Spotlight: Blackbird Road by James L. Weaver

Blackbird Road
James L. Weaver
(Jake Caldwell #3)
Published by: Lakewater Press
Publication date: September 25th 2018
Genres: Adult, Thriller

With his wedding day fast approaching and his PI boss heading out of town, ex-mob enforcer Jake Caldwell decides to take one more job before a much-needed vacation. But in a matter of days, his client is assassinated and her six-year-old son kidnapped.

With just a few clues, Jake calls on old friends to help track down the person responsible. Only this time his fiancée Maggie, desperate for Jake to leave his violent history behind, can’t guarantee she’ll be there when, or if, he comes home.

But Jake can’t turn his back on those who need him. It’s in his blood.

A perilous plot of lies and secrets unfolds, and Jake encounters criminals more brutal than ever. And when a threat to thousands of innocent lives is uncovered, Jake once again dives back into his past, requesting favors from some unexpected and unsavory contacts.

Jake needs to stay one step ahead of the bad guys if he’s to have any future at all.

The third book in the award-winning JAKE CALDWELL series is an intense, complex, and frantic race against time. Weaver has done it again in this raw and riveting read set in the Ozarks.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Dawson’s arm lashed out and backhanded the kid. The boy flew back and crashed to the gravel, hands covering his face. Dawson advanced on the crumpled figure, and Jake jammed his foot against the gas pedal.

“I’m fine,” he said. “Just gotta take care of something. I’ll call you back.”

He tossed the phone to the passenger seat as he maneuvered the truck toward the fork in the road. The heat crawled up his neck, flushing his face in a crimson hue, feeling the sting of the strike on his face as if Dawson struck him. Jake’s father was the master of the backhand slap, and Jake the recipient of it many times. The perfect balance of speed and stealth—you never saw it coming. As Jake wrung the life from the steering wheel and spun right at the fork in the road, he had to get his shit under control or it would be Dawson’s neck beneath his hands. That wouldn’t end well for anyone.

By the time Jake roared up the driveway, a woman made a feeble attempt to stand between Dawson and the boy. Another quick lash from Dawson’s hand sent her sprawling on the ground beside the kid. Jake slid to a stop in a cloud of dust and grabbed his pistol under the seat. Dawson jerked his head at the disturbance, a snarl rising on his stubbled face. Jake drew a deep breath of sanity through his nose and out his mouth, releasing the gun. It would be a horrible idea to bring it, and he wouldn’t need it anyway. If he couldn’t take care of a drunk wife beater, then he might as well give it all up and go work as a janitor somewhere.

Jake stomped from the truck, noting the blood trickling from the boy’s nose. Old, purple and yellow bruises lined the woman’s arm like a bad tattoo. The familiar scent of whiskey wafted from Dawson as Jake drew close, hurling him back to the house in Warsaw when he would lay on the floor after a beat down from his father, his mother shielding him from further blows.

Author Bio:

James L Weaver is the Kansas City author of the Jake Caldwell series featuring IAN Thriller of the Year finalist Poor Boy Road, and the IAN Thriller of the Year finalist and New Apple Official Selection sequel Ares Road from Lakewater Press. He makes his home in Olathe, Kansas with his wife of 20 years and two children. His previous publishing credits include a six part story called "The Nuts" and his 5-star rated debut novel Jack & Diane which is available on Amazon.com. Author note: a handful of the raters are actually not related to him.

His limited free time is spent writing into the wee hours of the morning, playing parental taxi cab to his kids' sporting endeavors, and binge watching Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Current favorite TV shows: The Walking Dead, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Game of Thrones, The Resident and Shameless.

Current favorite music artists: Alter Bridge, Rush, Sara Bareilles, Halestorm

Last best book read: Twisted Prey by John Sandford

Favorite comedians: John Caparulo, Kathleen Madigan, Mike Birbiglia, John Mulaney

You can follow him on Twitter @jlweaverbooks.

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Spotlight: Because You’re the Love of My Life by Sarah Kleck

Because You’re the Love of My Life
Sarah Kleck
Publication date: September 25th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

How do you recognize the love of your life? Do you have butterflies in your stomach? Do you see showers of sparks and fireworks as soon as he steps into the room? Or, is your big love composed of something quieter?

Annie longs for nothing more in her life than someone to love her with his whole heart. With Holden, this wish seems fulfilled, and the two build their own world. But how much pain can happiness bear? When something utterly shocking happens, Annie’s life becomes unstable, and nothing is as it once was. Then, she unexpectedly bumps into her teenage love Seth, and her life is completely thrown off balance—especially when fate intends its own tragic story.

From the Editor:
Because You’re the Love of My Life is a story of love, heartbreak, and more love—romantic and otherwise. As a senior in high school, our protagonist, Annie, takes charge of her life, and she bravely separates herself from a difficult mother and home life, and from recent heartbreak. She moves across the country—without financial or familial support—to attend college at Harvard. “I felt at home in Boston in a way I never had . . . This was right for me,” Annie says.
And, it is true: she blossoms personally, academically, and, then, professionally. Though she fumbles at times in ways that seem utterly human and familiar, she forges friendships, commits to a relationship, and navigates through profound tragedy.
Annie narrates from a point well past when the events of the novel took place and with the perspective gained from that time. Yet, Sarah Kleck renders Annie’s narration so vividly that it seems as if these memories are unfolding in present time. Sarah Kleck’s devotion to Annie’s story shines through sharply written dialogue, authentic detail of culture and place, and a cast of richly rendered characters—among them Grace, Annie’s sassy best friend, and the various loves of Annie’s life.
Because You’re the Love of My Life made me wish I could accompany Annie beyond these pages, and it left me hungry for Sarah Kleck’s next novel.
– Rebecca Friedman, Editor

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

“Good evening, what can I do for you?” The pharmacist greeted me at the counter.

“I . . . um . . . need a laxative,” I said embarrassed. I would’ve preferred to pick one on my own, but I didn’t have a clue which was best, so I went straight to the pharmacist.

“How long have you been constipated?” she asked, unfazed.

“About three days.”

She nodded. “Are you drinking enough fluids? Do you exercise and eat a healthy diet?”

“Yes,” my voice was becoming stiff, “normally my digestion works just fine.” Couldn’t she just go and get the stuff? I didn’t feel like discussing my bowel movements with her. This was downright humiliating.

“Well, for acute constipation, the drugs for that should only be taken over a short—”

“Just give me something that’ll help me go to the bathroom by tomorrow morning.”

“Fine,” the pharmacist answered and went off to get my laxative. At that moment, I heard a strange clicking sound. I turned around. It was Holden, on crutches, and he had a big white cast on his left leg.

“Hi,” he said with a big smile. At least he seemed happy to see me.

“Hi,” I forced a smile. “How’s your leg? It looked pretty bad during the game last Saturday.”

“Clean break,” he said, gesturing toward his leg. “The good news is,” he continued with a sly grin while pulling a crumpled-up prescription from his jeans pocket, “my doctor prescribed the works for my pain.”

Just then the pharmacist returned with a box of Dulcolax in her hand.

“Have you used this before?”

Oh no . . .

“Yes,” I answered quickly, hoping she’d shut her damn trap and let me pay before Holden saw what I was buying. My wish was not granted.

“Just take one tablet this evening. That’ll soften your stool overnight. After six to eight hours, the constipation will have loosened up.”

Oh God! Take me now!

While I blushed beet red, I could see Holden looking at me from the corner of my eye—with the broadest grin you could imagine.

I’m gonna die!

“If this is a particularly bad case of constipation,” the pharmacist continued mercilessly, “you can take two tablets. Don’t take more or you’ll have diarrhea.”

What the fuck was wrong with this woman? She wasn’t a doctor, and this wasn’t a goddamn doctor’s appointment!

She packed the little box into a small plastic bag. I dared to hope it was finally over—but, no, she started right up again. “Your intestines will void completely after intake, so don’t expect another bowel movement for two to three days.”

What have I done to deserve this?

Since I couldn’t think of anything to say in the face of this humiliation—especially in front of him—I just nodded silently while my ears were burning.

The pharmacist rang me up and handed me the bag with a cheery “Have a good evening.” Then she turned to Holden. “What can I do for you?”

I didn’t dare look at him. I mumbled a goodbye, squeezed by him as quickly as I could, and headed for the door.

“Bye, we’ll get together sometime,” he replied, while clearly trying to suppress a grin. “Oh, Annie,” he called after me before I could complete my escape from this hell.

I stopped on the spot but didn’t turn around. “Yes?” my voice was trembling with shame. I shut my eyes.

“Good luck!”

Author Bio:

Sarah Kleck was born in 1984 in Southern Germany. She studied education, psychology, and sociology at the University of Augsburg. Today, she lives with her husband and their daughters in Germany near Lake Constance.

Sarah caught the imagination of 120,000 readers worldwide with her first novel "The Concealed" and its sequel "The Revealed". After this successful fantasy series for young adults, she is now entering new territory with "Because You're the Love of My Life". Already a bestseller in Germany, this novel is now being published in English.

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Spotlight: Craving Forbidden Anthology by Crave Publishing

Craving Forbidden Anthology
(Craving Series, #8)
Published by: Crave Publishing
Publication date: September 25th 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance

Banned. Prohibited. Not allowed. Off limits.

There’s one word which means something completely different, yet it always seems to go hand in hand with the forbidden…

Temptation.

It follows the untouchable, clings to the taboo, slowly luring you in, only to corrupt the last bits of self-control you might have. Nothing is more enticing or more alluring than the one thing that has forbiddenstamped all over it.

Like the beautiful daughter of your mortal enemy. Or the gorgeous best friend of your older brother. There’s also the much older man who makes you want to throw all your inhibitions to the wind. Whatever your vice, this collection is everything you need to indulge.

So, forget the rules. Ignore the warning signs.

Embrace the illicit, and allow yourself a taste of the…

FORBIDDEN

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SNEAK PEEKS:

“On My Honeymoon” by Evan Grace

We reach my bungalow and the bellhop carries my luggage into the bedroom and then quickly shows me around and telling me where everything is. I hand him a tip and then shut the door behind him.

I kick off my shoes and then walk around the space, I’m in awe at the pure beauty of this place. There are a set of double doors in the bedroom that when I push them open I gasp. The view is breathtaking. It’s blue as far as the eye can see. I move to the end of the deck, a light breezes blows the loose strands of my hair all around me.

I walk to the stairs that lead right into the water, and sit down on the top step. I tilt my head back, and close my eyes, letting the sun beat down on me. When I stand up I find my neighbor standing on his deck as well. It’s the man from the plane. He’s wearing a white linen shirt, khaki shorts and he’s barefoot.

I hurry inside before he catches me gawking at him. For my first night I decide to just stay in, and relax. When I finally slip into the huge tub I sigh because it’s heavenly. While I soak I begin to analyze my relationship with Alex. It wasn’t perfect, but I thought we were happy.

“Crossing Jordan” by Ryan Jo Summers

Fifteen minutes later, Jordan stood in the produce section of Cimarron Shores’ grocery store, studying tomatoes. A salad sounded good with her dinner. Beefsteak or cherry? Selecting two ripe beefsteak, she moved on to lettuce. Romaine or iceberg? A movement two rows over caught her eye, then a smile crossed her face as her heart skipped a couple of beats and warmth pulsed through her.

Will pushed a cart slowly along the apple and pear aisle, a confused look on his face. She had to admit, it looked cute on him. So did the tight, gray ARMY t-shirt under his untucked flannel shirt and painted-on blue jeans. Umm-umm. If they used him in their recruitment posters, ladies would be flocking to enlist in the Army.

“Hey, Will,” she greeted as their carts almost bumped. “Fancy meeting you here.”

Please don’t let him be scared off by Derek too. She found she was holding her breath.

A blush touched his stubble-roughened cheeks and he waved a long list clutched in his hand. “Hi. I’m trying to help Grams and Mom with their weekly shopping. Grams gave me a detailed list.” He shook the paper again. “But she left a lot of the details out.”

Jordan couldn’t help but smile at his clear confusion. Poor guy probably didn’t shop much—at least not for a café like The White Orchid. She liked his sheepish grin, enjoying how it made her toes curl and butterflies to take off in her stomach. She sucked in a deep breath to steady herself and gripped the cart handle. Then she moved around the cart so they stood hip to hip. She breathed in his woodsy aftershave. He smelled so masculine. And sexy.

“Maybe I can help. I’m pretty good at shopping.” She eyed his cart. He didn’t have anything in there but a loaf of bread. He extended the list, relief on his face.

“Granny Smith apples. Six pounds,” she read. “What detail did she leave out for that?”

Will shook his head. “Grams isn’t a Smith. She was a Mead before she married Gramps and became a Larkin. So who is Granny Smith and what does she have to do with apples?”

Jordan swallowed her giggle, hiding behind brushing her knuckles over her chin. “That’s a type of apple, usually used for baking because they have a tart flavor.” She waved her hand to the signs over the apple bins. The light flickered above Will’s head as he scanned the names.

“I’ll be,” he said slowly, more color flushing his cheeks. He turned back to Jordan, that sexy boyish grin playing over his lips. “You must think I’m a real dunce.”

She thought he was real cute, and a strong desire to kiss him stole over her.


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Spotlight: Hot Winter Nights: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel by Jill Shalvis


In which our sexy hero wakes up with a woman in his bed and
no memory of how that happened. Did he miss the good stuff?


Hot Winter Nights
Heartbreaker Bay – Book 6
Jill Shalvis
Avon Books


Who needs mistletoe?

Most people wouldn’t think of a bad Santa case as the perfect Christmas gift. Then again, Molly Malone, office manager at Hunt Investigations, isn’t most people, and she could really use a distraction from the fantasies she’s been having since spending the night with her very secret crush, Lucas Knight. Nothing happened, not that Lucas knows that—but Molly just wants to enjoy being a little naughty for once . . .

Whiskey and pain meds for almost-healed bullet wounds don’t mix. Lucas needs to remember that next time he’s shot on the job, which may be sooner rather than later if Molly’s brother, Joe, finds out about them. Lucas can’t believe he’s drawing a blank on his (supposedly) passionate tryst with Molly, who’s the hottest, smartest, strongest woman he’s ever known. Strong enough to kick his butt if she discovers he’s been assigned to babysit her on her first case. And hot enough to melt his cold heart this Christmas . . .



New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.



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Spotlight: Don't Touch My Petunia by Tara Sheets

A woman with garden magic finds out the builder in charge of remodeling her florist shop is the same man who broke her heart over a decade ago. In spite of best laid plans, they find themselves falling head over hearts in this whimsical romantic comedy where opposites attract, sparks fly, and magical mayhem ensues.

Available September 25th – DON’T TOUCH MY PETUNIA, a new book in the Holloway Girls series by Tara Sheets.

Pine Cove Island is the kind of enchanting place where anything is possible . . .

The Holloway women each have a special gift, passed down through generations, each one a little different. Juliette possesses a magical green thumb, which makes her job managing the local florist shop a dream. She may be a bit wild, but she knows what she wants: to save enough money to buy the shop from her boss. Then in marches Logan O’Connor, more annoyingly handsome than ever, turning all her plans upside down.

Logan hasn’t been back on Pine Cove Island since he was eighteen and broke Juliette’s teenage heart. Now it turns out he’s her boss’s nephew—and will be spending his days remodeling the shop and barking orders. At her.

For the sake of the business, Juliette will have to ignore their simmering attraction and work with Logan. But that doesn’t mean she has to make things easy for him. Because no one knows better than she that one tiny, perfectly planted bit of garden magic could uproot Logan’s own plans and keep him out of her way. And nothing would make her happier. At least that’s what she thinks . . .

Excerpt

If a guy was going to fondle her petunias, the least he could do was act like he cared. Pawing at them with a big meaty ham fist while he stared absently out of her shop window was not cool.

Juliette Holloway frowned, swiping a lock of dark hair behind her ear. It was going to be a long day at Romeo’s Florist Shop, and she still had two more flower arrangements to put together before the morning rush.

She leaned over the counter and called across the room. “Excuse me.”

The guy messing with her petunia plant didn’t move or turn around. He had broad shoulders, and his head almost reached the top of the door frame. In jeans, a gray T-shirt, and a baseball cap, he looked like one of those NFL athletes—completely out of place surrounded by the delicate summer blooms and hanging fuchsia baskets.

She called again, louder. “Hello?”

Nothing. He just kept running a giant hand over the fragile purple flowers.

Juliette bristled. The plant was her newest project. Normally, she could make anything grow and thrive. Like all Holloway women before her, she was born with a special gift. Hers was garden magic. A customer had given her the potted petunia after rescuing it from an office cubicle. The poor thing had been halfway to the grave, but she’d nurtured it back to life. And now some linebacker was mauling it.

She marched across the room and tapped the man firmly on his back. It was a rock-hard, muscular back. He was probably one of those gym guys who spent all day pumping iron. “Can you please not touch that?”

He swung around and pulled an earbud out of his ear. Loud, thumping music spewed from his headset. Even with a baseball cap and mirrored sunglasses, he looked vaguely familiar. Strong jaw with a light stubble, high cheekbones, full lips. A tiny prickle of recognition tiptoed down her spine.

She gestured to the pot of flowers. “Please don’t touch my plant.”

He frowned and pulled the other earbud out. “What’s that?”

Juliette sighed. Gym rats. Brains in their biceps. She enunciated each word carefully. “Don’t. Touch. My petunia.”

His lips twitched. “I . . .”

She closed her eyes, ignoring the flush of embarrassment creeping up her cheeks. Way to set yourself up, genius. Maybe he didn’t notice.

“I’m not usually so forward.” His deep voice hovered on the edge of laughter.

Okay, so he noticed. Big whoop. Whoever he was, he was immature, and she didn’t have time for this. She grabbed the plant and turned away. The hem of her flowy skirt caught on the edge of a low shelf, and she yanked it free before escaping to the back counter.

“Have we met before?” he called.

She threw him a glance.

He gave her a slow smile that sent a jolt of physical awareness from the top of her head to the tips of her blue painted toenails. “I feel like I know you.”

For a pickup line, it was pretty bad. But he had a million-dollar smile and knew how to use it. The face. The superhero physique. All he needed was a cape or a giant hammer, or something. He probably didn’t have much practice with pickup lines because he didn’t need any.

He sauntered toward her.

There was something familiar about the way he walked—like he owned the world—but she couldn’t place him. When he reached the counter, she was glad to be on the other side. It wasn’t that she felt threatened. At five feet nine inches, she was comfortable with tall people. But this guy towered over her, and when he looked at her like that, it was . . . unsettling.

He took off the baseball cap and mussed his tawny hair.

Juliette sucked in a breath.

Then he removed the sunglasses and fixed her with a gaze as deep and dark as the earth after a rainstorm.

Something inside her cracked open, and a trickle of long-forgotten feelings threatened to bubble to the surface.

Logan.

She took an involuntary step back, trying to hide her surprise by leaning casually against the wall. Supercool. She was an iceberg of cool. Except she misjudged the distance to the wall and stumbled.

“That bad, huh?” His mouth kicked up at one corner.

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About Tara Sheets

TARA SHEETS is an award-winning author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Her work has earned first place recognition in literary contests nationwide and her debut novel, Don’t Call Me Cupcake, won the 2016 Golden Heart® award sponsored by Romance Writers of America®. Tara began her career as an author in the Pacific Northwest, inspired by the rain and the misty mountains and the rivers of Starbucks coffee.  She now lives in the warm, wonderful South where she can stand outside with no coat on, and she finds that pretty inspiring too.  When not writing, Tara enjoys life with her book-loving family and a book-eating dog named Merlin. She is represented by Sarah Phair at Trident Media Group.

Connect with Tara:  Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  BookBub

Spotlight: Make Me Fall by Sara Rider

After losing her job, her home, and her friends in her divorce, Nora Pitts is determined not to make the same mistakes when she starts over in the small town of Shadow Creek, Washington. No more toiling away in the lab at the expense of her social life, and definitely no more men. Ever.  But making friends in her thirties is so much harder than she anticipated. And when it comes to her gorgeous yet obnoxious neighbor, it’s a whole lot easier to make enemies.

Eli Hardin doesn’t have a lot of sympathy for his uptight neighbor, until he overhears her so-called new friends making fun of her un-datable status. Suddenly he finds himself volunteering for a date with a woman who’s been leaving angry hate-notes in his mailbox, and in way over his head. Because all it takes is one disastrous date with Nora for Eli to fall hard.

But falling for Eli isn’t something Nora’s ready for—not when he’s her complete opposite, and especially not when he turns out to be the best friend she’s made in Shadow Creek. But as her attraction and her feelings for Eli grow hotter, resisting him might just lead to heartbreak anyway.  

Excerpt

Copyright © 2018 Sara Rider

Eli marked off twenty-six and three-quarter inches as precisely as he could and lifted the blade of the circular saw.

“Oh my God, I soooo wasn’t kidding,” one of the women next door said loudly. “Nora really does need to get laid.”

His shoulders tensed. This wasn’t the first time he’d overheard the women loudly shit-talking his neighbor behind her back. He had no idea why she hung out with them.

“Maybe you should set her up with someone,” another woman added.

The other two laughed. “Can you imagine Nora on a date? She’s so uptight and frigid. Who would want to date her? No lay is worth that kind of torture. Can’t you just picture her busting out her bottle of sanitizer before the poor sap tries to hold her hand?”

His jaw tensed and he felt the last of his patience snap like an icicle in his warm hands. He sliced the saw through the wood, threw his protective glasses onto the ground, and marched over to the waist-high chain link fence. “I’d do it.”

All three women turned to look at him like he was a space alien who’d just beamed down to earth. The one who’d been talking the most leaned forward in her seat. “What did you just say?”

“You heard me. I’d go out with her.”

“You can’t be serious.”

The more this woman pushed, the more he wanted to put her in her place. No, Nora was not the kind of woman he would normally ask out—mainly because she was one of the few who didn’t seem to fall for his charm. In fact, he was pretty sure she didn’t think he had any charm whatsoever, but she was attractive and smart enough to read a book every month. That alone made her more dateable than half the population in this town. “Sure as hell am.”

The woman leaned forward, smiling at him like he was freshly caught prey in her snare. “If you’re looking for a date, I could show you a much better time.”

He shrugged, keeping his fake smile on his face. “No thanks. Backstabbing and mean isn’t my type.”

He probably enjoyed the shocked look on the woman’s face a little too much, but it was seriously fucking rude to trash-talk the hostess while sitting on her porch and eating her canapés.

The screen door slid open right at that moment. Nora walked out with a plate of decadent-looking mini-chocolate cakes that made his mouth water on sight. Her eyes darted from her friends to him and back again. “Um, what’s going on?”

He rested his hands against the old chain-link fence. “What’s going on is that your so-called friends are talking trash about your love life behind your back and don’t seem to think you can get a date. So I volunteered.”

“You what?”

“Volunteered. You and me. Tomorrow night at seven. I’ll drive.”

She slammed the cake tray onto the coffee table and set her hands on her hips. She looked around, like she couldn’t decide where to focus her anger. Of course she settled on him. “Who says I’d want to go out with you?”

He raised his eyebrow, liking the way she got flustered around him a little too much. “Got better plans?”

Even at the distance between them, he could see her suck in a breath. Her mouth hardened into a flat line, but she didn’t say no.

“Tomorrow. Seven. Dinner. Oh, and consider making new friends who aren’t so damn mean. These ladies don’t deserve any of those amazing-looking cakes.” He grabbed his plank of wood and headed into the house, wondering what the hell he’d just gotten himself into

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About Sara Rider

Sara Rider writes contemporary romance full of heart, heat, and happily ever after. She lives in British Columbia with her husband and daughters. She spends far too much time in public libraries and never leaves the home without her e-reader stuffed in her purse.

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