Maggie Wells's Blog, page 62

Weekend Writing Warrior 3/17/13

This week I’m sharing a snippet from my upcoming release, Always Miss April (Hot Nights in St. Blaise book #4).

“I could kiss you now…you know, if you want to test drive before you buy.”

“You’ve lost your mind,” she whispered.

The caress of her warm, damp breath against his throat had him picturing her under him, over him, all around him. As usual, the mere thought of them together at last ratcheted his hard-on from half-hearted to whole-hearted in two-point-three seconds. The self-control he’d clung to for too many years to remember finally snapped.

“I can’t take it anymore, Mari.” He slid his hands up to cradle her neck, his thumbs tracing the stubborn line of her jaw. “First, I had to deal with the fact that I was too slow and too dumb to grab you when I had the chance.”

Always Miss April – Coming soon from Turquoise Morning Press

The tender feelings Sheriff Delavan Cormack has for his lifelong best friend, Marilyn Dumbrowski, are the worst kept secret in a tiny town where everyone knows everyone else’s business.

When Marilyn’s teenage son starts acting out, Del uses his badge and their friendship to force the marriage he has wanted for too damn long. What Del didn’t know was the cool, competent ER nurse and hardworking single mom has been keeping a secret that has her burning red hot day and night.

With everything he dreamed of having in the palm of his hand and so much more than he bargained for happening in the bedroom, Del is faced with figuring out exactly how far he’s willing and able to go when he discovers that the power of his love may not be enough to satisfy the woman he adores.

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to check out the snippets posted by my fellow Weekend Writing Warriors!

Tagged: 8Sunday, coming soon, erotic, Novella, romance, St. Blaise

Friday Flashers 3/15/13 – So darn lucky in love!

I am very lucky in love…now. But until I met my hubby, I was what was commonly known as a Tragic Spinster.

It wasn’t that I didn’t have my fair share of chances. I did. And maybe someone else’s share as well, but that’s a different story. You see, I’d always assumed I’d grow up, get married, have babies, then live happily ever after.

Yeah…That didn’t really happen.

So, you see, I hit my thirties without having found my ‘special someone’ and had to adjust my preconceived notions of love. I had a full and happy life without that all-encompassing romance, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a difficult pill to swallow. Yes, my family and friends loved me. In my own hyper-critical-but-not-too-nutso way I loved me. I just wanted someone taller, hairier and generally more testosterone-y to love me too.

One crazy stroke of luck later, love found me at last. I met my husband because my business card was drawn out of a hat. An endless cycle of seminars forged a common bond between strangers who lived very different lives hundreds of miles apart. The telephone turned into our loveline. I joined a frequent flier program.

Until I stumbled into a seemingly impossible love I hadn’t realized I was too damn lucky in love to let the chance pass me by. Backed by a wealth of love and support from my family and friends, I packed my bags and turned my life upside-down.

My romance may not have unfolded as I originally envisioned, but that doesn’t mean I’m not living my happily ever after. That’s why I consider myself pretty darn lucky in love!

Now it’s your turn to get lucky! *wink*

Tell me about a time when a random stroke of luck changed your life, and I’ll enter you into a drawing to win digital copies of the first THREE Hot Nights in St. Blaise novellas: Jumping Mr. January, February’s Fling, and March Madness.

(Must be 18! Two winners will be drawn. Contest ends at March 18,2013 11:59PM)

And don’t forget to hop around! There are more than 300 blogs participating. The more you comment, the better your chances of getting lucky and winning our Grand Prize!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

2nd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

Tagged: erotic, Friday Flashers, Novella, romance

Weekend Writing Warrior 3/10/13

My new entry as a Weekend Writing Warrior come from my NEW REALEASE, March Madness (Book #3 in the Hot Nights in St. Blaise series) 

Eight sentences from March Madness:

A sad shake of her head broke the connection humming between them. “I’m not a good bet.”

“Neither am I,” he whispered, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear. His knuckles grazed her cheek. It was all he could do to keep from cupping her face in his hands and kissing her senseless. Anything to erase the fear and uncertainty from her eyes.

“I’m worse with relationships than I am with plants, and trust me, Rex, I have a black thumb.”

“I’m not the least bit interested in your thumb.”

~~~~~

See what happens when two commitmentphobes collide?

March Madness! Buy it now at your favorite retailer!

Shelli Ann Jones never considered ‘It takes one to know one’ an effective pick-up line, but when she runs headlong into St. Blaise Regional Medical Center’s elusive Mr. March, she revises her opinion.

Trauma Surgeon Kevin O’Shea should come with a sign that reads BEWARE OF THE DOG, but Shelli Ann couldn’t hold that against him. She only wanted him for his body. At first.

Kevin is fascinated by his new neighbor. So fascinated, he might be turning into peeping Kevin.

The tables turn when Shelli Ann uses the same meaningless flirtation, casual intimacy, and careful standoffishness Kevin thought he had trademarked against him, forcing him to unleash the full force of his dogged determination in his pursuit to win the heart of the only woman who could break his.

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to check out the snippets posted by my fellow Weekend Writing Warriors!

 

 

Tagged: 8Sunday, erotic, Novella, St. Blaise, warrior

Friday Flashers 3/8/13

Okay, so a couple of people pointed out that I got so excited about the cover art for Love Letters Volume 2: Duty to Please that I forgot to tease you with share a bit of my story from Love Letters Volume 1: Obeying Desire.

Allow me to remedy that right away. Here’s the official 4-1-1:

D is for Detained by Maggie Wells

He was the preacher’s son, her parents owned the local sex shop. Sherry Adams and Tyler Prescott’s attraction was forbidden when they were teenagers, but years later Deputy Tyler takes out his trusty handcuffs to show her just how good they could be together.

And a tidbit to tide you over:

“Freeze! Hands in the air!”

Her skull cracked against the counter. She cussed, lifting one hand to rub away the ache and whirling to confront her attacker. “Christ, wha—”

She gaped at the shadow in the doorway. The peaked crown of his hat brushed the door casing, and his shoulders filled the breadth of the opening. Backlit by the blistering summer sun, the guy looked enormous.

“Hands in the air,” he repeated.

Astounded by the sight of a gun pointed in her direction, it took a full minute for her to recognize the voice. She blinked but the rest of her motor skills seemed stunned by the blow. Her hands inched toward the ceiling. “Tyler?”

“Sherry?” Instantly, he lowered the gun. His jaw almost scraped the filthy linoleum floor.

“Hey.” The little finger wave made her look stupid and awkward, but making a fool of herself over him was nothing new. The minute Tyler Prescott glanced in her direction, the stupid and awkward came pouring out of her.

“Sherry…Sherry Garcia Adams.”

She’d like to claim the name was a remnant of a misunderstood youth, a leftover taunt hurled by a guy who hadn’t outgrown his teenaged prejudices. Unfortunately, the man might have been reading her birth certificate verbatim. She had to be the only girl in the world whose own mother serenaded her with “Truckin’” each year instead of “Happy Birthday.”

Still, when Tyler Prescott said her ridiculous name in his down and dirty, burrowing twenty-gazillion-leagues-under-her-skin drawl…well, a little thrill chased down her spine. And if the fact that he remembered her name at all wasn’t enough to get a girl all squealy-giggly, the pseudo-reverence in his tone had the tiny hairs on the back of her neck standing at attention.

She assumed he faked the awe in his voice. Sherry had no idea why the chosen son of Serenity would be impressed with her presence.

“Hey, Tyler.” She lowered her half-raised hands and scraped her damp palms over the seat of her cargo shorts, trying to ignore her throbbing skull. He stared at her as if she were an alien beamed down from the planet Stupefy. “Uh, how’ve you been?”

Another brilliant question, but he stood stock-still in the doorway staring at her and it was making her nervous. Tyler Prescott was a paragon in their tiny town, and paragons made her twitchy. In high school, he’d been the captain of the football team and class president four years running. The resident handsome-as-sin preacher’s kid. Every town had one.

She flashed back to those interminable Sundays when she’d slip out of bed early to sneak into town to go to church. Tyler was one of the few people in Serenity who’d treated her like she was a normal person and not the girl their classmates crowned Porn Queen.

Love Letters Volume 1  is available for pre-order now at Carina Press, Amazon, and All Romance eBooks. Happy Friday, my friends!

Tagged: coming soon, erotic, Friday Flashers, Love Letters, romance, short story

I am a Weekend Writing Warrior!

My first entry as a Weekend Writing Warrior! Here’s a bit of delish from my upcoming release, March Madness (Book #3 in the Hot Nights in St. Blaise series) 

Eight sentences from March Madness:

“Christ, you’re hot,” he growled.

“You’re hot too.”

He laughed. “No, I meant…I can feel you…”

She arched her back and the sensation of hot woman pressing against hard dick blew up the tracks his train of thought had been traveling. Turning on his heel, he pinned her to the nearest flat surface and reclaimed her mouth. The fridge rocked in time with her circling hips. Her hands fluttered, touching him everywhere, but not nearly enough.

Shelli Ann Jones never considered ‘It takes one to know one’ an effective pick-up line, but when she runs headlong into St. Blaise Regional Medical Center’s elusive Mr. March, she revises her opinion.

Trauma Surgeon Kevin O’Shea should come with a sign that reads BEWARE OF THE DOG, but Shelli Ann couldn’t hold that against him. She only wanted him for his body. At first.

Kevin is fascinated by his new neighbor. So fascinated, he might be turning into peeping Kevin.

The tables turn when Shelli Ann uses the same meaningless flirtation, casual intimacy, and careful standoffishness Kevin thought he had trademarked against him, forcing him to unleash the full force of his dogged determination in his pursuit to win the heart of the only woman who could break his.

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to check out the snippets posted by my fellow Weekend Writing Warriors!

Tagged: 8Sunday, coming soon, erotic, Novella, romance, St. Blaise, warrior

Friday Flashers 3/1/13

Hello and welcome to my first Friday Flashers entry! The cover art fairy dropped a bit of yum into my inbox. Wanna see?

You like? How about a little taste of what’s inside?

Love Letters Volume 2: Duty to Please

E Is for Entice by Emily Cale

Coast Guard Petty Officer Evan Marshall knows it won’t be easy proving to his hometown that he’s matured—especially his former girlfriend, Ciara Knowles. Though they soon re-create some very hot memories, it may take a disaster to truly bring them together.

F Is for Fallout by Ginny Glass

When Spencer Corwin returns from Iraq, all he can think about is finally meeting the woman he’s been corresponding with in the flesh. But will their red-hot passion survive the fallout of learning they’ve both been living a lie?

G Is for Gun-Shy by Christina Thacher

Colonel Jack Travis doesn’t want to be partnered with buttoned-up military strategist Davina McCall—even if she’s the sexiest woman he’s ever seen. When a freak storm traps them in Jack’s cabin, the buttons start coming undone…and things really start heating up.

H Is for Hotshot by Maggie Wells

Smoke jumper Luke Whitehawk usually fights fires—when he’s not fighting his sizzling attraction to pilot Tara Ferris. And Tara’s determined that this is one battle Luke is destined to lose…

Here’s a little flash:

Sucking air between her teeth, Tara tripped the latch and threw her shoulder into the door. Without looking at him, she dropped a booted foot over the side and jumped from the pilot’s seat. “If you don’t like the way I drive, don’t climb into my bird, Hawk.”

A hard hand wrapped around her elbow. Blunt fingertips bit into her arm as he lifted her off the ground and held her snug against his chest. She slid halfway down his body before opportunity registered and instinct kicked in. Her arms and legs locked at his neck and thighs. She shimmied back up his long, lean body like a lumberjack scaling a tree trunk. She locked her thighs around his hips and dug the worn heels of her battered cowgirl boots into the hard muscle of his ass. Staring up into the jagged planes of his soot-covered face, she match him scowl for scowl.

“You could have killed yourself,” he rasped.

“I would never endanger my crew,” she retorted. “It was an engine alarm. I had her under control.” Luke opened his mouth to speak but the words caught. Startled by his strangled cry of frustration, she stared straight into his ebony eyes, willing him to truly see her for the first time. “Don’t you know me at all by now? I would never risk you. Never.”

His hand slipped into her hair, pressing the damp strands to the back of her neck. “Goddammit, Tara,” he rasped.

She held his gaze and exhaled a tremulous breath. “Goddammit, Hawk.”

A bead of sweat trailed down his temple, cutting a swath through the black soot that seemed embedded in his pores. It trickled into the crevices that fanned from the corners of his eyes, then attempted to scale that high, arcing cheekbone. Favoring him with a shaky smile, she caught the droplet on the pad of her thumb and swirled it into his skin.

Her lips were dry. She ran her tongue over the parched skin and traced the outline left by his safety goggles with her eyes. “You look like a reverse raccoon.” She wiggled, inching a bit higher so the crotch of his personal protective gear slid against the slick fabric of her flight suit.

Shudders rumbled through his body but he cradled her ass in one big hand. “And you look like more trouble than any man my age should go courtin’.”

“I’m not asking you to court me.” Her grip on his nape tightened. She leaned in and caught his earlobe between her teeth, rolling the tender flesh before releasing it with a flick of her tongue. Her breath bounced off his ear, warm and moist with anticipation. “All I’ve ever wanted was you deep inside me.”

Be sure to watch for Love Letters Volume 1: Obeying Desire coming in April!

Tagged: coming soon, erotic, Friday Flashers, Love Letters, romance, short story

Friday Flashers #1

Hello and welcome to my first Friday Flashers entry! The cover art fairy dropped a bit of yum into my inbox. Wanna see?

You like? How about a little taste of what’s inside?

Love Letters Volume 2: Duty to Please

E Is for Entice by Emily Cale

Coast Guard Petty Officer Evan Marshall knows it won’t be easy proving to his hometown that he’s matured—especially his former girlfriend, Ciara Knowles. Though they soon re-create some very hot memories, it may take a disaster to truly bring them together.

F Is for Fallout by Ginny Glass

When Spencer Corwin returns from Iraq, all he can think about is finally meeting the woman he’s been corresponding with in the flesh. But will their red-hot passion survive the fallout of learning they’ve both been living a lie?

G Is for Gun-Shy by Christina Thacher

Colonel Jack Travis doesn’t want to be partnered with buttoned-up military strategist Davina McCall—even if she’s the sexiest woman he’s ever seen. When a freak storm traps them in Jack’s cabin, the buttons start coming undone…and things really start heating up.

H Is for Hotshot by Maggie Wells

Smoke jumper Luke Whitehawk usually fights fires—when he’s not fighting his sizzling attraction to pilot Tara Ferris. And Tara’s determined that this is one battle Luke is destined to lose…

Here’s a little flash:

Sucking air between her teeth, Tara tripped the latch and threw her shoulder into the door. Without looking at him, she dropped a booted foot over the side and jumped from the pilot’s seat. “If you don’t like the way I drive, don’t climb into my bird, Hawk.”

A hard hand wrapped around her elbow. Blunt fingertips bit into her arm as he lifted her off the ground and held her snug against his chest. She slid halfway down his body before opportunity registered and instinct kicked in. Her arms and legs locked at his neck and thighs. She shimmied back up his long, lean body like a lumberjack scaling a tree trunk. She locked her thighs around his hips and dug the worn heels of her battered cowgirl boots into the hard muscle of his ass. Staring up into the jagged planes of his soot-covered face, she match him scowl for scowl.

“You could have killed yourself,” he rasped.

“I would never endanger my crew,” she retorted. “It was an engine alarm. I had her under control.” Luke opened his mouth to speak but the words caught. Startled by his strangled cry of frustration, she stared straight into his ebony eyes, willing him to truly see her for the first time. “Don’t you know me at all by now? I would never risk you. Never.”

His hand slipped into her hair, pressing the damp strands to the back of her neck. “Goddammit, Tara,” he rasped.

She held his gaze and exhaled a tremulous breath. “Goddammit, Hawk.”

A bead of sweat trailed down his temple, cutting a swath through the black soot that seemed embedded in his pores. It trickled into the crevices that fanned from the corners of his eyes, then attempted to scale that high, arcing cheekbone. Favoring him with a shaky smile, she caught the droplet on the pad of her thumb and swirled it into his skin.

Her lips were dry. She ran her tongue over the parched skin and traced the outline left by his safety goggles with her eyes. “You look like a reverse raccoon.” She wiggled, inching a bit higher so the crotch of his personal protective gear slid against the slick fabric of her flight suit.

Shudders rumbled through his body but he cradled her ass in one big hand. “And you look like more trouble than any man my age should go courtin’.”

“I’m not asking you to court me.” Her grip on his nape tightened. She leaned in and caught his earlobe between her teeth, rolling the tender flesh before releasing it with a flick of her tongue. Her breath bounced off his ear, warm and moist with anticipation. “All I’ve ever wanted was you deep inside me.”

Be sure to watch for Love Letters Volume 1: Obeying Desire coming in April!

Tagged: coming soon, erotic, Friday Flashers, Love Letters, romance, short story

New blog features

Just wanted to give you a heads up on a couple of new features I have planned for my blog. You ready for this?

Starting in March I’ll show you a bit of the delish on my mind that week in my new Friday Flashers feature. It may be a peek at a past or upcoming publication, a glimpse of a plot bunny hopping around in my head, or even the occasional bit of flash fiction whipped up for the occasion.

I also plan to participate in the Weekend Writing Warriors challenges staring in March!

Hope to see more of you!

Smooches!

Maggie

 

Tagged: coming soon, erotic, romance

Winner!

The winner of my Love is In the Air blog hop giveaway is:

Sassy Chassy!

Thank you for stopping in to say hello!

More giveaways to come!

Love is in the air!

 

“Te amo”

“Je t’aime”

“ Ich liebe dich ”

“I brought you a Route 44 Diet Coke from the Sonic.”

There are hundreds of ways to say “I love you”, but if you’re not paying attention they might get lost in translation. Learning to speak each other’s language is one of the most intriguing aspects of falling in love, and the things we don’t say speak even louder than ardent declarations. It took a long time to become fluent in my husband’s language of love.

You see, like the characters in my latest novel, Spring Chickens, he’s a southern man and I’m a Yankee girl. Technically, we both speak English, but they are radically different dialects. When the air turns cool and damp, I may say, “It’s going to rain”, but my sweet talking southern man would tell you, “It’s fixin’ to come a storm.” When we go shopping, he pushes a ‘buggy’, but I use a ‘cart’ to carry my groceries.

Like any dedicated couple, we say the words every day, but they don’t always come out in the form of “I love you.” Most days they go something like this:

“I mailed your package.”

“Thank you. I thought I’d make that pasta thing you liked for dinner tonight. That sound good?”

“Great. I’m gonna pull the washer out. Your pink socks fell off the pile, and I think I saw you Steak ‘n Shake shirt back there.”

 “I’ve been looking for that shirt!”

“I figured there was a reason you were rooting through my drawers.”

“You love it when I root around in your drawers.”

“I do.”

“I do. too.”

What about you? How do you and your loved one say I love you?

Comment below to be entered to win digital copies of Jumping Mr. January and February’s Fling – Books 1 & 2 in the Hot Nights in St. Blaise series! I will draw a winner after 11:59 PM February 14th. Good luck!

Be sure to to click the linky to see all the fabulous sites taking part in the blog hop and stop by each one for more chances to win!

Love is in the Air Blog Hop 2013

1. 
Under the Covers (Host)  
59. 
Close Encounters with the Night Kind  
 


2. 
The Jeep Diva  
60. 
Taboo Reviews by Lolita  
 


3. 
Kindles and Wine (INT)  
61. 
Kerry~I am a book addict…and proud of it (INT)  
 


4. 
Amber Lin  
62. 
Desiree Holt  
 


5. 
Addicted2Heroines  
63. 
Read Our Lips! Book Review Blog  
 


6. 
Miss Vain’s Paranormal Fantasy (INT)  
64. 
Romancing the Dark Side (INT)  
 


7. 
Queen of All She Reads (Int)  
65. 
Nya Rayne  
 


8. 
Queen of the Night Reviews (Int)  
66. 
A Little Bit of Spice (INT)  
 


9. 
Lea Barrymire (INT)  
67. 
CS Maxwell ~ Where’s My Muse (US)  
 


10. 
Book Monster Reviews  
68. 
Darkest Addictions (Int.)  
 


11. 
Cocktails and Books (int)  
69. 
Simply Ali  
 


12. 
Reading Romances (INT)  
70. 
Goldilox and the Three Weres (INT)  
 


13. 
Dakota Trace  
71. 
Sara Daniel  
 


14. 
Isabelle Drake  
72. 
AJ’s Reading Nook (INT)  
 


15. 
Nicole Morgan  
73. 
Blackraven’s Erotic Cafe (INT)  
 


16. 
Diane Thorne – Erotic Romance Author  
74. 
Blackraven’s Reviews (INT)  
 


17. 
Cabal of Hotness (INT)  
75. 
The Readers Roundtable (INT)  
 


18. 
lisa beth darling  
76. 
Dark Divas Reviews (INT)  
 


19. 
Ren’s Little Corner (INT)  
77. 
Another Look Book Reviews (INT)  
 


20. 
DMG-Spike (INT)  
78. 
Paperbook Queen (INT)  
 


21. 
The Secret Sanctuary of Books (INT)  
79. 
The Book Tart  
 


22. 
Dianne Hartsock (INT)  
80. 
Delighted Reader (US)  
 


23. 
Happily Ever After – Reads (INT)  
81. 
Kristine Cayne  
 


24. 
Books of Love (US Only)  
82. 
Dana Delamar – Romantic Suspense (INT)  
 


25. 
Kallypso Masters  
83. 
Ju Dimello (INT)  
 


26. 
DC Juris  
84. 
Helena Harker  
 


27. 
Billi Jean  
85. 
Evelyn Jules  
 


28. 
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews  
86. 
Maggie Wells  
 


29. 
Bianca Sommerland  
87. 
Donna Cummings (INT)  
 


30. 
Kindred Dreamheart (INT)  
88. 
HEA Romances With A Little Kick  
 


31. 
Paige Tyler  
89. 
Amanda P @ Paranormal Romance  
 


32. 
Hot Listens (INT)  
90. 
Amanda and Dawn @ Lets Get Romantical(DOM)  
 


33. 
Serenity Woods (INT)  
91. 
3 Partners in Shopping USA  
 


34. 
Maxine Mansfield  
92. 
Deal Sharing Aunt USA  
 


35. 
Rhys Astason (INT)  
93. 
Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews  
 


36. 
Natasha Blackthorne ~ Erotic Romance (INT)  
94. 
Bonnie Bliss  
 


37. 
Day Dreaming Book Reviews  
95. 
Michelle Clay  
 


38. 
LITERAL ADDICTION (US & Int)  
96. 
Natalie-Nicole Bates (INT)  
 


39. 
Dani Harper, PNR author, (INTL)  
97. 
Author Julieanne Reeves  
 


40. 
Nite Lite Book Reviews (INT)  
98. 
Christine@ RCJR eZine Blog  
 


41. 
Book Lovin’ Mamas  
99. 
Ann Cory (US/CAN)  
 


42. 
I Smell Sheep (US)  
100. 
Nancy DiMauro  
 


43. 
Scarlett Sanderson (INT)  
101. 
Eleni Konstantine  
 


44. 
Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy  
102. 
Nicky Penttila  
 


45. 
Rhian Cahill (INT)  
103. 
The Book Referees  
 


46. 
Tabby @Insightful Minds (INT)  
104. 
Blakely Chorpenning  
 


47. 
LaVerne Clark – Novel Natterings (INT)  
105. 
Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews  
 


48. 
Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Reviews {INT}  
106. 
Susan D. Taylor  
 


49. 
Riverina Romantics (INT)  
107. 
Rhonda Laurel  
 


50. 
Book Savvy Babe (INT)  
108. 
Lily Harlem  
 


51. 
Cari Quinn (US & INT)  
109. 
Hannah Fielding Romance Novelist (INT)  
 


52. 
Patricia Leever  
110. 
Aubrey Watt (INT)  
 


53. 
Wendi Zwaduk  
111. 
Normandie Alleman (US & INT)  
 


54. 
Megan Slayer  
112. 
Book Sniffers Anonymous (INT)  
 


55. 
Talk Supe  
113. 
J. Kenner  
 


56. 
Lee Brazil  
114. 
Mary @SweepingMe (Int)  
 


57. 
June Kramin  
115. 
Avalon (worldwide)  
 


58. 
Romance Book Club  
116. 
Novel Reflections (INT)