Monday 30 June 2014

Love Edy by Shewanda Pugh: Interview + Giveaway

Love Edy
by Shewanda Pugh
When Edy Phelps falls hard for her best friend, she knows nothing can come from it. Forget actual chemistry, or the fact that she cherishes his mother more than her own; centuries of tradition say that Hassan will grow up, marry the girl his parents pick, and forget his best friend: the dancer with the bursting smile. Except he can't. In a world erupting with possibilities for the boy with a body of steel and dreams of the NFL, everything seems promised while nothing at all is; when he's denied the girl he wants most. 

Two hearts. Two families devoted through generations of friendship. Could Edy and Hassan really risk all that? And yet ... how could they not?

Paperback, 310 pages
Published June 24th 2014 by Razor's Edge

Goodreads Link:
 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15738722-enchanted

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Edy-Shewanda-Pugh/dp/0692027149/ref=la_B0085F9DOG_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400803920&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-edy-shewanda-pugh/1119566606?ean=2940045939201


Shewanda Pugh debuted as an adult contemporary romance author in 2012 with the Crimson Footprints series. Shortlisted for the AAMBC Reader's Choice Award, the National Black Book Festival's Best New Author Award, and the prestigious Rone Award for Contemporary Fiction in 2012 and 2013, she has an MA in Writing from Nova Southeastern University and a BA in Political Science from Alabama A&M. Though a native of Boston, MA, she now lives in Miami, FL, where she can soak up sun rays without fear of shivering.

Goodreads Link:  https://www.goodreads.com/shewandapugh
Website:  http://shewandapugh.blogspot.com/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ShewandaP
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Author.ShewandaPugh?ref=hl


Q & A With Author Shewanda Pugh

Q:  Tell us a little bit about your main characters.  

A:  Edy's the ballerina with a perfect life ... flawless grades, prominent parents, zero money problems, and in with the in crowd by accident of birth. But how often are things ever what they seem? Falling in love with her best friend brings more than she can handle when the weight of her world seems ready to collapse. Then there's Hassan, the best friend turned obscene hottie: a bronzed bad boy with an ignition switch of a temper, dreams of the NFL ... and of Edy.

Q:  Who designs the covers for your books and what is that process like for you as an author?
A: 
Claudia McKinney of Phatpuppy Art Studios handled the Love Edy artwork. We began by discussing some of the overarching concepts in the novel, the transformations that Edy herself would undergo during the course of the book and how best we could splash that on canvas.

Q:  How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing? 

A:  For most of my life I've lived in vibrant, diverse metropolitan cities: Boston and Miami. My writing reflects this not just in the tale of romance, but in sights, sounds, and surroundings. I'm a city girl and it tends to show.

Q:  What is the best advice you have been given?
A: 
"You're only in competition with yourself." However, I've found that I'm a pretty stiff competitor to contend with anyway.

Q:  What do you do to unwind and relax?
A: 
Unwind? Relax? Reading, of course!

Q:  As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: 
A writer.

Q:  Which do you prefer, hard/paperbacks or ebooks?
A: 
Ebooks. I mean c'mon. You can't beat the convenience of carrying around a few hundred books in your purse. Call it greed, I guess, since I know I'll only be reading one at a time.

Q:  What book are you reading now?
A: 
Mortal Instruments City of Heavenly Fire.

 
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Sunday 29 June 2014

Lykaia (The Sophia Katsaros Series #1) by Sharon Van Orman: Interview

Lykaia (The Sophia Katsaros Series #1)
by Sharon Van Orman 
"We are the terrors that hunt the night.And we have never been human"

In Greek mythology there’s a story of King Lykaonas of Arcadia and his fifty sons who were cursed by the father of the gods, Zeus, to become wolves. The very first Lycanthropes. Forensic pathologist, Sophia Katsaros, receives a cryptic phone call from Greece telling her that her brothers are missing and leaves to search for them. With the help of Illyanna, her brother’s girlfriend, Sophia examines the evidence but cannot accept a bizarre possibility: Has one or both of her brothers been transformed during the Lykaia, the ceremony where Man is said to become Wolf? Who is Marcus, a dark stranger that both repels and excites her? And what is the real story behind the 5000 year old curse of King Lykaonas?

Paperback, 272 pages
Published December 3rd 2012 by Spore Press LLC


Sharon is a full time writer. She lives in Nebraska with her family and a collection of animals including ones that were chosen and others that did the choosing. 

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6517274.Sharon_Van_Orman\
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sharon-Van-Orman/104637372952495
Blog: http://nondeplumeblog.blogspot.com/

Q & A with Sharon Van Orman

Q:  Tell us a little bit about your main characters.
A: 
Sophia Katsaros is an American of Greek heritage. She is forensic pathologist and loves things that makes sense. She takes solace in routine. Facts are friends and, in her world, magic doesn't exist. But then her world changes and she is forced to deal with the fact that nothing is as it seems. I greatly enjoyed writing Sophia. She is smart, brave and has a sarcastic sense of humor.

Q:  Where did you get the idea for your book?
A: 
I was doing research for another story when I stumbled upon the myth of King Lykaonas. The notion of the first lycanthrope fascinated me but I didn't have a reason to use it. And then Sophia showed up and gave me a reason.

Q:  How long have you been writing, and when did you first consider yourself an author?

A: 
I've been writing for a long time. I still don't think of myself as an author. I'm a writer. Calling myself an author makes it sound like I had a choice.

Q:  What is the best advice you have been given?
A: 
That you don't have to write a book from page one to the end. That you can write sporadically and in pieces.

Q:   Hard/paperbacks or ebooks?
A: 
I love hard back books. But I have stacks of well loved paper books.

Q:  As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: 
A volcanologist.

Q:  If you could be any supernatural creature, what would it be?
A: 
A shifter

Q:  What book are you reading now?
A: 
The Crystal Singer. I've read it before, but I recently grabbed it off my shelf to read again.


 
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Thursday 26 June 2014

Felix Faust (The Arcane Insurrection #1) by Dexter Morgenstern: Interview

Felix Faust (The Arcane Insurrection #1)
by Dexter Morgenstern


Felix Faust is a nineteen-year-old semi-genius who has just been accepted into a prestigious college. He discovered telekinesis at an early age and has used it discreetly for his own entertainment.Felix finds himself displeased and malcontent with everything he encounters in the school, except for one student. This other student shares Felix’s gift, and is much stronger, capable of abilities Felix never thought possible. Now a new door opens for Felix as he is mentored and develops his psychic abilities, but this door also brings danger as malevolent forces set their eyes upon him. Tragedy and destruction follow Felix, leaving him no choice but to continue growing and fight back, but danger follows him every step of the way, and failure means death…

The plot contains profanity, violence, and mild sexual content.

Paperback, 1st, 356 pages
Published June 12th 2012 by Createspace


Dexter is a writer and game-enthusiast from North Carolina. He was homeschooled by his parents after being diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Being a creative, highly-motivated individual, Dexter officially began writing books at the age of fifteen, and published his first novel "Felix Faust," at seventeen. When he is not writing, Dexter spends much of his time gaming, studying, or contemplating new plot details and stories in his head. Dexter's ultimate goal is to get a degree in Robotics and contribute to the subjugation of humanity by artificial intelligence.

Email:  Dexter.m@dextermorgenstern.com
Q & A with Dexter Morgenstern

Q:  Tell us a little bit about your main characters.
A: 
My main character, Felix Faust, is an arrogant young-adult with psychic abilities. I felt someone with his upbringing and intellect would naturally have a sense of superiority and be put off by the average peer, but when he meets Randy, a more powerful, slightly less arrogant psychic, he realizes he has a long way to goo. Although Felix's sense of superiority can make many readers dislike him, he does have a sense of loyalty and respect for certain people, which allows for some synergy between him and Randy. After all, two hard-headed students with supernatural gifts can make a great team. I think 

Q:  Who designs the covers for your books and what is that process like for you as an author? 
 A:  So far, the development of my book covers has been aided by different people I'm close to, or at least family friends. I generally imagine the concept and work with someone I know to have the idea brought to picture. For me, that works out quite well since I prefer networking with people I know over buying some stock image. Plus, when the books do become more popular, the cover artist can also receive credit, so it's helping more people than just me. I would like to eventually be able to do them myself, but for now I am content with just imagining the concept and passing them on to people who are actually competent in graphic design.

 Q:  How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
A: 
As a military brat, I've traveled far from the American South, where I was born. Being able to see different countries and states has definitely aided me in constructing my settings and the cultures of my characters. Being raised with Asperger's, I was homeschooled, and if I'd been subjected to public school through any more of my growing years, I probably wouldn't have started writing in the first place. Homeschool enabled me to locate my creative strengths and ambitions, and make something out of myself.

Q:  What is the best advice you have been given?
A: 
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me."

That pretty much sums it up. I--much like everyone else--have been encouraged to follow my dreams, work hard, think critically, never give up, pursue my talents... you name it. That's all good advice, but if it's so good, why doesn't it seem to work for a lot of people? My guess is: they let those words get to them, or those sticks and stones (self-defense is important, too). So any ad hominems, any rejections, buzzkills... any non-constructive negativity words that come my way, I brusg off, or briefly complain about, and then it's in the past. That mentality enables me to work hard and follow my dreams, and all the other advice people have given me,

Q:  What do you do to unwind and relax?
A: 
Pacing is often therapeutic do to my hyperactive nature, so I often pace to my favorite music. If the music is particularly effective in its job, I may end up *cough* prancing.

Q:  As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A:  Accomplished, generally speaking. My pursuits ranged from becoming an astronaut, to becoming an aerospace engineer, to an airplane pilot, an actor, and an author. Heck, I'd still like to do all of those things. I've got the author part down, but I'm still working on that degree.

 Q:  Which do you prefer, hard/paperbacks or ebooks?
A: 
It depends, because they each have their pros and cons. I am a fan of having both, really, because if I'm relaxing at home, a printed book feels more natural, but out in public, having an e-book on my smartphone is quite convenient.

Q:  What book are you reading now?
A: 
I typically do more writing than I do reading. Actually, that's not true. I spend a lot of time reading school texts for, well... school. That eats up most of my reading time (during my work commute), but I am focusing on a book by another independent author I'm acquainted with, and once that's done, the Malazan series has been recommended to me, so I'll give that a shot."

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Saturday 21 June 2014

Spear Mother: A Tale of the Fourth World by Brandon Lindsay: Interview + Giveaway

Spear Mother: A Tale of the Fourth World
by Brandon Lindsay

Sandrena of the Mist Clan has been chosen for an impossible task: to kill an ancient god bent on consuming the Fourth World. Failure leads to the destruction of mankind. Yet even success could end in true death for Sandrena and her five companions.

Armed only with a magical spear whose power she can't unlock and plagued by memories of a life she never lived, Sandrena must bind her group together if any of them hope to survive.

She must become Spear Mother.

Ebook, 77 pages

Published January 25th 2014 by Smashwords Edition


AVAILABLE AT: Smashwords


Author of the Fourth World fantasy series. The stories Dark Tree and Spear Mother, as well as the story collection The Clans, are now available as ebooks.

Social Links for Brandon Lindsay:
Goodreads
 
Twitter
Facebook
Website


Q & A with Brandon Lindsay

Q:  Tell us a little bit about your main characters.
A: 
The main character is named Sandrena, and she comes from the Mist Clan, and has the innate ability to disperse into mist and reform at will. However, in her dreams she receives a call from a demigoddess called the Lady to travel far from home to the lands of another clan, where her powers no longer work. Along the way, she meets up with women, all of whom are strangers to each other, from the other five clans, which are constantly at war with each other. They have to overcome the tension that is natural in such a gathering if they want to have any hope to succeed in their quest. Sandrena, chosen by the Lady as leader and Spear Mother of the group, is the key to ensuring they come together and fulfill their duty, which is to kill a rival god.

Sandrena, however, has no idea how to do so. All she has is a magical spear, one whose power is unknown to her, and memories that seem impossible to her, memories of a life she never lived in a world that can't exist. Yet these, and her companions, are all she has to kill the enemy god.

Q:  In your opinion, what makes a good, strong female lead?
A: 
The same things that makes any lead good and strong apply to female leads. She needs to be someone the reader can sympathize with and relate to, so in some way she needs to be vulnerable. Related to that is her cause: what is she fighting for? What is she working towards? It has to be a just cause, but that doesn't mean it has to be a grand, world-saving quest. Just causes come in all sizes. It could be as simple as getting a job she deserves, or expressing her feelings to someone who should know about them.

The other main aspect of a successful female lead is that she needs to believe she can achieve her goal, at least part of the time. If she doesn't believe she can do it, she will never take that first step. If that first step doesn't happen, we likely won't have a story, but rather just a character that mopes about. No one will root for her, and no one will care about her goals.

And, unless you're writing a tragedy, she has to be capable of achieving her goal. One way to do this is to give her the tools she needs to succeed during the climax. A better way, I believe, is to give her the tools she needs early on, but only reveal their usefulness when the need to use them arises. This is what my favorite authors do in their stories, and it is what I aim to do in mine.

I wrote Sandrena with the intention of presenting exactly the kind of female character I like to read about, one who is vulnerable yet strong and ultimately prevails.

Q:  How long have you been writing, and when did you first consider yourself an author?
A: 
I tried writing BattleTech fanfic when I was in elementary school, but it was pretty bad. I didn't consider myself to be a serious writer until high school when, inspired by Final Fantasy VII and thinking I could do better, I set out to write the script of a Final Fantasy-killing (J)RPG called Paradigm. At the time, I was very much into sci-fi and thought the primary weakness of Final Fantasy was the emphasis on the "fantasy" part, so I wrote it as purely science fiction. It was a multiple world-line spanning time travel yarn, and the world mechanics were rather similar to the more recent video game Radiant Historia. I finished the first draft and, coasting on the resulting waves of euphoria, I set out to find a way to write video games for a living.

After a few years, I realized that breaking into the video game industry as a writer usually required some sort of writing credit, so I explored writing for more traditional media as a stepping stone. I found that this stepping stone was more fulfilling for me than my original destination, and I decided that I would devote myself to writing short stories, novels, and everything in between.

Q:  What is the best advice you have been given?
A: 
When it comes to writing, don't chase the market. This applied more before the e-publishing revolution, when it took years for a book to be released, since trends usually died before anyone could cash in on them. But I believe this is true for other reasons. The first is that readers can tell when your heart is not in the story. Your characters are flat, and their goals are irrelevant. I imagine some authors can convincingly tell a story they don't believe in, but I think that's a tremendous waste of effort and a real tragedy.

Writing, like any creative work, is an awesome job, and writers should be proud of what they create. But first, they must create. They must forge ahead, show their readers places and people and stories they would have never otherwise experienced. They must fuel the dreams of the readers... but that requires them to have dreams of their own. And once they have achieved their dreams, they should bask in the reward that is pride in a job well done. I think this reason is just as important, if not more so, than the first.

Q:  Hard/paperbacks or ebooks?
A: 
Recently, I moved from Seattle to Tokyo, so I had to purge everything I couldn't fit into a few suitcases. Sadly, this meant most of my books. The few physical books I kept were art books that I keep for inspiration and my e-readers. However, I had already been whittling away at my stock of paper books in favor of ebooks over the past couple years, so I had a head start in weaning myself off of paper books. The only one I really miss is my hardcover copy of The Way of Kings.

Q:  As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: 
Ah, the question I would ask is what didn't I want to be when I grew up. I wanted to be a scientist, an astronaut, a businessman, a comic artist, a ninja (though I couldn't find much career advice about this occupation), an architect... the list continues. The great tragedy of my youth was realizing I had but one life to live and only a limited time to do all the things I wanted to do. Perhaps one of the reasons I became a writer was to have the opportunity, at least in some small way, to live all the lives I had wanted to growing up.

Q:  If you could be any supernatural creature, what would it be and why?
A: 
I would definitely want to be a creature with the ability to fly. That's the most important consideration. And I would want to be able to swim without needing to come up for breath, as well as defend myself from whatever I find in the sea and sky. But no matter what, I would want to be able to keep my free will.

I guess that would make me a dragon with gills. Yeah, that sounds pretty good.

Q:  What book are you reading now?
A: 
I just finished Shawn Speakman's Unfettered anthology, featuring several of my favorite authors. Now I'm deciding what I want to read next. Among my choices are Brian McClellan's Promise of Blood, Mark Lawrence's Prince of Thorns, or The Tyranny of the Night by Glen Cook.

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Wednesday 18 June 2014

Cluck The Undercover Chicken by G. Eric Francis + Giveaway

Cluck The Undercover Chicken
by G. Eric Francis
"Cluck The Undercover Chicken" is a love story.

Wait, that isn't it.

It's an action adventure filled with thrills, intrigue and danger.

Well, it does have that.

It has an action hero that kids can look up to.

That definitely isn't true, despite what that "hero" thinks.

Sigh...here's the truth.

It's a story about a rooster who can't stand being called a rooster, who also spends his time arguing with the writer of the book, while trying to save his planet (made of a mutated egg shell) from a crazed hen who wants equal rights...as long as she is absolute ruler.

And you think you have problems.

"Cluck" is a book that middle aged-kids (and perhaps some adults) will enjoy. An agent with "The Eggency", Cluck is the best at what he does. Sadly, his ego is as massive as his skills.

Besides being blinded by his arrogance, Cluck is helped along by "ST", the writer of his adventures and a voice only he can hear. While this causes some to question his sanity, together they make an uneasy, but successful partnership.

When a hen named "The Fan" (named because she has a deadly hand fan with her at all times) forms a worldwide cult in order to take over the planet, it's up to Cluck to toss a feather in her plans...if his ego doesn't trip him up first.

Written for the young with laughs built in for all, "Cluck" is a book meant to be an unique reading experience; a quick read that you will remember for a long time.

Paperback, 54 pages
Published March 14th 2014 by Amazon/Createspace

I always have crazy idea floating through my head, whether it be about undercover chickens, kids who discover the cure for some deadly disease, or other ideas that I hope to bring to life if (show some confidence, G...WHEN) folks like you continue to support my work.
 
 I was born in NYC in the late 1960's (so I remember when "Scooby Doo" actually was good). I graduated from Syracuse University in the 1990s, and moved out to the MidWestern US when I figured making sandwiches for a living wasn't my intended purpose in life. 
 
I met my wife while at a club called "Gators", and I have two great kids, including one with special needs, which makes for special times most days.
 
 As for what I like to read, anything that will take me on a grand adventure works for me...so "The Hunger Games" series is a big plus. 
 
 When I am not writing (or commenting on the world around me), I am a huge movie fan (summertime is my favorite time of the year), I collect music (over 19k on my iPod, with Prince being my favorite) and cheering for (and banging my head against the wall) my favorite baseball team, those 27 time World Champion Yankees (hope there aren't any Red Sox fans reading this :)
 
 Well, that's it. Simple guy who hopes to write books that entertain you, all the while hoping to one day make a living out of it. 
 




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Friday 13 June 2014

Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic (The Dowser #1) by Meghan Doidge: Giveaway

Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic (The Dowser #1)
by
Meghan Doidge

If you’d asked me a week ago, I would have told you that the best cupcakes were dark chocolate with chocolate cream cheese icing, that dancing in a crowd of magic wielders — the Adept — was better than sex, and that my life was peaceful and uneventful. Just the way I liked it. 


That’s what twenty-three years in the magical backwater of Vancouver will get you — a completely skewed sense of reality. Because when the dead werewolves started showing up, it all unraveled … except for the cupcake part. That’s a universal truth. 

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Paperback, 234 pages
Published June 19th 2013 by Old Man in the Crosswalk Productions 

Find it on Goodreads
Or buy it here:  Kobo  Amazon  Universal Amazon  iBooks


Reviewer quotes
“Witches, werewolves and vampires...oh my! Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic is a fun-filled trip into a world where bad magic can get a good witch down and power isn't always accessed through hard work and determination ... sometimes it's stolen.”
– Headshot Heather, doubleshotreviews.com

“This was a fun, action filled urban fantasy that will also have you running to bake cupcakes! … and I loved the unpredictability of not knowing what would happen next.”
– Sarah, Sarah Elizabeth’s Bookshelf

"The mystery and suspense build up to a riveting and mind-blowing conclusion that shows Doidge as the brilliant riddler that she is. A definite five star even without the mouth-watering cupcake teasers. More please!"
- Cindi Clubbs, Mommasez...blog, www.ccclubbs.com

"Complete with witches, werewolves, vampires, and necromancers, this novel will keep readers laughing and turning the pages as Jade tries to figure out the truth behind the deaths surrounding her—the deaths that all point to her. "
- 4 stars, Shana, A Book Vacation


8 Questions with Author Meghan Ciana Doidge. 
 Re: The first book in her Dowser Series, Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic.

Q:  Tell us a little bit about your main characters. 
A:  I write about witches and werewolves and vampires with some necromancers and sorcerers in the mix. Jade the lead character of my Dowser Series is a half-witch and she bakes cupcakes for a living. She likes to go dancing and take the occasional yoga class. She is also massively obsessed with chocolate – but aren’t we all?
  
Q:  If your book were turned into a movie, who would you want to play the parts?
A: 
Goodness, I have NO idea. But what fun that would be!!

  Q:  Who designs the covers for your books and what is that process like for you as an author? 
A:  I work with two different designers, Irene Langholm and Elizabeth Mackey. I adore working with both of these talented women. Usually I pitch a few ideas and the designer comes back to me with a concept based on one of them. Irene often tries to bring a scene from the book alive (see my covers for After The Virus, Spirit Binder, and Time Walker). Elizabeth baked the cupcakes and made the fake blood for the three new Dowser Series covers – that’s devotion to your art. I’m sure eating all those cupcakes after the photo shoot was a real chore - LOL.

  Q:  What is the best advice you have been given?
A: 
Write what you want to read. And if you don’t cry in the sad parts or get turned on by the sexy parts, then no one will. 
 
 Q:  As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: 
An actress. And I did that all through university.

  Q:  If you could be any supernatural creature, what would you choose and why? 
 A:  I think I would choose to be a witch, harnessing my power through the magic of the earth. I like the idea of that connection.

  Q:  Hard/paperbacks or ebooks?
 A:  Ebooks all the way. I’m a huge convert. I adore my first gen iPad (though it’s getting a bit slow now). 

Q:  What book are you reading now?
A: 
I’m currently reading Sidnye (Queen of the Universe) – Book 2 by my editor, Scott Fitzgerald Gray. I have Assault or Attrition – signed by the author Blake Northcott – waiting patiently beside by my standing desk, and a slew of books waiting on my Kindle app, including; The Forever Song (Blood of Eden) by Julie Kagawa and I Shall Wear Midnight (Discworld Novel 38) by Terry Pratchett. Yeah, I’m a bit behind.



Meghan Ciana Doidge is an award-winning writer based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She has a penchant for bloody love stories, superheroes, and the supernatural. She also has a thing for chocolate, potatoes, and sock yarn. 

Novels - After The Virus, Spirit Binder, Time Walker, Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic - Dowser #1, Trinkets, Treasures, and Other Bloody Magic - Dowser #2, Treasures, Demons, and Other Black Magic – Dowser #3

Novellas/Shorts - Love Lies Bleeding and The Graveyard Kiss

WARNING: author has been known to manipulate characters with chocolate, sex, and fantastical plotting. Readers beware http://author.to/meghancianadoidge

Blog: www.madebymeghan.ca
Twitter: @mcdoidge
Facebook: Meghan Ciana Doidge
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Amazon Author Page
Goodreads Author Page









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