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2019 Book Fair
Authors and Vendors
Connie Anderson is the author of four books: Man Overboard: Hubby's Getting a New Boat; The “I” of a Woman: How to Succeed in Life With Humor and Grace; In My Next Life, I Want to be My Dog; When Polio Came Home: How Ordinary People Overcame Extraordinary Challenges. connieanderson.com
Justin Anderson is the author of Nothing But Trouble & Saving Stripes: A Kitty’s Story. sigmasbookshelf.com
Katlyn Aubitz and her mom, Ann, co-wrote five books: Katlyn Conquers the World; The Many Faces of Down Syndrome; I am Princess Katlyn; My Friends the Penguins—Having Fun Together; and My Friends the Penguins—Get a Pet Pig. katlynconquerstheworld.com
Kimberlee Bastian has a unique love affair with American nostalgia, mythology, and endless possibilities. This melting pot of elements is what prompted the creation of her epic Element Odysseys series, starting with the reboot of her debut novel The Breedling and the City In the Garden. When she is not in her writer's room or consuming other literary worlds, she enjoys hiking and cycling around the bluffs of her Southeastern MN home and catching up on her favorite pop culture. kimberleebastian.com
Beavers Pond Press is an indie publishing company in Edina, Minnesota, “turning interesting people into independent authors since 1998.” Beaver’s Pond provides our their award-winning authors with a full range of editorial, illustration, book design, and print services. beaverspondpress.com
Krista Betcher is the author of I Know You’re Here, is a meditative grief-related book about the signs we look for to know that our loved ones are still with us. YAB Helps You Navigate Middle School is a fun, comic-book style book of practical advice for students who are making the transition from elementary to middle school. kristabetcher.com
Mary Bleckwehl drew on her teacher and parent experience to create her three picture books: Claire’s Hair-her latest-about the wild and woolly haired Claire and her big hairy idea to cheer her friend up, Henry! you're late AGAIN! a tale of an imaginative boy who comes up against the "big bad wolf" school secretary every morning he's late, and Henry! you’re Hungry AGAIN? whichfeatures Henry’s dilemma over junk food. She is available for school author visits. www.marybleckwehl.com
Julien Bradley 's debut novel, Beneath the Bedrock, is the first of the Bakken Series, which takes place in North Dakota’s Williston Basin. Bradley lives with her family in the driftless region of southeastern Minnesota, where frack sand mining is a subject of passionate debate. wjbastian.com
Calumet Editions is an author-focused publisher on the leading edge of the changes in the publishing industry. We seek authors who want to develop a strong presence in publishing and are willing to work hard to achieve that goal by author branding. We are not as interested in the single, seasonally published new book as in an author’s life work. We believe a book should be alive forever, not outdated once the next publishing season rolls around. We find the old model — acquisition, print, distribute, sell, return unsold copies, remainder, pulp, put the book out-of-print — disastrously unhelpful for authors; thus, in our new publishing model we seek authors who are willing to fully partner with us for shared risk and shared success. calumeteditions.com
Phyllis Cole-Dai has edited or authored nine books in multiple genres, including historical fiction, spiritual nonfiction, and poetry. Her most recent book, based on actual events, is Beneath the Same Stars: A Novel of the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War (One Sky Press, 2018). Originally from Ohio, she now resides in Brookings, South Dakota, with her husband, teenage son and two cats in a cozy 120-year-old house. Learn more about her work at phylliscoledai.com.
HRB Collotzi. Born in Berlin, Germany, Heidi began her writing career in 2010. Her first book, The Secret of Avonoa, came out in 2014 and Book 2 in the series, The Shadow of Avonoa, in 2015. Book 3 in the Avonoa series took some time, but The Heart of Avonoa was released in 2017. Summer 2019 anticipates the arrival of Book 4, The Traitor of Avonoa, and possibly a sci-fi novel as well. Learn more at hrbcollotzi.com.
Meg Blaine Corrigan tells stories of wisdom, strength, fear, joy and risk-taking. Her memoir, Then I Am Strong: Moving From My Mother's Daughter to God's Child, details several decades of her life, full of many trials but many more blessings. Her second book, Perils of a Polynesian Percussionist, the first novel in a series, is based on the years she spent playing drums for a traveling Hawaiian road show. She has taught workshops on Writing Your Way Through Trauma to promote the healing powers of telling one's story. megcorrigan.com
Danielle Dufy Literary celebrates and publishes literary short forms—poetry, short(!) fiction, essayettes, and short drama—under their imprint, French Press Editions (“affordable, portable, collectible literature”). Publications are available on their website, by subscription, and at Independent Booksellers. The first volume of their quarterly anthology, Stone Gathering: a reader, will be out in May/June 2019. Stone Gathering collects recently previously published gems that deserve another printing, as well as select new work. They also travel widely, speak, and lead workshops about the power of literary short forms, how to widen readership for the same, and the role independent booksellers might play. danielledufy.com
Michael Dardis is a lifelong story teller and world traveller. He specializes in twentieth century European, American, history and military history. After receiving a University of Minnesota degree in history and geography, Michael went on to serve in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, where he was awarded a Purple Heart and the US Army Commendation Medal for Valor.
When not writing fiction, Michael stays involved in national and local government activities, serving on several commissions for the City of Bloomington, Minnesota, where he and wife Nancy have lived for 42 years of marriage. He is a member of the Committee on Foreign Relations Minnesota,The Military Order of the Purple Heart, the University of Minnesota Alumni Association and the Minnesota Historical Society. He also works with Volunteers Enlisted To Assist People (VEAP) ,The Cornerstone Women’s Shelter and the University of Minnesota Foundation to provide scholarships to students. His first novel is The Dark Side of The Sun, and is a historical fiction epic.
michaeldardis.com
J. D. Delzer has been writing since his earliest days and continues to write as much as he can. His current projects include the third novel of his Buccaneer of Nemaris series, as well as a soon to be published novel called The Red Shoes Adventure Club. He resides in Richfield and finds inspiration in his love of adventure, story, and games of all kinds. buccaneerofnemaris.com
Pat Dennis ​ is the award-winning author of Hotdish to Die For, a collection of six mystery short stories where hot dish is the weapon of choice. She is the author of the Betty Chance mystery series, including Murder by Chance. Her travel memoir Fat Old Woman in Las Vegas: Gambling, Dieting, and Wicked Fun reached #1 on Amazon. patdennis.com
JoAnn Deveny, an award-winning author, has appeared on Fox National News and has been featured in US News & World Report, and other media venues. She comments on her inspirational memoir, When Bluebirds Fly: Losing a Child, Living with Hope, and her humorous air travel book, 99 Ways to Make a Flight Attendant Fly—Off the Handle! Her third book, an inspirational and humorous memoir, I Am Widow, Hear Me Roar was released in October 2018. joanndeveny.com
Brooke Dierkhising is an educator, artist, and author. She has an MS from Northwestern University in Education and a BA from the University of MN in English and Art. She's been creating and leading enrichment programming since 1998. In 2015 she self-published her first book, Many Ways to See the Sun, and more recently has been inspired to help others self-publish too and founded Hoot Your Words. She currently lives in Minneapolis with her husband, daughter, two cats, and a dog with big ears. hootyourwords.com manywaystoseethesun.com
Fuzion Print. Ann Aubitz is the owner and Sales Representative for FuzionPrint in Burnsville. She has been in the printing industry for over 25 years and draws on her experience daily to help her clients. She loves to work with self-publishing authors through all the steps of printing a book. Ann and her daughter Katlyn co-wrote five books, Katlyn Conquers the World, The Many Faces of Down Syndrome, I am Princess Katlyn, My Friends the Penguins—Having Fun Together and My Friends the Penguins—Get a Pet Pig. fuzionprint.com
Annette Gagliardi is the author of two curricula, lots of poetry and several short stories. But the most fun writing she has done is about the dancing cousins of the Billy Goats Gruff: The Three Betty Goats Griff and the widely successful story of a girl's ingenuity Resourceful Erica. She presents at elementary schools and libraries, blogs and attends poetry readings.
Amy Gregg (Stender) is a Minnesota based, self published author of fantasy, action adventure, and mystery books. Her books include Through the Woods, Next Weekend, and Magic & Madness, which was nominated for a 2009 Minnesota Book Award in General Fiction. She is currently working on a new cozy mystery series set in rural Minnesota. She lives with her husband, daughter, and cat on their dairy farm in western Carver County.
Gordon Grindeland is a veteran, printer, and author. In 2006, at the urging of his family, Gordon self-published his family memoir, A Camping Man’s Dream. Set in the late 1960s, this book tells the story of one man’s dream to show his family the wonders of the United States. The family scrimped and saved and were able to take the trip of a lifetime that set the course for the rest of their lives.
Kiersten Hall is an award-winning, independent author who first published in 2005. Over the next decade, while she raised four kids, eleven other titles were written —anywhere between being outlined to nearly being ready for the first round of editing. In 2015, after Kiersten’s kids all became taller than her, she re-published her memoir, “I Do”. In 2016, Kiersten wrote and published her first novel, Corner Confessions (the 1st of a 3-book series) and in 2018, The Lies We Live (the 2nd book in the series) was released. The third book is slated for late 2020. To catch up on her schedule of ‘non-stop craziness’, Kiersten is striving to publish at least one book per year, if not more. Eventually, she will circle back to finish and publish the eleven titles written while she raised her kids. www.khallbooks.com
Gary Harbo. In 1990, Gary plunged into his love of drawing, writing and teaching children. With 28 published books, Gary has a unique style of drawing children into the wonderful world of cartoon characters. His funny, step-by-step art workshops have stimulated the imaginations of over 300,000 elementary students in nearly 800 school visits during the last 28 years. His motto is,"Where the pencil meets the paper is where your imagination comes to life. Pick up the pencil..." A to Z Come Read With Me; Hey Little Buddy, What Did You See?; How To Draw 104 Cartoons with Gary Harbo www.garyharbo.com
Jude Heimel grew up in the eastern suburbs of Saint Paul before moving to Washington, D.C. and Santa Fe, New Mexico where she served as an organization consultant for scientific and technical organizations. Now, back in St. Paul and turning her hand to creative nonfiction, she has self publishedMy Dogs And How They Shaped My Life. She chronicles her life choices with disillusionment, divorce, and disabilities and how her canine companions taught her “dogged resilience.” welldonepublishing.company
David Housewright is a winner of the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar award as well as three Minnesota Book Awards for his Rushmore McKenzie and Holland Taylor private eye novels. davidhousewright.com
Maria Lynn Johnson is a successful speaker, certified coach, and bestselling author. For over 20 years, she held roles in sales training, leadership development, and performance consulting in Fortune 500 corporations. Maria left the corporate world in 2012 to launch her coaching and training company, Speaking Mastery. Her passion is to help business professionals become wildly successful by speaking with confidence, clarity, and charisma. Her books include Read My Lips: Write a Book Using Interviews and Speak Like a Pro and Watch Your Book Sales Grow! She is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and an adjunct university instructor, and holds a master’s degree in Human Resource Development. marialynnjohnson.com
Holly Jorgensen is an author, speaker, photographer, and musician. Enchanted: Reflections From a Joyfully Green and Frugally Rich Life shares Jorgensen’s love of all of nature, along with how she lives a sustainable life, while living lightly on the land. hollyonthelake.com
Carol Kappes is the author of To Hear Your Voice. She first began writing on Carol’s Corner at Carolkappes.blogspot.com. She has written posts on various aspects to life. The concept came about from social networking at LinkedIn and Google plus. Carol was born in Iowa and she graduated from New Hampton High School, IA. She went on to Rochester Community and Technical College, MN where she earned a diploma in Dental Assisting.
Evelyn Klein received an M.S. in Teaching English. She is a prize winning poet, essayist and illustrator, now (including greeting cards.) She has taught in public schools, at Century College, and the Loft Literary Center. She is editor of The Minnesota Scholar. Variously published, her books are, From Here Across the Bridge, illustrated by Wolfgang Klein; Once upon a Neighborhood and Seasons of Desire, illustrated by the author and placed in the Minnesota Historical Society’s library collection.
Kevin Kuhn is an Undergraduate MIS instructor at Carlson School of Management. His is also the author of the Amazon #1 Bestseller, “Do You Realize?” His novel has won several Literary Awards and was the gold medal winner of the 2018 eLit Book Awards for Science Fiction. His eMarketing approach has resulted in hundreds of reviews and bestseller status on Amazon, Nook, and Kobo. Mr. Kuhn is an active member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. kevkuhn45.allauthor.com
League of Minnesota Poets is an organization that connects poets throughout the state. They provide poetry conferences, writers retreats, poetry contests, readings and writers groups. They have regional chapters in Minneapolis, Rochester, Mankato, St. Cloud, and Brainerd. The local chapters are a great way to meet other poets in your area and hone your writing skills. The League prides itself on encouraging poets of all backgrounds from beginners to established poets. They work to make Minnesota poetry conscious and conscious of its own poets. Find out more at: mnpoets.com
Annabelle Lewis has lived in Eden Prairie for the past twenty years. A newcomer to the writing and publishing world, she has been an avid reader her entire life and when she wasn’t busy raising her family, she was writing short stories about them. The author of a series of exciting, humorous, billionaire caper novels, the first four books of her series are available for purchase on Amazon.
theannabellelewis.com
Loft Literary Center is one of the nation's leading literary arts centers offers classes for writers and readers of all ages, manuscript critique services, writing conferences, grants and awards for writers, events and readings, and more. The Loft is now offering writing classes in Rosemount in partnership with the Rosemount Area Arts Council. loft.org
Laurie Lucking. An avid reader practically since birth, Laurie Lucking discovered her passion for writing after leaving her career as an attorney to become a stay-at-home mom. When she gets a break from playing superheroes with her two young sons, she writes young adult fantasy with a strong thread of fairy tale romance. Her debut novel, Common, won third place in the CWRC Reader’s Choice Literary Lighthouse Awards. Find out more by visiting laurielucking.com.
John Lund's first book, Vietnam 1967 – 1971, relates his experiences during his three deployments to the Vietnam War as a machinist mate in the aft-engine room aboard an aircraft carrier. The old WWII aircraft carrier was plagued with personnel shortages, inadequately trained personnel, lacked critical talent, had extreme working conditions and—as stated by the ship’s captain—predicable casualties. The author weaves into his story the political events of the 1960s and their negative effects on the military personnel serving in the Vietnam War—a war now considered “the greatest American disaster of the twentieth century.” mmsnipe.com
Midwest Independent Publishing Association (MIPA) Founded in 1984, the Midwest Independent Publishing Association exists today as a vibrant professional nonprofit association that serves the upper-Midwest independent publishing community through education, networking, and peer recognition. MIPA is proud to be a sponsor of the Midwest Book Awards and a regional affiliate of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). mipa.org
Judy McConnell obtained a college degree in Comparative Literature and spent her career years as a Training Specialist, teaching and developing manuals for organizational training. After raising a family, she published two memoirs: A Penny a Kiss: Memoir of a Minnesota Girl in the Forties and Fifties and Just Keep Shooting, My Youth in Manhattan: Memoir of a Midwestern Girl in the 1950s and 1960s. Currently she is working on a novel depicting the explosion of the feminist movement in the sixties and seventies that transformed the shape of women’s future in America.
agreatbook.net
Timothy McDonnell writes non-fiction that makes you ponder, reflect, and smile. He is the author of The Whole Forest for a Backyard: A Gunflint Trail Wilderness Memoir (2013) and The Contemplative Paddler’s Fireside Companion (2016). His writing has appeared in the following: Travel Africa Magazine, Adventure Kayak Magazine, and Stepps On The Level (Scotland).A retired teacher of English for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students, Timothy is an avid writer, paddle-tripper, and fly-fisherman. tmcdonnell.com
Lydia Emma Nieburh began her career writing middle grade reader books with the goal of providing action and adventure without violence. After the completion of the eleventh middle grade novel, she wrote a historical fiction suitable for middle grade and young adult readers based on the 1862 Dakota Conflict in Minnesota, Sarah's New Moon. Her most recent publication is a young adult novel, The Sand Dancer.
Chris Norbury is the award-winning author of the suspense thriller Castle Danger. His new novel, Straight River, is the prequel to Castle Danger and the first book of a planned trilogy. He’s written for several websites as a freelance writer, and his essays on wilderness canoeing have been published in the Boundary Waters Journal. Originally from the Twin Cities area, he now lives in southern Minnesota with his wife and golf clubs. chrisnorbury.com
Daniel O'Brien, MA in Advanced Japanese Studies & creator of Japan Series, “Exploring Japanese culture through mystery” (www.japanseries.com) founded the Authors Collective, “a group of Authors and Writers at all stages collaborating to create and nurture stimulating and informative work while learning to market as Professionals.” Member of Chanhassen Library Writer’s Group since 2011, he sets up public readings for writers/authors, and has read or presented at coffee shops, literary centers, bookstores, and libraries around Minnesota.
Jeffrey Ollman has been writing mysteries and thrillers since 2009. He has penned five independently published novels. Suspense, thrills and vivid descriptions of southern and northern Minnesota abound in his stories. A select few of his characters are recurring in three of his novels adding to the readers’ connection to his work. Currently, he is hard at work on a memoir and another thriller set in Vancouver. Trust Me Now; Cassandra’s Moon; Brothers: Tale of the River Rats; The Book Club Murders; The Devil’s Kettle. jeffreyollman.blogspot.com
Amy Pendino, a Minnesota native, is a middle school English teacher by day and a horse midwife at night. Formerly a keyboard player for a local band, she’s also waitressed, worked as a secretary, and sung backup for an international star. She rides horses out West every summer. A member of the Twin Cities chapter of Sisters in Crime, her writing has been published in several magazines and reviews. The Witness Tree is her debut novel. amypendino.com
Judy Peterson is a home-based travel agent and writer. She's visited many countries and enjoys writing about them. She and her husband wrote the book Group Cruise Control, Event Planning Made Easy, Fun, and Lucrative. She enjoys planning group trips for families and businesses. She regularly writes a blog with tips about how to have a great vacation and showcases the destinations she's been to. She has also appeared on the show Travel Talk.
Mark Ristau considers himself, first and foremost, a storyteller. He is particularly fond of stories that dare to fill hearts with hope and minds with dreams of possibility. He credits his yoga practice with keeping his head clear and his life in balance during the writing process. Born in Chicago, he currently lives in St. Paul. Mark’s debut novel, A Hero Dreams is the first installment in the Hero’s Path series. markristau.com​
RMA Publicity is a PR agency based in Minneapolis - St. Paul, offering marketing, public relations, and media relations services that get results for clients who desire personalized service. RMA’s specialty is book marketing and book publicity. They provide writing services (Press kits, feature articles and press releases), set up and promote book signing events, and also help clients secure interviews on radio and television, and stories in newspapers and magazines. Since 2014, RMA Publicity has secured 425 television, radio and print placements for clients. rmapublicity.com
Kate St. Vincent Vogl is the author of Lost & Found: A Memoir of Mothers, which was featured on national ABC news. The Akron Beacon Journal named her book among the best of the year. She received a 2017 Minnesota State Arts Board grant for fiction and was honored with a residency at the Anderson Center. Vogl graduated from Cornell University and the University of Michigan Law School. She teaches at The Loft Literary Center. www.katevogl.com
Mary Schier. Author, blogger, editor, Mary Lahr Schier has been writing about gardens since 2005. She’s edited hundreds of articles as editor of Northern Gardener, Minnesota’s premier garden magazine. She also has hosted the blog MyNorthernGarden.com since 2007, and wrote The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias, 150 Years of Garden Wisdom for the Minnesota Historical Society Press in 2017. The book won a Silver Award of Merit from GWA: The Association of Garden Communicators in 2018. maryschier.com
Shipwreckt Books has published more than 150 authors since 2010 via its three literary imprints and the eclectic Folk Opera magazine. Shipwrekt received a silver medal for poetry in 2014 from the Midwest Independent Publishers Association. Our mission at Shipwreckt Books—besides giving voice and opportunity to writers of all stripes—is to elevate independent publishing to the same level as Indie music and film. shipwrecktbooks.com
Sigma's Bookshelf is a new publishing company that exclusively publishes the work of teen writers ages 12 - 19. The company was started up by teen author, Justin M. Anderson, who is a sophomore at Wayzata High School. As a sponsored project of "Springboard for the Arts,” the service is entirely free to teens whose work is selected for publication. In addition, authors will receive royalties for books sold online and in stores. NOTE: There is a review process. Not all books submitted will be published. sigmasbookshelf.com
Smith House Press has been publishing quality books on health and healing since it was launched by Sybil Smith in 1994. Smith House Press welcomes unconventional and unique ideas. Sybil Smith’s love of fishing led to the creation of her first publishing company, FINS Publications (area fishing guides and maps) in 1980. In 2007 she went on to help publishers and authors publish their own books through Smith House Press Publishing Consultants. Through The eBook Consultants, she assists authors in publishing, promoting, and selling their eBooks. A three-term president of the Midwest Independent Publishers Association (www.mipa.org), Sybil Smith was recognized in 1997 with its Publisher of the Year award. In 2010, she also received the first-ever Pat Bell Award for her mentoring, encouragement of new authors, and sense of humor. She keeps up with the ever-changing world of publishing through her memberships in MN Publishers Roundtable, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IPBA) and Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN). smithhousepress.com
Spring Book Design. Developing a truly readable book is the primary goal of good book design. Books are initially judged by their covers. We invest serious creativity in a solid cover design that enhances the overall look and feel of your book, captures audience interest, stands out, and maintains the integrity of your message. In today's marketplace, where anyone can go online and create a book, good design is more critical than ever. Design is more than just a function of putting the book into production with some basic skills. It takes years of experience to do it well. Spring Book Design has the most wonderful, interesting clients. Come join us! springbookdesign.com
Deborah Stevens (Deborah Andruccioli), the daughter of Albert Andruccioli, an Italian immigrant, and Anna Bonderchuk, whose father emigrated from Eastern Europe, often heard Italian and Russian spoken growing up. Deborah was raised in Detroit and graduated from Michigan State University in 1971. An early aspiration of hers was to write a book; eventually she wrote her first novel, winning six awards, and is presently working on her third book. The Serpent’s Disciple; Holy Predator. deborahstevensauthor.com
Duncan Steele Storlie has been a semi-pro photographer for decades, a poet for a couple, and has self-published two art books of photography, and poetry: Nature’s Adagio and his most recent, River’s Fugue. He has a background as a professional whitewater raft and canoe guide on rivers of the Midwest and West, and as a winter guide leading dogsled adventures in Minnesota and points North, He has been a litho artist for 12 years at Viking Press.
Susan Straddiotto lives with her family and crazy Bernese Mountain Dog in Eden Prairie. She discovered a love for reading in middle school after completing a teen novel, Megan the Klutz. That started a voracious appetite for stories of all kinds. Susan dabbled in writing over the years, but in 2016, she began focusing on her fantasy series, The Caeteran Tales. She also works at Polaris Industries as an information technology manager. susanstradiotto.com
Jody Vitek is a multi-published author with Satin Romance, an imprint of Melange Books, LLC. Born and raised in Minnesota, Jody remains close to home, living with her husband of twenty-five plus years, three children and a cat named Holly. Between watching her youngest son playing soccer, maintaining one of the many scrapbook albums, gardening and her role as COO of the Vitek household, she writes contemporary romances. Florida Heat; Texas Two Step; and Taming the Texas Beauty. jodyvitek.com
Gloria VanDemeltraadt’s passion is legacy writing. In addition to teaching people how to capture their own stories, she has written many life stories for others. She is a dynamic speaker and also a hospice volunteer who has written life stories for more than 80 patients. Gloria has published three books: Musing and Munching, Memories of Lake Elmo, and Darkness in Paradise. gloriavan.com
Cole W. Williams is an arrow-slinging idealist, advocate for critical thinking and curiosity, an all or nothing type of girl, a gold miner for truth. Passionately supporting emerging artists, randomly writing her own words, she stands for water, and for the river, she plants seeds of inspiration wherever she goes as the muse of being exactly who you are. She has published five books, winning two Nautilus Awards along with various other accolades. She is a speaker, poet, and ardent member of the local writing community. colewwilliams.com
Words and Deeds, Inc. has offered book manuscript editing for many years—in a wide variety of genres. Clients appreciate the insights and honesty that Connie Anderson brings to her editing, and agree that the right editor can help make your book the best possible…so find one you can trust. She also makes sure authors write to their intended market, and that they know and avoid costly mistakes in the publishing process. Connie offers FREE sample edit of up to 8 manuscript pages. wordsanddedsinc.com
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