Author: The Owl Lady

Viv Drewa is a Michigan native who has enjoyed reading and writing since 1963. Though she studied medicinal chemistry at the University of Michigan, her passion has always been writing. She had been awarded third place for her nonfiction short story about her grandfather's escape from Poland. Later, she rewrote this story and was published in the "Polish American Journal" as "From the Pages of Grandfather's Life" and has republished it on Amazon.com as a short story. Viv took creative and journalism courses to help in her transition to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer. She worked as an intern for Port Huron's 'The Times Herald", and also wrote, edited and did the layout or the Blue Water Multiple Sclerosis newsletter "Thumb Prints." She also has a business promoting authors. Owl and Pussycat Book Promotions. Viv, her husband Bob and their cat Princess, live in Port Huron, Michigan.
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Another Holiday Special – Shadows & Lies (A Carson Reno Mystery) by Award-winning author Gerald W. Darnell

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All Carson Reno, Mystery Series Books, are standalone novels. It is not necessary to read them in any particular order.
What happens when a rich client, three beautiful women, a shifty businessman, a gambler and a missing spouse are all suspected of murder? The results are a merry-go-round of shadows and lies in a house of cards with clues almost as old as Carson.
Greed, blackmail, infidelity, murder, serial killers and a twenty-year-old crime spin a tale that is practically unbelievable – with the truth masked behind a story that nobody wants told.
This old fashion ‘whodunit’ takes Carson Reno and his crew on a complicated adventure, which has too many victims and too many suspects.
Come along and help Carson find the clues and discover the truth as he tries to make sense of all the
Shadows and Lies
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Eva Pasco

Book a Room at the Peabody Hotel

Having read my first Carson Reno novel, ‘Dead End,’ the 13th in this hard-boiled, detective Mystery series, I eagerly selected another—‘Shadows and Lies,’ the 16th standalone book. Drawn to the hallmark ring tones of the Sixties, and the aura of actual places cited by the author, I willingly booked a room at the Peabody Hotel for my reading sojourn.

The prominent Dumont family, proprietors of the prestigious Dumont Hotel chain under the auspices of Matthew Dumont, provide a strong case for Carson Reno to take on via his Drake Detective Agency at the Peabody. For starters, Matthew’s son Brigham’s third wife is missing. The first one died under mysterious circumstances. You’ll find out if the second was murdered by a serial killer or not.

Besides the whodunit, like Reno, you’ll want to know what else is going on—and why!

If all of the tantalizing tidbits of this novel aren’t enough for you—serial killers, a twenty-year-old armed robbery, murders left and right, greed, infidelity, lies, Mob influence, bogus security reports, and false identities—there’s all the other hallmark ring tones of the Sixties you become privy to:

Constantly lighting up. Gumshoes wearing suits. Conducting biz inside a lounge or bar knocking back a few beers or Jack Daniels and coke. And, dig these character names: Cheese, Spider Webb, Tucker Baggett, Rags Tobin, and John Dho.

I highly recommend “tunneling” through ‘Shadows and Lies’! However, if Lydia Longstreet can’t get a straight answer from Carson Reno, I doubt any reader will either, as to why Marion Dumont’s pair of pantyhose was under his bed.

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“The plot of the story was like a roller coaster” – Crescent Vendetta (Vendetta Series Book 1) by Desiree L. Scott

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#romance #comtemporary #thrillers #paranormal #alpha #romanticsuspense

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Wolf-shifter Vanessa Burns has survived a life of brutality and neglect. Being kidnapped, drugged, and forced into an underground fighting ring is just the beginning of one man’s sick and twisted obsession.
Travis Kameron, the Alpha of the Crescent Ice Pack, suffering a similar fate, wakes up to find his life is about to be irreparably changed by the fierce she-wolf in the next cage. Can they put aside old rivalries and the past and work together to not only survive and escape but to weather the storm of complications, revenge, and betrayals waiting for them on the outside?
Rated MA18+ for adult content.
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Eric W. Morrison

The plot of the story was like a roller coaster
I thought this novel was outstanding. The plot of the story was like a roller coaster, it went up and down and you never want it to stop. As I was reading, the characters felt like family and I cared about every one of them. I would recommend this series and I can’t wait until part two comes out.
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Desiree Crescent Vendetta Vendetta Series Book 1

Amazon – FREE on Kindle Unlimited
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million
!ndigo

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“The Prince was apparently falsely accused of attacking and killing two men ” – Red Sarah by Carol Ann Kauffman

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#AuthorNetwork,#IndieBooksPromo, #amreading, #amwriting, #indiepromo
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Sarah is a beautiful redhead who works for a special agency that fixes broken timelines and rescues historically significant people who are in trouble. She has a special set of skills that allow her to ‘tap’ someone out of a dangerous situation. Her present assignment is to find and rescue a prince whose son eliminates hunger and disease on his island nation.
“Save the Prince; save the King; and save the Reds. In doing so, Red Sarah may just save herself, who knows, but what might be the cost? Moving from modern-day wisecrackery to a time of romance long ago, Carol Ann Kauffman’s tale is filled with majesty and bravery. This time travel story is a gift for all.” – Amazon Review
“Sarah has one job, and that is to rescue Crown Prince Lucas of Mist from captivity in a dungeon. Yet everything is not as it seems and will Sarah be able to stop an upcoming war?
This was an interesting book about time travel and trying not to disrupt the time continuum. I liked Sarah, and it was interesting on where she and Lucas ended up.”
-Amazon Review
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Luv2read

An enjoyable read

This is a fun easy, fast read. When science meets fantasy involving time travel is where the storyline lives and shines. The characters: Sarah a lovely redhead and a prince. The story starts out with Sarah approaching an apparent lifeless figure on the floor of a dark dungeon. She has come to help the Crown Prince Lucas of the Mist Kingdom in the highland of LaMere. The prince corrects her by saying he’s not the Crown Prince but his brother and if she saves him, he has nothing to offer here. She does return the next night with food. As conversation ensues the reader discovers that the prince’s father, King Theodore of the House of Walker is close-minded, stubborn, vicious, and brutal per the prince and per Sarah a beast. The prince was out riding on his horse and woke up in the dungeon. He was apparently falsely accused of attacking and killing two men per Sarah but he protests he attacked no one. As it turns out he is, in fact, the Crown Prince and learns that his two other brothers have been murdered. Here the story conflict has been set and the storyline moves along at a rapid clip. Without retelling the whole story suffice it to say it was an easy, sit down in a couple of hours by the fireplace fast read. It’s worth picking it up to find out if Sarah manifested the courage necessary to ultimately be the heroine she set out to be. No spoilers. I enjoyed the read right down to the poignant dedication after the story.

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“Seeing with your eyes the truth can make a difference” – Mercy’s Angels Jenni’s Story (Book 3 ) by Barbi Barnard

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Jenni has opinions of what a biker club is like. They are not the kind of people she wants to be around. With her brother moving the club back into the Play Pen she needs to come to grip with her fears. She has fears of Tiffi being involved, and she has fears for Momma dealing with a club that abused her.
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Kindle Customer

Seeing with your eyes the truth can make a difference

Jenni’s story was a great way to show just how what you see and experience as a child may not be how things are when you are an adult.
Jenni saw Momma go through a lot to make sure she was safe, and Jenni loves her for it. When the club comes back she does not understand why momma welcomes them but the love of her husband and his way of proving not all MC’s are the same just might change Jenni’s mind.

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Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million

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Meet our new author – Angela Gray!

Angela Gray

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? When I was a child. I had always made up games and stories for my friends and me.

How long does it take you to write a book? Depends on the book. I wrote one of my Christmas novellas in two weeks, Chasing Dreams in six months and have also been writing another novel for over a year now.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing? Lots of coffee or lots of wine.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? I like to write with a T.V show on in the background.

How do your books get published? Through Paper Gold Publishing

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books? Inspiration comes at all different times and through any situation. I do use google a lot for information but another way I get my information is by asking people. I ask people questions about how they feel in situations that had left them heartbroken and what not. I use their answers as feedback to create more realistic characters.

When did you write your first book and how old were you? I was about 29 so almost ten years ago. It was the beginning of a paranormal romance that I’ve always wanted to write. However, I shelved it until I finish writing my current book.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? I like to travel, go on road trips and socialize with my closest friends and family.

What does your family think of your writing? They like my writing. They are proud of my accomplishments.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books? Weirdly enough, organization. My thoughts were once all over the place not I am able to keep them in line.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite? About five. One of my favorites is part of a paranormal series. She’s young, shy and an extremely insecure human. He’s a five-hundred-year-old, billionaire lycan. They become stranded on an island together. Just the two of them. Humans though are forbidden and she’s far to young anyway.

Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they? Read, write and repeat. Also, listen to people’s feedback. Critics are everywhere and can be used to improve writing. Don’t become offended just listen.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say? I’m new so I don’t hear from them as much as I would like.

Do you like to create books for adults? Yes, I write for a mature audience.

What do you think makes a good story? Relatable characters, mystery, and a good plot. I personally love a forbidden romance.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? Aside from wanting to be a writer I also want to be a businesswoman.

Any books in the works? Yes. I am working on another romance novel. She lost her memory for the past three years. She wakes in the hospital with heartthrob, famous fiancé and a brand-new baby

What are your plans for the future? I plan to keep putting out more books. I hope to make the bestseller list one day.

 

“Forbidden love – Yes Please! A must-read!” – Chasing Dreams by Angel Gray

 

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Jolie survived the stalker. The man who kidnapper her, not only damaged her physically, he wrenched away the dream she worked toward for most of her childhood. Broken and terrified of men, her mother takes Jolie to live with her father, president of a motorcycle club. They never caught the monster, with the club around her Jolie should be safe.
He‘s seen nothing like her before. Hunter understands Jolie is too young, and he has his own dream to chase. How can he resist the blonde with the face of an angel? He must or the prez might kill him. Kissing Jolie might be the biggest mistake of his life.

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Nixiena

Forbidden love – Yes Please! A must-read!

Angela Gray captured my attention from the first page. One question kept going through my mind as I read the book – What happened to Jolie? Angela provides enough hints to that question to keep the pages turning.

Love the word choices and how distinct the voices are for both characters. I also find Jolie very easy to relate to and rooting for her to get better and hoping she will follow her dreams.

The friction at the start of the relationship has me sitting at the edge of my seat hoping to read faster to see how they end up. Love the instant attraction for the forbidden love but being in a motorcycle club, there are no rules so why not?

I enjoy the storyline and how it progresses at the right speed. Definitely a book worth reading over and over again.

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Amazon
Angus & Robertson
Barnes & Noble
Books-A- Million
Rakuten-Kobo

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Sometimes it takes a criminal to save a life – A Thief in the Night: A Tale of Grimm Portent: (A Fairy Tale Retelling) (The Never Lands Saga) by Andi Lawencovna

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Sometimes it takes a criminal to save a life.
Eskild Fontaein should never have returned to his hometown. He could have stayed in the city where he was respected and admired, but no, he’d wanted to come home.
And as the newly appointed town magistrate, the only way to be taken seriously was to be feared. Hanging a thief should fit the bill.
He hadn’t wanted to do it. Wished he’d found another way.
Sometimes, wishes do come true.
Jaias Alvaldene, the scourge of Undcrest, madwoman, villain, thief, is dead.
Well, not quite. It helps to have friends in high places, namely on the steps of the gallows when one’s about to be hung from a rope.
She would have stayed dead too, if not for the town Magistrate who seemed so forlorn at her demise.
What’s a good thief to do when a magistrate comes crying?
When a young girl is stolen by a horde of cannibals, there’s only one person to ask for aid in rescuing her.
Once a Thief, Always a thief…
Can Eskild convince Jaias to help him find the child before it’s too late? Or will he lose everything to his Thief in the Night?
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Andi A Thief in the Night A Tale of Grimm Portent

Amazon – FREE on Kindle Unlimited

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Flynn Murphy doesn’t need a man, especially not the cocky and confident Derek Nice – Ride or Die (Nice Ink Book 2) by Trish Edmisten

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#romanceauthor #contemporary romance #romancewriter #newadultromance
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Flynn Murphy doesn’t need a man, especially not the cocky and confident Derek Nice. So what if Derek is a cop? Flynn learned a long time ago that just because someone is supposed to do the right thing doesn’t mean he will. Trusting someone is a mistake he’s never-repeating again.
Derek isn’t worried that Flynn isn’t letting him get close yet. All Derek needs is one chance to show Flynn how good they can be together. And he’s not stopping until he gets it.
This is a 78K word story with no cheating and a guaranteed HEA.
Trigger Warning: This story deals with childhood sexual abuse. All instances occur off-page but are discussed in detail by the MC.
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JL Austin

Sexy Cop and Sweet Tattoo Artist

Oh my god. This book. All the feels. ALL. THE. FEELS. After running across the recommendation for Trish Edmisten in another author’s Facebook group I read book one in the Nice Ink series. After finishing that book (a five-star read) I immediately grabbed this book and devoured it! Derek and Flynn, the main characters of this book, were introduced in book one. Derek is a cop (a hot gay guy with handcuffs) and Flynn is a tattoo artist (hot gay guy covered in ink). Derek initially meets Flynn when he gets a tattoo from one of Flynn’s coworkers (who ends up dating Derek’s brother), and is immediately attracted to him. Flynn is attracted to Derek but is resistant to become involved with anyone. Flynn is an abuse victim and his feelings about attraction and sex are very complicated. Flynn is “coerced” into a date with Derek, but finds himself enjoying the date. Derek quickly realizes he must approach his relationship with Flynn differently. He makes Flynn realize that he wants more from him than just sex. He wants all that Flynn has to offer.
I absolutely devoured this book. I stayed up too late, was reading at work, and sitting in my car on my lunch break to finish this book. Flynn is such a sensitive soul. He suffered so much in his childhood. He fought for himself and has overcome so much. Derek is a self-assured, openly gay cop. He is naturally protective and is devoted to his family. Ms. Edmisten did such an amazing job building, describing, and bringing these characters to life. The understanding, compassion, and support that Derek showed to Flynn brought literal tears to my eyes. And of course, the sexy times are HOT HOT HOT! And there is a HEA for this amazing couple. I can’t recommend this book and this series enough! Read it now!!
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Trish ride or die

Amazon – FREE on Kindle Unlimited

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“The much-anticipated sequel to Viral Dawn is here!” – Viral Storm: A Dystopian Zombie Apocalypse Thriller (Viral Series Book 2) by Skyler Rankin

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“The sores forming with unholy speed on Harley’s arms and legs confirmed the infection was spreading. Its poison surged through her veins with such momentum that she could feel its sting in the current of her pulse. Unrelenting pain seared every cell, and she struggled to maintain focus, despite the fever raging in her blood.” – Viral Storm
Viral Storm continues the story of Casey Williams and her friends attempting to flee the country and expose the evil work of BioGenetics, creators of the virus that spawned the zombie apocalypse. Euthanizing her best friend, who’d been infected with the virus, was the most soul-crushing thing Casey could have imagined, but that was nothing compared to what happens next… Like the first book in the series, Viral Dawn, Viral Storm has gore, violence, and dark themes common in zombie apocalyptic fiction, but the book focuses more on the characters’ lives than other elements. The story centers on strong, young adult female characters as do similar books in female-centered dystopian fiction like The Hunger Games, Twilight, Divergent, and The Year of the Flood. Join Casey as her struggle for survival continues in Viral Storm.
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Amber Hall

Amazingly good series

The much-anticipated sequel to Viral Dawn is here! And it was sooo worth the wait! This is such an amazing series. I could see it being a tv series or movies, they are so well written. The characters are so well written that you get so invested in them and their stories.
I could not put this book down. I read it straight through in one sitting, it sucks you in and you have to know what’s going to happen next. Casey is such a strong character. She’s been put through the wringer but still manages to rise up and keep pushing through. I love that in this one you also get other characters POV.
I would recommend this series to anyone who loves a good zombie book. It’s labeled as YA but honestly, adults would love it too. Book 3 can not come soon enough!

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Best-Selling Author Samantha Jacobey has a Christmas Gift for you!– Captive (A New Life Book 1)

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#Thriller #Suspense #DarkRead #DarkRomance #SamJac

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A New Life Series is an epic adventure. TORI FARRELL’s life IS one wild story… escaped from a biker gang and running from drug lords… used by the FBI and hoping to protect her present from her past… IT’S DARK – IT’S BRUTAL, and it’s WORTH EVERY MINUTE OF IT!! (Mature read, 18+ for graphic sexual content and violence, including rape)
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R J-Bisland

Way out of my normal reading but WOW I didn’t want to put it down – amazing
Man o Man can you say WTF. This is just book 1 we are in for a crazy, intense, hold on to your device type of ride. LOL
Wow, how to summarize what I read…
To wake up in a hospital, not knowing how you got there, having people talk around you that you don’t know.
After waking up and getting released from the hospital Tori finds herself in a mental institute for recovery while the FBI does what they want. Tori begins to trust one FBI agent who comes to see her often, Eli, they grow a relationship where she trusts him.
She has a meeting with the FBI and tells them her story and gives them information about the people holding her and gives them locations on a map of places she knows of from the crimes she knows of.
FBI decides that they are not going to be completely honest with her and declares her a minor, she knows it’s not true but has no way to prove it. She is put in a halfway house in California for 6 months before being deemed an emancipated minor.
WOW, you need to read the book, there are just some details that can not be described and get the same feelings as when you read them.
REVIEWER FOR BLOGGIN’ WITH M. BRENNAN
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Sam Captive

Amazon US 99c

Amazon UK 99p

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Christmas makes the best time to give books! – Ryanne Anthony has two for 99c/99p each! – Mariah: The M Series, Book Two and Marcus: The M Series, Book Three

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#contemporary, #romance, #interracial, #multicultural, #indieauthor, #indiepromo, #authorpromo
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Stubborn Mariah Hollander has not had a smooth life; some events that affect her happened before she was even born. But she survived it all, and she has the scars to prove it.
After being in an abusive relationship, Mariah is not sure what kind of man she will attract next and is afraid to test the waters.
Then she meets the intense and equally stubborn Dr. Marcus Alexander and the sparks that fly between them cannot be ignored.
Marcus has issues of his own, and they threaten to ruin his chances to be happy with Mariah, the only woman he has ever loved.
Marcus is convinced Mariah is the only woman he can fully and safely open his heart to, but Mariah must convince herself that she deserves Marcus’, unconditional love.
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Amazon Customer

I fell in love all over again
I first read this book a while ago and went back to re-read it. I fell in love all over again. This character has been through so much, and all you want is for her to find happiness and love. She is beautifully written in a strong, independent way. I related with a few of her issues and was glad to see how she overcame them and moved on. Usually, you read about the virgin and ditzy wishy-washy main character. I was glad this author went with a ‘real-life’ woman who had ‘real-life’ issues. This book has it all. You laugh, cry and want to reach through a few pages and throat punch a few people. Anxiously waiting for the next book!!!
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Amazon US 99c

Amazon UK 99p

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#contemporary, #romance, #interracial, #multicultural, #indieauthor, #indiepromo, #authorpromo
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Mariah Hollander was the last to know that Dr. Marcus Alexander and Marcus Cannon, was the same man.
Marcus Cannon was rich, handsome and exceedingly stubborn… and convinced himself that marriage and children were not for him.
Dr. Marcus Alexander was Calabasas Memorial Hospital’s Chief Pediatrician and head of Pediatrics at The Harvey-Reed-Cannon Medical Group.
Marcus first spotted Mariah Hollander walking into HRC with her sister and one look at her melts all the anger and fear that’s iced over his heart, making him question his decisions about life and family.
Neglecting to tell Mariah, she found out elsewhere and Marcus had to fight to re-earn the trust of his newfound love; losing her was not an option.
This is Marcus’ view of him and Mariah’s first encounter and ultimate courtship… as well as his eidetic recollection of the events that almost took her away from him forever.
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Amazon Customer

I couldn’t help BUT to fall head over heels in love with this alpha male

I have started with Broken and then Mariah. Reading Marcus book 3 in her series. I was blown away. I am used to a male POV being basically the same story. This author gets it. She doesn’t give you the same story. You not only hear Marcus’ side of the story BUT a few other key points. I couldn’t help BUT to fall head over heels in love with this alpha male. He exerts dominance and respect. You see why his brothers along with others show him respect. Marcus oozes SEX!!!!!! This book is a MUST READ!!!!!
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Amazon US 99c
Amazon UK 99p