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Finding Balance in Everyday Living When you were a kid, did you ever play on the teeter totter at the playground? My sister and I, being twins and thus the same size, could each get on opposite sides and, with a little maneuvering, balance the board. Unfortunately, life isn't as easy to balance as child's play. Sometimes it's a little wobbly; at other times one end weighs everything else immobile. Recognizing this struggle in my own life, I decided to experiment with some balancing acts this summer in hopes of becoming a happier, saner wife and mother. Set Firm Priorities Most of us have a vague idea of our priorities or realize how they "should" fall, but do your everyday activities actually live up to this ideal? To firm them in your mind, sit down and write them out in order. This may mark me as obsessive, but it took my priorities from this nebulous ideal to reality. And I had to face the fact that, while I may claim my writing was a priority, I wasn't actually giving it a proportional share of my time. As a matter of fact, most of my time was going toward things that fell at the bottom of my list, like email, cleaning, and running errands. Taking a long look at this was the first step into slowing down my life enough to make changes. It helped me see where balance was lacking in my life and which direction would help me the most. Create Space in Your Life These days, we seem to run constantly. As mothers especially, we are ever on the move. Work, household, obligations, kids and their activities, church, writing... our time is continually eaten away by chores and unfulfilling minutaie. I used to think that I had to keep my house spotless. My Mom was a constant cleaner and the inlaws went for white-glove ready. I'd be so embarrassed when they showed up and the house was trashed by kids' toys, dirty dishes, and cat hair. With kids, I definitely outgrew this. I'm the sole cleaner in my house, and honestly, as long as we aren't growing mold, I don't really care. I'm the type of person who can live with some dirt to a certain point, then I must clean. And that's ok. The housework gets done eventually, when I can get to it, and that works for us. If anyone complains, I hand them a broom and say, "Have at it." Letting go of high expectations is the number one way to add space to our lives. Those extra pockets of time that can be filled by small, meaningful things, like cuddling with my children, having an actual conversation with my spouse, or, heck, just breathing. Save the high expectations for things that honestly matter beyond a moment. Set Multi-tasking Aside I became the queen of multi-tasking when my first child came into our lives. I started out by reading while I was nursing. Now I can clean while I talk on the phone, pour juice, cook dinner, and fold laundry. While I do believe this ability can save time, I've gotten to the point that I multi-task everything. Focusing on just one thing at a time has actually become HARD for me. As a result, I'm constantly rushed and anxious. If I'm relaxing, I feel guilty. Watching a movie--just watching--equals being lazy. And heaven forbid someone should catch me piled up in the bed reading. How mortifying! By letting go of the need to multi-task, I'm easing off the pressure and hopefully, stress. One way to do this is to plan ahead. Now, don't start obsessing over details, that's just a different type of pressure. Instead, create a moment for yourself to pause and decide logically what steps to take next. On www.flylady.com, the Flylady suggests spending fifteen minutes of every hour taking a break, thinking about what you need to do for the next 45 minutes of that hour. Taking the time to hug a loved one, have a cup of tea, or admire the sunshine and flowers in your backyard. I think fifteen minutes per hour might be a bit too often for me, but several times per day helps me regain focus and release that Go, Go, Go feeling. That's a good thing, right? Live Fully in the Moment This goes hand in hand with the last section. I've trained myself to do two things at once if I can. So now, I my mind is always running or feeling guilty for not running (yes, I recognize my neurosis, thank you very much!) So I find myself not savoring experiences or focusing very well. The time with my children has especially suffered because so many precious moments with kids are unexpected, caught only during careful observation. Now I try to remind myself to actually be with them fully when I'm interacting with them. To savor the feel of them snuggled up against me. Listen and marvel at the things they say. When I allow myself to relax, truly relax, I'm more refreshed afterward. When I actually pay attention to what I'm eating, I'm actually satisfied quicker. When I'm just writing without worrying about what else needs to be done, the words flow faster and make a whole lot more sense. You get my point? Many times we don't give our dreams priority because there is too much other "real" work to do. (Think day job versus writing before selling.) But that attitude also lacks balance. We're honoring our outer needs by doing what it takes to pay the bills, but what about our inner needs? Acknowledging and placing our dreams high on our priority list provides the emotional equilibrium and energy to then focus on the rest of our priorities. While paying the bills must come first, use that first bit of downtime to focus on your dream of becoming a writer. Honoring it will not only make you a better writer, but also a better wife, mother, employee, and friend. Take It For a Test Drive Despite all this advice I'm throwing out, I'm far from an expert. These are just steps (and reasoning) I'm attempting that I hope will make a difference in the chaos that can often be my life. Creating a balanced life is a lifelong journey, I'm coming to realize. If this is an area that you struggle in (probably so if you've read this far), consider taking some of my suggestions for a test drive. Summer is a great time to stop and smell the roses. The Pits of Pitching Hell You’ve signed up to give a pitch to Brenda in June, or at the national conference in San Francisco. And now you’re panicking because you have no idea what to do next. The first thing to do is to take a deep breath. And follow these simple steps. 1. Research the editor/agent you’re pitching to. This is the most important rule of pitching! If you don’t do anything else, make sure you do this. There is no reason to pitch an inspirational book to Brenda just like there’s no reason to pitch a self help book to an agent who only represents fiction. You must know that the person you’re pitching to is interested in buying/representing what you have to offer otherwise you’re wasting not only your time but theirs. That’s not a very good way to make friends and influence people. 2. Don’t take up the entire 5 or 10 minute slot with your book blurb. Your actual pitch should take no more than 2 or 3 minutes. It should be similar to the blurb that you would include in a query letter or the cover copy you’d see on the back of a novel. You can take in notes – I recommend note cards. 3. Open with your hook or high concept. Hooks:
High Concept:
4. Description of your characters – not necessarily their names but WHO they are. What makes them different and sets them apart?
5. Goal, Motivation and Conflict – you can weave the who into this statement : A by the rules Air Force Public Relations Officer will stop at nothing to succeed in her high profile career because she craves the approval of her Major General Father. But if he ever finds out that she accidentally married the hot shot pilot he’s never liked she’ll lose his respect...not to mention her career.
8. After the pitch wait for the editor/agent to ask you questions about the story. Be sure to have
9. Be prepared to ask the editor questions of your own – about her line, her job, her likes/dislikes, anything that makes you sound intelligent and informed. 10. When you’re finished be gracious and appreciative whether the editor/agent asked to see Kira Sinclair knows firsthand the ups and downs of pitching. She sold her first novel, Whispers in the Dark an August 2008 Harlequin Blaze release, from a pitch session. The Waiting Game by Smarty Pants Congratulations – you’ve done it! You’ve mailed off your baby, be it a query, a partial or a full manuscript. Somewhere an agent or editor has it in her hot little hands, and I’m sure she just can’t wait to call you and tell you she wants to buy it. Er...or not. Odds are, even if it’s the best book she has ever read, you’re not going to hear back for a while. First you have to wait in line. Then, she’ll read it. She’ll have staff readers or assistants read it again. Then maybe a senior editor or agent will read it. If you’re lucky she will put together revision suggestions (because although you might disagree, you aren’t perfect) or you’ll get the dreaded “R” back in your SASE.
So, there you go – my top ten things to do while you wait. If you take the time to do even a few or all things on the list, you might even forget (for an hour or two, at least) that you have a book out there. You’ll pass the time, be productive, and be fully prepared to tackle the next writing challenge ahead. Alexandra Frostlives in Huntsville, Alabama and is a member of Heart of Dixie RWA and The Writing Playground (www.writingplayground.com). She has spent many a sleepless night worrying about her submissions and is willing to go as far as to plan elaborate and unnecessary parties to avoid confronting plot problems. This article can not be reproduced without the author’s consent. What happens after that first sale? After the parties, the screaming and the joy? The waiting begins. But while you wait months or even a year for your first book to hit the shelves there are several things you can do to position yourself for the moment your sale becomes reality – not to mention the million things you’ll need to do for your publisher. The first thing you should do is write another book. For me it was months of being in limbo. My publisher didn’t want to talk about another book until we’d gotten the first one through production. This makes sense for them. But for me it was torture. It already felt like forever before my book would hit the shelves and without something to focus my energy on time seemed to slow to a snail’s pace. So I wrote another book. Ultimately, my publisher has asked me to focus on two other projects. However, that doesn’t mean the one I have stashed away is dead. It just means it’ll be awhile before I do anything with it. I do not consider that time wasted. There will, of course, be a laundry list of requirements from your publisher – art fact sheets, revisions, line edits, bios, head shots, dedications...the list is endless depending on their needs. The problem is that these things trickle in. Two or three now and then nothing else for two or three months. The key is to handle each of these things quickly and professionally because you are establishing your relationship with not only your editor but also other employees at your publisher. And if you have any questions don’t be afraid to ask! You’ve handled your publisher’s needs. Is there anything you can or should do to help position your book for monster sales? The most important – and cost effective – use of your time and money at this point is establishing a good web presence. As soon before your release as possible take steps to set up a website and/or blog. Getting an electronic presence can be expensive, not to mention time consuming if you design the media yourself. But don’t skimp here! This is the place your readers will come to interact with you, where they’ll learn more about you as a person. If blogging isn’t your idea of fun then consider finding other authors to share the burden with you. But remember the most important rule about a web presence is to keep it current! Change the content of your blog or website on a regular basis – even if it’s just to add a picture of your favorite pet. One question I’ve struggled with personally is whether to place any ads or buy promotional items. Ultimately, for me, the answer came down to cost effectiveness. I would have to sell an additional 667 books in order to break even on an ad or promotional campaign that cost me $200. Now, I’m no marketing genius but I know that sending 200 items into the big, bad world can not gain me three times that amount in sales. I’d be lucky if it netted me five. So, for the same $200 I’ve decided to invest in a promotional item that I can use for the next several books – changing the sticker I apply for each book I have out. While I’m still spending the money I’m also stretching the potential return and increasing the likelihood that the item results in sales. I’ve also streamlined my target audience. I’m going to focus on booksellers and librarians – people who will potentially hand sell all of my books once I’ve established myself as opposed to someone who might only purchase one book. I’m electing not to place any ads at this time. I may change my mind for subsequent books but for right now I think this is a strategy that will work for me. Of course, my release will be part of a category line. If I were publishing single title then my choices would quite possibly be different. I am, however, planning to design a book trailer through a free or mostly free site. This trailer can be placed on my website, blog and My Space page. The cost is minimal so the potential for a return on my investment is pretty good. Ultimately, the time between that phone call and the moment your book appears on the shelf can feel like a time of hurry up and wait. Before you know it you’ll be scheduling signings and writing your next book, take these months to tackle time consuming tasks like web design that you might not have time for later. Don’t rush to action simply to fill the void of impatience. Do the math before spending any money and evaluate potential gain against cost. If you do these things you’ll be well prepared to tackle that year. By: Kimberly Lang (with help from Kira, Marilyn, Alexandra, Danniele and Kelley St. John) Ah, I remember my salad days… the days when you’re so green you don’t even know you don’t have a clue and you wouldn’t know where to look for one either. Education is often painful, and the learning curve in this business is steep. I’ve been very lucky to have a very supportive group of authors who do know lead me out of the depths of my ignorance. So, in the tradition of passing it on, I have here for you Seven Things All Newbies Need to Know.
Broadway and Walt Disney -- The Secret to Achieving Your Goals by Marilyn Puett You got to have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true? -- Bloody Mary in South Pacific (1) When you wish upon a star your dreams come true. – Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio (2) January is the month when everyone begins to utter the question “What are your goals for the new year?” Last January you may have said “This is the year I’m going to ___insert favorite goal_____.” Yet here it is a year later and you didn’t do it. Why not? It’s something you’ve dreamed about for ages. Broadway musicals and Disney movies are full of lyrics expounding on the power of dreams. Dreams are the passions that guide us through life. They are what get us out of bed in the morning and make us put one foot in front of the other, or in the case of a writer, put the butt in the chair and the hands on the keyboard. Dreams Heed the cautionary tale of an only child of a man who was an auto mechanic and car salesman and a woman who was domineering and narcissistic. He was raised in New Orleans and after earning undergraduate and graduate degrees, his teaching career and doctoral studies were interrupted by the draft and a two-year stint in the Army. After his discharge he returned to New Orleans, lived with his parents and taught college. He also wrote a novel, drawing on some of his life experiences. Simon and Schuster expressed initial excitement in the book but eventually rejected it saying the book “isn’t really about anything.” Hello! Seinfeld! But this was a different century – a different time. The author began drinking heavily and believed the book would never see publication. He also quit teaching, dropped out of his doctoral studies and sank into a deep depression. In 1969 at age 32 he hooked a garden hose to his car’s exhaust pipe and ended his life. Seven years later his mother insisted a Loyola professor read the manuscript. The professor hesitated but relented and fell in love with the book. In 1980 A Confederacy of Dunces was published and a year later John Kennedy Toole was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. History is also filled with stories of those who didn’t listen to the naysayers. Walt Disney refused to listen to the people who told him to get a “real” job. Without his dreams we’d be living in a world without Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. And without the determination of Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, the Barbie doll would never have come into being. Goals Motivational speakers Zig Ziglar and Anthony Robbins tell about a study of the 1953 graduating class of Yale University. Researchers asked the seniors if they had specific written goals for their lives. Only 3% of them did. Twenty years later they were studied again and that 3% of the graduating class had accumulated more personal wealth than the other 97% of the class of 1953 combined. That’s a tremendous vote of confidence for the importance of writing down your goals. Or it would be if it was true. Fastcompany.com as well as the secretary of the Yale class of 1953 debunked this story that has been told from stages around the world. That doesn’t mean, however, that you shouldn’t write down your goals. Putting them on paper keeps them in front of you and gives you an easier way to visualize them. It also creates a level of commitment on your part to meet the goals, especially if you’ve shared them with an accountability partner. Another story often told from stage by motivational speakers is the true story of Napoleon Hill. He was an American author and one of the pioneers of the genre of personal success literature. Hill was a newspaper reporter who was assigned to interview steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was so impressed with Hill that he commissioned him without pay to interview 500 successful men and women including Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, George Eastman, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller and Theodore Roosevelt. Hill was already a believer in success principles and was more than willing to work without pay in order to have access to these great people. His job was to discover and publish their stories of success, which Carnegie believed could be distilled to a simple formula that could be duplicated by the average person. That distillation was eventually published as the book Think and Grow Rich, which has sold more than thirty million copies worldwide. What Hill discovered was that these successful people all had a “Definite Major Purpose.” In simple terms, they had dreams, goals and a plan to achieve them. A plan of action
Affirmations “I am” goes back to that deal about the brain not knowing the difference between the truth and a lie. The adverbs tell your subconscious that the goal won’t be difficult to achieve. Stating the goal in the present tense creates conflict between what you are saying and what is true. Your subconscious then acts to eliminate the conflict. Adding the words “or more” to the statement nudges your subconscious to realize that it’s possible to do more than just the five pages. By saying the affirmation first thing in the morning you start your day on a positive note. By repeating it right before bedtime, you command your brain to work on it while you sleep. Write down your affirmations not only as a writer but as a spouse, parent, employee or any other roles you have and tape them around your house. It takes twenty-one days to make a new habit. Repeating affirmations is a habit worth developing. Quotes
Belief There’s a story about a young girl whose father died and left her in the care of his second wife. The wife wasn’t thrilled at being responsible for this child and relegated her to a life of misery. Yet despite her abysmal lot in life, the girl kept a positive attitude and believed that one day she’d find a way out. Then an opportunity presented itself. She had held fast to her dream and now had a deadline to aim for. With a little help from her friends, she acquired the tools to achieve her goal and despite a lost glass slipper, a coach that turned back into a pumpkin, a nasty stepmother and two ugly stepsisters, Cinderella found her Prince Charming and lived happily ever after.
Happy New Year and here’s to your success! (1) Music and lyrics by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II Nobody Does It Better by Jennifer LaBrecque (Blaze, July 2008) The very obvious statement I could make here is that nobody does it better than Jennifer LaBrecque, but that might get me in trouble with my other writer friends! So, I’ll just say that Jennifer’s new book ROCKS! Set in Venice, this book pairs an everyday American schoolteacher with a sexy British spy. Holly and Gage are an unlikely couple, but it works so well here. Like in all of Jennifer’s books, the characters are funny and likable, and when Holly’s germ phobia helps her be mistaken for a notorious international spy, I spit my drink all over my book. The sex is hot, hot, hot –so hot, I didn’t want to stop reading in order to do the revisions to my manuscript. There’s a restaurant scene that sizzles, but it was the gondola ride that won me over. I’ll never think of Venice’s most famous icon in the same way again. But the book has a heart—and I’m not just talking about the love story. Holly’s personal journey had some very unexpected twists, and my heart broke for her. Gage is suave and works that international spy vibe without any 007 cheesiness. And, yes, I’m a sucker for Jennifer’s British heroes. This book gets the Problem Child seal of approval for a hot and fun book that’s a perfect way to while away a hot summer afternoon. Make sure your drink has ice—you’ll need it. The Loner by Rhonda Nelson(Blaze, July 2008) In one stupid moment of inattentiveness, Lucas “Huck” Finn’s career with the Rangers was over. He lived and breathed the work he did and wondered how he’d live without the Army. Then he was offered a position with Ranger Security, a top-notch firm founded by three former Rangers, and he’s a little less worried about his future. Well, he is until he learns he’s being assigned to babysit a spoiled heiress who’s received several threatening letters. Huck figures he’ll suck it up and handle the assignment until he sets eyes on Sapphira Stravos and (1) he reacts to her in a visceral way that’s way more than a bodyguard should feel and (2) he has a gut feeling that something’s not right. Sapphira hates having a bodyguard, but her father has insisted. She’s run off three already, but she’s met her match in Huck Finn. The sparks she feels toward him are strong and she’d love nothing more than let them burst into full flame. But if she does, then Huck will learn the truth about her and he’ll probably tell her father and her secret life will be over. THE LONER is trademark Rhonda Nelson fiction: strong alpha drop-dead-gorgeous heroes, smart sexy heroines who can hold their own; brilliant snappy dialogue, smart, sophisticated humor and sex that would scald an iron skillet. This latest release in her “Men Out of Uniform” series is sure to please. It’s a terrific hot read for a hot summer day – or night. To Seduce a Bride by Nicole Jordan Reviewed by Instigator I’ve been on a historical kick lately and Nicole Jordan is one of my new great finds. Her Courtship Wars trilogy, a trio of books I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, ends with To Seduce a Bride. Lilian Loring, the youngest of the three Loring sisters, has vowed she will never marry. Turning over her happiness and freedom to another person is simply too risky – especially when it involves a man who could leave her broken and desperate the way her father left her mother. The fact that her two older sisters have recently found love and marriage doesn’t sit well with her... Neither does a run-in with Heath Griffin, the Marquess of Claybourne, at her sister’s wedding. Telling him no and running away is the best response she can come up with to the unwelcome attraction he stirs inside. But Heath isn’t the type of man to take no for an answer, going so far as to follow Lily to a boarding house for women of ill repute. In the end, this book is a wonderful story of persistence, finding the best things in the most unusual places and trusting our instincts over our fears. This book is a fantastic escape, the entire series well worth the read. Pick up To Pleasure a Lady, To Bed a Beauty and To Seduce a Bride today! First You Run by Roxanne St. Claire Reviewed by Marilyn Puett When Adrien Fletcher agrees to help his best mate, ousted Bullet Catcher Jack Culver, find a baby adopted through a black-market ring thirty years ago, he never dreams he’d be thrust into the world of Maya culture. He’s given a name – Miranda Lang – and a clue – she was marked with a tattoo. Together, they may be able to solve a thirty-year-old murder. Miranda, an anthropology professor at Berkley, is promoting her book which debunks the theory that the Mayans predicted December 21, 2012 as the end of the world. But someone is out to stop her. Signings are disrupted or mysteriously cancelled, books disappear by the case and her life is threatened. If Miranda is indeed the adoptee Fletch is looking for, he must keep her safe from the lunatics who seem determined to stop her. And if along the way his attraction to Miranda turns into more, he’ll just have to deal with that too. Fletch, a former member of the Tasmanian Special Ops, is the most engaging Bullet Catcher to date. He’s fearless in the face of danger and known for his ability to get a woman horizontal and naked in under five seconds. Miranda is his intellectual match, but she’s a woman hounded by fears. Who better to help her conquer them than Fletch? Watching these two in action was pure bliss. Sexy, thrilling, spellbinding, romantic – FIRST YOU RUN cover all the bases of a great romantic suspense while including a little history and geography lesson as well. The plot and characters hooked me from the first page and kept me hooked until I finished at four in the morning. This book – especially the hero – was well worth losing a night’s sleep. His for the Taking by Julie Cohen Reviewed by Problem Child Most of the romance reading and writing world cut their teeth on Harlequin Presents. I’m one of the exceptions, but even I’ve read a few. It’s never been an auto-buy for me, though—sheiks and virgins just aren’t my thing. So why am I reviewing a Presents this month? Because it’s not really a Presents. Yeah, the cover looks like a Presents. The title sounds like a Presents. It’s part of the Presents line. Between those covers, though, it’s a Modern Heat. Miss the old Temptations? Then Modern Heat is for you—and they’re being released in the US now as part of the Presents line. Yay! (Presents has moved to twelve books a month, and rumor has it that four of them will be Modern Heats. My fingers are crossed that’s really the truth.) Julie Cohen’s His For the Taking is the US release of Driving Him Wild. Cab driver Zoe and park ranger Nick mesh like chalk and cheese at first, but the friction makes for much fun. A missing father, a deceased aunt with a secret (and a large estate), and a wounded NYC pigeon round out our major characters, and set Nick and Zoe on the adventure that leads them from the city to the backwoods to HEA. It’s a fun ride (pun intended). Both characters have emotional baggage, but it’s on wheels and fits in the overhead bin—just the way I like it. Neither one is so wounded or stunted that they evoke pity from the reader; instead, their motivations are understandable, believable, and totally relatable. So Julie Cohen gets rave reviews from me this month, and I’m recommending His For the Taking to one and all. I’m hoping all of Cohen’s books are in the same vein, and I’ll be checking into her backlist. The Undead Next Door by Kerrelyn Sparks,
Love at Stake Series Book 4 In The Undead Next Door, Kerrelyn Sparks's brand of vampirism meets Parisian fashion design in a small Texas town. With her unique blend of wit and flair, Sparks once again revisits the Love at Stake series. This is the story of Jean-Luc Echarpe, the Parisian coven master, who must go into hiding for 25 years to protect the secret of his immortality from the world. He chooses the sleepy town of Schnitzelberg, TX, where he inadvertently endangers the lives of Heather Westfield and her daughter. His attempts to protect the feisty divorcee are thwarted by her determination to stand on her own two feet after ditching her controlling husband. This story updates readers on a beloved cast of characters and introduces some shocking surprises. Skye O'Malley by Bertrice Small Reviewed by Alexandra Frost Few books can shape someone. I’ve been a part of several online discussions about someone’s first romance novel or what book turned them on to the romance genre. Katherine Woodiwiss is always mentioned, as is Bertrice Small. Her story, Skye O’Malley, was that book for me. I read it far too young, then proceeded to devour the entire 6 book collection. I recently tripped across it online and the book has been re-released as of December 26th, 2007. I’m so glad to see this book has been reprinted. In the past, it has been difficult to find and even more difficult to keep. (Be careful who you loan it to, I’ve lost 3 copies.) Appropriate, I say, that I write a review for the book that changed by life in a way. Skye O’Malley is no ordinary woman and this is no ordinary romance novel. This is the first book in a saga that follows an extraordinary woman’s journey through a tumultuous time in history. From the coasts of Ireland, to the harems of Algeria, to the court of Queen Elizabeth herself, you travel along with a woman ahead of her time. Unlike your standard romance, there is no one hero, no predicable plot arc, but a roller coaster of love, betrayal, loss and joy as Skye navigates her way through a life few could imagine living. If you enjoy rich historicals, this book is a must. Small goes above and beyond in her descriptions of the clothing, the food, and the settings. It makes the character’s surroundings come alive. I picked up most of my Elizabethan history from reading these books. If you fancy a tale with pirate ships or sultry locales like Africa, the Middle East and India, you’ll find that too. If you like an erotic story with a plot where the sexuality makes sense and don’t mind a bit of the purple prose early romances are known for, this is the book. My only warning is that you block off enough time to finish not only this story, but the 2nd novel All the Sweet Tomorrows so you can complete Skye’s story. (The remaining 4 books have Skye in them, but the stories focus on her children and other family.) |
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