Cupid to the Rescue

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Title: Cupid to the Rescue: A Tail-Wagging Valentine's Day Anthology

Authors: Kathryn Shay, Judith Arnold, Linda Barrett, M.L. Buchman, Kay Lyons, Barbara McMahon, and Debra Salonen 

Genre: Valentine's Day Anthology

Release Date: January 5, 2021

Humans may think they have their acts together? So not! Sometimes they need to be rescued by big-hearted four-legged friends. Come join eight modern masters of romance as they celebrate Valentine’s Day with brand-new tales of tail-wagging joy.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫
Montana (Tana) Reeves is about to lose her apartment because her ex-boyfriend left her with the rescue dog, Cupid, he'd used to sweet-talk her into their relationship. Losing her apartment over a dog is bad enough, but veterinarian Jett Billings' gentle way and sexy smile melts her heart just as much as the Great Dane does, and Tana quickly realizes that as she was chasing Cupid, she fell in love with both of them.

𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐲𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐲, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫
When Maggie Marino comes to work at Stepping Stones Special Needs School, Noah Carson has no idea she and her glossy-coated Golden Retriever, Rosie, will change his life. But will the emotional-support dog be enough to bring Noah and Maggie together again after the tragedies of their pasts collide?

𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝, 𝐔𝐒𝐀 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫
When Hank Patterson hires dog walker Abbie Harding to take care of his mother's rambunctious mutt while his mother is out of town, he doesn't expect romance to be a part of their arrangement. After all, Abbie loves dogs and Hank doesn't—and as they soon learn, mixing business with pleasure can cause a whole lot of trouble.

𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭, 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫
On his way to Sea View House, Brandon Bigelow hadn’t counted on hitting a tree to avoid hitting a dog during a winter storm. He hadn’t counted on meeting a petite dynamo who insists he adopt the dog. Farewell to a peaceful life at the beach!

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐌. 𝐋. 𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐔𝐒𝐀 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫
Attacked by Russia while on US soil, a lovely Ukrainian minister must turn to a US Secret Service dog team for protection. While the massive Russian Bear dog charms his way into her heart, trusting his handsome handler is not going to happen.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐚𝐲 𝐋𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐬
Professional matchmaker Marsali Jones didn’t mean to share her secret crush on national television, especially when it’s her brother’s best friend and Hollywood A-lister Oliver Beck. But the damage is done and her career is on the line. Deny it and she loses all credibility, but to move forward means paying Oliver’s price....

𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐌𝐜𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐧, 𝐔𝐒𝐀 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫
Snowbound on Valentine’s Day. Two strangers. A twice-burned cowboy and a nurse with nightmares too horrific to share. A storm brought them together, but a fearless dog seems intent on teaching them that sometimes friendship can evolve into love.

𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐰𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧, 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫
Paige Jackson’s volunteer sabbatical in Prospect Creek goes from bad to redonkulous when TJ Huey delivers a pregnant and abused donkey to Paige’s care. But neither cowboy nor city gal is immune to the matchmaking skills of a rescue donkey named Miss Valentine.

Kathryn Shay

Lisa Mondello

Judith Arnold

Linda Barrett

M.L. Buchman

Kay Lyons

Barbara McMahon

Debra Salonen

HOSTED BY:

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Rebel

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Title: Rebel

Series: Montgomery Brothers Series

Author: Laura Pavlov

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 5, 2021

Cover Design: Sarah Hansen ~ Okay Creations

REBEL
I’m always down for a good time. I’m that guy. 
I love women. I love sex. And I love my life.
Go big or go home, right?
My father’s death is a constant reminder of why I like to keep it simple.
Life is short.
Emotional attachments make you weak.
Grieving sucks. And I have no interest in caring deeply for anyone outside of my family.
I’m not looking for complications.
Monroe Buckley is a complication.
She’s driven.
She’s focused.
And she’s my best friend’s little sister.
Not happening.
But once we’re forced to spend time together…I only want more.
Too bad she’s the one woman who is off-limits.


MONROE
I don’t trust most people, and I have my reasons.
I’m passionate about my work, and I came here to do a job.
Not date the boss.
Getting hired at the top media company in the city is the break of my life.
But it means working for Jack Montgomery.
My one-time crush.
My brother’s best friend.
And the current thorn in my side.
He’s exactly what I want to avoid.
Yet he’s everywhere I turn. Even when he’s not there—he’s in my head.
He’s a magnet for attention.
A heartbreak just waiting to happen.
And my heart is something I fiercely protect. At all costs.
They say the heart wants what the heart wants...
But my heart isn’t allowed to make that decision anymore.
There’s too much to lose.

 

I limped back to my office and found Monroe sitting in the chair behind my desk. I shut the door behind me and studied her.

“Nice to see you, darling,” she said through her laughter.

“What are you doing?” I rubbed my lower back before stumbling to a chair and dropping to sit.

“Ah, a little sore, are we? Mr. Badass Football Player.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m fine. Why are you behind my desk, and what’s with the evil smirk? What are you up to?”

She pushed to her feet and came around the desk. “I just thought I’d sit here with the door open, because I assume if we were actually dating, I would do that, right?”

“Good thinking, ole wise one.”

“This is why I get paid the mediocre bucks.” She used her pointer finger to tap her temple and smiled. “Don’t forget, it’s Tuesday. We’re going back to The Dark Temptress tonight. Operation Dirty Reynolds is on.”

I nodded. I had a private investigator following Simon, but I wouldn’t tell her that just yet. I knew she wanted to do this on her own, and I didn’t want to ruin all the fun. No one liked a buzzkill.

“Don’t forget, we have the fundraiser at his house this weekend. You’ll go as my date.”

“No duh. We’re dating. I have no choice.” She moved to her feet.

“As if you aren’t dying to go,” I said, trying to stand and wincing because my muscles were screaming like little bitches.

She patted me on the back, just enough to make me flinch. “Buck up, buttercup. You’ve got a couple more weeks with me if you’re lucky.”

She waltzed out the door, and I stood frozen in my office. Partly because I had physically taken an ass-kicking this morning—but also because she was right.

I was lucky.

And I was in no hurry for my luck to end.

 

 

Laura Pavlov writes sweet and sexy contemporary romance that will make you both laugh and cry. She is happily married to her college sweetheart, mom to two awesome almost-grown kids, and dog-whisperer to a couple crazy yorkies. Laura resides in Las Vegas where she is living her own happily ever after.

HOSTED BY:

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Beyond the Book: A New Dream

One of the first books I wrote was called A New Dream. It remains one of my favorites even today. Since I don’t have a specific topic this week I thought I’d share the prologue from the book with you. The prologue describes an accident that Matt has that totally changes the course of his life. Hope you enjoy it, and I also wish you a very Happy New Year. 

Blurb:

After an accident destroys his NFL career, Matt McCallum struggles to find a new dream for his life.  Then he meets Violet Emerson.  They find a common dream, but a loose end from Matt’s past returns to jeopardize their future.  Will love be enough to save their new dream before it turns into a nightmare?

Excerpt:

The red convertible cut a path through the moonlight, its headlights dancing along the arched limbs of the trees above the road.

“Oh, Matt, it’s such a beautiful night,” Stacey declared with a sigh. “I’m going to miss you when you leave tomorrow.”

Matt reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “I’ll miss you too, but if I don’t report on time, I’m in trouble with the coach.”

“That’s what I get for falling in love with a pro football player,” Stacey teased, her blonde hair turned to frosted silver by the light of the full moon above them.

Matt squeezed her hand that wore his engagement ring. “It’s too late to back out now. You’re mine.”

“Mmm, do I like the sound of that!”

The car rounded a curve, and without warning a deer bounded across the road.

“Look out!” Stacey screamed.

Matt braked sharply to avoid the animal. The tires slid on a patch of loose gravel in the road, and he lost control of the convertible. It fishtailed and started to spin in the road.

Matt hauled the steering wheel to correct the slide, but it was useless. The car turned around once more and skidded backwards for a short distance before it charged off the road. It jumped a steep ditch and went airborne. All Matt could see was a blur of trees and darkness as the car careened into the woods. It made a lazy turn in the air and came to rest bottom side up.

The last thing he remembered was the sound of Stacey’s screams.

First Light in Morning Star

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Founded by five enterprising Amish maidels, the new Morning Star Marketplace is a joyous success. What’s even more remarkable is the gift the business bestows upon each of these unmarried women—the unexpected blessing of love . . .

Leaving Flaud’s Furniture to teach at the community’s new school is a joy for Lydianne Christner. Old Order Amish, but new to Morning Star, she’s grateful that the congregation trusts her with the position—but she panics when handsome Bishop Jeremiah Shetler asks about the life she left behind. If anyone discovers the secret she’s hiding, she would, quite rightly, be shunned.

A widower, Bishop Jeremiah admires young Lydianne’s youthful energy and skill with the children. He’s also curious about her past, and the burden he senses on her heart. When his request to court her is refused, he’s stung, and lonelier than ever. It isn’t until a crisis prompts a tearful Lydianne to confess to him that Jeremiah is faced with a choice that requires all of his faith—and teaches them both that love and forgiveness go hand in hand.

Read an Excerpt

Hope fluttered like a butterfly in Lydianne Christner’s heart as she parked her rig in the pole barn just north of the new white schoolhouse. It was barely dawn and she was more than an hour early for her interview with the members of Morning Star’s school board, but she needed time to collect her thoughts and plan her answers to the questions she anticipated from the five men who would decide her future. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision when she’d blurted out her wish to apply for the teaching position at the members’ meeting after church a week ago—but in the days since, Lydianne’s soul had reconfirmed her impulsive outburst.

She really wanted this position. The trick would be replying to the school board’s questions without hinting at the very personal reason she wished to become Teacher Lydianne. Did she stand a chance?

Sighing nervously, Lydianne stepped onto the front stoop of the schoolhouse and opened the front door.

Her heart fluttered at the sight of fresh white walls, low-maintenance tan flooring, and rows of new metal desks and chairs—the front row filled with shorter desks for the youngest scholars. The white board that covered most of the wall behind her awaited whatever instructions she would write with a variety of colored markers, and the built-in bookcases at the back of the classroom would soon hold a small library as well as a collection of textbooks. Sturdy tables along the side walls would provide space for class projects. A stairway led to the lower level, where the scholars would hang their coats and store their lunch buckets when they came in each morning.

The prospect of beginning a new job—a new life—in this fresh setting filled Lydianne with an even greater excitement than she recalled from when she was a scholar, buying paper and supplies as she anticipated each new school year. Even at twenty-three, she loved learning new things and she eagerly looked forward to passing on her enthusiasm for reading, writing, and arithmetic to—

“Ah—gut morning, Lydianne,” a familiar male voice pulled her from her musings. “Somehow I’m not surprised that you arrived early.”

About the Author:

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 50 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

Website: http://www.charlottehubbard.com
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1

Order Ebook

Kindle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZPKX5SQ/
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Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/morning-star/id1507818638
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Apple Books Australia https://books.apple.com/au/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Apple Books New Zealand https://books.apple.com/nz/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/morning-star-charlotte-hubbard/1134434813?ean=9781420145151
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/morning-star-60
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Charlotte_Hubbard_Morning_Star?id=goq5DwAAQBAJ

Order Print

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Saturday Sample and Weekend Writing Warriors

 Welcome to Saturday Sample and Weekend Writing Warriors. Today we'll continue to share excerpts from Never Trust a Pretty Wolf. On Sunday when you finish here, do go to http://www.wewriwa.blogspot.com for more excerpts from a bunch of great authors.

Blurb:

Liesel Wolf has a secret, a dangerous secret she’ll go to any lengths to conceal. When she’s paired in a charity game with sexy marshal Andy Bryce, a man with secrets of his own, her carefully constructed world comes crashing down, and Liesel’s on a collision course with her past.

Buy link:  https://amzn.to/2KY04Rj

Excerpt: 

Chapter One

Last Week

Finally, she had to stop. The hot, boring stitch in her side couldn’t be ignored any longer.

“Shhh,” Andy cautioned. He pointed toward a small depression on the far side of a rotten, fallen tree. Cautiously, they inched their way toward it. “Do you hear anything?” he whispered.

Liesel shook her head as she wiped sweat from her forehead. She couldn’t hear much of anything over the pounding of her heart. “Maybe we got away from them,” she mouthed.

Andy drew a deep breath; “Do you know those men?”

This week: I've picked up where we left off last week.  

The Calling

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Branwen OShea will be awarding a prize pack of 1) One signed paperback,2) One Tote bag with the Finding Humanity Series logo (Savas' Compass)and 3) Two different bookmarks for The Calling, one signed by the author, to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Humanity’s wake-up call. Answer it or face extinction.

When Bleu’s little sister shows symptoms of the deadly Sickness, a strange vision directs him to leave humanity’s subterranean haven and seek the cure on Earth’s glacial surface. Joining the expedition team, Bleu expects extreme temperatures, not a surface ruled by ingenious predators.

Rana and her fellow star beings have co-existed with Earth’s top carnivores since the humans disappeared. But when her peers transform into Crowned Ones, the final stage of star being development, she fears remaining Uncrowned like her parents. To prove her worth, she undertakes a dangerous mission—contacting the hostile and nearly extinct humans.

But Rana’s plan backfires, and Bleu’s team retaliates. As war with the more advanced star being civilization looms, both Rana and Bleu separately seek a way to save their people.

Enjoy an Excerpt

She knelt, and with trembling hands, she grabbed the extra piece of soaked wood. If she put one log in the back of the cave and kept one in the entrance, then maybe she’d be safe between them until daybreak. Of course, that assumed whatever predator lurked outside lost interest in her by daybreak.

Two fires were her best chance. Her only chance. She quickly placed the second piece of wood, filled its opening with tinder, and grabbed her stones.

The growling grew closer. At this rate, she’d never get the log lit in time. Her mind raced through possibilities, but they all required skills she lacked and ended with her death.

Wait. Furred ones sense energy. In desperation, she expanded her energy to appear larger and hoped her fake size might give the predator pause.

In this enlarged-energy state, she struck the flint and fire stone together. They sparked, but the log remained unlit. Long claws scraped against the floor. She peered up from the flint. The pale light of the first log reflected off two eyes.

About the Author:

As a young girl, Branwen wanted to become an ambassador for aliens. Since the aliens never hired her, she now writes about them.

Branwen OShea has a Bachelors in Biology from Colgate University, a Bachelors in Psychology, and a Masters in Social Work. She lives in Connecticut with her family and a menagerie of pets, and enjoys hiking, meditating, and star-gazing. Her previously published works include contributing to a nonfiction yoga book, wellness magazines, and her published science fiction novella, Silence of the Song Trees.

Website: http://www.branwenoshea.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/branwenoshea
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/branwenoshea
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/branwenoshea

Order Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735915998

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A Curse of Mayhem

A Curse of Mayhem

by Sunayna Prasad

 

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GENRE: Middle grade fantasy

 

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BLURB:

 

History, like magic, has a habit of repeating itself

 

It’s been six months since thirteen-year-old Alyssa McCarthy left magic behind for good. Or so she thought…

 

Then the enchanted objects that protected her disappear. Now a skeleton named Errol has cursed her with magical powers that keep getting her in trouble. Suddenly strange things are happening with disastrous effects, and if Alyssa can’t remove the magic, she will lose everything she holds dear.

 

In order to get rid of her unwanted wizardry, Alyssa will have to boost her bravery and confidence and determine who Errol really is. But every time Alyssa uses an enchantment, Errol is one step closer to getting his flesh back and becoming alive, and he will do anything to achieve his goals…even if it means destroying Alyssa’s happiness.

 

Originally published in 2016 as “Wizardry Goes Wild” and “The Unruly Curse” in 2019, “A Curse of Mayhem” is book two in the exciting and suspenseful “Magical Missions” series.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

Lilac-colored smoke poured in through the slight opening under Alyssa’s bedroom window. Alyssa leaped back. She swore the window had been closed when she’d come in here a few minutes ago.

            

The gas clouded into her room, blocking her sight. It washed onto her, causing her to squint and lean back. She coughed, rubbed her eyes, and opened them. The smoke faded. Someone must’ve pulled a prank, and not just any kind—one that involved…wizardry. 

            

Alyssa’s breathing sped up. She shut the window and gazed at the huge yard and long driveway. No one was outside—not even Alex, her godfather and legal guardian. 

            

Perhaps the trespasser had escaped or had hidden somewhere—maybe behind the tree on the lawn or somewhere else on the property. 

            

Alyssa hurried out, brushing ash from her muted purple shirt. She entered the ground floor and opened the front door. “Hello?!”

            

There was no answer. 

            

“Whoever set that smoke off, it wasn’t funny!”

            

The silence continued.

            

Despite the freezing air this autumn evening, Alyssa stepped onto the front porch. A piece of paper appeared out of nowhere, making her jump. She picked it up, anyway.

 

Welcome back to magic.

 

Her chest tightened. She hadn’t encountered a single instance of wizardry in six months! Plus, she had two objects that were supposed to protect her from such encounters.

 

She dashed back up to her room and opened the closet door. Tape hung from a shoebox, and the items that she had left in there…were missing.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Sunayna Prasad enjoys writing fantasy books for children, as well as cooking, creating artwork, watching online videos, and blogging. She has also written The Frights of Fiji, formerly titled as From Frights to Flaws. She is passionate about modern life, fantasy, and world-building. Aside from her website, she also has a blog about different creative and entertaining topics, including fiction and writing, called “Sunayna Prasad’s Blog”.

 

Sunayna has graduated from college in May 2017. She lives in Long Island, NY.

 

https://www.sunaynaprasadbooks.com/

 

https://sunaynaprasadblogs.com/

 

https://twitter.com/SunaynaPrasad

 

https://www.amazon.com/Unruly-Alyssa-McCarthys-Magical-Missions-ebook/dp/B07SGLLF8W

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-curse-of-mayhem-sunayna-prasad/1136458117

 

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-curse-of-mayhem

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

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

 

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