Blog Tour: Stone of Destiny

TITLE – Stone of Destiny

SERIES – The Danaan Trilogy

AUTHOR – Laura Howard

GENRE – Upper YA/NA Paranormal Romance

PUBLICATION DATE – April 21 2014

LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 170 pages

PUBLISHER – Laura Howard

COVER ARTIST – Najla Qamber

Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.

Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.

Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan' s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?

AMAZON KINDLE / AMAZON PAPERBACK / BARNES & NOBLES NOOK / SMASHWORDS / ITUNES

I led him into the foyer and shut the door behind him. He followed me to the dining room and when I sat, he took the seat beside me. He caught my eyes and raised his brows expectantly.

“Niamh asked me to go to Tír na n’Óg with her and Liam.”

“What, you mean go right now?” Ethan asked.

I nodded. “She doesn’t want to wait until Aoife makes a move. In a way I agree with her.”

“Did you tell me you needed to talk so you could just tell me you were leaving?”

I glanced up at him. “Yes, I hoped you’d understand.”

“No Allison. I don’t understand,” he said, jumping up so fast the chair nearly fell over.

I hesitated. “Niamh came by after you left last night. I know there’s a lot going on here, but I’ve thought about it all night. The sooner we take care of the threat Aoife poses on all of us, the better.”

Ethan stared at me, his face hard. “I understand that part. But I told you whatever happens, I’m coming with you.”

“What?” I said, shaking my head. “You can’t.”

“Like hell I can’t.” He crossed his arms, eyes narrowed. “You’re not leaving me behind this time.”

-----REVIEW----- 

Book One: The Forgotten Ones

Allison O’Malley’s goal is to live a happy life give her mom as much support as she can give her. She doesn’t have time for romance and over complications with a mother who is suffering from schizophrenia and has been taken care of by her grandparents.

But what Allison wants may be up for discussion when her long lost father appears bringing with him the possibility of her mother getting better, but there’s a catch. There’s always a catch. With the return of her father comes hard to believe stories that involve the Tuatha de Danaan, which is hard to swallow until you meet the amazing cast of characters and the abilities they have. Yep, I’m a believer officially after someone begins to read my thoughts and use glamour spells. Sold.

The first 20 % was a bit slower than I would have liked, but it was character building none the less. Just stay with it! Very quickly I fell for Ethan, I loved (Niamh), I disagreed with Allison about sending Liam away at first, and couldn’t get enough out of the Tir na n’Og and the overall plot line.

This was certainly different from my average reads and well worth it. And the great thing is there’s a pronunciation key at the end of the book! Names like Aoife (Ay-fuh. evil witch of a woman!), Eithne (En-ya. Sweet and almost human like), and Aodhan (Ay-den. gotta love him.). I would have never figured it out without them. Well, some of them maybe, but for the most part no. So thank you so much for the help Laura. :)

Overall, this was a wonderful and magically filled book that I’m glad I ended up reading. If you haven’t picked up your copy, what’s stopping you?

4 out of 5 stars

-----REVIEW----- 

Book Two: Stone Of Destiny

Allison O’Malley’s life changed when her father, a man she had seen all her life, suddenly showed up at her doorstep bringing with him the world of Tuatha de Danaan (Faries) and the answer as to why her mother is suffering from schizophrenia. Teaming up with magical people Allison is in the race against the clock to unravel  Aoife’s plot before anyone else is hurt.

In this book it picks up right where we left off in the second, so if you haven’t read it STOP RIGHT NOW!! You need to go back and enjoy the first one to truly understand to the fullest what is going on.

Ethan, a guy who Allison deeply cares for, is acting funny and it may be a person closer to home who is the culprit. And what do you mean Allison has a half-sister?! Who can be trusted as new characters step into Allison’s world forcing Liam and the gang to act faster, but is it a trap and how the heck are they going to survive this?

Yep, I was biting my nails to figure out what was going on. I stayed rooted in my chair until I no longer had feeling in my bum for this book and let me tell you it was worth it! Every agonizing, story building, fun, and plot developing second was well worth the wait.

The world that Laura Howard has created is fun, captivating, and darn it all, makes me want to join the Tuatha de Danaan. With characters that will leave you irritated, awed, and loved I can’t possibly imagine what she will do next to them and to us, the readers. But one thing is for certain, I’ll be in line for book three in this series to find out!

5 out of 5 stars

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known.

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Blog Tour: Falling For Hope excerpt and review

 

Title – Falling For Hope  

Series – Four Winds #3  

Author- Anne Conley  

Genre- Paranormal Romance  

Publication Date - March 5, 2014  

Length (Pages/#words)- 46,000 words  

Publisher – Anne Conley  

Cover Artist – Vanessa Booke

Book Blurb/Synopsis- 

Hope is an eccentric librarian who lives with her five cats and loves to spend her time fantasizing about living in a world of shape shifters, vampires, and fairies. Although the existence of a paranormal world is far from Hope’s reality, she can’t help but sense there’s something different about the mysterious man lurking in her library.

Gabriel is God’s Strength, the Messenger, who’s been tasked with delivering the Word for millennia. His most recent assignment will be his last, to fall in love and become human. But he can’t quite figure out what he’s done to displease the Boss. Gabriel’s latest assignment might be the hardest, but this gorgeous rubenesque quirk of a woman definitely has him intrigued.

God’s Four Winds are his most trusted archangels: Uriel, Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael. Follow their adventures in “falling” as they each discover their chosen one and what it means to be human. Along the way, the Deceiver, who’s been cast down, only wants what his “brothers” have, and will stop at nothing to foil his Father’s plans.

Falling for Hope is book three in the Four Winds series, but they are all stand-alone novels.

AMAZON | GOODREADS | SMASHWORDS | BARNES & NOBLES

The next morning, Hope was watching her feet as she climbed the steps to the library. She cursed to herself as she tasted the tangy-sweet saliva in her mouth again. Maybe it was some sort of building issue? She'd never heard of asbestos making people taste funny things, but she'd be sure to ask the other employees today, just in case.

As she neared the top of the stairs, Hope felt the prickly feeling yet again, and her gaze rose to the man standing in front of the library doors waiting.

"Aren't the doors open?" She tried to sound solicitous, but the truth of the matter was, this guy took her breath away. It was the man that had watched her all day yesterday.

"Yes, but I won't be staying today." The low rumble of his voice greeted her a cheery good morning unlike anything else she could ask for. Just the sound of his voice made her day perfect.

"Oh." Disappointed that he wouldn't be in her little room of the library bit through the fog of his voice.

"Come to dinner with me tonight."

Shocked speechless, she stared at him. He had an air of expectation about him, and his forehead crinkled in thought at the same time that she heard his luxurious voice rumble inside her head.

Come. Say yes. His sexy-as-sin voice resonated inside her head.

Hope's eyes darted around, making sure there wasn't anybody else who could have done that, before she looked back up at him. "You don't have to use the force on me. I'm thinking. I was just taken by surprise, is all."

Both of his eyebrows rose, almost to his hairline and his eyes widened in surprise. "You heard that?"

"Didn't you mean for me to?" She countered, putting a hand on her hip.

His face remained impassive. "Well…yes. But usually it's not so obvious." His tone of voice suggested he wasn’t expecting Hope to call him on his little trick, and seeing that gave her a little boost of confidence.

"You go around using Jedi mind tricks on women to get dates often?"

He chuckled, and his eyes dropped to the ground. "No. I've never done it for a date, no."

Hope's eyes roamed his body from his feet, clad in shiny leather loafers, up his gray woolen slacks (Hello, Fifty), to the black sweater vest he wore over a white long-sleeved button down shirt, open at the collar. His face held strong features: a square jaw with a small dimple in the middle, high, obscenely high cheekbones, a rather large mouth that made her mind travel to erotic places, and those eyes… The man exuded a strength that wasn’t visible. Well, it was visible, he looked like his muscles had muscles, but he had an air of intense power and vigor about him that told Hope he expected people to do what he said. Often.

Then her eyes traveled to herself. She had worn black dress pants today, with a shirt that actually sort of fit her large breasts, although it showed a little more cleavage than she was comfortable with. Hope looked at him again, and his eyes held the question. What was her answer?

"Why?"

The question in his eyes turned to surprise. Apparently, this guy didn't get questioned very often. An image flitted through her mind, the two of them together at a table, lit with candles, Hope's head thrown back in laughter.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you do that, too?"

He had the grace to look sheepish. "Will you go to dinner with me?"

"No."

His head snapped up, and his mouth fell open. "Why not?"

"Because I'm having dinner with my parents tonight. But you didn't answer my question? Why do you want to take me out?"

It was his turn to peruse her. His eyes started at her feet, and slowly worked their way up her body. By the time they reached her face, Hope was squirming. "Why not?" The timbre of his voice washed over her, like it had yesterday, and Hope actually felt her breasts get heavier, as if they were swelling out of her bra.

Why not, indeed?

"Okay, my lunch is from one to two."

"I'll pick you up here, then? At one o'clock?"

Hope nodded, suddenly speechless again, unable to look away as he turned his long, lean frame and deftly descended the steps. Suppressing the urge to do a happy dance, lest he turn around and catch her, she scurried inside the library.

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Review!!

~4/5~

This short story is a fast read.

Let’s talk about the bad. A few things that got to me was pace in which your two main characters ‘hooked up’ if you will. One moment Gabe is sending thoughts into Hope’s head, the next she is completely accepting it like it’s a normal occurrence. I understand that she is a librarian who lives with her head in the clouds (and this is a work of fiction), but if some sexy man came up to me and pushed a thought into my mind I would have to reevaluate my sanity. And after a very, very short exchange of words she’s going out on a lunch date with him. No name, no real arguing, and no wondering if he is a stalker (no matter how sexy I ain’t going on a date with some random man I just met.). Granted, after all is said and done with, and Gabe shows up the next day, Hope wises up and wants to learn more about him. So I’ll let those slid.

Now, on to the good stuff!

I think the best thing about Hope is that I can kind of see myself. All the cats, the life style-to some degree. Is that scary? But that’s as far as the similarities go. Hope is stuck in a rough place after having lost her sister some time ago and in the course her relationship isn’t the best with her parents. I mean it’s good, but not what it should be when it comes to talking about her sister. Then Gabe comes in and begins to mend things. He really is a saving Grace and makes her content life become truly happy.

I’m a sucker for a sexy guy and Gabe is right up there. He’s an angel having been sent on a heck of a mission, fall for Hope. And what I love most is as you read Gabe begins to change. He starts to feel things we are used to, but they are not at all familiar to him and you can see that by his reactions. When his muscles start to get sore in the library he actually has to get up and walk around. Totally new to him. So I definitely love what the author has done with him and the overall concept to this story.

My favorite lines:

“…One: I’m wooing you, and as the wooer, I should meet the wooee’s parents.
Two: If your mother sees you being wooed, she might leave you alone about the rest.
And three: I think you’re beautiful as you are, and I just might tell your mother that.”

Gabe continues to say:

“I’m making a humorous play on the word woo, which you seem to enjoy so much, but I’m deadly serious about the actual plan of action.”

This is a very interesting story and being that it was so easy and fast I just might have to get to know the other men and their stories with Falling for Heaven and Falling for Grace.

Author bio-

Anne Conley lives in a small town in East Texas, with her husband, two kids and numerous goats. She brazenly stole her pseudonym from her great-grandmother, a true pioneer woman who raised seven kids alone: churning butter, plucking chickens, knitting clothes, and putting coal oil on every visible wound. Anne’s Stories of serendipity feature real people, living life and finding love in a small town. She also has a Paranormal Romance series, the Four Winds about archangels “falling” in love and coping with turning into humans Her writing is escapist therepy, and she succumbs to it every chance she gets.

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER

 

GIVEAWAY PRIZE LIST 

1 winner will receive all 3 ebooks of the Four Winds series (Falling for Heaven, Falling for Grace, and Falling for Hope) 

1 winner will receive a FREE ebook of Falling for Hope 

1 winner (US only) will receive an Autographed copy of Hot Mess, a Story of Serendipity

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE AUTHORS GIVEAWAY

  

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Strange In Skin Trilogy Reviews

Strange In Skin Trilogy Book Review by Sara V. Zook

 

Strange In Skin

book one

 goodreads, amazon

 From the moment Anna James meets the strange prisoner Emry Logan, she becomes instantly obsessed and will stop at nothing to try to get another interaction with him. But going against her family and church aren’t without consequence. She is deemed a traitor as she quickly realizes that there’s more to Emry’s past than just murder. He has a special ability that is far from human that he only shares with her. Feeling this magical connection, Anna has to free her beautiful inmate so that they can be together finally, but someone else knows about Emry’s secret and wants Anna to stop digging for answers as she finds herself in the midst of a modern day witch hunt. The life of an innocent pastor’s kid suddenly is turned upside down in a war between good and evil as Anna begins to wonder which people in her life are on the side of good, and is she one of them.

 -------------REVIEW--------------

 I give the book a 4 out of 5

Long story short Anna, the pastor’s daughter, falls in love with Emry, a man in prison for murder. Now, I was thinking as I read the book that this surely isn’t possible. I mean, yes, I guess people could fall in love with inmates, but man! I had one issue after the other with Anna. First she accepts seeing him in prison, giving him a lot of information about herself, then she makes enemies with her own father (with good reason) becomes very sneaky and even  sneaks into the prison at one point in a disguise. Granted it makes for a great read. haha

Needless to say, I didn’t know if he was a bad man or not, but clearly Saraknew what she was doing! You’re leading lady finds herself trying to save a man she has fallen in love with and who has the most wonderful ability ever, he can do things a normal person can’t and I will have to leave it at that. With Anna on the hunt to prove his innocence she stumbles on the path of some not so innocent people who end up hurting her, locking her up, and for the most part keeps her in a good condition until this whole thing blows over, but what? What are they talking about? Why can’t she fall in love with Emry? Why is there so many people so determined to see him killed? And what part does her father play in all of this?

When I finished the last page I felt the instant pull to read the next with so many unanswered questions. The good thing is that you could stop if you wanted to; I mean there is an end, but why would you? The books aren’t expensive and I think you’d want to add them to your collection. This is defiantly one I would want to read again and grab if I could, in paperback.

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Evadere

Book two

goodreads, amazon

When Anna becomes separated from Emry, she has no other choice but to explore the foreign world of Evadere on her own. She soon discovers that it is tainted from a stirring turmoil among the people. Evadere has been a place of respite and escape from the difficulties of Earth for Anna and Emry, but alone on Evadere, Anna is pulled into the stirrings of an uprising between the Scaves and the ones who force them to live as scavengers. Anna is determined not to let the fear and attempts on her life stop her from finding her way back to Emry. But Anna is shocked when she discovers who Emry really is, the forces of evil supporting him and how the temptations in paradise have been misleading them both. It will take all the strength and determination Anna and Emry possess to survive Evadere, even as the killing starts ...

 

 

 

------------------REVIEW---------------------

5 out of 5 stars

And like the first I was taken by the first few paragraphs and I knew, I wouldn’t be able to put it down. You join with Emry and Anna along with a few new faces in the World of Evadere, a fictional place that they thought was barren with golden sand and beaches that only they could travel too, but you find out quick that they aren’t alone.

Having bolted out of a funeral and being chased by a few men in suits Anna and Emry seek refuge at Evadere, but when Anna wakes up from a relaxing nap she finds that Emry is no longer there and the world suddenly becomes a much darker place.

Now, teaming up with a Scave, “scavenger”, stealing food, running for her life, and trying to find a way back to Earth, Anna finds herself face to face with what she wants, Emry, but everything is upside down. Spoiler! He’s a prince. He’s The Prince of Evadere!! That’s a shocker, but I’m completely happy about it, until I realized that his mom, the queen, and the other royalties are butts….. yes, forgive my language.

Sara had my heart pounding, yearning, longing for Emry, and then I was jealous as another woman steps up to bat and talk about a cat fight in my head playing out. If looks could kill I’m pretty sure Anna would be dead by the queen and Emry would take the throne under his mother’s misguidance about peace between their people and the scaves. Yes, my head is still spinning about this book.

This is an exhilarating read and when you start you’re not going to want to put it down. There wasn’t a moment where I felt it was slow and around every corner you are learning something knew. So much so I swear I could smell the scaves. Yep, that was a wonderful moment, when you start to smell the filth of the scaves' home and wonder what Anna looked like to Emry when he first sees her?

Power consumes power. Within these pages people will be deceived, be used, and change forever.

In about five minutes after writing this I will be off reading Solace! Here’s to another five star review

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Solace

Book three

goodreads, amazon

 

Emry and Anna's love has always been forbidden. They've been hunted, seen those around them murdered and still don't know who to blame or who to trust. In a world where Anna is considered just a human, can peace be achieved between those inhabiting Evadere and those cast out and left for dead? They have to find out who is after them before it's too late, before one of the lives lost is their own, but are Emry's powers strong enough to save the one he loves?

 

 

 

 

 

 

----------------REVIEW-----------------

5 out of 5 stars

Solace is the third and last in the Strange in Skin Trilogy and I really can’t wait to see what else this author has up her sleeves. Sara has done a wonderful job and This will defiantly make my top ten of 2013!

Where do I start? Okay, Solace picks up right where Evader leaves off with a wicked Queen powerless and Emry no longer a puppet. With Emry’s eyes unclouded by his power hungry mother Anna and his relationship can finally grow and he can become King. But with his new title comes great responsibilities which he, like any person, is nervous about, but with Anna at his side they can do anything.

This is one of those Love can conquer all kind of stories, but not without challenges. Secrets are revealed, all questions are answered, and the future is cloudy. With enemies within the castle another struggle for power lies out before our cast and they are running out of time as the game for the Crone has began and this time someone’s life will be taken in the end.

 I love the complexity to the relationship between Anna and Emry. They love each other to the fullest and they prove it over and over throughout each book. Anna’s unwillingness to believe he was a killer, Emry’s ability to fight his mother to save Anna, and their overall ability to try and change the world.

If you haven’t read any of Sara's books I suggest you follow one of the many links on this page and snag up your copy, because it is truly worth it. I have had a lot of fun reading her books and I must thank her for giving me an ARC.

-May your future works be just as powerful and moving as these.

-Brenda Franklin, author of The Pulse Trilogy.

 

 

Book review of Monster by Frank Peretti

I give it four out of five stars

Reed and Beck Shelton are spending the weekend camping when their fun filled adventure soon turns into a nightmare. During the first night they hear an unearthly wail and it isn’t long before something emerges and begins to pursue them. In the mist of running for their lives Beck falls out of sight of Reed and the last terrifying image he is left with is his wife being carried off by a creature into the night.

With friends, and townsfolk Reed knows they don’t have much time to find Beck, but it isn’t long before he realizes something is hunting them and it too isn’t human.

This turned out to be more of an adventure mystery then a scary thriller like I was thinking it would be from the name and in the first two chapters I was scared for the characters and emotional with Reed after his wife is taken by a creature at night when they were running for their lives. It is quickly reveled that Beck is safe, for the moment, and in the care of -for lack of a better word- Bigfoot.

I think my favorite chapters would be the first couple and the end. Everything in the middle was a nice ride of mystery, searching, putting pieces of a puzzle together, and survival. It was fun, but at times I felt it was lacking a good kick of something. A great thing about the way he ended each chapter was that each seemed to have a stopping point. You could finish one chapter, walk away for a few hours, and come back later heading straight into the next chapter with a good sense as to what had happened and where you had left off. Each one ended very nicely. I did this a few times so I could go to work or fix food.

Frank Peretti also has a way of truly putting you in the shoes of the character. If you’re in the middle of the woods, you can pretty much smell the woods. If you’re getting berries shoved into your mouth, your saliva glands begin to work overtime and you start tasting them. It was a lot of fun to see what he was seeing, run if someone was running, or smell the stench coming off of Beck later in the book.

It had its shining moments. :)

-Brenda Franklin, author of the Pulse Trilogy and Guardian, A Fated Pairing.

Review of reflections by J. Dorothy

Reflections: Eternal Curse Trilogy

By J. Dorothy

Synopsis:

Jo doesn't know why she inherited a magical ring.

She doesn't know why her father abandoned her when she was a baby, or the truth about her mother's death.

Jo doesn't know a lot about her past.

but she's about to find out.

Nearing her eighteenth birthday, she's about to discover what really happened to her father all those years ago.

She's on a new path, a path including her first love, a path that will lead to the truth about a family secret held for generations.

Jo's about to face her first real challenge.

'Reflections' is just the beginning.

REVIEW:

Reflections is book one of the Eternal Curse Trilogy. It’s a Young Adult Fantasy filled with mystery and magic starring sisters Jo and Gabriella - who couldn’t be more different. Jo is introverted, kind, and the kind to assist when anyone needs it, while Gabriella has more of a controlling and selfish nature wrapped in beauty.

Though I did find the first couple of chapters a little slow, it was still interesting enough to keep my attention. Next thing I knew I was staying up late trying to solve all of my questions: What’s with the rings? Who is Rowellyn? And what will be the outcome of the curse?

The use of magic in this book is different than what I have read, as of late. It is always refreshing to see new ideas and this one doesn’t disappoint. The characters were fun and well rounded, as well as realistic with just as strong secondary characters (My favorites were James and Spencer.). And the more I read the more I found myself falling in love with the relationship between James and Jo, as well as between Jo and her sister, Gabriella.

So sit back and enjoy the ride as J. Dorothy takes us through her world of the Eternal Curse Trilogy with a few twists, sister rivalry, and a little love. If the first one is this good, I can’t wait to read the next book, Shadows.

4 out of 5 stars

J. Dorothy and her works:

Goodreads

Amazon

The Eternal Curse Trilogy

Reflections on Amazon

Shadows on Amazon

Enlightenment (Coming Soon)

-Brenda Franklin, author of the Pulse Trilogy and Guardian, A Fated Pairing.

Review: Grave Illusions by Lina Gardner

Grave Illusions

Lina Gardiner's website

I really loved the concept of your leading lady, Jess, being saved by her brother through baptism. It was a completely different take on the world of vampires than anything I've read recently--something I found so refreshing. Though her outfit is a bit ridiculous for fighting, and I mean more so the six inch heels with the built in spike, who doesn't like having a woman in leather kicking butt? I would have gone with cotton because it breaths, but we all have our different tastes.

You’re leading man, John Britain, is like any other man who was kicked off the force for having ‘accidently’ killed his partner, never going to prison because the body went missing, sends money to his dead ex-partners grieving widow anonymously, divorced from his cheating wife, drinks too much, and lives in a crummy apartment working as a night taxi driver. I think that just about covers it all! But he’s a hell of a man that begins to straighten up his life when Jess offers him a job after almost seducing him at the beginning. The down side is that for the first twenty percent of the book you are going back and forth between Jess trying to recruit John as a vampire hunter and John unable to make up his mind about it because he not only wants to know more information but doesn't feel he deserves a second chance to work with the police.

As an added plus to the book, there were plenty of moments with sexual tension--though I was rooting for more in that department. Not to mention enough fights and surprises to keep you coming back for more. I know I did!

It was a fast read and easy to follow until you got to the last fifteen percent. Things began to not add up in conversation and some actions I wanted to ask the characters themselves, “what about that made sense” or “where’s the other guy”.  Though a few started to not add up, and the battles seemed lacking at the very end, I found it to still be a good and enjoyable read.

I give this book a four out of five and I would recommend this to several people.

By Brenda Franklin author of the Pulse Trilogy. Twitter, FB, and goodreads to learn more about me and my works.