Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 38

Blog Tour: THE SEARCH FOR SASHA LOCKWOOD by Thomas Grant Bruso

 

THE SEARCH FOR SASHA LOCKWOOD 

Thomas Grant Bruso

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GENRE:  horror, LGBT, mystery

 

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BLURB:

 

Somethingis stalking the campgrounds at Pine Hill Creek.

 

Rumorhas it that local folklore about the notorious Bigfoot is responsible for themystery of a missing young woman.

 

Wheneighteen-year-old high school senior Sasha Lockwood vanishes without a tracewhile camping with her friends, fear and horror sequester a small community.Local and federal law enforcement officers begin an exhausting twenty-four-hourinvestigation of seventy acres of vast forest, looking for the victim.

 

Thetight-knit community is in an uproar, horrified by these unexpected events. Anunrelenting sheriff’s department and a media-savage system doggedly interrogateSasha’s parents and close friends.

 

Whathappened the night Sasha Lockwood disappeared? Is it real or part of a crueljoke? Is Bigfoot responsible, or is something sinister at play in the deep,dark woods?

 

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ExcerptTwo:

 

Silver Lake Woman Still Missing

 

Search efforts by Bedwell County Sheriff’s Department tolocate local girl Sasha Lockwood, 18, continue after a 24-hour search andrescue mission.

 

Sheriff Joshua Bronson, with the help of his deputy sheriff,Wade Rosen, and state police, has combed the entire five-acre campsite of PineHill Creek in search of the young college girl who went missing during acamping excursion over the weekend.

 

Due to weather conditions, the search has slowed. It willresume when the snowstorm abates in the upstate New York region of BedwellCounty.

 

Lockwood is described as 5-foot-6, 145 pounds, with greeneyes and curly amber hair. Athletic, muscular build.

 

She was last seen on Saturday, October 15. A white Subaruwas spotted in Silver Lake Woods, a half mile from where Ms. Lockwood and herfriends were camping.

 

Bedwell County Sheriff’s Department and state police areasking for anyone with information to come forward or contact the BedwellCounty Sheriff’s Department or state police.

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Thomas Grant Bruso knew he wanted to be a writer at an early age.He has been a voracious reader of genre fiction since childhood.

 

His literary inspirations are Ray Bradbury, Dean Koontz, StephenKing, Jim Grimsley, Karin Fossum, and Joyce Carol Oates.

 

Bruso loves animals, reading books, and writing fiction, andprefers Sudoku to crossword puzzles.

 

In another life, he was a freelance writer and wrote for magazinesand newspapers. In college, he won the Hermon H. Doh Sonnet Competition. Now,he writes and publishes fiction and reviews books for his hometown newspaper,The Press-Republican.

 

He lives in upstate New York.

 

 

 

Author Links:

 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/thomgrantbruso

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8591689.Thomas_Grant_Bruso

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomasgrantbruso/

 

Blue Sky:https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/thomasgrantbruso.bsky.social

 

 

Buy links:

 

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Search-Sasha-Lockwood-Thomas-Grant-ebook/dp/B0DW41WKQN

 

Barnes & Noble:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-search-for-sasha-lockwood-thomas-grant-bruso/1146938706?ean=2940180454010

 

 

 

NineStar Press: https://ninestarpress.com/product/the-search-for-sasha-lockwood/

 

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GIVEAWAY 

ThomasGrant Bruso will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawnwinner.

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Blog Tour: BOO'S BLUE POO AND GOO by Toni Nelson

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Toni Nelson will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

'Give a helping hand to someone in trouble today and you will be richly rewarded!'

Diamonte De Dazzle (owner of the world's most famous department store) read her daily horoscope and was puzzled. Who was in trouble?

Who, what, why, when and where? How on earth could she help?

She then encountered Boo, a homeless blue cat, trying to escape from TCC, the horribly horrible Cat Catcher. Boo was the only truly blue cat on the planet, so TCC intended on cat-napping and exhibiting her to become rich and famous.

(Evil laugh from TCC . . .)

The combination of an eccentric department store owner, as well as TCC, two snobby socialites, plus a fashion event which is unexpectedly and thoroughly thrown into chaos, is life- changing.

Read an Excerpt

The only happy time in Boo’s day was when she was peering into shop windows. Behind the windows always looked warm in winter and cool in summer. They were cheery, clean, bright, and safe, and a lone pussy cat could live there very happily. The sign on her favourite shop read: DIAMONTE’S DAZZLING DELIGHTS. It was an enormous store with squillions of floors. It seemed to reach up into the sky! It was so big that, once, when she’d looked up to see how high it was, she’d fallen over backwards … and still couldn’t see the top of the building.

The staff of Diamonte’s created beautiful window displays. Once, there was an enormous basket with a big toy cat sitting in front of a fireplace—Boo loved big cushiony couches with soft rugs and soft toys! How she dreamt of curling up and sleeping in that beautiful window. She sat for ages gazing in, imagining herself playing with the soft toys, rolling around, and sleeping peacefully in front of the fire.

Sometimes, she thought back to the day she’d bravely crept inside and had a quick peek. It was wonderful! Boo had never felt happier than the short time she’d spent inside Diamonte’s. It somehow felt just right.
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Review: Meet Boo, a blue and homeless cat.And meet the Cat Catcher, who was after Little Boo. See how the worst day ofthe cat’s life becomes the best day ever. The struggle between the cat and thecatcher was funny.

Cute and sweet! Who wouldn’t likethe little, blue cat? Of course, the cat wasn’t so cute when spewing a slush ofPOO and GOO. Yikes!

A quick and easy read!

Rating:4 stars

About the Author: Toni is Australian-born, considering herself extremely fortunate to have had parents who encouraged her love of books. Seventy years on, she is still an ardent reader.

(Thanks Mum and Dad.)

She enjoys writing, previously assisting in the production of a monthly community newspaper: The Bayswater Buzz.

This story is derived from a brief news report she watched some years ago, which has somehow morphed into this book.

She truly hopes you enjoy the story of Boo, the blue cat.

Website: https://toninelsonwriter.com/

Amazon: https://amazon.com.au/dp/0228825008
Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?keywords=9780228825005
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/9780228825005
Abebooks: https://www.abebooks.com/products/isbn/9780228825005
Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/search?q=9780228825005

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Book Blast: LIFE IN ROTATIONS by Farid Yaghini

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Farid Yaghini will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Farid Yaghini's unforgettable memoir takes you on a journey from escaping persecution in Iran to rebuilding a life in Canada and serving on the frontlines with the Canadian military. Filled with humour, heart, and unflinching honesty, his story of resilience, redemption, and the founding of Camp Aftermath will inspire you to believe in the power of hope and human connection.

Read an Excerpt

On the fourth night, I woke to my mother shoving bread into my jacket sleeves. Everyone around us was scrambling, panicked. The smugglers were making their move. My mother, my two-year-old sister, and I were crammed into the back of an SUV, sitting on jerry cans. One popped open, drenching us in gasoline. The driver, cigarette in hand, barely seemed to notice.

Hours later, we stopped in the middle of the desert. Just as we climbed out, headlights appeared in the distance. Without hesitation, our smugglers jumped back into their vehicles and tore off, leaving us stranded in the open. We ran for cover, crouching behind a hill as the approaching vehicles roared past. Not border patrol—just more smugglers.

Separated from my parents, I was sent off with my cousins and a group of young boys. This should have been terrifying, but to seven-year-old me, it was an adventure. No rules, no bedtime. We hid behind restaurants, rode in the backs of pickup trucks, and dodged guards at the border. One smuggler, Shahpur, fascinated me—his hand always on the gun in his jacket pocket. The day he set it down on a car hood, I touched it, awed.

Weeks later, I was reunited with my parents. I hadn’t seen them in so long that I forgot to be scared. But when I overheard them whispering about never returning home, I finally understood. We weren’t going back to Iran. Ever.

About the Author



Farid Yaghini was born in Iran and fled to Pakistan with his family to escape religious persecution following the Islamic Revolution of 1979. At the age of nine, he immigrated to Canada as a refugee, navigating the confusion and frustration of adapting to a new way of life. Through it all, he carried a deep sense of resilience, hope, and an irrepressible knack for finding humour, even in the most challenging moments.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/F.Yaghini
Website: http://campaftermath.org
Amazon Buy Link: https://amazon.com/dp/0228884977

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Blog Tour: EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON by Nicole DiCicco

Two lovestories for Natalie that burn with passion and heart-stopping twists—a spicywhirlwind with billionaire NYC architect Steve and a steamy slow burn withItalian artist Max.

EverythingHappens For a Reason

by NicoleDiCicco

Genre: SteamyContemporary Romance

Two lovestories for Natalie that burn with passion and heart-stopping twists—a spicywhirlwind with billionaire NYC architect Steve and a steamy slow burn withItalian artist Max.

Which love story will you like best—Team Max or Team Steve? You decidein this steamy, soul-stirring romance that will leave you breathless.

Natalie Morelli is no stranger to heartbreak, but her impulsive love life isabout to change forever. Enter Steve Falconeri, a New York billionairearchitect whose intensity sweeps her off her feet. But can he ever love hermore than his all-consuming career?

When Natalie crosses paths with the charismatic Italian artist Maximus Ricci inthe seductive streets of Italy, she's forced to question whether true love lieswith her husband or with a sensual stranger who promises a life of beauty,adventure, and love.

This story is about sacrifice, surrender, and the raw, unexpected lessons lifethrows our way. Spanning 15 years and crossing between the glitteringskyscrapers of New York and the sun-soaked charm of Italy, this saga willignite your heart and reveal why, sometimes, everything really does happen fora reason.

 

Amazon* Apple* Bookbub* Goodreads

Weavingirresistible tales of love, lust, life’s unpredictable twists—and theoccasional mind-bending psychological turn—Nicole DiCicco crafts stories wherecomplex hearts meet sizzling passion.

 Nicole’sbooks span the worlds of romance, romantic suspense, and psychological dramas,with settings as captivating as her characters. Whether it’s New York City'svibrant streets or Italy's enchanting landscapes, her stories transport readersto places where love, secrets, and drama unfold in unforgettable ways.

 Known for herquirky blend of heartfelt dialogue, emotional depth, and gripping twists,Nicole dives deep into the tangled web of human relationships—whether it’slove, desire, or the secrets we hide even from ourselves.

 Hercharacters? Complex. Her scenes? Spicy. Her style? Boldly unpredictable! Fromsizzling erotic moments to the exploration of love's more delicate nuances,Nicole isn’t afraid to mix it all up, making her a true standout in romance.

 Hailing fromBrooklyn, Nicole is a die-hard Mets fan (yes, her cat Shea is named after thestadium). When she’s not spinning tales of love and suspense or watchingGeneral Hospital (since she’s five), you’ll find her chasing the next greatplot twist—or the nearest slice of pizza.

 Want to keepup with Nicole's latest? Head over to her website for updates on new books,behind-the-scenes peeks, and maybe even some spoilers (you’ve been warned)!

 Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon* Goodreads

Followthe tour HERE for special content and agiveaway!

$20 Amazon

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Blog Tour: WHY, MOM, WHY by Parimalasri Docktor

WHY MOM WHY

Parimalasri Docktor

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GENRE:  Children's Picture Book

 

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BLURB:

 

Thisbook, Why Mom, Why?, is the story of Chili, a Russian (Horsefield) tortoise.Chili is a very patient tortoise that always waits for her friend Tank to befed first. She realizes that her mom has a routine to feed Tank first. Mompicks up on Chili's sadness when Chili would sit closer to her while feedingTank. Chili needed the attention and was passively acting out. This book isabout the silent communication between the pet and owner. Why Mom, Why? can beclosely related to sibling rivalry in human beings. This is Book Two in the"Where is he? Tank, the Tortoise" series.

 

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EXCERPT

 

 

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 Review: 

A cute, little story about aturtle that becomes jealous about another turtle. He constantly asks: Why, Mom,why?

The images were fun. Story shows agreat love for turtles.

Rating:4 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Havinghad success with her first three children's books, Parimalasri Docktorcontinues her journey with writing about her pet tortoises. She has learned theart of communication between her tortoises by pure observance. The tortoisescontinue to motivate her to create meaningful stories for the public. Theauthor has again used Procreate to illustrate her book.

 

Website:https://parimalasridocktor.com/

 

AmazonBuy Link:https://www.amazon.com/Why-Mom-Parimalasri-Docktor/dp/1779628501/ref=sr_1_1

 

 

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GIVEAWAY 

ParimalasriDocktor will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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Blog Tour: THE MEASURE OF LIFE by Judith Works

 

THE MEASURE OF LIFE

Judith Works

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GENRE:  Women's Fiction

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BLURB:

 

Astory of love and loss, lies and truth, begins in Rome when Nicole shares acappuccino and cornetto with her Italian tutor. The meeting sets off a chain ofevents that upends the course of her life. While Rome also brings deepfriendships and immersion into a sumptuous food scene there is no escape fromacknowledging the consequences of her actions. In search of forgiveness andhealing, she moves to an island near her childhood home in Seattle only to findthe way to reunite the remnants of her family and discover her true path is toreturn to Rome and face the past.

 

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ExcerptThree:

 

Deirdre knocked on the front door right on time. No one inRome ever showed up on the appointed minute for a social occasion. I opened thedoor in my violet silk dress and bare feet. “Hang on, I can’t find my shoes andI need to finish my makeup.”

 

“Oh my gosh—I should have said it’s casual. Are you sureabout the dress? Remember it’s Vashon.”

 

“I’m dressed now. I haven’t had a chance to go out formonths.” I ran upstairs to finish.

 

Deirdre said, “Uh, a bit much for here,” when I returnedwearing open-toed platform heels complementing the purple dress. After a pause,she added, “Oh, don’t worry, it’s fine and we’re late anyway.” I could tell shewas flustered about something. When we parked in front of the gallery, I couldsee people holding glasses of wine while they looked at the photos. All lookedcomfortable in jeans and sweaters like Deirdre. I could feel my face wasbeginning to match my dress. People paused conversations to welcome Deirdre andher unknown and strangely dressed guest: me. Some stared briefly. Not unkindlooks, but more of astonishment their friend had found such an alien.

 

A woman rescued me by saying, “Hi. I’m Meg.”

 

 

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Favorite and Least Favorite Part About Writing TheMeasure of Life

 

Interesting Question! Depending on my mood and levelof frustration, the favorite and least favorite—to me meaning most and leastdifficult—changed day to day as I wrote. I wanted to tell the story of awoman’s struggle to find meaning amid her dysfunctional family in an unfamiliarand difficult setting, but to make it work I needed to make the characterscomplex and get into their lives– who were they, what did they do and why? Whatshould they have done? As I wrote and rewrote, they gradually took onindependent lives, their actions and words became ever more in keeping withtheir personalities–some kind and gentle, one vicious, another frustrated andstruggling to find a goal and reach it. All of them intertwined with eachother. Who wins in the game of life? Who loses?

 

To find an answer to these questions I explored themesof doomed romance, lost love, unexpected baby, expat life, marriage, mother anddaughter relationships, and recovery from setbacks. To weave all these threadsled to many edits and major rewrites as I settled on a meaningful plot toexploit my themes and let the characters breathe, live, and die. And that wasthe least favorite, or I should say, most challenging, aspect of writing thenovel. 

 

But my favorite and fun part was imagining the settingfor each scene: Rome, beautiful and annoying at the same time, is a city whereI lived for ten years. I am personally familiar with all the locations in thestory. In fact, I wrote a memoir about that life, Coins in the Fountain.But The Measure of Life, although mostly set in Rome, is also set on an idyllicisland near Seattle, another place I am familiar with, so I enjoyed contrastingthe locations. With so many possible settings, especially in Rome, I had tolimit myself to those that reflected emotional journey of my protagonist,Nicole, as she attempts and then succeeds in managing her life.

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

AfterI earned a law degree in midlife, I had the chance to leave the Forest Servicein Oregon and run away to the Circus (Maximus). In reality my husband and Imoved to Rome where I worked for the United Nations Food & AgricultureOrganization for four years as a legal advisor to the director of humanresources. I could see the Circus that had hosted chariot races during theRoman Empire from my office window.

 

Myhusband and I reluctantly returned to the US after four years. But we pined forthe land of pasta, vino, art, and sunny piazzas. Then the gods smiled andoffered a chance to return to Rome with the UN World Food Program. Six moreyears or food and frolic in the Eternal City passed much too quickly. Theindelible experiences living in Italy and working for the UN were the genesisof my memoir Coins in the Fountain.

 

SocialMedia Links

 

Website:https://judithworks.net

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/judith.works.5

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/worksjudith

Threads:http://www.threads.com/WorksJudith

BlueSky:http://www.bluesky.com/WorksJudith

 

Barnes& Noble:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-measure-of-life-judith-works/1146224295?ean=9781509257799

 

Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-measure-of-life-1

 

Google:https://play.google.com/store/search?c=books%q=9781509257805

 

Itunes:https://apple.com/us/book/the-measure-of-life/id6673911691

 

 

Booksa Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781509257799

 

 

 

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GIVEAWAY 

JudithLight will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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Review: KANSAS KEEPER by Ann Omasta and Callie Love

 

A widowed grieving father and thebirth mother that has come back to take his child away. That first chapterreally draws you in with this interesting premise. It’s not long before thisturns into a sweet reunion and a love igniting.

 

A sweet and loving short story!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: SWING VOL. 2 by Matt Hawkins

 

The couple’s swinger lifestylegoes on. And sexy images they are. Now that they wanted to stick to thislifestyle, they needed to find the right couple to do it with. The first swapwas a huge success and, oh, so hot! But perhaps they two weren’t as cool asthey claim to be. Funny how the little girl walks on her parents having sex onthe couch.

 

Hot and sexy! More, more, more!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: SUNSTONE Vol. 3 by Stjepan Sejic

 

The imagery was very erotic andartistic. I liked the use of blank space and the angles of the panels, but Icouldn’t get the story or read the text.

 

Rating:2 stars

Book Blast: MEAN CUISINE by Wendy W. Webb

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Wendy will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Beluga Stein is taking a cooking class and it's a real killer. This time she's traded her signature loud muumuus for ill-fitting chef attire, including a toque the size of her ego.

A well-liked chef is found dead and it's up to Beluga and her feline familiar, Planchette, to investigate. There's no recipe to follow, only the hope that her erratic psychic ability will hit the spot. Is a supernatural entity stirring up trouble, or something far more dangerous?

Beluga and Planchette can't stand the heat, but there's no way out of this kitchen while murder is the main dish.

Read an Excerpt

Beluga Stein’s Diary

Such a day.

And while Chef Pernod tried mightily to restore order with an impromptu lecture on the differences between Grande, Classic and Nouvelle cuisines, I’m afraid the distinctions were lost when the frozen body was wheeled past us to the waiting ambulance.

The sight of such a spectacle took a toll on the chef as well, I should add. Fortunately for me there was no mention of Planchette in the kitchen, but for the rest of us the chef’s well-practiced lecture took a sudden nosedive into a stream-of-consciousness series of French words. I think I heard her say that a traditional kitchen brigade had positions with names sounding something like “poisoner,” which is rather ominous if you ask me, and “chefs who party,” which might warrant further investigation if things start to get dull. Or one finds herself in immediate need of hors d’oeuvres and a tropical cocktail.


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Review: Cooking school might be the way togo even if you couldn’t even cook an egg. That was one place psychic detectiveBeluga knew would be free of murder.

I enjoyed the humorous and wittyquips. Beluga was a rotund, klutzy, and quirky character wish snarky charm, ahearty appetite, and solid smarts. The cooking school also seemed to have itsoddball characters including a slew of tater-tots and a drill-sergeant chef.The last thing anyone expected during the tour was to find a dead body in thefreezer.

Right away, Beluga’s inquiringmind starts questioning the case and lures the reader into it. What happened tothe dead chef?

The reader will surely enjoyfollowing Beluga and Tanya’s wacky and harebrained antics. At some point, itseemed like that was all we were doing however. The whole time you’re justfollowing two crazy broads. It didn’t seem like we were focusing too much onsolving the mystery. Perhaps I was just too used to following a certain patternin a traditional cozy mystery. Perhaps a paranormal mystery follows an eclecticpath. I liked the lightness and the humor, but, as far as a mystery goes, Ithought that could’ve been better and more focused.

A fairly nice read.

Rating:3 stars

About the Author: Wendy W Webb (aka one of the many Wendy Webbs) has published dark fantasy short stories and novels, co-edited anthologies, and has had productions of stage and radio plays. After a hiatus as a doctoral student of emergency management and as a disaster responder, she welcomed the return to fiction with The Wild Rose Press writing the gothic Widow’s Walk, and two updated books in the Beluga Stein supernatural-humor-murder mystery series, Bee Movie and Mean Cuisine. Sunbury Press under the Milford House imprint published the paranormal, travel, “memoir,” Eye of the Gargoyle. She adores her husband; two dogs, one of which turns on iTunes whenever Wendy leaves her office; dry red wine; theatre; and travel as long as she doesn’t see anymore ghosts!

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mean-cuisine-wendy-w-webb/1007879485
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mean-Cuisine-Beluga-Stein-Mystery/dp/1509259279

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