Lance Morcan's Blog, page 84
June 29, 2014
Looking for good books to read? Look no further…
Reader popularity lists on Goodreads.com, the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations, provide a quick reference for good books for any bookworms running low on reading material.
We are delighted that Goodreads’ latest lists feature all eight of our book titles – including our international thriller series THE ORPHAN TRILOGY and our historical adventure series THE WORLD DUOLOGY.
Here’s a snapshot of popular books in various categories ranging from Great Romance Novels to Best Violent Action Novels to Best Action-Adventure Novels and many more…
Books With a Goodreads Average Rating of Over 4.5
Favorite World Fiction & Literature
Around the World through Fiction
Best Books About the South Pacific
Books by James Morcan & Lance Morcan
Books by Authors Who Work in Multiple Genres
Historical Romance From Around The World
Best Location-Based and History-Based Books
Books at Making Connections Group
Author Collaborations (Dynamic Duos)
To visit Goodreads’ reader popularity lists go to: https://www.goodreads.com/list/book/20300866
Happy reading! – Lance & James
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MK-Ultra and the history of mind control a long, spooky rabbit hole
In the course of conducting research for our conspiracy thriller series The Orphan Trilogy we uncovered the little known history of mind control. And it’s something of a long, spooky rabbit hole to say the least.
After reading and analyzing court cases, doctors’ reports and declassified documents, we became aware of the often disastrous impact mind control programs have had on the lives of innocent civilians over the decades – in North America in particular.
The most documented government mind control program worldwide is Project MK-Ultra. This human research operation in behavioral engineering began in the early 1950’s and was run through the CIA’s Scientific Intelligence Division. It continued for a quarter of a century, and it used American and Canadian citizens as its test subjects, usually without their knowledge or consent.
We explore this further in our new release book THE ORPHAN CONSPIRACIES: 29 Conspiracy Theories from The Orphan Trilogy. An excerpt follows…
Doctor Sidney Gottlieb was in charge of MK-Ultra from its inception until the mid-1960’s. By all accounts a callous and eccentric individual, Gottlieb was the inspiration for Peter Sellers’ title role in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 black comedy Dr. Strangelove.
Peter Sellers as Dr. Strangelove.
Many researchers have deduced that the CIA’s goal was to create real-life Manchurian Candidates. We’d have to agree, although there are probably wider applications of effective mind control than producing programmed assassins.
As a result of the United States’ Freedom of Information Act, tens of thousands of government documents relating to Project MK-Ultra have been obtained by independent researchers. Other documents regarding MK-Ultra have also been officially declassified.
The project finally came to the American public’s attention in 1975 when it was discussed in the US Congress.
President Gerald Ford also set up a commission to investigate MK-Ultra and other CIA activities. This led to Senate hearings on MK-Ultra in 1977 during which Senator Ted Kennedy stated: “The Deputy Director of the CIA revealed that over 30 universities and institutions were involved in an extensive testing and experimentation program which included covert drug tests on unwitting citizens at all social levels, high and low, native Americans and foreign.”
Seemingly following the same mind control protocols laid down by the Nazis, the CIA selected people from the most vulnerable sectors of American society to experiment on – orphans, the mentally ill, prisoners, the poor, the handicapped. Basically those who didn’t have a voice or the wherewithal to seek help.
Two young victims of the Nazi era.
CIA doctors involved in MK-Ultra experiments incorporated various methods to manipulate people’s brains and alter their mental states. These included disruptive electromagnetic signals, sensory deprivation, hypnosis, electroshock, sexual abuse and drugs, especially LSD.
Equally disturbing, the list of infamous people connected to, or rumored to be associated with, MK-Ultra almost reads like a who’s who of the worst American criminals in the 20th Century.
Lawrence Teeter, the lawyer representing Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, proposed that his client was an MK-Ultra victim. Teeter stated Sirhan displayed all the signs of being hypnotized before and after RFK’s assassination.
Enough evidence exists to conclude that Theodore Kaczynski, otherwise known as the Unabomber, participated in MK-Ultra experiments conducted at Harvard University from 1959 to 1962. Although these Harvard experiments appeared relatively benign, they were surreptitiously sponsored by the CIA and that seems tantamount to a smoking gun.
Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh – a decorated Gulf War veteran – claimed to have been implanted with some kind of microchip while serving in the US Army. He also claimed he was yet another victim of MK-Ultra’s vast web.
Timothy McVeigh…also mind-controlled?
Interestingly, the US Army Major and mind control victim that Denzel Washington played in the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate also had a microchip implanted in his body. Perhaps in a case of art imitating life, Washington’s character was also a decorated Gulf War veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, just as McVeigh did.
Denzel Washington in ‘The Manchurian Candidate’.
The 1978 Jonestown massacre in the jungles of Guyana is considered by various independent investigators to have been a large scale MK-Ultra experiment. Until 9/11, the Jonestown tragedy had the dubious distinction of being the greatest loss of American civilian lives in one single act. (See more on Jonestown in chapter 10).
There are also possible MK-Ultra links to Ronald Reagan’s would-be assassin John Hinkley, Jr., as well as John Lennon’s killer Mark David Chapman. Suspiciously, a copy of The Catcher in the Rye was found on both men upon their arrest – suspicious as J.D. Salinger’s classic novel is said by many to be a mind control trigger device for MK-Ultra victims. (See chapter 27 for more on The Catcher in the Rye).
In 1976, more than two decades after MK-Ultra began, President Gerald Ford prohibited “experimentation with drugs on human subjects, except with the informed consent, in writing and witnessed by a disinterested party, of each such human subject.”
However, repeated rumors suggest the MK-Ultra program continues – probably under another codename and perhaps as a Black Op rather than a government-sanctioned project.
For example, some say mind control technologies were employed during the First Gulf War on Saddam Hussein’s million-strong Iraq army. This theory suggests the US army unleashed a type of advanced mind interference weapon so that Iraqi soldiers would lose their sanity and therefore surrender without much resistance or bloodshed. Although the Iraq army did surrender relatively quickly and there were reports of unusual goings on, it must be noted this Gulf War theory is not remotely proven and remains mere speculation.
Iraqi POW’s in the Gulf War…Insane?
At the civilian level, more MK-Ultra victims continue to come forward. In 1995, there were new US congressional hearings on MK-Ultra, which included statements made by mind control victims and the therapists who treated them.
Not so much conspiracy theory as conspiracy fact.
Read more in The Orphan Conspiracies: 29 Conspiracy Theories from The Orphan Trilogy – available now via Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/The-Orphan-Conspiracies-Conspiracy-Theories-ebook/dp/B00J4MPFT6/
A book that’s for the common people.
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June 28, 2014
Operation Northwoods remembered as conspiracy theories persist in the wake of 9/11
The rumors persist that 9/11 was an inside job: bombs, not planes, leveled Twin Towers; inside traders knew about the 9/11 attacks before they happened; Air Defense was ordered to stand down etc. etc.
As the rumor mill continues to churn out theories on what happened on that unforgettable day in 2001, we are reminded of an incident in US history that could have resulted in the officially sanctioned murders of countless American citizens.
The incident we refer to is ‘Operation Northwoods’ – an especially murky episode in American history. It features prominently in the very first chapter of our new release book THE ORPHAN CONSPIRACIES: 29 Conspiracy Theories from The Orphan Trilogy. Here’s an excerpt:
In 1962, the US Government’s Department of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff proposed carrying out acts of terrorism on American soil to justify military intervention in Cuba.
Hard to swallow or believe, we know, but it’s on the record. Numerous military and intelligence documents recording these disturbing false flag proposals, known as Operation Northwoods, have since been declassified.
Operation Northwoods remained a secret for 35 years. The sinister proposal first came to the public’s attention in November 1997 when The John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Review Board declassified various top secret military records, which included the Northwoods documents. The following year, the National Security Archive published further revealing information on Northwoods.
A (since declassified) ‘Top Secret’ memo dated March 13, 1962, addressed to the Secretary of Defense and signed by then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff makes for interesting reading. Its subject line reads: Justification for US Military Intervention in Cuba.
Item No. 1 on that memo reads: “The Joint Chiefs of Staff have considered the attached Memorandum for the Chief of Operations, Cuba Project, which responds to a request of that office for brief but precise description of pretexts which would provide justification for US military intervention in Cuba.”
Operation Northwoods’ plans included the sinking of US war ships, shooting down hijacked passenger planes, killing innocent American citizens, letting off bombs and orchestrating other violent terrorist acts in major cities including Washington DC and Miami.
Every event would be blamed on Fidel Castro and the Cuban regime. The Joint Chiefs of Staff’s logic was that these events would help gain enough support from the American public and the world at large for a US military invasion of Cuba.
Fortunately, President Kennedy immediately rejected the Northwoods proposal and fired one of its main proponents, Lyman Lemnitzer, who was then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
President Kennedy with his Joint Chiefs of Staff incl. Lemnizter (third from left).
The following year, Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while Lemnitzer was appointed Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.
Go figure!
In his 2001 book Body of Secrets, US political journalist and bestselling author James Bamford wrote that Operation Northwoods “called for innocent people to be shot on American streets; for boats carrying refugees fleeing Cuba to be sunk on the high seas; for a wave of violent terrorism to be launched in Washington, D.C., Miami, and elsewhere. People would be framed for bombings they did not commit; planes would be hijacked. Using phony evidence, all of it would be blamed on Castro, thus giving Lemnitzer and his cabal the excuse, as well as the public and international backing, they needed to launch their war”.
Sadly, Bamford is one of the few well-known political commentators to write about Operation Northwoods. When the documents were declassification in 1997, they were almost universally ignored by the media.
Apparently on-the-record discussions within the US Government about murdering its own citizens as propaganda to create a war were not deemed newsworthy.
Read more in The Orphan Conspiracies: 29 Conspiracy Theories from The Orphan Trilogy – available now via Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/The-Orphan-Conspiracies-Conspiracy-Theories-ebook/dp/B00J4MPFT6/
A book that’s for the common people.
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June 27, 2014
Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq…Roll up! Roll up! Who’s next?
As the dust settles in Afghanistan (kind of) and tensions simmer in the Ukraine and America deliberates on what to do about the situ. in Iraq, we are reminded that to create wars there don’t need to be any genuine enemies, only perceived enemies. If enough citizens believe their national security’s in jeopardy then politicians who propose wars will receive the support they need.
Governments have known this for a very long time, and manufacturing consent to go to war – à la False Flag Operations – ain’t new.
Take Vietnam for example… In our new release book THE ORPHAN CONSPIRACIES: 29 Conspiracy Theories from The Orphan Trilogy, we highlight the false flag that began the Vietnam War. Here’s an excerpt…
On August 4, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson alerted his fellow Americans on national television that North Vietnam had attacked the American destroyer USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Not long after, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave Johnson the green light to begin military operations against North Vietnam. American troops were soon stationed in Vietnam and neighboring countries, and the war that would dominate an era began.
However, President Johnson and his Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, successfully hoodwinked the American people because North Vietnam never attacked the USS Maddox as the Pentagon had claimed, and the so-called unequivocal evidence of a second attack by the North Vietnamese is now commonly acknowledged as being a false report.
A National Security Agency (NSA) report on the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, declassified in 2005, concluded that USS Maddox had engaged the North Vietnamese Navy on August 2, 1964, but (and this is a big but) “The Maddox fired three rounds to warn off the communist boats. This initial action was never reported by the Johnson administration, which insisted that the Vietnamese boats fired first.”
Regarding the all-important second attack on August 4 – which effectively caused the Vietnam War – the NSA report concluded there were no North Vietnamese Naval vessels present during the entire incident: “It is not simply that there is a different story as to what happened; it is that no attack happened that night.”
“No attack happened.” – NSA report on Gulf of Tonkin incident.
If an organization as biased as the NSA says no attack ever happened then it seems very safe to say the Gulf of Tonkin Incident was nothing but a phantom attack on the US Military. It was carefully crafted propaganda devised to manufacture consent for all-out war.
In this instance that propaganda ended up costing approximately 60,000 American lives and three million Vietnamese lives.
Not so much conspiracy theory as conspiracy fact.
Read more in The Orphan Conspiracies: 29 Conspiracy Theories from The Orphan Trilogy – available now via Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/The-Orphan-Conspiracies-Conspiracy-Theories-ebook/dp/B00J4MPFT6/
A book that’s for the common people.
Happy reading! – James & Lance
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June 25, 2014
Readers “not psychologically prepared” advised not to read this book
After reading THE NINTH ORPHAN (The Orphan Trilogy, #1), Amazon reviewer Daniel Sinclair Pearson has a warning for readers: “Reading this novel is like opening Pandora’s Box and discovering the Matrix inside it.”
Pearson calls the conspiracy thriller novel “groundbreaking” and talks of “terrifying secrets and horrendous political facts” that are “much stranger than any fiction.”
Here’s an excerpt from his review:
Warning, reading this novel is like opening Pandora’s Box and discovering the Matrix inside it. There are some extremely dangerous global conspiracies and radical ideas put forth in this book, and there are no known antidotes for exposing the thinking mind to the potent light of truth.
This is a unique story, a fast paced thriller spy novel that is unlike any other spy novel that you have ever read before.
If you are not psychologically prepared to handle the disturbing type of information that is revealed in this groundbreaking new novel, then please don’t read the Ninth Orphan series. The entire cast of fully developed intelligent, extremely complex characters will simultaneously both thrill and horrify you.
This is a work of fiction, however, this superbly crafted spy novel is a fantastic read and at least 90% of the conspiracy theories cleverly woven into its brilliant plot are actually based on well documented facts.
To read the full review, and others, of The Ninth Orphan go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC
Happy reading! – Lance & James
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June 22, 2014
This journey of self discovery is a must-read!
BOOK REVIEW
Depression Carpenter – by Java Davis
The publisher describes this book as “A Road Trip through the Gulf States during The Great Depression.”
The storyline:
A young man, Jackson “Jake” Ferry, born into a privileged New York family, loses them in a car accident. Young and wealthy, he needs to justify his existence during The Great Depression. He is skilled in carpentry and drives around the Gulf of Mexico, working on building projects with his peculiar friend and partner from Florida, Chin, who has cheerfully abandoned his family in favor of an adventure. Together, they travel an amazing road trip, helping poor folks along the way, repairing their homes and their lives.Eventually, Jake lands in Galveston, where he stays to help rebuild the island after their first Great Flood, building an inter-racial school for the island’s orphans.The road trip comes to an end in with Jake back in New York City, an older and wiser man with an internal compass to guide his path.
My review:
This is a must-read!
Of DEPRESSION CARPENTER, the author says, “It’s a journey I wish I could have taken, and I’m pleased to share it with others.” Having read this journey of self discovery, this reviewer can totally relate to those sentiments.
Nostalgic, beautifully written and totally believable, this is (recent) historical fiction at its best. It’s high concept, too…a road trip like none other: a veritable ride through the Great Depression.
For those who enjoy adventure and a darned good tale, this is a must-read! A worthy five stars. –Lance
To purchase Depression Carpenter via Amazon go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Depression-Carpenter-Java-Davis-ebook/dp/B004Y5NGAI/
Happy reading!
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June 13, 2014
Attention Indian publishers: translation rights available for top-rating books
The Hindi (and other ‘native’ Indian languages) translation rights to all our published fiction and non-fiction book titles are now available to Indian publishers.
We are represented for these rights by Indian literary agency TranslationPanacea, of Pune. Any publishers interested in acquiring the Hindi or other Indian translation rights to any of our books should contact Vidula Tokekar at TranslationPanacea – email: translation@panaceabpo.co.in
Most of our eight book titles have been regular visitors to Amazon’s bestseller lists. These titles include our conspiracy thriller series THE ORPHAN TRILOGY, our historical adventure series THE WORLD DUOLOGY and our first non-fiction book, the recently published THE ORPHAN CONSPIRACIES.
Book titles cover a variety of genres.
All these titles have been published on Amazon as Kindle ebooks and have been well reviewed, and two – THE NINTH ORPHAN and FIJI: A NOVEL – are also available via Amazon as trade paperbacks.
Both these novels are in development as feature films.
We are now represented for translation rights in Japan (Motovun Co. Ltd.), Turkey (Akcali Ajans), China (Chengdu Rightol Media), Russia (Nova Littera Ltd.) and Korea (KL Management / Korea Literary Management), as well as in India (TranslationPanacea).
Publishers interested in securing rights for our books in India, or indeed in any of the above-mentioned markets, are invited to contact the appropriate literary agencies.
We also welcome enquiries from literary agents interested in representing us for the foreign translation rights for our books in other markets.
Interested parties can email us at: sterlinggatebooks@gmail.com
For more about ourselves and our books go to our Amazon page at:
http://www.amazon.com/Lance-Morcan/e/B005ET3ZUO/
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June 7, 2014
Book one in ‘The Orphan Trilogy’ receives rave review – literally!
After recently registering its 50th Five-Star review on Amazon, our conspiracy thriller THE NINTH ORPHAN (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) has received one of its best reviews to date.
The review, by Rave Reviews Book Club mover-and-shaker Nonnie Jules, has appeared on the Rave Reviews by Nonnie Jules blog at http://ravereviewsbynonniejules.wordpress.com/nonnies-blog-reviews/
Here’s the review, as it appears on Ms Jules’ blog, unabbridged:
Rave Reviews by Nonnie Jules
Reviews make an Author’s world go round
6/6/14 – THE NINTH ORPHAN
5*****Star Rated!!!!
OK, so when I was asked to review this book, I looked at the title and said to myself jokingly, “I don’t have time to read a book about an orphan.” When I SAW the cover of this book, I said to myself, “An orphan with a gun? OK, I seriously don’t want to read it now.” But, in my world, your word is golden…I said I would review, and so I was going to! What I’m about to say next, is why you should never judge a book by it’s cover OR it’s title: “CAN I GIVE IT TEN STARS?!!!!” THAT’S HOW GOOD THIS BOOK IS!
You know, it’s getting extremely common to see some reviewers write “It hooked me from page one,” and since that very common line is annoying to me, I won’t say it (but I am thinking it!). I found myself reading this book in the shower (among other places in “that” room that I’m too much of a lady to say), any place I had to sit and wait (think doctor’s office, in the car waiting for kids, etc.), at the dinner table (to the chagrin of my family), and even in the dark of night when I should have been trying to get some sleep (which by the way, I never get but I’m so thankful for the white back-light on my Samsung Galaxy tab because it was blinding bright, and it kept me awake!). THIS book should be turned into a movie, and if it ever is, I will be the first in line to see it! IT…WAS…SO…GOOD! And the writing was STELLAR as was the editing! You all know how those two things make me the happiest Lion in the jungle.
These authors were so good at crafting a perfect story and a perfect storm…creating characters and events that were so intriguing and thrilling, I was literally smiling at the really crafty parts where The Ninth Orphan (Sebastian), continually eluded capture from his former “family” at the Omega Agency. “Nine,” as he was called, was born in a laboratory along with 22 other super-human forms..all referred to by the number of the order of their birth. What captivated me the most, was the chameleon effect that the authors gave to Nine and his fellow orphans. The descriptions were so well depicted, I pictured Nine in each role he turned himself into while on the run. If I say anymore, I’ll be giving it all away, so let me end with this…YOU WANT A REALLLLLLLY GOOD BOOK, run get THE NINTH ORPHAN !
PLEASE! You won’t be disappointed!
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THE NINTH ORPHAN is available as a trade paperback and Kindle ebook via Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC
Happy reading! – Lance & James
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June 1, 2014
‘The Ninth Orphan’ conspiracy thriller novel achieves another milestone on Amazon
Our top rating conspiracy thriller novel THE NINTH ORPHAN (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) has achieved another milestone, registering its 50th Five-Star review on Amazon.
Book reviewer Johnny April says “The Ninth Orphan is packed with suspense, romance, and memorable characters.”
Here’s the review in full:
Great Action, Suspense, and Memorable Characters -June 1, 2014
In the Ninth Orphan, we meet Nine, who is actually named Sebastian, as he is trying to escape from The Omega Agency, a covert spy agency that recruits orphans to do their dirty work. Since he just can’t leave, he is tracked by his mentor, Kentbridge, and another spy named 17. All the spies in the agency are named by numbers instead of their names.
Much of the story is the chase as Nine is trying to elude members of the covert agency. He has martial arts skills and is a master of disguise. There are some great fight and chase scenes along with some memorable moments aboard a train. That, along with a great romance with Isabella kept the story moving along for me at a fast pace.
What I like the most about this story is that there are some TV shows that also work since this is based on a conspiracy theory. If you’re a fan of the hit series Nikita, then you should also enjoy this book. As for me, I not only enjoy Nikita but I also like the South Korean dramas that also work off conspiracy theories such as IRIS, IRIS 2, and Athena, Goddess of War.
The Ninth Orphan is packed with suspense, romance, and memorable characters. I’m happy to give it five stars.
For more Amazon reviews of THE NINTH ORPHAN go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC
Happy reading! –Lance & James
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May 30, 2014
Foreign language translation rights available for top rating books
Publishers and literary agents may be interested to know that foreign language translation rights are available for Sterling Gate Books’ top rating fiction and non-fiction books.
Most of our eight book titles have been regular visitors to Amazon’s bestseller lists. These titles include our conspiracy thriller series THE ORPHAN TRILOGY, our historical adventure series THE WORLD DUOLOGY and our first (recently released) non-fiction book THE ORPHAN CONSPIRACIES.
All have been published on Amazon as Kindle ebooks; two (THE NINTH ORPHAN and FIJI: A NOVEL) are also available as trade paperbacks; and all have been well reviewed.
While James and I will be retaining the English language rights, we do seek representation for the foreign translation rights for our books in markets throughout the world. Interested literary and rights agents (and publishers) can email us at sterlinggatebooks@gmail.com
We are now represented for translation rights in Japan, Turkey, China, Russia and Korea.
Publishers interested in securing rights for our books in the above-mentioned markets are invited to contact the following literary agents:
Japan: Mari Koga, of Motovun Co. Ltd., Tokyo – koga_motovun@mbd.ocn.ne.jp
Turkey: Atilla Izgi Turgut, of Akcali Ajans, Instanbul – atilla@akcalicopyright.com
China: Mina Liu, of Chengdu Rightol Media, Chengdu – mina@rightol.cn
Russia: Sergei Cheredov, of Nova Littera Ltd., Moscow – pravaru@gmail.com
Korea: Joseph Lee, of KL Management/Korean Literary Management, Seoul – josephlee705@gmail.com
Our eight titles (published between 2011 and 2014) are listed below :
Fiji: A Novel (The World Duology)
The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy)
The Orphan Trilogy (The Ninth Orphan / The Orphan Factory / The Orphan Uprising)
The Orphan Conspiracies: 29 Conspiracy Theories from The Orphan Trilogy
World Odyssey (The World Duology)
The Orphan Uprising (The Orphan Trilogy)
The Orphan Factory (The Orphan Trilogy)
The World Duology (World Odyssey / Fiji: A Novel)
Happy reading! Lance & James
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