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Monday, December 29, 2014

Feel by Karen-Anne Stewart Blog Tour and Giveaway


Feel

Karen-Anne Stewart



Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance

Suspense /Contemporary



Date of Publication: December 15th, 2014.



ISBN: 978-1502757746



Number of pages: 276

Word Count: 94,000



Book Description:



The one whose emotions I can’t feel is the one who makes me feel the most.



I was a sensitive, at least that’s what I was told by the boy who saved me from the overwhelming emotions that consumed my soul, the boy who saved me from myself when my gift became stronger. Through the years, he was my redemption, my reason to take my next breath…then, he was gone.



Jensen always told me I was strong, but I didn’t believe him until I was forced to be strong on my own, and I kept breathing without him. I’ve taken 42 million breaths since the moment he sent me away. Now, four years later, he’s standing in front of me, and I can barely breathe.



This isn’t just a story about the abilities I possess; it’s a story about something much stronger…the love of the man who possesses every part of me.



Disclaimer – Feel is intended for readers 18+ due to strong language, mature scenes, and some violence.






Available at Amazon



Excerpt;

Her dark eyes are clouded with doubt as she searches me, needing me to tell her what I see, needing me to be her strength right now after she’s been strong on her own for far too long, and just needing me. I want to rip the hearts out of everyone who has hurt her, but I tame the rage so I can give her everything she needs of me right now. “The second I met you I knew that you were special and I don’t mean just because of your gift. There’s this wild gentleness buried inside of you that is rare. You fight for what you believe, never backing down, even when you felt all the pain, ..."  You didn’t give a damn what you lost of yourself and did what you felt was right, what needed to be done. There aren’t many people like you left, Saige. You said I was your hero, well, I’m not the hero here. You are.

I’m sorry,” she blurts, rubbing her hands down her tear stained cheeks.

For what?” I ask, using my thumbs to help her dry her tears.

I don’t know,” she answers. “For punching your friend, for being stupid, for everything.”

That’s a helluva lot to be sorry for.” My lips curve into a smile and another tear slides down her cheek, leaving a hot, wet trail that I trace with my finger.

I’m also sorry for how I’ve treated you since we met again.”

You thought I sent you to a nut house. Don’t sweat it,” I tease, trying to cheer her up.

So that excuses my being a total ... to you?” Her eyes are red and puffy when she stops rubbing them and gives me a lopsided smile, looking so damn beautiful.

No, it explains why you’ve been a total ...,” I grin, giving her a wicked wink, “but I have a whole other slew of ideas of how you can make up to me for your bitchiness.”

She laughs, the sound soft yet strong, and ..., the sweet lull rumbles through her throat like an aphrodisiac. After what she said about Wes, I can’t be like him. She deserves to know she’s loved before she gives herself to me. After all she’s been through, I won’t risk the chance that she’ll get scared I’ll leave her like he did. There will be no doubt about how much I love her , I’ll make damn sure of that.




About the Author:



Karen-Anne Stewart is an author of New Adult Romance who doesn't shy away from writing about sensitive issues and hot heroes.



She has always adored reading and has now fallen in love with writing. Her written works are The Rain Trilogy: Saving Rain, Healing Rain, and After the Rain, and the newly released standalone novel, Ash to Steele. Her debut novel, Saving Rain: The First Novel in The Rain Trilogy, was a nominee for the Book Junkie’s Choice Awards, and Saving Rain and After the Rain were nominees for the 2014 RONE Awards.



When Karen-Anne isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, and visiting new places. She fuels her addiction of creating new stories by her only other addiction, caffeine, and listening to a myriad of musical genres. Tucked away near the Blue Ridge Mountains, Karen-Anne lives with her husband, daughter, three dogs, and their cat. She plans on writing new adult romance as long as her fingers maintain dexterity.









Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/SKarenAnne













Tour giveaway 1 free e-book copy of Feel (winner must be 18+) and a $15 Amazon gift card 5 ecopies of Feel (winner must be 18+)




  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Banewolf Dark Siren Series Book Two by Eden Ashley Book Tour




Dark Siren Series

Book Two

Eden Ashley


Genre: paranormal romance, young adult


ISBN: 9780989963237

ASIN: B00GTT3RDI


Number of pages: 395

Word Count: 90,000


Cover Artist: Nathalia Suellen


Book Description:


New enemies are made.



New allies must be forged.



Kali is beginning to regain her memories. In doing so, she discovers old secrets and betrayals that threaten to unravel her present and shake the foundation for Rhane’s belief in her innocence. While her maturing abilities present unique challenges, a bigger problem arises when Kali learns her ex-boyfriend has made a misguided deal with the enemy in order to win her back—a decision that may ultimately cost him his humanity.



Keeping Kali safe has become a full time job for Rhane. And struggling to gain control of the immortal Banewolf isn’t making that task any easier. The power to eliminate the growing threat against Kali lies at Rhane’s fingertips, but using it means risking his friends to the insatiable blood lust of a monster. So Rhane is forced to forge a shaky alliance with creatures he has sworn to destroy. Despite these new allies, the danger pressing on their borders intensifies, culminating in a heartbreaking and shocking finale.



The strength of the bond between young and ancient lovers will be tested…and if Kali and Rhane are to survive, they must find a way to be unbreakable.




Excerpt from Banewolf



I Want You to Remember…



After seeing the Cal who wasn’t Cal, Kali’s mind was far too harried to focus on class. Skipping the last block of the day, she went to the swimming pool and sat at the bottom for a long time. Her eyes were closed. Her body was motionless. The pressure of the water became a loving caress, helping to relax everything except her mind. Those anxious thoughts just wouldn’t let go. Even with all Rhane had revealed, the past remained hidden like it had never existed.

But you didn’t forget.

That was right. An entire lifetime…taken. And it wasn’t just her life with Rhane. Kali had lived well over a dozen lives in stolen human bodies. Yet she couldn’t remember a single one of them. Each of those little girls had been stripped from the arms of a family who loved them, only to be replaced by a soul-sucking, fire-setting siren. And for what reason? If Rhane knew, he wasn’t telling. Why won’t he talk to me? I’ve proven my trust.

Well, she amended the thought. I did push him away at first, but only for like fifteen minutes. Then Gabriel showed up and started ripping more of my life to pieces.

Kali took a breath and then another, but not with her lungs. Her skin absorbed oxygen from the water and exchanged it for carbon dioxide waste in her blood. The process didn’t come automatically. It took a lot of focus to make underwater breathing happen. In her two weeks on the lam, she’d discovered this new talent. And it had proven very useful, practically allowing her to live in the water. Holding her breath was certainly easier, but that came with time limits. After twenty minutes, she had to surface.

She was determined to master underwater breathing. Concentrating on the task left her brain severely limited in the number of other things it could worry about. And that was a plus.

Feeling the faintest tremble in the water, she opened her eyes. The lights were flickering. After a few cycles of an ebbing and surging glow, they went out completely. She tried not to panic in the darkness, expecting the underwater lighting to illuminate soon. But instead, there came a muted thud. All of the lights suddenly flooded the pool arena. And Kali screamed.

Bodies were everywhere. Hundreds of them littered the swimming pool floor. Parts of their skin were burned. Charred chunks broke apart from decaying flesh. Tentacles of black liquid snaked into the water. The body of a child rose up, a bloated mass set adrift in a nonexistent current. Kali stared into the film of the corpse’s dead eyes with absolute horror. Black hair floated around his head in a dark halo of death. Even with blanched, greying and puckered skin, Kali saw in the child a startling resemblance to Rhane. Bubbles spurted from her mouth as she screamed again.

She kicked hard, trying to get as far away from the corpse as fast as she could. When her back slammed into solid concrete, she turned to scramble up the pool wall. Fingers slipping on the wet ledge, she finally managed to pull herself out and flop onto her stomach. Trembling with a dozen more screams welled up inside, Kali shook with the effort of not releasing them.

Pushing to her feet, she looked down into the water, needing desperately to believe she was not going crazy. There were no dead people. There was no dead boy. The pool was empty.

#

Icy water pounded from the showerhead, streaming into her eyes as it washed the chlorine from her body. All Kali could see was the boy. His lifeless face floating before hers, dark and grey and distorted in death. It took both hands to smother her sobs. She couldn’t understand what was happening. Was it possible that the vision was a real memory like the nightmares of the horseman had been real memories?

The lights in the shower room flickered and went out just as they had in the pool auditorium. Her breath caught in her chest as she waited for what would happen next. She didn’t have to wait long.

Kalista,” a male voice sighed into the darkness.


Darkesong.”

This time the voice was closer. So close, she could feel the whisper against her skin. She knew it was the thing pretending to be Cal. Kali bit her lip. She was too frightened to scream. But screaming wouldn’t have helped anyway.

At first, his touch was light. Kali reacted, flinching away violently. Then “Cal” grabbed her. He was an irresistible force shoving her against the wet shower wall. His hard body pressed against hers. The heat from him completely dispelled the cold that fell around them.

Kali felt his face against her skin. His hot breath steamed next to her cheek.

Don’t,” she whispered.

Strong fingers slipped around her throat, but their hold was gentle. The lights partially returned, and she could see him. Physically, everything was the same…except for the eyes. Gone was the shocking blue of Cal’s stormy stare. In its place were two red orbs that reflected abnormally in the dim light. She would have recognized those eyes anywhere.

Gabriel.”

He nodded. His body still had her pinned. His right hand grasped her throat, while the other rested idly against the wall. She waited for him to say or do something, but he didn’t. Nothing happened. Open malice and rage emanated from Gabriel’s still form, but Kali wasn’t entirely sure those emotions were aimed at her.

She inhaled a shaky breath. The action squashed her breasts against his chest. “What did you do to Cal?”

Another unnerving smile slashed his face. “He’s still here.”

What do you want?”

Pressing his nose into the curve of her neck, Gabriel inhaled a dramatic whiff of her scent. Trembling, Kali tried to push away, wedging her body painfully into the wall. When Gabriel’s left hand moved, she went rigid. But the hand never touched her. It hovered next to her head, holding a tiny yellow stone.

I want to help you remember.”

The events that followed would remain a blur of varying shades of grey darkness for some time. When Kali came to, she was standing in the rain, completely drenched. Rhane stood in front of her, lips moving soundlessly as he shouted, the words swept away by an unforgiving wind. She had never seen his eyes so black or so deadly focused as he leveled a gun directly over her heart.





About the Author:



Cynic, realist, and hopeless romantic all rolled into one, Eden was born and raised in a small, sunny town in South Carolina, but thunderstorms have inspired her best ideas. There are few things she loves more than curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee on a rainy day, (except maybe chocolate cake. She loves cake.) often reading into the wee hours of morning when something really grabs her attention. She pretty much loves anything with supernatural elements, so writing paranormal romance and fantasy romance seems to be a natural fit.



















Tour giveaway



4 Kindle editions of Banewolf and 4 $10 Amazon gift cards





a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rory's Love Aurora , Psychic For the Stars Book One by Donna Butler Blog Tour and Giveaway


Rory's Love

Aurora, Psychic For the Stars

Book One

Donna Butler



Genre: Paranormal Romance



ISBN: 13-978-1503377257

ASIN: B00PUDMXMA



Number of pages: 197

Word Count: 60,547



Cover Artist: Donna Butler and Sander Cha

Book Description:



As a psychic medium to the stars, Aurora Alexander believes her life is about as full of glamor and excitement as it can get. Until she falls in love with a client, the multi-platinum selling performer and record producer, Curtis Love. Even though Curtis has a girlfriend, he and Rory share an attraction that proves to be irresistible. Once Curtis breaks up with his girlfriend and they give in to their passion, the story takes them from St. Tropez to Manhattan, Maui, Paris, Milan and elsewhere. Rory’s life becomes every woman's dream come true, filled with designer clothes, jewels, glam squads and a personal bodyguard. But in spite of all the glamor and globe-trotting, Rory can’t outrun the suspicion that Bella, one of her clients, is in grave danger.



Rory's devotion to her sometimes dangerous line of work begins to cause friction in her relationship with Curtis. Despite Curtis’s warnings, when the ghostly victims of a serial killer come to Rory for justice, she can't help but chase down their killer. But as she puts her life in jeopardy to expose a killer and rescue Bella, she also jeopardizes the greatest love she's ever known.



Available at Amazon



Excerpt:



When we got back to the hotel, he was still amped up and wanted to make love in the Jacuzzi in our suite. What should have been a romantic interlude turned into a lot of playful splashing, dunking and laughing. We’d wrestle for a little, then make love, start wrestling again and suddenly that would turn into more lovemaking. By the end of it, we were soaked and exhausted.

Later that afternoon, I spoke to Bella again and we settled on dinner at her boyfriend’s restaurant at seven. On the drive over, Curtis and I were cuddled in the backseat of the rental car like childhood sweethearts when suddenly I felt a familiar tightness in my chest. Breathing deeply didn’t help. Predictably, I started trembling and began to feel weak.

Are you shaking, baby?” Curtis asked. “Dave, throw me one of those bottles of water.” Unable to speak, I watched, as if from a great distance, as Dave passed a bottle of water to Curtis. Curtis grabbed my purse and pulled out several bottles. He selected one containing the fast acting, anti-anxiety pills. “Open your mouth, baby,” he told me. He slid a pill into my mouth, opened the bottle of water and held it to my lips until I drank. Then he held me and stroked my forehead until the pill took effect. “Any idea what caused it?”

I shrugged. “I feel like it has something to do with this dinner. Or Bella. I don’t know.” I sighed. “I just got a bunch of warning signals all at once.”

Do you want to call her and cancel?” Curtis asked.

No,” I said, pausing to cough. “I need to be there.”



When we walked in, Bella was waiting at the hostess station looking camera ready in a form fitting, black mini dress. Her bright red locks had been flat ironed to perfection, and her makeup was flawless. She grabbed a stack of menus and quickly ushered us through several elegant dining rooms and up a small flight of stairs. On the way, I noticed the brass railings that edged the upper level dining rooms. “You okay?” Curtis asked when I stumbled on the stairs.

I’m fine,” I said as we continued to a private dining room near the back of the restaurant. I knew that brass railing. I knew it from that awful dream.

Now that Curtis had gotten through the place unrecognized, there was time for greetings and introductions. “I’ve seen you work,” Curtis told Bella as he removed his sunglasses. “You’re very good.”

Thank you,” Bella said with an enchanting smile. “I’ve seen you in concert six or seven times. Australia, England, Germany, New York. You rock, man. You just get out there and spit fire. And the things you do with beats are sick. Hey, why don’t you guys have a seat and I’ll let the chef know you’re here.” She grinned and headed off to the kitchen.

When she returned with her boyfriend, I reached over and grabbed Curtis’s hand as we stood for the introductions. My heartbeat was so violent, I imagined it was visible through my dress.

Rory, Curtis, this is my boyfriend Cliff Wexler.”

I took in the dark hair on his head and on his knuckles when he reached out to shake my hand. I nearly drew back my hand when I saw the manicured fingernails. Cliff. Cliff? How could Bella have ignored that? “Pleased to meet you,” I said as a sea of blood roared through my ears. He was pleasant looking, in the way a conservative Republican politician can look pleasant. He had dark brown hair, a high forehead, close set brown eyes and thin, thin lips.

Yeah, pleased to meet you Cliff,” Curtis said as he instinctively took my arm and allowed me to sag against him. To me, his voice sounded like it was coming from the far end of a ten mile tunnel.

Cliff’s eyes widened as he stared at me with speculation.

Suddenly, two female spirits appeared on either side of Cliff.

Rory is such an awesome medium,” I heard Bella say, from what seemed like a thousand miles away. “Dead people contact her all the time with warnings for the living. She’s amazing.”

Every ounce of strength left my legs as I blacked out.













About the Author:



Donna lives in the Kansas City area with her husband and three cats. She wrote her first novel at fourteen and has had a love affair with writing ever since. In addition to writing, she loves gardening, laughing at reality television and playing with her three-year-old granddaughter.



















Tour giveaway



2 signed paperback copies of Rory’s Love



Open to US Shipping



a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Least Envied by Sean DeLauder Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway









The Least Envied

by Sean DeLauder



~~~~~~~~~~~~~



BLURB:



Cast back in time to a perilous wasteland, Andrew is tasked with recording the fate of an individual history has chosen to ignore. Threatened by knee-high creatures called Wogs, an enigmatic beast known as the Forest Monster, and the man orchestrating the slow annihilation of the world, Andrew discovers all hope for salvation and survival rests with a boy without a history.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~



 



Excerpt



Will I win?” asked Billy-Bob.



Gordimer grimaced and rubbed his nose. He checked the parchment, eyes glazing as if he were looking at it but not reading it.



You will find victory in defeat and death.” Gordimer rolled the parchment, cleared his throat, and added, “You will also need fourteen acorns.”



The pleasant flavor of heroism had gone suddenly sour. Victory in death? This bit of information didn't make much sense. He certainly couldn't win if he were dead. And victory could hardly be had through defeat.



What was that last part?” asked Billy-Bob.



You will need fourteen acorns,” Gordimer repeated.



Billy-Bob's head shook.



No no. The other part.”



He leaned forward to look at the parchment, but Gordimer clutched it to himself, then lit a corner with a small flame he produced from somewhere unseen. The parchment burst into a brilliant white fire and was gone. Mostly. Gordimer's eyes went wide and he fanned the air, swatting at bits of glowing cinder and fluttering his wings as they circled about him, hissing and biting back curses when flecks of fire reached his skin. When they were scattered he wiped his hands across grime-darkened pants.



Messy stuff,” he mumbled.



Maybe it was better he didn't understand the meaning of the parchment. Maybe Gordimer had misread it. In fact, the more he considered the bit about victory and death the less he wanted to know.



Why do I need fourteen acorns?” Billy-Bob asked.



Gordimer's lips quirked.



Because thirteen is bad luck.”



Oh.”
 


Guest Post;

3 Partners in Shopping is happy to share this post by author Sean DeLauder;

Don’t Write What You Know, Write What You Fear




Few things motivate a person to action more than fear. The fight or flight impulse engages and every machine in your being hums in readiness. Even when your body is paralyzed by fear, your brain spins like a turbine on its rotor, throwing thoughts and ideas bent on how to neutralize or escape what you fear like sparks from a grinder.



Your fear is something you can use.



Comfort and certainty are very nice things, but they don’t necessarily make very interesting stories. What makes for interesting reading, and interesting writing, is a willingness to confront what unsettles you.



This is not a blatant appeal for more horror writing. Not everything terrifying is a supernatural monster that wants to put your eyes on pipe cleaners and use you as a prop in a puppet show (though this is admittedly quite terrifying). Terrors can be monsters, certainly, but they can also be ideas.



Everyone can put their personal terrors to use. For George Orwell, terrifying was the idea of a totalitarian government (1984) or power in the hands of a few (Animal Farm). Michael Crichton made a career of writing about science gone wrong. These ideas were terrors that had to be overcome and resisted. When the hero successfully does so, you have an adventure. When the hero fails, you usually end up with literature or satire. Which one you end up with likely depends upon the degree of cynicism with which your story is imbued.



Fear is excellent story writing fuel.



Embrace what frightens you. The unknown, the monster under your bed. When you explore it, perhaps you discover what it is, its larger purpose, its mission to change the world. That’s science fiction. Or maybe it eats you. That’s horror. Or maybe it seduces you and transforms you into a werewolf. That’s paranormal romance.



In any case, when you write what you fear, you’ll learn more about it, how to overcome it, and in the end you will understand it. At that point, per the old trope, you will be writing what you know. And with that understanding, you’ll no longer have any reason to fear.








~~~~~~~~~~~~~



AUTHOR Bio and Links:



This author has held several positions in recent years, including Content Writer, Grant Writer, Obituary Clerk, and Staff Writer, and is under the false impression that these experiences have added to his character since they have not contributed much to his finances. He was awarded a BFA in Creative Writing and Journalism and a BA in Technical Communication by Bowling Green State University because they are giving and eager to make friends. He has a few scattered publications with The Circle magazine, Wild Violet, Toasted Cheese, and Lovable Losers Literary Revue, and resides in the drab, northeastern region of Ohio because it makes everything else seem fascinating, exotic, and beautiful.



https://www.facebook.com/seanquistador

https://twitter.com/SeanDeLauder

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Sunday, December 28, 2014

Epica Fireplace Tongs Review





Whether you're adding wood to your fireplace or rearranging the coals in your grill, Epica Fireplace Tongs make the task easier and safer.
Scissor Action for Secure Grip

The Epica's safety-minded design lets you maintain total control of every object you need to pick up or move. The scissor action adjusts to the precise size of the wood or coal, while the loop handles and curved gripper ends prevent slips and drops.
Foldable for Compact Storage

The Epica Fireplace Tongs fold down to just 17" long, so they're easy to stow when they're not in use or when you're packing for a camping trip. Unfolded, they measure 26" long to keep your hands at a safe distance from the fire.
Sturdy Metal Construction

Made of a metal alloy that's tough and long lasting, the Epica Fireplace Tongs are the perfect choice both indoors and out. The traditional black finish helps prevent wear and tear.


My review;

We have been using these for awhile now and they are great. I love how easy they are to use and how I did not have to get close to the fire when I put the log in the fireplace. My hands also stayed clean  and I did not get cut or get any splinters from the wood.  We even took it over my relatives house to use and I just folded it up and it did not take up any room at all. I would recommend this for anyone who needs something to help them carry an item like a log. I was given this by the manufacturer as well as Tomoson for the purpose of a review. All opinions are my own.

Softy All Purpose Santizing Wipes Hands and Surfaces Review



My review;

These are the best  sanitizing wipes that I have ever used . They can be used to clean hands, body, and other surfaces that are dirty or may have germs that you wish to wipe off.  They are the largest and softest sanitizer wipes on the market. I was happy to use them in so many different places that I carry them with me. I used them wherever we went with the kids as well as adults. I even used one to wipe of the handles of carts in stores that I used after someone else. They are alcohol free and that was a plus for me. I recommend these for everyday use. I was given a sample to try from the manufacturer and Tomoson. All opinions are my own.

Lexi's Pathetic Fictional Love Life by Jo Noelle Book Blast and Giveaway

  Lexi's Pathetic Fictional Love Life




Lexi's Pathetic Fictional Love Life Lexi Middleton has been socially invisible to her classmates, but starting her junior year, that’s going to change. First, she’s determined to hook a boyfriend, ensuring dates with flowers and possible kisses on the doorstep. Second, she wants to be a writer for the school paper, even though it freaks her out to think of everyone judging her by her punctuation and metaphors. High school is difficult enough—keeping up her grades, dealing with increasing sibling rivalry, and trying to stay out of the way of her personal nemesis, Amberlee—but when Lexi catches the eye of her long-time crush, she also becomes the focus of mean-girl tactics. Caught between who she was and who she wants to be, Lexi must decide how to confront a bully, and choose who to let into her heart.
Purchase from
add to goodreads   Lexis
  Jo Noelle

Author Jo Noelle Jo Noelle grew up in Colorado and Utah but also spent time in Idaho and California. She has two adult children and three small kids. She teaches teachers and students about reading and writing, grows freakishly large tomatoes, enjoys cooking especially for desserts, builds furniture, sews beautiful dresses, and likes to go hiking in the nearby mountains. Oh, and by the way, she’s two people— Canda Mortensen and Deanna Henderson, a mother/daughter writing team. They began writing separately several years ago but found the process much more fun when they started collaborating. They are debut authors, with Lexi’s Pathetic Fictional Love Life as their first completed work. Other titles include Newbie and Damnation. Deanna attended college before marrying and starting her family. Canda received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a Reading Specialist endorsement, and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. Her day job focuses on teaching teachers and children about literacy.
  50_Amazon_Paypal   Book Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 1/18/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway -- ~Inspired Kathy~

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