Well, thanks to all of you we had so much fun with that tour that next month Sourcebooks is putting a twist on the concept by sending me out to the hometowns of some of my actual writer friends, letting us
To my friends and readers on the west coast, I'm really sorry — we tried but weren't able to get an event pulled together out there in the very short window of time that I had for this tour (I'm still working to keep to my deadline for the new book, so I can't be on the road very long), and I'm sad about that, but if it helps at all I will be doing another joint event with my friend Deanna Raybourn at Murder by the Book in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, March 1st, to celebrate the publication of her next book City of Jasmine, and with my next book I'll do my best to get over those Rockies for you.
In the meantime, I thought it would be kind of fun to expand the whole "Susanna & Friends" theme by inviting you to enter one of YOUR friends in a Giveaway.
I've got two prizes — one for you to give your friend, and one for you to keep.
A brand new, Kobo Arc 7HD eReader, the 32 GB version like the one in the photo at the right, that will come with the sleep cover pictured above at the top of this post. The cover, as you can see, has already been signed by several of my writer friends (clockwise from top left: Janet Gurtler, Jane Porter, Jack Whyte, Jim C. Hines, C.C. Humphreys, Diana Gabaldon, Hallie Ephron, and Eileen Cook) who were at the Surrey International Writers' Conference this year, and I'll be taking that cover with me on my January tour so all the friends that will be joining me can sign it, too.
And for being such an awesome friend, if you're selected by the Random Number Generator as the winning entry, you'll get this:
A BAG!
But hang on —not just any bag. It too is coming with me on my January tour, and I'm inviting all MY writer friends at every stop to help me fill it for you. I don't know what they'll be adding to it, but I'm starting off the loot with a signed copy of The Splendour Falls, and after the tour's ended who can tell what you'll end up with? Lots of Mystery Present Goodness, that's what!
This is my contest, so it's open to everyone internationally and I'll ship worldwide. All you have to do to enter for your chance to win is leave a comment here, and tell me why you think your friend's the best of all.
I'll keep the contest running till my tour has ended on the 21st of January, midnight Eastern Standard Time, and I'll announce the winner once I get back home.
Good luck! And Happy Holidays to you and all your family and friends!
I love your books and so do several of my friends now! I do have to say though that my best friend is my mom, and not only do we have the same taste in books, she doesn't have an e-reader yet! It's win win!
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is my sister. I know that she'll always have my back. She rearranged her schedule to be my care giver when I returned home from a hospitalizaton.
ReplyDeleteI think my friend Kat would love to have this. She is a an awesome person, who gives so much to others and has had great tragedy and heartbreak occur in her life. So much so that I am in awe that she has remained positive and not cynical against others. She loves to read and would be so appreciative of such a fabulous gift.
ReplyDeleteHello-I know my friend Jeri would love this! She and share books we love, and in dark times of my life, even if long-distance, I know I can count on her and I would love to be able to give back something lovely to her. Thanks for the opportunity!
ReplyDeleteIt was amazing getting to meet you on your tour! My friend, Tricia, is as big of a lover of books as me. She campaigned with me to bring your tour here. She also staked out to meet our fantasy boyfriend, Colin Firth, and is known to bring me Downton Abbey paraphernalia when she finds it. Two peas in a pod!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great giveaway! My best friend's name is Dawn; we've been friends for nearly 20 years, since we met in the third grade. We've been through plenty of life's ups and downs together, and she's always there whether I need to chat, laugh, or cry, and she encourages me when I'm frustrated or disappointed. She loves to read just about as much as I do, and I'd love to be able to surprise her if we win. Thanks for doing this giveaway - what fun!
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Shannon
What a great idea! I would like to enter my mom, Laura. We love your books, and she reads whenever she can. She's a dairy farmer though, which means a lot of hard work year-round, and she NEVER takes a holiday. Reading helps her travel since she doesn't have the liberty to. An e-reader would be great, and the cover is signed by several of her favourites. It would be a great surprise post-Christmas. Great contest! -Caitlin
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is Carol. She loves to cook and read, and take care of everyone, including her brand new grandson. She is a great listener, and advice-giver. We spend a great deal of time laughing, usually at ourselves.
ReplyDeleteSara
What a lovely idea! My best friend is my mother, whom has been encouraging me to explore my interests since I was a youngster. She also sets a good example by always willing to explore new ideas regardless of age and circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI love all of your books and have them in both paper and e-book format - on my very old Kobo Vox! I'd love to move them onto a newer version. I've had the same best friend since kindergarten and as of next year, that will be for 55 years! It would be a real treat to gift her with an e-reader, since she doesn't have one yet. Thanks for making this an international event.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Beebe
ReplyDeleteMy best friend, Paula, has been with me through some of my best times as well as some of my worst.
My best friend Kim is fiercely protective of everyone she loves, from the kids at her school to her daughter to me. She's amazing.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is my best friend. My mom and I were really close, and when she passed (20 years ago), I was devastated. But everyone predicted that one day, I would have a daughter and we would be just as close (if not closer). They were right. My daughter is so very special, and we are very close. She is truly my best friend.
ReplyDeleteLinda Tyndall CookieECHO@yahoo.com
My amazing twin sister Amelia! She has been my anchor and my biggest supporter. I can't imagine day without talking to her. She has kept my head above water during my divorce, makes me laugh on my low days, and is always there to help if I need her. Love her more everyday.
ReplyDeleteI think my friend Kirsten Norlock is the best. She's also my cousin, and we talk about books all the time. It was awesome because we both got free copies of "The Firebird" at the same time! I've bought two of your other books since then and I've loved all of them. We always have such fun times together and I'd love to win Kirsten a prize for a late Christmas present.
ReplyDeleteHI Susanna,
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is a fabulous lady. She has always been there for me through the good and the bad. We can talk about just about anything without fear or judgement. There has always been an open honest and understanding between us. This wonderful lady has a passion for life and doesn't care what people think of eccentricities. A child at heart and yet 17 years my senior. I am very thankful that my Mom is my best friend. Now we live far apart which has been a tough transition for us. I am in Washington and she is still back in Arizona. No matter how far away we are, we seem to know when the other is needed and call whenever the thought arises. She has heard me rave about all your books and i am hoping to send her one for Christmas. She would love your books as much as I do.
My sister Carrie is my best friend, because she's always willing to go along with my obsessions, whether it's a book series, Bollywood movies, or planning trips to fun new places!
ReplyDeleteMy mother, Sandi is my best friend. She is someone I can be with and never have to worry about being someone other than myself. We do a lot together and she is who introduced me to your books.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is my best friend. She recently graduated from college and is now on the correct side of the country again; at least for now. She has had to leave her extensive library, and is living with her boyfriend in a studio apartment. They are sleeping in the closet (it is a big closet) to save on space. He has some books there, but they don't have room for many. She doesn't have an e-reader, but would love one.
ReplyDeleteMy friend is the best because she shares my love of books too! I LOVE your books, so it would be fun to see what your friends add to the bag!
ReplyDeleteMy Best Friend has been my best friend since 3rd grade. Through all the ups and downs in our personal lives, we have always been there for each other. She loves to read as I do. We suggest books to each other. We have both been writers of sorts albeit retired from 'jobs' but never retired from writing. She was a local reporter and I wrote for an online e-zine!
ReplyDeleteHow do I enter the contest?! I did not see an area to enter my information.....I would love to win...please reply and help this old lady. Love your works Susanna.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend, is my cousin Carolyn who loves to read as much as I do. We share lists of books that we have read and loved. Even though I live in TN, and she lives in FL....we keep in touch often. I am 64 yrs young and will be 65 in April....my cousin is 9 years older...but ironically our taste in books is similar. I have suggest I AM MALALA to her, and all of your books. I would love to receive your bag of surprises, and in turn share them with my cousin. When I was a young girl she actually taught me in Sunday School....and is still teaching me now. She does so much for everyone, so once I would read your "surprise bag of books"....I would mail them to her so she can read them at night when she can finally relax. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOoops ......... should say "I have suggested I AM MALALA,,,,,,,,,,,
ReplyDeleteMy best friend and I have been friends since grade 9 and even though we are both at different universities our friendship is still just as strong. My friend is in a biology pre-med program and this kobo would be a perfect gift for her to use to relax and take a break from her studies. We both love to read and this would be ideal for her to take to the barn with her when she's working!
ReplyDeleteMy best friend has been my best friend since we met in preschool at age 2, 34 years ago. She supported me through every hard time I've ever had, from teenage angst to a nasty divorce in my mid-twenties and a chronic illness that hit when I was 28. She flew across the ocean in a 20-hour trip to be my bridesmaid at my second wedding. She's one of the strongest and hardest-working people I know - she works to protect children as her career, and she's one of the best moms I know, a fantastic, inspiring single parent. She's always felt more like a sister than "just" a friend to me - she's inseparable from my memories of my life for the last 34 years, and I hope she always will be!
ReplyDeleteMy best friend Holly Jean and I have been friends since she was three and I was five. She knows my flaws and loves me anyway. She is my soul-sister and truest friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance to win!
Beth
bharbin07(at)gmail(dot)com
My best friend is my fiance! He is a hardworking young man in college, and we had to separate over the summer so that I could start paying off my student loans at home. Between not having enough loans to cover his living and recent dental surgery, he's having a tough time being in the best holiday spirit. But he's a techie and I'm sure an ereader would make him smile!
ReplyDeleteWhen I moved to Richmond, I was so lonely. I decided to join a crafting club and there I met her. She liked all the same authors I liked, we had all the same interests, we were the same age and both our names were Jill! I quickly joined her book club group and have never been lonely again. We dress up for Downton Abbey premieres, share our joys and concerns, laugh and share new favorite authors. I would love to share this with her!
ReplyDeleteMy friend is the best of all because she understand me, support me, I love her
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ReplyDeleteMy friend Lori is the only friend I have, man or woman, who enjoys whiskey like I do. A very good reason to bond, if you ask me!
ReplyDeleteI met my dear friend Laura at the squadron book club when I first moved to a new AF base. We quickly realized we could talk about anything over a cup of tea or a glass of wine and have never looked back. She is the one I call to celebrate or cry and I know that we are going to be crazy old ladies together!
ReplyDeleteI grew up as an army brat so childhood friendships seemed to dwindle away. Except for Brigid. We met in 7th grade while living in Belgium. We were face to face friends for only a year, but after she moved away we wrote letters like crazy. And I think that is why we have stayed friends for so long. She is the sister I never had and even though we may go years without seeing each other, or even talking, even though we are both 50 when we do it's like we never were apart.
ReplyDeleteI have known my best friend for over 20 years now! She is the best because she has always been there for me through all the good times and bad. She is one of those rare friends you meet and you instantly know you will be friends for life. We can do absolutely nothing together and have a blast just hanging out. We are both avid readers and love all of your books. I would love to surprise her with this awesome giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThe best friend who I think would really enjoy this gift is my mom. I credit her with making me a lifelong reader, and that legacy is being passed on to my own daughters. She introduced me to some amazing books that took me places far, far away but accessible from my own imagination and the words of talented writers. Your books have done that for me, and I have started gobbling them up since discovering them just last year. Now, I am returning the favor and introducing my mom to Susanna Kearsley. We would just adore the opportunity to visit these wonderful locales via your words.
ReplyDeleteI met my BFF, Andrea, in college in 1967--46 years of friendship now. I've known Andrea longer than I've been married which is 42 years! The thing I love about our friendship is when we are together we are always laughing. She will do the craziest things in public because she thinks it embarrasses me, but she just cracks me up because she has the nerve to dance through a restaurant full of people on the way to the restroom. So even though we have aged physically, we still do silly things together every chance we get and make each other's lives brighter. Unfortunately Andrea lives on the west coast while I live in the Midwest, but we travel a couple of times a year to keep our friendship tight. She is truly my soul sister and part of our family. Sadly Andrea lost her husband two years ago, after a brief and devastating cancer which took his life in 8 short weeks. He was her everything. She has bravely moved forward, little by little, and I help her whenever and however I can. This past October we traveled to visit her sister in Virginia. I learned about Andrea as a little girl and some things I didn't know about her family life. There were a lot of smiles and laughter, and more healing for Andrea. I'm so thankful and fortunate to have had her in my life these many, many years. I don't know where our next trip will take us--we have been to England, Italy, and many cities around the US, but wherever we go, we take our sense of excitement, our 18-year-old spirits, our current books, and head out for our next great misadventure. Andrea has a lot of friends, but I have been blessed to be called her Best Friend Forever, and she is mine as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Kay! Congratulations! You and your BFF Andrea are the winners of the Between Friends Giveaway. Go to my most recent post on this blog for instructions on how to get in touch. xxSusanna
DeleteMy best friend got me to join her women's hockey team 9 years ago. I didn't know her that well at the time, but agreed to do it because she was so enthusiastic and persistent. Becoming a hockey player (in my mid-30s, never having played before) changed my life in so many ways, and through it all, my friend - now my best friend - became closer than family. In fact, she's been there for me when my own family has not. Thanks for doing this contest! I'm a big fan, and it was fun to think about what to tell you about my best friend.
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome giveaway. I would have to say that my best friend is my mom. She has always been the most supportive and loving people in my life even when my friends have come and gone. She provides comic relief and moral support when I need it most. I am truly thankful to say that she is more to me than just my mom. I am a very lucky woman to be able to call her the truest friend I could ever have.
ReplyDeleteThank you SO much for making it international! My friend Lisa is the best. She and I are reading buddies (and HUGE fans of yours) we first met through scrapbooking and now have our own little forum for two set up at Goodreads where we select and discuss the books we decide to read together. To be able to share ones passion for reading and discuss life in general with such a similar soul is something very special and I don't take for granted. Even though she lives in South Dakota and I live in Melbourne Australia, we call ourselves cosmic twins and wish one day to meet in real life.
ReplyDeleteMy friend, Morgan, would love this gift! She is such a wonderful friend. We share a love of books, writing, and traveling. She always encourages me when I feel like my writing projects are not developing. We are both huge fans of yours and would love to meet you someday. We even made an arduous trip to Slains Castle and the St. Olaf Hotel because of the Winter Sea--my favorite of your novels. But I love them all!
ReplyDeleteHolly and I have been best friends almost since the day we meet over 10 years ago. I honestly believe that I would be a completely different person if it weren't for her influence in my life. When we were in high school, we always had friendly competition between the two of us - not enough to cause any problems, but just enough to make sure we were always pushing ourselves. She is also my favorite book friend - no matter what else is going on in our lives, we trade books back and forth just as often as we did in high school! Our reading tastes are similar enough that although we gravitate toward different books, we always know which books to suggest/loan to each other.
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ReplyDeleteMy best friend is my dog Fenton! I can always count on him to cheer me up on bad days and I never have to worry about being judged by him. All he has is love. We curl up together on the couch with a big blanket and a good book and we are both in heaven!
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is my daughter. She and I can just spend hours both reading together. She is an amazing person and I couldn't ask for better.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is my Mom. She is 90 years young this past year. It was my Mom who shared her love of books with me. We read and discuss books half of every day. The other half we spend cooking, grocery shopping and watching PBS. I know how lucky I am to have her with me. I would love to give her that e-reader. Her eyesight is getting worse. And now there are fewer and fewer books published in large print.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is one that I've had since 6th grade. She now lives less than a mile away from me and we can still talk about anything and laugh about everything. I don't know what I'd do without her!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter Katherine is my best friend. We both love your books, especially The Rose Garden and The Winter Sea. We share a love of reading, the ocean and having family fun together.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is an exceptional woman who always puts others before herself. I am 32 years old and have been on Social Security Disability for 5 years with a disease that keeps me in bed or in a wheelchair and pain is my constant companion. I have lost many friends over the years and ended up trying to cut eveyone but my family from my life. Denae wouldn't let me keep her out--she would call all the time to check on me and if I couldn't talk she would try later, she would drop baked goods, small gifts, and craft stuff to keep me occupied by my house, and when I finally could get out of my bed she gladly came over. She has patiently put up with handling my wheelchair and always makes me feel respected and normal. Through a great pain doctor I am now able to venture out of my house a little and she is always there to take me to lunch or let me just experience the joy of getting out of my house. She is beautiful inside and out and I am grateful everyday that I have such a wonderful friend.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is actually a new friend. We met in the fall of 2012, having been sat next to each other at orientation for medical school. My name follows her's alphabetically, but even stranger, our first names are the same. Now, everywhere we go, we get the same strange look as we introduce ourselves and have come to be known as "the Ashleys." In just this short year and a half, we have truly become best friends. We even refer to each other as "my other half" ... and people know who we mean. I feel like I have known her forever. She is my confidant, a constant source of laughter, and, like any best friend should do, she gives me confidence in myself! She really is a wonderful person.
ReplyDeleteMy mother is my best friend. She's the one I can count on when things get rough, the one who knows how to make me laugh, and her bookshelf is the one I want to raid for my next great read.
ReplyDeleteShe has sacrificed so much to make sure I had the best life had to offer and for that I will always be grateful.
My best friend is Audrey. We have been friends for many years and through thick and thin we remain close, even when we are miles apart. She is always the first friend I think of and the one I cherish.
ReplyDeleteHow do you pick a best friend? Your mother is your first best friend especially if you are lucky as I have been, and my daughter as she has gotten older has become another best friend. But I think my best friend is Michele - we came to it a little later than some only in the last ten years or so. We taught together in a classroom - shared our kids triumphs and heart aches -- then her husband was diagnosed with cancer - before a year had passed I sat in a hospital room while her husband began to pass away -- little did I know she would be warming me up to watch my dad pass two years later from yes cancer. I don't know what it is that binds us together but I can totally let my hair down when around her - let out the wild child - and know that I will not be judged at all -- she is the one who knows me the best.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend didn't start out my best friend - in fact, I think I didn't even like her to begin with. What brought us together was our educational circumstance, what with a lot of similar classes. That, and the melding of our outwardly opposite personalities and strikingly similar inner personalities. She's the loud mouthed one who can be brash, blunt, and sometimes rude, but I'm the one who's quiet and would rather say nothing than say anything wrong. But in spite of that, upon getting to know each other better, we found kindred souls within each other. She's the one that I can talk to at the drop of a hat without me feeling that awkward feeling of having not seen someone in months. We share our nice thoughts, our not-so-nice thoughts, and our daily, trivial, mundane happenings that strike our fancy. After all this time, she's the one that I can always count on, even if we're not physically in the same place anymore.
ReplyDeleteWhy is my friend the best of all? Well she has been my best friend for as far back as I remember. I don't recall childhood without my sister and best friend. Of course I didn't think of her as my best friend when we were teenagers, lol--she was always stealing my clothes! But we grew up, got married, started families and found a closeness again. When our mom had cancer, we helped get each other through it. We leaned on one another and trusted each other as never before! Over the next few years we got closer again. She has stepped up in helping to fill the void of the missing grandma to my two youngest children who never knew her (mind you my sister lives 10 hours away and my kids adore her. She makes sure to visit a number of times each year and just loves them so much more than an aunt). We recently lost our dad to cancer. Most of the care fell on her, since she was there. She not only took care of him, but was there to help me process my grief. I can't imagine my life without my sister, my best friend. I'm so lucky to have her!
ReplyDeleteSister(s) 3 -- so lucky to grow up with these wonderful people!
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is Paisley. Though she lives in Arizona currently, and I'm in Boston, we make it work. I've never known someone so kind and strong and talented - she aspires to be a film director, and I look forward to the time I can see her name on the silver screen. She's a daily inspiration to me, not only to persevere in the face of adversity, but to also care honestly and deeply, to continue with my creative endeavors and to be confident in myself and my own abilities. I've never met someone who's filled with so much love and wit - Paisley's incredibly intelligent, and she gives so much to the people she cares about. She's also forgiving, which is a boon to me as sometimes I make mistakes, as well do, but I hate hurting or disappointing her. And yet, she somehow still loves me, still considers me her best friend, and still believes in me and sees something worth keeping.
ReplyDeleteShe's easily one of the best people I know, and Paisley makes me a better person every day. In very visceral ways, she's saved me and made me see more to life and to happiness and friendship than I ever previously thought. I am the luckiest person in the world to have her as my friend.
My sister-in-law is my BFF. Since she joined our family about 15 years ago, we have bonded over shopping and reading good books. I love it when she gives me books because I know they'll be good. And, I love getting to share recommendations with her. After I read The Winter Sea, I couldn't wait to introduce her to Sofia. Michelle is the best SIL pretty much ever.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is Marla and it is sooo handy that she is a librarian--we share what we are reading and recommend writers to each other all the time. Then I also tag along with her to the ALA convention when it is in Chicago and get to meet even more authors! In addition to our mutual love of all things books, we also have been a support to each other in many of the joys and troubles that come along in life: birth, death, illness and celebrations.
ReplyDeleteI keep talking you up, but I don't think she has taken the plunge into an SK work yet!
My best friend is Dianne, and she is almost as avid a reader as I. She has suffered a lot of health problems and personal sorrow, but has risen above it all to work with troubled and disabled children. I admire her and would love to give her a post-Christmas gift.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is my mother. She raised me, sacrificed for me, knows everything about me and still continues to love and support me. Friends don't get any better!
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is my childhood friend, she is the best friend because she was there for me all the time,and I can't imagine myself without her
ReplyDeletecookiesmasher5@yahoo.com
I don't think it was by chance that I read for the first time today, "It wasn't chance. There wasn't any part of it that happened just by chance." It wasn't chance that my dear, sweet 89 year old friend loaned me her copy of "Sophie's Secret," and said, "You are just going to LOVE this book while you recover from surgery." And I do love it. I wanted to find our more about you as the author, so I went to your website this evening to find that you were signing books in our beloved Anderson's Bookstore in Naperville, IL at precisely the moment I discovered you as an author. (One of our sons was a good friend of the Anderson's son when we lived in Naperville.) I would love to have the e-reader for my wonderful 89 year-young friend Genevieve who has a difficult time holding heavy books anymore, but is still one of your greatest fans. What an amazing surprise it would be for her -- perhaps your oldest fan! A true friend is one who shares her favorite books!
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ReplyDeleteMy best friend is Bonnie. We share books all the time. Her family is going through some tough times financially...it would be nice to give her this gift to lift her spirits.
ReplyDeleteSaw you last night at Anderson's. My very first author signing...it was a great joy! Love this tour...getting to see some author I haven't heard of, or would otherwise not pick up. My wish list just gained several inches.
My best friend is Joellyn and we have known one another for over 20 years. She is a writer and I have helped her with book launch parties and signing engagements, I love tagging along! Two weeks ago I became ill and missed 6 days of work. When I came back she packed me a lunch with my favorite things, in a pretty bag with a pretty napkin. She is a thoughtful and helpful friend, she would love to be a part of this contest!
ReplyDeleteMy friend Jenny is the best because she gave me "The Firebird" for my birthday. (I did lend her "The Winter Sea" to introduce her to you.) But she is also the best because she is kind and thoughtful and always finding ways to help me and my family.
ReplyDeleteJennifer (jellingford(at)gmail(dot)com)
My best friend is my adventure partner (rock climbing, skiing, etc) as well as my husband. I've never met someone so genuinely kind who cares SO much about me.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is my husband too! He reads my books, he takes out the garbage, he doesn't bother me when I'm writing and he makes me laugh until my stomach hurts.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is my husband. He lets me go on and on about fictional characters as though they're real. And does not mind that I've dragged him to over 20 musicals (thats love!)
ReplyDeleteMy mother is one of my best friends. She is of course, there for me through thick and thin, as mothers should be. She read to me as a child, which is a gift not all children receive. She gave me a copy of "Mariana" and told me to read it, I was going to love it. She also gave me a copy of Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" and told me the same thing. She was right. My mom will be 80 this year, She'd love a new Kobo. I'd love to give her one.
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