Hello again, ghosts and ghouls!
Yes, you read that title right. Last week, I reviewed another work by author Mark Taylor ("Strange", his anthology of short stories), but this week I had the opportunity to read his personal favorite novel he's written, Shutter Speed.
I'm going to be incredibly honest, I had no idea what to expect from this novel because the back of the book explains a handful of different stories all coming together. I don't do well with American Horror Story doing the same thing, so I was concerned I was going to lose sight of the story and be too focused on staying on track memorizing which character was which.
It turns out that the characters were much easier to keep track of than I thought, because they're all very memorable, especially Steve. Steve's the man.
Here's the synopsis from Amazon: "Jimmy Tasker is an ordinary child. He loves to take pictures: has an eye for it. When some common bullies take things too far, Jimmy ends up burned… and different. It starts when his father is killed in a mysterious house fire. Him and his mother move away… change names… disappear. Some years later a group of friends are finding it tough. They are unemployed, short of cash, and one of them comes up with a great idea. A robbery. But they are a rag-tag bunch, and Steve declines, leaving the other three, a misogynist, an addict, and poor, easily led Peter, to pull off the ‘robbery of the century’. But Jimmy is still in there, somewhere… … and he’s killing for fun."
...You guys. I have to be honest with you all, the beginning of the book was strong and it had a moment just before the middle of the book where I wasn't sure how it was going to, and then all of a sudden BAM. I finished three quarters of the book in two hours. I couldn't put it down. My heart was racing, I felt so connected to the characters (Jimmy is a crazy badass! Steve is the coolest! The Boys are insane!) and there really wasn't much that I disliked after that.
I have been reading indie horror for some time now, and I am always so grateful that these authors send me their work because they pour their heart and soul into these works and more often than not, they're awesome. Shutter Speed is no exception to this observation.
At times, the story seems a little "woah, what the heck is going on?" but once the flow is back, you're hooked. Like I said, I finished most of this book in a day. What an awesome way to spend my night. Really.
The death scenes are really, really graphic, you guys. I handle blood, gore and gross things REALLY well, and at times I was flinching. There are copious amounts of graphic imagery. It's wonderfully and grossly written. If you're looking for some major gross-outs, go with this one. I've never really felt so empathetic towards characters that are being slaughtered.
Thank you again, Mark, for sending me your work (and signing it!!!). I can't wait to put Shutter Speed on my bookshelf to show off!
If you'd like to purchase Shutter Speed, find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Shutter-Speed-Mark-Taylor/dp/1496190246
Without authors submitting me their wonderful books, I often miss out on some awesome indie horror. Feel free to email me any time to review horror novels at taylorterriblehorror@gmail.com! I love creepy things and I love reading!
Until next time, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3
Showing posts with label horror book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label horror book. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
New Year, New Horror!
With 2016 right around the corner (when you all read this, it will be December 22nd or later), we're all beginning to make our New Year's resolutions. Mine include going to the gym more (this is my resolution literally every single year and I do really well up until about May or June...you know, bathing suit season), learning to de-clutter my life, my house (you guys, I own a house! WHAT?!), and most important, get into some new horror!
I have quite a few things up my sleeve for the next few weeks and content to ring in the new year that I'm SO excited about. While I've said before that things will be crazy for me for a bit, I'm going to try to keep you all as updated as possible. I have one more video on my YouTube channel that will be going up as soon as it's all cut together and edited, but in the meantime, I have a few things I'd like to get around to.
My plan is to bring in some paranormal investigation to my channel, so while it's not necessarily about the horror industry, it's something I'm interested in and I hope you guys are able to have as much fun with it as I do! I plan on making that its own series, so hopefully every 2-3 weeks I'll be able to introduce all of you to equipment that I have and use, places I've gone to investigate, etc. It'll be a good time, I promise.
I was very generously sent a copy of Zach Bohannon's Empty Bodies: Open Roads (the fourth installment in the Empty Bodies series) that I need to get around to reading, and I was also sent two books by author Mark Taylor, an author from the UK that got in touch with me. When I finish those, I'll be doing reviews of all of them (potentially in one post) as I've gotten quite a few requests to do more book reviews.
Other than that....The Forest hits theaters January 8th, and you'd better believe that I'll be seeing the earliest viewing possible! There's been some controversy surrounding the content in the film, as people are finding it offensive...but what don't people find offensive these days?
After The Forest comes The Boy, and I'm beyond excited for that one. You all know how much I love myself some creepy dolls.
With that being said, that's the track that I'm on right now! I'm so, so sorry if it feels like things have been hectic or lacking in content lately. Between moving from my apartment back home temporarily and working on ripping walls out and putting new walls in the new house, painting, and working two jobs, I haven't had nearly as much time as I would have liked to focus on this blog, my channel and my all-around horror obsession. It's been neglected. It's heartbreaking. My dark little soul is not happy about it, trust me.
If you have anything you'd like me to review, the best place to let me know would be my Facebook page. I've had some great people interact with me on there, and I'd love to hear from all of you! I'd also love to do a giveaway once my channel hits 200 subscribers. I'm at almost 100 now, so tell your friends!
If you do read this on the 22nd (or any time before the holiday), I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas. My gift from all of you has been your love and support and I appreciate it every single day. Have a happy and safe holiday!
Until next time, stay spooky,
Taylor Terrible <3
I have quite a few things up my sleeve for the next few weeks and content to ring in the new year that I'm SO excited about. While I've said before that things will be crazy for me for a bit, I'm going to try to keep you all as updated as possible. I have one more video on my YouTube channel that will be going up as soon as it's all cut together and edited, but in the meantime, I have a few things I'd like to get around to.
My plan is to bring in some paranormal investigation to my channel, so while it's not necessarily about the horror industry, it's something I'm interested in and I hope you guys are able to have as much fun with it as I do! I plan on making that its own series, so hopefully every 2-3 weeks I'll be able to introduce all of you to equipment that I have and use, places I've gone to investigate, etc. It'll be a good time, I promise.
I was very generously sent a copy of Zach Bohannon's Empty Bodies: Open Roads (the fourth installment in the Empty Bodies series) that I need to get around to reading, and I was also sent two books by author Mark Taylor, an author from the UK that got in touch with me. When I finish those, I'll be doing reviews of all of them (potentially in one post) as I've gotten quite a few requests to do more book reviews.
Other than that....The Forest hits theaters January 8th, and you'd better believe that I'll be seeing the earliest viewing possible! There's been some controversy surrounding the content in the film, as people are finding it offensive...but what don't people find offensive these days?
After The Forest comes The Boy, and I'm beyond excited for that one. You all know how much I love myself some creepy dolls.
With that being said, that's the track that I'm on right now! I'm so, so sorry if it feels like things have been hectic or lacking in content lately. Between moving from my apartment back home temporarily and working on ripping walls out and putting new walls in the new house, painting, and working two jobs, I haven't had nearly as much time as I would have liked to focus on this blog, my channel and my all-around horror obsession. It's been neglected. It's heartbreaking. My dark little soul is not happy about it, trust me.
If you have anything you'd like me to review, the best place to let me know would be my Facebook page. I've had some great people interact with me on there, and I'd love to hear from all of you! I'd also love to do a giveaway once my channel hits 200 subscribers. I'm at almost 100 now, so tell your friends!
If you do read this on the 22nd (or any time before the holiday), I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas. My gift from all of you has been your love and support and I appreciate it every single day. Have a happy and safe holiday!
Until next time, stay spooky,
Taylor Terrible <3
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Burnt Scrolls: A Review
Over the past year, I've had the pleasure of coming in contact with some really incredible people in horror. I won a giveaway and met Zach Bohannon who is now one of my good friends, and through him, I was put in touch with Shannon of Nightmarish Conjurings. Afterwards, I followed someone on Instagram, and it turns out he's a really, really amazing writer...Mr. Jeremy Megargee.
Now, I've reviewed Jeremy's work here before. You may remember me reviewing his novel Dirt Lullabies and totally fangirling over it. His descriptive language is impeccable. His storytelling is beautiful. So when I got a message asking if I'd like a copy of his newest creation, Burnt Scrolls, I almost fell out of my chair, but "calmly" responded "oh yeah sure cool thanks!"
I just recently moved out of my house (a little over a week, when you all read this) so I ran home to pick up a few things (a Harley Quinn costume, a tea infuser...the essentials), and I had a package! I shredded the thing apart when I saw who it was from. I held the book up to the ceiling Lion King-style, and smiled. My book of short stories and poetry was here!! And it had the sweetest note inside!
I took Burnt Scrolls to work with me. I hoped it would be slow. It was. So I sat and I read, and as usual, I blew through another one of Megargee's books in 48 hours.
There's something about the way he writes; it's like a fine wine. You marvel in its beauty with each sip you take, and eventually you're so consumed by its delectable flavor that you drink and drink and drink until you're incoherently drunk. That's the best description I can give of what happens when I read his work- I become drunk on literature, and I can't consume enough.
This book is a little different than anything he's written before- it's much more personal. "Cathartic", as he puts it. It's a book of short stories and poems, and for those of you that have read his other works, you're in for a treat! The short stories (3 of the 4) are "prequels" and stories of characters from his other novels. The poems are a journey; some are horrific and creepy and others are personal and sweet.
Let's talk about a few of my favorites:
All of the short stories are totally consuming, but I'll talk about my top 2 as to not give away much more than I need to.
Welcome to Rust Valley takes place ten years after the events in Dirt Lullabies. As always, it's beautifully written, and the descriptions of the cave that Benjamin travels into...it practically had my mouth watering, it was so stunning. The characters, as usual, are fun to connect with and although the story is short, you find yourself rooting for them.
Black Rose Petals tells the story of my girl Thorny Rose from Dirt Lullabies. Before I go any further talking about this story, let me tell you a little something about myself: I have the tendency to fall in love with certain characters, specifically the underdog of most stories. Now, when I read Dirt Lullabies and I learned about Thorny Rose, I started doing my makeup the way she was described, I wanted to be her friend, I wanted her to come over and drink tea with me. SO when I saw that she got her own short story, I nearly fainted. Okay, maybe not literally, but I was way too excited. Her story is sad, believable, and tragic. She's every Halloween-lover's dream. I can't get enough of her. She's amazing and this story is amazing. Yes.
As far as the poetry goes, it's all very personal. You can tell that the topics are from a deep place within Jeremy's soul, so reading it is like sitting down across a table from him while he tells you about the deepest, darkest places of his mind. It's really an experience that I wasn't expecting, but I was deeply thrilled by the end of the book.
A specific poem in particular really touched me: The Stray. I wont' tell you what it's about, but what I will tell you is that I messaged Jeremy to let him know that I was sitting at work crying like a fool because of it.
All in all, this book is a solid read. Like I said, you can blow through it with the intensity of the stories- they reel you in and don't let go until you hit the poetry, which then takes you on such an intense roller coaster ride that you may end up crying. I don't know, maybe it's just me.
However, I highly suggest it! If any of you guys pick it up and read it, let me know! I'll link the page where you can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Burnt-Scrolls-Collection-Tales-Poems/dp/1515352250/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
You can follow Jeremy on Facebook and on instagram at @xbadmoonrising!
Until next time, ghosts and ghouls, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3
Now, I've reviewed Jeremy's work here before. You may remember me reviewing his novel Dirt Lullabies and totally fangirling over it. His descriptive language is impeccable. His storytelling is beautiful. So when I got a message asking if I'd like a copy of his newest creation, Burnt Scrolls, I almost fell out of my chair, but "calmly" responded "oh yeah sure cool thanks!"
I just recently moved out of my house (a little over a week, when you all read this) so I ran home to pick up a few things (a Harley Quinn costume, a tea infuser...the essentials), and I had a package! I shredded the thing apart when I saw who it was from. I held the book up to the ceiling Lion King-style, and smiled. My book of short stories and poetry was here!! And it had the sweetest note inside!
I took Burnt Scrolls to work with me. I hoped it would be slow. It was. So I sat and I read, and as usual, I blew through another one of Megargee's books in 48 hours.
There's something about the way he writes; it's like a fine wine. You marvel in its beauty with each sip you take, and eventually you're so consumed by its delectable flavor that you drink and drink and drink until you're incoherently drunk. That's the best description I can give of what happens when I read his work- I become drunk on literature, and I can't consume enough.
This book is a little different than anything he's written before- it's much more personal. "Cathartic", as he puts it. It's a book of short stories and poems, and for those of you that have read his other works, you're in for a treat! The short stories (3 of the 4) are "prequels" and stories of characters from his other novels. The poems are a journey; some are horrific and creepy and others are personal and sweet.
Let's talk about a few of my favorites:
All of the short stories are totally consuming, but I'll talk about my top 2 as to not give away much more than I need to.
Welcome to Rust Valley takes place ten years after the events in Dirt Lullabies. As always, it's beautifully written, and the descriptions of the cave that Benjamin travels into...it practically had my mouth watering, it was so stunning. The characters, as usual, are fun to connect with and although the story is short, you find yourself rooting for them.
Black Rose Petals tells the story of my girl Thorny Rose from Dirt Lullabies. Before I go any further talking about this story, let me tell you a little something about myself: I have the tendency to fall in love with certain characters, specifically the underdog of most stories. Now, when I read Dirt Lullabies and I learned about Thorny Rose, I started doing my makeup the way she was described, I wanted to be her friend, I wanted her to come over and drink tea with me. SO when I saw that she got her own short story, I nearly fainted. Okay, maybe not literally, but I was way too excited. Her story is sad, believable, and tragic. She's every Halloween-lover's dream. I can't get enough of her. She's amazing and this story is amazing. Yes.
As far as the poetry goes, it's all very personal. You can tell that the topics are from a deep place within Jeremy's soul, so reading it is like sitting down across a table from him while he tells you about the deepest, darkest places of his mind. It's really an experience that I wasn't expecting, but I was deeply thrilled by the end of the book.
A specific poem in particular really touched me: The Stray. I wont' tell you what it's about, but what I will tell you is that I messaged Jeremy to let him know that I was sitting at work crying like a fool because of it.
All in all, this book is a solid read. Like I said, you can blow through it with the intensity of the stories- they reel you in and don't let go until you hit the poetry, which then takes you on such an intense roller coaster ride that you may end up crying. I don't know, maybe it's just me.
However, I highly suggest it! If any of you guys pick it up and read it, let me know! I'll link the page where you can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Burnt-Scrolls-Collection-Tales-Poems/dp/1515352250/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
You can follow Jeremy on Facebook and on instagram at @xbadmoonrising!
Until next time, ghosts and ghouls, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Interview with Zach Bohannon
Hi there, my ghosts and ghouls!
It's September! Do you know what that means? We're one month closer to Halloween, and we are officially entering the month that puts us in FALL!!!!
This week's post is going to be a little bit different than what I normally put up; it's going to take you to another website.
I was given the opportunity by my good friend Shannon over at Nightmarish Conjurings to interview another friend of mine, author Zach Bohannon (Empty Bodies, The Witness). Instead of essentially copying and pasting the interview I wrote for her to here, I'll just link you guys on over to the interview, if you're interested!
http://nightmarishconjurings.tumblr.com/post/127794140323/zach-bohannon-interview
If you get a chance, check out Zach's work. He's incredibly talented and an all-around awesome guy.
Let me know what you think in the comments!!
Until next time, stay spooky <3
It's September! Do you know what that means? We're one month closer to Halloween, and we are officially entering the month that puts us in FALL!!!!
This week's post is going to be a little bit different than what I normally put up; it's going to take you to another website.
I was given the opportunity by my good friend Shannon over at Nightmarish Conjurings to interview another friend of mine, author Zach Bohannon (Empty Bodies, The Witness). Instead of essentially copying and pasting the interview I wrote for her to here, I'll just link you guys on over to the interview, if you're interested!
http://nightmarishconjurings.tumblr.com/post/127794140323/zach-bohannon-interview
If you get a chance, check out Zach's work. He's incredibly talented and an all-around awesome guy.
Let me know what you think in the comments!!
Until next time, stay spooky <3
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Sweet Treats: A Review
Last time I reviewed a novel by author Jeremy Megargee it was Dirt Lullabies, featuring creepy floor-demon M. I got lucky enough to receive a copy of Sweet Treats, his newest novel, featuring a new demon for me to want to hang out with.
I'm always excited to get new reading material; I consider myself a bookworm where I can sink my teeth into just about anything and everything. When you send me a novel about a demon possessing a child in order to take down a psycho killer? Count me in.
I've always been fascinated with the idea of demonic possession, so when I ripped into this book (as I always do with Jeremy's novels), I was really excited to see it come up! Basically, the premise of the story is that Jack, a twelve-year-old boy is kidnapped and tortured by a nasty man named Edgar. Left for dead, Jack is thrown into a sewer and encounters an unexpected light at the end of the tunnel in demon-friend Verminort. From there, some really awful things ensue, like Edgar holding his sister captive in his house upstairs, and downstairs he keeps a room full of preserved "treats"...-shudder-
I'll leave you with that little synopsis because I do highly suggest giving this novel a read. I've never come across anything like this story before. The characters, as usual, are really fun to read. Jeremy knows how to appeal to readers with his characters in a way that most writers don't- he makes them your friend. You aren't reading about someone you've never heard of and you have to learn about; somehow from the first time they speak, their first action, you know them. Jack is a kid, which makes the story sadder than intended, I'm sure...at least to me, Verminort is a chatty demon with daddy issues, and Edgar is the most repulsive, bumbling human being I think I've ever heard of. This was all within 101 pages that I developed these intense feelings for these characters.
Also, for those of you that read Dirt Lullabies, there may or may not be mention of one of my favorite characters here in Sweet Treats!
So as always, I leave you with this: Jeremy Megargee is one of the most talented authors that I've had the pleasure of reading. He and Zach Bohannon are both forces to be reckoned with in the horror genre among the likes of Stephen King and RL Stine; they have the ability to go to a very, very dark place, and they drag you right there with them...and they never cease to impress me.
One of the most important things we can do as a community of horror lovers here on the internet is support each other, and as always, it was a pleasure having the opportunity to support and incredible indie horror writer.
Purchase a copy of Sweet Treats on Amazon and support indie horror!
Until we meet again, spooks <3
Taylor Terrible
I'm always excited to get new reading material; I consider myself a bookworm where I can sink my teeth into just about anything and everything. When you send me a novel about a demon possessing a child in order to take down a psycho killer? Count me in.
I've always been fascinated with the idea of demonic possession, so when I ripped into this book (as I always do with Jeremy's novels), I was really excited to see it come up! Basically, the premise of the story is that Jack, a twelve-year-old boy is kidnapped and tortured by a nasty man named Edgar. Left for dead, Jack is thrown into a sewer and encounters an unexpected light at the end of the tunnel in demon-friend Verminort. From there, some really awful things ensue, like Edgar holding his sister captive in his house upstairs, and downstairs he keeps a room full of preserved "treats"...-shudder-
I'll leave you with that little synopsis because I do highly suggest giving this novel a read. I've never come across anything like this story before. The characters, as usual, are really fun to read. Jeremy knows how to appeal to readers with his characters in a way that most writers don't- he makes them your friend. You aren't reading about someone you've never heard of and you have to learn about; somehow from the first time they speak, their first action, you know them. Jack is a kid, which makes the story sadder than intended, I'm sure...at least to me, Verminort is a chatty demon with daddy issues, and Edgar is the most repulsive, bumbling human being I think I've ever heard of. This was all within 101 pages that I developed these intense feelings for these characters.
Also, for those of you that read Dirt Lullabies, there may or may not be mention of one of my favorite characters here in Sweet Treats!
So as always, I leave you with this: Jeremy Megargee is one of the most talented authors that I've had the pleasure of reading. He and Zach Bohannon are both forces to be reckoned with in the horror genre among the likes of Stephen King and RL Stine; they have the ability to go to a very, very dark place, and they drag you right there with them...and they never cease to impress me.
One of the most important things we can do as a community of horror lovers here on the internet is support each other, and as always, it was a pleasure having the opportunity to support and incredible indie horror writer.
Purchase a copy of Sweet Treats on Amazon and support indie horror!
Until we meet again, spooks <3
Taylor Terrible
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Empty Bodies 2: Adaptation
A while back I wrote a post reviewing Zach Bohannon's first book in the Empty Bodies series. Well today, friends, I have the pleasure of letting you know that he's released the second book: Adaptation!
Not only is Zach an incredible friend, he's an awesome storyteller and writer. I've had so much fun getting to know him and his writing, and I've also had the privilege of seeing these stories develop.
It picks up where Empty Bodies left off, the survivors trying to, well, survive as the Empties are taking over.
I don't want to give too much away for those of you that haven't read either book in the series, but what I can tell you is that if you're looking for a novel that's creepy, realistic, fun and gory, you've met your match. Empty Bodies: Adaptation got me to the point of cringing (quite a few times, I have a serious fear of being bitten by a "zombie" or in this case: "Empty")
The characters are so lovable...even the ones that you love to hate. David, in particular, is a character that I was scared to be connected to emotionally. He's so messed up in the head with a rage that drives him to kill, but when his story is explained...it's sad. I felt myself liking him, and then I caught myself and decided I had to hate him again. I'm still indifferent.
Something different that occurs in this novel as opposed to the first Empty Bodies novel is there's an exponential amount of character growth. The first novel, I feel, established the story, let you in on a few back-stories and introduced characters. Adaptation, however, makes you feel so close to these characters that it's like you went to high school with them. They're memorable; you feel for them and with them throughout the entire novel.
The Empties are scarier, they're smarter (in a way), and they're out for blood. This time, the characters not only have to deal with the Empties, but they also have to deal with each other.
As far as my real review of the novel goes: I blew through it in 5 hours with a few minutes of breaks in between. I sat down and hardly got up. It's enthralling, and it's really, really addicting.
It's on sale today on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Empty-Bodies-Adaptation-Zach-Bohannon-ebook/dp/B00VDIFSSW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1432001835&sr=8-2&keywords=empty+bodies
I suggest you pick it up if you're looking for a novel that's going to keep you on the edge of your seat no matter how long it takes for you to read it (but I'll warn you, it probably won't take long because you'll be flipping pages like a fiend).
Until next time, spooks! Let me know if you read Adaptation, and tell me what you think! Also leave a review on the Amazon page, it helps support indie horror :)
Not only is Zach an incredible friend, he's an awesome storyteller and writer. I've had so much fun getting to know him and his writing, and I've also had the privilege of seeing these stories develop.
It picks up where Empty Bodies left off, the survivors trying to, well, survive as the Empties are taking over.
I don't want to give too much away for those of you that haven't read either book in the series, but what I can tell you is that if you're looking for a novel that's creepy, realistic, fun and gory, you've met your match. Empty Bodies: Adaptation got me to the point of cringing (quite a few times, I have a serious fear of being bitten by a "zombie" or in this case: "Empty")
The characters are so lovable...even the ones that you love to hate. David, in particular, is a character that I was scared to be connected to emotionally. He's so messed up in the head with a rage that drives him to kill, but when his story is explained...it's sad. I felt myself liking him, and then I caught myself and decided I had to hate him again. I'm still indifferent.
Something different that occurs in this novel as opposed to the first Empty Bodies novel is there's an exponential amount of character growth. The first novel, I feel, established the story, let you in on a few back-stories and introduced characters. Adaptation, however, makes you feel so close to these characters that it's like you went to high school with them. They're memorable; you feel for them and with them throughout the entire novel.
The Empties are scarier, they're smarter (in a way), and they're out for blood. This time, the characters not only have to deal with the Empties, but they also have to deal with each other.
As far as my real review of the novel goes: I blew through it in 5 hours with a few minutes of breaks in between. I sat down and hardly got up. It's enthralling, and it's really, really addicting.
It's on sale today on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Empty-Bodies-Adaptation-Zach-Bohannon-ebook/dp/B00VDIFSSW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1432001835&sr=8-2&keywords=empty+bodies
I suggest you pick it up if you're looking for a novel that's going to keep you on the edge of your seat no matter how long it takes for you to read it (but I'll warn you, it probably won't take long because you'll be flipping pages like a fiend).
Until next time, spooks! Let me know if you read Adaptation, and tell me what you think! Also leave a review on the Amazon page, it helps support indie horror :)
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