The Chasm

The Chasm

by Branwen OShea

 

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GENRE: YA Science Fiction/Fantasy

 

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BLURB:

 

 

They thought the biggest problem they faced was each other.

 

After Bleu, Rana, and their new friends narrowly prevent war between the star beings and humans, they hope the upcoming negotiation will secure the peace. Newly emerged from their subterranean haven, the Northern Haven humans are clearly not suited to Earth’s ice age, and require assistance from the enlightened star beings to survive long term on the Surface. But Commander Savas doesn’t trust the suspiciously kind star beings and their unexplainable abilities. When both sides reluctantly negotiate a joint mission to find the other Havens, Bleu must somehow cooperate with the manipulative commander to keep his friends safe.

 

As their team confronts unexpected dangers, Bleu and his teammates begin to suspect the star beings don’t know as much about the Surface as they claimed, while Rana is torn between remaining true to her nonviolent ways or becoming more human to survive. When an unnatural predator attacks, even the nearly all-knowing Kalakanya can’t explain it. Now the team must pull together or their new discovery will pull them apart, limb by limb.

 

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EXCERPT

 

As the sun descended behind the mountain and darkness crept across the frozen field, a strange dread seeped into Bleu’s bones. It felt like a warning, an alarm that danger lurked nearby.

 

He had known safety in Rana’s village, and he’d lost the spatial anxiety caused by the wide-open spaces of the Surface that differed so much from the cozy walls and tunnels of home. No, this unease wasn’t spatial anxiety to the openness of the sky and horizon.

 

This was different, and perhaps a bit similar to what Kahali feared. Bleu had never faced the possibility of other humans with guns. His team sat out in the open, exposed. The meager light from the cooking fire did nothing against the shroud of blackness surrounding them. No safe walls protected them from physical attacks or bullets. And then, there were the unknown predators of the region.

 

His earlier excitement of finding the footprints evaporated, leaving behind a gnawing awareness of their vulnerability. The darkness beyond the campfire could be punctured any moment by monstrous claws or gunfire. Childhood tales of the evil Undescended crowded his mind with images so ludicrously terrible that he wanted to laugh at himself.

 

Instead, he checked that they were all armed and sent Savas and Neviah to make sure the helicopters were locked. Animal calls and crunching footsteps drifted down the mountains as if something were encircling them. Even the confident star beings kept glancing out into the night. They should be comfortable in such wilderness, right?

A Word With the Author 

1.Did you always want to be an author?

When I was in elementary school, I enjoyed writing poetry and adventure stories for myself but never seriously considered being an author. To younger me, authors were mystical creatures that magically divined stories from the ethers, not something one could choose to be. I wanted to help people and explore the universe, so my goals were to be a doctor or astronaut. In college, I majored in biology, did research for a while and then went to graduate school to become a therapist. In the midst of a flood of dystopian books and movies, my teen clients inspired me to write YA books where there’s not a clear, single chosen one, but rather large groups of unlikely heroes changing humanity’s future for the better.  

2.Tell us about the publication of your first book.

My first written book was The Calling, book one in this series. However, my first published book was a sci-fi novella, Silence of the Song Trees, based on the idea the last living alien trying to save his planet. Because it was a novella, I never queried it, but instead hired editors and a cover artist, and learned how to do everything myself, including marketing. It hit #1 New Release in its Amazon category, so I was quite happy with its publication journey.

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

Ah, this is a question I can’t answer, as several of my good friends also write science fiction, lol. I enjoy reading S. Z. Atwell, Octavia Butler, Michael Mammay, Mary E. Pearson, Dawn Ross, and Alyse N. Steves.

4.What’s the best part of being an author? The worst?

I absolutely love writing the first draft of novels. When I decide on my next idea to write (I have lots of ideas), I choose the characters with the personalities and story concept that most intrigues me. As I write, I see the story like a movie in my mind and feel more like a scribe, taking notes on what the characters are doing and saying. It’s a ton of fun, but requires you really trust in the process.

For the Finding Humanity series, I have a summary, maybe a few sentences at most, of what will happen in each book in the series. As I write, I’m experiencing similar emotions to what future readers might experience because I too want to see what happens next. I often have no idea how they will survive a particular situation until I write it.

The worst part of being an author is dealing with all the marketing. I don’t hate marketing, but I’d much rather be creating more books than creating marketing tools.

5.What are you working on now?

Currently, I’m editing book three, The Ruined. This book is special to me because by the end of it, readers will finally have met all the major players in the series.  

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

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 published works include Silence of the Song Trees, The Calling, The Cords That Bind, and The Chasm.

 

 

Website: www.branwenoshea.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/branwenoshea

Instagram: www.instagram.com/branwenoshea

Facebook: www.facebook.com/branwenoshea

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/branwenoshea

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/branwenoshea

 

The Chasm (Book 2) on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QFPHQVN

The Calling (Book 1) on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735915998

The Cords That Bind (Book 1.1) on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09CSK4813

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Branwen OShea will be awarding $30 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beyond the Book: Remodeling

“If you could remodel/redecorate any room in your house which room would you choose and what would you do to it?”

Let me begin by saying that we’ve already done a lot of remodeling to our house. When we moved in we focused on the kitchen. We had no dining room so we had to fit our rather large table into a small area. The kitchen had CARPET in it. Yes, you read that right. For a time people around here did use some industrial looking carpet in kitchens. Double yuck! Have you ever tried to remove spaghetti sauce from a carpet? It isn’t fun. The room also had brown paneling that sucked every bit of light from the room.

The only bath downstairs was a decent sized half bath that had shiny, green foil on the walls. It didn’t look great with the brown ceramic tile. 

Upstairs, the bedrooms all had different colored carpet, and one bath looked shabby.

Okay, we started in the kitchen. We removed an outer wall and created a dining room located where the former patio was. It’s seriously large and we have more windows that we do wall space. We created a place for a china cabinet, a reading nook, and a large walk-in pantry. We have plenty of room for our table. No carpet anywhere. We also refinished our cabinets, painted the kitchen paneling, bought a new light fixture, and best of all we ripped out that carpet in the kitchen. 

We tore down the foil wallpaper in the half bath and changed the floor tile. Upstairs we pulled up all the carpet and refinished the wood floors underneath. We totally remodeled one bath and partially did the other, changing all tile and floor coverings as well as fixtures. 

So, what would I change now? I’d do some work on my kitchen. I’d replace the cabinets, appliances, and floor covering and choose another paint color for the walls. Will I do it? I don’t know. Every time we talk about it we think of how disruptive it would be, and so far we just can’t bring ourselves to do it even though it does need some updating. We’ll have to wait and see. I’ll let you know if we ever get started on it.

Return To Wylder

Return to Wylder

by Maria Imbalzano

 

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

 

The untimely death of EJ Hampton’s father kills her dream of practicing law with him in her hometown of Wylder. Heartbroken, she now has two weeks to organize the practice for sale. When she meets her father’s millionaire client Dylan Addison, he is demanding and entitled—yet his charisma captivates her.

 

Dylan is under pressure to renovate the Wylder Hotel before his father pulls the plug on his project. He needs EJ’s expertise, but she is bent on returning to her life in San Francisco despite the fireworks between them.

 

EJ walks a tightrope trying to balance Dylan’s needs against her own, but doing so is far more complicated when emotions get in the way.

 

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EXCERPT

 

 

“What do you mean? I’m friendly.”

 

She bit her lip, drawing yet more attention to her mouth. “Small-town friendly is different. You’re civil. But you’re no-nonsense. Unapproachable. And very demanding. You dress like a rich business owner, which you are, but it sends the wrong message. Even though you think you’re dressing down, your jeans are probably dry cleaned and your boots are polished Italian leather. The men around here wear flannel shirts, worn out denims, cowboy boots. Have you noticed that you don’t fit in?” Her laugh tickled my heart.

 

“Why do you fit in? You have on a designer suit, silk blouse, high heels. A big-city outfit if I’ve ever seen one.” But of course, I loved that she stuck out like an emerald amongst sea glass.

 

“I have my lawyer uniform on. And I grew up here. People know me, despite my clothes. I could wear casual pants and a sweater to work while I’m here, but it doesn’t send the right message. I definitely do not have to wear a suit. That would only be required if I were going to court. Or meeting with an out-of-town city client. Which I have been.”

 

I felt my smile bloom. “So you’re dressing to impress me?”

 

“No. Most definitely not.” Her response held the hint of a bite despite her teasing demeanor. “Today is only my second day here. Yesterday I had no idea what or whom I was going to face.”

 

I pushed the envelope. “You did today.”

 

“You may recall that you showed up without an appointment. And tonight was a mere coincidence.” A shadow crossed her face, and her voice softened. “My father dressed in a suit every day, even though it wasn’t necessary. I was channeling his spirit.” Sadness clouded those beautiful mercurial eyes. “Plus, my wardrobe changed when I moved to San Francisco.”

 

Frankly, I didn’t care what she wore. Designer duds, jeans, lacy underwear. Nothing. I smiled to myself at the direction my mind was veering. Interesting.

 

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporary author who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in love with them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues have a way of showing up in many of her novels. When not writing, she loves to travel both abroad and in the states.  Maria lives in central New Jersey with her husband--not far from her two daughters and granddaughters. For more information about her books, please visit her website at http://mariaimbalzano.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.

 

Social Media Links 

 

Facebook –

 

https://www.facebook.com/mariaimbalzanoauthor

 

Twitter

 

http://www.twitter.com/mariaimbalzano

 

@mariaimbalzano

 

Instagram 

 

Mariaimbalzano_author

 

Blog Link

 

http://www.mariaimbalzano.com/category/blog/

 

Website Link

 

http://www.mariaimbalzano.com

 

Goodreads Author Page

 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7276749.Maria_Imbalzano

 

Book Bub Profile page 

 

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maria-imbalzano

 

Mailing List Sign Up form

 

https://mariaimbalzano.com/sign-up-for-my-newsletter/

 

 Amazon Author Page

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00FG9RI5K

 

 

BUY LINKS

 

Amazon-  https://www.amazon.com/Return-Wylder-West-Maria-Imbalzano-ebook/dp/B09VZTB93D/ref=sr_1_7

 

OR

 

https://amzn.to/3tYpYJE

 

Barnes and Noble 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/return-to-wylder-maria-imbalzano/1141265290

 

Universal Link

 

https://books2read.com/u/4ELWkz

 

 

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

Maria Imbalzano will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday Sample and Weekend Writing Warriors

 Welcome to my blog. Today I'd like to share an excerpt from my all time favorite book Blue 52. On Sunday when you finish here you can go to www.wewriwa.blogspot.com for more excerpts from a talented group of authors. 

Blurb:

First Lady Kills President Lovinggood" 

December 5, 2018 

Thirty years later, Hank Lovinggood embarks on a quest to prove his mother's innocence and punish the killers who took his family from him. Together Hank and lovely physicist Dr. Kathryn Sinclair confront an implacable, twisted, and merciless enemy who'll do whatever it takes to hide the truth forever.

Last Week's Excerpt: 

The mortuary had reserved the parking spaces closest to the door for guests. She usually parked there, but today black sedans bearing government license plates filled all the spaces. Curious.

She tossed her sunglasses into the seat beside her and got out of the car. When she turned around, she saw four men walk around the side of the mortuary. One of the men carried an electronic tablet and looked as if he might be taking notes.

Kathryn took her pizza and skipped up the steps in time to meet two men dressed in well-tailored, conservative suits.They nodded as one of them held the door for her. It didn’t surprise her to see them get into one of the black sedans.

She waved to the receptionist and hurried down the hall, eager to eat that pizza before it got cold. The door to Uncle Ira’s office stood open. “Hey, who was that?” she called as she swung around the corner. “The guys in the suits.”

“Secret Service agents,” Ira answered as he took the pizza and kissed her cheek.

“Secret Service! What did they want?”

“They’re checking out the place so they can plan for security.” Ira almost vibrated with excitement. “Guess whose body will rest at Sinclair’s on November the twenty-third?”

“Whose?”
“President Lovinggood.”

Today's Excerpt:

Kathryn grabbed the arms of the chair she had just taken to keep herself from jumping up and running to her car. “Everyone knows the bodies at Knollwood will have to be moved for the Flash Train, but why is the president’s body being brought here?”

Beyond the Book: My Husband the Romantic

Since I’m a romance writer, my husband sometimes has to take a little ribbing.  “Are you the model for her heroes?” they always ask.  “Did you pose for her latest cover?”  Well, he didn’t pose for any covers, and even though the man is adorable, my heroes don’t always resemble him.  In some ways he might be a little challenged in the romance department.  He’s an engineer, and I don’t think that profession lends itself to romance.   But on the other hand…

On the other hand, he can be unexpectedly, deeply romantic.  Last week we were on the way to the grocery store to buy some dog food, and he took my hand and said, “You’re prettier now than you were on our wedding day.”  I was on cloud nine for the rest of the evening.  I do think he needs new glasses, though.  I’ve changed a little since our wedding day.  But I can still wear my dress if you don’t try to zip it.  There’s only a three or four inch gap in the back.

That’s nothing compared to how he surprised me on our anniversary.  He can home one day three years ago and said, “I’ve booked a condo in Pigeon Forge.  Let’s go up there for our anniversary.”  I was scared to death!  We always pretty much ignored our anniversary because school had just started, and I was a teacher.  So, why was he booking condos?  Was he sick?  Did he get a bad report at his last physical?  No, he was fine.  Like I said, he can still surprise me when he reveals his romantic side.

He’s given me some nice gifts too which is mainly because I’ve learned to hint very, very hard about what I want.  I’m reminded of the gift that he bought me the second year were married.  This is a true story; no joke.  He bought me electric hair curlers and an umbrella.  It was hard to be enthusiastic. 

But it isn’t the gifts, trips, or compliments that please me most.  The things I love most are small, day-to-day things that show a husband’s love.  In the winter when we watch TV at night, he’ll let me put my cold feet in his lap to warm them.  He also polishes my toenails for me, but don’t you ever tell him I said so.  I’ll deny it to the end.  We usually spend the evening in our small, upstairs study, and if I need some hot chocolate or ice cream, he’ll get it for me.  

We always straighten up the house before we go to bed at night.  With two people and a menagerie under one roof, it gets out of hand if you don’t.  He helps me even though he doesn’t want to.  

He doesn’t want brownies in the house because he likes them too much, but he buys them for me and suffers while I eat them.  

He’s also generous with his church, family, and friends, doing favors that self-centered Elaine wouldn’t think to do.

Is he ever irritating?  Duh.  He’s a man, isn’t he?  Still, I think he’s the best thing that ever happened to me.

Saturday Sample and Weekend Writing Warriors

 Welcome to my blog. Today I'd like to share an excerpt from my all time favorite book Blue 52. On Sunday when you finish here you can go to www.wewriwa.blogspot.com for more excerpts from a talented group of authors. 

Blurb:

First Lady Kills President Lovinggood" 

December 5, 2018 

Thirty years later, Hank Lovinggood embarks on a quest to prove his mother's innocence and punish the killers who took his family from him. Together Hank and lovely physicist Dr. Kathryn Sinclair confront an implacable, twisted, and merciless enemy who'll do whatever it takes to hide the truth forever.

Last Week's Excerpt: 

Kathryn Sinclair rubbed her eyes and fumbled in her purse for a bottle of eye drops. She had been staring at her computer screen for hours, which had caused her eyes to burn something fierce. Her head had started to hurt too, so she grabbed a pill as she rummaged around in her purse.

Thank God for Mycelfin. Prior to the drug’s release, millions of people, including herself, had suffered from migraine headaches, but one Mycelfin and the migraine was history.

She glanced at her watch. Uh oh. I worked through lunch again. Well, why not call Uncle Ira? He never ate until after one anyway, so if he wasn’t busy, she’d grab a pizza and join him for a late lunch. As she had expected, he welcomed the chance to see her.

Thirty minutes later, she arrived at the Sinclair Mortuary. Uncle Ira had started his business in an old, converted house, but you’d never guess it to look at Sinclair Mortuary now. The current facility looked tasteful, elegant, and decidedly upscale. Uncle Ira did a good job for his customers. Many of the local families had taken comfort from his gentle, empathetic manner.

Today's Excerpt: In this excerpt you will get an idea of how Hank and Kathryn will meet.

To Kingdom Come

                                                              To Kingdom Come

by Claudia Riess

 

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GENRE: Mystery

 

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BLURB:

 

Amateur sleuths, Erika Shawn-Wheatley, art magazine editor, and Harrison Wheatley, art history professor, attend a Zoom meeting of individuals from around the globe whose common goal is to expedite the return of African art looted during the colonial era.  Olivia Chatham, a math instructor at London University, has just begun speaking about her recent find, a journal penned by her great-granduncle, Andrew Barrett, active member of the Royal Army Medical Service during England’s 1897 “punitive expedition” launched against the Kingdom of Benin.  

 

Olivia is about to disclose what she hopes the sleuthing duo will bring to light, when the proceedings are disrupted by an unusual movement in one of the squares on the grid.  Frozen disbelief erupts into a frenzy of calls for help as the group, including the victim, watch in horror the enactment of a murder videotaped in real time.

 

It will not be the only murder or act of brutality Erika and Harrison encounter in their two-pronged effort to hunt down the source of violence and unearth a cache of African treasures alluded to in Barrett’s journal.

 

Much of the action takes place in London, scene of the crimes and quest for redemption.

 

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EXCERPT

 

“Dammit!” A mild curse barely audible, but loud enough to light up the frame around Timothy Thorpe’s image. “Sorry mates, bulb blew.” The overhead, it must have been, since the weaker source of light behind his computer was still there, softening his features and maybe for a millisecond the audience’s attentiveness as well, so that when the black line appeared just above his shirt collar it took another blip in time for brains to sort it out and reject the idea of a shadow cast by his desk lamp. Which would explain the silence before the first scream, coming from somewhere in the Zoom’s mosaic, a woman’s scream—mine, Erika realized. Likewise, a delayed reaction from Tim himself, gazing wide-eyed at the screen as if someone out there was experiencing the horror, not he himself, that is, before the black cord tightened around his neck and the impossible truth contorted his features like a funhouse mirror. 

 

And then the silence turned into the Tower of Babel, witnesses reverting to their native tongues, as gloved hands—surely visible from the start!—tugged on the cord and disappeared behind Tim’s neck to knot or entwine or do whatever was planned or improvised to cut off Tim’s air, while Tim clawed at his neck in an attempt to free himself, mouth open in a parody of Munch’s The Scream, except in Tim’s version it was a cry for help mimed to the restless viewers filling his computer screen, twinkling with their useless babble like Christmas lights. 

 

“Où est-il—where is he?” Monsieur Robert Labeque cried, his red cheeks deepening to scarlet, his returning to the group’s common tongue a sign that rational interchange was being restored. 

 

“The museum—his office at the British Museum!” Ike yelled back, as if calling from across a football field. “He said they’re preparing an exhibit, staying late—I’ve got their unlisted number—seeing if I can rouse the damn security guards!” All the while fumbling with his cell phone. “They must seal off the exits. Museum doesn’t close for another half hour!” 

 

“Bastard, we see you!” Harrison shouted at the nondescript torso, mostly hidden by Tim’s body, rigid against the chair-back while his hands flailed like a mad conductor’s. How many seconds had passed—ten, fifteen? A lifetime. “Someone over there call 9-1-1—Olivia?” “I’ve already put in the call—it’s 9-9-9 over here,” Olivia advised, her calmness, real or staged, a reminder that order was possible. “I’m activating the recording option!” Ike bellowed. Shifting focus to his unresponsive phone, he shouted, “Hello? Hello?” Harrison tapped on Thorpe’s name and spotlighted his square. Instantly it filled the screen. He dove for his cell phone. “Erika, take photos!”
His words sounded harsh, except she was thinking the same thing, already digging her cell phone out of her jeans pocket. “You video, I’ll take stills—oh God!” Outwardly, Tim had stopped struggling. But what was happening within? Her empathy was suddenly gripped by a primal curiosity, as if only by understanding Tim’s encounter with death could she prepare for her own. “Go!” Harrison prompted. The command cut off her connection to Tim like a dropped call, and she aimed her cell’s lens at his motionless figure in the more useful role as witness to a crime. As she prepared for the second shot, she realized that others were following Harrison’s and her lead. 

 

On screen the assailant’s gloved finger pressed against Tim’s neck, feeling for a pulse. Apparently satisfied, he or she swiftly removed the cord from around the victim’s neck and made adjustments to the distribution of weight so that the body would not slump forward. Mission accomplished, the individual glided out of Tim’s camera range, leaving Tim, in jacket and neatly knotted tie, to stare blankly into space with only an angry red bruise above his shirt collar to suggest what had just happened to him.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

A prolific writer and published author, Claudia Riess brings her unique voice and creativity to a new work, Stolen Light.

 

Credentials include two books she wrote and illustrated A Child's Garden of Sex bought by Grove Press and Happy Birthday Princess Penelope bought by KDI- Lion Press. Her novel, Reclining Nude, was published by Stein and Day.  Oliver Sacks, neurologist and author of Awakenings commenting on the book, wrote: "exquisite and delicate…it is a most courageous book, full of daring--a daring only possible to a passionate and pure heart."

 

Over the years Editorial credits for Claudia include: Editorial Assistant The New Yorker magazine and Holt, Rinehart and Winston; editing; The Renaissance Antichrist--Luca Signorelli's Orvieto Frescoes, Princeton University Press 1995--and subsequent J. Riess works on the Italian Renaissance and Signorelli; Friends of K-12 Poetry, a collection of winning and selected poems from the Westhampton Free Library poetry contests and an upcoming compendium of stories and poems from the library's Celebrating the Written Word contests.

 

A graduate of Vassar College, she was President of the Philosophy and Modern Dance Clubs. Additional education included studies in Literary Criticism and Theory of Reading and Writing Standard English Braille. She went on to teach at the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind and later, Modern Dance at the School of Cultural Arts in Westhampton Beach.

 

Claudia presently lives with her husband in the Hamptons and New York City. She is currently working on several new writing projects. 

 

www.claudiariessbooks.com

https://www.amazon.com/Claudia-Riess/e/B001KHYQK2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Z1KFNB4

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Claudia Riess will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway