About Nina Soden

Wife, Mommy, Urban Fantasy Author, Artist, Actress, Director... I'm only as old as I feel and I try to see the good in everyone. I take life one day at a time and focus only on the moment I'm in without fear or worry about the past or the future.

My Social Media Goals

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Nina Soden

I recently met with Shayla Lee Raquel of Curiouser Author Network and we talked all about MARKETING. For me, marketing is the BIG BAD. I am not a sales person and I have a hard time talking about myself. However, as an author, especially an indie author, it is very important to be able to sell yourself and your books.

Considering that I published my first novel, Awaken, in 2012, I should be much farther along in the marketing game. So, with the help of Shayla I have made myself some social media marketing goals. In order to keep myself on track and push myself to do better in the upcoming months and years I am going to post my monthly results here for the whole world to see. Call it my accountability system.

Below are the monthly goals I am setting in order to start off on this new social media marketing adventure. I do hope these will increase with time, but I’m aiming for ‘better than current’ right now. I will aim for the stars at a later date.

Monthly Goals:

Blog: Post at least once per week

Writing: Write at least 5,000 words per week (20,000 words per month)

This will change depending on where I am in the writing process. Currently I am finishing up the first draft of my next novel The Hunted (book 2 ~ the SECTOR C Series) When I get into editing the word count will go out the window and the goal will be based on editing revisions

Reading: Read at least 1 book per month and post a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, and my blog if appropriate. These reviews will also be included in my new YA Newsletter – sign up to receive the newsletter HERE.

YA Newsletter: My new YA Newsletter will be sent to my mailing list once per month at the beginning of the month, starting in August. You can sign up to receive your copy HERE. This is also where I will hold subscriber only giveaways. Yes, GIVEAWAYS.

Facebook & Twitter: Post at least once weekly

Tumblr: Post daily as part of the Book Photo Challenge by Books & Cupcakes

Instagram: Goal not determined yet.

Google+: Goal not determined yet.

What I will post in my Monthly Updates:

Number of blog posts;
Written word count;
Books I’ve read and those I’m still reading;
Goodreads and Amazon Stats;
Number of followers on my blog, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, etc.;
Review Quotes; and
What you can look forward to in the month(s) to come.

Post a Quote Challenge (Day 3)

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Nina Soden

Hello Again,

I am on the final day of the Post A Quote Challenge. Thanks to Jonas Lee for thinking of me and pushing me into this challenge.

Here are the rules in said challenge:

* Post one quotation a day for three days (they can be from other sources or one of your own).

* Nominate 3 other bloggers to participate per post.

* Thank the blogger who nominated you on each post.

Today’s quote is by the master of words, Oscar Wilde.

I love this quote. What it is really saying is that what you read can really tell a lot about your personality.

Now, my last batch of nominees (feel free to participate or not):

Ashlee North

Marie Lavender

Zoot

Post a Quote Challenge (Day 2)

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Nina Soden

So, I am on day two of the Post A Quote Challenge. I’d like to thank, once again, Jonas Lee for nominating me.

Here are the rules in said challenge:

* Post one quotation a day for three days (they can be from other sources or one of your own).

* Nominate 3 other bloggers to participate per post.

* Thank the blogger who nominated you with each post.

Today’s selection is by Ernest Hemingway. I think his words can be an inspiration and guide to us all.

“…Before you quit, try.”

Now, my next batch of nominees (feel free to participate or not):

Jenny

Writers 750

Garry Abbott

Post a Quote Challenge (Day 1)

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Nina Soden

So, have you seen? There is yet ANOTHER blog challenge going on. I actually love these things they get me motivated to blog. This one is a Post A Quote Challenge.

I’m sure a lot of you have been seeing the Post A Quote Challenge. Thankfully, people like me enough to nominate me for things like this. I want to thank Jonas Lee for nominating me!

Here are the rules in said challenge:

* Post one quotation a day for three days (they can be from other sources or one of your own).

* Nominate 3 other bloggers to participate per post.

* Thank the blogger who nominated you.

So, now for my first-day selection. I decided to post an inspirational quote from http://www.dailyinspirationalquotes.in – I love this page. I am a firm believer that you have to love what you do and no one said it better than Steve Jobs.

In my opinion, this quote is so much more than just work. It also addresses how we approach life. In order to succeed at anything, you have to have a passion for it. As an employee, I love to learn and so I’m constantly learning new things at work. As a mom, my children are my passion, and I strive every day to be the best mom I can be – to do epic for them. As an author, loving to write and read gives me the drive to publish only what I truly believe is my best work.

Now, my first batch of nominees (feel free to participate or not, but if you do – HAVE FUN WITH IT):

Sarah Lena Brown

Amanda Conger

Stephenie

Allergic to E Challenge

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Nina Soden

There is this new “Allergic to E Challenge” going around online. It’s a fun little game for authors, bloggers, and anyone else who fancies themselves fond of writing. How did I learn of the challenge? Well, Jonas Lee, a fellow author on GoodReads decided to tag me in his post and in so doing has challenged me.

I accept your challenge!

The Allergic to E challenge challenges a writer to construct a paragraph (4 to 6 sentences) without using the letter “E”. Sounds easy, right? NO, NO IT IS NOT! However, I did give it my best try, which you can read below.

The Rules:

Write an entire paragraph without any word containing the letter “e”
If you are reading this you are already signed up
Make sure to link back to the challenges creator Redefining Random.
Challenge at least five bloggers to do the challenge. They must do it within 24 hours or it is considered a failure.
If you fail or pass, suffer in the Page of Lame.
If you win, wallow in the Page of Fame.

Now, the fun part, I get to pass the torture onward.

Hit List:

Marie Lavender

Ashlee North

Kim Zoot Holmes

Garry Abbott

Keith Parker

My “Allergic to E Challenge” Attempt:

My brain contains a world, of its own fashioning, cast from imagination, inspiration, and originality. It is a crazy Nirvana, full of fairyland animations that occupy all of my waking thoughts. With a vivacious passion for artistic satisfaction I am thrust into a fanatical, almost manic compulsion to purify my mind. With gusto my hand scripts with ink to lay out my thoughts. My spirits soar as my visions bud, soon to blossom. Individuals, both mortal and immortal, form to spark my mood and impact my writing. It’s as if I’m watching a play unfurl. A plot builds and conflict grows, but what is born of this pursuit is distinct and rich. A manuscript, rough and awkward but of my own making. Following a bit of tidying up, and a book is born. A book, which brings joy to my soul that can only match that of admiration. This world is not for all, but within it, I find my gifts.

_______________________________________________________

If anyone else feels like giving the challenge a go (or my nominees don’t feel like doing a full blog post), feel free to try posting your comments below, but make sure you don’t use the letter E! Good luck!

The Next Big Thing

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Nina Soden

A Marketing Opportunity for Us All

I want to thank Lois Stern for this neat marketing idea and pass it along to all of you. Here is a way to help market yourself while helping your fellow authors. The basic idea is to respond to ten questions about a book or story you just published or are about to publish.

Would you like to be featured on my AUTHORS’ HALL OF FAME?

If so, just follow the numbered directions toward the bottom of this screen.

MY AUTHORS’ HALL OF FAME

(More to come)

Meet Lois W. Stern

Books by Lois W. Stern

TTSC_cover_300

CLICK TO READ LOIS W. STERN’S INTERVIEW

Author Bio

After twenty years as an active educator, Lois W. Stern continued to pursue her love of writing, soon becoming co-editor of a popular Long Island web-zine. As she created and authored her column Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives, she solidified her special niche of investigative journalism and put those same talents to work while writing her first full length book, Sex, Lies and Cosmetic Surgery. She followed up with her second book, Tick, Tock, Stop the Clock. – Getting Pretty on Your Lunch Hour to address many of the less invasive paths to beauty. Watch this candid interview with Lois on The Writers’ Dream Show to learn more about these books.

After completing her two books on aesthetics, Lois began writing what she calls ‘Inner Beauty’ stories – inspiring stories to touch the heart and soul. She initiated her Tales2Inspire™ “Authors Helping Authors” project/contest as a means of sharing inspirational messages written by authors from across the globe. One of her goals has been to help talented writers build solid author platforms while highlighting them in a variety of ways to further their paths to discovery.

To learn more Lois and this project: Visit her website at www.tales2inspire.com

See more at: http://tales2inspire.com/?p=1617#sthash.5PV51uFp.dpuf

Meet Nina Soden

Books by Nina Soden

CLICK TO READ NINA SODEN’S INTERVIEW

Author Bio

Nina has always been creative, be it art, theatre, film – anything but singing… she stresses that that is something you don’t want to hear! She earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication and Theatre Arts with a minor in Military Science from Eastern Michigan University before heading off to Los Angeles like so many other starry-eyed actors in pursuit of fame and fortune in tinsel-town. While there, she worked to pay the bills but her love was always acting. She was actually able to achieve some level of success, mostly in commercials and independent films, but she considers those experiences as some of the best in her life.

After some major life changes, the publication of her first book entitle PRIVATE WORDS UNSPOKEN, a compilation of poetry, and a major cross-country move she moved from poetry to short stories and then to novels. Since then, her literary interests have grown and she would like to think her storytelling abilities have improved. She has done everything from office administration, to business development, to being the Director of a private preschool. She has jumped out of a C130 aircraft, fired an M16 machine gun, and given birth – TWICE! But no matter where she is in life, she always returns to her art.

Though she’ll forever be a Michigan girl at heart, she now lives in the South where she is married with two wonderful children. Is she isn’t working on her latest story you can find her lounging with a good book, playing with her kids, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to Starbucks coffee.

To learn more about Nina Soden and her books you can check out her blog, or follow her on one or all of the various internet/social media sites.

Blog: www.ninasoden.wordpress.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BloodAngelSeries

Twitter: www.twitter.com/Nina_Soden

Hall of Fame Directions

Post your responses to the interview questions about your book on your own blog page. (See sample interview questions and answers)
Add my name, Nina Soden, my bio, book images and headshot to your blog page and link them back to this page.
After completing steps 1 and 2, above, send me the following:

The URL of your completed blog page
Attachment images of a) you, the author b) and your book images
Your author bio

4. Send this blog to five or more other writers.

5. Each time you forward this message to someone, start with: “I want to thank . . .” sentence as seen above, substituting my name, Nina Soden, for the one currently appearing in that first sentence.

6. Ask them to substitute your name for mine as they send out notices to their circle.

7. Tell them to post this same content on their website or blog, adding their images, URL links, bio and their answers to the same interview questions.

8. Ask the writers you invite to substitute your name in the “I want to thank” sentence at the beginning of this posting and include a link to your blog, before completing the interview questions.

9. They, in turn, link to five other writers, and the cycle continues.

I will add the first ten authors who complete my AUTHORS’ HALL OF FAME instructions above and e-mail me @ BloodAngelSeries@gmail.com with all the information listed in step 3 above – Please put “Author’s Hall Of Fame” in the subject line of your email.

Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing!

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Nina Soden

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE NEXT BIG THING

(When you post this interview on your blog, don’t forget to substitute your book image and answers for mine.)

* What is the title of your book(s) (or story/stories)?

My Blood Angel series books are titled: Awaken (book 1), Beginnings (book 2), and Revenge (book 3)

My SECTOR C Series books are titled: The Chosen (book 2) and The Hunted (book 2 – coming soon)

* Where did the idea come from for these books?

I have always loved the supernatural/paranormal stories. I’m a huge fan of horror films that include vampires, witches, shapeshifters, zombies, and anything out of the realm of normal possibilities. Because of that, my writing doesn’t sway too far from the supernatural and paranormal.

The Blood Angel Series takes place in Atlanta, Michigan, a small town in the northern part of the lower peninsula, where I spent most of my summers as a child. I have always had a very active imagination and spending so much time camping and being outdoors I think my childhood plays a big part in how I write.

* What genre do your books fall under?

Young Adult Supernatural/Paranormal Fiction

* What is the one to two-sentence synopsis of your book(s)?

Awaken: What if everything you thought you knew about yourself and the world turned out to be wrong?
Beginnings: Would you give up everything and everyone you knew in life, just to survive your destiny? What if you didn’t have a choice?
Revenge: Dying in her father’s arms only to awaken in a pool of blood, surrounded by the mutilated corpses of those she loved most, who could blame Alee for what she did next? Wouldn’t you seek REVENGE?
SECTOR C ~ The Chosen: When your only choices are vampirism, lycanthropy, breeder, blood donor, or banishment to the Wastelands, what choice do you really have?

* Will your book(s) be self-published or represented by an agency? I self-published all of my books through Create Space (paperbacks) and BookTango (eBooks).

I self-published all of my books through Create Space (paperbacks) and BookTango (eBooks).

* How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

The first book in the Blood Angel Series, Awaken, took about one and a half years from start to finish (published). The others came a bit more quickly, but I have published one book per year since 2012 when Awaken was published.

The first book in the SECTOR C Series, The Chosen, took one month to write the first draft, but from start to finish (published) it took five months. I am working on book 2, The Hunted, right now, and I am about 22 chapters in writing my first draft.

* What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

With the Blood Angel Series I would say; The Vampire Diaries, the House of Night Series, the Morganville Vampires Series, and other YA supernatural books.

With the SECTOR C Series I think a quote from one of the reviews I received says it best: “Think of a recipe that has a dash of Hunger Games, a pinch of Mystic Falls and a splash of Divergent. Then mix it all thoroughly with Nina’s flair of the supernatural and you have a great novel called Sector C.”

* Who or what inspired you to start writing?

I started writing poetry when I was pretty young. Then, as I got older (college and after) I started acting. The idea of becoming different characters, be it through theatre or film, helped to expand my writing from just poetry into screenplays. After I had left Los Angeles, I began writing short stories and then novels.

______________________________________________________________

Don’t forget to add at least five more authors to the network by linking to them on your blog.

You can contact me at BloodAngelSeries@gmail.com.

Good luck with your marketing!

I Just Published my Book. Now What?

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Nina Soden

Have you written a book? Did you publish it? Are you confused as to what you should do next?

Well, you are not alone.

Nicholas C. Rossis attacks those very issues in his post I Just Published my Book. Now What? Check it out and let me know what you think.

Nicholas C. Rossis

First of all, congratulations! You’re now a published author – and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Second, you’d be amazed how often I hear that question in LinkedIn’s author groups. With some 3,000 new books published every day, I have serious doubts that you can just sit back and wait for readers to stumble on your book, or for word of mouth to work its magic. The chances of that happening are probably similar to that of winning the lottery, in which case you don’t even need the long hours and hard work that goes hand-in-hand with a career as an author (if you don’t believe me, you may want to check out this post by Pedro Barrento on Indies Unlimited).

View original post 1,797 more words

Do you use Grammarly? Here are my thoughts!

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Nina Soden

I was recently asked to give Grammarly a try.

“What’s Grammarly?” I asked.

THE ANSWER AMAZED ME!

Their website www.grammarly.com says that Grammarly is “the world’s most accurate grammar checker.” I decided that I should be the judge of that myself. The program allows you to either download or cut and paste your text into their online platform. Once the text is in the program, it scans for over 250 points of grammar. Now, I’m not going to list them all but some of the things it looks for are:

Contextual Spelling
Grammar
Punctuation
Sentence Structure
Style
Plagiarism

My Test Drive:

In order to test out “the world’s most accurate grammar checker” I decided to cut and paste, into their online platform, the latest chapter of the novel I’m writing:

(COMING SOON)

Just a little plug for me 🙂

WOW – OMG – SO COOL!!!

The program proceeded to mark grammar issues, words that were miss used, spelling errors, and even overused words – things that Microsoft Word doesn’t find. Things that I am sure my editor will love for me to have fixed before sending her my manuscript. Already, after only five minutes with the program, I was sold.

But wait, there’s more!

There is a FREE version!!!

Nope, that’s not all…

If you upgrade to the premium version, you can also download Grammarly to your computer and activate it in Microsoft Word. That means you don’t have to upload your manuscript to the internet or cut and paste it into the online platform. This made me feel so much safer. So, I gave it a shot.

Once the download was complete, I opened up my current work in progress. The 176-page document (34,632 words) only took a matter of minutes to be processed. When it was done, Grammarly had marked all of the “errors”. From the use of passive voice, squinting modifiers, incorrect use of commas, and so much more. No, I don’t like my “errors” to be thrown in my face, but trust me I am glad that there is a tool that will allow me to catch them now – before I send the completed document to the editor. PLUS – I can now use Grammarly as I type instead of going back and trying to catch the errors after the first draft is already completed.

Here’s a little more information

Grammarly’s free version checks for the most frequently made writing mistakes.

100 points of grammar
Contextual spellchecker
Punctuation checks
Works anywhere on the web. (Use the editor at Grammarly.com or use the free Chrome add-on)

Grammarly Premium eliminates both basic and advanced errors.

250+ points of grammar
Sentence structure
Style checks
Vocabulary enhancement
Plagiarism detection
Document type checker (business, academic, etc.)
Windows Microsoft Office add-in

My recommendation…

If you are a writer – GET Grammarly NOW!

Still not convinced? Check out the screenshots below to see more things you can do with Grammarly!

: Use Grammarly to help edit your emails to ensure the quality of writing.

: Choose your document type.

: Choose what types of errors you want Grammarly to find.

What are your thoughts? If you’ve used Grammarly or another program like it, please share your thoughts by commenting below.

Author Interview – Shayla Eaton

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Nina Soden

I am very excited to have Shayla Eaton, author of The Curiouser Crusade: Your Strategy Guide for Defeating Writer’s Block and Conquering Your Novel in Six Months, as my guest today.

What is your name and where do you call home? Shayla Eaton. Yukon, Oklahoma, until September 1, where I’ll rename my home Pensacola Beach, Florida.
Do you have a pen name? I don’t.
What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say? The Curiouser Crusade: Your Strategy Guide for Defeating Writer’s Block and Conquering Your Novel in Six Months.

A week ago Shayla sent me an advance reader copy of her book. I opened the eBook and dug right in. The book is a daily countdown with writing prompts and tips and of course the story of Curi and his sidekick, Sir. As they go along the map to defeat Writer’s Block, the reader, the hero, will unlock top secret stuff every 5 days. That could be a letter from the queen, a helpful PDF on dialogue, or a new location on the map.

I found the book to be a very easy, simple read. Although not all of the tips are going to apply to all writers it is a fun way to promote motivation and to make your daily word count goals. I did find myself, as I read, bookmarking many pages with helpful hints that I thought I would want to come back to later down the road.

Is the above book part of a series? It is not a series. It is an interactive ebook with a countdown, daily writing prompts, and tips.

I kind of feel like this is a basic how to book for authors. It is a way to hold yourself accountable, and it does make you want to reach your daily writing goals.

What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing? My mom always supported my writing. Also, at the age of 16, I read Stephen King’s memoir, which had a huge part in convincing me to become a writing major. I have been professionally writing for five years. I’ve been writing since I was a teenager.

I have to interject here… Stephen King is one of my favorite authors and a huge influence on my writing style today.

How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book(s)? Jessica Allee designed it for me, including all of the characters in the book.

Did you listen to any particular songs while writing your book(s)? I mostly listened to rainfor.me to allow for distraction-free writing.
How did you come up with the title for your book(s)? A friend of mine, Jen, read the Hero’s Journey to me, which sparked the idea for the title and subtitle.
Do you have a book trailer? No.
Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hard-covers or audio-books? I love all books, but I’m a fan of the hardcover.
Are you a self-published/Indie author? I am a self-published author.
If you’re a self-published/Indie author what made you go that route instead of the traditional publishing route? I believed my audience would benefit the most if I self-published.
Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it? Stephen King’s memoir—I’ve read that twice.
What is your opinion of novellas? I think they’re great! Short and sweet.
Have you ever read a book just based on its cover? Sure, who hasn’t?
What is your favorite film based on a book? The Great Gatsby
What is your favorite book genre at the moment? Dystopian

Well let me just say, my latest novel SECTOR C ~ The Chosen falls into the genre of dystopian… If you’re interested you can check it out here: Nina Soden on Amazon

What books have made it onto your wish list recently? And why? Brave New World and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape—I just wanted to read them.
What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format? 11/22/63 and Do Over in paperback and hardback

Do Over is currently on my ‘To Read’ list as well.

If you could invite any four (4) celebrities (alive or dead) to your dinner party, who would you invite and why? Jon Acuff, Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson, and Ewan McGregor
What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? Kill your babies. It means that there will be times when you write something amazing, but it doesn’t fit, so you have to kill it.

As a writer, I know that is one of the hardest things to do. I’ve written scenes that I LOVE and then had to delete because they just didn’t move the story forward. It’s painful but in the end it usually makes for a better story.

Do you have any hobbies that aren’t related to reading & writing? Cooking Italian food.
Where can your readers follow you?

Blog: www.curiouserediting.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/CuriouserEditing

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/CuriouserEdit

Amazon: TBA

BOOK BLURB

Did you know you only need to write 547 words a day for six months to get a 100,000-word novel?

The Curiouser Crusade is an interactive ebook with six months’ of writing prompts and tips to help you conquer your full-length novel. The hero—that’s you—is led to novel-writing victory by Curi, a squire who wants to become a knight. He can’t become a knight unless you write your novel and beat the villainous Writer’s Block.

When you complete your daily word count goal, checkmark the box. Five checkmarks in a row unlock top secret power-ups, helpful PDFs, and sage advice from a squirrel.

Are you ready to conquer your novel?

AUTHOR BIO

Shayla Eaton is a connoisseur of the writing and editing process, having edited over 200 books and countless articles, blogs, social media posts, and marketing campaigns. She now helps authors and organizations in her own business, Curiouser Editing. Of course, Shayla loves coffee and is an admirer of all things creative and bookish.

About Nina Soden

Monthly Goals:

What I will post in my Monthly Updates:

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I accept your challenge!

The Allergic to E challenge challenges a writer to construct a paragraph (4 to 6 sentences) without using the letter “E”. Sounds easy, right? NO, NO IT IS NOT! However, I did give it my best try, which you can read below.

The Rules:

Now, the fun part, I get to pass the torture onward.

Hit List:

Keith Parker

My “Allergic to E Challenge” Attempt:

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A Marketing Opportunity for Us All

MY AUTHORS’ HALL OF FAME

Meet Lois W. Stern

Meet Nina Soden

Hall of Fame Directions

I will add the first ten authors who complete my AUTHORS’ HALL OF FAME instructions above and e-mail me @ BloodAngelSeries@gmail.com with all the information listed in step 3 above – Please put “Author’s Hall Of Fame” in the subject line of your email.

Share this:

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Have you written a book? Did you publish it? Are you confused as to what you should do next?

Well, you are not alone.

Nicholas C. Rossis attacks those very issues in his post I Just Published my Book. Now What? Check it out and let me know what you think.

Share this:

I was recently asked to give Grammarly a try.

“What’s Grammarly?” I asked.

THE ANSWER AMAZED ME!

My Test Drive:

(COMING SOON)

But wait, there’s more!

There is a FREE version!!!

Nope, that’s not all…

Here’s a little more information

My recommendation…

If you are a writer – GET Grammarly NOW!

Still not convinced? Check out the screenshots below to see more things you can do with Grammarly!

What are your thoughts? If you’ve used Grammarly or another program like it, please share your thoughts by commenting below.

Share this:

I am very excited to have Shayla Eaton, author of The Curiouser Crusade: Your Strategy Guide for Defeating Writer’s Block and Conquering Your Novel in Six Months, as my guest today.

BOOK BLURB

AUTHOR BIO

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