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The Otherworld Diner » A Look Inside Cobblestone Press, Liquid Silver Books and Samhain Publishing
They say a thin, but vast, veil separates the two realms.
The veil I’m talking about separates the unpublished from the published author.
Ever wonder what’s on the other side? Want to peel back the veil for a peek? Or to actually speak to someone who has crossed over?
Now you can. I’ve lined up talented friends to talk about their experiences in getting stories published.
My first authoress extraordinaire is Ella Drake. Her publishers are Samhain Publishing, Liquid Silver Books and Cobblestone Press. Whether she’s writing about ancient cursed castles or rowdy space bars, her stories have a compelling magic that will capture your imagination and hold you on the edge of your seat.
Ella has agreed to answer my publishing questions which, I’m hoping, are yours, too.
1.How did you get started as a writer? I’m one of those people who thought about writing a novel “one day”. I love to read and had been taking literature classes at night. Then, one day after I had my second baby, I started daydreaming and before I knew it, had thought up a great idea for a space opera. After managing to turn off my internal editor long enough to write more than the first sentence, I was able to keep going and not look back. It was basically a lightbulb type of moment.
2.Getting The Call is the moment many unpublished authors fantasize about. It’s that moment when authors hear that a publisher wants her work. Can you describe your experience?
After writing a few …
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Jax's Artistic Journey… » The Muse be with me
I've been writing consistently…and then there are spurts of procrastination. I'm one of those authors who live for the streak of magic that flows through my fingertips as I type. I either feel it that day or I don't. I don't try to force myself to write and when I know I'll be stuck with no progress, I do something else. I'm a firm believer in Muses and I know I've commented about mine in the past…I think she's a smart cookie because she makes me work when I don't want to. She makes me angry enough to draw from my frustrations and emotions. She likes to test me during my darkest hours. She's the creative part of my brain that I need and I know she needs me just as much because I'm there to tell the stories in our heads. Hummmm, I sound like a schizo…LOL
The past two years have been both trying and exciting when it comes to my writing. I'm constantly pushing myself to write in different genres. Out of love and out of necessity. Why, you ask? I need to expand my horizons and discover what I'm good at…to find the organic voice I've been looking for. Of course, I'm my toughest critic and my biggest fan. You have to be because sometimes the only person you can rely on is yourself. You make the judgment calls when it comes to what you write and only you can develop who you want to be as … [Link]
EREC: erotic romance » How to report EREC data
The sales estimates listed on ERECsite.com are based in author self-report. Authors are encouraged to send queries or sales figures to veinglory AT gmail.com. All data is stored and reported on a strictly confidential basis. Data is reported as an arithmetic mean based on at least 5 books by at least 3 different authors–data more than one year old is deleted. If you would like to contribute your sales data please provide the following information, or as much of it as you can, for each title.
1) Name of publisher: _____________
2) Is the book erotic romance?: Y/N
3) How many copies sold in the first month?: __
4) How many copies sold in total to date?: __
5) Has your book been on sale for one year or longer?: Y/N
6) How many copies sold in the first year?: __
Here are some more detail that might clear up any questions you have. If not, please ask your questions by comment or by email.
What counts as "erotic romance".
I leave it up to the writer to decide this, no objective definition of 'erotic romance' is provided.
Do the sales have to be for an exact month?
No. please provide the numbers as they appear on your first royalty report, even if this only covers part of a month. If you are provided with royalty figures on a quarterly basis, please provide data for the first quarter.
What if I only know my 'sales to date'?
If you do not know first year or month please … [Link]
EREC: erotic romance » Best and Worst Mantitty Award Nominations
I was watching the usual evisceration of celebrity fashion at the Golden Globes, and this idea came to me. Everyone know one of the main genres of erotic romance ebook cover art is the "mantitty" cover. For those who have been living under a rock, this is a book cover showing a shirtless man, often one with rather significant muscle development.
I would like to invite you to submit nominations for the title of Best Mantitty Cover, and Worst Mantitty Cover. These can be your own books, books you have read or just covers you have seen online. The top nominees will be put forward for a popular vote. Please make nominations by comment or email to veinglory at gmail.com–urls to a copy of the cover art appreciated. [Link]
Kate Pearce » Cover for Kiss of the Rose!!
I am so excited to get to show you this cover for the first of my paranormal historical romances for NAL Signet Eclipse.
It comes out in August 2010, and I’ll have more details for you as soon as I can!
Copyright © 2010 Kate Pearce. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@www.katepearce.com so we can take legal action immediately. Plugin by Taragana [Link]
Me Want Food » New Dareville Short for Sale!
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Kiss and Tell » The Avocado Incident
Zowieee… Crazy week. I mean madness. I sliced my finger open at the end of last week in what I’m calling The Avocado Incident. Then, I spent a couple of Sixteen-hour days as part of the production crew for a short film HB is making. It was all very exciting, but I’m still beat.
I’ll blog about the movie making process later; right now I need to mourn the loss of a chunk of one my beloved fingers. Yep. It was that bad. I admit it. HB has even taken to calling me “old nine fingers”.
I have an obsession with the ugly green fruit. I take avocados with me to conference, I have them with about half my meals, I snack on them. They’re yummy. But…as you all know, the buggers have this large ping pong sized seed in the middle of all that tasty goodness that you have to dig out with a strong wide knife. That seed is the demon that made me attack my own pink flesh with a blade of carbon forged steel. Ok, Ok, maybe that’s a little too dramatic. It was a steak knife. Usually, I karate chop the seed with a nice sharp knife, lodging the blade slightly in the seed, and then twist. Ta-da! The seed pops out.
The knife sitting on the counter Thursday evening however, was not a sharp cutting knife. Nope. It was an evil, serrated, Texas-sized steak knife.
Did I bother to reach around to the extensive knife set a … [Link]
Crystal Jordan :: Blog » Back to the Daily Grind
I started on a new story for Samhain that will be part of a series with my sisters in crime over at the Smutketeers. The series is called The Wasteland, and it’s gonna be awesome!
Crystal Jordan~~ Book One: The Wanderer
Lilli Feisty~~Book Two: The Whore
Eden Bradley~~Book Three: The Breeder
R.G. Alexander~~Book Four: The Priestess
Here’s what mine’s about!
In 2012, the world came to a grinding halt as radiation hit from a massive solar storm. Crops died, animals perished, cities fell, and humans became little more than beasts themselves. Under the threat of starvation, civility was reduced to mere memory. Only the strongest men survived, and physically weaker women and children wasted to nothingness.
More than a century later, humanity struggles in the desert Wasteland that was left. The solar radiation rendered most women infertile, and the population dwindles more with each year that passes. Scattered up and down coasts, isolated cities eke out an existence from fishing, foraging, and hunting for what little game remains. Outside the city walls, men face the threat of pirates and raiders.
There is only one rule in the Wasteland: survive.
Few women remain, divided into four classes: Wanderers, Whores, Breeders, and Priestesses. They are as reviled as they are worshipped, a commodity any man must pay to touch. And to touch a Wanderer, he may pay with his life.
For Ezra, the risk is worth the reward. He’s half-scientist and half-mercenary. People speak his name in the same reverent terror reserved …
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Jina Bacarr presents Cleopatra's Perfume: The Prequel » A Naughty Victorian Lady marries a naughty English Lord
Ladies of the 1870s
by Lady Carlton née Katie O’Roarke, heroine of “The Blonde Samurai”
My wedding was perfect. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…
As in bluebood.
I am speaking about his lordship, Lord James Carlton, born to Braystone House, a fifteenth-century limestone goliath situated somewhere in the Midlands and unknown to me.
‘Tis true that I, Katie O’Roarke, married an English lord in the summer of 1872. Like many titled “land-rich but cash-poor” Englishman, James needed funds and I needed a husband.
But not just any husband.
To please my sainted mother, I did as many American heiresses did. I sailed across the pond to England and joined the ranks of British royalty since its American counterpart of New York society matrons with the dubious moniker of Knickerbockers would have none of the likes of me.
I was among the first young American ladies to attach my person and the family fortune to a member of the British peerage. And what a time I had of it, me with my inquisitive nature and sassy mouth. Be it known my looks were plain and my opinions brash, but a grand journey it was…until I headed to Japan and discovered that all the palaces and finery in the world cannot compare to being with the man you love.
But I digress, dear lady reader.
Today’s post is not about romance but marriage. A mariage de convenance as the French are wont to say. …
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Lilli Feisty :: Blog » Live Humpty.
It’s hump day. Yesterday I mentioned the Humpty Dance. Ergo, I went and dug up this video. Digital Underground came through Reno a while back…I considered going, now I wish I would have. This performance is impressive. You know, I think every Wednesday should be Humpty Dance Day. You can spontaneously break out in dance that looks like you appear to be in pain. It’ll be fun! You know you want to.
Copyright © 2010 Lilli Feisty :: Blog. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@lillianfeisty.com so we can take legal action immediately. Plugin by Taragana [Link]
Naughty and Spice Blog » Bitchery at its Finest
So I have waxed poetic more than once over my love for reality TV. The love hasn’t died though reality TV has been going strong for a loooong time. I say keep it coming.
I’m sad Tabatha’s Salon Takeover is over, thrilled The Millionaire Matchmaker is back and I’ve been enjoying this season of The Real Housewives of OC. Hmm, I notice a Bravo trend here but I’m breaking it for my new reality TV love.
The Secrets of Aspen on VH1.
Oh my goodness what a bunch of bitchery! They’re all pretty snobby but there is one specifically who is kinda wack and her name is Laura. Wow. She seems a tad…psycho?
Of course, I know they can slant the way people are portrayed on these shows. Maybe she has some crazy tendenancies and they made her appear even crazier? I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt because there have only been three episodes so far. But in every episode, she does something a little nutso. Hmmm…
Okay I must go because it’s too damn windy and it’s making me nervous about my power. Do you watch The Secrets of Aspen? Or some other delicious reality show? Tell me
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Emma Petersen » Weekly Check-In Wednesday, 18,045,859 days late.
Moooooooooooorning Loverlies!
Good morning! Good morning! Good morning! How is everyone doing this awesome, magnificent, gorgeous day? Well, I hope. Me? I’m pretty kick ass all around. I’m wicked productive and I’m accomplishing a lot of my goals. So…let’s recap since I absolutely NEVER update Weekly Check-In Wednesdays. Yes, I know, I’m a horrible girl. And I should be punished.
Anywho. So, I’ve sold 2 stories so far. Make Me Remember…
Blurb:
Hannah Bryant has always been different. Since she was a child, she’s had vivid dreams of dreams of death and loss. It’s years later and Hannah is now a successful doctor. In a flash everything she has worked so hard is in danger when the dreams return with a vengeance. Only the dreams haunting Hannah’s sleep now are nothing like the ones that plagued her as a child. There is no blood, no death and no loss. Just a man who solicits a reaction from Hannah’s body that’s strangely familiar and startlingly brand new at the same time.
Make Me Remember is my reincarnation story. One of my favorites.
I also sold ROP. Not really divulging the name until its cemented but I can give you a blurb.
Deposed queen Rhiannon’s sexual proclivities have finally gotten her into trouble. After taking a pleasure slave that didn’t belong to her, the courtesan’s master is asking the ultimate price for the trespass: Rhiannon and her complete submission for five days. Rhiannon is determined to submit only her body, but Lord Ignius …
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Paige Tyler – Author of Sexy, Romantic Fiction » I'm Officially a "Naughty Author Chick!"
That’s right! I'm officially a Naughty Author Chick and will be blogging there every other Friday! Hope you'll stop by!
http://naughtyauthorchicks.blogspot.com/
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Beyond the Veil » But I'm not inspired
I’ve been in a funk this past week. I've squeezed out a few hundred words a day, but no where near reached my daily minimum. Everything around me seems to be "keeping me from writing"* and my inspiration level has been set at non-existent.
Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.
~Gene Fowler
The kids only have two and a half days of school this week. Mentally I gave up on the days they'll be home before they week even started – how will I get anything done with the kids around anyway?
My local NPR station switched its morning programing, and how can I expect to concentrate when my usual shows aren't on at the accustomed times?
My laptop wallpaper is old and no longer inspires me. But ninety minutes spent surfing for new paper last night didn't result in anything more exciting.
The news is full of heartbreaking stories of the dead, missing, and too-few survivors in Haiti. My heart is heavy, and I'm not feeling the sexy vibe.
Hubs is in transition with his job, and pops into my office (or calls me from the other end of the house) at least twice an hour. Half an hour ago he was in here talking to me, and after my fourth "huh" in as many minutes he asked "Are you listening to me?"
Sheepish look from me. "Not really, I'm trying to work."
“Why didn't you say so?" …
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Nine Naughty Novelists » Bend Over!
Sorry this is late. My internet has been down at home since Friday, January 12th. I live in a very rural area without the luxury of cable internet or even DSL. Yes, there is satellite internet, but I got a royal screw job on that one.
I’d called Hughes.Net and when the installers came out, I was quickly notified the "free standard installation" in my case did not apply. When setting this up with Hughes.Net over the phone, I had been advised the dish could not be installed on the roof or the side of a trailer. I do not live in a trailer, but a modular. Didn't matter to them. I had to write out a check for over $100 to the installers to have a post put in to mount the dish.
That was only the beginning.
After using the satellite internet service, I found issues with connecting in the evenings. I turned to the internet for information regarding Hughes.Net and found something about satellite internet service that I never knew. Something very important. Something you are not told in the commercials, over the phone or is even revealed in any of their documentation.
To keep from "hogging" the signal, you are allotted so much download per day, then you are cut off for up to 24 hours. However (and they act like this is such an "oh goodie" thing), the hours from 2-6am is considered "free time" and doesn't count against you.
When my husband would come home in the evening, he … [Link]
The Rantings & Ravings of Jeanne St. James » Get Ready for another fun blog tour and author chat ~
FEBRUARY 14TH!
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Hot Ash's Romantic Comedy » International Travel
Yesterday, I completed the last step in my preparations to go to India…my shots. Ow. Or maybe I should say, Ow, ow, ow, ow. I had four injections. Two in each arm. I'm not a very big baby when it comes to a little physical pain. But at least it's over.
I have my visa, my passport and my health records. Now all I have to do is pack and look forward to a 24 hour flight. Can you say, 'jet lag'?
I think it will all be worth it to visit a country so rich in history and culture. When I was young, I studied the Hindu religion for a semester. It's fascinating, and I'm thinking I might set some stories there. (That Brahma really got around!) LOL
There are literally thousands of Hindu Gods, but I was taught that 3 reigned supreme. Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Not everyone in the western world would recognise depictions of these dieties. But the most popular God you'd recognise in a second.
Ganesha–the elephant-deity riding a mouse. Ganesha is one of the commonest mnemonics for anything associated with Hinduism. The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha is depicted as having a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. He is the lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of knowledge, wisdom and wealth.
The last time my husband was in India, he brought me back a beautiful carved statue of … [Link]
Embrace the Shadows » The Long Haul
First things first…congratulations to Amanda Leigh…you’ve won a $20.00 amazon.com gift certificate and a print copy of HUNGER. Just send me your snail mail address!
I’m a big fan of instant gratification. I like what I like now, NOW, NOW! It’s one of the reasons I adore my Kindle, coffeehouse drive thrus and the very idea of TiVo. It’s the main reason I hate catalogs, trying to get a new release from Netflix and voicemail.
When you have to wait over trivial things it can be a big annoyance. When you have to postpone your passion, it can be crushing.
It’s ironic that someone with my addiction to instant gratification decided to become an author. (Not that I chose. I mean, come on, if you’re a writer you know it chooses you;>) This business is a business of tedious, painstaking work followed by waiting, followed by more waiting, followed by more slow and careful editing…if and when you get lucky. There’s no instant to be had. I’ve had a sudden all-consuming brainstorm that took years to turn into the actual rain of words on the page. I’ve had completed manuscripts gather dust on shelves and ideas turn dusty before I ever had the time to commit them to flashdrive.
One thing I’ve discovered…I’m in this for the long haul.
In spite of my passion for NOW or maybe because of it, I find myself working hard day after day to reach goal …
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Samhain Weblog » What Inspires You?
Recently someone asked me, ‘what inspires you the most to write’? I’m kind of embarrassed to admit the question took me by surprise. It shouldn’t have. It’s a common enough question people ask writers, but somehow, until that moment, I’d never really stopped and thought about it.
The dictionary defines inspiration as, ‘stimulation for the human mind to creative thought or to the making of art’. The word muse is defined as, ‘the source of an artist’s inspiration’.
So, what exactly is it that stimulates me to write? What really fires my muse?
As I mulled the question over, I realized that different things inspire me at different times. It can be something random like a scene from a movie, a picture of a gorgeous hunk, or an unusual circumstance I’ve heard about. Or sometimes it’s directly related to the book I’m working on like a character’s personality quirk, or a sexy situation one of my characters lands in, or even an interesting line of dialogue that pops into my head.
All of these things can get me thinking and get my creative juices going. But the fundamental thing that inspires me is my love of the written word coupled with the desire to tell a story that others can enjoy.
I really believe we all have a creative side that we express in our own unique way. And any creative endeavor requires the artist to be inspired in order to produce. It doesn’t matter what it is we love to …
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Victoria Janssen » Grasping Tentacles of DOOOOOM
There's a stage in writing when I'm too busy writing, and thinking about the specifics of the novel, to think about the task of writing itself. Of course I am thinking about writing. I have to be, because I'm doing it. By the time I reach the point I'm describing, I'm writing intuitively, and I feel like I'm using so many skills at once that I can't describe what I'm doing except with bizarre [Link]
Building Castles – Kelly Jamieson's Blog » What I'm Reading Wednesday
First of all, apologies to Cherry Adair and Janice Maynard – your books were the ones I happened to read just before and after Rainwater and unfortunately I am going to spend my time raving about Rainwater.
I finished Night Shadow by Cherry Adair. Her stories are always action packed!
I’m now reading Mating Game by Janice Maynard. I'm curious where this story is going.
The highlight of my week (probably my year, LOL) was RAINWATER by Sandra Brown.
I had this book loaded on my reader for several weeks but hesitated to read it. I'd heard it was quite different for Sandra Brown and I love all her contemporary stories, so was reluctant to read something set during the Depression, afraid I wouldn't like it.
I loved it.
I started tearing up about half way through the story and was literally sobbing out loud at the end. My family was rolling their eyes at me (there goes Mom again). I wanted to analyze the story and figure out why it was so moving, but every time I started thinking about it I started crying again.
Last week I mentioned how one book I'd read hadn't been all that satisfying, and I questioned what made the main male character in that story a "hero". Well, I could start listing all the things that made David Rainwater a hero and probably couldn't even list them all. As a start:
- the time and patience and care he shows for Solly
- the encouragement he gives to Ella about Solly
- the things … [Link]
Redneck Romance Writer » Contest Whiskey Wednesday Lillian Feisty
I’m still not putting up my Crown Royal bottle and glass until I can have some. Darn it.
But in honor of Whiskey Wednesday, I’m featuring a contest Lillian Feisty is having to WIN A FREE PRINT BOOK !
Okay, everyone. I have a release coming out February first! It’s called Dare to Surrender and has already received 5 Cups from Coffee Time Romance! (See my previous post for the review!) So I’m having a contest and going to give away a signed, advance copy of Dare to Surrender! All you have to do is pick your Favorite Feisty Fact and list it in the comment section of this blog post. I’ll pick a winner on Friday. Good luck! And, to make it even easier, I’m listing all the facts right here on this post. Now I’m revealing what a freak I really am! Have fun with that! (Oh, and BTW, I often just pick a random extra winner, cause that’s how I roll. Also, you get extra points if you find the hidden masturbation reference. Cause that’s also how I roll.)
Head on over there and read all about Lillian Feisty for a chance to win.
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Taste of Kiwi » Bottle Top Bay
Bottle Top Bay is a small community not far from where I used to live. We used to go there for a drive some weekends and take Scotty for a walk. I used it as the setting for Summer in the City of Sails or at least that’s where Summer lives with Nikolai. Her Uncle Henry lives at Bottle Top Bay too. Louie and Mac from Soldier of Fortune vist Summer and Nikolai at Bottle Top Bay.
The other day hubby and I went for a bike ride together and took some photos.
These are both shots of Bottle Top Bay, taken from the other side of the estuary. As you can see the tide is out, and when it’s out it is really way out! It’s pretty though, and out in the country, but still not far away from the amenities of town.
I’ve finally signed up for Twitter. I have no idea what I’m doing. Heck, I’m still working out FaceBook. This is my Twitter address if you’d like to follow me.
I have two questions for you today: Do you like Twitter, and if so, why or why not? Do you enjoy background information about stories i.e. family trees, photos, info about where the idea came from etc?
Copyright © 2010 Taste of Kiwi. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty … [Link]
Fierce Romance » What type of story are you looking for?
Winter is a time when I long to curl up with a new favorite author. And there are plenty out there, fortunately. But I don’t always find the type of story I really want to read lately.
So, what is the one type of story you’d like to see more often?
Sweeping historical epic? Adventure?
Romantic comedy?
Angels and Demons? Fairies?
Part two: Are you, like me, completely satisfied to have only the reading experience? Or do you really enjoy adding on to it with book trailers, extensions of the story on the author’s blog (such as character interviews) or something else? What would that something else be?
Finally, if you could wave your magic wand and presto! receive a brand new book from a favorite author who is not publishing any more, who would that author be? For me, I think it would be Georgette Heyer, because her deliciously light and witty stories give my mind a welcome reprieve at the end of the day. At this point, I think I have her best stories already memorized. A new one would be like gold to me.
Carly
http://www.carlycarson.com/
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Me Want Food » Winter Musings
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Leah Braemel » Vivian Arend Knows How to Turn It On!
Today's guest blogger is fellow Canadian, Vivian Arend. Viv writes steamy paranormals (shapeshifting werewolves and mermen, no less), and yee-haw hot nekkid cowboys. And over the past year and a half since I joined the Samhain family, she's become a good friend. So I'm thrilled to have her return as she celebrates her latest release …
There’s a shiver that runs up my spine on release day. I wonder if people will buy my book. I wonder if they will like it. I wonder if I've made any huge travesties and will shortly be pelted with tomatoes and other rotting fruit.
Because the more I write, the greater the chances I’m going to make mistakes.
Now I know, Leah has both writers and readers who stop by, so here’s the significance of that comment to both sides. I’m currently working on my 20th story. Some of them have been short, but with every manuscript I complete, I HOPE my actual writing is getting stronger. I know I’m learning a lot from my editors—they beat grammar facts in pretty damn well after a while. 
I’ve learned from my critique partners. I’ve learned from reading books with the eyes of a writer now instead of as a reader. It makes a difference. So as a reader what you see should start to fade away into the background and the actual words shouldn’t distract you.
That means you’ll have more energy to find oopsies in the facts.
They say to write what you know. Well, I’ve … [Link]
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