William H. Johnson

Archive for 2010|Yearly archive page

Patience is a Virtue, even for Writers

In Reflection, writing tips on August 17, 2010 at 12:32 pm

Last night was tough. Concentration was hard to come by.  The words seemed to come soooo slowly.  I kept looking at the clock: two hours of my three hour writing block was gone and I felt like I’d barely written anything.

I tried starting a section a couple of different ways but nothing caught. I tried music; songs that I related to the story, songs that evoked any emotion at all. Still nothing.

So I waited. Leaned back, laid down and just thought about my main character and other characters in the scene. I stepped into each of their minds and meditated on their desires and what they wanted from one another.

Time passed.

Then with about 15 minutes left I took a third strike at the wall and broke through. It still didn’t feel great but I’d committed to write so I did just that. All told I got to about 1000 words out longhand in 45 minutes (I extended my block a half hour), finished chapter 3 of the manuscript and achieved most of what I wanted to achieve in the session.

Another plug for hanging in there, keeping at it, and being patient!

DARK PROVINCE Book Two is Underway!

In Dark Province Book Two, News, The Dark Province on July 28, 2010 at 1:54 pm

The majority of the first fifteen four or five star reviews on Amazon mention or request a sequel:

“I look forward to my next visit to The Dark Province.” –Walko

“Thanks, William Johnson, for The Dark Province: Son of Duprin, and if you read this, please write a sequel.” –Gadget Girl

“I’ll be waiting.” –mimibimi “Ravenous Reader”

Who am I to say no to satisfied readers? A sequel to THE DARK PROVINCE: SON OF DUPRIN is underway! It has been in its planning stages since before the first book’s release. I am proud to say that the yet titled DARK PROVINCE SEQUEL is out of initial development and in the process of being written.

It feels great to be working on a new manuscript. But more than that, its feels great to be back in the Dark Province universe; to look out across the still waters of the Great Sea, to meditate under the light of the Oron moon, to feel the warm humid air on my skin at the Port of Metwihn and to pull my coat close to guard from the chilled weather at the Jekkemi port at Dinamin. It’s great to be back.

THE DARK PROVINCE: SON OF DUPRIN which has been described by some readers as a hybrid of fantasy and other genres will, in the sequel, descend deeper into the fantasy genre in terms of magical element and fierce fantastic creatures. Having been through the journey of awakening as Calvin Gooding breaks from the beliefs of his pasts, we will now be led into the throws of revolution. This all being done while maintaining the intimate style of the original novel.

I will be sharing this journey of creation on my blog along with tips and other reflections. I am grateful to you my readers for your support and enthusiasm of this book and the upcoming sequel. I am very much looking forward to delivering you another enjoyable read.

Centreville Author Discusses Inspiration (via The CENTRE VIEW)

In Press, The Dark Province on July 23, 2010 at 1:30 pm

The following is an interview published in the April 22-28 edition of Clifton, Virginia’s CENTRE VIEW newspaper. Interviewed by Senitra McCombs.

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Author William H. Johnson, Centreville native, talked about his debut novel “The Dark Province: Son of Duprin,” who motivates him and why he would like to have dinner with former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs. Johnson will be talking about the novel as well as signing copies at Mei’s Asian Bistro, 434 Washington Boulevard in Arlington this coming Saturday, April 24, from 2-4 p.m.

What is your book about?

WJ: “The Dark Province: Son of Duprin” is an adult epic fantasy adventure, set in an originally created world. It follows the quest of Calvin Gooding, a man who is forced to deny the strict religion of his homeland to follow his faith into a forbidden country that to even enter is grounds for excommunication and condemnation. But it is his only hope to save his dying sister’s life.

How did you come up with the title? Does it have any symbolism?

WJ: “The Dark Province” is the name that Calvin’s people use when referring to the land across the sea to which they are forbidden to travel. The symbolism is from the Duprinite belief that going there brings out the darkness of your soul.

Are there any themes or an overall message you want readers to walk away from the book with?

WJ: To me, the primary literary theme is religion vs. faith. So often they’re spoken of together. But aren’t there times when a person has to choose one or the other? This doesn’t have to necessarily relate to the conventional definition of religion either. Any system of beliefs that founds a person’s worldview can count as religion. A time may come when one must choose between their loyalty to those beliefs and following a feeling that resonates deeply in their soul in order to proceed forward in life. In Calvin’s case, his decision is this: does he risk the damnation of his soul to save his sister’s life? Or does he bow to the demands of his cultural heritage and accept her fate and passage to the next world?

How did you come up with the idea for the book?

WJ: It started with musing on the duplicity of the public role of sex and intimacy in our culture. Sex’s public persona in our culture is one heavy with racial and ethnic stereotypes, hard-line moral judgments, and an ongoing stream of stories from the media about crippling abuses by people in power from our schools to our largest religious institutions — yet in private quarters it is about connection and a certain knowing of another person. We so often brand its mention as “dirty” or “inappropriate” and relate it to sort of a lower class of thinking. Meanwhile the most successful businesses use it to sell their products: movies, beer, fast food, cereal, and cell phones, to name a few. This duplicity fascinates me as an artist. I had a fairly strict religious upbringing and thought it would be interesting to juxtapose a very liberal sensual world with one of strict moral convictions.

How did you become an author? Was it a childhood dream?

WJ: I have been telling stories and writing them down since I was quite young but I would say it was high school when I realized how important writing was as a means of expression and exploration and what it could be for me. I’ve written screenplays, staged plays, and poetry. But when it came time to create a piece that I would point to as a true sample of my work, I wrote a novel. For me writing fiction has it all.

What was the hardest or difficult part of writing the novel?

WJ: Coming face to face with some of the difficult emotions it brought up. I really allowed myself the space to walk with this very flawed main character. As he was being challenged by his own fears and prejudices, so was I.

Where or who do you draw your inspiration from?

WJ: Everything and everyone from my own personal experiences about people and social issues; my own emotional reactions to what I see and hear drive my need to write and tell stories.

What’s your favorite spot in the area or do you have a favorite childhood memory?

WJ: I was born at Fairfax Hospital and lived my whole live in Chantilly and Clifton up until college. I would say my favorite spot is the stadium in Centreville High. Having participated in varsity football and track & field I have a lot of memories there. Also the Ruby Tuesdays in Centreville, I also have memories there with family and friends.

If you could have dinner with anyone famous who would it be and why?

WJ: Former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs. He was always such a class act while being a respected and effective leader. I would enjoy talking to him about how he inspired the best out of so many people over such long span of time.

3 Myths About Writers Who “Plot”

In writing tips on July 20, 2010 at 12:19 pm

One of my favorite things to do is to join my fellow writers in online discussion groups such as LitChat, WriteChat, StoryCraft, and BookMarket. Occasionally the issue of who is a plotter or a panster comes up. More often than not, I find that the majority of the writers present are pansters.

Now its not like these differences in process play out like the east coast west coast rap wars of the 1990’s, but I often find myself concerned that those who plot or those who would plot for the betterment of their craft might be discouraged by the myths that seem automatically assumed by very vocal pansters. Here, then are my top 3 myths about plotters that need dispelling.

Plotting = overanalyzing.

An effective plotter simply breaks down the components of their work to develop them in separate pieces. I actually find it enjoyable because it takes what might otherwise be an overwhelming process and breaks it down to bite sized pieces. As well, it allows my passion to embrace each aspect of my work with the attention it deserves. The main thing I think plotters determine is a basic view of where the story begins, ends and what many of the potential major plot points are. An experienced plotter like an experienced film director knows that once you start “shooting” (or in our case writing a manuscript) improvisation is inevitable. An effective writer will discover better story beats and new characters as well as improvements to characters already created and willingly give over to those discoveries.

Working off an outline or summary is inorganic.

Novel’s are big documents. No summary or outline can tell the whole story. Let’s take the Mother Road for example, historic route 66. It’s an amazing cross country journey that took travelers from Chicago to Los Angeles and vice versa. If I were going to take a trip on the Mother Road, I can look on the map and get a basic view of where route 66 is, decide I’ll stop in Victorville, CA, Kingman, AZ. Gallup, NM, Oklahoma City, etc. But it won’t tell me exactly what time of night I’ll get there. The condition of the old motel I’ll stay in. The tiny old town full of private history that I’ll visit in between my stops. Or the regrets of the old man who sits outside the barber shop and watches the old clock in court square at the same time everyday. Plotters invite discoveries by giving themselves vast uncharted ground to cover.

Being a plotter doesn’t allow the characters and the story to take command of the work.

I more see it like the force. Luke Skywalker asks Obi Wan “Does the force tell you what to do?” and Obi Wan wisely says “Yes, and it also obeys your commands.” I think the same way of writing. When a story comes to me (or chooses me as some might say) it chooses me for a reason. I have something to offer it. Why else did it show up on my doorstep? For example, at the time THE DARK PROVINCE: SON OF DUPRIN was conceived back in August 2003, many of its final components were missing. There was no Calvin, no Mari, no Gooding family at all. There was no Duprin. There wasn’t even a Tiyll or a great city of Metwihn. No theme of religion vs. faith. There was merely a small secluded town called Potsim where an ancient king dwelled with his servants. Open sensuality was the culture’s primary attribute and had I let those characters lead a manuscript then, it is likely that I would have written a full on erotica novel, and a wandering one at that. I wasn’t satisfied. Instead I spent time with the characters listening to them, writing freewrites, dialogues, scenes in stage play format. What they offered me was an original setting and set of characters with inspiring uniqueness. What I offered them was what I had to say as an artist. Together we developed the rest of the world and produced a summary we could all be satisfied with. Then the manuscript was written.

Hopefully this addresses some thoughts about plotters. A plotter can be organic, embrace discovery, give over to the mystical muse and see what happens just as pansters can come up with excellent plot points, beginnings and endings. It has been such a pleasure discussing books, business, and the craft with fellow motivated writers. Let the learning from one another continue!

Sincerely,

William the Proud Plotter :-)

Three Questions for Indie Authors about Connecting with Readers

In Indie Publishing on July 13, 2010 at 1:05 pm

I posed three questions to indie authors in my last blog.  Their focus is on the topic of connecting with readers as opposed to marketing or book production. I was going to pose them during Friday June 25th’s #LitChat discussion on Twitter as part of the INDIE AUTHOR SHOWCASE. The hour flew by so quickly I never got the chance. I’d like to pose them here on my blog and invite discussion.

Q1: Are there ways that an indie author can deliver a satisfying reading experience better than a trad pub? If so, what are they?

My Answer: I believe so. An indie author can boldly defy the standard boundaries of genre to follow a specific vision for a specific story. One reader described THE DARK PROVINCE: SON OF DUPRIN as a mix of three “themes.” She said its part fantasy, part religious fiction, and part erotica. I agree that all three of these elements have a significant presence while the literary theme of religion vs. faith is the primary engine that drives the story. In a standard market each of these subgenres have certain expectations. Marketing the book as any one of these individual elements could risk the creation of unrealistic expectations about the content. The promotional campaign then may require a more creative approach in which the author is more the face of the promotional campaign than is typical in today’s bookselling market. I don’t believe that a book must adhere to the sometimes narrow set of expectations, where it pertains to genre, in order to be a satisfying read. However, an indie author who is passionate and confident in their own unique work may be more motivated to overcome the obstacles of expectation and ultimately better deliver that read to booklovers.

Q2: In indie film, prod value is often sacrificed out of necessity. Does this happen in self pub and how does it affect the reader?

My Answer: I think this happens often to the detriment of the piece in the self pub world. Novels need developmental guidance that can come in the form of editorial evaluations, content editing, and proofreading. All of these services are best performed by professionals. There is generally a cost involved and at times the bulk of the cost of production. As well a compelling cover design, including back cover copy, is a critical part of providing the reader with the initial intrigue.  Finally, a good printing company is needed to bring interior design, exterior design, and the author’s words to life. Skimping on these elements, particularly editorial, can adversely affect reader experience. I recommend indie authors do ample research to educate themselves about the choices. Those choices are many, and making the best decisions on where to invest time and resources will maximize reader satisfaction.

Q3: What are people going through or have they gone through that your book or writing will speak to?

My Answer: This is an answer to consider at any point in the creation of the novel. It really depends on the author. Many authors find it very distracting to think about the reader while writing. This is fine. I wrote THE DARK PROVINCE for me, though as I wrote I did allow myself the space to think: Perhaps there are readers out there who can love this like I do for similar reasons. Once I had completed the book and started working on marketing plans, I allowed myself to step back and take a fresh look on what types of ideas my book spoke to. Other artists who were familiar with the piece in its early stages helped me talk out how this book might connect. I discovered that the central theme of the book was religion vs. faith which is a hot topic in how many people see the world. Even the most loyal churchgoers will now say “I’m spiritual, not religious.” What does this mean? And how does it translate to life’s choices? THE DARK PROVINCE associates faith with something deeper than religious tradition and then rakes its main character over the coals as his loyalties to those traditions come under intense fire as he attempts to follow that faith. I’ve been through this personally. I believe that there are others who have also in perhaps other aspects of their lives. I believe that my book speaks very personally to those people who find this issue personally relevant.

How would you answer these questions?

FIRED UP to be the Featured Author on This Friday’s LITCHAT!

In Indie Publishing, Motivational on June 24, 2010 at 1:38 pm

Bring on the HOT SEAT!

This Friday from 4pm ET to 5pm ET, I will be the featured author on LitChat – All Book Chat as part of a week-long INDIE AUTHOR SHOWCASE. I can’t tell you how fired up I am about this. Fired UP!

It has been a great week with such smart Indie minds as Dan Halloway and D.R. Whitney playing this role during Monday and Wednesday’s chats respectively. Two hours and over 1200 tweets of pure energy has resulted as writers from around the world are coming together to share ideas about how we can take an empowering role in the future of our work. Musicians are doing it. Filmmakers are doing it.

So. Can. We.

So far we’ve been posing questions about the business of publishing. We’ve talked about the benefits of creative control, working fluidly with the timeliness of our material, and preservation of artistic voice.  We’ve talked about some of the nuts and bolts of production: What is POD? How does it differ from off-set printing? What are recommended approaches to the editorial process and what are the costs? We’ve even talked trends on the final format – ebook vs. trade paperback vs. audio novel.

These are great topics and require discussion. As indie authors we must be educated. We can no longer be in the dark. We need to know what it takes to make a book if we are going to be the CEO of a book release and distribution project.

On Friday I want to talk about what it means to connect with a reader as an Indie Author. What is that like? What is it you have to offer them in a competitive market of potential reads? If you decide to publish you are doing so because you want to share your words with people. Is it to entertain them? To provoke them? Why do we do it? And why will the reader benefit by entrusting their precious reading time to you?

Here are some questions I will be posing to the guests while fielding questions from the illustrious Debra Marrs who will be moderating LitChat in place of our usual fearless leader.

Q1: Are there ways that an Indie Author can deliver a satisfying reading experience better than a trad pub? If so, what are they?

Q2: In indie film, prod value is often sacrificed out of necessity. Does this happen in self pub and how does it affect the reader?

Q3: What are people going through or have they gone through that your book or writing will speak to?

As artists we are rewarded in a powerful inexplicable way when we have the opportunity to share our work. Whether we’re musicians, filmmakers, authors, or theatre artists there is something about sharing that completes the sacred circle. Let us then remember how important audience, readers, listeners are to our craft, our business, our overall operation. If we dedicate ourselves to giving them our very best, wonderful things will follow.

See you in LitChat!!!

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To join the chat go to www.tweetchat.com, sign into your twitter account and enter LITCHAT into the hashtag field.

For transcripts of the chats during Indie Author Showcase week, visit http://litchat.net/past-litchats/

7 Tips For Developing Your Novel BEFORE You Write it

In writing tips on June 9, 2010 at 12:11 pm

So you want to write a novel? Excellent! What’s that? You’ve written half of one and either chucked your computer out the window or buried your work in disgust? You’re not alone. Writing a novel can be a wonderfully fulfilling or unspeakably frustrating experience (or a little of both). My debut novel, THE DARK PROVINCE: SON OF DUPRIN, was not intended to be my first. I bitterly abandoned an old project to take it on, and when I did this I adopted a new attitude toward developing my idea before setting out to write the manuscript. I am now a firm believer that a proper development phase should be the first step in writing a novel.

Here are some tips for a successful development phase:

Designate a notebook for that particular novel and write any thoughts or feelings you have about the piece in it. And I mean everything: quotes from the characters, an intense dialogue, part of an action scene, a moment of intense romance. Write it all down. Even write your personal thoughts on the piece. Does it remind you of a time or person in your life past or present? A freewrite about how it relates can inspire a new ideas for your story.

Perform short freewrites describing characters and setting. Before I wrote THE DARK PROVINCE I knew Calvin Gooding’s family. I knew his strict father and the duplicity of his mother’s faith and gentle pessimism. I knew how deeply committed he was to his traditions. I knew he wasn’t married and how strongly he believed in abstinence. I also knew the history of the land of Duprin; its past wars, its landscape, even its level of technological advancement. Characters, their world, and the story comprise the sacred who, where, and what for your novel. The clearer the picture you can paint of these, the more prepared you will feel when you sit down to write your manuscript.

Frequently attempt to describe the story in less and less words until you can do so in fewer than 25 words. This will focus you more and more on what types of actions you’re looking for. It should include a description of the main character and what they need. For example: An epic fantasy adventure about a deeply religious man who must, to save his dying sister, defy his religion and follow his faith. (23 words) Example 2: A gutsy love story about two childhood friends from a dusty, desert town who must restore a mother’s legacy before it tears them apart. (24 words)

Brainstorm plot points for your story. You need a lot of these with 2 or 3 being particularly pivotal. The first major plot point happens about a quarter of the way through your story. It drives us into the main body of the book’s drama. The mid point happens half way through the story. It serves to kick up the second act drama and keep the action moving in the body of the story. Plot point 2 happens about three quarters of the way through the story with about one quarter left. It places the character at their lowest point or performs a dramatic reversal further deepening the main character’s incline toward resolution.

Develop your beginning and ending and then describe them over and over. I advocate knowing the beginning and ending of your novel before you start writing it; particularly if you’re writing something you want someone, someday to buy. A compelling beginning hooks the reader and invites them to read the rest. An ending must be satsifying to fulfill the story’s arc of action and inspire future readers to recommend it to their friends. Repeatedly describing them during development places them firmly in your mind and helps assure that they are ever present guides as you write the body of your novel.

Write a one-page general summary. When you have your plot points, beginning, and ending play a little connect-the-dots. Have fun exploring the events that will get you from one point to the next. In your previous brainstorm of plot points you probably came up with some good ones that didn’t end up being the major pivotal ones. Flip back to those. They may just fit well on your roadmap.

When you feel ready to write a chapter summary, set a deadline. Look at you – you’ve done all this great developmental work! You are close now to being able to write a solid first draft of a manuscript. Plan on devoting a certain amount of time to briefly describe each chapter. You can do in bullet or paragraph form. Either way works. Give yourself 2-4 weeks to complete this task, no more than 30 days. This will encourage you to trust the work you’ve already done. If you are unsatisfied when you complete this. Set a new 2-4 week goal for further development and revision.

A good development phase can help substantially on the journey of taking whatever piece your passion guides you to write and make it the best it can be. I find that the more effective my process is, the more my passion has room to breathe and inspire. Good luck!

DARK PROVINCE now available on Amazon’s kindle reader

In News, The Dark Province on May 26, 2010 at 1:40 pm

Imagine your twin sister is dying and your religion tells you to let her go. Rejoice it says in her passage to the next world. But your faith tells you there is a way to save her. To do it, you must follow the promise of a sorceress into a land so abhorrent to your people that your very soul will be damned simply by going there and you may never again be welcomed back home. Do you go?

Now imagine such an adult epic fantasy adventure was available to download to a comfy-on-the-eyes Amazon kindle…would you click? :-D

Enjoy, Kindle-ites!

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By the way, if you prefer a copy in  paperback, signed by the  author, that you can enjoy while holding in your hand, go to www.darkprovince.com. I’m guessing you won’t let me sign your kindle. And rightly so.

My First Sixty Days as a Published Author

In Motivational, Reflection on May 18, 2010 at 1:02 pm

Hundreds of books sold. 5-star reader reviews on Amazon. Interviews with my hometown paper and an online columnist. Booksigning events in four cities. Reviews on the way from a sci-fi fantasy website and a book review blog. Positive, supportive communities on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and Youtube.

The first 60 days of being published have truly been a whirlwind.

Meeting new people has been amazing; like the freshmen at my alma-mater who aspire to be talent managers, screenwriters, novelists. Or the bartender at my favorite restaurant in the town I grew up who, though not a fan of fantasy, read the prologue and decided to give THE DARK PROVINCE a try. From the woman at the local print shop to new friends across the world I’ve met on Twitter – sharing this novel with people has been like sharing a secret with a friend. For almost seven years these characters have been known only by my wife and I – and now people I’ve never met can refer to them intimately by name.

Then there are the people who I’ve not seen in over a decade. Like my college roommate who was so excited that I’d written a book he immediately took out a laptop and shared it with members of his bowling league.  Ten orders were placed.  An old football teammate from high school attended my Virginia booksigning event with his fiancé. I had always admired his gifts as an athlete and his social savvy. Here, seventeen years later he shares with me he’d like to write. Still another friend I’d not seen in years shared with me how the book’s premise spoke to him as he’d been spending a lot of time reflecting on how his own faith and religion conflict. I don’t know if I’ve ever been so inspired.

Sure, there have been the detractors. Those who are determined that indie publishing is the greatest waste of a writer’s time and money. Admittedly, being human, I’m not immune to their passionate cries. I’ve been here before. In the past I have started something new and innovative, and have seen initial success but allowed myself to be intimated by the work ahead and convinced by those who might be threatened by my pursuits to slam on the brakes and abandon ship.

Last night just before drifting off to sleep I wrote a pledge in my “positivity journal” – I will not quit. I will not back off. I will not surrender to my or anyone else’s doubts. I will not be intimidated by the greatness of the task ahead. I will pursue this to the end. I’ve come too far, seized too many moments, been touched by too many people to abandon my dream just moments off the launch pad.

Today is the beginning of the next phase of marketing. I leave my virtual small town and head out to a sea of predominantly unfamiliar faces to share my work.

Ironically, similar to novel’s protagonist, I have to make a choice between my own “religious tradition” of doubt and intimidation and my “faith” that I have written a work worth sharing with everyone who enjoys reading fiction.

Today, I choose faith. You’re welcome to hold me to it.

The Prologue of THE DARK PROVINCE

In The Dark Province, Writing Sample on March 13, 2010 at 2:14 pm

The following is an excerpt from THE DARK PROVINCE: SON OF DUPRIN:

Let me first say that I apologize for nothing—not an action, not even a thought. Not for the caress of an angel’s bare flesh, and not for the deviant touch that transgressed, none of it. I will not off er the slightest notion of an apology for a single breath of life I lived and breathed in the Dark Province.

As I look upon each of your faces, I see those I once loved most; my brothers, my sisters, my countrymen, even my own mother has come. I know what you’ve come for. You’ve come for the truth. Our homeland has been submerged into the crimson bowels of a gruesome civil war. The integrity of our precious culture stands in the shadow of extinction. But what’s worse, it is our hands that threaten it—the very hands that have sought to raise it up like a lamp for the entire world to see, believe, and join us in the pride of our faith.

You’ve come with the hope that the truth will end your suffering.

I must tell you, the truth you seek is not what you’ll find here. That truth, the one you yearn for, the one we’ve been bred to pursue, is a cunning temptress. In her gaze, we are weaker than the feeblest of men. The moment we believe we have her firmly in our arms, she turns to liquid and slips through our fingers.

What I have for you, my brothers, is simply a story. One only a sober mind can receive. One I thank the Almighty Goddess for every single day. It is only by Her amazing grace that I, a man convicted of high treason against the Holy Nation of Duprin, can come before you in the land of the living. Believe me when I tell you my heart breaks
with yours over the bloodshed back home. Despite Duprin’s calls for my public execution, I still love her from the center of my core to the calloused skin on the palms of my hands.

I am not so naïve, however, as to think that all of you have come to hear me speak. No doubt, one or more of you have come to carry out my sentence.

Have mercy on my mother, dear friend, whichever of these gathered you are. While she may well be prepared to witness my end, please, allow her and all who have traveled here to the Dark Province tonight to know what really happened to my sister Marilyn. Because the answers you all seek so desperately in your hearts begin with her.

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ORDER AUTHOR SIGNED COPY NOW (for unsigned copy click here)

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