Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for Running Against Traffic by Gaelen VanDenbergh

Join Gaelen VanDenbergh, author of the contemporary women's fiction novel, Running Against Traffic, as she tours the blogosphere September 2 - Septembe 27, 2013 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!



Running Against TrafficABOUT RUNNING AGAINST TRAFFIC

Paige Scott spent her childhood shuffled between relatives who ignored her, and her adult life hiding in her crumbling marriage to wealthy David Davenport. When David suddenly thrusts her into a remote, impoverished world, Paige is forced to face the betrayals of her past - not to mention the colorful townies of her present. Unexpected friendships and her discovery of running propel her on a jagged and comical journey toward learning how to truly live.


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ABOUT GAELEN VANDENBERGH

I am a writer, runner, reader, compulsive list-maker, mother and zookeeper (it feels like it, anyway). I grew up in Philadelphia, moved around a bit – Maine, Boston, NYC, back to Philly – and I have lived here for the past twelve years. I live with my husband and daughter, a fat cat, several fish, and a one-eyed dog.



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My Review
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I began reading Running Against Traffic by Gaelen VanDenbergh.  I knew I was intrigued by the description of the story and by the title, after a hard day at work I sometimes feel as if just living life can be like running against traffic.  I wasn’t expecting to find myself falling in love with almost all of her characters (except for David Davenport, Paige’s soon to be ex), the dialogue and her descriptions of a small Pennsylvania town. 

Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Paige Scott Davenport has spent her time not really participating in life.  Married, but pretty much ignoring her husband, Paige is surprised when he drives her to a house “they’ve purchased” in the country, dumps her and her luggage off at the house, and tells her he’s done and drives off.  Unprepared to live life on her own, and not even knowing what it takes to live life, Paige finds herself faced with having to get to know herself.

Both the primary character and the book's only point of view, we get Paige's story as she comes face to face with the fact she’s never really done anything in her life.  She can’t cook or clean, and has no employment experience.  Realizing she’s going to need money for food, and liquor to drown her sorrows and anger, Paige manages to get a job with the local attorney answering her phone.  He’s also going to handle her divorce. 

Ms. VanDenbergh lets us get to know Paige as she begins to face her life and how she’s gotten to be where she is.  As Paige gets to know the people in town, and gets talked into taking two roommates, Al and Bryce, who’ll work on fixing her house, she begins to spread her wings.  Soon Paige finds herself running daily which helps to free her mind and help her get in touch with her emotions.  She realizes she’s attracted to Al and finds herself caring for Bryce as a substitute mother.  She also gets in touch with her anger, her pain and all of the emotions she’s kept buried deep inside. 


Will Paige make peace with her new life and learn to embrace whatever comes next?  Will she let her attraction to Al become something more than just an attraction?  You’ll have to read Running Against Traffic to find out.  I enjoyed it and can’t wait to read Running in Circles, the next book which will tackle Paige’s ongoing journey in life.  

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 Crowns





Pump Up Your Book and Gaelen VanDenbergh are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

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Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $100 Amazon Gift Certificate
  • This giveaway begins September 2 and ends September 27, 2013.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on Monday, September 30, 2013.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
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blog tour schedule
Tuesday, September 3 - Book featured at One Page at a Time
Wednesday, September 4 - Book featured at Margay Leah Justice
Thursday, September 5 - Interviewed at Literal Exposure
Thursday, September 5 - Book featured at Miki's Hope
Friday, September 6 - Book featured at Icefairy's Treasure Chest
Monday, September 9 - Book featured at Sweeping Me
Tuesday, September 10 - 1st chapter reveal at Books and Needlepoint
Wednesday, September 11 - Book featured at Soctrates Book Reviews
Thursday, September 12 - Guest blogging at Storeybook Reviews
Friday, September 13 - Interviewed at Review From Here
Friday, September 13 - Book featured at Mom Loves 2 Read
Monday, September 16 - Guest blogging at The Writer's Life
Monday, September 16 - Book featured at The Self Taught Cook
Tuesday, September 17 - Interviewed at Book Marketing Buzz
Tuesday, September 17 - Book featured at Libby's Library
Wednesday, September 18 - Book featured at Mary's Cup of Tea
Wednesday, September 18 - 1st chapter reveal at Reader Girls
Thursday, September 19 - Interviewed at I'm Shelf-ish
Thursday, September 19 - Guest blogging and 1st chaper reveal at Ali's Books
Friday, September 20 - Book featured at Confessions of a Reader
Monday, September 23 - Book reviewed at My Devotional Thoughts
Monday, September 23- Guest blogging at Crystal's Many Reviews
Tuesday, September 24 - Book featured at Jody's Book Reviews
Tuesday, September 24 - 1st chapter reveal at Literary Winner
Tuesday, September 24 - Book reviewed at Queen of All She Reads
Wednesday, September 25 - Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking
Wednesday, September 25 - Book reviewed at Ramblings of a Book Lunatic
Wednesday, September 25 - 1st chapter reveal at Sarah Ballance
Thursday, September 26 - 1st chapter reveal at moonlightreader
Thursday, September 26 - Book featured at My Cozie Corner
Friday, September 27 - Book reviewed at All Grown Up?
Friday, September 27 - Book reviewed and Guest blogging at Jersey Girl Book Reviews
 
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FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of Running Against Traffic in exchange for a fair and honest review.  I did not receive any additional compensation for my opinion of the reading material provided. 

Monday, September 23, 2013

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for An Incurable Insanity by Simi K. Rao



Join Simi K Rao on her Virtual Book Tour for An Incurable Insanity, presented by Reading Addiction Book Tours.  Please leave a comment or question for Simi to let her know you stopped by.  You can follow Simi’s tour here.  My review will post around noon today.  

An Incurable Insanity
By Simi K. Rao

Publisher: Tate Publishing
Release Date: October 8, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Length: 376 Pages

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Book Description: 

Her heart fluttered when she heard the sound of the key turn in the lock. She quickly adjusted her maroon silk sari with the yellow border, the one that had caught his eye, and waited eagerly for his footsteps.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven... Yes, exactly seven steps before he stopped, hesitated for a few moments, then removed his shoes one by one and arranged them neatly side by side on the shoe rack.

She smiled. He had been mindful of taking his shoes off every day now. 'I am not used to it, but I will if you want me to. It's probably a good thing to do anyway.'

As he settled down, he would pick up the TV remote and, without looking at her, would say in his smooth baritone, 'So how did you spend your day, anything interesting?'

Shaan Ahuja found himself bowing to tradition and agreeing to an arranged marriage to the beautiful Ruhi Sharma. He went through the motions but had no intention of carrying through on his vows. His last foray into matters of the heart with an American girl had left him scarred and unwilling to try again. Thoroughly disillusioned and disgruntled he wasted no time in making his intentions clear to Ruhi on their wedding night. But, he was completely unprepared for what his new wife had in mind.

"In Rao’s debut novel, an arranged Indian marriage sets the stage for an intimate look at the exasperating madness of love.

Shaan Ahuja and Ruhi Sharma’s arranged marriage has an inauspicious start. Shaan spurns his new wife on their wedding night, still pining over the American lover he left back in Los Angeles. However, the begrudging spouses soon make a pact: Ruhi will stay with Shaan in the United States just long enough to avoid embarrassment. The young bride hopes she can use the time to win Shaan’s heart, and although Ruhi’s beauty and attentiveness do change Shaan’s feelings, his immaturity and inability to express himself—and Ruhi’s lingering mistrust—keep them from reconciling. As they attempt to be “friends without benefits,” they start to reveal their true selves, including her needling puckishness and independent spirit and the reasons for his reserved nature and impulsive jealousy. Their eventual reconciliation comes not from forgiveness but from acceptance and understanding. The novel trades in a certain amount of melodrama that, thanks to its light tone, comes across as indulgent but satisfying. ...The novel seems highly aware of its influences, using cultural expectations and delayed gratification in the same spirit, if not with the same deftness, as Jane Austen. Shaan and Ruhi also sometimes mirror the star-crossed lovers from Casablanca (a film that the book directly references). 

An often intoxicating,  will-they-or-won’t-they tale." - KIRKUS 

Buy Links:  Amazon │Barnes & Noble │Tate Publishing 

Excerpt: Chapter 1 :  Disillusion

Ruhi Sharma was a blushing bride, practically a newlywed, locked up in this glittering cage for almost a month, twenty-nine days to be exact; an object of envy of all her friends and family.

Twenty-nine days ago, she had signed her name beside his on the marriage certificate. She had gone through all the miscellaneous ceremonies associated with the typical grand Indian wedding—the engagement, the Mehendi, the Sangeet, the Haldi, and the grand finale (her father had spared no expense) until finally her betrothed had staked his claim by placing the Sindoor on her forehead and tying the Mangalsutra around her neck, and she had quietly and blissfully followed him around the sacred fire carefully listening to and reciting the Saath Pheras in her mind.
She was the very beautiful and accomplished daughter of Amrit and Devyani Sharma, the apple of their eye, and they had left no stone unturned in raising her the best way they possibly could.

Friends and family were surprised for not only had Ruhi been provided with a very good education, she held an MBA from a leading institution, but her parents had also made sure that she was adept in all other various skills, which a well-bred traditional Indian girl is desired to be proficient in. Therefore, nobody marveled when marriage proposals came pouring in from all directions.

But the Sharmas were choosy; they wanted only the best for their golden child, and they did get it, or so they surmised.
The idea of giving their daughter’s hand in marriage to the well-accomplished son of the most well-known family in Chandigarh was beyond their wildest imagination. It was wilder because they hadn’t gone in search of it, rather it had come and landed on their lap.

Shaan, the youngest and most eligible of the Ahuja clan, was twenty-seven, a fresh aerospace masters grad from a premier engineering institute located in the Los Angeles county of United States, California, who had already bagged a plum job in a leading aeronautics and space exploration company in sunny LA.

“My son makes interplanetary spacecraft. He’s the man of the future” had become the proud and frequent rant of Mr. Shiv Ahuja, who for some odd reason seemed to be trying to paint his son in the most rosy of tones even though he really didn’t need to, for as soon as Ruhi saw her future husband’s likeness, she lost her heart, and there was no question of a retrieval.
---o---
“Chai?”

“Huh? Yes please with just a pinch of sugar. Thanks!” He took the cup from her hands, careful not to touch her fingers.

Ruhi closed her eyes; she could now repeat every movement, every word by rote. He was a creature of habit…and she was bored. What was supposed to be the most exciting time in every young woman’s life had turned out to be the worst…Well, not really. He wasn’t mean, rather he was the perfect gentleman, too perfect!

Oh how she wished he would rather be screaming mean and nasty. At least that would bring some excitement into her not so-happening life! She laughed, pausing as she brushed her long black hair, rather hysterically.

The bombshell had dropped on their wedding night. He had walked into the room late as she sat there, a shy bride in all her wedding finery waiting, nervous yet excited at the same time, to meet the man she had hardly spoken to or looked at. What would he say, talk about, or do?

She had heard a lot of stories about what to expect, some factual and some fabricated (her friends had prepared her well), but she wanted her own to be special, unique, and it was…

Sitting down on the bed in front of her, he had taken her hand in his and said very gently, as if to tone down the trauma, “I bet you are one of the most beautiful brides in the world, but I’m sorry I cannot make love to you. There is someone else.”

Not sure if she’d heard right, Ruhi had watched puzzled as he lay down on the mattress and turned his back to her. Is that it? A plain and blunt dismissal of her dreams, her life? Was that all?



Simi K. Rao

Simi K. Rao was born in India and has been living in the United States for several years. This book is her first foray into writing. The inspiration for the story came from what she has seen transpire among and within the immigrant community.
Some of the experiences included are her own; some have been garnered from friends and casual conversations with acquaintances. She also writes poetry, is an avid photographer, loves to travel, and is a practicing physician. She currently lives in Denver with her family.

You can connect with the author and read more of her work on her website at
www.simikrao.com



Twitter: @simikrao
Blog: simikrao.com

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Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for Cross the Ocean by Holly Bush


Join Holly Bush on her Virtual Book Tour for Cross the Ocean, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions.  Please leave a comment or question for Holly to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter Holly’s tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow Holly’s tour here, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning. 

Cross the Ocean
by Holly Bush

Publisher: Book Baby
Release Date: December 5, 2005

Genre: Historical (Victorian) Romance
Length: 258 Pages

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Book Description: 

1871 . . . Worlds collide when American Suffragette, Gertrude Finch, and titled Brit Blake Sanders meet in an explosive encounter that may forever bind them together. Gertrude Finch escorts a young relative to London and encounters the stuffy Duke of Wexford at his worst. Cross the Ocean is the story of an undesired, yet undeniable attraction that takes Blake and Gertrude across an ocean and into each other’s arms.

Buy Links:  Amazon  │Kobo │iTunes │ARe

Excerpt

Blake went to the stables, had his horse saddled, and rode to Anthony’s estate. Maybe Elizabeth will ask me to stay for dinner, he thought. Then she’ll go to bed, and Anthony and I can drink a bottle of brandy and get stewed. He could stay there if he couldn’t ride home. A room was kept ready for him with a fresh change of clothes. Blake smiled and felt better than he had in days.  

As the butler escorted Blake down the hall of Anthony’s home to the drawing room, he heard a loud but feminine . . . snort and Elizabeth’s trill laughter in reply. Damn. He remembered now. A cousin of Elizabeth’s from America, sent as an escort to another cousin, was staying with them. Anthony had described and dreaded the arrival of Cousin Gertrude with horror. A spinster remotely connected to Elizabeth’s father’s side, she was big, bold and here for a month. Her arrival had curtailed Anthony’s visits.

Blake stopped and hissed at the butler. “Think I’ve changed my mind, Jenkins. I don’t want to disturb their company.”

“Quite the coward are we, Your Grace? Leave your life-long friend alone with this Amazon from America.” Jenkins stared as he spoke. “In any case they saw you ride up the drive.”

Jenkins spoke his mind to all including Anthony and Elizabeth. There’d be no expecting servile behavior for him. “I’m sure you did not miss the opportunity to point out my arrival,” Blake said.

 “Of course not, Your Grace.” The butler opened the drawing room doors with a flourish. “The Duke of Wexford.”

“Blake,” Anthony said and jumped to pump Blake’s hand. “I am so very happy you are here.”

Blake watched the woman sitting beside Elizabeth stand, and walk across the room to him. She was every inch as tall as he, and Anthony made the introductions. She held out her hand. Blake grasped it and bent to place a kiss there and was surprised when she began to shake it, hitting him squarely in the nose. Blake covered his face with his hand.

“Oh, dear,” Miss Gertrude Finch exclaimed. She threw a look at her cousin Elizabeth.


AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Holly Bush was born in western Pennsylvania to two avid readers. There was not a room in her home that did not hold a full bookcase. She worked in the hospitality industry, owning a restaurant for twenty years and recently worked as the sales and marketing director in the hospitality/tourism industry and is credited with building traffic to capacity for a local farm tour, bringing guests from twenty-two states, booked two years out.  Holly has been a marketing consultant to start-up businesses and has done public speaking on the subject.

Holly has been writing all of her life and is a voracious reader of a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction, particularly political and historical works. She has written four romance novels, all set in the U.S. West in the mid 1800’s. She frequently attends writing conferences, and has always been a member of a writer’s group.

Holly is a gardener, a news junkie, has been an active member of her local library board and loves to spend time near the ocean. She is the proud mother of two daughters and the wife of a man more than a few years her junior.


@hollybushbooks



Don't forget to leave a comment or question for Holly to let her know you stopped by.

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Saturday, September 21, 2013

Virtual Book Tour for Love Waltzes In by Alana Albertson



Join Alana Albertson on her Virtual Book Tour for Love Waltzes In.  Please leave a comment or question for Alana to let her know you stopped by.  You can follow Alana’s tour here. 

How to keep your writing different
by Alana Albertson

Have you ever picked up a book and been certain you’ve read it before, only to learn it had just been released? This reading déjà vu could be attributed to a writer mimicking the style of another writer.  Of course, it’s hard as a writer to keep your words, plots, and characters fresh—especially if you are writing for a genre like romance. 

For me, the most important way to remain unique is to cultivate your voice. Though all your characters are different, a writer’s fresh voice should be a common thread the weaves through your novels. That thread—whether wry and sarcastic, romantic and sweet, or sexy and dangerous, will keep your readers coming back for more. 

This voice is difficult to cultivate. Sometime critique groups will slay your words and you will lose that unique quality. Stay true to your voice by writing daily, trusting your instincts, and always striving to be original. 


Love Waltzes In
By Alana Albertson
Dancing Under the Stars, Book 1

Publisher: Bolero Books, LLC.
Release Date: July 14, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 202 Pages

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Book Description:


GET READY WHEN LOVE WALTZES IN!

To her millions of fans, ballroom champion Selena Marcil seems to have the perfect life: a great dance partner, a hit reality show, and celebrity perks. But underneath the glamorous ball gowns, Selena longs to find someone to share her life with when the stage lights dim.

Selena’s childhood sweetheart, Bret Lord, hung up his dance shoes after winning two national titles with her as a teenager, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He never saw his former fiancée again, except on television and on the cover of men’s magazines. Ten years and three deployments later, Bret gets an offer to audition for Selena’s dance show. When the Marine Corps gives him temporary leave to appear on the series, Bret can’t refuse the quick cash that will enable him to provide financially for the widow of his buddy, even if it does mean coming face to face with his past.

When Bret shows up at her national championship, Selena is shocked. For years she searched for him to no avail. After spending time with Bret, Selena realizes despite their past romance, they have no future. He has no desire to live under a spotlight and she has no desire to leave it. Can Selena and Bret recognize when Love Waltzes In? 

Buy Links:  Amazon  │Barnes & Noble 



Alana Albertson

Alana Albertson is the former President of both Romance Writers of Americas’s Young Adult and  Chick Lit chapters and the founder of Academe Advantage, a college admissions & test preparation company. Alana Albertson holds a Masters of Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University. A recovering professional ballroom dancer, Alana currently writes contemporary romance and young adult fiction.

Alana lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, two young sons, and four dogs. When she’s not spending her time needlepointing,  dancing, or saving dogs from high kill shelters through  Pugs N Roses, the rescue she founded, she can be found watching episodes of House Hunters, Homeland, or Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.




My Review

Born with a love of music, and two left feet, I fell in love with dance, and dance movies, at a young age.  Reminding me of what I love best about dance movies, Love Waltzes In by Alana Albertson is a well paced, sexy contemporary second chance romance.  Well developed characters, good dialogue, plenty of emotional angst and a good romance kept me turning the pages to discover Brett and Selena could put their differences aside long enough to discover their love could make things work out.

Dancing from the time she was a small kid, Selena Marcil has always wanted to win the professional dance competition in Blackpool, England.  Being a celebrity dance “star” on Dancing Under the Stars helps pay the bills, gives her the ability to continue to afford competing and keeps her in competitive shape.  While she knows she should be grateful for what she has, and she is, Selena also knows her life isn’t quite what she had hoped; she’s still single and wants a family.  She even wonders if pursing one dream has resulted in the loneliness that’s become a part of her life.

A former dancer turned Marine; Brett Lord was once Selena’s dance partner and fiancée.  Tired of the superficial life of a dancer, Brett chose to join the Marines.  Receiving a “Dear John” letter, Brett has focused on his life in the military and the real people he fights for every day.  When his old dance instructor offers him a chance to represent the Marines and make enough money to help out a deceased buddies family, Brett jumps at the chance.  He just didn’t plan on reuniting with the woman who broke his heart.

The scenes between Selena and Brett are well written, have plenty of emotional angst and plenty of physical chemistry.  While they’ve both matured, they still have unresolved issues from their past; Brett’s still hurt by how Selena dumped him and Selena’s worried about letting him get too close.  Contrasting their emotional reunion with their competition on the dance floor, Ms. Albertson lets us see the differences between their lives, their goals and what drove them apart.

The secondary characters are also well developed and are an interesting bunch.  From Benny, their old dance instructor and Selena’s manager, to Dima, Selena’s current dance partner, and his constantly roving eye, they all contribute something to bringing Selena and Brett back together.  Ms. Albertson does a good job managing all of her characters, on and off the page, and making me feel as if I’m seeing the dances she’s describing. 

Will Brett and Selena learn to let go of the past and open their hearts to a new future?  And will they learn they can spend their future together?  You’ll have to read Love Waltzes In to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book in the series, Waltz on the Wild Side. 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars




FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a blog tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.  I received no additional compensation for my opinion of the reading material provided.



Friday, September 20, 2013

Blog Tour & Giveaway for Runabouts by P.J. Jenkins

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Join P.J. Jenkins, author of the parenting/bullying book, Runabouts, as she tours the blogosphere September 9 - September 20 on her first Book Blast with Pump Up Your Book! P.J. will be giving away a $25 Amazon GC/Paypal Cash to one lucky winner! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form on the participating blogs below and good luck!

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ABOUT RUNABOUTS



Runabouts is a story about friends having fun together, as well as dealing with unpleasant situations. Sunny is a very good friend and tries to make sure that his friends are not taken advantage of by bullies. He also shows us how we can make choices for our own behavior even if others don't want to change their behavior. Sunny could leave Sharky stuck in the mud or he could choose to help him. What would you do? Enjoy the fun of zooming through the water and feeling the water spray over your face. I hope it will make you anxious to enjoy the water and warm weather just like Sunny.

Purchase your copy:

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ABOUT P.J. JENKINS


I’m married and have two daughters, and seven and a half grandchildren. We enjoy spending time with our grandchildren and love to take them for rides on our boat. We are lucky to live in Michigan where lakes are plentiful as well as beautiful. I taught elementary school for over 35 years. Reading books is such a joy for children. Life often brings problems dealing with different kinds of people, and children need to now that they choose how they want to behave regardless of what others do. I hope they can see other options as well as enjoy a fun story.


Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Certificate or Paypal Cash.
  • This giveaway begins September 9 - September 20.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on Saturday September 21, 2013.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

 

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book blast schedule
Monday, September 9
Tuesday, September 10
Wednesday, September 11
Thursday, September 12
Friday, September 13
Monday, September 16
Tuesday, September 17
Wednesday, September 18
Thursday, September 19
Friday, September 20


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