive incredible odds, one teen may have to trust both his former enemies and his fire-forged destiny…

Neil Vapros is one of the last free warriors of the great city of Altryon. He and his brother’s only chance of staying alive involves trusting an uneasy alliance with their former enemies. But in the world beyond his city’s walls, Neil’s life is much more dangerous than he ever imagined possible…

The Emperor has hired a ruthless madman and a vicious pack of assassins to hunt down the last supernatural survivors. As the allies attempt to hide from their enemies, the leader of a rebellion singles out Neil as the answer to a prophecy. Neil isn’t sure he believes he’s been “chosen,” but he knows one thing for sure: their only chance for survival lies in sticking together. While treachery and pain wait around every corner, Neil and his allies may win the day, but victory without casualties could prove impossible…

The Flames is the second book in the award-winning Epic Feud trilogy of young adult fantasy novels. If you like rich fantasy settings, imaginative supernatural abilities, and tough-as-nails characters, then you’ll love Kyle Prue’s electrifying adventure.


About the Author


Kyle Prue is an award winning author, actor and comedian. Kyle wrote The Sparks: Book One of the Feud Trilogy when he was just 16 years old. Kyle has spent the past year on a national book tour visiting over 80 middle and high schools and meeting over 60,000 students. Kyle is now a freshman at the University of Michigan, studying acting and creative writing. He still visits schools and is a keynote speaker for conferences.

Kyle is the founder of Sparking Literacy, a non-profit dedicated to lowering the high school dropout rate by inspiring teens to read, write and follow their dreams. An actor and comedian, Kyle trains at Second City Comedy Club in Chicago, where a number of SNL actors have gotten their start. Kyle currently lives with his family in Petoskey, Michigan.

The Sparks has won numerous national awards including Best Book and Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015. The Sparks was runner up for Best Young Adult Fiction at the Florida Book Festival and won Honorable Mentions at the New England Book Festival, Midwest Book Festival, Southern California Book Festival, the International London Book Festival and won a prestigious Indie Fab award. Kyle also won an International Moonbeam Award for Best Young Author.


Author Q&A

1.    What was your favorite part or chapter to write in The Sparks?

I really, really enjoyed writing the fight between Darius and Jennifer. It’s interesting when you write characters separately, then give them a chance to interact together. Jennifer is one of my favorite characters. Neil describes her as the model assassin so it was really fun to write her in that type of setting.

2.    How did you come up with the title?

The entire book is based on a family feud so that was the reason for the series name, Feud. But the individual titles are The Sparks, The Flames and The Ashes; these are symbolic of the Vapros family motto which is “Victory Lies Within the Ashes.” The Vapros turn a person to ash when they kill them. For them that is a macabre way of saying, “You have to bust a couple of heads to get what you want.” So the titles reveal that there is going to be a lot of bloodshed and a climax to this storyline, which we are building up to in the series.

3.    How did you pick the names of the families?

I based the family names on Latin root words: Taurlum is based on the Latin word for bull, Celerius is the Latin word for swift and Vapros is smoke.

4.    How did you get the idea for the three families?

In the first book, there are three main families and since I have a brother and a sister, I loosely based these families around the three of us—their mannerisms, their traits, resulting in a black-and-white version of us blended with a more honorable, respectable side and a more aggressive, audacious side. So the Taurlum are based off my brother, the Celerius off my sister and the Vapros off me, a little bit.

5.    What can you tell us about the challenges of getting a book published?

It is really difficult to get published as a first time author in the current environment. I went to a writing conference and signed up for “speed dating” with agents. That is how I got my agent. So I recommend any opportunity to meet face-to-face so you have a chance to sell yourself. Even with a great agent the publishing process is ridiculously slow. For The Sparks I decided to go with a small, independent publisher so that I could get it out before college applications. I don’t recommend young people jump into self-publishing unless they are willing to pay for professional editing and other services. There is a certain credibility that comes with being vetted and published so I would try that first.  

6.    Do you have advice for other high school students wanting to write a book?

Yes, write everyday. I started writing 500 words/day in middle school. Now I try and write 1,000 words/day. I think this discipline is important to developing your writing skills. It’s difficult when you're balancing a lot of different activities and homework, but writing should be a release from all that stress. Unplug for a bit and you might be surprised at the extra time that you have to write. Also read lots of different types of materials. Read different genres and authors. It will help you develop your own voice. 

7.    Tell us about the audio book of The Sparks?

Teachers have been begging for the audio book because it is a great tool for struggling readers. I was dragging my feet as I was planning to do the narration myself. Then my team recommended that we get auditions for the narrator. The auditions were fantastic. We have hired a great narrator, Jon Eric Preston, that I think readers are going to love. He reads in an English accent as the book takes place in a pseudo Victorian era and that is how I picture it in my head. But his voices are fantastic. I think fans of the series are going to love hearing the characters come to life. 

8.    Can you tell us a bit about the second book, The Flames?

The second book in the series focuses on the remaining family members (spoiler alert!) and their friends, as they begin to kindle the revolution. It’s a lot about personal growth for the characters, like Neil, Lilly and Darius. It is the book where we start to reach that giant conflict that the characters have been stepping toward in the storyline.

One of the big themes of the second book is about what happens when a person experiences a complete absence of hope. Things will always get better. My best friend from childhood committed suicide and I really want other teens to understand that whatever seems so overwhelming in your life today, won’t be what’s important to you down the road. When my characters experience this loss of hope that is when they gain their advanced powers. Something good can come out of something that in the moment seems so terrible.

9.    Is there anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you for sharing this journey with me. The series only gets better and more intense from here and I can’t wait to see what you guys think of it all.

Author Links:

Blog Tour Organized by:

Friday, 23 June 2017

The Rose and the Dagger


In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.

Now she’s reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid—a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi’s spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive.

I adored The Wrath and the Dawn. Really adored it. It was the kind of sumptuous, romantic, mesmerising read that had me running late to meet my friends at the pub because I got so swept away with it. It was the kind of book that had me on travel website looking for trips to far-flung, exotic locations. I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading The Rose and the Dagger. Maybe I was afraid I'd be disappointed. And, unfortunately, I was.


TRATD isn't a bad book by any stretch of the imagination, but the gulf in my enjoyment between this book and its predecessor was the biggest I've had since Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. As in, huge. The biggest issue I had with the story was that I found it so incredibly boring. Renee Ahdieh's writing is as lush and evocative as ever, her ability to paint vivid sights and sounds and smells in your mind as you read is truly incredible. What worked in the intimate, character-driven setting of TWATD just doesn't seem to work in an expanded world. The last book seemed to work when it was confined almost a handful of characters and barely ventured outside the walls of Khalid's castle, but the limitations of this style of storytelling are laid bare when the author tries to take the same characters that worked so well in that setting and throw them out into a wider world. They just seem to flounder and very little happened for huge chunks of the book. The plot barely goes anywhere until the final act, and when it finally kicks into gear, everything feels rushed and anticlimactic as a result.

After being "rescued"from Khalid by Tariq and his forces at the end of TWATD, Shazi spends much of this book sulking in the desert, living amongst the rebellion against her husband, Khalid, who see her as a traitor. Her father is catatonic after unleashing the storm which ruined Khalid's city and allowed her childhood love Tariq to steal her away. Tariq, it's worth pointing out, is heading up the rebellion against the much-hated king, giving Shazi a love interest on both sides of the impending war. Meanwhile, Khalid sulks around his castle, moping about his lost love and generally kicking his heels. Unfortunately, that's the crux of much of the story. While the first book was a contained, character-driven story set mostly in one place, TRATD sets up a much bigger story with more players and more world-building. But this, very different, story is told much the same way as the first, which turns what should be an exciting, fast-paced story of love, betrayal, jealousy, scheming, politics and war into a dull, lifeless tale about two people sulking about their lot.

The characters seem to have gone backwards. Shazi's behaviour has gone from making her seem like a capable badass to a sulking brat. She's selfish, whiny and treats people who are trying to help her like dirt. She lies to her sister, insults Tariq and only seems to make an effort with her father when there's some benefit in it for her (or, more likely, for Khalid by proxy). Poor Tariq deserves better! I'll give the author props for not going down the traditional love triangle route and making it clear from the outset where Shazi's allegiances lie, but that doesn't mean it's okay for Shazi to treat Tariq as appallingly as she does. Khalid doesn't fare much better either, skulking around his palace and moping like a spoiled child who's had his favourite toy taken away. Shazi and Khalid were entirely defined by their relationship with each other, and, for all the author's attempts to paint Shazi as a strong, independent woman, when the two guys were engaging in a dick-measuring contest over her, she just came across as being childish. Even when the book should be progressing into the wider story of an impending war, it's hampered by page after page of Shazi and Khalid waxing lyrical about how beautiful and wonderful and super-special the other is.



Oh, Tariq! You deserved so much more than being shackled to such a wet blanket! It's such a shame because Tariq's intentions are pretty honourable - and he's something of a calming influence amongst the more hot-headed rebels who are looking to overthrow Khalid. However, the story - and even the book blurb - making him out to be a spurned lover who's acting out of spite, when his actions are perfectly reasonable. Shazi may think Khalid is a saint, but as far as everyone else can see, he's a mass-murderer and a pretty shitty ruler, and they're totally within their rights to try and overthrow him. I would love to read a book from Tariq's point of view of this story without the author's doe-eyed obsession over Khalid that contaminates his pov chapters. Speaking of other characters, I absolutely loved Shazi's snarky handmaiden Despina in the first book and I was really hoping to see more of her. So I was disappointed that she barely turned up in this book, and, when she did, her friendship with Shazi was completely dumped on in favour of a twist that didn't feel like it had been set up at all. Despina switches allegiances back and forth so abruptly that it robs the plot of any tension and comes off as a cheap attempt at a twist. Luckily, Shazi's relationship with her sister fared slightly better, even if I wish they did talk about something other than guys for five minutes.

There were elements of the book that I loved, in the moments where the story broke free of the sappy love story that was hobbling it. Shazi gets to grips with her magic (even if the specifics of what she could do and why were a little too vague for me) and travels to a mysterious, far-flung city to train with the enigmatic Artan. Sure, his sole purpose seems to be to act as exposition to the world of magic, but the author manages to make him so much more. His dialogue crackles with energy, even when he's spouting reems of exposition. This character immediately became my new favourite person! He wasn't afraid to call Khalid out on his sanctimonious bullshit, or tell Shazi to grow up and stop sulking. I loved him! It was just a shame that these bits were so few and far between and that so much felt unexplored or just skimmed over. The curse that had been plaguing Khalid for years turned out to be a whole lot of nothing. Considering it's literally the point of the first book, it turns out to be pretty lame, and Khalid manages to free himself of it laughably easily. The magic in this world is left frustratingly fuzzy too - which was one of my niggling issues with TWATD. There's no explanation as to why Shazi has it and what exactly it is that she can do. As much as I loved her flying magic carpet, why the hell was she able to make it fly? Was it just that carpet, or could she fly other carpets? She throws fire around when she trains with Artan, but, aside from giving Khalid a reason to smoulder and sulk and get physically aggressive towards Artan to provide his macho credentials, it adds nothing to the story and is barely mentioned again. Has Shazi got any other elemental powers? Why does her sister not show any signs of having magic? Do other people in this world other than Shazi and her father possess magical abilities, or are they just super-special?


After very little happening for the vast majority of the book, the plot finally felt like it kicked into gear towards the end when it finally looked like we were going to get to see a showdown between the two opposing forces, with a little bit of magic thrown in. It was just such a shame that by the time we get to this stage there are barely a few chapters left. New villains are introduced ridiculously late in the story, and the big battle I was expecting ended up being a pretty damp squib that stopped before it really got started. The ending looked to be a redeemer, something that was going to subvert my expectations and pull off a gutsy ending rather than wrap everything up in a nice neat bow, but it was undone by a sappy epilogue so saccharine I think it gave me diabetes.

The Rose and the Dagger is an impeccably written book with I wanted to love it, I really did, but all the elements I loved the first time around - the slow-burn story, the character-driven plot and the contained, intense romance - seemed to hinder rather than help. Objectively, it's a good book and I'm sure some people for will love it for the exact reasons I didn't, but I found it to be a colossal let down.


Wednesday, 7 June 2017

When Smoke Rains Down blitz!


When Smoke Rains Down (Kingdom Come #2)
by Cecelia Earl
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release Date: May 31st 2017

Summary

In the aftermath of an explosion and Homecoming battle, Julia tries to form some semblance of a routine: work, study, visit her brother. Unable to confide in anyone about her double life of being both human and angel, and fearful she'll bring death and destruction to those she loves, she pulls away from her family and best friend.

When demons once again start to show up at every turn, seemingly bringing about her brother's deepening depression, she demands her sword from Nicholas. Ever the stern Guardian Angel, he forbids her from using it. Isolated, she takes protecting her brother into her own hands.

Thrust into a dark world of conspiring demons, Julia is in more danger than she ever imagined possible. To stop evil from spreading and overtaking those she loves, she’ll have to seek out the one person she mistrusts most.

Enter a complex world where humans, demons, and angels collide, all battling to rule the Earth. For readers who enjoy young adult paranormal romance and dark fantasy. Fans of City of Bones, Hush Hush, Unearthly, Halo, and Hidden Wings will be captivated by this unique take on angels and demons.

When Smoke Rains Down is Book Two in the Kingdom Come series. Book Three, the final installment, will be out Summer/Fall 2017.

“An AMAZING sequel that leaves me DYING for the next one!”
~ early reader of When Smoke Rains Down



Buy on Amazon

Previous Book in the Series (click on image for Goodreads link):


The Author's Favorite Chapter

Nicholas is doing pull-ups from a low-hanging tree branch and doesn't acknowledge my arrival, so I follow suit. I squat and leap up to grab a branch. I'm getting stronger. He used to have to hoist me up to reach. I've also doubled the amount I can do before taking a break to do lunges and squats.

"Sprints," he calls out when I've finished all the sets of arm and leg workouts.

I race back and forth between two of the tallest tree trunks while he times me. It's apparent why I've been eating so much and obvious how much strength I've gained. Yet the stony expression on his face remains. This workout will make me ache for days.

When finally I'm dripping with sweat and fatigued, he walks over to me.

"Time for your lesson." Then he walks to the center of the clearing without waiting for a response.

I allow myself two seconds to close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"Now, Angel."

I push out my wings and push up off the ground and glide over to him, lowering myself gently behind him. He turns and narrows his eyes. I put my wings away, proud of myself even if he's not. Flying had been rocky at best the first few times I'd tried it. I'd had no control and crashed into more than a few branches—and one bird. Poor thing.

"Summon the bow and arrow we worked with last time," he orders.

Bow, I think. Nothing happens. I reach my hand out into the air. Bow. A spear materializes in my closed fist. I growl. "It's all I ever get!"

"Calm down. Try again."

I let go of the spear and it disintegrates. "Bow," I yell. The spear is back in my fist.

He sighs. "The spear is the lowest of the weapons. You have to work your way up."

"I know this," I say through gritted teeth. "Spear, bow, rope, chains…" I don't bother to mention my sword. I've stopped asking for it.

I try to calm down. Spear, I think. I get the spear I've pictured. One that's longer and narrower than the one I'd been conjuring up. I let it go and take a deep breath through my nose. Bow. The same short, thick spear materializes.

Nicholas reaches into the air and pulls a bow and arrow from it with ease. He hands them to me. "Show me how to set the arrow and aim for the target."

Nicholas had explained the reason the demons had overrun the hospital was most likely because of Noah, either because they're after him, or after something he has. He wants me to be ready the next time I'm faced with a hoard of demons on my own. He wants me to be able to get rid of demons from a distance by sending an arrow across a space, and though I can't summon the bow and arrow, my aim is pretty good.

"Bullseye," I say after striking the center of the target three times in a row.

"Pride will get you nowhere," he says, retrieving the arrows and returning them to me.

Rather than aim the arrow at the target, I aim it at a knot in a tree and strike its center.

"Julia, focus," he shouts, his voice stern and reprimanding. I can't stand the annoyance that flares to life in his eyes when I don't just do as he tells me. He's so bossy and controlling. More than once, I've nearly rammed him alongside his head with a metal object. After half an hour more, he relaxes. "Better. Now…"

He doesn't get a chance to finish his command, because Michael has entered the clearing. Twice before he's come to oversee either my progress or Nicholas's training technique. I'm not sure which. Nicholas is that much tenser when he's around, like he's trying to prove himself or something.

And sure enough, he straightens and his shoulders go rigid. I guess he's been loosening up around me, because the difference in his personality is laughable. His face is all hard angles and his hands move at lightning speed. He won't look me in the eyes.

I summon a spear and defend myself as Nicholas comes at me. We continue lunging at one another and defending jabs until Michael leaves with a nod and a "Good work."

Nicholas gets up off the ground where he pinned me and brushes off his clothes.

"Wouldn't it serve you better to cool it when he's here? Let me win and pin you or something?"

He looks up from buttoning his overshirt. "No."

"Well, I mean if you want to look like this almighty trainer, then wouldn't it benefit you to make it look like I'm able to fight well?"

He strolls over to me where I'm still standing holding my weapon. "No. If you want to overpower me, then you have to earn it. Do it authentically. I don't play games to win. Or lose."

I nod, chewing on my cheek, and then he adds, surprising me, "You are able to fight well."

I'm almost touched by the compliment, so touched that I lunge forward, kick Nicholas's feet out from under him, and land on top of him. I push the long metal rod across his throat and pin him to the ground.

"Thanks," I say.

He looks at me and whips me around, pinning me with the edge of a blade to my throat. "You made that too easy. Stay on the offensive and pay attention."

He lays the dagger down in the dirt and holds himself above me with his palms on the ground, looking at me. His breath is on my face, and suddenly it's a gazillion times hotter and harder to breathe. He's so beautiful to look at when he's not scolding me and bossing me around. I realize how very much I needed to hear that compliment come from him, how very much I wanted to make him proud of me. He runs his tongue over his bottom lip. I take in a sharp breath. His eyes are on mine a moment longer before he pushes up off the ground and jumps to his feet.

"We're done for today."

Once again, he strides off, leaving me to show myself out.

"Sword," I demand of the air around me. A bow and arrow appear in my fists. "Gah!" I shout at the trees.

I let the weapons drop into the shimmering dirt and stomp off through the trees.

About the Author
Cecelia Earl graduated with a degree in education and has been teaching ever since. She’s a wife, a mom of three boys, and an owner of a magical laundry pile that never stops growing. She lives near enough to Green Bay, WI that her refrigerator is always stocked with cheese, and the first colors her children learned were green and gold. She’s a teacher by day, a mom always, and a writer in her sleep, but that’s okay because being an author is a dream come true. She writes angel books for young and youngish adults. If you feel young, she writes for you—whether or not you feel particularly angelic. Author Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cdvvIj
Author Links:
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