S.J. Pajonas's Blog, page 46
August 1, 2020
August 2020 Goals
Where did July go? The first few months of this year crawled and now everything is just zooming along.
What Happened With July’s Goals?
Read CRASH LAND ON KURAI and make edits to it. Done. And I’m halfway through CHAOS IN KADOMA WARD now. I’m making tons of notes and coming up with ideas for the 4th book of the series (it’s probably the final book, but I won’t know until I write it).
Finish with freelance work. Still not totally done but VERY close!
Update the Onigiri Press website. Done! It’s now a sweet little one-page website and I did it all with Elementor and my new theme. I love it! Go check it out at http://www.onigiripress.com/
Continue the Summer of SFR! Things are chugging along here. All is going well!
Schedule posts for my pen name. This is done and I’ll be doing more next month.
Close out my Move Rings every day on my Apple Watch. Did well with this! I only took two rest days this month but I made sure to close out my Move rings.
Audiobooks, reading, and knitting. I started a new audiobook and a new knit! Plus I am reading a lot.
Goals For August
Read CHAOS IN KADOMA WARD and make edits to it. I’m actually almost done with this. I’ve made a few edits, nothing big. It’s really energizing me and putting me back with these characters, which I love.
Write a few extra scenes for CHAOS IN KADOMA WARD. I’ve identified a few scenes that I’d like to write for this book. Scenes that will help me get in the right mindset and that I can put on my blog to bring in more readers.
Start writing my Flyght novella. I’m writing a Flyght/Vivian novella for the anthology I’m editing with Carysa Locke. I plan to write the majority of it this month.
Read over anthology submissions. Anthology submissions were due yesterday, so I plan on reading those with Carysa in the next week or two.
Finish with freelance work. I will definitely be done this month, possibly in the first week of August. I just need to identify anything else left to do and bill my client.
Continue the Summer of SFR! This is the last month of the event. I have plenty of posts planned!
Schedule posts for my pen name. I need to schedule two posts for my pen name.
Switch over to the new email newsletter system for my pen name. I’ve tested this and it’s working! I just need to swap out the form and import everyone over.
Close out my Move Rings every day on my Apple Watch. Keep going!
Audiobooks, reading, and knitting. The usual and I’ll be listening and reading to SFR, of course.
Have a great August everyone! Stay home and stay safe!
Viber
The post August 2020 Goals appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
July 31, 2020
Book Chat #59 – Carol Van Natta #summerofSFR
Time for another Summer of SFR Book Chat! Once again, I was hoping to have more than one book for this post but I stopped reading a second book at the 60% mark, and I have decided that it’s a sign. For the rest of the Summer of SFR Book Chats, I will do single books as I complete them.
OVERLOAD FLUX by Carol Van Natta (Books2Read)
OVERLOAD FLUX was a fabulous first book in a huge sci-fi space opera romance series. Seriously, there are a lot of books in this universe! Lots to look forward to, for sure. I loved so much about this book, it was hard to narrow down my favorite parts. I especially loved the nods to many different Earth cultures. It seems that there are some planets where there are dominant Earth cultures like colonies from Iceland or China. So, for the reader, there’s plenty here in this universe to draw anyone in. I loved how Luka, the hero, was always swearing in Icelandic!
I enjoyed Luka’s strength and gravitas without being an alpha a-hole. He was strong but vulnerable. Mairwen’s journey to humanity captivating. She had a lot to learn about being a full human being, and it was heartwarming to see her progress with Luka’s help. Plus, there was a fabulous slow burn romance to top it off! I’ll definitely be reading more from this series. Thanks to Carol Van Natta for a fantastic read!
What have you been reading lately?
Check out all my Summer of SFR posts!
Viber
The post Book Chat #59 – Carol Van Natta #summerofSFR appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
July 29, 2020
Featuring BROKEN EARTH by S. J. Sanders #summerofSFR
Onward with the Summer of SFR, I have S. J. Sanders here today to tell us about her book, BROKEN EARTH!
Tell us a little about yourself, S. J….
S. J. Sanders is a writer of Science Fiction and Fantasy Romance. With a love of all things alien and monster she is fascinated with concepts of far off worlds, as well as the lore and legends of various cultures. When not writing, she loves reading, sculpting, painting and travel (especially to exotic destinations). Although born and raised in Alaska, she currently as a resident of Florida with her family, her maine coon, Bella, and bearded dragon, Lex.
From Alaska to Florida? That’s quite a change in climates!
I asked S. J., “What’s the concept and inspiration for BROKEN EARTH?”
S. J. replied…
“Set in the near future, Broken Earth is set in a world where human originating calamities have destroyed much of the life on Earth. Ravaged by storms and stretches of wastelands, human civilization appears to be nothing more than quickly deteriorating remnants to be picked apart by enterprising alien salvagers. The Argurma salvager who finds the planet is surprised to find that even in desolation the native sentient species has survived. Ridden with violence and mutations, there is little to recommend the species until a lone, determined human woman looking to barter for transport to the coast comes forward. They face the struggles of a torn apart world together and discover something more and totally unexpected within each other.
This book is the first of the Argurma Salvager Trilogy which will pave the way for the Argurma Warrior series coming next year. Mostly I wrote it as an experiment. I wanted to write a hero that was both very alien and cyborg as well as write a dystopian story which is one of my favorite types of romances to write. The story really gave me the flexibility to write something a bit grittier than my usual book. The alien himself was very fun to write. He is someone that is very alien, pragmatic, and almost merciless in some respects compared to alien heroes in my other works.”
This sounds very interesting! I love to see how authors handle alien heroes.
Veral’monushava’skahalur is an oddity among his species, a lone Argurma cyborg divorced from his own kind by choice and to escape termination as a malfunctioning unit. Wandering the fringes of space as a salvager, he comes across a planet beyond the boundaries of the federation, rich in metals remnant of a dead civilization. Or so he thought.
Confronted by cannibalistic mutations of the indigenous species, his salvage has suddenly become a lot more complicated. Even more so when he encounters a female surviving on her own. She is strong and fearless, begrudgingly earning his admiration. Terri is hardened by a life of hunger and watchfulness, and yet is moved by a compassion that he’s never possessed. When his admiration turns into the first signs of a forming mate-bond, he knows his fate is sealed. Unlicensed mating is forbidden—if his malfunctioning wasn’t already a death sentencing, taking her for her mate would be. Yet, he finds that letting her go is no longer an option.
Please be advised that this book has graphic sex and violence that may not be appropriate for all audiences.
Check out BROKEN EARTH on Amazon via Books2Read…
Via Books2Read
Find This Author Online
Learn more about S. J. Sanders on…
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/361374411254067/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/authorsjsanders
Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/7144ec4ca0e4/sjsandersromance
Website: https://sjsandersromance.wordpress.com/
Check out all my Summer of SFR posts!
Viber
The post Featuring BROKEN EARTH by S. J. Sanders #summerofSFR appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
July 27, 2020
Featuring AYDARR by Veronica Scott #summerofSFR
Onward with the Summer of SFR, I have Veronica Scott here today to tell us about her book, AYDARR!
Tell us a little about yourself, Veronica…
USA Today Best Selling Author Veronica Scott is a seven time winner of the SFR Galaxy Award, as well as a National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, Veronica is also the proud recipient of a NASA Exceptional Service Medal relating to her former day job, not her romances! She played a Star Trek Red Shirt security officer in an official audiobook.
I’ve known Veronica for a number of years and I love that she used to work for NASA/JPL! Though she always told us that she worked in the back office, not on rockets. Still, I’m sure it was quite an inspiring place to be every day!
I asked Veronica, “How did you come up with the idea for AYDARR?”
Veronica replied…
“I’ve long been a fan of the Lora Leigh Breeds series and the Laurann Dohner New Species series, both centering around genetically engineered soldiers. I can’t ever get enough of those stories! So I decided to challenge myself to write my own novels with tough, genetically enhanced warriors as the heroes, set in the far future, out in space. The heroine in the first book is a Sectors woman, Jill, who served in the Special Forces. She and her entire colony have been kidnapped by the alien scientists to serve as subjects in twisted experiments. (The Sectors is my interstellar civilization which forms the background for all my scifi romances to date.)
And I’ve thrown in a few other elements of my own brand of scifi romance along the way…I thought the concept of these warriors created by alien scientists lent itself to a series arc I could handle and write some exciting stories for.
One other influence on me when writing Aydarr was the overall feel of the 2010 movie “Predators,” where a group of tough humans wake up in an alien jungle and have to fight to survive, while trying to figure out how to get home to Earth.
If you enjoy this first book, there are now 12 more in the series, and more to come. Lots of good summer scifi romance reading!”
I love to hear about authors really enjoying their series for the long term. It’s hard to immerse yourself in worlds for extended periods! Great job, Veronica!
Jill Garrison, a maintenance tech at the Sectors Amarcae 7 colony, goes to sleep one night as usual only to wake up in her nightgown stranded in the middle of a forest on an unknown world. There’s no time to think as she’s stalked by carnivorous predators and rescued by genetically engineered warriors calling themselves the Badari. Turns out they and she, along with her whole colony, are now prisoners of the Khagrish, a ruthless race of alien scientists. Working for enemies of the Sectors, the Khagrish have created the Badari to be super soldiers.
Aydarr, the Badari Alpha, isn’t sure he can trust Jill but his attraction to her is undeniable. He impulsively claims her as his mate to prevent her death at the hands of the Khagrish.
Can he continue to protect her from the experiments already underway? Will his claiming her put his pack in jeopardy from their alien masters?
As Jill searches for a way to rescue her fellow humans and get them all to safety, she finds herself falling for Aydarr, despite the secrets he’s keeping. She has a few of her own.
The situation becomes dire when Aydarr and his pack are sent offplanet on a mission, leaving Jill unprotected, prey for the senior scientist. Can she escape the experiments he has in mind for her? Will she be able to thwart the Khagrish plans and liberate humans and Badari alike? How will she and Aydarr reunite?
Check out AYDRARR on Amazon, Apple Books, Nook, Kobo, Google Play, and more via Books2Read…
Via Books2Read
Find This Author Online
Learn more about Veronica Scott on…
Blog: https://veronicascott.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vscotttheauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Veronica-Scott/177217415659637
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/veronica-scott
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veronica_scott_author/
Check out all my Summer of SFR posts!
Viber
The post Featuring AYDARR by Veronica Scott #summerofSFR appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
July 26, 2020
Sunday Update – July 26, 2020
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.
Hey everyone! We’re back with another possibly boring Sunday Update. Lol. Why? Because it’s not like there’s much going on here anymore. Sigh. We’re still mostly home. We’re still mostly away from other people. We’re still in the midst of getting the bathroom renovated. Etc. Etc.
We were supposed to be on vacation this week, and the realization, that the trip we had looked forward to for over 2 years was canceled, sunk in about Tuesday. We were supposed to be in London. Then we were supposed to be in South Carolina. But then we were stuck at home. I’m not a huge extrovert or anything, but even this much home time has gotten me down. I’m doing my best to cope and to help the kids cope, but it’s not easy. I’m sure you all understand! I’m probably saying the same things you all are saying on a daily basis. But if you needed to hear about it from someone else and know that we’re all in this together, here I am saying it out loud!
Several things did progress this week, though!
The bathroom has tile on both the floor and half the shower wall! So that’s awesome! Every day, we get a little closer to having it done.
My newsletter solution for my Steph Gennaro pen name is finally up and running. It took my husband a while to figure out how to make all the SSL certificates work, but he did! I hope to cut over to the new system this week.
I finished reading CRASH LAND ON KURAI. I made very few edits and caught a few errors! Basically, I brought forward the romance just a hint. It was actually a lot more forward than I remembered it being. But now I can easily mark the series as a Slow Burn Romance and I can stop people from buying it who hate romance. Lol. (Or I can at least say, I TOLD YOU SO, in the blurb.)
Not much else is going on. So hopefully you enjoy these few photos…
Here! Behold our tile progress in the bathroom!
I posted this on Instagram, that I dry out my lettuce as soon as I get it home from the grocery store. Lettuce is often WAY TOO WET at the grocery store, and then it rots in the fridge. So, I always dry it out when I get it home before I stick it in the fridge.
I went to the pool this week! It was okay. I miss the routine of going there, but it was SO DARNED HOT. I sweat my tookus off while sitting there.
I finished a great sci-fi romance this week! OVERLOAD FLUX will be in the next Book Chat.
I spent a few meals eating out of the fridge. This was a vegan tikka masala dish from Trader Joe’s. It was pretty good! Spicy and the “meat”balls were a nice texture.
Went grocery shopping and my favorite low carb tortillas were back in stock! Yay! I couldn’t find them for 3 months!
Lulu continues to be a joy. Here she is all snuggled up to me and enjoying her sardine can.
And finally, my day of leftover Chinese food and more reading.
Have a great week everyone! Stay safe and healthy.
Viber
The post Sunday Update – July 26, 2020 appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
Featuring ECSTASY FROM THE DEEP by Octavia Kore #summerofSFR
Onward with the Summer of SFR, I have Octavia Kore here today to tell us about her book, ECSTASY FROM THE DEEP!
Tell us a little about yourself, Octavia…
Born in the Sunshine State, Hayley Benitez and Amanda Crawford are cousins who have come together to write under the name Octavia Kore. Both women share a love for reading, a passion for writing, and the inclination toward word vomiting when meeting new people. Ecstasy from the Deep (From the Depths anthology version) was their very first published work. Hayley and Amanda are both stay-at-home moms who squeeze in time to write when they aren’t being used as jungle gyms or snack dispensers. They are both inspired by their love for mythology, science fiction, and all things extraordinary. Amanda has an unhealthy obsession with house plants, and Hayley can often be found gaming in her downtime.
Cool! I love hearing about author teams who write as one person.
I asked Octavia, “What inspired you to write the ECSTASY FROM THE DEEP?”
Octavia replied…
“I wrote this book as a dedication to my coauthor who signed on writing with me. I also wrote it to bring awareness to things I’ve went through that are very uncommon.
My favorite thing about this book is that the characters all have their own voice and feel to them.”
I love making all of my characters distinct and different. It’s a passion of mine!
An enticing savior, an old love, and one deranged alien hell-bent on destroying it all.
The seemingly endless war with the Grutex has caused many inconveniences for Amanda, but none of those have been as bad as losing the funding for the project she is working on that is supposed to help save humanity. When she foolishly risks her life to continue her research, Amanda is thrown into the path of an alien, the likes of which she has never seen who claims she is his mate. The problem is, he isn’t the only one making that claim.
As an ambassador for his people, Oshen is used to handling delicate situations, but he has never been in one quite so delicate as this. Instead of enlightening Earth’s government about the existence of Galactic Law and their right to seek aid, he finds himself face to face with the one being he’s waited his whole life to find; his mate. But the little human is in trouble and he needs to convince her to leave Earth or he risks losing the most important thing he has ever had.
Damned. Cursed. Gulzar has been called many things over the course of his life. Many in his tribe refuse to even look at him and who could blame them? The only light in his life has been his little goddess, the only being in the entire world who looks at him without judgment. When he gets a vision of her in distress, Gulzar knows he will do anything he can for the female he loves.
Check out ECSTASY FROM THE DEEP on Amazon via Books2Read…
Via Books2Read
Find This Author Online
Learn more about Octavia Kore on…
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MatesAmongUs/
Sign Up For Our Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/27d09665e243/matesamongusnewsletter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/octaviakore/?igshid=1bxhtr1snonz4
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/octaviakore
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/octavia-kore
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Octavia-Kore/e/B0845YHRVS
Swag Shop: https://www.zazzle.com/store/octavia_kore_swag/products
Check out all my Summer of SFR posts!
Viber
The post Featuring ECSTASY FROM THE DEEP by Octavia Kore #summerofSFR appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
July 23, 2020
Check Out My New Facebook Reader Group, The Starlight Cafe
Are you on Facebook? My good author friend, Carysa Locke, and I started a joint author group on Facebook, and so far, it’s going really well. We post about all kinds of science fiction and fantasy stuff (books, TV, games) and, of course, we also talk about our books and what we’re up to. If you’d like to come and be apart of the discussion, stop by the group and ask to join!
Hope to see you there!
Viber
The post Check Out My New Facebook Reader Group, The Starlight Cafe appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
July 22, 2020
Featuring TOLSTOY by Tasha Black #summerofSFR
Onward with the Summer of SFR, I have Tasha Black here today to tell us about her book, TOLSTOY!
Tell us a little about yourself, Tasha…
Tasha Black is a USA Today bestselling author of Paranormal and SciFi romance. She lives in a big old Victorian in a tiny college town. She loves reading anything she can get her hands on, making up stories, and sipping pumpkin spice lattes.
Lol. Everyone loves pumpkin spice lattes.
I asked Tasha, “What inspired you to write the Stargazer Alien Barbarian Brides Series?”
Tasha replied…
“I dreamed for years of writing a book set on a ship that had a forest in its center, with the climate controls glitching so that you could watch the seasons change over the course of a single day. The plot for the whole story unfolded out of that image – an abandoned luxury cruiser, a scrapper trying to loot her first ship, a barbarian shifter waking out of stasis to find her, and then the baby in the stasis pod labeled “TOLSTOY” that awakens their imaginations and fuels their determination to make it out of the doomed cruiser together.”
Wow. That sounds really cool! I love the idea of a forest on a spaceship.
Just one glance and this lonely alien shifter instantly craves Anna for his mate. Too bad the beautiful treasure-hunter seems blind to what’s truly valuable…
When space-pirate-in-training Anna Nilsson embarks on her first solo mission to plunder an abandoned luxury cruiser, she assumes she’ll be all alone aboard the big, empty ship. She’s hunting for treasure – the last thing she expects to find is a sinfully sexy alien who eyes her with a hunger that speaks of centuries of longing.
Leo’s ancient race has suffered greatly at the hands of the strangers who invaded their planet centuries ago, leaving the barbarians without a home world. When he awakes from stasis to the scent of a blood mate, he is stunned to discover the delectable creature is human. Being close to her sets his senses on fire, but he knows the attraction can only end in misery. What human could ever love a shape-shifting barbarian?
When a third occupant of the not-so-abandoned cruiser shows itself, the two realize they must work together if they want to get out alive.
Then they uncover a baby who just might be the priceless clone of a famous cultural icon, and things really start to get interesting…
Check out TOLSTOY on Amazon, Apple Books, Nook, Kobo, Google Play, and more via Books2Read…
Via Books2Read
Find This Author Online
Learn more about Tasha Black on…
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RomanceWithBite
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RomanceWithBite
Website: http://www.tashablack.com (Claim your FREE Tasha Black Starter Library here)
Mailing list: http://eepurl.com/VysAL
Check out all my Summer of SFR posts!
Viber
The post Featuring TOLSTOY by Tasha Black #summerofSFR appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
July 20, 2020
Featuring PROPHECY by Lea Kirk #summerofSFR
Back to the Summer of SFR, I have Lea Kirk here today to tell us about her book, PROPHECY!
Tell us a little about yourself, Lea…
All her life, USA Today Bestselling Author Lea Kirk has looked up at the stars and wondered, “What if…?” Since aliens haven’t yet to make a public appearance on Earth, she decided to share the ones in her imagination with others who are waiting. She loves to transport her readers to other worlds with her award-winning Prophecy series, and is currently working on a new series to release in the fall of 2020.
Good luck with your new series, Lea!
I asked Lea, “What inspired you to write the Prophecy Series?”
Lea replied…
“This series started when I was in high-school. I was day dreaming in class (a condition I was rather prone to back then) and wondered, “What if aliens invaded during the school day?” Boy, did I have fun with line of thought. I ended up with several notebooks full of handwritten pages, none of which I could find thirty years later when I decided to get serious about my writing. So, I restarted from scratch, which as it turns out was for the best. There is no argument that the rewrite turned out a hundred times better. Hope you enjoy it!”
I’m glad I don’t have any of my notebooks from high school! Lol. I’m sure I would cringe reading them, though I still remember many of the stories to this day.
What would you give up for your soul mate?
A nightmare of galactic proportions…
One normal day turns into horror when Earth is attacked. Now ER nurse Alexandra Bock is imprisoned aboard an alien slave ship with no way out. She deems all aliens untrustworthy, including the handsome blue-skinned Matiran captain who shares her cell.
A betrayal from within…
One night of treachery leaves Senior Captain Gryf Helyg a prisoner of his enemies. Because of him, Earth’s inhabitants face extinction and his home world is threatened. But his plans for escape are complicated by his inexplicable draw to the Earth woman imprisoned with him.
A chance to save both their peoples…
One ancient prophecy holds the key to free Alexandra and Gryf’s war-ravaged worlds. Can two wounded souls who have lost everything learn to trust and forgive in order to fulfill the prophecy, and find a love that will last for eternity?
Check out PROPHECY on Amazon, Apple Books, Nook, Kobo, Google Play, and more via Books2Read…
Via Books2Read
Find This Author Online
Learn more about Lea Kirk on…
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gr8oPj
Website: http://www.leakirk.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeaKirkAuthor
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lea-kirk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeaKirkWrites
Mewe: http://mewe.com/i/leakirk
Blog: http://www.leakirk.com/blog
Check out all my Summer of SFR posts!
Viber
The post Featuring PROPHECY by Lea Kirk #summerofSFR appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
July 19, 2020
Sunday Update – July 19, 2020
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.
Kinda wondering how many more of these Sunday Updates I can do when there’s literally almost NOTHING going on. Lol.
For some reason, I was in a terrible mood this week. I have no idea why EXACTLY I was in a bad mood, just feeling grumpy and crabby, which is unlike me lately. I think it may have something to do with the second vacation we’ve canceled. We canceled our vacation to see my parents in South Carolina over Spring Break. No surprise there as it was the middle of the major part of the pandemic. Originally, this coming week we were supposed to be in London (and Paris), but that got canceled a few months ago, and instead we were just going to go to South Carolina this week. We’ve canceled that as well. And I’ve heard it’s not a good idea to go to the beaches here either. They’re crowded and no one is social distancing. So there’s no vacation in sight. Pretty sure that’s what’s got me down.
At home, we’ve just been getting through each day as best we can. I’m reading a great book right now and editing CRASH LAND ON KURAI. I started a new knit too since the other one I started was not working out for me. My husband and I finished watching FAUDA. I’m taking the dog for walks, and the bathroom renovation is coming along, bit by bit, every day.
I bought this yarn from my friend, Aimee, who lives and works in Paris. If we had gone to UK/Europe this week like we wanted to, I would be seeing her in the flesh. Alas, that is not going to happen. Instead I will knit with her yarn.
Oh wait. I remember why I’ve been in a bad mood. I think this was Monday or Tuesday. I accidentally knocked over a huge glass of iced tea on the counter and it went in every damned drawer on the way down. I had to take everything out and clean it all. Took me almost two hours, when really, I only had 30 minutes for tea and a snack. Ruined my entire day.
The bathroom is coming along. We have walls now!
My girls and I love our Crocs. Yes. I know people hate them and think they’re ugly but I DO NOT CARE.
Look at my happy Lulu, playing at daycare!
When the cactus shows up on the forecast, you know you’re in trouble.
I tried to work outside when it was nice out. In the shade, of course.
And here’s a flashback photo to when I was in… Hmmm… Maybe 8th grade? I’m with all my cousins and my brother here (that’s me all the way on the right). We had a family vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. One of the better family vacations ever.
I hope you all have a great week! Stay safe and healthy!
Viber
The post Sunday Update – July 19, 2020 appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
