Review: Wild Country by Anne Bishop (@AceRocBooks)

Wild Country

Author: Anne Bishop

Release Date: March 5, 2019

Publisher: Ace Books

The World of the Others Book #2

ISBN:  0399587276

ISBN13: 9780399587276

Genre: Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Publisher

In this powerful and exciting fantasy set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Others series, humans and the shape-shifting Others will see whether they can live side by side...without destroying one another.

There are ghost towns in the world—places where the humans were annihilated in retaliation for the slaughter of the shape-shifting Others.

One of those places is Bennett, a town at the northern end of the Elder Hills—a town surrounded by the wild country. Now efforts are being made to resettle Bennett as a community where humans and Others live and work together. A young female police officer has been hired as the deputy to a Wolfgard sheriff. A deadly type of Other wants to run a human-style saloon. And a couple with four foster children—one of whom is a blood prophet—hope to find acceptance.

But as they reopen the stores and the professional offices and start to make lives for themselves, the town of Bennett attracts the attention of other humans looking for profit. And the arrival of the Blackstone Clan, outlaws and gamblers all, will uncover secrets…or bury them.

Although WILD COUNTRY wasn't my favorite installment of the Others series, I enjoyed meeting the new characters and reading about their struggles finding balance in their new world.

Bennett is rebuilding after the humans were wiped out. It was great to see more of the world that I fell in love with in WRITTEN IN RED. The relationships between the others and humans continue to evolve and grow. They are both willing to live with the other, but it takes a lot of patience and understanding.

There were a few things that made it hard to completely fall in love WILD COUNTRY. There were a few points in the setup of the story that I was just bored. It didn't totally grab me and drag me along for the ride. I also didn't love that the timeline didn't follow at the end of the previous book, LAKE SILENCE, but was on the same timeline as ETCHED IN BONE. It totally threw me off jumping back in time.

I have really enjoyed the whole Others world. The world building and the characters continue to be my favorite parts of the series. I really miss Meg and the other Lakeside residents, but the branching out and meeting others in the world has been enjoyable as well. I do hope the timeline gets back to the current time of the series though with the next book and look forward to seeing what Bishop brings us next.

I gave it 3.5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

New Releases: 3/3-3/9

Tue. Mar. 5th

 Day of the Dragon (Dragon Hunter #2) by Katie MacAlister
 The Everlasting Rose (The Belles #2) by Dhonielle Clayton
 Famous Men Who Never Lived by K Chess
 Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi 
 The Last 8 (The Last 8 #1) by Laura Pohl
 Once & Future (Once & Future #1) by Amy Rose Capetta, Cori McCarthy
 The Queen's Resistance (The Queen's Rising #2) by Rebecca Ross
 Second Star (Neverland Transmissions #1) by J.M. Sullivan
 The Shadow Glass (The Bone Witch #3) by Rin Chupeco

 That Ain't Witchcraft (InCryptid #8) by Seanan McGuire 
 Wild Country (The World of the Others #2) by Anne Bishop

Happy Reading!!

Interview: Trudy Hicks: Ghost Hunter Case One -The Deceit by Lori Zaremba (@LoriGhost, @RoxanneRhoads )

UFI welcomes Author Lori Zaremba. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview? 

I’m secretly a gear head. I think I can race anyone in any car and win. I currently drive a Dodge Challenger but even when I owned a Kia Spectra, I won my share of races. Outsmarting the competition (I think it needs to go in a book somewhere.)

What do you enjoy doing on your down time? 

Writing is my down time. I work 55 hours a week  at my day job and care for my 84-year old mama. When I have a free moment I seek solace in my writing.

What is your Favorite part of writing? 

The joy I feel when getting my thoughts to make sense on paper.

Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?

HGTV quietly on in the background, dogs have bones to keep them quiet. Twinkle lights on in my reading closet and a glass of wine or coffee by the computer.

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres? 

I love any paranormal books from Nora Roberts (Blood Magick, Dark Witch) Nalini Singh- Guild Hunter Series

How would you pitch Trudy Hicks: Ghost Hunter Case One-The Deceit to someone who has not heard of it before? 

Former Pittsburgh Police officer Trudy Hicks has a new line of work, Ghost Hunting!  Trudy isn’t accepting cases to prove that ghosts exist, she knows they do!

Her mission is to discover why these spirits are in unrest! Following the evidence and partnering with esteemed Police Psychic Dana McCoy, to solve each cold case, and help these troubled spirits to rest in peace.

When Trudy lands her first big case with a makeshift team of investigators, she heads to a mansion on the Chicago Gold Coast. The home is being haunted by a previous resident who lived there until she fell to her death in 1927.

Upon arriving, Trudy learns that she has to share the investigation with sexy as hell, surveillance guru Jason Young, whose sole purpose is to debunk the chaos in the home as anything but ghostly.

Trudy soon realizes that she may be in way over her head. The ghosts are becoming violent, the team is overwhelmed, and the sexual tension reaches a boiling point as Jason charms his way into her bed and her heart. Trudy must keep her focus on the case as the evidence, and spirit interaction takes them back to the opulent 1920's-

Can this tough ex-cop help these heartbroken souls cross over -or will her own tender heart be broken in the process.


Can you tell us a little bit about the world that Trudy Hicks: Ghost Hunter Case One-The Deceit is set in?  

The story is based in a mansion on the Chicago Gold coast -present day and in the 1920’s. Parts of it are very glamorous and some are downright creepy.

Do you have a favorite scene in Trudy Hicks: Ghost Hunter Case One-The Deceit?

Yes! I call it Leslies Meltdown. It takes place after a frightening evening of investigating. Leslie ( Trudy’s BFF and free help) didn’t believe ghost’s really existed has to face that they really do.
See below:

Grabbing Jason’s hand that still grasped her forearm, she pulled him with her as she walked out the door to search out Leslie and Patrick. They weren’t out front, so she quickly led Jason around the house to the side porch and could smell the marijuana before she found Leslie and Patrick passing a joint between them.
“What are you two delinquents doing?” Trudy couldn’t disguise the amusement in her voice.
“Fuck you.” Leslie offered the joint up to her.
Trudy brushed it aside and sat down next to Leslie. “Are you all right?” She wrapped her arm around Leslie, holding her free hand.
Leslie closed her eyes and shuddered a little. “I’m still here, aren’t I?” She took another hit of the joint before handing it to Patrick. Abruptly, she stood so she could pace and threw her hands in the air. “I mean, what am I supposed to say to that? No, I am not all right!” she shouted to the darkness. “Everything I thought I knew changed in there,” she said, pointing to the house. “I’m changed.” She glared at Trudy. “You didn’t prepare me,” she said, jabbing a finger into Trudy’s shoulder.
“What?” Trudy stood. “How could I prepare you for that, when I wasn’t prepared for that?”
“Exactly!” She bristled and looked Trudy dead in the eye. “You’re in over your head, Trudy Hicks.” Leslie took a deep breath. “You can’t fix that,” she said, once again pointing toward the house.
“Maybe not, but I can get to the truth as to why these souls are still lingering here.” Trudy remained calm while Leslie worked herself into a tizzy.
“Do you want to know why they’re here?” Leslie spun toward her, fully agitated now. “I can tell you why they’re still here. Because they are pissed! How do I know they’re pissed?” she asked the night air, her voice a few decibels below a scream.
The silence was deafening as they all waited for Leslie to finish.
“They’re pissed because happy ghosts wouldn’t go around slamming doors, or pulling hair, and they certainly wouldn’t be knocking people to the ground. That’s how I know they’re pissed. Goddamn it!” She rubbed her forehead. “I’m done for the night, and I’m sleeping in the van.” She brushed past Jason to head across the lawn.
“Leslie, wait.” Trudy leaped forward.
“Let her go. She’s going to have to do a lot of soul-searching over what she witnessed tonight,” Jason said, pulling Trudy back.
Sighing, Trudy shook her head as Leslie climbed into the van and slammed the door.



Which one character out of all your books was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about? 

Trudy Hicks was the easiest. I wanted to be her when I grew up. The hardest? I really didn’t struggle. I work in sales so I have come across just about every personality one can imagine. I mimic their traits to close a deal. My characters have combined qualities of the many, many people I have dealt with. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?

Case Two-The Kept. Is in the Editing Process, I am hoping it will be out early summer. It’s a little darker than the first, we learn more about Trudy’s past and what makes her tick. Lots of action, lots of paranormal activity, lover’s quarrels, sizzling romance and a good old fashion bar fight.

I’m currently writing Case Three-The Hex. There may be a story about a voodoo queen, a brothel and I may introduce some bad-ass witches. Stay tuned…

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Lori Zaremba is a full-time Internet Sales Manager and writes Web Content as well as providing Copy Editing for businesses in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Lori has published short ghost stories on Your Ghost Stories, as the Haunted_Cleaner and on her website lorizaremba.com

On her website, lorizaremba.com, Zaremba refers to herself as the ghost magnet and briefly describes her encounters with departing spirits.
Lori began writing her fiction story as a creative offering of why a ghost would haunt.  Before long the story became a novel Case One: The Deceit in the Trudy Hicks Ghost Hunter series.

Lori currently lives in the suburbs of Pittsburgh with her husband Wayne and two fur babies Jaxson and Stewie.

Find Lori and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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 Case One:The Deceit
Trudy Hicks Ghost Hunter #1
Amazon

My job? I hunt ghosts. Not to prove they exist—because I already know they do—but to figure out why they’re still here.

My first big case leads me to a mansion on the Chicago Gold Coast, the previous home of a wealthy socialite who lived there until she accidentally fell to her death in 1927.

I’ve never been this determined—and excited—to solve a case like this one before. Pity I’m forced to work alongside a man whose sole purpose is to debunk paranormal activity. But the worst part? He’s gorgeous, and the more we work together, the more I realize I might be falling for him.

Together we’re delving deeper and deeper into the spiritual world. But the more secrets we uncover, the more pissed off these ghosts become; and that’s when I start to realize…we might be in way over our heads.

 Excerpt:

Looking once again across the table at Jason, she noticed he was listening to his two-way radio.
“I’ll go check it out,” Trudy heard him say as he excused himself.
“Is everything all right?” Paul started to rise from the dinner table.
“Everything is fine. Sit and relax. I have to go and check one of the cameras.” Jason slipped from the room.
Trudy caught up to him at the base of the stairs. “What’s going on?”
He looked at her warily. “One of the cameras on the third floor caught the door of your room slamming shut.”
“Oh, I left it open for the dog when I came down to dinner.”
“Jasmine?” He raised a questioning brow as he referred to the golden retriever who was sound asleep under the dining table.
“No.” She bit her lip and tried not to laugh at his puzzled expression. “I left it open for the other dog that was whining and scratching at my door.”
“Oh, I see, the imaginary one,” he quipped, climbing the stairs two at a time. Trudy was almost at a sprint to keep up, careful not to slip in her high heels. They finally reached the third floor. The air was so thick that Trudy could barely move her legs and felt the hair on the back of her neck rising in warning.
“Shhh. Did you hear that?” A door slammed from inside her room.
“What the hell was that?” Jason said as he reached for the door, looking down at her.
“It’s probably just a little mouse,” she said, causing him to frown down at her before slowly turning the knob.
They entered the room as quietly as possible, and a blast of frigid air struck them. Jason reached over to flip the switch for the light. Everything was normal. They quickly searched the room for any signs of a disturbance. The room was just as she left it, and the door to the bathroom was open as before. She couldn’t figure out what made the slamming noise that they heard.
“Uh, were you typing an email earlier?” Jason asked, looking at her laptop.
“Oh, yeah, to my mom. I forgot.”
“You better take a look at this.”
Trudy looked at the screen and saw her email was
still up. She had written, “Hi, Mom. We’re at the house. All is well. Please...” That was where she stopped when she’d been interrupted by a phone call, and that was where it looked like the email went wild with,
 “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.”
The two letters repeated the whole way down the page. “How is that possible?” she questioned.
“Maybe your keys are stuck.” He bent down to get a better look at the keys then tapped them to see if they were sticking.
“Please, there’s nothing wrong with the keys. Someone was playing.”
“Who?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about a human.”
“You think a ghost did this?” Humor danced around his mouth as he tried to keep from smiling.
“Well, it certainly could be a possibility, and it is the reason we’re here.”
“Not we, you. I’m here to look at things rationally.”
“Rationally...really?” She was irritated, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at him. “What was rational about the events that led us into this room? And for the love of God, what was rational about what happened to you in the basement?”
Jason sat on the bed, elbows on his knees, and looked down at the floor. “I don’t know, but I plan to find out.”
She looked at him for a moment and could almost feel his confusion. He was a bit lost in all this chaos. She sat beside him and mimicked his pose. Trudy elbowed him on the arm, and the simple touch sent a thrill racing through her body. “I guess we have our work cut out for us.”

His gaze settled on her half-smile. “At least it won’t be boring.”
Her heart did a somersault. “Yeah, I don’t do well with boring.”
Feeling brazen, she leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise, and Trudy jumped up, grinning from ear to ear.
“Let’s go, Mr. Young. They’re probably wondering what’s happened to us.” She was halfway out the door.
Jason grabbed her hand before she could reach the hall and spun her around. His lips claimed hers before she could grasp what was happening. Trudy felt his hand on the small of her back molding her to him, while his other hand gently held her head. She felt a thrill like never before, and just as her knees started to give out, he released her.
“Better hurry, Gertrude. Wouldn’t want anyone to think you were trying to take advantage of me in this here grand bedroom.” He smiled into her eyes, and once again she was lost. She shook her head to clear it and get some control of her senses.
“We better go, or I’ll be taking advantage of you.” She laughed, and he did too. She loved the sound of it. She glanced over her shoulder. “I hope that damned camera of yours was turned off.”
As they headed out the door, Jason walking just behind her, he grimaced when he saw the red light on the camera on and grunted, “Oh, shit.”

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Week in Review: 2/24-3/2

Books Received for Review

The Night House by J.C. McKenzie
Shadow Warrior by Christine Feehan

Books I've Read

That Ain't Witchcraft by Seanan McGuire
Bane of Winter by Debbie Cassidy
Off Planet by Aileen Erin
Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep

Reviews Posted

Circle of the Moon by Faith Hunter (@HunterFaith, @AceRocBooks)

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Wednesday- Guest Blog: Phoenix Falling by Laura Bickle (@Laura_Bickle, @RoxanneRhoads, @HarperVoyagerUS)

* Thursday- Promo: Unborn Series by Amber Lynn Natusch (@AmberLNatusch, @PureTextuality, @AmazonPub)

* Friday- Promo + Giveaway: The True Queen by Zen Cho (@zenaldehyde, @AceRocBooks)

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* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?

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Promo + Giveaway: The True Queen by Zen Cho (@zenaldehyde, @AceRocBooks)

The True Queen
Sorcerer Royal #2
Amazon  BN

In the follow-up to the "delightful" Regency fantasy novel (NPR.org) Sorcerer to the Crown, a young woman with no memories of her past finds herself embroiled in dangerous politics in England and the land of the fae.

When sisters Muna and Sakti wake up on the peaceful beach of the island of Janda Baik, they can't remember anything, except that they are bound as only sisters can be. They have been cursed by an unknown enchanter, and slowly Sakti starts to fade away. The only hope of saving her is to go to distant Britain, where the Sorceress Royal has established an academy to train women in magic.

If Muna is to save her sister, she must learn to navigate high society, and trick the English magicians into believing she is a magical prodigy. As she's drawn into their intrigues, she must uncover the secrets of her past, and journey into a world with more magic than she had ever dreamed.

 

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© Darren Johnson

Zen Cho was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and her short story collection Spirits Abroad was a joint winner of the William L. Crawford Fantasy Award. Her debut novel Sorcerer to the Crown won a British Fantasy Award for Best Newcomer and was a Locus Awards finalist for Best First Novel. She lives in the UK.



Find Zen and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

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Tour Wide

ENTER HERE

Promo: Unborn Series by Amber Lynn Natusch (@AmberLNatusch, @PureTextuality, @AmazonPub)

From UNBORN, the first installment in the series…

Born into mystery. Shackled to darkness…

Khara has spent centuries discovering everything about the Underworld―except her place in it. But when she’s ripped from her home, solving the riddle of her origins becomes more important than ever. With evil stalking her through the dark alleys of Detroit, she finds salvation from an unlikely source: a group of immortal warriors sworn to protect the city. Khara needs their help to unravel the tangled secrets of who and what she is—secrets many seem willing to kill for. But time is running out, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer necessity binds her to an arrogant fallen angel.

Can their shaky alliance withstand that which threatens her, or will her soul fall victim to the unholy forces that hunt her―those that seek the Unborn?

About the Book
The Unborn Series
by Amber Lynn Natusch
Genre
Adult
Urban Fantasy
Paranormal Romance
Publisher
47North
Purchase Your Copies Today for Just $0.99 Each!
The Unborn Series on Amazon
Also Available On

UNSPOKEN, Unborn Book Three, Coming Soon!

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AMBER LYNN NATUSCH is the author of the bestselling Caged series for adults. She was born and raised in Winnipeg, and is still deeply attached to her Canadian roots. She loves to dance and practice Muay Thai―but spends most of her time running a chiropractic practice with her husband, raising two young children, and attempting to write when she can lock herself in the bathroom for ten minutes of peace. Dare You to Lie is her debut YA novel with Tor Teen.

Find Amber and her books

Newsletter  |  Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon

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This promotion is brought to you by Pure Textuality PR.

Guest Blog: Phoenix Falling by Laura Bickle (@Laura_Bickle, @RoxanneRhoads, @HarperVoyagerUS)

UFI welcomes Author Laura Bickle. Thanks for Joining us!!

The Phoenix
By Laura Bickle

    The phoenix is a tricky bird to nail down.
    Most of us are familiar with the myth of the phoenix – the flaming bird that self-immolates and is born again in its own ashes. The poet Hesiod called the phoenix the “brilliant one.” It’s a creature of the sun, returning after hundreds of years to burn and burn again, following the dictates of its internal life cycle. Even after all that fire, it remains an essentially immortal creature. In The Precepts of Chiron, Hesiod observed:

“A chattering crow lives out nine generations of aged men,
but a stag's life is four time a crow's,
and a raven's life makes three stags old,
while the phoenix outlives nine ravens,
but we, the rich-haired Nymphs
daughters of Zeus the aegis-holder,
outlive ten phoenixes.”

    We have a sense of a timeless, shining creature, remote and apart from the world of mortals. Even alchemy saw the phoenix as the pinnacle of transformation. In alchemy, the bird was said to represent the escape of the soul from the physical world. The alchemical cycle is complete with the phoenix’s appearance, only to begin again.

    It sounds like an esoteric, pretty thing, doesn’t it? For PHOENIX FALLING, I wanted to explore the terrifying side of the phoenix as the bringer of endings. Rather than a creature of luminous plumage quietly building a nest to recreate itself, I imagined a bird of fire, an elemental creature that might have been summoned by an alchemist, long ago, to the tiny town of Temperance, Wyoming.
    Temperance was founded over a century ago by an alchemist, Aldus Lascaris. He’d discovered the secret of turning rocks to gold, and had successfully created an empire from that wealth. But the townsfolk suspected that he had dodgy dealings with otherworldly powers, and burned his house down. At least…that’s the story. The truth is much more complicated than that. Lascaris was driven to his home, where he sought to complete his alchemical Great Work, by summoning and joining with a phoenix. It was only then that he would be able to achieve immortality and the ultimate power he sought.

    Unfortunately, an angry mob interrupted his ritual, and he burned. Lascaris’s alchemical experiments disbursed into the backcountry of what’s now Yellowstone – undead cowboys, basilisks, carnivorous mermaids. The alchemical Tree of Life continued to stand, waiting for the return of the phoenix and the return of Lascaris.

    Petra Dee, a scientist, has maintained a healthy sense of skepticism surrounding the magical wonders populating Temperance in the present day. But she’s been forced to believe in magic. She’s acquired a coyote sidekick who may or may not have a bit of the Coyote with a capital “C” behind his luminous eyes. She married the last of the immortal cowboys, the Hanged Men, who fly into the shadows in the shapes of ravens. And magic has even allowed her to cheat death…she’s discarded her dying body in favor of a shiny new doppelganger body, courtesy of a homunculus cooking in the local bartender’s basement.

    Petra has seen and tasted otherworldly power. But she’s never seen anything like this firebird torching the back country. Wildfires threaten to consume all she holds dear – the park, Temperance, and even the Tree of Life itself, her husband’s source of power.

    The magic of Temperance must awaken to stop the phoenix…and that may even include the return of the first alchemist of Temperance himself. Even in death, Lascaris seeks to control the phoenix and gain the power to achieve his ruthless ends.

    And Petra will sacrifice everything she holds dear to stop him.
 

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Laura Bickle grew up in rural Ohio, reading entirely too many comic books out loud to her favorite Wonder Woman doll. After graduating with an MA in Sociology – Criminology from Ohio State University and an MLIS in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she patrolled the stacks at the public library and worked with data systems in criminal justice. She now dreams up stories about the monsters under the stairs, also writing contemporary fantasy novels under the name Alayna Williams.

Her work has been included in the ALA’s Amelia Bloomer Project 2013 reading list and the State Library of Ohio’s Choose to Read Ohio reading list for 2015-2016.

Find Laura and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Phoenix Falling
Wildlands #5
Amazon Harper Voyager BN iTunes Google Play

Laura Bickle, the critically acclaimed author of Nine of Stars and Witch Creek, returns with a fiery new chapter in her celebrated Wildlands series.

In the Yellowstone backcountry, a merciless source of evil carries a torch for the past…

Petra Dee and her immortal husband, Gabe, have been trying to gain a toehold in what passes for ordinary life in Temperance, Wyoming—

a wickedly enchanted land founded generations ago by the alchemist, Lascaris. Petra may be adept when it comes to the uncanny, but as a reasoned geologist, Petra still can’t fathom the wildfires suddenly engulfing Yellowstone National Park, or why Gabe claims to have seen the sky explode in flames. The answers could lie in the past.

It was a dreadful night in 1862 when Lascaris went harvesting for souls, only to be set upon by townsfolk determined to eliminate the root of all evil in a trial by fire. Petra can’t help fearing that Lascaris has crawled out of the ashes of history to wreak vengeance—and to complete his mission by claiming every vulnerable soul in Temperance.

With the help of Gabe and her coyote sidekick, Sig, Petra must now venture into Lascaris’s shadow before he turns her world into an inferno burning out of control.

“Bickle is well on her way to establishing her work as a cornerstone of her genre.”

—Publishers Weekly

 
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