Archive for the ‘horror’ Category

Books From The Back Log #78 ~ Fright Before Christmas

Posted: April 6, 2023 in horror, YA
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If you’re like me, you have a pile of books beckoning to you from your lists. Carole hosts this fun feature where you can share some of those older books and perhaps nudge you to finally read them. If you want to join in on the fun, head over to Carole’s Random Life In Books and leave a link to your post.
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Fright Before Christmas

13 Tales Of Holiday Horror

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Genre: Horror / YA / Short Stories

Synopsis

It’s the most wonderful time of year…or is it?

Christmas Eve is a night of mystery and magic, but not always in ways we expect. Things lurk in the shadows and they’re not the least bit jolly or merry. Let’s just say some presents are better left unopened.

‘Tis the season to be screaming along with our thirteen tales of holiday horrors. Ghosts. Monsters. Demons. And more!

This Christmas, be careful what you wish for…

Amazon

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I added this back in September 2015.

This sounds like a fun Christmas read.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Shadows Of Nightshade by Lyla Oweds ~ Excerpt And Giveaway

Posted: March 14, 2023 in giveaways, horror, Paranormal or fantasy, YA
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Shadows of Nightshade tour banner

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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Shadows of Nightshade by Lyla Oweds. Shadows of Nightshade is a ghost story for romance and tragedy lovers.

This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours and the tour runs from 13 till 26 March. You can see the tour schedule here.

Shadows of Nightshade (The Garden of Eternal Flowers #1)
By Lyla Oweds

 

Shadows of Nightshade (The Garden of Eternal Flowers Book 1) by [Lyla Oweds]

Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Paranormal Horror
Age category: Young Adult/ New Adult
Release Date: 8 March 2023

Blurb:

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I dream of a time where I was warm, safe, and loved.

But my waking reality is starkly different.

Anxiety plagues me and spirits haunt the shadows. No matter how fast I run, I can’t seem to escape my past.

The only solace and steady force in my life is my best friend, Finn.

And now… there’s a ghost haunting me. And I’m not certain if it wants help or if it wants to kill me. There’s only one person who can understand: Finn’s brother, Damen.

However, in reaching out, I’m betraying Finn and setting things into motion that cannot be undone.

But nobody ever said that doing the right thing was easy.

The Garden of Eternal Flowers is a re-envisioning of my Grimm Cases series. Eternal Flowers has taken my original vision of Bianca’s story and transformed it into something new and beautiful. Some chapters are similar, and some dialogue is the same, as The Grimm Cases, Origins, but overall, about 75% of the book has been entirely revisioned with new plot points, mystery, and interpersonal relationships. Also, unlike Origins (originally a Wattpad release), there is now a clear beginning, climax, and conclusion in each individual novel, which allows them to be read alone or as part of the ongoing series.

I hope that you will enjoy Shadows of Nightshade as much as I enjoyed writing it. Truly, it is an honor to write about Bianca and her boys, and all of these characters are near and dear to my heart.

Trigger Warning: This series deals with the aftermath of severe childhood trauma.

Links:
– Goodreads
– Bookbub
– Amazon
– B&N
– Kobo
– Radish

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Enjoy this peek inside:

What irony Bryce and my first private conversation would take place because of my weakness. Sleeping in class. It was a shameful thing, and an ultimate insult to educators worldwide.

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What would he do? I had no idea of the standard procedure for this sort of offense. Getting into trouble at school had been Finn’s job. How did professors punish college students? If the situation were reversed, and Bryce were my student, I would expel him.

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Hopefully, he was more forgiving than me.

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My unknown future worried me, however. It was high time to research.

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However, I wouldn’t look on the internet. Even though my fingers itched to search ‘sneaky professor punishes a bad girl’ to gain an accurate picture of my fate, I suspected it might not be a good idea.

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I’d only recently come to terms with the knowledge that I’d been living in a sheltered world. I was hesitant to explore the world out from behind the safe filter I’d been hiding behind.

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What if there was a reason? What was so horrible about the internet that made everyone think it was better to hide the truth?

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My stomach twisted at the thought of bothering Damen over such a trivial matter. He was an important person. But… I was scared.

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He’d said I could text him anytime. Did he mean it?

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Me: I have a question.

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I wasn’t expecting a quick reply—if he even bothered to send one at all—but my phone vibrated only seconds later.

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Damen: Hi, baby girl. ♥ What’s your question?

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My face flushed—I’d officially received my first emoji. Did this mean I could use one too?
Not yet. This situation was dire.

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Me: How do professors punish bad students? It’s kind of scary and I’m all alone.

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As my question was sent, a weight lifted from my shoulders, and I fell back into my seat, relieved. Knowing that someone out there would be honest with me and would steer me right was a different sort of feeling. Now, I could just—

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Damen: Where the fuck are you?

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Shadows of Nightshade graphic

About the Author:
Lyla Oweds is a paranormal / urban fantasy author who resides in the beautiful Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania with her husband, children, and animals. While she enjoys all genres of fiction, she has a deep appreciation for fantasy, romance, mystery, crime, and horror. Lyla has a bachelor’s in anthropology and will be completing her master’s in information technology in 2023.

Writing is her moonlighting passion, and she loves having the opportunity to share her perspective as a disabled (profoundly hard of hearing) woman. During the daylight hours, Lyla works as a principal / lead design and development specialist focusing on user experience and accessibility. When not working, Lyla is usually indulging in one of her many hobbies such as amusing her children, gardening, crocheting, interior decorating, baking, cooking, or playing video games.

Author links:
– Website
– Facebook
– Instagram
– Amazon
– Goodreads

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Shadows of Nightshade. One winner wins a paperback copy of Shadows of Nightshade.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Books From The Back Log #77 ~ In The Garden Of Spite

Posted: February 9, 2023 in Historical, horror
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If you’re like me, you have a pile of books beckoning to you from your lists. Carole hosts this fun feature where you can share some of those older books and perhaps nudge you to finally read them. If you want to join in on the fun, head over to Carole’s Random Life In Books and leave a link to your post.
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In The Garden Of Spite

by Camilla Bruce

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Genre:  Historical / Horror

Synopsis

Belle Sorensen loves men.
She loves them to death . . .

Early in life Belle Sorensen discovers the world is made only for men. They own everything: jobs, property, wives. But Belle understands what few others do: where women are concerned, men are weak.

A woman unhampered by scruples can take from them what she wants. And so Belle sets out to prove to the world that a woman can be just as ruthless, black-hearted and single-minded as any man.

Starting with her long suffering husband Mads, Belle embarks on a killing spree the like of which has never been seen before nor since.

And through it all her kind, older sister Nellie can only watch in horror as Belle’s schemes to enrich herself and cut down the male population come to a glorious, dreadful fruition . . .

Based on the true story of Belle Sorensen whose murderous rampage began in Chicago in 1900, Triflers Need Not Apply is a novelistic tour de force exploring one woman’s determination to pay men back for all they have taken.

Amazon

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I bought this back in January 2021.

From the title to the cover and synopsis, it all appeals to me.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Hell Holes Series by Donald Firesmith ~ Reviews And Giveaway

Posted: January 28, 2023 in giveaways, horror, reviews
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A Slaves Revenge

Hell Holes Book 4

by Donald Firesmith

Genre: SciFi, Paranormal Horror

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An epic story of love, loss, friendship, and survival under the most hellish of conditions, Hell Holes: A Slave’s Revenge is the award-winning prequel to the Hell Holes series of alien invasion novels.

After killing his father, alien demons teleport a fifteen-year-old boy, his mother, and his sister to Hell, a desert world in the Demonic Empire. With survival far from certain, they have just two choices: to live as useful slaves or die as demon food. As the boy becomes a man, he must decide just how much he must collaborate with his demon masters to survive. But can he live long enough to take his revenge and regain his freedom without losing his humanity and his very soul?

Winter 2022 Pinnacle Achievement Awards – Winner – Science Fiction Category
2021 Top Shelf Magazine Book Awards – Runner-up – Fiction/Fantasy Subcategory
July 2022 BooksShelf.com Book Awards – Finalist – Fiction Category
2021 The Wishing Shelf Book Awards – Finalist – Adult Category
ReadFree.ly – 50 Best Indie Books of 2021

**Only. .99 cents!!**

Amazon * Audiobook * Bookbub * Goodreads

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SERGEANT, our three-year-old German Shepherd, woke me from a pleasant dream by barking her head off and scratching at the cabin door. I glanced at my alarm clock. It was just after three in the morning, and much too early for her to need to be let out to do her business. She was also far too excited for that to be the problem.

“What is it, girl?” Dad called. “Are the raccoons back again?”

Sergeant ignored him and continued barking.

I thought I heard a deep growl coming from outside my window. “I think it’s a bear, Dad.” I groggily dragged myself out of bed, stepped into my slippers, and headed downstairs.

Dad was already there, taking his hunting rifle down from its home over the fireplace. He checked it to ensure it was loaded while I pulled Sergeant back from the door.

Grizzlies occasionally break into empty cabins looking for an easy meal. Still, I’d never known one to bust into one that was occupied, and a dog could usually be counted on to keep them at bay. Besides, it was late summer when their food was plentiful.

“What is it, Robert?” Mom asked. She was halfway down the stairs with Sarah just behind her.

“Probably just a bear,” Dad answered.

We had a thick solid door with a strong lock, so I wasn’t too concerned. I just hoped that it wouldn’t break a window because I’d be the one Dad would send into town to buy the glass to replace it.

Boom! The door rattled as something massive struck it. Sergeant growled, jerked her collar out of my hands, and bounded to the door. She pawed at it, barking like mad.

I was just about to run forward and grab her when there was a deafening bang. Ripped right off its heavy hinges, the door flew across the room, knocking Sergeant sideways and narrowly missing me before crashing into the dinner table.

Dad raised his rifle and fired just as a huge, wolf-like creature charged into the room. The bullet struck it squarely in the middle of the chest, dropping the monster to the floor.

We all gawked at the nightmarish beast lying at Dad’s feet. We’d never seen or even imagined such an animal. Easily four times the size of a timber wolf, the beast had neither fur nor anything you could call skin. Its massive brick-red muscles and yellowish bones and tendons were clearly visible as were the finger-long fangs and large, triangular teeth in its gaping mouth. Its yellow eyes with horizontal pupils stared blankly up at us while it bled blood the color of crude oil.

“What the hell is that?” Dad exclaimed as a second such beast burst into the house and bounded over the body of the one he had shot. Before he could react, it sank its teeth into Dad’s neck and shook him like an orca shaking a seal.

Several things happened almost simultaneously. Mom and Sarah screamed. The gun flew out of Dad’s hands and slid past me into the kitchen. Sergeant whined and bolted out the door as I sprinted to retrieve Dad’s rifle.

Grabbing his gun, I started to turn back to face the monsters when someone yanked the rifle right out of my hands. No, not someone. Some thing!

A grotesque, little, ape-like monster no more than three-feet-tall stood in front of me holding Dad’s rifle in one hand and a sword to my neck with the other. The imp had short little horns and stared at me with yellow, goat-like eyes. Like the hellhound, it was totally naked and seemed to have no skin covering his heavily muscled body.

Perhaps those huge muscles were what made me feel certain he was male despite his lack of any obvious indicator of his sex. The imp grinned, flashed an impossibly wide mouth full of shark-like teeth, and shook his head. His intent was unmistakable.

Wresting my gaze away from the imp’s hideous face, I looked up to see a second, sword-carrying imp motioning for Mom and Sarah to come down from the stairs. They, however, were transfixed by the sight of the hellhound feasting on Dad’s body. The one he’d shot had staggered to its feet, the wound in its chest miraculously healing before our eyes. The hellhounds snarled and growled at each other as they bit off softball-sized chunks of flesh and swallowed them whole.

I was having a nightmare! The worst nightmare of my life. I was asleep. I had to be.

The imp in front of me poked my stomach with the tip of his sword. It hurt! What? It shouldn’t hurt. You don’t feel pain in dreams. I glanced down and saw a little circle of blood staining my pajamas.

I wasn’t dreaming! Two wolf-like monsters were eating my dad, and two diminutive demons with swords had taken over the house. I couldn’t imagine how things could get any worse, but they did.

The devil, who was completely naked like the imps, walked in through the open doorway. There he stood with his long swept-back horns, his cloven hooves, and his red naked body. The only things missing were a pitchfork and tail. Tall and far more muscular than any Olympic athlete, he looked around the room with yellow, goat-like eyes, just like those of the imps and hellhounds.

The devil pointed at my mother and sister and barked out a series of incomprehensible sounds. They had to be words in the demonic language of Hell. Several of the syllables were so weird and spoken so rapidly that they were difficult to grasp and impossible for any human to repeat.

The imp standing at the base of the stairs motioned with his sword for Mom and Sarah to come down. Then the devil said something else, and the imp in front of me motioned for me to join them. Mom and Sarah were crying, their shoulders shaking uncontrollably as they watched the hellhounds feasting on Dad’s body. We hugged, and I did my best to make them turn their backs on the horrific scene. But there was no way we could ignore the horrible sounds the hellhounds made as we waited to learn our fate.

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To Hell and Back

Hell Holes Book 3

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The beautiful young photojournalist, Aileen O’Shannon, is not who she seems. For centuries, she has been a demon hunter, a sorceress who has tracked and killed small bands of demons that occasionally crossed into our world. But that changed when she joined Dr. Jack Oswald’s expedition to study one of hundreds of huge holes that mysteriously appeared overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle. Instead of small sporadic incursions, hordes of demons now pour from these hell holes like water from a sieve. With bombing little more than a losing game of whack-a-mole, Earth’s armies are unable to destroy the portals. When Jack suggests a desperate plan, he is drafted to join Aileen and a team of other sorcerers and Army Rangers to travel to the demon homeworld. Once there, they will unleash a plague virus and set off a nuclear bomb to destroy the portal complex. It’s a suicide mission. But Aileen has given Jack’s wife her word to bring him back safely, and the demons have already killed three men under her protection. Just how far will Aileen go to avoid losing another?

**Only. .99 cents!!**

Amazon * Audiobook * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Demons on the Dalton

Hell Holes Book 2

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When hundreds of huge holes mysteriously appeared overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle, geologist Jack Oswald picked Angele Menendez, his climatologist wife, to determine if the record temperatures due to climate change was the cause. But the holes were not natural. They were unnatural portals for an invading army of demons. Together with Aileen O’Shannon, a 1,700-year-old sorceress demon-hunter, the three survivors of the research team sent to study the holes had only one chance: to flee down the dangerous Dalton Highway towards the relative safety of Fairbanks. However, the advancing horde of devils, imps, hellhounds, and gargoyles will stop at nothing to prevent their prey from escaping. It is a 350-mile race with simple rules. Win and live; lose and die…

**Only. .99 cents!!**

Amazon * Audiobook * Bookbub * Goodreads

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My Review

It started with mysterious holes appearing overnight in the tundra of the North Slope in Alaska. A team of seven, including Jack, a geologist, his wife, Angela, a climatologist, Aileen, a reporter with a secret power, and four others are hired by Exxon Mobil to investigate. When the very hounds of Hell crawl out of one of the holes and start killing, the team races south on Dalton Highway, one of the ten most dangerous roads, trying to reach Fairbanks and safety. Soon, imps and gargoyles join the hellhounds in pursuit. Only three of the team members make it to the SUV and begin their escape. The Demon War has begun.

Jack told his story of how it all began in the first book. Now, Angela tells what happens next.

As the three survivors race down the highway, they encounter more and more demons. And the demons have some surprising tricks up their sleeve that don’t bode well. It’s attack after attack. Every time it seems like they’ve found safety, it goes to hell in a hand basket. Even the military, with all of their technology and weapons, don’t stand a chance.

After what I’ve just read, I have now decided that if there’s ever an apocalypse, I’ll take zombies over demons any time. Some of these of creatures are dumber than a box of rocks, but they are guided by higher demons, smart ones, and can inflict major damage.

The author sure doesn’t give his characters a break. And he keeps the action and suspense at full throttle. How many demons are there? Do they have a weakness? And most important, how do we stop them? The answer is one you can’t begin to imagine.

I take from the ending that there’s more to come. I have an idea where it will go and sure excited to see how that works out.

4  Stars

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What Lurks Below

Hell Holes Book 1

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It’s August in Alaska, and geology professor Jack Oswald prepares for the new school year. But when hundreds of huge holes mysteriously appear overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle, Jack receives an unexpected phone call. An oil company exec hires Jack to investigate, and he picks his climatologist wife and two of their graduate students as his team. Uncharacteristically, Jack also lets Aileen O’Shannon, a bewitchingly beautiful young photojournalist, talk him into coming along as their photographer. When they arrive in the remote oil town of Deadhorse, the exec and a biologist to protect them from wild animals join the team. Their task: to assess the risk of more holes opening under the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the wells and pipelines that feed it. But they discover a far worse danger lurks below. When it emerges, it threatens to shatter Jack’s unshakable faith in science. And destroy us all…

**Only. .99 cents!!**

Amazon * Audiobook * Bookbub * Goodreads

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My Review

I love unexplained acts of nature. Makes for such a chilling plot. When holes start appearing in the Arctic Circle , a team of experts is sent to investigate. Once they arrive, things get worse as more holes appear. And then something straight out of Hell crawls out. A horde of otherworldly creatures that have only one thing in mind. Killing mankind. With nowhere to run, the team seeks shelter in an old station. But the horde won’t be denied, and like an octopus with a sealed bottle full of yummy bait, they will find a way in.

I was almost rubbing my hands together in twisted anticipation before I started this one. Mysterious holes appearing. Something beyond imagining crawls out. The fate of mankind hangs in the balance. Oh yeah. I knew I had to read this book.

There’s a mixed bag of character’s. Ones you come to like and respect and some not so much. The author doesn’t seem to mind killing off either one. Keeps you on edge when things get down and dirty. Which doesn’t take long at all.

The story is strong and there’s a sub plot that makes things even more interesting. Also, the blend of science fiction and horror leaves the story wide open for the author to go in many different directions.

The ending. Well, it’s an end, but also a cliff hanger. That’s because this is really the beginning of something much bigger. I’ll be grabbing the next one immediately. Got a good feeling about this series.

   4  Stars

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Donald Firesmith is a multi-award-winning author of speculative fiction including science fiction (alien invasion), fantasy (magical wands), horror, and modern urban paranormal novels and anthologies of short stories.

Prior to retiring to devote himself full-time to his novels, Donald Firesmith earned an international reputation as a distinguished engineer, authoring seven system/software engineering books based on his 40+ years spent developing large, complex software intensive systems.

He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky, his daughter Sera, and varying numbers of dogs and cats.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Spells, Salt & Steel: Season 2 by Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin

Posted: January 21, 2023 in giveaways, horror, urban fantasy
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Spells, Salt & Steel:

Season 2

by Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin

Genre: Comedic Horror, Urban Fantasy

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Monster hunter and mechanic Mark Wojcik has his hands full protecting innocent monsters from horrible people and innocent people from horrible monsters.

His corner of rural Pennsylvania used to be relatively quiet—except for the ghosts, trolls, gnomes, and snallygasters. Then the Mob wars between the vampires and werewolves spilled over from the big city, along with supernatural bounty hunters, necromancer narcos, a monster trafficking ring, paranormal bookies, warring secret government agencies, and wicked witches.

To rein in the chaos, Mark will need to call on all his resources – Father Leo, Donny the Werewolf, the Scooby Gang of supernaturally-talented young adults he mentors, and other friends with the kind of special talents to handle things that go bump in the night. They’re making it up as they go, breaking all the rules, and kicking monster butt.

Spells, Salt, and Steel Season 2 is a high-energy, horror-comedy action-packed adventure filled with creepy cryptids, spooky magic, supernatural secrets, paranormal plots, found family, loyal friends, haunted houses, helpful ghosts, sneaky secret agents, and lots of explosions!

This comedy urban fantasy series takes place in the universe of John G. Hartness’s Bubba the Monster Hunter series and shares crossovers with other Falstaff Books titles by Eric R Asher, J.D. Blackrose, and Theresa Glover in the New Templar Knights universe. The first volume, Spells, Salt, & Steel Season 1, is also available from Falstaff Books.

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Amazon * Audible * Goodreads

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Spells, Salt & Steel:

Season 1

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“When all else fails, the ass end of a carp makes a damn fine weapon.”


Your new favorite monster hunter has arrived! Bubba the Monster Hunter has some competition in this horror comedy collection from best-selling author duo Gail Z. & Larry N. Martin!


By day, Mark Wojcik can be found elbow-deep in engine grease, making cars and trucks safe for the highway. By night, he can be found traipsing through the wilds of Pennsylvania, making the world safe for humans. He’s more than just a mechanic, he’s a New Templar Knight. He travels the backroads and byways fighting weresquonks, ningen, selkies, ghosts, and…gnomes? Is that gnome…naked? (sigh).

Season One collects the first four novellas in the Spells, Salt, & Steel series –

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Spells, Salt, & Steel
Open Season
Deep Trouble
Close Encounters

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Amazon * Audible * Goodreads

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Gail Z. Martin discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and ghost stories in elementary school. The first story she wrote at age five was about a vampire. Her favorite TV show as a preschooler was Dark Shadows. At age 14, she decided to become a writer. She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites.

Larry N. Martin is the author of the new sci-fi adventure novel Salvage Rat. He is the co-author (with Gail Z. Martin) of the Spells, Salt, and Steel/New Templars series; the Steampunk series Iron & Blood; and a collection of short stories and novellas: The Storm & Fury Adventures set in the Iron & Blood universe. He is also the co-author of the upcoming Wasteland Marshals series and the Joe Mack Cauldron/Secret Council series.
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The Martins have three children, a Maltese, and a Golden Retriever.

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Website * Facebook * Twitter * Twitter * Instagram

Bookbub * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

There are worse fates than dying……. Sisters Of The Crimson Vine by P. L. McMillan

Posted: November 29, 2022 in giveaways, horror
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Sisters of the Crimson Vine

by P.L. McMillan

Genre: Folk Horror

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John Ainsworth nearly died in that car crash.

Soon he’ll learn there are worse fates.

After a brutal accident, John awakens in the dilapidated Crimoria Convent under the care of thirteen unconventional nuns. Grievous injuries trap him within the borders of the ruined sanctuary and its strangely successful vineyard. When his body starts healing faster than nature allows, John’s questions quickly pile up.

A pair of Church auditors arrive to look into the convent’s finances. It’s obvious the pair are unwelcome guests, but John has bigger concerns. The order’s annual ritual draws near and John begins to discover things that make him wonder if any of them are truly safe in the hands of the Sisters of the Crimson Vine.

“A taut braid of repressed desires, implied deviance, and eldritch horror. McMillan coyly lures us to a finale as repulsive as it is compelling.” – Stoker award-winning Jamie Flanagan, co-writer of The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass

“In her masterful debut novella, Sisters of the Crimson Vine, P.L. McMillan cultivates dread like a fine wine. The more we sip, the deeper we sink into this insidious tale grown from the seed of Jackson’s “The Lottery” planted in a Lovecraftian terroir and harvested in Ari Aster’s Midsommar. Like the title characters’ famed libation, you will not be able to stop reading once you imbibe. A drunken sense of imbalance and uncertainty remains with you until the very end. Lovers of the occult will be pleasantly satiated by P.L. McMillan’s gothic offering.” – Stoker award-winning EV Knight, Three Days in the Pink Tower

“Sisters of the Crimson Vine by P.L McMillan is folk horror at its very best. The visuals, tension and mood created then intermixed with undeniable dread and mystery rides the very edges of illumination and darkness. P.L explores themes of religious hypocrisy and the power of women and sacrifices made to survive. She expertly subverts older tropes into something terrifying and new. This book is as vivid and twisted as any Aster movie.” – Brenda S. Tolian, Blood Mountain


“Sisters of the Crimson Vine is a perfectly paced suspenseful story that will make you want to savor every word. Invoking the ominous folk horror atmosphere of the Wicker Man and Midsommer, P.L. serves an unsettling tale of the supernatural bond between women and nature and the power and price of living free from patriarchal dominance.” – Joy Yehle, author and host of The Burial Plot horror podcast.

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Amazon * TimberGhostPress * Goodreads

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** See the author read an excerpt from the book HERE! **

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P.L. McMillan writes dark stories and loves cosmic and gothic horror in particular. Her works have been published in Sanitarium, Hinnom Magazine, Fundead Publications, among others.

To her, every shadow is an entry way to a deeper look into the black heart of the world and every night she rides with the mocking and friendly ghouls on the night-wind, bringing back dark stories to share with those brave enough to read them.

“Someone suggested to me that McMillan might be one of the next great cosmic horror writers and if [The Space Between] is a good indication of her talent and imagination, I’d say they could well be correct.” – The Miskatonic Review

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Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Emporium Of Superstition ~ An Anthology Of Superstition, Suspense, Horror And More

Posted: October 31, 2022 in Anthology, giveaways, horror, Paranormal or fantasy
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No plans for Halloween? How about reading Emporium of Superstition, a chilling collection by some of your favourite authors!

Emporium-of-Superstition-Kindle

Emporium of Superstition

Publication Date: October 5th, 2022

Genre: Anthology/ Horror/ Supernatural/ Fantasy/ Mythology/ Folk Tales

Publisher: Midnight Tide Publishing

Heed the warnings, or you could be next.

A society of Old Wives’ comes together in this collection of suspenseful stories. In between these pages, twelve authors draw on ancient tales your grandmothers warned you about. From demons living amongst humans, to ghosts lurking in the shadows, and even gods looming above, these recountings will surely inspire a fright.

Open the book, turn the page, for it may be the last thing you do.

Emporium of Superstition is an anthology full of superstition, suspense, and horror. If you love Survive the Night by Riley Seger, Stephen King, Joe Hill and American Horror Story, then you’ll not want to miss this thrilling collection.

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PROLOGUE

This couldn’t be what her grandma had warned her of . . . It wouldn’t hurt to read just a few pages, right?

Melissa opened the dusty book. The first page had been written on. A single inscription ran across the page in red ink.

They are real.

“Melissa, honey,” her mom said, coming into the room with a teacup in hand. “I made you some . . . ” She paused near the door, eyes rounding. The cup tumbled from her hand, shattering on the wooden floor.

And an inhuman cry erupted from her mom’s mouth.

Available on Amazon

Authors in Order of Appearance

3D Mock

Candace Robinson:

Candace Robinson spends her days consumed by words and hoping to one day find her own DeLorean time machine. Her life consists of avoiding migraines, admiring Bonsai trees, watching classic movies, and living with her husband and daughter in Texas—where it can be forty degrees one day and eighty the next!

C. Vonzale Lewis:

My name is Carla Vonzale Lewis and I like my martinis shaken . . . never stirred.

Carla was born in Georgia, but please don’t mistake her for a Georgia peach. She’s more like a prickly pear. Speaking of being born, someone asked her recently if she remembered her birth. And she had to say, “Yes, I do remember that handsy doctor pulling me out into the cold. Right Bastard!!!”

Despite being born in the South, she grew up in California. Every once in a great while, she gets to experience all four seasons. But mostly, it’s just heat.

When not writing, Carla enjoys reading, binge watching shows on Netflix, and trying to convince her husband that getting a dog is a wonderful idea.

And one day, she will discover how many licks it actually takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.

 

Christis Christie:

Christis Christie lives on the east coast of Canada, in Nova Scotia. She gets most excited about diving into a new fantasy world while writing, but also loves a good supernatural plot. Tiss, as she is affectionately called by her friends, enjoys being creative in any way she can, so if she’s not writing, then she’s crocheting or she’s embroidering. Her favorite animal is the sloth, and her favorite retellings are anything Beauty and the Beast related.

Katya de Becerra:

Katya de Becerra is the author of genre-bending, critically acclaimed speculative novels, What The Woods Keep and Oasis. Her next book, When Ghosts Call Us Home, is forthcoming in 2023 with Page Street. Her short fiction appeared or forthcoming in various anthologies and literary magazines. She is currently co-editing a curated horror anthology This Fresh Hell (Clan Destine Press, 2023) which reimagines old horror tropes in new and unexpected ways. Katya has a PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Melbourne, and for the past ten years she’s been working in academia as an educator and researcher. You can keep up to date with Katya’s writing and updates through her website.

Elle Beaumont:

Elle Beaumont loves creating vivid fantasy and science fiction worlds. She lives in southeastern Massachusetts with her husband and two children. When not writing or chasing around her children, she enjoys making candles. More than once, she has proclaimed that coffee is lifeblood, and it is how she refrains from becoming a zombie.

Jessica Cranberry:

Jessica Cranberry lives in the Sierra Nevada foothills with her family and spends days striking a balance between parenthood, teaching, editing/proofreading, and writing—suspense novels and eclectic short stories mostly. When she’s not doing those things, she’s reading, attempting to garden, or hiking around town. Her novel, IN THE TRAP, was published in the spring of 2022 with book two scheduled for release in 2023.

Kristin Jacques:

Kristin Jacques is an award-winning author of speculative fiction for teens and adults. She currently lives in small town Connecticut with her partner, sons, and two gremlins who think they are cats. When not writing, she is usually chasing her boys around or catching some excellent B horror movies. She is currently working on projects full of magic, mystery, and delight.

Marlena Frank:

Marlena Frank has always been fascinated by monsters, and now gets to write about them. She is the author of young adult fantasy and horror novels, short stories, novellas, and series. Many of her books have hit the Amazon bestseller charts, including her debut novel, Stolen, and her first short story collection, The Impostor and Other Dark Tales. In 2022, she will be kicking off her young adult dark fantasy series, The Wolves of Kanta, featuring mad scientists, hunters, and werewolves.

Although she was born in Tennessee, Marlena has spent most of her life in Georgia. She lives with her sister and two spoiled adopted cats. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Atlanta Chapter of the Horror Writers Association and is an avid member of the Atlanta cosplay community.

She is an INFJ, a tea drinker, and a wildlife enthusiast.

Meg Dailey:

Meg has been editing independently for more than 10 years. She’s been a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association since 2017 and spent two years as Lead Editor of Anthologies with a small-press publisher. She is now an affiliate editor for the growing co-op Midnight Tide Publishing.

She’s an avid reader, self-diagnosed YA addict, and strong believer in the NA genre. Her TBR is ever-growing.

She also writes! Just . . . very slowly . . .

D.M. Siciliano:

DM is a lover of all things creative. A storyteller by nature, she first pursued her young dream of becoming a singing diva while living in Arizona. She soon found that stage life wasn’t the only form of storytelling she craved, so she dropped the mic and picked up a pencil instead. She still hasn’t given up on her diva-ness, and hopes her pencil stays as sharp as her tongue.

A dark sense of humor and curiosity for haunted houses and things out of the ordinary led her down the path of completing her first novel, Inside. Several other projects are constantly floating around in her head and her laptop daily, and sometimes keeping her up much too late at night. Occasionally, those projects are so dark and twisted, she needs to leave a nightlight on.

Originally from Massachusetts, she now lives in Northern California with her two fluffy furbabies, Cezare and Michaleto.

Leslie Rush:

Leslie Rush grew up near Philadelphia, spending much time at the Jersey Shore. She moved to El Paso and fell in love with the desert Southwest. Disguised as a history teacher, she spent years eavesdropping on her future readers. When she’s not in her classroom, Leslie can be found on the road with her husband, exploring the desert and the world of dreams.

Theresa Braun:

Theresa Braun has a Master’s degree in English literature and lives in South Florida where she has taught literature and writing for over 20 years. Traveling, ghost hunting, and all things dark are her passions. In 2018 Unnerving released her horror novel Fountain Dead, a coming of age ghost story. Her short works have appeared in The Horror Zine, Sirens Call, Hardened Hearts, Best Indie Speculative Fiction: November 2018, and Double Barrel Horror, Volume 3.

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November 1st

@beastreader (Review) https://www.instagram.com/beastreader/

The Faerie Review (Review) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/

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November 2nd

@caffeinatedbibliophilia (Review) https://www.instagram.com/caffeinatedbibliophilia/

Jennifer Mitchell, Bibliolater (Review) https://www.jennifermitchellbooks.com

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@ems_literarycorner (Review) https://www.instagram.com/ems_literarycorner/

@sofia_the_scholar (Review) https://www.instagram.com/sofia_the_scholar

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November 4th

@books_inthecity (Review) https://www.instagram.com/books_inthecity/

@books.and.salt (Review) https://www.instagram.com/books.and.salt/

@itsabookthing2021 (Review) https://www.instagram.com/itsabookthing2021/

@wolfesbooks (Review) https://www.instagram.com/wolfesbooks/

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Skadegemute: Ghost Witch by Ian Conner

Posted: October 30, 2022 in horror, Supernatural
Tags: ,
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I have the perfect story to curl up with on Halloween!

Check out Ian Conner’s Ghost Witch and make sure to leave a light on!

Ghost Witch_1600 x 2560_v4

Ghost Witch

Publication Date: June 2nd, 2022

Genre: Supernatural Horror/ Ghost Story, Native American Folklore/ Mythology

The Two Spears and Four Claws clans for generations. Now the evil has returned, once again threatening the lives of a young mother and her twin babies. It is an evil that temporarily killed and banished with fire and magic, but it can never be destroyed. It is a source of great shame for the clans. So much so, that it is never spoken about outside of the tribe.

Carlyle Allen, the wealthy new owner of Haunted Gap, is building his dream home for he and his young bride, Rebecca. Carlyle discovers a hidden room in the basement and comes across the corpse of “The Maiden”, a form the evil entity takes to seduce and trick people into doing its bidding.

A very pregnant Rebecca Allen visits Haunted Gap for the first time. Rebecca becomes exposed to poison from “The Maiden,” leading to a trip to the clinic where she meets Maggie Four Claws and Dr. Sally Manning. Realizing that Rebecca has been marked by the Ghost witch, she contacts her grandmother Opal for help and to alert the clans.

Maggie manages to convince both Rebecca Allen and Dr. Manning that she and the babies are danger, not only from the Ghost Witch, but from her husband Carlyle as well. As Dr. Manning races to get Rebecca to safety, the Ghost Witch causes an accident, allowing Carlyle to kidnap Rebecca in order to sacrifice her and the children to “The Maiden.”

Meanwhile, Maggie Four Claws, Grandma Opal, and the rest of the clans move into action to hunt down and banish the Ghost Witch. But, will they find the evil in time enough to destroy it and save Rebecca and her babies?

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About the Author

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Ian Conner is retired and spent most of his adult life as a Marine and Army Infantry Sergeant. Now living near San Diego California with his wife Bonnie, a cellist, and their two dogs, Cookie and Isabella. Conner spends his days fostering kittens, gardening, crafting beautiful stained glass and creating worlds on the page.

Conner has authored several other novels:

Cooper’s Ridge – Science Fiction

The Long Game – Political Thriller

The Price of Partisanship – Political Thriller

Solaris – Political Thriller

Griffins Perch – Epic Fantasy

Ghost Witch – Horror

After a lifetime of destruction the thought of creating something tangible and lasting holds great appeal. He finds writing a cathartic way to redefine himself both in his eyes and the eyes of others.

Black Raptor Books

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That Which Cannot Be Undone ~ An Ohio Horror Anthology

Posted: October 20, 2022 in Anthology, giveaways, horror
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That Which Cannot Be Undone

An Ohio Horror Anthology

edited by Jess Landry

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Beneath Ohio’s congenial midwestern facade lies a dark underbelly of urban legends, cursed sites, and unseen terrors. From a woman drawn to an underwater town haunted by its last resident to a killer desperately seeking to experience new life through the teeth of his victims, these eighteen stories all take place in the Buckeye State, some drawn from already-known accounts of strangeness and infamous settings, others completely the author’s invention.

Edited by Bram Stoker Award-winner Jess Landry, That Which Cannot Be Undone features works from new and established voices in horror, including Bram Stoker Award-winners Gary A. Braunbeck, Tim Waggoner, Lucy A. Snyder, Gwendolyn Kiste, and Kealan Patrick Burke, and New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Megan Hart.

Amazon * Goodreads

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The Editor, Jess Landry is a Canadian screenwriter, director, editor, and Bram Stoker Award-winning author. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies, including ALIENS VS PREDATORS: ULTIMATE PREY, and she co-edited the Bram Stoker Award- and British Fantasy Award-nominated anthology, THERE IS NO DEATH, THERE ARE NO DEAD. Find her online at jesslandry.com.

 

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Cover Reveal ~ Division X by August Hill

Posted: October 8, 2022 in Cover Reveal, horror, Supernatural
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Welcome to the cover reveal for August Hill’s novel, Division X! The perfect book to add to your October TBR!

FINAL COVER PROOF Division X 7-25-22 - Copy

Expected Publication Date: October 20th, 2022

Genre: Supernatural Horror/ Lycanthropes

Publisher: Brother Mockingbird

TW: 80’s slasher gore in chapter one.

Twenty-four years old, no job, and kicked out by her parents, Randi Matheson is living at her aunt and uncle’s trying her hardest to complete a novel she can’t seem to start when a carnivorous monster interrupts her middling life on a full moon night. Attacked during an ordinary family dinner, Randi’s relatives are murdered, and she is bitten by the beast. Surviving the slaughter, Randi returns home to her distressed family only to become a monster herself under the next full moon. Nearly devouring her younger brother, she is stopped by the intervention of Division X, a company devoted to the killing and capture of paranormal threats. She awakens in a containment cell the next morning to be given an ultimatum… work for them as a new weapon in the fight against evil or be dissected. A cure to her lycanthropy is promised along the way, and with real motivation to stay alive, Randi pushes herself to the brink to return to her normal life. Small town horrors lie in wait with even smaller heroes to stand against them. Can Randi save them and herself, or will everything crumble to the wills of evil?

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I’m not me when I kill people. At least, that’s what I tell myself. I wake up, and I know I’ve done something horrible. My hands are covered in blood, my clothes are gone, and my stomach feels full. I don’t remember what I did. All I remember is the pain. It’s impossible to forget.

It starts with the fur. It spreads like fire, melting me. My bones go next, shifting, changing, breaking. I always cry, always scream, but I can live with the pain. I can’t live with what comes next. Something takes control and pushes me into the dark. I sleep a dreamless sleep, and when I wake up, the nightmare begins.

I don’t know them, the people I’ve killed, the ones I’ve eaten. But I do know they weren’t all bad. I live with the pain because I deserve it.

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About the Author

Ryan1

After receiving an education at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, August Hill started writing Division X, a supernatural horror filled with dark humor, adventure, and sinister creatures that leap off the pages.

His love for all things spooky and scary was unleashed when he discovered Jurassic Park at four years old and the R. L. Stine Goosebumps collection in elementary school. He holds a huge appreciation for 80’s horror and is partial to fun, dark, and witty ensemble casting with younger heroes. Some of his favorite influences include The Lost Boys, Aliens, Gremlins, and An American Werewolf in London to name a few.

Hill’s knack for writing fiction emerged at an early age when he wrote stories for his own enjoyment. He is a collector of horror films and is a board game enthusiast. When not writing, he can be found walking trails with his dog, enjoying movie nights with friends, spending time playing video games, and camping in Maine.

August Hill | Instagram | Twitter

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