Release Blitz and Giveaway: Sinners in the Dark by Inger Iveson

Sinners in the Dark
Inger Iversen
(Running in the Dark #2)
Publication date: March 25th 2016
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

War is coming between vampires and humans, and the Vampire Nation will stop at nothing to eliminate their enemies. Former assassin, Echo sees the Nation for what it is – a corrupt organization with its sights set on destroying the Sect, a group formed to eradicate all things vampire. Now Echo is a Ghost, a traitor of the Vampire Nation, determined to build a new life with the Sect. But choices he’s made in the past might cost him the one person who could truly redeem his soul.

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Sequel to:

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Chapter 1
Present Day
Give as Good as You Get

Via crept slowly along the back wall of the seedy motel, keeping her body out of the light. Quietly, she tucked her lucky silver cross in her shirt and reached to her side to pull her queb, a weapon made from wood, from her belt. With her other hand, she palmed her gun and released it from her side. She studied the two hoodlums with intense disdain as they eyed the mom and pop diner. Via knew the owners, and ate there often back when she was a dollar away from being homeless.

Gang vampires were a tricky bunch. They often traveled in groups, and more times than not, had two or more lookouts. Via glanced around the back alley in search of anything amiss, but was greeted with nothing. Turning back to the group assembling before her, she noted their clothing; the red and gold shirts of the vamp-bangers told Via two things. First, they were not generals in the gang, but mere henchmen. And second, they were stupid as fuck, as this was their rival’s territory. She’d had many encounters with both gangs, on account of them liking to kidnap and rape women; enjoying their screams as she gutted them like a fish with her queb.

The sound of glass shattering pulled her out of her thoughts. Now would be the time Via should pull her cell from her pocket and dial up her dhampir partner, Echo. Her stomach roiled at the thought, and though Austin believed it a good idea to partner a human with a trusted dhampir, Via wasn’t feeling the love. Using the excuse of having her hands full, she didn’t make the call and inched closer to the opening leading out to the main street. She darted across the street and damn near ninja dove into the window. Once she cleared the glass and debris, she smoothly rolled under the nearest table for cover.

Via was no fool, with vamps’ excellent hearing and sniffers, they’d easily discover her in the café, but she was banking on one thing to help her out. She took a quick peek at the bottom of her queb for reassurance. The stake-like rod was thick as a baton, the tip sharp as a razor’s edge, and it gave a faint glow from the rune placed on it by an enchantress. This particular rune obliterated Via’s human scent. A handy tool when hiding from vamps.

Like with any mission, sanctioned or unsanctioned, Via had a plan: attack, kill, and repeat, until all vamps were dead. Ordinarily, Echo had point and took out the lookouts. His superior vision and hearing had often given him and Via an advantage, but since he wasn’t with her, it’d be like old times.

Vamp number one, who she’d decided to call Lefty, since he was missing his right eye, slid to a halt in front of the broken window. Ambient light from the streetlights filtered into the small café, creating shadows across Lefty’s perplexed face. Via inched her gun up—loaded with silver nitrate bullets—and readied her queb just as the pale faced vamp turned. The first shot rang out like an explosion in the night. Seared flesh, blood, and pieces of Lefty’s remaining eye showered around Via.

Standing to take care of the second vamp sliding around the corner, she lost her balance in the blood and fell to the floor. In a second, she made the choice to drop the queb, and aim the weapon. To her surprise, instead of one vampire, there were now three. These were more than some run-of-the-mill gangbangers, breaking and entering. The one she’d aptly named Blue, for his intense electric blue eyes, held a few boxes in his hand, and not one of them had made their way to the cash register, or the wall safe.

Blue’s eyes widened at the sight of her. “Hey, baby.” His voice held a sickening slimy quality. He handed the boxes to Tyson, who she’d named Mike Tyson since they both had those stupid matching face tattoos. “Did you come to play?” Licking his lips, his eyes did a perusal of her body, taking time to linger on her breasts.

Slowly, Via stood and placed her empty hand on her hip while keeping her gun aimed. “Stop, in the name of the law.” None of the vamps spoke. The silence filled the room and Via tensed. Okay, so these guys didn’t like her joke.

The three vamps, Blue, Tyson and Shit Eater—no explanation for nickname needed—stared at her longer, before there was a blur of movement, and one of the three stooges knocked the gun from her hands. Next came a gut-crushing blow to her stomach. Bile rose in her throat as she hit the ground.
If Via lived to tell this story, she would say that in seconds she was up again ready and raring to take on the vamps—which would be a lie. Those who had called her hardheaded would be happy to know that too was a lie because as her skull hit the floor with a deafening crack. Via’s body refused to listen to her command to get the fuck up. Even with skill such as Via’s, taking on three vamps in the middle of the night, with no damned back up, was something akin to suicide.

Character interview with

King Konstantine 

Echo

Today we sit down for a brief moment with Echo, ex-assassin for the Vampire Nation and true king of the Russian vampires.

Inger Iversen:
Thank you for being here with us today. Let’s jump right into this interview and start with explaining to the readers the difference between a blood born vampire, a made vampire and a dhampir.

Echo:
As you know, most humans are misguided in their theories about my world. Most humans assume a vampire female is incapable of giving birth, however; that is not wholly true. A blood born vampire is born from a demon and is able to reproduce. However, turned vampires are unable to reproduce, as their wombs are barren and the undead cannot nurture life inside of their body. A male dhampir can reproduce with any fertile female.

II:
Wow, that's fascinating. So would it be safe for me to assume there’s an underworld out there most know nothing about?

Echo:
Yes, and in more ways than one. Our world is kept secret from humans at the request of government officials. They do not want you to know that there are creatures of the night.

II:
Okay, well I think some humans know that the government hides information from us. What about things like the cure for cancer and other deadly diseases?

Echo:
Let me put it like this. My dhampir blood isn't nearly as potent as the blood of a blood born vampire, and yet, I can heal broken bones, cure poisons, remedy genetic diseases and much more human and lore illness. Just imagine what the blood of a blood born vampire can do.

II:
Amazing. I hope one day we are able to use vampire blood to help those in need. For my last question, I would like to ask you something personal. When you find your brother, what do you plan to do to him? As you told Via in Sinners in the Dark, please give detail.

Echo:
Ha! Shall I spoil the end of a series for the readers? No, I won’t, but I will tell you this. When I capture my brother his death will be so bloody and gruesome that readers will not sleep for many nights for fear of the monster I am.

II:
Chilling, but Vasily deserves nothing but death for all the trouble he has wrought. Echo, thank you for sitting down with us today. Your time is most appreciated.

Echo:
No problem. Via made me come.

Inger Iversen was born in 1982 to Anne and Kaii Iversen. She lives in Virginia Beach with her overweight lap cat, Max and her tree hugging boyfriend Joshua. She spends 90 percent of her time in Barnes and Noble and the other ten pretending not to want to be in Barnes and Noble.

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—

Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway: Beautifully Brutal by Nicole Edwards

Sometimes love isn’t beautiful... 

Meet Max & Courtney is this southern mafia romance!

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Sometimes love isn’t beautiful...
Sometimes the only way to describe it is beautifully brutal.
If you think you know him… You’re wrong.
If you think you know his family… Wrong again.
If you think you know his story… You don’t.
If you did, you’d likely wonder how the hell a man like Maximillian Adorite managed to make it to this point in his life. At twenty-nine, he’s experienced more than most people could only ever imagine, all thanksto his family. Organized crime they call it. Mafia.
No matter how they spin it, it comes down to one thing. Max gets what he wants. Except for the one thing he wants most.
Her name is Courtney Kogan.
And now that he’s had a taste of her, Max knows he’ll never be able to let her go.

The Southern Boy Mafia series is a spinoff from the Sniper 1 Security series. It has been set up to be read without reading Sniper 1 Security, however, the characters will frequently cross over.

Teaser Quotes & Excerpt

Quote 1: Max knew all about dark and dangerous. It was his life. He was the son of Samuel and Genevieve Adorite, and Max’s world was entrenched in the dark and dirty underworld that his parents had proudly built around them.

Southern Boy Mafia, they called them.

Quote 2: The moment the doors opened and she stepped into view, his heartbeat slowed, as did his breathing. It was an automatic, predatory response, one that he’d honed over the last two years. It was his body’s way of arming for the battle he knew would come. The battle that fired him up and made his body ache for her.

Courtney Kogan.

Quote 3: Courtney picked up the pace, heading directly to Max’s office. She needed to get this over with and get far away from this man before she did something really, really stupid.

Like give in to him again, because no matter what she tried to tell herself, Maximillian Adorite had always— always—been her weakness.

Quote 4: Max’s lips curved upward. This time there was definitely something inherently sexual in his wicked gaze.

And the sad part ... something inherently sexual inside her responded in kind.

Quote 5: There was nothing gentle about this, but there never usually was.

No, what he and Courtney had was combustible. Hot. Erotic. Intense.

Quote 6: This thing between them, the chemistry ... it was already smoking, threatening to set off the fire alarms, and the longer she was with him, the more she wanted him, the more she craved his smile, his kiss, his touch. It was a recipe for disaster, and she was hard-pressed to ignore it.

Which was ultimately the problem.

Quote 7: Courtney swallowed hard, mesmerized by the golden glow of his eyes, intensified by the strobe and colored lights flashing around them. They were repeatedly pitched into darkness only to be lit up again. But Courtney didn’t need the light to see the intensity in his gaze. She could feel it.

Quote 8: Their interactions were heated, passionate, and innately sexual underneath it all.

Beautifully brutal, that was how she’d come to think of this thing between them.

Quote 9: She’d known from the beginning that Max was a killer, that he was ruthless and extremely powerful, yet she’d followed this path, and look what had happened.

She’d fallen in love with a killer.

Quote 10: Just as it had always been between them ... intense, hot, electric.

Backing her against the wall, he dominated the kiss, never giving her an ounce of control as he inhaled her.

Fuck.

It was impossible for him to resist her. No matter how imperative it was that he stay away from her, he just couldn’t fucking do it.

Before RT could say anything else, Courtney’s cell phone chimed.

She was up and walking across the kitchen before she realized she’d moved. A wave of dizziness swept over her, letting her know she was a little on the tipsy side. How many shots had she had? Three? Four? Seven?

Squinting down at the screen, Courtney frowned when she saw who it was.

Punching the talk button, she put the phone to her ear. “What do you want?”

“Let me through the gate.”


“No.”


“Courtney.”


God, she hated the way he said her name. It was so... sexual.


“Let me through.”

Sighing, Courtney hung up the phone and then hit the icon for the program to allow her to see who was at the main gate of the family compound. Sure enough, it was Max. More accurately, it was Max’s phantom-black Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat idling at the gate, waiting for her to grant him entry.

“Damn it.”

1) What’s your affiliation with Sniper 1 Security, for those that may not know yet?
Sniper 1 Security is my family’s business. My father, Casper Kogan, and his long time friend, Bryce Trexler started the company more than three decades ago. I guess it seemed logical that I did what my family did. I’m a personal security specialist – though there are plenty of names people use to refer to us.

2) Do you think of yourself as an adrenaline junky since you like this line of work?
Adrenaline junkie? Hmmm. Sure, I guess I can see that. I like to live on the edge. I think I’ve proven that.

3) What the craziest thing you have done on a dare?
The craziest thing I’ve done on a dare… **smiles** Not sure how crazy it is, but once, I stood up on the checkout counter at Wal-Mart. Started yelling that they needed a cleanup on aisle five-ninety-two. For the record, the Wal-Mart employees don’t necessarily like that.

4) If not this line of work, then what?
It would always be this line of work. I can’t see myself doing anything else.

5) Favorite type of car?
Corvette.

6) Boys with Tattoos or no?
Either or. And I guess it depends on the tattoo. I’ve seen some that I don’t particularly care for. I tried to talk Max into getting one that said “Property of Courtney”, but he said no. I’m still working on him though.

7) Do you have any tattoos?
Nope. But I’ve been tossing around the idea for a while. It’s hard to come up with an idea for something that’s so … permanent. I’m sure I’ll think of something one of these days.

8) What’s your go to drink when you’re out on the town?
Fireball and RumChata – I’ll let you look up what that’s known as. **smiles**

9) Last question, ideal Saturday night?
I’m a fan of going out to the clubs with my friends and I’ve got a favorite that I frequent – Devil’s Playground.

Courtney spun around, her gaze slamming into his.

“Check on me? Why the hell would you wanna do that?”

Because it was an excuse to see her. But that wasn’t what Max told her. “I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

Courtney huffed as she returned to pouring the vodka into a glass, adding 7-Up from a can sitting on the table. Max’s gaze instantly strayed to the extra glass, and his frustration rose again.

She tossed him a glare over her shoulder. “Oh, you’re referrin’ to when you blew some guy’s brains out in the middle of your office? Don’t you have a dead body to clean up or somethin’?”

He didn’t say a word. His rule was that he’d never own up to anything. He didn’t feel safe anywhere that wasn’t home, never knew when someone was trying to trap him. And of all people, Max wasn’t delusional enough to believe Courtney wouldn’t turn on him with the right motivation. Ultimately, she was one of the good guys. And that was why they never had been able to find a middle ground. It was more difficult than it appeared considering they were at opposite ends of the spectrum—middle ground was just too far away for either of them.

Not to mention, arguing with Courtney was moot. Max knew from experience that she would never let up, which was why he’d given up long ago.

“Oh, right. You have people for that,” she continued, turning to face him again before taking a sip from her glass. “I’d offer you a drink, but then you might think you can stay.”

“I’m gonna stay,” he informed her.

Courtney’s eyes narrowed on him, and Max’s body instinctively reacted, hardening instantaneously.

“You’re not gonna stay,” she retorted, her tone clipped. “Not today, not tomorrow. Not ever.”

Max shrugged out of his leather jacket, folding it across the arm of the sofa as he moved closer.

“I’m serious, Max,” Courtney said, her eyes widening as she backed up until her ass hit the table. “You’re not stayin’. RT’ll be watchin’ my house until you leave. It’s not an option.”

Max continued to stalk her slowly until he was standing only a few inches away from her. Unable to resist, he cupped her face in his hands, enjoying the silky smoothness of her skin against his palms.

Damn, how he’d missed her. It’d been damn near a full year since the last time he’d touched her, since the last time he’d made love to her. Although touching her now ... it was as though not a minute had passed since that fateful day.

“I’m stayin’,” he said softly.

Courtney shook her head, opened her mouth, but then snapped it closed. She wanted to argue; it was evident in the lines that creased her forehead.

Leaning forward, Max tested the waters, allowing his lips to brush hers lightly. Even that was nearly more than he could handle. It’d been too damn long since he’d touched her, tasted her, loved her. And fuck if he didn’t want to do it all again. Right here. Right fucking now.

“Max, please,” Courtney pleaded quietly. “Please don’t do this.”

“Do what?” he questioned roughly, pulling back and allowing his eyes to slide over her beautiful face, down the slender column of her neck, where he noticed the rapid thump of her pulse.

“We’re through,” she stated, her tone holding a hint of conviction.

“So you’ve said.” In fact, Courtney had told him they were over many times during the year they’d been together. And for the year that followed, right up until this very moment, Max had thought about her every single day, about the way she’d ended things so abruptly the last time. Didn’t matter that he’d called her bluff and that had technically been the reason they’d gone their separate ways.

Had it not been for the crazy shit he had to deal with on a daily basis, he might’ve actually taken the time to play her games. But there was another problem with that. He was fucking tired of playing, which was the only reason he’d allowed her to walk away then.

And that was the real reason he was there tonight. He wanted to know whether or not this was truly over. For him, it wasn’t. There wasn’t a chance in hell that he’d ever be able to get over her. Probably not in his lifetime. But that didn’t mean that moving forward wasn’t possible. With or without her.

If she didn’t want him, he’d move on. He had business arrangements dangling in the wind, one in particular that was entirely dependent on where he stood with Courtney.

“Tell me you want me to leave, Courtney. Tell me to go, and I’ll never darken your doorstep again. You’ll never have to see me.”

Max could see the surprise in Courtney’s eyes, in the way her throat worked when she swallowed hard. He’d never made her that promise, never told her that he’d willingly let her go, although he’d spent the last year staying away from her. He’d had eyes on her the entire time; he knew every single move she’d made during those months. He knew for a fact that Courtney had never brought another man home with her, nor had she ever gone home with a man. Had she made that choice, Max wasn’t sure how things would be at this moment, but more than likely, there’d be another dead asshole buried six feet under.

The point was, she hadn’t.

“Tell me that’s what you want, and I’ll do it, Courtney. But know this ... if you send me away this time...” Max took a deep breath, exhaled. “I won’t come back. Whatever this is between us, it’ll never die, never go away completely, and we’ll both have to live out the rest of our lives with the decision that you make right here. Tonight.”

“I want...”



The pause that followed stole the air from the room.

Wowza! Was there some palpable heat felt while reading this or what?


Max Adorite, second in command of The Southern Boy Mafia, knows everything that happens. It was no mistake that Courtney Kogan was invited to his party, and it wasn't unknown to him that she had ulterior motives for being there. Once they each get a taste of the other there was no turning back.

The problem: one worked for the good guys, and, well, the other was the bad guy. But as is often the case, you can't help who you fall in love with, even if it's forbidden/frowned upon. There was so much angst that you wanted to get rid of everyone and just let the two of them be together, forever. The hotness they exuded between them was undeniable and you couldn't help but root fro them, damning all consequences.

The question is, which one will bend toward the other? Or will they go their separate ways?

I am telling you right now to go one-click this! You will definitely not be disappointed.

The following Books by Nicole Edwards are ON SALE

Conviction 

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1BWcSYP

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Addicted

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1KZ8bpa

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Entrusted

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1GoFKOD

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Without Regret (Releasing July)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1BWdoWJ

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New York Times bestselling author Nicole Edwards launched her professional writing career in July of 2012. Having been an avid reader all of her life and a huge fan of creative writing, it seemed the likely path for her to take. Since then, she has released fifteen books and has no plans to stop. As her full-time career/hobby, Nicole writes steamy contemporary and erotic romances. Nicole is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who was born and raised in Texas. Married with three kids and four dogs, she has plenty of interaction to keep her imagination brewing. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s Happy Ever After segment as well as Indie Reader’s best seller list. She has forged her way as an independent author. Although she has a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, she prefers to be hiding out in her writing cave, talking to the fictional characters that have built up in her head over the years. When she isn’t writing or plotting her next book (sometimes translated to “playing on Facebook”), Nicole loves to read and spend time with her family and her dogs.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon | Blog

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Book Blitz: Forever Sheltered by Deanna Roy

Forever Sheltered by Deanna Roy 

(The Forever Series #3) 

Publication date: July 23rd 2014

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Tina would rather sew up her girl parts with dental floss than go on a second date with a man. She’s been dumped enough to know not to get attached.

But when Dr. Darion Marks comes into her art therapy room to ask a favor for a special patient, Tina recognizes the haunted look he buries beneath his stoic professionalism. So rather than be forced to ditch the handsome doctor after a single night, she decides not to date him at all.

So how exactly DO they end up half-naked in Surgical Suite B?

Dr. Darion has a lot to hide. His baby sister is the only family he has left, and he’s not leaving her treatment to some incompetent hack.

But now he’s breaking every hospital rule imaginable. He lied about his sister so he can manage her care, and now he’s banging the art therapy teacher between patient rounds like a fraternity boy at a keg party.

Nobody believes this can end well, not Tina’s friend Corabelle, who is overcoming a tragic history much like Tina’s, or even pink-haired Jenny, who thinks sex with strangers is good for your metabolism.

But Dr. Darion and Tina have one thing going for them – a fierce passion for each other that just might obliterate all their doubts, and solve all their problems.

Forever Sheltered includes many favorite characters from Forever Innocent and Forever Loved, as well as the much-anticipated wedding of Gavin and Corabelle.

It is a standalone HEA that does not require reading any other parts of the Forever series.

   

GOOGLE PLAY

Today we’re going to learn more about Dr. Darion Marks, a pediatric oncologist in San Diego who sometimes finds himself examining his new love in Surgical Suite B, when he’s not fixing her torn panties with duct tape.

Dr. Darion can be found in Forever Sheltered by USA Today bestselling author Deanna Roy.

Q: So Darion, why a doctor?

A: It’s called parental pressure. No pre-med, no money for college. But I like it. It was a good call. I hate it when parents are right.

Q: What’s the best part of your job?

A: Watching kids with cancer walk out of the hospital in remission. I’m still hoping we’ll get my little sister there. We’re working hard.

Q: So tell me about Surgical Suite B.

A: (Coughs.) It’s an unused room –

Q: You know what I’m talking about.

A: Some … things have happened there. Tina and I have sort of, well, broken it in, you might say.

Q: What’s the best thing about Tina?

A: You mean other than her willingness to meet meet me in Surgical Suite B?

Q: Dr. Darion!

A: You started it.

Q: Okay, okay. What’s one thing about her you would never change?

A: It’s an odd answer, I know, but her sadness. It connects her to her art. It’s the pulse point of her life. She lives life fully, even carrying that grief around. I admire her for that.

Learn more about this hot doctor and his new love, Tina, in Forever Sheltered, just released July 23.



The voice that came from the door was like an icy blast. “Do you have any more personal questions that are completely out of line for your relationship with my patient?”

I whipped around. Dr. Darion stood in the door, glowering like a gargoyle.

“I—I was just asking about a song Cynthia performed for me yesterday.”

His eyes narrowed. I wondered what I possibly saw in him before, because now he was clearly the biggest jerk in the universe.

He snatched my arm and dragged me from the room.

I tried to wrench free as he moved us down the hall. “What is going ON with you?” I asked.

“Hush,” he said.

We turned down a narrow corridor, and he buzzed us through a door with his ID. I had never been in this part of the hospital and tried to figure out where we were. The back side of ICU, maybe.

He shouldered open a door marked Surgical Suite B. The room was dim and empty. Boxes were stacked along one wall, and it had an unused smell to it, stuffy and antiseptic. A pair of gurneys were pushed together next to a line of cabinets.

“What is this about?” I asked, jerking my arm out of his grasp.

“Why were you in Cynthia’s room asking questions?”

“Why are you dragging me through the hospital like a lunatic?”

We were only inches apart, me defiantly on my toes to try to eliminate the advantage of his height.

“You have no business questioning my patients or their family.”

Oh, I wanted to punch him. My hand curled into a fist. “You are an awful man, Darion Marks.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed up, then down, like he had swallowed something nasty. “I’m sorry I dragged you down here,” he said.

I shoved at his chest. “Sorry? You just embarrassed the hell out of me! No telling who saw that.”

I pushed him again. I was really in a fury. “Are you TRYING to get me fired?”

The contact between us sparked, like a match being lit. I forgot why I was mad. He was so freaking close. He wore cologne, just a hint of it. He smelled like heaven. My heart sped up. Crap.

I tried to think how to get out of this. I needed to just walk away. We were alone in a dark room.

Shoot. I could already tell my body was getting ahead of my head. It was calculating distance. Seeing how far I could push this man. How close I could get.

Remembering how long it had been since my last tryst with anybody.

I would have to do the one-and-done with Dr. Darion after all.

I leaned in, just to see what he would do.

WHEW! See what happens in Surgical Suite B in Forever Sheltered by USA Today bestselling author Deanna Roy.

Deanna Roy is a passionate advocate for women who have lost babies. She founded PregnancyLoss.Info in 1998 and runs many online and in-person support groups. She is the author of several two-hankie reads, including Forever Innocent, Stella & Dane, and Baby Dust.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4999150.Deanna_Roy

www.deannaroy.com

https://twitter.com/deannaroy

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