Monday, April 5, 2021

Sins of Our Mothers (+ Giveaway)

I’m delighted today to share with you a fascinating book from a new-to-me author that I have the pleasure of hosting a tour for at MC Book Tours.

Come and join me in welcoming author Nicole Souza here today to talk about her latest release, SINS OF OUR MOTHERS.

◊ Genre: Dystopian Novel
◊ Publisher: WiDo Publishing (August 25, 2020)
◊ Print & eBooks
◊ Paperback: 338 pages
◊ ISBN-10: 1947966391
◊ ISBN-13: 978-1947966390

     It has been fifteen hundred years since the solar flare devastation of the Global Catastrophe. Due to the radioactivity in the harvesting fields, society dismisses its defective children as nothing more than flawed products of the malfunctioned seeds in the field.

     But Lyratelle, a hyper-observant musical prodigy, believes these “defects” are intelligent, particularly her own sibling, the youngest child of her impervious mother. Abandoning her dream career, Lyratelle climbs the bureaucratic ladder to run the Defect Research Center, where she can safeguard the child.

     With an underground team of women who share her uncertainties, Lyratelle unearths the Old History truth that womankind’s survival actually hinges on the existence of these defects.

     When General Sarah Love, the city’s most powerful advocate against the defects, detects Lyratelle’s sympathy toward the creatures, she threatens the life of Lyratelle’s sibling.

     Now Lyratelle’s desperate attempt to save this child endangers everyone she loves—her team, her family, even the existence of the defects themselves.

SINS OF OUR MOTHERS is available at AMAZONBarnes & Noble * WiDo Publishing. Also, be sure to add it to your TBR List on Goodreads.


Now here’s an excerpt for your reading pleasure.

Chapter 1
Juley 16, 1513 P.C.

10:00 a.m.

Staring through the green, rapt eyes of her reflection in the observation window to the oldest children’s room, Lyratelle slowly pulled the dark chestnut curls framing her face free from the elastic restraining her mane. Oblivious to the liberated strands waving sporadically in the AC’s subtle breeze, her gaze weaved through the disorderly multitude of defective children, stacks of beds, and shelves of test toys and activity books to the back corner where Defect 1501-575, whose own brown curls had grown out since its group was last shaved for a lice inspection, sat surrounded by plastic train cars, detached wheels, and pieces of a track. Lyratelle stopped fidgeting with her hair and pressed her hand to the glass, as if reaching for the defective child.

Lyratelle knew little about pregnancy. The transparent pod was filled with a subtle yellow liquid. A sleeping infant floated inside, attached to the pod by an umbilical cord. At thirteen weeks the infant was smaller than her palm, which she discovered when she pressed her hand to the pod.

“They said you were beautiful,” she whispered, “but I had no idea how beautiful. I hope you like music. I have so many songs to show you. My favorite one goes like this.” She cleared her throat and hummed the melody of her favorite sonata. After a few measures, the infant’s hands moved. The tiny back arched slightly. Lyratelle leaned closer. “Can you hear me?”

The memory was interrupted by the grumble of Lyratelle’s ring vibrating against the observation glass. She lowered her hand and glanced at the screen: Message from Grace.

“Display message.”

Emily River is approaching the gate.

“Display driveway.”

The lens on top of the ring slid open, and a hologram of the front courtyard emerged. Lyratelle heard pebbles crunch beneath the Panthera-Lea’s heavy tires as it pulled through the iron gate. She saw Emily peering out the backseat window, no doubt marveling at the building’s resemblance to the stately ruins of Windsora Castle, which, according to her resume, she visited while studying abroad freshwoman year—her first freshwoman year anyway, during her time as a Linguistics student.

The Panthera circled the driveway surrounding a structure resembling a massive tombstone where Defect Research Center was etched. It stopped in front of the main doors. The driver stepped out and opened Emily’s door. Faintly, Lyratelle heard the driver say, “Grace will meet you inside.”

Emily didn’t appear strong or threatening in any way. She was thin with blond hair just past her shoulders, and large blue eyes. She was the youngest applicant in the running. When she approached the doors, Lyratelle said, “Display entry.”

The hologram morphed into the DRC’s three-story entryway where skylights scattered the summer sun. The bang of the doors closing behind Emily echoed from the ring. Lyratelle watched her assistant, Grace, who was Emily’s height with dark wavy hair and purple streaks in her bangs, approach and extend a hand, her wrist covered in the usual charms and beaded bracelets. Grace’s business dress and button-down jacket clashed with her colorful tights and combat boots. “Welcome to the DRC, Doctor River. This way.” She led Emily out of the hologram.

“Close display.”

Lyratelle’s ring retrieved the image. Tucking the stray hairs behind her ear, Lyratelle glanced once more at Defect 1501-575 before heading to her office.

Grace waited outside the door. “All set.”

Meet the Author

 

As the third of eight siblings, Nicole has always been surrounded by people. Among her immediate family are spoken seven languages. Her favorite thing is hearing her nieces and nephews speak French, Tongan, or Mandarin. It’s no surprise she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Languages, as language is one of her greatest passions, topped only by music and Beat Saber.
 

Nicole minored in Women Studies and continues to take a particular interest in both women’s history and their individual stories. She’s grateful for her ancestors and other women who paved the way for her to pursue her dream of publishing stories and strives to create new avenues for the coming generations to pursue their dreams.

Though she’s lived-in various states in the U.S. and Brazil, Nicole considers Utah “home base” and continuously finds herself returning, even when previous moves were intended to be permanent. She attributes her love of Utah to the beauty of the Wasatch Mountains and the incredible people who make it feel like home, even when she’s been away for long periods of time. Recently, however, after visiting her sister’s family overseas, she’s been dreaming of a quiet beach house in Taiwan.

Connect with Nicole on her website nicolesouzabooks.com
Facebook@nicolesouzabooks
Instagram@nicolesouzabooks

Be sure to enter the tour wide giveaway below. If the widget doesn’t appear, you can still enter by clicking HERE. You can also follow Nicole on her tour journey by clicking HERE and best of all, you can still be a part of her tour as a host (if you haven’t already signed up).

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Do you enjoy books where the main protagonist is a female?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

62 comments:

  1. I've read this book!!! It's an amazing read!! I couldn't put the book down the whole time! I love Lyratelle's character and highly recommend the book to anyone! This author really gives a new perspective to life and family! ❤️

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    1. �� MelB, thank you so much! I'm the author and am dropping by to see how things are going on the first stop of the tour. I was so touched to read your comment first thing out of the gate! May I ask, what do you most love about Lyratelle? I so appreciate readers' insights into the characters, particularly the heroine. (In my opinion, she's even cooler in book 2 so stay tuned!) Thanks again! Best wishes to you. ��

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    2. I also love Lyratelle! She's amazing! The thing I love most about her, even if you weren't specifically asking me 😂, is her determination! She doesn't just go with the flow and accept everything people say and everything she hears to be truth! She finds out for herself the truth, without which people wouldn't have uncovered men and the importance of them and how they are supposed to be different from women and that that's ok and good. She literally changed the thing she was amazing at and wanted to do with her life to find out the truth and I love that about her! Without her determination they would have continued living in a lie.

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    3. 💜 So true, Heidi! I definitely think her skills of observation and truth- seeking are what make her powerful and capable of creating change. I do feel for her that she had to sacrifice a career in music, one of her great loves, to do it. But you're right, without her determination, the world would've continued in ignorance. 💜

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    4. Thanks for your reply! I really love Lyratelle's search for truth. She cares so much about making things right that she's willing to sacrifice her own freedom to do it! I think if everyone fought for the family the way Lyratelle does in your book, our world would be a much better place, and much more family-oriented. Families are the strongest unit a society can have!!

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    5. And that's so exciting about book 2! I can't wait to read it! When will it come out???

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    6. 💜 I so agree with you, MelB. Thanks for your reply! I'm hoping book 2 will be done early next year. 💜

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  2. I love books with women as the protagonist - and the premise to Nicole's book sounds fascinating. And pertinent. Already we tend to dismiss too many with different abilities...

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    1. 💜 Elephant's Child, thank you. If you get around to reading it, I'd love to know your thoughts. I agree, female protagonists are the best! 💜

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  3. That's a really interesting concept for a story! And I do love music, so that aspect of it is appealing, too. Thanks for sharing, Mason.

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    1. 💜 Margot, thank you! Music is a huge part of what makes the protagonist, Lyratelle, who she is. It influences many of her decisions and observations of the world. 💜

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  4. I think post-apocalyptic stories are doing really well right now! Congratulations to Nicole. :)

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    1. 💜 Elizabeth, thank you so much! Best wishes to you as well. 💜

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  5. Fascinating and captivating book.

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  6. I have read this book as well and I love it! I stayed up way too late reading several nights in a row. I’ve already been recommending this book to anyone I talk to. Not only does it offer new perspectives, it’s extremely relevant to things happening today and it’s captivating throughout. I can’t wait to get more opinions on the book during this tour! Definitely a fun discussion topic!

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    1. 💜 Rachzegarra, thank you so much! What an amazing comment. Do you have any questions or topics you'd like to discuss here? I'm always excited and happy to chat with readers about the concepts in the book. I'm also working on book 2 so it's the prefect time to gauge where readers' heads are at with the story. 💜

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    2. Oh that makes me so happy to hear that you’re working on book 2 already! I feel like book 1 left me wanting so much more. It’s just the beginning of actually fixing the problem and I’m dying to know how it all works out! I’m sure you don’t want to give away too much but I’d love to hear what the plot for book two is. I’d also absolutely love to hear what inspired this book for you. It’s so unique and at first I was thinking it was going to be another book about women and how we don’t need men but you so beautifully show the importance of both genders. I love the way you did that so I’d love to hear what inspired it!

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    3. 💜 I'm so glad you're excited about book 2! I'm happy to share a spoiler-free glimpse. It picks up right where book 1 left off. Willcom is adjusting, Sebastian is growing into his new role, Chris is working through some personal issues as Heatherly struggles with PTSD, Jemima joins the team, and Nicholai is fired up after learning his relationship to another character.

      There are 2 timelines in book 2: the continuation of Lyratelle's timeline, and Melissa's, which shows how the apocalypse went down in Year Zero.

      Governments clash as they scramble to deal with the truth being shared with their subjects, and Lyratelle has to watch her back from beginning to end. It's quite intense!

      Inspiration for the series came when I realized men are disappearing from their families, communities, and society as a whole. It's easy to blame them for giving up on themselves, but it's also easy to blame women for driving them away. The book discusses how everyone is responsible for the segregation. And it encourages us regular folk to stop and think about what's happening, and what we can do to halt the great divide now taking place.

      It's been so eye-opening to learn how many people feel just like I do. I feel so connected to the readers and others who have shared similar concerns about the future. 💜

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    4. I am also excited to hear there is going to be a book 2! I can't wait to read it! It's always easy at the end of a book to say everyone lived happily ever after but that would be too easy! I can't wait to see how everything continues to resolve as everyone adjusts to their new reality!

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    5. 💜 Thanks, Heidi! I hope you'll enjoy book 2 as much as book 1. I think book 2 is actually my favorite storyline in what I currently anticipate being a trilogy. 💜

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    6. Ah! 2 more books!!! That's the greatest thing I've ever heard! I can't wait!

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    7. Oh I love that we are going to be able to see Melissa’s story and see how the world came to be like that. Most stories set in future don’t explain how they got there so I love that!!

      And yes, I totally agree men are fading away. That’s something I’ve been noticing but I feel like doesn’t get talked about enough. So thanks for writing this to get discussion started as well! Seriously you’re an inspiration!

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    8. 💜 Yay, thanks, Heidi! That made my day. 💜

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    9. 💜 Rachzegarra, thank you! I'm so glad so many others are willing to discuss the issues, too. Sometimes it's discouraging to have such heavy thoughts and concerns and not have somewhere to sort them out. Readers have been wonderful for these kinds of discussions.

      Melissa's story is tragic, so be ready! She had many reasons to believe cleansing the world of men was the best option. A here's a little teaser for you since you know the story well: Melissa and Cheyenne have a lengthy conversation in book 2. 🤫💜

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    10. Ah that makes me so excited! I can wait to read it!! ❤️❤️

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    11. 💜 Thanks, Rachzegarra! 💜

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  7. I am currently in the process of reading this book! This is such a fascinating concept. As a mother of 6, including 4 boys my emotions are running like crazy! Very stimulating! I am excited and anxious to see where some of these characters will end up!

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    1. 💜 ESDAemily, I'm so touched by your comment! And so pleased to know you can relate to the characters and story. I hope the books opens up more dialogue about what's happening in the world to make it a better place for your boys, and all your kids! 💜

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  8. I’ve read the book twice now!! Love it! It kept me entertained and enthralled the entire time. I really enjoy books that make me think about it long after I’ve read it and this book definitely does not disappoint! Smart and thought provoking. I’ve referred it to many friends and family who have also enjoyed it!!

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    1. 💜 Grammy28, wow, thank you! Your comment means a lot. I'm so happy to hear it's entertaining enough for a second reading! 💜

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  9. There seems to be something bigger here. I enjoy a good dystopian novel, because it comments on the good and bad of today. Excited to see where this book goes!

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    1. 💜 BaiJie I also love dystopian novels. I read The Giver as a kid and just fell in love with the concept of making an argument by showing what would happen if the opposite of the argument were to happen. I hope this one lives up to your excitement and would love to know your thoughts. 💜

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    2. May I ask the argument you are making? What drove you to write this book?

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    3. 💜BaiJie, absolutely! Thanks for inquiring. The ultimate message of the book is that nothing the world offers can possibly replace family, as it is the source and purpose for life. It lays out a heavily dark future for the relationship between women and men and (hopefully) shows why it's best of we course correct now and refocus our values on family.

      The inspiration came during my college years when I noticed men were disappearing from society, from their families, even the university scene was heavily female. I'm worried men are going to be erased completely and become essentially sperm dispensers.

      Of course, I love that women are thriving. I just think we can, and should, thrive together rather than one gender at a time. Otherwise we're stuck with either a pattern of oppression, or the complete removal of masculinity from our world. I hope that gives you an idea. 💜

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    4. It's best *if we course correct...

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. 💜 Sorry, I was trying to add a picture to my profile and deleted my comment. (If only I were as tech savvy as Grace! 😉) The comment is now posted below. 💜

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    2. 😂🤣😂 I wish I was as tech savvy as Grace as well!!! I hate and love technology!

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    3. 💜 😅 You and me both! Researching a bit about technology to try and understand Grace (possibly my favorite character by the way), I realized how much I don't know! It's daunting. 💜

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  11. 💜 Thanks so much to the Thoughts in Progress blog and everyone participating in the tour. A million thanks to the readers. I'm so touched by the positivity and encouragement. Sins of Our Mothers is meant to open dialogue about human relationships and the direction in which we're headed as a global society. Nothing makes me happier than conversing with readers about their concerns and hopes for the future. I believe we regular folk can join forces to steer humanity's enormous ship in the direction that's best for us and our children. Please reach out for discussion and connection. Best wishes to all. 💜

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  12. Sounds very good and a new Author for me thanks great review
    Penney

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    1. 💜 Penney, thanks! I hope it's as good as it sounds! Best wishes. 💜

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  13. I absolutely love this book!!! I couldn't put it down! I really enjoyed seeing how the "defective" children changed when learning about who they are and realizing their importance! In a day and time that we live in now and the crap people say about men, it is a great book to show just how great they are! How much we do need them and what they can do for families and society! An amazing read!!! Highly recommend!

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    1. 💜 Heidi, you and I are on the same page! Thank you for your comment. I'm so glad you enjoyed the book. Was there a male character that stood out to you? I'd love to know who best represents men in today's world. 💜

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  14. This sounds really interesting! Thanks for the spotlight and introduction to a new to me author!

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    1. 💜 Glenda, thank you! I hope it's truly as interesting as it sounds! Much appreciated. 💜

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  15. I love Sebastian! He's for sure my favorite and I love him haha but who wouldn't!? I love Philip cause everyone needs that kind of beauty in their life! Even if it's just to stare for a minute because you can't look away! 😂 I really like Chris though, I love that before knowing his importance he was an exceptional man! He didn't need to learn or be taught that he was better than acting a certain way he just knew and was content with who he was even if others told him he was a danger and not good. It didn't matter to him what others thought, he was going to be himself and he was proud of that! I think there are many men out there like that in today's world but I think there are alot like Sebastian too. I think being told something from the time you are born to the present day it would be hard to think you're better than what you have been told you are. As he finds his purpose and self worth though it's amazing to see him fight for it because the important things are worth fighting for! I think when men feel loved and appreciated and respected and like their life is worth while there isn't anything they can't do! I love the relationship he and Lyratelle share as well. They compliment each other and help each other grow and be their best!

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    1. 💜 Wow, so much great info, thank you! It's been fascinating to see the various reactions to the individual men in the story. While i think they all have something important to offer the reader, I'm finding most readers identify with Sebastian in one way or another. Perhaps because every human being has a troubled past, or because we all have our own Sebastian in our family or circle of friends. I'm so happy to see readers rooting for him. Thank you, thank you! 💜

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  16. 100% recommended! This is the most original concept I’ve seen in a very long time. This book and future books in the series should be on Hunger Games or, dare I say it, Harry Potter level success. As a father of 3 young kids this hits me in a new and impactful way that I didn’t expect. Great job and keep up the incredible story-writing! Can’t wait to see what is in store for these characters.

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    1. 💜 Pelangi Loi, I can't thank you enough for your comment. I'm so pleased that so many parents are connecting to the story. I so hope that would be the case. I truly believe if we regular folk join forces we can determine the future for our families. So much feels out of our hands but amazing things happen when good people unite.

      Thank you for your compliments and encouragement! It means a lot. Great to correct with wonderful parents like you. 💜

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    2. Also *Palangi... Apologies for misspelling your name!

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    3. Oh my word, I also mistyped *connect... So sorry! I hope my comment made sense!🤦‍♀️

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    4. Haha not a problem! It’s awesome that you take time to reply to everyone’s posts and try to connect to your fans/soon to be fans! And I couldn’t agree more with what you said! I think that’s my favorite part of the book is that the message is simple and relatable to everybody- but told in a very creative and complex way. It’s great.

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    5. 💜 Thank you! I really appreciate it. This is all motivating me to get book 2 out as soon as possible. I hope to keep offering quality entertainment! Best of wishes to you and your family! 💜

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  17. A good book for these times, about a global disaster. How cool so many languages are spoken in your family!

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    1. 💜 Denise, thank you! My parents and siblings are all chronic travelers. Many of us have married foreigners and speak multiple languages at home. All the kids are growing up well-exposed to many cultures and dialects. A few currently live overseas or plan to move overseas soon. It's a fun, wonderful group of humans to be a part of. I sure love my family. They're definitely why my stories are family-centered. 💜

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  18. Hi Mason and Nicole - I see from the comments that Nicole's book is recommended ... which is great ... I've noted and perhaps one day might take a look ... good luck to you both - Hilary

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    1. 💜 Hilary, thanks so much! Best wishes to you as well. If you do get around to reading it, I'd love to hear your thoughts. 💜

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  19. I only had time to skim the review, will bookmark to read later. Interesting storyline and character name.

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  20. Thanks for sharing sounds good I always like to have some kind of feedback before I set out to read a book. Much appreciated.

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.