The Passage by Justin Cronin

The military are attempting to produce a new kind of weapon. A biological weapon in the form of the perfect fighting soldier. Indestructible and deadly. The test subjects are 12 prisoners who have committed heinous crimes. Amongst them also six year old Amy who has been abandoned by her mother. The subjects are all people who will not be missed. They have no family. They do not exist. But, there is something different about Amy. Something very special. Things don’t go according to plan and man’s greed for world domination ends in disaster when the virus created to produce such a solider gets out of control. The resulting creations are a type of vampire…….or Virals as the world comes to know them as.

The book follows the survivors of the apocalyptic way of living brought about by the Virals creation. A group of people who appear to be destined to bring about a change to this new world ..... To join the war in the fight against the Virals. And, alongside them there is Amy again. What secrets does she possess? Why is she so special? Can one little girl make any difference?

This book is a cross between THE STAND, I AM LEGEND and THE ROAD. It’s a very long book but well worth the time spent reading it.

I became totally engrossed in this book. But beware; it is not the type of book that you can dismiss easily. It leaves you thirsty for more and once you start reading it you will find it difficult to put down. There are many characters to try to remember but that’s OK. You become emotionally involved in their plight. You search for answers with them. It’s the type of book that requires commitment. Highly recommended. The sequel, The Twelve is also available (review on the blog soon). The third instalment in the trilogy is due out next year and I for one cannot wait!

*This review appeared on www.lovereading.co.uk

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Author in the Spotlight - Dana Mason

 

 

Brook Cottage Books is so pleased to be hosting the lovely Dana Mason in the Author in the Spotlight feature as part of the In Love With Romance book tour!

 

Here's a little bit about Dana. 
 

Dana Mason starting writing to prove to her computer geek husband and her math & science geek kids that she actually has a brain; it’s just a right functioning brain instead of a left.

She’s lived all over the country and uses that experience in her writing and character studies. Her debut novel, Dangerous Embrace is the first in a contemporary suspenseful romance series about group of friends who learn the hard way that life is short and you shouldn’t take it for granted. Second chances don’t come easy…but sometimes love is worth the risk. 

 

When not writing, Dana specializes in professional development and training. She’s also a board member on the local Art’s Council and does what she can to support continuing education in the art community.

As an avid reader and movie watcher, she always requires a happily ever after ending.

Just in case you missed yesterday's review of Dangerous Embrace, you can find it HERE .

 

Author Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danamason97

Twitter: www.twitter.com/danamason06

Website: www.danamasonromance.com

Buylinks:

                                                                   

 

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dangerous-embrace-dana-mason/1113029974

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Dangerous Embrace by Dana Mason

Sarah has a job she loves, a house she loves and an anonymous existence. She is a loner and likes it that way. She has her reasons. However, one fateful night Sarah is attacked outside work and her past comes back to haunt her, forcing memories to the surface again. Memories she had fought so long to stay buried.  In the midst of the hell she is going through, her knight in shining armour comes in the form of Mark, a security expert and ex-cop. Mark is different to all the other men she has met but her past means she needs to keep him at arm’s length.  A past, and a threat she would rather forget. She needs to protect both herself and Mark.

Sarah’s attacker gets away but he hasn’t finished with her yet. He is determined to finish what he started and Sarah’s life becomes a battle for survival. Not only fighting to survive her attacker but also a battle against Mark – to maintain her independence and never rely on another person again. However, Mark has other ideas and romance begins to blossom, despite Sarah’s reluctance.

Dangerous embrace is a thriller with a romantic element to it. Sarah, underneath her bravado is a very frightened young woman who has been so badly emotionally and physically abused from a previous relationship that she struggles to trust anyone. Mark must break down Sarah’s defences to be able to protect her as best he can. He needs to get to the truth, all the while fighting an unseen enemy from her past as well as the psychopath who is intent on getting to Sarah.

Dana Mason has written a fantastic psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. At times you become frustrated with Sarah as she fights against Mark’s selfless acts of kindness. Sarah is brave, defiant and resilient. However, she is also headstrong, stubborn and trusts no-one. The story has two threats to Sarah. A threat from the past and an on-going threat, making the reader wonder which one will break Sarah first.

I enjoyed this book. It’s hard hitting in places but it needs to be. It is very well written and not afraid to tackle difficult subject matter. I enjoyed it and found it difficult to put down. I often became a little perplexed with Sarah and felt she was at times incredibly unlucky. At other times I marvelled at the way she fought back at whatever life was throwing at her. I understood how frustrated Mark felt! I’d recommend this book if you like a dark, psychological thriller that leaves you guessing right to the end. Full of twists and turns and the right amount of romance, it’s a great read. I look forward to reading more books by Dana Mason.

You can find out a little bit more about Dana Mason as she is the featured Author in the Spotlight tomorrow on the blog!

 

 

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Author Interview - Linn B Halton

Brook Cottage Books is extremely honoured to have the very talented Linn B Halton on the blog today as part of the Fiction Addiction Book Tour. Linn's new book NEVER ALONE is a fantastic read and the review for it featured on the blog yesterday. You can find it HERE. Linn very kindly agreed to be interviewed about the book and she provides us with fascinating insight into an very interesting subject matter.

 

 

JB:Your new book also has a supernatural element about it. What inspires you to write about such a topic?

Linn: What inspires me to write in general, often stems from a single incident and then it grows. Having had many psychic experiences over the years, it has been instrumental in changing the way I look at life and what might lie beyond. So it’s only natural that when stories whirl around in my head, that too is a big part of it for me. Whilst I have written two books that do not feature anything psychic or paranormal, I seem to keep coming back to it as my favourite theme!

JB: Holly, the main character in the book describes herself in a pretty upbeat way, never worrying about a problem until it happens. Are you this type of person?

Linn: No, quite the opposite! I worry if I don’t have anything to worry about, because I then think it’s only a matter of time before something goes wrong! I think worriers are born and if you are so inclined, you will always find something or someone to worry about. I’m a nurturer by nature and worry about a LOT of people (laugh).

To make the story work Holly had to appear to be a little ‘shallow’ at the beginning of the book. Like an air-brushed photo, everything seems perfect! As her character grows and the story unfolds we see there is more to her than meets the eye. However, she is a ‘glass half-full’ person and would never be become a classic ‘worrier’ although what’s happening troubles her deeply.

JB: Have you ever had a supernatural experience before? If so, would you like to tell us a little bit about it?

Linn: Well, every psychic episode that happens in Never Alone! Including, yes ‘I was THAT estate agent’ and yes, I would have been sacked if I had been found out. But I would rather have lost my job than gone back inside that house. Even the bit about the light being left on is perfectly true. It was a part time job whilst I was renovating an old stables with my husband. It was hard work and to give ourselves a break from the dust and dirt of construction, we both took part time jobs. My husband worked in a garden centre looking after plants, which he’d always want to do and we were able to stock the half-acre garden at a discounted price! I love houses (we’ve lived in 13 so far) and did viewings.

I try not to exaggerate any of the experiences I relate, as I feel they would not ring true, but did have to ‘dove-tail’ two separate incidents together to create the moment I wanted. When Holly is driving in the lane and something is following her, that was one incident. When the shape of a person appears in front of the car, that was a totally separate incident but in the story both are linked together.

For many years I was a sceptic despite what I’d seen, felt and heard. It’s a long story and one I tell in ‘Being A Sceptic Is Oh So Easy’. It’s a sort of diary of most of my experiences and I talk about my take on déjà vu, coincidences, fate, luck etc. Since publishing it a lot of people have contacted me to say they have experienced similar and have then gone on to tell me their own experiences. Of course, they then tell me they are sceptics. I love that. Particularly dear to me are the very different last moments in the lives of my mother and father, both unique experiences that helped me see things in a very uplifting way.

I will always be sceptical about every little thing that happens and try to find a logical explanation first. But some of the things that have happened in recent years have been validated beyond any reasonable doubt. I suppose I ‘came out’ only after my husband and I both began experiencing things in one house we lived in that had a resident. She was lovely though and liked what we were doing to the house. My husband was an even stronger sceptic than I was to begin with. His first experience was when he was alone in one of the rooms and it took him a week to talk about it!

JB: I really related to the character of Holly as I’ve had a few ‘spooky’ experiences myself. Would you say that you also have an ‘intuitive gene’ like Holly’s?

Linn: Holly’s intuition is written from the heart. It took me a long time to string together my experiences and make myself face up to what was happening. So I’m writing what I know there! I’m so glad to hear that, as it means the truth behind the words shines through. Thank you JB!

JB: The book focuses on Holly’s rediscovery of her physic abilities. This is obviously a field that interests you greatly and there’s a scene in the book where Holly goes to see Mediums at work. Have you personally ever been to see a medium?

Linn: I go regularly and again, the session in the book reflects a collection of some of the stories I’ve heard mediums tell at various evenings of clairvoyance over the years. So in essence they are all real. The dog incident was the funniest! I have shed tears as I’ve watched other people shedding their tears with the messages they receive. However, I prefer one-to-one sessions. The validation is much better, it’s more personal and it’s private.

JB: How did you go about researching for the book?

Linn: There was hardly anything I had to research at all for this book, partly because so much is based on personal experience. To be honest with you it was one of those books you just sit down and write because it flows. The story knew where it was going.

I use healing crystals and love the feel of stones, so that was simply a case of choosing the most appropriate ones for the story. I did have to research the chakras to check I had the colours rights, as although I sometimes meditate I had to ensure I described each correctly. When I meditate I use Richard Holmes’ CDs and although he takes you through each one, I’m usually so in the zone I’m on auto pilot.

I have a cousin who is a practising medium too and I’ve often had chats with her, so if I have a question she’s on the other end of the phone!

I’ve been to a closed circle, so that too was from experience, although obviously the content of the session was to suit the story. But in essence the format was almost identical. And then LA… I’ve been numerous times – really wish I’d had to research that one and fly out for a quick visit! I did research properties online so that when Holly and Will were looking at properties in LA it would ring true. But the one used was a composite with a bit of imagination (wishful thinking even…) thrown in!

JB: The luxurious lifestyle that is there for Holly, should she want it, sounds wonderful! Can you see yourself enjoying such a lifestyle if offered to you or are you more a cosy home person?

Linn: No. I’m old enough to know that possessions and money don’t necessary make you happy. Having given up work to concentrate on writing, my husband and I decided to de-clutter our lives. We downsized and moved into a small courtyard community on what was a working farm. Instead of cleaning a large house, most of which was never used, we now have a cosy cottage and love it. Although we do have lots of things in a storage facility that will need to be sorted soon!

As our sons are now grown up, we go to visit them instead of the other way around. As distance is involved, they appreciate that!

We were lucky enough to have experienced staying with an actor friend and his family, when he lived in the Hollywood hills. He moved to New York and we lost touch as our families grew up. It was a very different lifestyle and we loved our visits, but home for us is about family and our family is in the UK.

JB: Thanks Linn for answering all my questions!

Linn: My pleasure JB! Thank you for your time in reading, reviewing and being a part of this book tour. It’s lovely to be able to discuss my story with someone who can feel some sort of connection with the bits that aren’t just pure fiction. So many people have had unexplained things happen to them. I think only two things are important – if it isn’t a nice experience tell it to go away and if you can, leave! If it’s a comforting experience, then it’s probably someone you love - so accept the healing and karma they are sending you. It’s uplifting!

I think everyone will agree that Linn B Halton is indeed a very interesting person! To be in with a chance of winning an e-copy of the book tell us, in the comments section about a 'spooky' experience you have had or indeed if you think that such things exist! What are your views?There are 3 copies in the giveaway so get commenting! The draw closes on tonight at 7pm GMT. GOOD LUCK!

 

 

About the author:

 

Linn writes contemporary women's love stories that reflect life, but you are always guaranteed an ending that won't disappoint!

Love, life and beyond…but it’s ALWAYS about the romance!

Linn signed with US publishing house Sapphire Star Publishing in 2012; The Quintessential Gemini, a heart-warming romance was released in June 2012 and The Restaurant @ The Mill, a collection of life/love stories based around an old mill, was released in August 2012. Linn is a member of the RNA.

Linn also has two self-published books – Touched By The Light (a psychic romance that will make you think) and Being A Sceptic Is Oh So Easy (a diary of events/true story).

Linn is a featured new Author loveahappyending.com and also one of the Editors on the website's magazine-style blog.

 

EXCERPT

A contemporary romance with a Twist!

“It’s a gift to be shown something that allows you to make a difference and alter the outcome of someone else’s life. However, the weight of the responsibility that goes along with that is huge and what about the ethics?  The thing I have to ask myself, is how did my actions change the future?”

Holly is the envy of all her friends, she has lived with the gorgeous Will for five years and supported him every step of the way.  His IT business is about to go global and they are on the verge of having all their dreams come true!  A life split between homes in the UK and Los Angeles beckons, offering them a glamorous and exciting lifestyle they will both fit into quite perfectly.  So when Will pops the question, why won’t Holly say ‘yes’? 

 

A series of terrifying encounters unleashes an inherited psychic connection within Holly.  Her ‘perfect’ life is turned upside down as she struggles with the reality of her ‘gift’.  Help comes from a chance meeting with medium Peter Shaw and she discovers that she is also being given healing and protection by the spirits of two people.  One of them is her best friend’s brother, Nick, who died suddenly in tragic circumstances. Holly finds herself confiding in him in an attempt to sort out her own life.

She begins to sense that the path she’s on isn’t the one she’s destined for, but is it too late to change things?  The thought of hurting the people she loves the most causes her to bury her emotions, until fate takes a hand………..

Life’s all about the choices we make …

 Excerpt:
 

HOUSE FOR SALE
 

When I met Will Cameron it was lust at first sight, but love came bounding in shortly afterwards. If tall, dark, and slim with a gorgeous body and a well-defined six-pack is your idea of perfection, then Will is perfection personified. As usual, the heavens were smiling down on me because he also happens to be a genuinely good person beneath all that macho beauty. His one fault is that he’s much too clever for his own good. He’s married to his work, but as his special girl I come a very close second. Lucky, lucky me.

 

I’m Holly by the way, Holly Elizabeth Atherton. Age twenty-three, long, naturally blonde hair, sickeningly thin without having to try and I’m a Gemini. My mother says you can never be too thin or too rich. My father keeps telling me I need fattening up, worried I’m following the thin trend, but that isn’t me. Fortunately I can eat like a horse without having to think about calories at all. My friends envy me for that, but it hasn’t always been a plus factor. Will nicknamed me Chick when Alice, who was my best friend at high school, told him they used to call me chicken legs. Going to an exclusive girls’ school we had little on which to focus; not having boys around made life quite dull.

 

Something I learnt early on in life is the sad, but true, fact that more opportunities seem to open up if you come from an affluent background. My father, David Miles Thomas Atherton, owns a chain of estate agents. He also has a large personal property portfolio and is regarded as being an astute businessman. He dotes on me, although I have to work equally as hard as anyone else to earn my salary.
 

The wonderful thing about having a father who thinks you are the sunshine in his normally serious, and often grey, life is that he’s kind and generous. That’s why he invested in Will’s company. The fact that it became an enormous Internet success overnight is down to Will’s genius. He seems to have this natural instinct that allows him to spot a niche in the market that’s waiting to be filled. Will sold the first business and made a lot of money for himself and my father, then started business number two. We live together in his penthouse flat on the top floor of a converted former pin mill. Sitting on the edge of the small town of Ardington, to the east we look across towards Stroud and to the west we look out across open fields that seem to go on forever.
 

So I’m golden girl, not because I brought Will and my father together, but because things seem to turn out well for me. So far my life has been fairly straightforward. Life and fate have been kind to me; I’ve had more than my fair share of luck. One thought has always worried me though; it constantly niggles away in the back of my mind. What happens if one day my luck suddenly runs out?

 

I suppose it’s about whom you know, how much money you have—which makes life an awful lot easier in so many ways—and a pretty face. And that’s me. I don’t mean to sound as if I take it all for granted or that I’m being smug, because I try my best not to do that and I’m not (smug that is). I do appreciate what I was born with and I try hard to live up to the expectations of my parents and the people in my life who matter to me the most.

 

My brother Matt isn’t easy to impress and I suspect it’s because he thinks I’ve had it rather easy. I don’t think for one moment that we were treated any differently when we were growing up, but Matt seems to spend his life worrying and looking for problems. My approach is to do my best and worry about a problem only if and when it arises.
 

Geminis are by nature good communicators. We are talkative and versatile, add to that an entanglement of paradoxes and you have a mix that allows those born under that sign to see beyond stereotypical confines. I accept people as they are and that helps when I’m dealing with people from all walks of life.
 

The best part about being an estate agent is the moment when you usher a potential purchaser over the threshold for the first time and suddenly it hits them. Full on. They’ve found their perfect house and the smiles keep getting bigger and bigger, as you walk them from room to room. It’s a magical moment. The emotion is one of intense excitement. You’ve found them the house in which they might spend many happily married years, or perhaps raise their future family and hopefully live a contented life. In my rosy-hued picture of life, things like divorce, betrayal and disappointment don’t get a look-in. I’m optimistic enough to hope it reflects the minority and not the vast majority. I have absolutely no idea whether that is factually correct, but you have to live your life believing in good things, don’t you? The alternative is simply much too depressing.
 

Most intriguing of all, is the fact that whether a property is old, new, large, small, ugly, or beautiful, each one has its own story to tell. It never occurred to me until fairly recently that the history of a house could be a problem for me. Everything was fine until Matt insisted I show the Hayworths’ house, even after I asked him if someone else could be assigned to it. He thought I was dismissing it because it wasn’t anything special and it was half an hour’s drive from the office—but that wasn’t the reason at all.
 

I will never forget that Thursday, the first time I saw number twenty-two Bisley Rise, set in the idyllic and sleepy village of Rosegrove….

Linn’s links:

Website A loveahappyending.com author
Signed by:http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/linnbhalton
Twitter: @LinnBHalton
Facebook: Linn B Halton
Romantic Novelists’ Association page

Amazon.co.uk (buy)
Amazon.com (buy)

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Never Alone by Linn B Halton

Holly has it all. She’s very beautiful and has a great job as an estate agent in the family business. It’s a job she is good at and actually enjoys. She lives in a lovely apartment with a gorgeous boyfriend who is making it big in the computer industry. She has a lovely and affluent family and a new luxurious lifestyle on the horizon. What more could a girl ask for?

However, Holly’s life is about to be turned upside down whenever she visits a house in Bisley Rise. Holly experiences something utterly terrifying that leaves her questioning her own sanity! Holly has always known she had an ‘intuitive gene’ and could sense things that no-one else could. She’s inherited this from her father and grandmother. Previously able to put this sixth sense to the back of her mind and her life, Holly now finds that her ‘gift’ is determined to re-emerge even more heightened that before! Holly constantly feels she is being watched by some unseen forces and has some frightening experiences. Experiences that leave her shaken, fearful and uncertain about her future.

Will Holly’s rediscovered gift alter the course of her destiny? Will those she loves be understanding and supportive or encourage her to hide her abilities? Support, love and guidance come in unexpected forms for Holly and she must determine whether the life she has been leading really is her true destiny. Is her fate to be determined by her or other forces?

I absolutely adored Linn B Halton’s new book. The characters were well developed and it was interesting to see Holly evolve throughout the book. Some of the situations Holly finds herself in are pretty spine-tingling and on occasion I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck prickle! This is a well-thought out and extremely clever plot with a twist that the reader will not expect! A perfect read for those dark winter nights! For those interested in the paranormal this is the book for you. Whilst the subject matter focuses on psychic abilities, it is a story of mysteries and twists and turns that leaves the reader fearful for Holly and desperate to find out where her life is going!  It’s a book that’s hard to put down. Written from Holly’s viewpoint, it offers an interesting take on the ethical difficulties faced by those with a ‘gift.’ It is a book that won’t disappoint!

*Pop back to the blog tomorrow for a chance to find out all about Linn B Halton and win an e-copy of Never Alone!*

 

 Paperback                   Kindle

 

 

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A Little Bit of Madness by Sheryl Browne - Cover Reveal

 

I am very excited to be part of the blog tour for A LITTLE BIT OF MADNESS, the wonderful new book by Sheryl Browne. I have been lucky enough to have read the book and it is amazing! You can read the review here on 14th February when the book is officially released. But, in the meantime, you can take part in the book tour questions and have a peek at the fantastic cover for the book.

 

 

Every stop of the tour has posed a different question. So here's our question and answer from both myself and Sheryl:

 



What is the most romantic and grandest gesture someone has ever done for you?

SHERYL: Ok, it might not seem grand, but it was certainly romantic – sort of. My man planted a rose tree outside the kitchen window, bearing the peach coloured roses my mum loved. Just did it! Awww. Was beautiful. Was… I pruned it! Waaaaah. Can I help it if my fingers are not green?

 

JB: One Christmas Eve hubs handed me a CD that he had made for me as he always did. It was full of romantic songs. He asked me to look carefully at the song titles. As I read down the titles I realised that when you put together the first letter of each song title it spelt out WILL YOU MARRY ME? He then got down on one knee and produced a ring and proposed! Of course I said yes!

 

 

Book Blurb

Celia Summers loves her job as an art therapist at The Harbour Rest Home, even if her partner, Martin, is disparaging of her efforts.

 

Martin, a solicitor, made speculative investments and needs to get his hands on his mother’s assets, her home, Charlton Hall, to bail himself out of debt. In order to sell the house, he has to get Rosemary re-housed at The Harbour Rest Home and tries to get Celia on his side with a fabrication of lies.

 

Meanwhile, Celia fights for gallery space for her charges’ artwork, and to keep The Harbour from being closed.

 

Police Constable Alex Burrows, son of Colonel Burrows, comes to her rescue when she crashes her car. Alex turns out to be considerate and caring with a witty, wicked, sense of humour, which makes Celia laugh, though when she learns of the circumstances surrounding his the loss of his wife, she wants to cry. She ignores his reputation as a womaniser. His trying to influence his father’s Will though, she can’t. Alex, who little by little has stolen her heart, appears to be just as much a liar as Martin.

 

Despite all efforts, The Harbour is doomed to closure. Celia decides to take Rosemary home and forestall Martin’s plan to sell Charlton Hall. Celia is soon joined by the rest of her elderly independents, who rally together to stop Martin evicting them. Colonel Burrows is ready to thrash the enemy to death with his walking stick when his son arrives in his uniform. Alex explains that Colonel Burrows is the buyer of Charlton Hall and finally does what he’s been trying to do for ages: ask Celia to marry him.

 

A LITTLE BIT OF MADNESS - releases 14th February 2013
 

 

LINKS:

Sheryl’s Website

Safkhet Publishing

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Author Facebook 

Romantic Novelists’ Association

Twitter: @sherylbrowne

 

Sheryl is a loveahappyending featured Author and Editor.

 

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Author in the Spotlight - A.L Jackson

 Today I am delighted to have A.L Jackson as my featured Author In The Spotlight! Lets find out a little bit more about her.
 

 

A.L. Jackson is the bestselling author of Pulled, Take This Regret, and When We Collide.

 

She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student.  She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.

 

Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. She now spends her days writing in Southern Arizonawhere she lives with her husband and three beautiful children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves.

 

 

A.L Jackson's new book LOST TO YOU is released today! I love the cover to this book and look forward to reading it. Congratulations to A.L Jackson on the release of her new book and Brook Cottage Books wishes her every success with it. To celebrate the release, readers of the blog have the chance to win an e-copy of the book! All you have to do is leave a comment below and I will put your name into my magic hat (aka Random.org generator) and will email the winner! Good luck!

 Competition closes 1/2/13 at 6pm (GMT)

www.facebook.com/aljacksonbooks

www.twitter.com/aljacksonbooks

www.aljacksonbooks.blogspot.com

www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/aljackson

 

 

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