Avalanches, isolation and snow blindness were stark realities for those daring to remain in Idaho’s Sawtooth Range through the harsh winter months. For city dweller, Lena Sommer, the warnings seemed exaggerated.
In the fall of 1886, Lena leaves behind a life fraught with disappointments and loss only to arrive in Sawtooth City and find the man she’d pledged to marry has been killed. To return east is unthinkable; to stay is ill-advised, but she resolves to remain and manage the man’s lodging house despite the warnings. More than her stubborn nature influences her decision. From her first glimpse of this mountain valley, she falls captive to its wild beauty. Feeling she has at last found a hearth to call her own, she eagerly puts down roots. Sharing her love of literature with her lodgers before a warming fire, she builds a family of lonesome souls, where dreams awaken.
However, one man stands apart, disturbing her peace with ominous warnings to leave before winter comes. Evan Hartmann knows from personal loss that winter snows bring to these mountains both unimaginable beauty and death. He is also a man conflicted, because as much as he’d like for Lena to leave the mountains, his heart longs for her to stay.

Praise for Comes the Winter
“This story has a surprise ending which will delight fans of romance/adventure novels who have read too many scripted endings. This is a terrific read, a great novel!” ~Readers’ Favorite five-star review

“St. Claire has a wonderful ability to make the characters, the history and the scenery come alive. She is an enchanting writer! Romances normally would not be my genre of choice, and yet I find myself totally engrossed in her stories. I have actually found it difficult to put the book down. Wonderful job! I look forward to more of her writing.” ~Amazon customer

“A most emphatic 5 stars. I’ve already bought the first two now that I finished this one, and will bookmark this author as one to follow. I will recommend this book to anyone – wonderful!” ~Amazon customer

Excerpt:

Dead tired, Evan stumbled up the steps to the porch. His body yearned for sleep even more than food. A full day of back-breaking work followed by a one-hour ride in a stiff saddle made the prospect of a soft bed all the more enticing.

A sound and small movement to his left brought him fully alert. An animal, a bear perhaps? One had taken to roaming the river bank this summer looking through garbage. He pulled his gun from its holster, taking slow quiet steps across the porch. The shadow moved. Now he could discern the pattern not of fur but a quilt. Maybe one of the men had come home drunk and decided to sleep it off out here.

Then a slender, bare ankle, attached to a pale white foot, emerged from the corner of the quilt. A woman? Here?

He slid the gun back into its holster. Standing in front of her now, he saw the face framed by dark curls, softly falling across her cheek. Standing there with the moonlight caressing each curve of her face, he wondered if he were asleep. Maybe he’d come off the mountain, walked inside the house and was already dreaming of this angel.

She shifted, sending Evan scuttling back into the shadowed edge of the porch. He held his breath lest she see him and think him up to some mischief. Drawing her foot back within the folds of the blanket, she settled back into sleep. In a moment, her breathing changed to that of a very human being, not at all angelic. He considered that for a moment. Who was he to say angels didn’t snore?

He remembered then, Nash’s expected lady. This must be her. Most conjectured her to be an older woman, certainly not a woman possessing such an ankle as this one, or a cheek as comely.

Evan frowned. Bad business, this. The poor woman. He scratched at his beard, newly sprouted for the coming winter months. Turning back to the door, he left the sleeping angel to her dreams. He had little doubt she’d be on the first wagon out of the basin, off the mountain before winter locked the doors to the outside world. Or she would if she knew what was good for her.

Author Samantha St. Claire

Samantha St. Claire was born in 2016, the alter-ego and pen name of an author of historical fiction born a few decades earlier. She may have found her niche in western historical fiction, served up sweet. Never faint of heart, her signature female protagonists face the hazards of the frontier with courage, wit, and a healthy pinch of humor.

The road from college graduation led due west where teaching in a small Arizona town fulfilled childhood fantasies on multiple levels. Hiking and backpacking the canyons and desert fed her imagination with the landscapes she would use later in life as an author. A few years passed before a change in jobs took her to California where her love of western history was further fed and her first novel of Russia’s Fort Ross Colony came to life. But Idaho sparked her interest in the history of the magnificent central mountain ranges and Samantha St.Claire began her first series, The Sawtooth Range.

Follow www.samanthastclaire.net to read more about the research that has helped develop the characters, towns and stories of the Sawtooth Range Series and now Whitcomb Creek, Montana.

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$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 4/18/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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I’ll admit it! I’m addicted to essential oils (along with dark chocolate and hot tea). I keep a large supply of those three items close to my desk. They fuel my writing 🙂

I’ve tried many brands of essential oils and have noticed a large growth in suppliers over the past few years. That means things are getting competitive and prices are going down. However, you still can’t just go out and buy any brand. Not all of them are high quality.

I have so much to write about when it comes to essential oils. They’ve done amazing things for my family. I don’t want to overload you on one post, so I’ll just keep this one about my latest Simply Earth haul. This month you get a bonus box worth over $50, so it’s definitely something you want to know about.

I don’t usually do subscription boxes. In fact, I’ve never signed up for one until Simply Earth. There’s no obligation, and you can end your subscription at any time. I joined back in January after hearing great things about the company, and I’ve been more than happy ever since.

For $39 a month (cancel any time), you usually get a box of four essential oils, recipe cards, a carrier oil, and miscellaneous bottles for the recipes. It’s a GREAT value, and the oils are high quality. They also give 13% of their proceeds to fight against sex trafficking. I love it!

Well, this month is the start of something new for the company. To save on shipping, they’re going to start sending out bonus boxes every six months, and March was their first bonus box. It’s huge! I still only paid $39, yet I got two boxes. One contained the four essential oils, recipe cards, and a hand-crafted necklace that came from Haiti (helping women artisans). The large bonus box contained coconut oil, beeswax pellets, almond oil, and a supply of various containers. Definitely worth more than my $39!

I also got a code to share for a $40 gift card (type in freegiftcard at checkout). That means you can pay $39 for March’s huge box and then spend $40 later. What’s not to love about this? March is the time to join!

As far as customer service, I’m more than pleased. I have received a leaky bottle, and they quickly sent me a replacement and let me know they’ve switched caps to help with future orders. They have always gotten back to my emails, and they highly support sex trafficking and women. This is definitely a company I can believe in.

Be sure to sign up this month, so you can get the huge bonus box. The LOVE blend that came this month is also my favorite blend (and I have a lot of blends). It’s very floral and gives me a smile. I’ll do some more posts with some recipes and things I’ve learned about essential oils as well. It’s not something I just play around with (which can be dangerous). I’ve done a lot of research and keep my books close to my desk.

This is the diffuser I highly recommend:

The Protective Warrior by Cami Checketts

A daughter escaping, a Navy SEAL sent to protect her, and the beautiful island that might prove more dangerous than her father.

Ally, daughter of the Duke of Gunthry, has spent her life terrified of her father and dreams of the day when she can escape his tyrannical rule.

When her mum helps her escape to the beautiful island of Kauai, Ally thinks she’s found paradise and maybe more with the handsome River who keeps crossing her path.

But there are unexpected enemies lurking in the shadows. And no matter how tough River seems, no one can withstand the army her father will send when he discovers her location.

River Duncan is part of an elite security task force of ex-Navy SEALS. Little does he know his first assignment might prove irresistible to resist and protect. When he finds himself falling for the fun-loving Ally he plans to resign his position so they can join forces in their common goal of fighting human trafficking. River has never underestimated the enemy before, but is he fully prepared to protect and love Alexandria Gunthry?

Will River’s protection and Ally’s love be enough to conquer a lifetime of fear and responsibilities? Or will they be forced to give up on their dreams in the face of her sadistic and powerful father?

Praise for The Protective Warrior

I’ve read pretty much every Cami Checketts book, and I think this is my favorite of all time ever!

I absolutely love the way Cami Checketts is able to sweep me away to an exotic location, completely immersing me in the story. She always adds an element of suspense that keeps me on my toes and I was almost looking over my shoulder while hiking the lush trails of Kauai this afternoon.

It doesn’t get any better than this! An excellent read from start to finish! I love this book! Outstanding! One of my all-time favorites!

The Protective Warrior is the perfect balance of sweet romance and on-your-toes suspense. I loved it!

Excerpt

“This seat taken?” a nicely timbered voice asked.
Ally glanced up and took her time looking over him before she answered.
He arched an eyebrow and smiled. “Did I pass muster?”
“How do you do?”
He cocked his head to the side. “I’m good. You?”
Ally laughed. “I’m glad you’re good, but ‘how do you do’ is more like ‘hello.’”
“Hello.” He smiled, and ooh, he was cute. “So I do pass muster?” He moved to sit down.
Ally held out a hand. “Not so quick, chump.” His dark hair was short, military or missionary short, but it was nice—clean and thick and would probably feel good beneath her fingertips. His face was lean and proportioned with a firm jaw, a straight nose, and smooth, tanned skin. She liked the crinkles next to his eyes and mouth as he smiled at her, awaiting her perusal. He’d had some experiences in life, good and bad, if those crinkles told her anything. He was a big guy—broad and at least six-three with lots of lovely muscles peeking out from underneath his T-shirt and board shorts. It was his eyes that finally convinced her to accept his request. Their deep brown sparkled at her, though she could tell he could be very serious.
He tapped the edge of his tray. “How about now?”
“Okay, no harm in sharing a table.” She winked at him and picked a bite of rib off the bone, savoring the tang of the barbecue sauce and the heartiness of the meat. No, she never took men home, only selectively dated those who passed her intuition test. She trusted her intuition completely and she could have fun with this hot, tough-looking guy.
He smiled and dug into his brisket. “Mm. This place is good.”
“One of my favorites.”
“Have you been on the island long?”
She wished. “A few days.”
“Oh. You act like a local.” He ate a bite of beans and took a drink of water before asking, “Which part of England are you from?”
“London. Kensington, to be exact. You?”
“Long Island originally. I like your accent a lot.”
“I’ve been in the States for over six years, so it’s faded.”
“Don’t let it fade.”

Author Cami Checketts

Cami Checketts is married and the proud mother of four future WWF champions. Sometimes between being a human horse, cleaning up magic potions, and reading Bernstein Bears, she gets the chance to write fiction.

Cami graduated from Utah State University with a degree in Exercise Science. She and her family live in the beautiful Cache Valley of Northern Utah. During the two months of the year it isn’t snowing, she enjoys swimming, biking, running, and water-skiing.

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To celebrate the release of The Protective One we are giving away an adorable Nani Swimsuit of your choice ($80 value). Enter to win below.

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Author Melinda Curtis

Melinda Curtis is an award-winning, USA Today Bestseller of over 40 romances. She writes sweet romance for Harlequin Heartwarming, sweet romantic comedies and sexy sports contemporary romances. When not working on DIY projects around their home, Melinda and her college sweetheart enjoy watching Duke mens basketball and visiting their three kids and one grandchild. Sign up for her mailing list to receive two free reads.

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Praise for Anna J Stewart

“The talented Anna J Stewart delivers every time.” ~NYTimes Bestselling Author Brenda Novak

“Anna J. Stewart will tug at your heartstrings more than once while leaving you utterly besotted with her characters.” ~The Romance Reviews

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Matt Knight was all about doing right by people. Especially those he cared about. But there wasn’t any moving forward, not with his life, not with Lori, as long as he was still anchored to the past.

The phone rang. Before Matt could reach for the receiver, Jasper answered.

“It’s for you, Matt. A Chris Walters?”

“That’s Kyle’s caseworker,” Matt said as he picked up his extension.
“Chris? Kyle okay?”

“Doing well, actually.” The social worker’s encouraging words belied the tension in his voice. “We’re still on track for an early release. For now at least.”

“What’s that mean?” Matt squeezed the receiver so hard his fingers
tingled. “What’s going on?”

“The judge in charge of Kyle’s case is retiring. His replacement is
reviewing all the cases ahead of time and, well, since we’re jumping beyond fosterage to adoption, she has some concerns about your living situation.”

“What’s wrong with my living situation?” Matt asked. “I’ve got a room
ready for him, he’ll have a part-time job with the sheriff’s department, and most importantly he’ll have more stability than he’s known in years.”

“I’m on your side, remember? You don’t have to convince me. She’s not denying your petition, Matt, but she has suggested a female influence in the house wouldn’t be a bad thing for Kyle. And given your marital status…”

“That’s about to be resolved.” Matt looked down at the papers on his desk. “I filed the divorce papers and am getting ready to sign them as we speak.”

“Okay. We’ll have to see how that plays with the judge.”

“Given Kyle’s last female influence was too hopped-up on prescription meds to give him a second thought, I wouldn’t think this would be any judge’s first concern.” Matt hated to speak ill of Kyle’s mother, but the truth was the truth.

“It’s a concern, Matt. And the judge only suggested it would be in your and Kyle’s best interest if there was someone in your life to help bring a bit of balance. Even if it’s just a girlfriend, which brings me to what we talked about before. She’s going to want to call Lori as a character witness.”

“Lori? How does she know about Lori?” The last time his heart had pounded this hard he’d been dodging bullets.

“Because I listed her in my report. You said you were dating her, that you thought it was getting serious. Are you telling me something’s changed?”

Changed? Other than Matt all but ignoring her the last few weeks while he got his head on straight and cleared the emotional deck? “No, nothing’s changed,” Matt blurted before his brain could catch up with the panic seizing his chest. He’d made a promise to Kyle, and Matt Knight never made a promise he couldn’t keep. “We’ve been seeing each other for a while, off and on.” Most recently off. All the more reason to remedy that.

“She’s completely on board with me taking Kyle in.”

“So you’re okay with her listed as a character witness? She’ll back up your statement should the judge want to call her in during Kyle’s hearing?”

“Yeah, of course.” Matt swallowed the lie. Well, it wasn’t a lie exactly. Lori did know about Kyle but Matt’s current relationship with her might be a bit, well, up in the air. “Have they set a date yet for the hearing?”

“Um, yeah. Hang on, I’ve got that right…” The sound of shuffling papers scraped against Matt’s ear. “Three weeks from Monday. Looks like the judge has us penciled in for two in the afternoon.”

Matt scribbled the date on his calendar, noting that was the same day as the big welcome dinner that opened the Butterfly Festival. That would take some juggling given it was all hands on deck in town for the department. “I’ll be there.” Somehow. “I thought I’d come up and see him in a couple of weeks. Need to figure out my days off.”

“You’re on the visitor’s list for anytime,” Chris said. “I’m glad you told me about Lori. This will go a long way with this judge in approving Kyle’s placement.”

“I hope so.” With Kyle’s troubled past, the only other placement option for him would be a group foster home or to extend his stint in the detention center he currently resided in. “Let me know if there are any more changes.”

“You got it.”

Matt hung up. Why was it, even when he had the best of intentions, he ended up messing things up? At least now he had even more of a reason to apologize to Lori. As much as he wanted her back in his life, he needed her.

Kyle needed her. Unease settled in his gut like a stone. He hated lying. To anyone.

But especially to Lori Bradley.

“Everything okay?” Jasper asked. “Is Kyle still getting out?”

“He sure is.” Matt picked up his pen, clicked it open and scratched his name on the divorce degree. A few seconds later, he set the sealed envelope on the counter, where it would go out in the afternoon mail.

Author Anna J. Stewart

USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J. Stewart writes sweet to sexy romance for Harlequin’s Heartwarming and Romantic Suspense lines. Early obsessions with Star Wars, Star Trek, and Wonder Woman set her on the path to creating fun, funny, and family-centric romances with happily ever afters for her independent heroines. Anna lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural & Sherlock addiction, surrounds herself with friends and family and tolerates an overly affectionate cat named Snickers (or perhaps it’s Snickers who tolerates her). When she’s not writing books or her monthly blog for USA Today’s Happy Ever After, you can find her at fan conventions or at her local movie theater, or building her client list for her content editing services.

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Blog Tour Schedule

March 5th
I Am A Reader – Spotlight
A Writer’s Life – Spotlight
Lynn’s Romance Enthusiasm – Spotlight
Why Not? Because I Said So! – Spotlight
Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Romance – Spotlight
Laura’s Interests – Spotlight
Jersey Girl Book Reviews – Review
The Christian Fiction Girl – Review

March 6th
Bargnhtress – Spotlight
Bonnie Phelps, Author – Spotlight
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – Spotlight
The Avid Reader – Spotlight
T’s Stuff – Spotlight
My Devotional Thoughts – Spotlight
Susan Heim on Writing – Spotlight
Remembrancy – Review
Wishful Endings – Review

March 7th
Rainy Days and Pajamas – Spotlight
Bookworm Lisa – Spotlight
The Eco Lifestyle – Spotlight
Diana’s Book Reviews – Spotlight
Stacking My Book Shelves! – Spotlight
Reading Is My SuperPower – Review
Always Books – Review

March 8th
Room With Books – Spotlight
Hearts & Scribbles – Spotlight
Queen of All She Reads – Spotlight
BookHounds – Spotlight
StoreyBook Reviews – Spotlight
Thoughts of a Blonde – Spotlight
Alina Snow Book Adventures – Spotlight
Among the Reads – Review
Rockin’ Book Reviews – Spotlight
Kindle and Me – Review

March 9th
Heidi Reads… – Spotlight
Paulette’s Papers – Spotlight
Tianna Holley, Author – Spotlight
Bunny’s Review – Review
books are love – Spotlight
Kerrific Online – Review

Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 3/18/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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The Marriage Pact by Wendi Sotis

A Regency Romance

The heir to an earldom has little control over his own fate, but Mr. James Aldridge promised himself one freedom. To marry for affection instead of wealth or connections. Anger flares when he learns his father has struck a deal: in one year, he will be leg-shackled to Miss Celia Colton, the dazzling beauty who had previously caught his eye. Now certain she was simply performing her role in a scheme to catch him as her husband, resentment prompts James to refuse to squander his last months of independence in the company of such a mistress of manipulation. But why can he not wrench his gaze from her at every encounter?

Completely unaware of the pact that has matched her with James, Miss Celia Colton is at a loss to explain why the man she secretly loves has suddenly become cold and critical. Abandoned by James, who had promised to guide her through her debut Season, she fears she will have to navigate the ton with only her grasping mother and distracted cousin as companions. Surrounded by gentlemen merely interested in her dowry, young ladies who view her as unwelcome competition, and, worse yet, James’s icy stares and disdainful manners, her primary concern is to discover the reason for his altered behaviour. How can she make things right between them? Will a love-match be forever out of her reach?

Praise for The Marriage Pact

This novel had quite a few twists & turns to it that I didn’t quite expect. I won’t give away any spoilers, but I will say I truly enjoyed this book – I felt thoroughly engaged throughout the whole of it & being a regency style novel as well as being a clean read, I can highly recommend it.

Excerpt:

For the moment, the pair of matrons were silently observing Celia interact with a newly introduced gentleman, a Mr. Montgomery. As she rose from yet another curtsy, her gaze deviated from its mark and locked onto a sight that caused her heart to cease beating.
James stood directly across the ballroom, speaking to a lady. Even from this distance, his handsome visage nearly took her breath away. She strained to discern a trace of the deep timbre of his voice from the din of the crowd, but she could not make it out. It had been too long since her heart had soared with the rumbling of his laughter — far, far too long since his smile had warmed her soul.
She willed James to approach. Alas, he did not. The urge to call out to him almost overcame her sense of propriety before the recollection of the change in their situation crashed down on her all at once. Her elation burst, leaving an ache in its place.
She sighed and glanced at Mr. Montgomery, who looked away from her neckline only long enough to sign her dance card.
If she could put up with this man’s ogling her through a set, then surely, she could endure pairing up with James and withstand his angry glares.
Mr. Montgomery returned the card to her hand, and she saw there were still two sets open. As was expected of her, she thanked the gentleman and curtsied once again. Mr. Montgomery bowed and retreated.
Her mother immediately took hold of one of her hands. “Celia! Lord Eagleton has come, after all, and he moves in this direction. Remember everything I have told you, dear — simply everything. You must attract his attention immediately, before Miss Buchannan does so.” She craned her neck to peer around a group of ladies who had moved between them and James. “Oh, that disagreeable Mr. Kenilworth has delayed Lord Eagleton’s approach. I had the disadvantage of making his acquaintance last summer, while I stayed at Penelope’s estate. Mr. Kenilworth is a distant relation to the baron, and although he may be the younger son of an earl, I do not like that man. Especially not now.” She held out her hand to Celia. “Give me your dance card, dear.”
Celia held onto her card tightly, already suspecting what her mother had in mind. She widened her eyes. “Why?”
“If Mr. Kenilworth delays Lord Eagleton much longer, he will not be able to reserve a set with you. I shall do so for him.”
“But mother …” Celia sputtered out, “Perhaps Lord Eagleton does not wish to request a dance.”
“Nonsense.” Mrs. Colton laughed as she waved the idea away. “Of course he does. He would wish to reserve a set of honour.” She plucked the card and pencil out of Celia’s hand. “You are unengaged for the last set. I shall fill in his name.”
“Mother, please do not —” It was too late. As her mother returned her card, Celia stared at the name now written next to the final set. Viscount Eagleton. Good Lord, what was she to do?

Author Wendi Sotis
Wendi Sotis lives on Long Island, NY, with her husband and triplets. While searching for Pride and Prejudice from Darcy’s point of view, she became thoroughly enamored with Jane Austen Fan Fiction or JAFF. In early 2010, she dreamed an idea for a story and hasn’t stopped writing since: Promises, Dreams and Expectations; All Hallows Eve;The Keys for Love; Safekeeping (with just a dash of Austen); The Gypsy Blessing; Foundation of Love (The Gypsy Blessing 2); and A Lesson Hard Learned. A Very Austen Christmas, released in 2017, is an anthology of short stories and novellas including Wendi’s story No Better Gift.

The Marriage Pact, and some of her works-in-progress, have branched away to Regency Romance (the Loving an Aldridge series) and Contemporary Romantic Mysteries (the Implicated series).

Wendi will also continue bringing Darcy and Lizzy together again and again in an unusual manner.

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$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 3/25/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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