Racing the Dream

 

GENRE: Action and Adventure

 

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BLURB:

 

“If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.” ~Mario Andretti

 

Strap down the 5-point harness in the cockpit of a Formula 1 air racing plane and join Hawk as he chases victory! First on their amateur make-shift course over Antelope Acres, then on the re-emerging pylon racing circuit in the early 1960s. And finally, as Hawk battles 7 other top-level pilots at the very first National Air Racing Championship event in Reno!

 

Abandoning the cloth and his African mission, Father Bob returns to his slide rule to design Hawk’s racer. Sparks, his loyal yet surly mechanic, built it and wrenching both on the engine—as well as on Hawk—keeps them at the front of the pack. Home again in Los Angeles from behind the stick of a T-6 Texan as a mercenary in the Congo civil war, air racing is a new aviation adventure for Hawk. Ride along as he tangles with fellow pilots in “uncooperative formation flying” at two-hundred miles per hour a mere fifty feet off the ground!

 

And then one day cruising home to Van Nuys airport, Hawk spies Allison, a beach-blonde surfer girl, insanely wing walking on the top wing of a Stearman PT-17 bi-plane. He quickly sets his sights on her.

 

Fly low…Fly fast…and Turn Left…

 

 

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 EXCERPT

 

Chapter 1 — Antelope Acres

 

 

I chased Scotty down the long straightaway. Three hundred feet back. A hundred feet off the ground. One hundred seventy knots.

 

Quick looks at the panel: Thirty-six hundred RPM. Look: engine oil pressure—green. Look: oil temperature—green.

 

All good.

 

Banking hard into the “pylon” at W Avenue G and Myrick Canyon Road over the desert, a shadow on the ground to my left crawled toward my British Racing Green colored wing. He had to be outside. You can’t look to the right. It’s just not safe. But the sun was behind us…

 

I lofted a bit in the eighty-degree turn—climbed twenty feet or so—then quickly dove back down to close another hundred and fifty feet on Scotty, picking up a bit of his wake turbulence.

 

Rolling out and down the front straightaway, I found smooth air twenty-five feet above his hot red Jensen Cassutt.

 

We used the crossroads, a pile of rocks, a little hump in the desert sand, and a windmill water pump to set up our three-mile oval course. I knew Scotty from Van Nuys, but the other three guys were new, from other SoCal airports. We were all on “Company Frequency,” one-two-three point four-five. We joined up in a loose formation for a pace lap, then got down to business with a flying start.

 

Like Henry Ford said, racing began five minutes after the second airplane was built. And that’s where Father Bob came in. There were a ton of modified Cassutts out there. Anybody could buy the design for $20. But Father Bob used his engineering skills to develop and, with Sparks’ help, build White Hawk Redux, an 85 horsepower, Continental C-85 Goodyear racer that we were pushing over two hundred miles an hour.

 

It was all unofficial because, after fifty years of glorious history, airplane racing fell off the face of the earth for a while in the Sixties. There were no sanctioned races around anymore, so we made up our own course, kicking up dust devils and rooster tails over the desolation of Antelope Acres. Our version of California street drags.

 

Of course, I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I was learning fast.

 

Around the windmill and up to the forty-foot hump in the sand. I chased Scotty down foot by foot. I knew I could take him.

 

Only two laps left. It was now or never.

 

Banking hard into the crossroads, I juiced the power up near four thousand RPM and pulled back on the stick to take Scotty up and outside.

 

But dammit, I missed him—

 

In my peripheral vision, a Tweety-yellow racer on my right came toward me.

 

I flattened my wings and rolled off the power sweeping below him to keep from colliding. But I caught the tornado of his wingtip vortices and involuntarily flipped inverted. 

 

A Joshua tree bloomed overhead in my canopy as I arced upside-down towards the ground at two-hundred-fifty feet. Gravity pulled my shoulders down against the straps of my five-point harness.

 

Without thinking, back pressure on the stick moved quickly forward to illogically raise the nose with a nudge of left rudder to roll level and maxing out the power…

A Word With the Author

Did you always want to be an author?

 

Huh?  What?  A musty, dusty, old author? No way.  When I was a kid, I wanted to be a race car driver like Dale Earnhardt.  Or an NFL quarterback like Joe Montana. Or a rock musician like Eric Clapton.  Definitely not an author.

 

But then I finally grew up and in high school read Slaughterhouse-Five and Catch-22, which piqued my interest. I still wanted to do the rock ‘n roll thing, but I started to think about writing lyrics. So when I got to Ohio Wesleyan, I studied creative writing—mostly verse—under Robert Flanagan and won a couple of writing awards. 

 

After graduation, having escaped to live Colorado, Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller called back to me and I finally succumbed and started scribbling out my own novels.

 

 

Tell us about the publication of your first book.

 

Back in the good old days, I had some luck with publishing magazine articles in aviation magazines.  That was okay, but I collected enough publisher rejection slips for my novels to make a paper machete dragon for a Chinese parade. But then…ah, the wonder of eBooks emerged and I was able to publish myself in pixels with My Brother’s Keeper.  After that I discovered print on demand through IngramSpark and, finally, I was able to get in front of readers. No turning back after that.

 

 

Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?

 

If we’re talking about aviation novels, I have to admit that my all-time favorite book is Catch-22by Joseph Heller. It’s got everything I love in a book:  an insane collection of colorful characters, absurdly dark humor, and airplanes.

 

 

 

What's the best part of being an author? The worst?

 

Well, since I write fiction, I am free to write what I want, when I want, where I want, with whatever characters I feel like creating.  I can skate as close to the edge of reality and sanity—and maybe over a bit—like with my satire In the Black. I can make up completely new worlds like my futuristic Murder by Munchausen Sci-Fi Thriller series. Kind of nice.

 

It’s the nature of the beast, but the worst part of writing novels is the time it takes to finish a book. Waiting for the next release is always the worst part—though I am having fun scribbling away.

 

 

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

M.T. Bass is a scribbler of fiction who holds fast to the notion that while victors may get to write history, novelists get to write/right reality. He lives, writes, flies and makes music in Mudcat Falls, USA.

Born in Athens, Ohio, M.T. Bass grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University, majoring in English and Philosophy, then worked in the private sector (where they expect “results”) mainly in the Aerospace & Defense manufacturing market. He is the author of twelve novels, two novellas, and a book of verse. His writing spans various genres, including Mystery, Adventure, Romance, Black Comedy and TechnoThrillers. A Commercial Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor, airplanes and pilots are featured in many of his stories. Bass currently lives on the shores of Lake Erie near Lorain, Ohio.

 

M.T. Bass Author Links

Website:  https://www.mtbass.net

Blog:  https://www.owl-works.com

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Owlworks

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/author/mtbass

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5270962.M_T_Bass

 

 

Racing the Dream Purchase Links

Author Web Site Info Page: https://mtbassauthor.wordpress.com/racing-the-dream-white-hawk-aviation-stories-3/

Amazon (Kindle Unlimited):  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CCSVMSQV 

 

Stories by M.T. Bass

 

White Hawk Aviation Adventure Stories

My Brother's Keeper

Jungleland

Racing the Dream

 

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Murder by Munchausen Sci-Fi Thriller Series

Murder by Munchausen

The Darknet

The Invisible Mind

Motherless Children

Murder by Munchausen Trilogy: Books 1-3

 

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Article 15

Somethin' for Nothin'

In the Black

Crossroads

Lodging

Untethered

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

M.T. Bass will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Men OF The 65th

 

Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War

by Talia Aikens-Nunez

 

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GENRE:   YA nonfiction

 

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BLURB:

 

Honor and Fidelity. That is the motto of the 65th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Borinqueneers, the only Puerto Rican unit in the United States Army.

Since the regiment’s creation in 1899, the men of the 65th have proudly served the US through multiple wars, despite facing racial discrimination. Their courage, loyalty, and patriotism earned them hundreds of accolades, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.

But the honor and fidelity of the men of the 65th came into question in 1952, in the midst of the Korean War, when ninety-one Borinqueneers were arrested and tried for desertion and disobeying orders. How could this happen in one of the most distinguished and decorated units of the Army?

In this telling of one of the forgotten stories of the Korean War, author Talia Aikens-Nuñez guides us through the history of the Borinqueneers and the challenges they faced leading up to what was the largest court martial in the entire war. Rediscover the bravery of the men of the 65th through Aikens-Nuñez’s thorough writing and the soldiers’ firsthand accounts of the Korean War.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

[T]he US public was shocked to discover that during the war, 162 soldiers of the 65th Infantry Regiment had been court-martialed and ninety-one of those soldiers found guilty of disobeying orders and desertion. 

 

 

The US military kept the courts-martial quiet. But the soldiers of the 65th sent letters to their families describing what was happening, which led to public outcry and confusion from the press. How could one of the most distinguished regiments of the Korean War, whose soldiers had only months before been praised by General Douglas MacArthur for their “brilliant record of heroism,” become involved in the largest mass court-martial of the Korean War? 

 

Did the Borinqueneers lose their bravery and heroism in such a short time? Or were they victims of discrimination in a prejudiced and segregated system? Were they betrayed by the country they risked their lives for? 

 

This is the story of one of the bravest and most decorated regiments in the history of the US military. It is a forgotten story in a forgotten war. But it is a story of patriotism, loyalty, and bravery in the face of danger and discrimination, and it is one that deserves to be told. -page 10

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Talia Aikens-Nuñez writes chapter books, picture books, and nonfiction for children. Her daughter inspired her to write her OMG Series of books about an accidental little witch. She and her husband live on a river in Connecticut with their daughter and son.

 

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Men-65th-Borinqueneers-Korean-War-ebook/dp/B0BNT3ZRZQ/

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Talia Aikens-Nunez will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Snowhedge

Blurb:

After arsonist Tag Noland torches her collie kennel, Susanna Kentwood’s life begins to unravel. Her partner, Amy, betrays their friendship and accuses her of starting the fire, which throws a cloud over her reputation among her dog show friends. Her boyfriend stops calling her. The arsonist, Tag Nolan, vows to get even with Susanna whose identification helped send him to prison. 

Longing to start over again in a new place, Susanna accepts an offer from a distant relative to watch over an old three-story country manor in Maple Creek, Michigan, known as Snowhedge until it sells. Once she moves to Snowhedge, however, Susanna slowly becomes aware that something is wrong in the house. Her suspicions are confirmed when the parlor, unnaturally cold and empty, transforms itself into a room decorated for a Christmas celebration, complete with a ghostly spirit woman dressed in festive red.

Susanna learns that Snowhedge was the scene of a decades-old tragedy and that its previous owner, Lila Rose, who died in the house and might be a suicide, left a record of her supernatural experiences within its walls.

By this time, Susanna has seen two more spirits. One is a woman in red and Susanna digs into the house’s history to find out who she might be until, eventually, Susanna’s curiosity wins out over her fear. 

Soon she eagerly waits for the room to transform itself, giving her a chance to learn the details of the long-ago tragedy. Unfortunately her absorption in another woman’s past leaves her vulnerable to the sinister machinations of Tag Nolan who is closer than she imagines.

My review:

I picked this book to read because one of my favorite authors wrote it. I discovered Dorothy Bodoin’s writing shortly after she died. We shared a publisher, but I’d never read her work. Most of her books are in the Foxglove Corners mystery series, but this one isn’t, I enjoyed the book anyway. 

The atmosphere created by the author was eerie. I don’t enjoy scary books, but this one wasn’t terribly scary. As I said it was just eerie. When the heroine Susanna was inside Stonehedge I felt uneasy as if something was going to jump out at any minute. The house was three stories, and Susanna and her dog were the only living beings in the house. It was okay when they were in the kitchen, and even the second floor, but the third floor was scary. Susanna was drawn into the mystery of Stonehedge, and she forced herself to go into the attic. After she opened up the attic she saw the ghost who couldn’t see her. Along the way Susanna’s friend was murdered, and she fell in love with a handsome local man.

The book ended with a raging inferno, and you’ll never guess who saved Susanna and her dog.The handsome guy she’d fallen for, maybe? Or could it be an arsonist who regretted his actions? I did find the ending very satisfactory as Susanna finally left her past behind her and felt free to start a new life.

 

Cruel Lessons

 

Cruel Lessons

by Randy Overbeck

 

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GENRE:   Amateur sleuth mystery

 

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BLURB:

 

On a school camping trip, fifth graders experiment with a dangerous new hallucinogen and die in a horrific accident, their deaths shattering the quiet town. Assistant Superintendent Ken Parks, hoping to redeem a fatal mistake from his past, grasps the opportunity to conduct the district investigation of how students are getting the drugs. Almost before he begins, the cops make a stunning arrest. But Parks battles on, convinced the real pusher is still out there, poisoning more kids until he receives an anonymous threat: if he continues, those close to him will pay. Is Parks willing to risk those he loves for a chance at redemption?

 

 

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EXCERPT

 

Struggling desperately to force her mind to think, Amanda tried to consider her options. It was all happening too quickly. The next treacherous turn came at her fast. She had no way to slow down. White knuckles gripped the steering wheel.

 

The bend ahead showed a hard curve to the right, not quite as tight as the last one, but steeper. And she felt the car accelerating, though she hadn’t touched the gas pedal. Right before the car hit the curve, Amanda spun the steering wheel. The car lurched around the bend. The driver side of the car lifted up. Halfway through the long bend, Amanda watched the hood tilt in the turn until it was almost vertical. No seat belt on, she was catapulted down the leather seat, crashing into the passenger door.  

 

“Hell!” she cried, reaching to grab her bruised shoulder. 

 

She froze as the two wheels still on the ground shuddered in the gravel, sliding off the small road. Slammed against the side door, she heard the tall weeds and low branches whip against the body. But the car didn’t slow. Blood streamed from a gash on her forehead. For an instant she lay there stretched across the passenger door, holding her breath.

 

Then she sensed the car teetering. The front tire bumped something hard. Amanda stared, unbelieving, as the car began to flip. As the Regal made the first revolution, she screamed.

A Word With the Author

Cruel Lesson is an atmospheric, amateur sleuth mystery, the first in a new series set in schools called “Lessons in Peril.” The story involves a rogue, hallucinogenic drug being pushed in a middle school and, after it results in the death of four students, the rush to stop the drug pusher before more children die. The narrative takes place in a small Midwest town during October, 1994. All of these literary choices—the year at the height of the “Just Say No” Anti-Drug campaign and right in the middle of time for the D.A.R.E. program, the anonymous Midwest setting and the school as the battle ground—are deliberate and carefully chosen.

 

 This novel is a work of honor and recognition as well as a work of art. As a long-time educator, I saw the ravages of student drug abuse and addiction up close. Over more than three decades as a teacher and school leader, I witnessed kids’ lives shattered and ended from their abuse of drugs, both legal and illegal. I crafted this story—while completely fictional and about an imaginary drug—as an homage to those educators who battle this very real problem everyday in our schools. Though set in the recent past, the scourge of student drug abuse today is frighteningly similar to my tale, only with a new generation and new drugs. In addition to being a pulse-pounding thriller, I wanted the narrative to honor the children we’ve lost to drugs in the almost thirty years as well as those educators committed to doing everything they can to rescue kids at risk.

 

I don’t want to give the wrong impression. This novel is hardly didactic. According to early reviews, Cruel Lessons is “Brilliant from start to finish…Impressive storytelling left me with a racing heart and shivers. One of the best thrillers I’ve ever read.” ★★★★★+++—N.N. Light’s Bookheaven. ReaderViews called the novel “a thrilling murder mystery…with an immersive plot, steady pace and stellar character development…one of the best mysteries of 2023.” ★★★★★ Literary Titan wrote “Cruel Lessons is “masterfully written…Each new revelation adds to the suspense and keeps the reader on edge, eagerly anticipating what further secrets the story holds…a gripping crime thriller and amateur sleuth mystery.”

 

Wow! I am thrilled and humbled by these incredible reviews. Still, I hope the message about saving children will come through loud and clear. Check out Cruel Lessons yourself and let me know what you think.

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Dr. Randy Overbeck is a best-selling author of the award-winning series, The Haunted Shores Mysteries, the three entries earning such national awards as the Gold Award from Literary Titan, Mystery of the Year from ReaderViews, Best Book from Chanticleer and Crowned Heart of Excellence from InD’tale Magazine. He hosts a new podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual backstories of famous authors, directors and poets. He is also a speaker in much demand, sharing his multi-media presentations, “Thanks Still Go Bump in the Night”  and “A Few Favorite Haunts” with audiences all over the country. More info about his novels, programs and podcast can be found at his website www.authorrandyoverbeck.com .

randyoverbeck@authorrandyoverbeck.com

513-633-2838

 

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OverbeckRandy/media

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorrandyoverbeck/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/randy-overbeck

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Randy-Overbeck/e/B07QQHW7DM

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4825632.Randy_Overbeck

 

Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1924616/10983135

 

SERIES PURCHASE LINKS

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B5TGPX9

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Randy%20Overbeck

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Randy Overbeck will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Futility of Defense

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Bryan Cole will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Paladins are nothing but trouble. When Krell, an uneducated nobody with a stubborn streak as wide as the sea, hears the call from ReckNor, the capricious god of the seas and skies, the attention of the rich and powerful turn their gaze toward him. Paladins are notorious for upsetting the balance of power, to the detriment of any who don't worship their deity.

When Krell stands against the might of the sea devils and emerges victorious, concern and interest turn to fear—fear of their secrets and plans being revealed and exposed, of the ruin that often follows in a paladin's wake. Now he stands in defense of a pitiful town at the edge of nowhere, even as the sea devil menace grows more dire for each day that passes.

For as deadly as the sea devils are to Krell, his past choices and the consequences of his actions may be deadlier still . . .

Read an Excerpt

“Corporal Sabah, calm yourself. There is no honor in striking bound prisoners.” Commander Serkinth sighed, then looked at Mog. “You are Mog?”

Mog looked around in alarm, his eyes fastening on Krell. Krell smiled and nodded.

“I am, my lord,” he said, his voice quiet.

“Commander, Mog. I am no lord. Why did you interfere with these men?”

Mog’s face flushed. “On account of how they wanted to break into my home, my… er, commander. My wife was nursing a little one, and wasn’t no place for armed men to come barging in!”

Commander Serkinth went very still and turned his gaze slowly back to Sabah, who looked suddenly unsure. “By Hieron’s honor, why would you seek to enter this man’s home?”

“Well, commander, we were given orders to learn the lay of the place, and—”

“Enough, Sabah.” Serkinth shook his head and gestured. “Release them.”

“Commander? They interfered with soldiers of Baltorc who—”

“Who were attempting to break into a private dwelling?” shouted Serkinth, his face flushing as he stood. His chair toppled over with a crash, causing the soldiers to flinch. “Is your honor so meaningless that you deliberately shame followers of Hieron through disrespectful, dishonorable conduct in front of followers of ReckNor? In front of their paladin?”

As one, the soldiers all turned and looked at Darvin, their faces paling.

Darvin smiled, his eyes filled with amusement, and gestured toward Krell. Krell struggled to contain the laughter he felt, seeing their horrified expressions.

Krell stepped toward Serkinth. “What happens now?”

About the Author:

Bryan is an avid reader, and has loved the fantasy genre since he was a child. His love of stories of mighty knights, terrible dragons, and noble steeds has inspired him for decades.

Website: https://www.fatpaladin.ca/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22517522.Bryan_Cole
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FatPaladin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fatpaladinbooks

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Futility-Defense-Paladins-Journey-Bryan-ebook/dp/B0C9XBWJ8H/ref

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Flirting With the Scrooge

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Title: Flirting with the Scrooge

Series: Harbor Highlands Series

Author: Gia Stevens

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Tropes: Holiday Romance, Grumpy x Sunshine, Return to Hometown, Rock Star

Release Date: November 20, 2023

Cover Design: HEA Studios

‘Twas a month before Christmas, and all through the town,

Everyone was ready to celebrate, except my hot and grumpy new neighbor.

Christmas is my favorite time of year with the festive parties and holiday cheer. But having Connor Tyler move in next door is as much fun as searching for a burned-out bulb in a string of lights.

His rugged good looks and guitar can make anyone swoon. That doesn’t change the fact that he slammed the door in my face when I welcomed him with a tray of homemade cookies.

But I won’t let his bah-humbug attitude damper my holiday spirit. This year, more than ever, I need to deck the halls and revel in being jolly. As I ramp up my holiday cheer, Connor spends more and more time casting lingering glances toward my… mistletoe. When a blizzard hits, a gesture of hospitality leads to exchanging more than presents.

As Christmas draws nearer, I chip away at his icy facade only to discover a painful truth. There’s an expiration date on his time next door.

And I’m certain I don’t have enough boxes of tinsel to convince him to stay.

Gia Stevens resides in the up north of Minnesota. She lives for the warm, sunny days of summer and dreads the bitter cold of winter. A romantic comedy junkie at heart, she knew she wanted her own stories to encompass those same feelings.

When she’s not busy writing your next book boyfriend, Gia can be found playing in her vegetable garden, watching reruns of The OC and Gossip Girl, or curled up with a good book.

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