Joseph Hunt's Blog, page 10

Virtual Blog Tour: Nikki Noffsinger (18/6)

Hi guys! And welcome to the 4th guest post in the TTC Virtual Blog Tour! This week I have Nikki Noffsinger telling me about who her favourite authors are, and which authors inspire her! So get yourself comfortable and see what Nikki has to say!




Guest Post!



When I get the question, "Who is your favorite author?" or "Which author inspires you?" I am always tempted to say, "Pull up a chair, you're going to be here awhile." Since I was very young I loved books. I could read before I started Kindergarten and I loved books. For the start of my childhood, I was an only child living in an all adult neighborhood with my grandparents so books, my imagination(which most times got me into tons of trouble), and my toys were my way of coping and losing myself. It really is true what O.G Readmore on Saturday mornings said about books, they get you to the places you dream to be and that really stuck with me everytime I went to the library or asked for a book at the store.

I have so many favorite authors like Sherriln Kenyon, J R Ward, Kressley Cole, Gena Showalter, Kerrilyn Sparks, Lora Leigh, Lara Adrian, and those are right off the top of my head and my favorite genre. I have so many more that reside in the realm of Classic Literature and Historic Romance and non fiction . However if you want to know the book that got it all started for me, the book that compelled me to write my first story about mermaids that lived in our lake that spent all day as ducks; then that would be a 1974 ed. of Grimm's Fairytales. That book was a Christmas gift from my grandma Betty and it was and still is one of my absolute favorite books. The stories were what fueled my dreams and imagination and when I get writer's block I think back to those gorgeously illustrated pages and those stories and how they made me feel as a young child. My favorite stories in the book are: Beauty and the Beast, The Frog Prince, and The White Cat. So really it is no wonder that the genre I find myself writing is paranormal/fantasy romance. I think most of us that write regardless of genre or poetry all started with fairytales. Well in my case a healthy dose of fairy tales, Roald Dahl, a little bit of Stephen King, and Anne Rice. Hey I never claimed to be Disney's Cinderella here. I'm too much fun as a punk version of Tink.

Aside from Fairy Tales Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach are books I even find myself still re-reading to my kids to this very day. Roald Dahl gave great moral life lessons while painting a beautiful picture in amazing color with just enough twists to make you wonder what slightly warped thing is around the bend awaiting. Anytime I felt bullied when I was just starting school I would think about Vercua, Auntie Spiker and Aunt Sponge, and all the other ghastly creatures in his stories and how the unsung underdogs Charlie, James, Danny, one of my favorites-Fantastic Mr.Fox all overcame them!

So in conclusion my favorite books all begin with the books that took hold of my imagination and shot it like a comet through space. I think some of the greatest authors and poets were all inspired by books that grabbed them.


About Nikki!

Nikki Noffsinger is a 37 year old mother of 2 and lives in a mid sized Indiana town. She has always had a passion for story telling and writing from a young age. She has two published works Lost to the Night Vol 1 and Cursed Awakening her first full length E-Book novel with XoXo Publishing. Her favorite genre to write is paranormal romance but she is not limited to just one. From an early age she had a great love for the things that go "bump" in the night and loves fantasy because there are no rules or limits.



Link with Nikki!

Friend her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.noffsinger

"LIKE" her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Realm-Of-Author-Nikki-Noffsinger/191125007586215


Blogger: http://nikkitrueblue.blogspot.com/
Livejournal: http://nikkitrueblue.livejournal.com/
Tumblr: http://nikkitrueblue.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/nikkitrueblue




Leave a comment answering these questions:

Who's your favourite author?

What's your favourite books?




-Joseph




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How To People Watch! NOT Stalk!

All good writers know the importance of stalking watching people, and I've now got to a stage where I do it without even realising. In fact, my friend does it as well, but it's not as obvious as me... I'm the one who glances back and whispers "did you see her shoes" or "I like that t-shirt" and yes, it does often leave you embarrassed when people realise that you're watching them and then they scowl at you. I guess that's a hazard of being a writer, you might just end up losing the ability to feel embarrassed.



I think I should get some sunglasses like that guy in the picture, people wouldn't suspect me as much then, would they? Well, maybe in Winter they would. Ha! Now, I'll tell you what would be even weirder, is if I walked around with a notepad in my hand and jotted down every time I saw something or someone of interest... in fact, people would probably phone the police on me and I'd be hugging myself in a very nice white jacket by the evening.




Why You SHOULD Watch!




Reason 1: You should watch people because it's fun and everyone loves to do fun stuff, see, being a writer is the most rewarding job because you get to watch people and say "Hey, I'm doing my job. Back off." and other stuff that may or may not embarrass the people that you're with at the time.




Reason 2: You need to get the realism from somewhere, and if you're not watching how people walk and talk, or just move in general, then how are you going to put that in to your book... SEE... so you need to be a people watcher in order to be a successful writer.


Reason 3: YOU LIVE LONGER! Well, it's only true... if you spot someone who looks a little bit creepy, you're going to avoid them, therefore living longer. Also because I like to use this reason, and everyone wants to live longer.



There is no "Why You SHOULDN'T Watch!" because let's face it, the only hazard is being beaten up by giving someone a funny look or stalking someone because you want to know more about them and their habits, all I have to say to that is "NO", use your common sense with that one, that could get you locked up.




How to People Watch!


It's simple. Carry a small notepad and a pen around in your jacket pocket or handbag at all times, and when you're waiting around in a doctor's waiting room or you take a seat somewhere just take it out and let the people come to you. Sometimes you won't be doing it actively and you will notice a person, or something that they do and you will be compelled to write it down, so do it!



There is no definitive answer to this, some people watch others and they can look lost in space while absorbing all the features of a person's face, or listening to how they speak  and how they press their tongue to their roof of their mouth constantly. While other people have to actively pay close attention and look kind of suspicious.




GOOD LUCK!




Are you a people watcher?

Do you love doing it?


-Joseph




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Q&A Vlog! Ask Me Questions!

I posted to my Facebook page wall: Joseph's Writing! THAT MEANS CLICK THAT LINK, GO "LIKE" THE PAGE AND THEN ANSWER THE HIGHLIGHTED STATUS!



Why should you ask me questions? Well, that's a good question, why should you ask me stuff? BECAUSE I'M BRITISH! (Although not that stereotypical British, but still British nonetheless. Ha!) No, I think you should ask me questions because you want to know who I am, and maybe see my face and hear my voice and see if they match it... because I'm not sure if they do.



LOL!



So, please, go to my page and ask me something, about me, or about my writing, whatever you want to know (within reason).




Thanks for Reading!

Thanks for taking part!


Did you realise that starting a YouTube channel was one of my goals before I turned 20! So help me achieve it, please!



-Joseph




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Bad Reviews are Good!

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When you ask for reviews from friends you know what they're going to do, they're going to give you 5 stars and tell you that it was the best thing that they have ever read, when in actual fact there are going to be negative aspects as well. Also, everyone has a different opinion, some people might hate your ending and others might love it!

I was talking with a friend the other night and she said that she didn't think authors should read bad reviews of their work because there's more of a chance that the author will reply to the comment and that's bad author-etiquette, especially when the reviewer is just being negative and making nasty comments about the author. THAT kind of negative review is just plain negative and is there to evoke a response.

There are a lot of readers who will give valid reasons as to why they hated your book, and let's face it right here and right now, not everyone is going to love it, and NEVER try to make everyone love it. When someone gives a bad review, they feel that they have to say why the thought it was bad, so they highlight the worst parts, or what made the book bad, these are the things that you should look for, and if more than one review says those things... then Houston, we gots ourselves a problem.



People might be reading your work and saying that they love it, but there will always be people who hate your work, NOT YOU, your work! So don't take it personally when someone says that the plot was sloppy here, here and here, or how the character lacked development.




I do know that some people will not revise their work once it's published because they want each and every reader to have read the same thing and discuss the same book, as a single revision could change that, a single revision could create a whole new book. AND you should stick to that, don't go making changes for every bad review that you get, only if it's something major, and all of the bad reviews keep on mentioning it, then you know you're doing something wrong.




If you ignore it, it doesn't go away.

Just like constant promotion; IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER, and IT'S STILL ANNOYING!




And also, if you're not getting any bad reviews, then you're doing something wrong! YES. Something wrong. Or maybe you're just not successful enough, when people find success, they also find haters (people who hate a person for one reason or another) and once you've got to that stage, then YAY, you've done well.


Have you ever revised your book based on a bad review?

Have you ever read a book based on a bad review?

-Joseph


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20 Things Before I Turn 20!

I turned 19 on Saturday the 9th of June, and I figured that I should have some goals for my future... this list isn't going to be like a typical bucket list because I have a year to do all of these in, and they're all going to be achievable and realistic... hopefully.



So I guess this is my list of things I want to achieve by the time I turn 20. Someone said that they do this kind of stuff for New Years Resolutions etc. but everyone celebrates New Years, it's not that special to just ME, however my birthday is, that's why I want to achieve the items listed in the list below.




In no particular order.



1. Do Well at University.

This means that I need to get into my 3rd year of university and be doing well to cross this one of my list.




2. Reach 500 followers on my blog!

I know that this one might seem a bit of a stretch, but I have a fair few people here now and I'm getting new followers daily, so I'm sure that I can hit 500 followers by next June! 




3. 200,000 hits on my blog!

Well this one looks like it will be harder to hit. However, if I'm getting more followers then the page views are going to climb. Plus, if I keep on writing interesting posts then I'm sure you're all going to be flocking to them. Right? Ha!




4. Publish Lumen!

This one should be accomplished very soon. VERY SOON. So I'll be able to cross this off, but it's one of the things that I want to do before I turn 20 so I guess I should put it down.

 


5. Go On Holiday!

I don't mean inside the UK. I mean I want to go on holiday to some place that's sunny with a beach, and you need to take a plane to reach it. Also, without parents!




6. Be a Vegetarian for a Week!

I've never really tried fruit or vegetables, but I guess some time in the future I'll be able to film a video of myself trying different fruits and veggies. This would mean that I wouldn't be allowed to any MEAT through that week. 




7. Get a part-time job!

Every student needs a part-time job and some extra money, and I'm not any exception to this rule. I've not really had a job before, so having a job, even for a couple of weeks or something will allow me to cross this bad boy off my list. 





8. Move Out!

On September 7th I will be moving out, and I cannot wait. I will have a huge room on the 3rd floor of a house, with 4 girls (who will all most likely be on their period at their same time). Is is cheating if you know that it's going to happen? I hope not, because it's one of the things that I do want to do before I turn 20!




9. Publish The Salem Gates!

I'm halfway through writing this... and boy can I tell you how well it's coming along. Or so, I feel it is anyway.  




10. Start a Youtube Channel!

I've been telling myself to do this for ages! And by the time I turn 20 I will have myself a Youtube channel with over 10 vlogs, or something like that, because I love to talk, and my personality shines more through me than through my words. Youtube is also a great social media platform and also a way of reaching a broader audience.




11. Hold a Giveaway!

A few people have asked me how I got so many followers and "likes" on my Facebook page, and every time someone asks "have you ever done a giveaway" well, I haven't, but I would really like to... partly because everyone knows that giveaways and free things attract people, but also for the experience.




12. Collection of Short Stories!

Last year some time I planned 20 short stories and I have them all planned out, and about 5 of them completely written, but now the rest of them need writing and they need to be published! So by the time I turn 20 you will all be able to read them! WOO!




13. GET A TATTOO!

I can't believe I almost forgot to add this to my list of things! I'm still a little unsure about what I want, but at the same time I have a vision of what I want, and I know that it will look amazing because I have great vision. HA!




14. Publish Clandestine!

Publish this. I'm a quarter of the way through this one. 





15. Learn how to make cocktails!

Everyone loves someone that can make great tasting alcoholic drinks, and I'd like to be that person that everyone loved. Besides, I already think of myself as a bit of an alcoholic drinks mixer, so making cocktails should be fun! 




16. Paint something on a canvas!

I am dead seat on getting back into art! I absolutely love drawing, and it's kind of one of my big dreams to paint something on a canvas and hang it in my room! THIS WILL BE DONE BY THE TIME I'M 20! 




17. Sell 200 Copies of a single eBook!

I have a year to do this, so surely I can reach it, right? So anyway, one of my goals for selling is this one, sell 200 copies of one eBook.




18. Learn French!

I love the French language and would love to get back into it, and I guess adding it to this list means that I have to do it... there is no way that I'm failing! I also have to use the language... which I will! Merci beau coup! 




19. Write my gay romance novel!

I've been trying to write it for a while, and every time I get an idea down on paper I sigh and get rid of it. So by the time I am 20, Thomas Jay, my pseudonym will also have a piece of work self-published, or maybe tried independent publisher.




20. Just Be Happy

Smile everyday, because you know that you feel 10x happier by just smiling. Listen to upbeat music if you ever feel down (which you haven't done in a while) so I guess if you make it to 20 with a smile on your face then you can cross this off your list!




Do you have a short term goals list?

Is it similar to some of those on mine?



-Joseph

(Disclaimer: those exclamation points are completely necessary for getting my points across!)




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Virtual Blog Tour: Linda Bolton (11/6)

This weeks assignment for the Tasha Turner Coaching virtual blog tour was to write a blog post in the style that they would for their blog... so I'd love it if you could welcome my guest, Linda Bolton!


Do Friends Make Better Lovers

Do friends make better lovers? Do they make better long-term partners?

Most couples become couples first, friends second. Is it better the other way around? I've been told by many, yes. But doesn't that screw up Dating 101? You know, you meet at a party, eyes link from across the room, you're drawn to each other, you go have coffee, talk into the night, and BAM, your dating! If you're friends first, how does that change things?

If you're friends, from school, neighbors, work and then you start to date, is it because you were always attracted to each other? Or is it because you know each other's flaws already, know what irks one another, what each one likes, that a relationship can bloom?

Have you ever had a roommate? Was the roommate your best friend? Did you stay roommates for long? I know I've had very close friends as roommates and, generally, we couldn't stay roommates in order to preserve our relationship. Does that hold true if your the opposite sex? Can a man and a woman be best friends and roommates and not have a relationship? Aren't we made to be drawn to one another? If you have a best friend that is of the opposite sex are you destined to become more? Is it the nature of the beast?

I'm not saying men and women can't be friends and not be sexually drawn to one another. I'm talking best friends. Women know what I'm saying. When we have best friends we do a lot of things together, tell our deepest, darkest secrets, reveal ourselves. Once you've done that with a man have you gone too far? Have you pushed your relationship to the next level? Can men process information like that and not see a deeper attraction than just buddies? Can a woman? If you take the next step does it give you a deeper relationship than starting out as a dating couple to begin with?

For example, lets go back to the Dating 101 scenario. You're strangers, having coffee, talking about superficial basics of first contact. Next step is the first date. Then the second, and so on. At what point are you comfortable enough to reveal your deepest, darkest secrets? Will you ever share your lifelong dreams and goals? Oh, you'll share some but do you share all, without the fear of rejection? Is it easier to share those deepest thoughts with your friend than your lover? Sure it is.

So in saying that, the question is, how do you know if your friend should become more to you? As a friend they accept you, warts and all, usually from the beginning. In Dating 101, you're much pickier; sometimes dumping someone for a flaw you should have accepted, would have as a friend, to find out they would have been a great catch later on but you blew it.

The only thing I can say is enjoy your friendship. Don't push it along. Let nature take its course. Not every relationship is meant to take the next step. Sometimes friendship is wonderful just the way it is and sometimes its better when its more.

If you want to, you can hop on over to Linda's blog and read the post their as well!

Do Friends Make Better Lovers 

Linda Bolton is an aspiring contemporary romance writer. She is looking for a publisher for her first book, Perfect. While working on a future projects Linda can be found:

On Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/linda.bowersbolton
On Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/#!/lindalou42
Her romance blog at http://www.lindabolton.blogspot.com


What did you think of her post?


Are you going to go to her blog?




-Joseph




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Guest Posts & Audiences!

Guest posts are important for both the host and the guest poster. The host gives the person posting their audience while the person posting gives the host their content. HOWEVER, the most important aspect is getting people to read the post, because if there are no readers then what's the point, right?



The original title of this post was going to be "Getting Visitors When You Have a Guest!" however, since writing it I went off on a few tangents that I decided to rename it, but I still give pointers for that.




Social Media!




It's the only way. Yes, the ONLY way. You need to get yourself some social media presence and get people to get to know you, in fact, you'll do this without knowing because as human beings we kind of leak stuff to other people anyway, we like to share things... in fact, just look at your Facebook feed, I'm sure you'll find someone on there who you'd class as an "over sharer", well, we're all kind of like that, but some people know what to share and what to hold back, usually it's the really personal stuff that we like to hold back, and also you're going to be using social media to network with people, not to receive counselling.


I hate people who are "too hip" or "too cool" and say things like "oh, nobody uses... Google +" or other sites that they can't get into... their anger is born out of fear for not being able to "be well known there" because apparently that's all people think about, and it shouldn't be! I've always found that when I post really good content I receive more likes on my Facebook page, and people retweet me, I even get a lot of comments.



So, now that we know we need to use social media sites, I should go over what you guys can do in order to promote a post that you wrote for someone's blog or that you're hosting. So, I only 3 social media sites, any more and I doubt I'd have time to actually write blog posts. I would recommend reading my post: 10 Top Tips to Raising Your Writer Profile!




Facebook

LIKE the post

Advertise the post in a group

Twitter

TWEET the post

Use HASHTAGS

Ask for RT's

Google +

+1 the post.



Top Tip: Don't forget to ASK QUESTIONS at the end of the post!




So these are the things I hope you've learnt from the post... like a recap. You should know that social media sites are your friend and they will help you build a bigger audience, so keep on plugging your posts, and if someone else likes your post then they'll promote it as well... that leads me on to my second point, CONTENT, it should be original, it should have a personality, and it has to inform the reader of something.




Top Tip: Titles are important!




I'll go over the above point here. I'm not sure if naming a post "Guest Post: [author name] dd/mm" is the best idea because it doesn't give much away about the post, and readers love to know what they're getting into. I recently wrote a post titles "How To Write Erotica" and that received over 100 hits before I even promoted it... so titles are important.




Have you found this post useful?

How do you drive visitors to your blog posts?


-Joseph




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How to Write Erotica!

This is an ADULT only post!

So if you're not an adult, then you have to leave, and come back when you're 18!


Am I just the most confusing person ever? One day I write a post aimed at teenage writers, and then another day I start writing this post, but, I'm sure that one day those teen writers will grow and actually write some erotica... so all is not lost.



The other day I went around my Facebook friends, the ones that are writers, and I randomly (whoever was online at the time) asked them if they'd ever wrote erotica. Can you guess what the majority of them said?


Yes.

I was just a little bit shocked, or maybe I was a little bit glad because I knew now that this post would have some actual purpose, but either way I got a rush of excitement when I realised that even the people you wouldn't expect to write it, actually do.




Do YOU write erotica? (Anonymous answers accepted)

Or do you have a pseudonym that does?


I know a few writers that write erotica from their own name, but most of them write and publish through pseudonyms because they also write other kinds of fiction and don't want to clash audiences. Check out my post: Pseudonym Me! for more information on why people use them.



OKAY. Now on to the more interesting stuff... the reason why YOU should write erotica, and how to do it!




You'll live 10% longer.

(Fact has not been verified)


People who do write erotica are more comfortable with themselves and their sexuality, they know what they want sexually and they know what they like.




e·rot·i·ca /iˈrätikə/
Noun: Literature or art intended to arouse sexual desire.




Top Tip: Erotica is not just about SEX! There has to be a STORY!




When you're having sex do you just have sex? Or is there a build up to it? There is probably a build up to it, if not, then you're probably doing something wrong... there might be something that they did before, maybe they went for a meal, maybe they were stroking each others legs throughout it?





SET THE SCENE. If someone is reading erotica then they're visual people, if not, they'll just watch some porn.




Top Tip: It has to be realistic... so cut the fucking cheese!



There is nothing quite as horrible as reading something that's full cliché or stock characters, cheesy dialogue, and the sex scenes are half-assed with no real descriptions of anything. It makes me think that these people don't believe that erotica has literary merit, when it quite clearly does, it's a GENRE OF FICTION for crying out loud.





Top Tip: Use ALL of the senses!


I think I've said this with each "how to write..." post but it's essential to use the sense of touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound! If you don't, then how can it "arouse sexual desire" and pleasure your readers? It just can't.






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Don't just stick to the straight stuff, everyone knows that gays guys do it better anyway. And you don't have to be gay to write it... although very comfortable with your sexuality. I know a few woman that write gay erotica and they're happily married to men with children.



Writing erotica is freeing, and so even if you're not going to share it, you can always write it. I think that it's a very fun thing to do, and erotica teaches the writer to have fun with their writing.



-Joseph




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A Writer MUST be a Reader!

A couple of days ago I asked people to comment on a status on my Facebook Page, and I asked them to comment on whether they were a writer or a reader.




The majority of people said both, nobody claimed to just be a writer (which I'm glad, because I would have hated to think that they were never a reader) and a few said that they were only readers.




Some people also added little background information, such as, they started reading and then became writers, and some said that they wrote more often than they read.




Now, I shall present to you one of my favourite quotes!! (I say that about all the quotes I post :p) But this one is quite amazing!



“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” - Stephen King




You know why I love this quote... because it speaks the absolute truth, just like most of the Stephen King quotes do. I think that reading is absolutely necessary, and I think I've spoke about it before, with reading you learn so much about genres and how to write in different genres etc. you also learn about proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar.



In my post 10 Tips for (Teen) Writers, one of the points that I make is to read books from all different genres, just read a lot of books because it helps you get better at writing. You can learn new techniques from reading, and you might even realise that you need to add something to a WiP from spending an hour or two reading... it's happened to me before.

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” - Stephen King





Are you a reader? Writer? Both?




What genres are your favourite?



-Joseph




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Virtual Blog Tour: Laci Paige! (4/6)

Hey guys, let's welcome Laci Paige!




First I want to say thanks to Joseph for hosting me! “Thank you!” I am a follower of your blog, and I truly enjoy it.


Okay, so I hate music questions, and today the theme is music related. I’m one of the strange people that don’t need or even want music playing while they write. I need complete silence so I can crawl into my writer’s world alone. No distractions, no influence, just me, myself, and I in the solitude of my brain (that’s a scary thought in itself).



Since I am not a music buff when I was faced with the question of what song reminds me of my current work (Let’s Keep On Truckin’), I turned to my husband to ask what his opinion was. Since I write erotic stories he belted out a round of “Bow Chicka Bow Wow”. There’s never a dull moment in my house. I can promise you this.



Anyway, I would have to say when this question first came to be, the song that I thought of first was, “Life Is A Highway”, by Rascal Flatts.
















http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osuhlptx0J8





Now that will be in my head ALL day! But that’s okay, it’s a good song! And take it to mean whatever you’d like ;)



~Laci



Laci Paige is an erotic romance author. Her debut novella was released one month ago with the promise of more to come. Laci lives with her family on the east coast (USA) and she loves Nutella and all things chocolate.



Visit her at: http://www.facebook.com/lacipaige



“Let’s Keep On Truckin’” can be found at many fine online eBook retailers.



http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Keep-on-Truckin-ebook/dp/B00816ZX9S/






It was great having you, Laci! And I really like your song choice; I've listened to it a couple of times now. Ha!




-Joseph




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