Category Archives: Pintip Dunn

It’s A Mermaid Blogoversary!

 

Seven years today, fishy friends! Can you believe it??? We mermaids are so happy to get to celebrate with you all here in the lagoon. Thank you SO MUCH for your readership and support over the years. Every comment and email subscription notice that lands in our lagoon-box is seen by each of us, and we absolutely cherish each and every one of you. Our blog would be a pretty sad little place without your love and visits. So again, THANK YOU! We thought we’d share with you on this very special day of what the Waterworld Mermaids means to us, and then also be sure and read all the way to the bottom for a little mermaid movie magic….

~Mermaid Alethea~

xox Mermaid Alethea

Over the years, the Mermaids have pulled me out of the darkness and inspired me so many times I’ve lost count. I am so proud of each and every one of them…I love them every minute of every day, down to every last crazy atom of them. Friendship is what I was looking for when we took the plunge in this Lagoon, and what I ended up with was a sisterhood. Here’s to many more years of US, my Mermaid Sisters!

 

xox Mermaid Carlene

~Mermaid Carlene~

Oh my goodness, what does this rich, diverse, totally unique but also completely down to earth group of writers mean to me? Ack. I could write, at the very minimum, a short story about this! When the Waterworld Mermaids first formed in 2011, my scope, my outreach, just my outside world in general, was very small. Not in a bad way, or anything. I was an Army spouse and stay at home mom–the quiet kind who just didn’t reach out much. So my life was good because I loved the army, and my family, of course, with all my heart, but I REALLY had no idea just how much I NEEDED these girls. I can say with 100 % certainty that had I not met my fishy sisters–my scope, outreach, outside world–would have never grown into the really full and wondrous entity it has become. I love cheering them on, and I love knowing they celebrate me too. I love you, Mermaids. Cheers!

~Mermaid Dana~

xox Mermaid Dana

A long time ago in a life that seems far away Princess Alethea suggested pulling together a blog group for the first-time attendees of the WRW Retreat. Since that time there have been a multitude of blog posts, a lot of awards won, and many books published by the members of the Waterworld Mermaids. But more importantly, there has also been laughter, tears, births, deaths, moves, illnesses, job changes and friendship. The most special thing that I have taken away from Waterworld Mermaids are the friends that I’ve made in the lagoon. Happy Anniversary Mermaids!

~Mermaid Kerri~

xox Mermaid Kerri

Sparkles, alcohol, laughter, writing, more alcohol, glitter, awesomeness, books, did I say alcohol?
I love the Waterworld Mermaids for so many reasons – way more than I listed above! I think my favorite thing is that I’ve always felt like I can be completely myself with the Mermaids. My crazy, weird, unique, glittery self. There’s been no judgement – just fun and laughter and support.
Also, I get to boss all of them around by reminding them of the blogging schedule. Being bossy pants has brought me great joy!

~Mermaid Kim~

xox Mermaid Kim

When the mermaids first formed, it was a group of women writers who met at their first writing retreat. Since then, these fabulous women have become my friends. Sometimes we text each other to see who wants to sprint. Other times we meet for drinks to discuss writer’s block or to celebrate successes. Here’s to way less writer’s block and way more successes!

 

~Mermaid Masha~

xox Mermaid Masha

Like water, the mermaids are a sustaining source of writerly life. A seemingly random jambalaya of people thrown together by a single event, on a single day. And yet, like water; tasteless, odorless, transparent and colorless, the magnitude of the mermaids is a living breathing microcosm of invisible strength, vitality and sustainability of an ethereal force called writing. Frustrating, confusing, exciting and awe inspiring, the mermaids, as a cohesive unit provided the support, encouragement and entertainment in an otherwise solitary pursuit. May the mermaid waters run deep.

A Very Mermaid Valentine Message + Giveaway!

Love, love, love, love, love. It’s Everywhere! We hope you enjoy this sweet Valentine’s Day message from the fantastic fiction writers that are….Us! The Waterworld Mermaids! Please get comfy and watch as Alethea, Kerri, Pintip, Kim, Carlene, Masha, Denny, Susan and Dana share some of our love worthy favorites…

Thank you so much for tuning in and letting us share. So now we’d like to know, what are some of YOUR romantic favorites? We’re talking books, movies, television shows, poems, plays, couples, quotes, guys, gals, desserts, songs, flowers, etcetera. We’d love to hear from you!

GIVEAWAY: We will randomly select one lucky commenter to receive a wonderful bundle of books, including Besphinxed (ebook) by Alethea Kontis, The Darkest Lie (ebook) by Pintip Dunn, Falling for the Right Brother (ebook) by Kerri Carpenter, Sidewalk Flower (ebook) by Carlene Love Flores, and Welcome Home, Katie Gallagher (paperback) by Seana Kelly. Winner will be notified here in the comment section of this post on Sunday, February 18th, at 8:00 pm Pacific time. Good luck!

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

With lots of love,

The Waterworld Mermaids

(Thank you to each of my fishy sisters for sending me their words and letting me read them for you! xox)

Rice! It’s What’s for Dinner — and Breakfast and Lunch!

I love food. Any and all types. I never met a cuisine I didn’t like. My family plans vacations around restaurants. I even play in a Fantasy Top Chef league with my siblings.

And yet, there is one particular food item that I cannot live without. In fact, if I don’t consume it for more than a week, I start having major cravings. That item is . . . drumroll, please . . . rice.

Yep. Plain, white rice, preferably jasmine. Steamed is ideal. Fried is okay. Boiled is great. Accompanying side dishes even better.

This is why you will always find me at the fast-food Chinese place at the airport, especially after a conference or a vacation. At that point, I have usually gone for days without my rice fix, and I need it, bad. I suppose this is what happens when you grow up eating rice (or rice noodles) three times a day — breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The best part is? Last summer, I discovered my children are the exact same way!

My Very First Mess . . . I Mean, Manuscript

Holy moly, my first manuscript. Wow. It was a total and complete mess. I don’t think it had even a semblance of a plot. Rather, it was just a bunch of rambling thoughts strung together. To tell you the truth, I can’t even tell you what the story was about. That’s how little of a plot it had! When people ask me how many books I’ve written, I don’t count this one. Just like I have my zero drafts (whose words don’t deserve the label of “first draft”), I also have a zero book.

Here’s what I can tell you:

The heroine’s name was Cat.

I wrote the manuscript in a coffee shop a couple blocks away from my apartment. Every day for six months, I went to the Xando and ordered an iced tea and wrote my heart out.

For the first time in my life, I was fully and irrevocably happy. I’ve dreamed of being a writer ever since I was six years old, and now, I was finally living it.

So, no matter what a complete and total disaster of a manuscript my first one was, I will always value it. For the very first time, the passion of my heart took root in something concrete, something that was outside of myself. And that, my dear fishy friends, is a beautiful and glorious thing. (No matter how crappy those words were!)

 

Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School.

Pintip’s novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. It is also a finalist for the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, the Japanese Sakura Medal, the MASL Truman Award, and the Tome Society It list. In addition, THE DARKEST LIE was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her other books include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, SEIZE TODAY, and GIRL ON THE VERGE.

She lives with her husband and children in Maryland.

Website  Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  Goodreads

 

SEIZE TODAY Synopsis:

Conclusion to the New York Times bestselling and award-winning series, Forget Tomorrow. 

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Dresden is a precognitive. Since different versions of people’s futures flicker before her eyes, she doesn’t have to believe in human decency. She can see the way for everyone to be their best self-if only they would make the right decisions. No one is more conflicted than her mother, and Olivia can only watch as Chairwoman Dresden chooses the dark, destructive course every time. Yet Olivia remains fiercely loyal to the woman her mother could be.

But when the chairwoman captures Ryder Russell, the striking and strong-willed boy from the rebel Underground, Olivia sees a vision of her own imminent death…at Ryder’s hand. Despite her bleak fate, she rescues Ryder and flees with him, drawing her mother’s fury and sparking a romance as doomed as Olivia herself. As the full extent of Chairwoman Dresden’s gruesome plan is revealed, Olivia must find the courage to live in the present-and stop her mother before she destroys the world.

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Remember Yesterday in Paperback!!

Happy September, fishy friends!

We mermaids hope you all enjoyed the Labor Day holiday and also the fact that it’s officially September… which means Fall is just around the corner. I don’t know about you, but this is my absolute favorite time of year to really enjoy reading. It just feels “right”. We’ve got that slight cool down in the weather, warm comfort foods and beverages available just about everywhere, soft blankets or a cozy favorite pillow at home, along with gorgeous scented candles, a cherished pet to snuggle at our feet perhaps, and the most important ingredient: a GREAT read! If you’ve been loving the picture I’ve painted so far, you’re gonna love it even more right now because Mermaid Pintip has a book release! That’s right. Remember Yesterday is available in paperback today and it’s a fantastic read, one you’ll definitely want to add to your list. And then just on the horizon is the third book, and conclusion, to the series, Seize Today, which comes out October 3. Absolutely fantastic stuff! Happy reading to you all and thanks for swimming by today!

This gorgeous book in paperback today!

Just a bit more about the release:

Author: Pintip Dunn
Title: REMEMBER YESTERDAY
Release Date for paperback edition: Sept. 5, 2017
Publisher: Entangled TEEN

Synopsis:
Companion to the New York Times bestselling and award-winning novel, Forget Tomorrow.
Sixteen-year-old Jessa Stone is the most valuable citizen in Eden City. Her psychic abilities could lead to significant scientific discoveries, if only she’d let TechRA study her. But ten years ago, the scientists kidnapped and experimented on her, leading to severe ramifications for her sister, Callie. She’d much rather break into their labs and sabotage their research—starting with Tanner Callahan, budding scientist and the boy she loathes most at school.

The past isn’t what she assumed, though—and neither is Tanner. He’s not the arrogant jerk she thought he was. And his research opens the door to the possibility that Jessa can rectify a fatal mistake made ten years earlier. She’ll do anything to change the past and save her sister—even if it means teaming up with the enemy she swore to defeat.

Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School.
Pintip’s novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. It is also a finalist for the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, the Japanese Sakura Medal, the MASL Truman Award, and the Tome Society It list. In addition, THE DARKEST LIE was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her other books include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, SEIZE TODAY, and GIRL ON THE VERGE.
She lives with her husband and children in Maryland.
Social Media Links:
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Buy Links:
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Girl on the Verge, Nora Roberts, Carpaccio, Camping & More

The Mermaids are going nuts today. Why? Because it’s one of our most favorite days in the lagoon. One of our fishy sisters has a book release!!! [Insert Glitter Toss]

We are so excited for Mermaid-Pintip and her new book, GIRL ON THE VERGE. All the info is below. But first, allow me to share my favorite Pintip-memory. A couple years ago, we were at the fabulous Turn the Page Bookstore in Boonsboro, MD, home to romance novel queen, Nora Roberts. There’s an entire room devoted to all of Nora’s books and that’s where Pintip and I discovered our shared love of Nora books, specifically the old 1990s and early 2000s collection. We’re talking Calhoun sisters, MacGregors, Stanislovskis, etc. I think we talked about these wonderful books for about an hour. Continue reading

Where do I Write?

Hiya lagoon! Pintip Mermaid here to talk to you about my favorite writing places….

Mermaid post writing place

 

Medium on which I write: my cell phone! I’ve written and revised my last six novels entirely on my cell phone, with the screen locked in portrait position, so that the keys are close enough together to tap without pain

 

Most unusual place I’ve written: flat on my back underneath a glass coffee table, with my laptop open and facedown on the glass, dictating into my microphone

 

Most productive place I’ve written: in the car, at the parking lot library, for eight entire hours. Two words: no distractions!

 

Most regular place I write: on the recliner in my bedroom, since the neck and shoulder support is good when my fibromyalgia flares up

 

Most chaotic place I’ve written: Today! At the kitchen table at my friend’s house, with five kids, one toddler, and one dog running around, making slime, eating lunch, and playing games — one with pink eye, one with a broken collarbone, one with a stomach bug, and one with a bruised pinky toe. The injuries weren’t my fault, I swear!

 

Place where I’ve written the longest number of consecutive hours: on the airplane to Thailand (which includes the layovers). I wrote for 20 hours straight.

 

Oh, and guess what? This is unrelated to the post, but I just finished my second-round edits for SEIZE TODAY, the the conclusion of my FORGET TOMORROW series!!!! WHEEE!!!!!!

 

What are your favorite places to write? Let me know in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear!!!

Cover Reveal: Seize Today by Pintip Dunn!

Hello, friends!

Today is a fin-tastic day to be dipping your toes into the lagoon. This is because we Waterworld Mermaids have the distinct honor of participating in a very special book event…

A big thank you and fishy kiss goes out to YA Books Central for revealing the cover of Mermaid Pintip’s Seize Today!

I was just reading the synopsis and once again, Mermaid Pintip has truly delivered an astounding story for the readers. I just marked my calendar–October 3rd–and cannot wait to add this to my collection. I hope you will too. But for now, onto the exciting fishy business of a proper cover reveal.

And so with bubbles and fins and lots of fishy kisses, I only have one word left… ENJOY!!!

 

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Continue reading

New Mermaid Release! Pintip Dunn’s REMEMBER YESTERDAY

Remember Yesterday | Release Blitz | JenHalliganPR.com

Yippee! This is the release week for my novel, REMEMBER YESTERDAY (Forget Tomorrow #2)! Check out the book’s details and teaser, and be sure to enter the giveaway below

Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn | A Book and a Latte | bookandlatte.comREMEMBER YESTERDAY
(Forget Tomorrow #2)
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication: October 4, 2016

Sixteen-year-old Jessa Stone is the most valuable citizen in Eden City. Her psychic abilities could lead to significant scientific discoveries―if only she’d let TechRA study her. But after they kidnapped and experimented on her as a child, cooperating with the scientists is the last thing Jessa would do.

But when she discovers the past isn’t what she assumed, Jessa must join forces with budding scientist Tanner Callahan to rectify a fatal mistake made ten years ago. She’ll do anything to change the past and save her sister―even if it means aligning with the enemy she swore to defeat.

FORGET TOMORROW:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo

REMEMBER YESTERDAY:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo

Excerpt from Remember Yesterday

I lift my eyes to meet his, and I reach into the future—his future. The vision pours into me. The future Tanner grabs me and kisses me. Without warning, without hesitation. It is hot and searing and exquisite. And I like it. Oh, how I like it.

“No!” I fall out of the vision and scoot away from him, so far that I approach the edge of the platform. My pulse is thundering; my nerves are jumping. Oh, Fates. What’s wrong with me? Is it because I don’t want him to kiss me? Or because I want it too much?

His eyes turn watchful. “Come back here, Jessa. You’re too close to the sky.”

I look into the open space, fluffy with wads of cotton-ball clouds. I take a breath, hoping to inhale some of the sky’s serenity. He doesn’t know about the kiss. Why would he? In the vision, he acted impulsively, without premeditation. The desire to kiss me hasn’t arisen in him yet. Maybe I can prevent it from cropping up altogether.

“Look, you don’t want to kiss me,” I babble, staying where I am. And hope I sound more reasonable than I feel. “It’s only because we talked about kissing the other day. When you talk about something, you give it life. Make it real. Like an annoying song you can’t get out of your head.”

He creeps toward me, his eyes flicking between my face and the sky. “So you can’t get the idea of kissing me out of your head?”

“I said it was annoying. Like a song. Not based on anything real.”

He stops five feet from the edge of the platform. “So let me get this straight. You saw into the future and we kissed. Right?”

“Y-yes,” I stutter, shocked that he guessed the truth so easily. “But it doesn’t have to happen that way,” I add quickly. “As my sister proved, we’re in control of our own fate. We can make any future we wish.”

“Unless this is our Fixed.” His voice is low, rough. And yet, every syllable imprints into my memory forever. “Unless this kiss is so important, it happens in every one of our worlds.”

“It’s just a kiss. How can it be that important?”

His eyes glitter with the challenge. With one last look at the platform’s edge, he crawls to me, slowly but steadily. “The path of our particular world might depend on this kiss. Would you risk our future just to be stubborn?”

And then, he’s right in front of me. He rests his hands lightly on my back. They slide down to my waist, until his fingers brush against the strip of bare skin between my pants and top. I shiver, and my skin pebbles into a million goose bumps. He pulls me against him. So much of my body is touching his that I can’t think; I can’t breathe. All I can do is feel. His trembling breath. My hammering heart. His shaking hands—or hell, maybe that’s me, vibrating against his touch.

Our lips are inches apart. Time blends together. You couldn’t move me from this spot if the world were crashing down around us.

“I thought I wasn’t your type,” I whisper.

“You’re not,” he says. “But for the fate of our world, I’m willing to make the sacrifice.”

And then, he closes the gap between us.

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Pintip Dunn | JenHalliganPR.comAbout the Author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language, and received her J.D. at Yale Law School.

Pintip is represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. Her debut novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. Her other books include THE DARKEST LIE and REMEMBER YESTERDAY.

She lives with her husband and children in Maryland. You can learn more about Pintip and her books at www.pintipdunn.com

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Giveaway

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Vanessa Barneveld Swims with the Mermaids

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Release day for Vanessa Barneveld’s YA novella, LIVE FAST, DIE YOUNG, is here! This quick read is full of heartbreak and hope. Vanessa will donate half of the profits from the sale of her novella to a charity that supports young people dealing with cancer. So make sure you pick up LIVE FAST, DIE YOUNG. It’s only 99 cents at these e-tailers:

Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo

Add LIVE FAST, DIE YOUNG to your Goodreads shelf

Read on for the summary and excerpt…


Summary

He has six months to live. She has six months to save him…

Molly Corbett can’t stand seeing her childhood pal Alex Gibson destroy himself. He’s gone from straight-A student to rebel without a cause. With so much at stake, some serious interference is called for—or at least Micromanaging Molly thinks so. Alex needs to get back on the path to the Ivy League. But the harder Molly pushes Alex, the harder he pushes back.

Alex has a secret.

Well, two secrets. Number one: He has terminal melanoma. With six months to live, Alex hasn’t got a second to waste. And hanging around hospitals when his friends think he’s cutting school definitely counts as wasted time. Instead, he’s going to drop out, surf, drive fast cars…and finally put secret number two out there. He’s in love with Molly and he’s going to tell her before it’s too late.

Edgy, and yet wonderfully tender, LIVE FAST, DIE YOUNG sent me to reader heaven!

~ Tina Ferraro, author of THE ABCs OF KISSING BOYS


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LIVE FAST, DIE YOUNG Excerpt

Around six the next morning, I find Mom sitting at the island bench in the kitchen. She looks pretty chill for someone who just laid on a breakfast of fruit salad, yogurt, sautèed mushrooms and kale, unbuttered whole-wheat sourdough and two eggs, sunny-side up. A thick, football-field-green smoothie sits in a tall glass by the blender. Great. More kale.

“Hey, Alex!” She smiles over her coffee mug and pats the stool next to her. “Sleep well?”

I shuffle onto the seat and stare at the food. “Have I died and gone to buffet heaven?”

My mother winces at my choice of words, then makes a big effort to put on a happy face like she always does. “I want you to keep your strength up. You don’t have to eat all of it. Just most of it.”

“And you don’t have to go out of your way to make this for me. I mean, thanks. A lot. But I don’t have much of an appetite.”

“Oh, I’m having some, too,” she says in an overly bright voice. With her fork, she scoops up a tiny portion of kale, hardly enough to fill a mouse’s belly.

Since my diagnosis a few months ago, Mom hasn’t been eating much either. This doesn’t stop her from testing all the “cancer-fighting” recipes she finds on Pinterest. Baking is therapy, she says. I call it a waste of food. Fortunately, the family next door is more than happy to take excess lentil loaf off our hands.

Every hour of every day, I wonder what will happen to Mom after I go. She’ll be all alone. Dad moved back to Australia after the divorce. He’s making custom surfboards, connecting with old friends, so I know he’ll be okay. Mom’s literally got no one. Except the perpetually hungry neighbors and her five employees. Yet another reason why I shouldn’t die so young.

It’s crazy. Why does it have to be like this? Maybe the doctors got it wrong. They’re not infallible. They’re not gods. They can’t predict the exact number of months, days, hours, and seconds a person has left on Earth.

Then again, I’ve peeked at my medical records. I know it doesn’t look good for me. With the help of a counselor I’ve gotten to the stage of mostly accepting that I’m headed for a dead end. I’ve even started giving some of my stuff away. The iPad Dad gave me is now Molly’s. Mom won’t have to go through boxes of my middle-school clothes after I’m gone because I’ve already dropped them off at Goodwill. The cobalt-blue board I learned to surf on? I’m giving that to a kid down the street whether he likes it or not.

Noticing I haven’t touched a single morsel, Mom says, “Will you at least have the kale, broccoli and goji berry smoothie? You don’t even have to chew. Close your eyes and drink it.”

Speaking of acceptance… Yeah, Mom’s adamant that five doctors on two continents are wrong and that I’ll make a miraculous recovery. All we need is faith and love and kale.

I would rather eat broken glass mixed with cyanide, but for Mom, I guess I can manage this. Forcing a smile, I sip chunks of raw broccoli that slipped by the blender’s blades. I’ll check over the blender later, make sure it’s working okay.

“After breakfast, I’m taking you to that appointment you missed yesterday,” she says quickly.

Feeling guilty, I look away. She didn’t hammer me for skipping out on seeing this “amazing herbalist-slash-psychic-healer.” Still, I know she was disappointed in me. “What about work? You’ve missed a lot of days because of me.”

“It’s fine. Things are slow anyway.” Her voice is two octaves higher than usual.

She’s lying. The real estate biz in this corner of SoCal is booming. Foreclosures have brought in the flippers—the people who swoop in on bank-owned properties and fix them up for a profit.

“But you need those commissions.” Silently I add, To pay my medical bills.

Another reason to feel guilty. I’m aware of how much my cancer is costing my parents. Flights to a melanoma specialist in Sydney and more hospital follow-ups here don’t come cheap. My folks tell me not to worry about that, but ironically I’m old enough to figure out that dying young is expensive.

And now Molly’s pushing me to apply to Yale.

I can’t blame her. She knows it’s been my dream since forever to go to Yale, get a medical degree, become a pediatrician. But it’d be a waste of time and money for me to even try to follow that dream.

I grimace at the olive oil oozing from the barely touched kale and mushroom thing.

Waste. Sure is the theme of the day. Of my life, even.


About Vanessavanessabarneveldauthor

Vanessa lives in Australia with her musician husband, a photogenic cat, and a ghost. In addition to writing, she works as a TV closed captioner for the deaf and audio describer for the blind. Her pastimes include baking, iPhonography, and traveling the world on a quest to find the world’s greatest fries.

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