Bad Dogs and Drag Queens by Julie Lynn Hayes (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT ADULT title

Bad Dogs and Drag Queens

ADULT title

by 

Julie Lynn Hayes

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GENRE:   Gay Romance

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BLURB:

Vinnie Delarosa and Ethan Thorne are partners—on and off the clock. Federal undercover detectives, they’re part of a covert task force designed to promote goodwill between the feds and local authorities. They lend an unobtrusive helping hand wherever it’s needed. No credit required.

Vinnie and Ethan work primarily in the Southeast region of the United States and live together in Richmond, Virginia. A mugger problem brings them to Roanoke, where Vinnie is thrown out as bait to catch the man who’s been snatching purses in a city park, but they end up with more than they bargained for. Why is Vinnie always the one who has to wear the dress? Ethan says it’s because Vinnie looks much prettier in a skirt. How can he argue with that?

Expecting to return to Richmond afterward, Vinnie and Ethan find themselves assigned a new case instead. They are to go undercover at The Stroll, one of the biggest gay nightclubs in Roanoke. Someone is terrorizing both the customers and the performers. Could they be dealing with a hate crime? Someone has to protect the drag queens of Roanoke, so it’s Vinnie and Ethan to the rescue!

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EXCERPT

“Now what? Should we take him by the station, let them deal with him?” Ethan asked.

“It’s a police station, not a dog pound. Besides, he has a home. That wouldn’t be fair to lock him up like he did something wrong.”

“He did do something wrong,” Ethan pointed out. “He stole your purse.”

I knelt, albeit painfully, beside the two of them, bits of loose pavement digging into my knees, and began to stroke the Peke’s soft, damp fur. He wagged his tail and looked up at me with hopeful eyes. “Looks like we don’t have much choice if we can’t reach his owner.”

“Vinnie, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Well, it’s not my first choice either, Ethan, but I don’t know what else to do. We can fix him up some space in one of the drawers. He’s little. He’ll probably like that. In the morning, we’ll get hold of his owner and then we can take him home on our way in to the station.”

“Yeah, okay.” Ethan gave in, as I knew he would. “You can carry him, since I’m driving.”

“Who says you’re driving?” I argued, even as I scooped up the unresisting pup. I tucked him into the crook of one arm, well away from the purse I’d slung over my other shoulder.

“Because I’m the husband and you’re the wife, and that’s how it works.” He winked at me.

Some days I just want to belt him.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Julie Lynn Hayes was born and raised in St Louis, Missouri, and still calls that city home. She first began to write over fifty years ago, and doesn’t see that stopping anytime soon. She likes to write in different genres, to stretch herself in order to see what is possible. When someone tells her something can’t be done, she feels compelled to do it. Much of her writing is in the m/m romance category.

When she isn’t writing, or working at her day job with a third party elevator inspection company, she enjoys crafts, such as cross stitch and crochet, and watching her favorite programs. Her favorite chef is Geoffrey Zakarian, and her favorite historical character is Aaron Burr—she is obsessed with all things Hamilton!  Never say never is her motto!

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The tour dates can be found here 


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My review:

3.5 out of 5 stars

Bad Dogs and Drag Queens by Julie Lynn Hayes is the first story in the ‘Rose and Thorne’ series and features federal agents Vinnie Delarosa and Ethan Thorne, whose special talents (and fancy wardrobes) are used to solve cases for local law enforcement officials.

This contemporary gay mystery romance is a lighthearted look at the lengths some folks will go to nab their villains. Vinnie and Ethan are partners in life and on the job and have no problem dressing up to fit the role. The little dog and his actions almost steal the show, and he adds great “aww” moments. Although I love the connection the men have, at times I felt they were almost too sweet and mild, and I was surprised at the brief interludes of insecurity that almost blow their covers given the length of time they’ve been together. The interactions with the drag queens and their inventive names were fun elements but the motive behind the perpetrator seemed a little weak. I suspect that some of the dangling threads are going to be addressed in subsequent stories since this is the first in the series. Those in search of a low-angst fun read should give this tale a try.

A copy was provided for review

 

Him Improvement by Tanya Chris (Spotlight, excerpt, review and GIVEAWAY) GBP ADULT title

Him Improvement

ADULT title

by

Tanya Chris

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza

Release Date: September 3, 2019

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, millionaire, age gap

Themes: gentrification, compromise

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 60 000 words/ 161 pages

Blurb

The course of true love runs through every neighborhood….

Only one thing stands between Gregory MacPherson II and his dream revitalization project for the gritty neighborhood of Ball’s End: a rinky-dink, run-down used bookstore called Hailey’s Comic. But when master negotiator Mac shows up to make a deal with the owner, he comes face-to-face with quirky, colorful Hailey—unexpectedly good-humored about Mac’s attempted eviction and, also unexpectedly, a hot guy.

Hailey won’t give up his lease, no matter how much money Mac offers. When it comes to consummating their mutual attraction, though, he’s a lot more flexible. Soon Mac has as hard a time prying himself out of Hailey’s bed as he does prying Hailey out of the building. But Hailey doubts Mac’s plans serve Ball’s End’s best interests, and he insists Mac give him a chance to prove his case. If they’re going to build a happy ever after, one of them will have to be remade….


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Excerpt

Chapter One

GREGORY MacPherson II didn’t have the time or the patience to make a personal trip to a bookstore, but here he was. Alone.

No patrons roamed the narrow aisles formed by overstuffed bookshelves. No clerk waited at the vintage cash register sitting on top of a linoleum-covered counter barely capable of holding its weight. No one rushed to greet him from behind the tawdry multicolored curtain hanging at the back of the store.

From where he stood only a few feet inside the doorway, leery of allowing anything in the dusty hodgepodge to brush against his suit, he could see straight down the center aisle all the way to the back of the store. It was a thirty- foot-by-sixty-foot shoebox, longer than it was wide, one of four retail spaces on the ground floor of the six-story brick building and the only one still open. Which was why Gregory MacPherson II, commonly referred to as Mac, had personally dragged himself down here.

How the place could stay in business without any workers, never mind customers, was a mystery he didn’t intend to solve. He was there to shut the place down, not rescue it, though in the few short minutes he’d been exposed to Hailey’s Comic, he could already list a half-dozen ways to improve its profitability.

That sign out front, for instance. It was a purple whirlwind of planets, well done if you were going for an acid-trip vibe, but the name implied there’d be comics, and the sign implied there’d be comets. Or drugs. And from what he could see, there were neither. If an establishment wanted to bring in customers, it needed to make clear the services it provided and establish confidence that it would provide them well.

Then there was the matter of actually waiting on the customers you did bring in. A bell had tinkled as he’d entered, but apparently only for its own enjoyment.

“Hello?” He raised his voice to a level that couldn’t be ignored and had a brief moment to wonder if he really was completely alone before a head and a hand appeared around the edge of the curtain.

“Mercy, you scared me,” the head said. It belonged to a young man and had a mop of brown hair piled on top of it, a few shades lighter than Mac’s own reddish brown.“Sorry, I didn’t hear the bell. Give me a minute. I’m sort of in flagrante delicto.” The head disappeared.

“In flagrante delicto doesn’t mean naked, you know,” Mac told the air where the head had been. “It means you were caught doing something you shouldn’t have been. Something sexual.”

“Now, now. It’s never wrong to masturbate. There.” The head reappeared, this time attached to a body that gave Mac a startlingly clear vision of how it would look masturbating. The man was stringy, taller than Mac’s six- foot frame, but lean and underdeveloped—the body of a person who spent a lot of time reading. Or jerking off.

“What can I help you with?” He was in his mid-twenties, so perhaps ten years younger than Mac, dressed in jeans laddered with intentional rips, each the same two inches wide, running down his thighs like claw marks. His face was clean-shaven, fresh with his youth, and Mac wondered how his skin would react to having Mac’s tightly trimmed beard rubbed all over it.

“You’re free to browse around, even if I’m not out here.”

Mac added lax security to the mental list he was pointlessly compiling. “I need to speak to the owner.”

Hailey Green, owner of Hailey’s Comic, was the only thing standing in the way of his plans to revitalize this misbegotten section of Ballhaven, which plan started with this very brick building and would ultimately lead to Ball’s End—as everyone called it; he’d have to do something about the branding—becoming the newest hot spot for millennials to eat, drink, shop, and live. Urban revitalization was Mac’s business, and Hailey Green was Mac’s problem.

“Still me,” the man said, tilting his head to the side as if to take in Mac’s appearance more carefully.

Mac hadn’t changed clothes before driving down to Ball’s End, though he could’ve guessed the place would be dirty. He’d been reading a report on the effort to clear 502 Main Street of its tenants and had made an abrupt decision to come down and take care of ridding the building of its final holdout himself.

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About the Author

Tanya Chris writes feminist-friendly romance in a variety of sub-genres and pairings--most especially M/M. Born on the West Coast and raised on the East Coast, she's fact-based but thirsty for justice, and her books often include an examination of a current social issue, even when they're set in the past. As a lifelong genre-hopping reader herself, she admires character-driven work with a message, regardless of the form it takes. 

Tanya is an avid rock climber, a long-distance runner, and a participant in her local community theater where she has tackled most roles, including playwright, actor, director, producer, and stage manager. Her travels, both for climbing trips and for cultural exploration, have brought her to places as fascinating as Egypt and as beautiful as the Dolomites, though there's no place like home. 

Tanya is best known to readers for having written Aftercare and to writers for the quote "Writer culture is researching what degree is needed to be a paleontologist so your shapeshifting vampire dinosaur erotica will be authentic." Her website features dozens of free stories, including the aforementioned (and highly authentic) shapeshifting vampire dinosaur erotica. 

Author Links

Blog/Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter | BookBub

 

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Giveaway

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My review:


3.75 stars

Him Improvement by Tanya Chris is a contemporary adult gay romance that features a David and Goliath struggle between Gregory Mac Pherson II (Greg/Mac), urban revitalizer, and Hailey E. Green, bookstore owner. Their personal connection sizzles despite the impasse they are at professionally but eventually one of them is going to lose the battle, which may destroy any relationship they might have had.

This story is part of the ‘Dreamspun Desires’ series and provides a unique perspective on the upheaval that goes with urban renewal. I like the way individual stories are touched upon and I enjoyed Hailey’s quirkiness but I would have liked to get a little more depth to the characters. The heat between the two main characters is intense, but I felt like the story was almost too sweet. There is some conflict, understandably, since the two main characters had opposing goals, but the major one seemed to fizzle, especially given the unequal responses to it. Despite this, I like the secondary characters and enjoyed watching Mac discover the personal impact of his business decisions and recommend this to anyone in search of a gentle romance with a bit of spice mixed in.


A copy of this title was provided for review

Rebound by Andrew Grey (Spotlight, guest post, excerpt, and review) RBTLBP. ADULT title (revised)

Andrew Grey graciously has shared advice for aspiring authors:

 

AG:  I have talked to many people over the years about how to get published.  I get asked questions from people who are writing non-fiction, children’s books, you name it.  And I think the best piece of advice I can give is that if you’ve written a book, go out and find other books like it. Ones in the same genre.  Read them, figure out which ones are really good, learn from them, and then find out who publishes them.   Then you should figure out how to approach them.  

It's surprising the number of people who send children’s books to a romance publisher, or romances to educational presses.  In short, do your homework no matter what.  That’s one of the ways to make your journey to publication a little easier. 

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Rebound

by

Andrew Grey

ADULT title

Series: Standalone

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance/ Sports Romance

Publisher: DreamSpinner Press

Release Date: Feb 13 2019

Edition/Format: 1^st Edition/Format ~ eBook & Print

 

Blurb:

Professional basketball player Bri Early needs a physical therapist after an injury, and he’s heard that Obie is the best. Bri takes an immediate liking to the out-and-proud man with the magic touch, and even though Bri isn’t openly gay himself, he’d never let anything stand in the way of something he wants.

Obie can’t deny that the sexy athlete presses all his buttons, but he’s a professional and has no intention of getting involved with a client. While they’re working together, it’s hands off, no matter how great the temptation.

But being a pro athlete isn’t easy. Bri has enemies, and one of them is making his life hell. When his house is set ablaze, Bri can no longer pretend the threatening messages he’s receiving are jokes. He needs a safe place to stay, and Obie can’t turn his back. But the two of them in the same house is a recipe for combustion that could burn them both….

Excerpt:

Just as Obie suspected, they got there only to stand in a line a block long. Worse, it hadn’t moved more than ten feet in the last half hour. At this rate, they would get in next Thursday. In desperation and because he was tired of standing there, he messaged Monty and got a quick response.

“I’m inside. I’ll send Hunter out to get you.”

“The guys are with me,” Obie said.

“I’ll warn him.” The message was followed with a happy face. And sure enough, five minutes later, Hunter, accompanied by one of the bouncers, found them and they were escorted around the rest of the line and into the club, which pulsated with energy.

“Oh my God,” David said, holding on to Obie’s arm as though he might faint. “Would you look at him.” He pointed, and Obie let his gaze follow. “Do you think he’d let me climb him like a tree?”

“No!” Obie said firmly. “Just don’t you dare.” Then he turned at the sound of a familiar voice. There was his newest client, propped up on crutches.

“Hunter,” he heard Bri say as they approached. “This isn’t my thing. I’m happy to support the AIDS Research Council, but it’s getting late. I think I’m just going to head home.”

Obie was definitely surprised to see Bri here, but then, the evening was for a good cause. He liked that Bri cared enough to help out.

He was just about to go over and say something, but his friend beat him to it.

“Hi, I’m David.” He held out his hand to Bri. “You’re Bri Early, aren’t you? I’m sure I’ve seen you on television. You do those luscious commercials for Chanel. I went out and bought some, just because of you.” He leaned closer. “Want to check it out and see?” He pressed his upturned hand forward so Bri could supposedly smell his wrist.

“Knock it off,” Obie said. “Be nice. He doesn’t want to smell you.” He definitely needed to run a little interference.

“Yeah, none of us do,” Chippy added, much to David’s visible consternation. Chippy tugged David in the direction of the bar as Monty joined Hunter, wrapping an arm around him.

“Dang, half of gay Philly is here tonight.” Monty looked up at Hunter, his partner. “I think I need to mark you, just so all the trolling queens will keep their damn distance,” he said, louder than was necessary. The circle of guys inching their way closer seemed to back away a little, but not for long. It seemed they had their sights on Bri as well.

“I know. Thanks, Hunter, for coming to our rescue,” Obie said. “I thought we’d be in that line forever.”

“Speaking of rescues, do you think you could give me a little help?” Bri glanced around, his deep brown eyes a little dazed as the vultures seemed to close in.

“No problem.” Obie walked to his left side, taking Bri’s arm. “Let’s see if we can find a table.” Obie gave the onlookers his best “He’s with me, bitches” look and guided his new client over to a table with a Reserved sign on it. Hunter slid right in with Monty, and Obie made sure Bri got settled before he took a place next to him.

“What can I get you?” a buff server asked, a black T-shirt, at least two sizes too small, straining over his chest and biceps.

“Club soda with lime,” Bri ordered.

“I’ll have the same. I need to make sure I can get my friends home in one piece.” Obie thanked the server as he was leaving.

“They seem a little feral,” Bri said, and Obie chuckled. Damn, he couldn’t help it.

“They’re good guys, believe it or not. Even if they’re a little over the top sometimes.” He turned to see David and Chippy on their way over, each with their hands full.

Book links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

DreamSpinner Press

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Author info:

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing)  He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Amazon Author Page

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Facebook

Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey

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Twitter @andrewgreybooks

Website

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My review:

4 out of 5 stars

Rebound  by Andrew Grey features Bri Early, a successful basketball player driven to recover quickly from a knee injury, and therapist Obi Kenoble, who is torn between his responsibilities to his patient and his attraction to the man. An escalating danger forces both men to do a bit of soul searching and to decide what is most important in their lives.

This contemporary gay sports and romantic suspense story covers multiple tropes, including the conflict between a semi-closeted man and one who is very much out and proud, homophobia, ethical conflicts, and mysterious attacks. I enjoyed Bri’s prickly personality and chuckled at the name revelations even as I was impressed by Obi’s capabilities (and delicious connections). There are stories that give you chances to cheer the characters on or empathize with their trials and tribulations and this one did just that, particularly given the contrast between Bri’s and his dad’s situations. Although the mysterious attacks provided an element of suspense, some of the revelations felt a bit forced and the main characters seemed to have a bit of a role reversal at times but that did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the story. I love that both men had multiple facets to their personalities and would be interested in seeing more of them in future stories.

A copy of this title was provided for review

**** Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from RBTL Book Promotions and the Author/Publisher with the hope that I will leave my Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". *****

The Case of the Voracious Vintner by Tara Lain (Release Day Blitz) EDP ADULT title

The next installment to the 

The Middlemark Mysteries Series 

is now available!

The Case of the Voracious Vintner 

A Middlemark Mystery Series, Bk 2

by

 Tara Lain 

ADULT title

Blurb:

Where Bo Marchand comes from, gay men are just confirmed bachelors who never found the right girl. But now Bo’s a successful winemaker on the central coast of California, supporting his whole damned Georgia family, and all he really wants is the beautiful, slightly mysterious Jeremy Aames.


Jeremy’s vineyard is under threat from Ernest Ottersen, the voracious winemaker who seems to know all Jeremy’s blending secrets and manages to grab all his customers. Bo tries to help Jeremy and even provides a phony alibi for Jeremy when Ottersen turns up dead in Jeremy’s tasting room. But it’s clear Jeremy isn’t who he claims, and Bo must decide if it’s worth tossing over his established life for a man who doesn’t seem to trust anyone. When Jeremy gets kidnapped, some the conservative winemakers turn out to be kinky sex fiends, and the list of murderers keeps dwindling down to Jeremy. Bo has to choose between hopping on his white horse or climbing back in his peach-pie-lined closet.

Available for purchase at

Kindle | Amazon Paperback | Nook | Kobo | iTunes | Dreamspinner Press | BAM

Excerpt

“Shall we read the rest?”

Jeremy nodded, all that fair hair rippling, and Bo plunged into his next line just for the distraction. “Indeed, you come near me now, Hal, for we that take purses go by the moon and the seven stars, and not by Phoebus, he, that wand’ring knight so fair.” His heart tripped. Knight so fair. He groped for his wineglass, hit it awkwardly, and tipped it right over onto Jeremy’s arm. “Damn! I’m so sorry.”

Bo grabbed the glass and hurried around the bar for a rag of some kind. He found a roll of paper towels and dabbed madly at Jeremy’s soaked shirt, the wine creeping up the cotton fabric toward his shoulder. “That was so careless of me.”

“No problem, really. I always keep a shirt close at hand for just such accidents because they seem to happen several times a day. The red’s the worst.” He walked behind the counter near where Bo stood, opened a narrow closet, and pulled a white shirt off a hanger. Then, as Bo tried to keep his tongue in his mouth, Jeremy proceeded to strip off his wet garment and drop it in a hamper, also in the closet. He pulled another shirt up from it and laughed at the huge red stain on the front. “See what I mean?”

Dear blessed God. His comparing Jeremy to Brad Pitt washed back into Bo’s brain, this time the lean, hard body of Fight Club. How did a normal person get abs like that, below shoulders and arms like that? Whoa.

With no apparent hurry, Jeremy sidled to the bar sink, took some towels and wet them, and began to wipe the wine off his glistening golden skin. Bo would gladly have volunteered his tongue for the job. Jeremy held out a fresh wet towel to Bo. “Would you mind? The wine seems to have seeped up onto my back a bit.”

Catatonic. For a second he thought he’d embarrass himself by being unable to move, but he managed to pull it together and take the towel from Jeremy. Jeremy turned and presented a masterpiece of shoulders and triceps for Bo’s careful inspection. Bo’s dick pronounced Jeremy flawless. “You’re very fit.”

Jeremy glanced over his shoulder abruptly, and for an odd second, he looked—what? Worried? Guilty? Why?

“Uh, yes, I used to be into working out.” He turned his head, but his shoulders had tensed a little.

Taking a breath, Bo wiped the wet towel over Jeremy’s smooth skin on his shoulder and down the side of his back. His hand faltered more than once at the heat penetrating the wet paper and the overwhelming desire to drop the towel and just touch that vanilla crème texture. Thank God Jeremy was turned backward because Bo’s erection threatened to take over the tasting room like Godzilla in Tokyo.

Okay, he couldn’t resist, and probably Jeremy couldn’t tell. Bo let his fingers slip off the side of the paper and slide across Jeremy’s back. Not perfectly smooth as it looked. There were little variations in texture here and there, tiny moles or freckles, like a living, breathing human. Oh dear God, that was more disturbing than perfection. The need to lean in and rest his cheek against all that strength flamed through him.

Suddenly Jeremy made a funny, snuffly sound, as if he was stifling a moan and a sigh at the same time.

Bo froze. Fuckity frogs and fishes! Swiftly and efficiently, he wiped the last dregs of wine from Jeremy’s flesh, dropped the towel on the bar, and walked out toward the opposite wall, taking deep breaths so there was no chance of Jeremy spying his boner.

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A Middlemark Mystery

The Case of the Sexy Shakespearean

Bk 1 

Available for purchase at

Kindle | Amazon | iTunes | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Kobo |  Dreamspinner Press 

About the Author

Tara Lain believes in happy ever afters – and magic. Same thing. In fact, she says, she doesn’t believe, she knows. Tara shares this passion in her best-selling stories that star her unique, charismatic heroes — the beautiful boys of romance —  and adventurous heroines. Quarterbacks and cops, werewolves and witches, blue collar or billionaires, Tara’s characters, readers say, love deeply, resolve seemingly insurmountable differences, and ultimately live their lives authentically. After many years living in southern California, Tara, her soulmate honey and her soulmate dog decided they wanted less cars and more trees, prompting a move to Ashland, Oregon where Tara’s creating new stories and loving living in a small town with big culture. Likely a Gryffindor but possessed of Parseltongue, Tara loves animals of all kinds, diversity, open minds, coconut crunch ice cream from Zoeys, and her readers. She also loves to hear from you. 

You can find Tara at Lain

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