What is the Allure of the Supernatural? Hot Paranormal Nights #BlogHop

I love all things ghostly and paranormal. That is probably not surprising considering that I write stories in the paranormal romance genre, and that I am a ghost hunter in my spare time. Yes, I hunt ghosts for a hobby! I love it, although I haven’t indulged very much recently due to having a toddler and a second child on the way. In fact, at the time of this blog hop, my baby is either imminent or newly born…

But I digress. The paranormal, or supernatural world has always fascinated me. As a child I loved reading ghost stories, and my first literary discoveries were Edgar Allen Poe and L.J. Smith. In fact, it was L.J. Smith who set me on the path to becoming a published author, although at the tender age of 17, I was blissfully unaware. Back then I was reading her Nightworld series of books that were newly released in the UK, and I was obsessed! I remember that a boyfriend at the time bought me the whole collection of paperbacks after I read the first one, and as you can imagine, he won major boyfriend points for that gift.

My dad was quite strict about the TV programmes I was allowed to watch, and so I didn’t see many of the classic horror films until I was old enough to rent them from the local video shop. I did, however, watch a British television series called Strange But True. It fascinated me, and told me stories of haunted mansions, ghostly castle ruins, and all manner of unidentified phenomena in and around the UK during the late 20^th century. I think it was that programme that introduced me to Belgrave Hall in Leicester, a haunted house that I was lucky enough to investigate about five years ago. Its reputation did not disappoint!

Returning to books, and I think it is time I shared with you a little of my work. I am currently developing a series of adult paranormal romance novels set in Cornwall, England, collectively called the Redcliffe novels. My debut novel is Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel), and for a limited time you can read the entire story for free on Wattpad. The sequel is Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel), and the third book is Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel).

Blurb: Set in Cornwall, England, the Redcliffe novels follow the adventures of bookshop owner Jessica Stone as she unwittingly falls in love with a vampire, becomes entangled with his identical twin brother's werewolf pack, and then discovers she is a witch.

Now for the competition! In honour of this blog hop (and don’t forget to visit my fellow authors to read their offerings), I am giving away a signed paperback copy of my debut novel Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel). It doesn’t matter where you live in the world, I will mail it to you at no extra cost. I am really feeling that generous right now! All you have to do is comment below, tell me what you love about the supernatural world, and leave your contact email address. I will draw a winner at random within 2 weeks (although be warned, my new baby might dictate a slight delay). Rest assured I will respond and interact as soon I possibly can. 

And finally, check out my fellow Paranormal Nights participants on their blogs. Enjoy! 

A Witch’s Familiar in Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) #HDH

Hello and welcome to the Hump Day Hook. Here is an excerpt from my third published book Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel), when our heroine Jessica Stone learns to control her powerful animal familiar, the snow tiger, Suri.

Danny was standing in the same position, in the middle of the room, staring at the space where Suri had been standing a moment before.  His hand was still raised, and I watched as he blinked slowly, opened his eyes, and looked in confusion at his hand.  He dropped it to his side and looked at me, then turned to face Jack.
“What the hell just happened?” he said in a low voice, his Irish accent thick and heavy as he tried to establish what he was doing.  
“You were transfixed by her animal familiar,” Jack replied, his accent matching that of his brother.  
“Fuck,” Danny said softly, and he turned his head to stare at me, “How the fuck did you do that, Jessica?” 
I shuddered at his coarse language, and I shook my head.
“I, I don’t know,” I stuttered, “I wanted you both to stop fighting.  Suri said she could help, and the next thing I knew she was here, standing in front of us.  Shit.” 

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and peruse some new and exciting authors. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping!

Guest Author Feature and Book Giveaway

I am happy to announce another guest author feature on Romancing the Book, along with a competition to win a copy of my latest book, Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel). Go and check it out now!

http://romancing-the-book.com/2013/06/guest-contest-catherine-green.html

*Free Novel* - Review Request for Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel)

I have decided it is time for another book giveaway, but this time I do have an ulterior motive. I am offering a free PDF copy of my third novel Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) in return for honest reviews on websites including Goodreads, Shelfari and Amazon. If you are interested, please contact me directly and I will supply you with the book. I am also happy to do return reviews for other authors on request.

Paranormal Power Struggles in Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) #HDH

Hello and welcome to the Hump Day Hook. Today we have one more visit to Redcliffe in Cornwall, with an excerpt from my third novel Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel). At this point, our heroine Jessica Stone is struggling to control her animal familiar, her lust for the werewolf alpha, and to reclaim the vampire she loves from his possessive former lover and mistress.

My heart was pounding.  I wanted to be alone with Danny.  But I knew it was dangerous.  Suri remained silent and watchful, careful not to upset my mood in this delicate situation.  I had no choice.  Danny was the only one that could protect me.  Left alone, I had no chance against Emily Rose and Jack.  I let out a heavy sigh.

“Alright,” I said, “I will stay at your house.  But I need to collect some things from my apartment first.”
            “Of course,” Danny said, and he turned to walk back downstairs.  I followed slowly, fighting to calm my racing heart and regulate my breathing into a more normal rhythm.  This would be a very tense evening, and probably a very tense Sunday as we waited for further activity from the vampires.  I shook my head.  My life was a complete mess.

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and peruse some new and exciting authors. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping!  


*Image courtesy of L. Messecar via Deviant Art

Supernatural Chaos in Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) #HDH

Hello and welcome to the Hump Day Hook. Today I offer another excerpt from my third novel Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel). The young witch, Jessica Stone, is struggling to contain the power of her animal familiar. In this snippet, she has caused a little trouble with the Redcliffe werewolf pack…

“Jessica,” Simon said from his position in the living room, “Are you alright?”
Suri heard him and she turned her head.  I turned mine to face Simon, and I could feel the heat of my eyes as the power swirled hot and heavy around me once again.  Simon’s expression changed from concern to alarm, his eyes widening.  He held out his hands in a submissive gesture as he recognized the tiger in my gaze.  I smiled, and I knew it was more of a grimace by the tightness of my lips.  I advanced slowly upon the wolf lieutenant.
“I am well,” I said in a silky voice, “But I am hungry.”
Simon backed away, walking behind the sofa, preparing to fend me off as I approached.
“Jessica,” he said, “Jessica, please don’t do this.  I am not the alpha.  I am not Danny.  I cannot give you what you need.”

The Redcliffe novels are available in paperback and eBook formats, from retailers including Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and Waterstones. There will be more in the series, but first I have the small matter of expecting a baby to contend with…

Now, why not check out some more Hump Day Hook excerpts over on our blog? Or you can join us on Facebook. Happy Humping!

A Tormented Witch in Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) #HDH

Hello and welcome to the Hump Day Hook. I think we have missed my Redcliffe novels recently, so here is a snippet from Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel), book 3 in the series and recently released. Enjoy!

“Could she really do that to me?” I asked faintly.
I looked from Danny to Simon, and finally at Jack.  They all stared at me, and I felt horribly like an exhibit at a zoo.
“She might,” Danny said, “If you give her the strength.  You have to fight her, Jessica.  Make her see that you are in control.”
I nodded slowly.
“I’m doing my best.” I said uncertainly.
A silence fell around us, and I could feel our energies shifting in the air.  Mine was turbulent, full of anger and anxiety.  Jack’s was cold and controlling.  Danny’s power was hot, forceful and full of promise.  Simon’s was similar but with less strength.  Eventually I moved backwards, feeling the need to break the tense emotion that filled the air.
“Jack,” I said, “You should get going.  You have work to do.”
He blinked, the only movement he made.
“Yes,” he said, and then he stepped forward to give me a kiss.  It was a peck on the lips, and he hugged me briefly, “You can control her,” he said, catching my eyes with his, “And you will resolve things with Liz.”

The Redcliffe novels are available in paperback and eBook formats, from retailers including Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and Waterstones. There will be more in the series, but first I have the small matter of expecting a baby to contend with…

Now, why not check out some more Hump Day Hook excerpts over on our blog? Or you can join us on Facebook. Happy Humping!

The 'Love Kills' Radio Show on Cauldron FM

I am a little bit behind here, but have only just found time to sit and listen to the Love Kills radio show on Cauldron FM. Oops! In my defence I have been busy writing, caring for my toddler, and nurturing a growing baby in my belly…

Merlin was kind enough to feature my second Redcliffe novel on his show, and he also included an interesting feature about the nature of animal familiars and witchcraft in history and folklore. Check it out!

Don’t forget I have since released the third Redcliffe novel, Love Redeems, and if you read the series, you will begin to understand why witchcraft and the witch’s familiar are so important…

Hump Day Hook #HDH Giveaway! – Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel)

Hello and welcome to the Hump Day Hook. This week we are feeling generous, perhaps with the true beginning of summer as we head into the beautiful month of May. Anyway, our Hump Day Hook bloggers are offering giveaways today! For my part I am offering a signed paperback copy of my newly released third book in the series, Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel). Here is an excerpt, to give you a taster of what to expect from my adult paranormal romance series:

      Jack was silent beside me, concentrating on the road ahead.  His energy was still strong and the atmosphere inside the car was cool and angry.  He was angry with me; I knew that.  He was also confused about my powers and he was wondering just how strong and dangerous I would prove to be.  Jack couldn’t help but worry that I had hidden my true abilities from him and Danny in order to carry out some elaborate plan to assassinate them.  He hadn’t said as much, but I knew the truth.  My mother, Lillian, had visited me during the day, speaking inside my mind.  She had told me what I needed to know.  The Mason brothers lived in a state of perpetual alert for enemies.  They trusted very few people, and now I was teetering between the list of people they trusted, and people they were wary of.  Sighing again, I roused myself and shook my head, breathing slowly in and out to try and ease the pressure I felt in my chest. 

 Now for the competition rules. All I ask is for you to comment on this post and tell me why it is that Jessica (our heroine) might prove to be a threat to the safety of the Mason brothers. You can check out the details about the Redcliffe novels on the pages at the top of my blog, or on their dedicated website. You can also read the first book, Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) free on Wattpad for a limited time only. Tell me why Jessica is dangerous, and I will award a free signed copy of Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) to the winner. If there are several correct answers, I will choose one at random. Good luck!

If you enjoyed this excerpt, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and get yourself some more freebies? We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping! 

Vampires and Lattes Online Today! #FreeBooks

Hello! Join the authors of the Vampire Book Realm live today in the Latte Lounge at Coffee Time Romance. We are hosting a spectacular event where you can find new books, new authors, and get your hands on some free novels and merchandise. Come along and join the fun now! Event runs until midnight 20th April.

If you catch me online, you might even get yourself a free copy of my third novel and new release, Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel). Here's the blurb, just to pique your interest:

Adjusting to life with vampires and werewolves, Jessica Stone is learning about being a witch. Love is painful. Life is difficult. It is never boring.

Life has changed forever in Redcliffe, Cornwall. Jessica Stone used to be a normal, happy human. Now she is an angry, conflicted and confused witch. It all happened when she met Detective Jack Mason and his identical twin brother Danny. Jessica almost died twice, fell into a love triangle, and she became a murderer. Now she faces the ultimate challenge as she continues the fight to save the man she loves, while simultaneously struggling with her lust for his werewolf brother and their vampire friend. Can she survive, or will love finally end her life completely?

The April A-Z Blog Hop #AtoZChallenge

One of my new year’s resolutions for 2013 was to be more active on my blog sites, and post decent quality, interesting articles on a regular basis. So far I think it is working out fairly well, but I needed a little help with inspiration for subject matter. We writers have a lot to say but it often gets jumbled up in our minds, and we sometimes need a little help to coax it out into a coherent format!

Anyway, I decided to join some blog hops. These are organised events where people sign up to write about a particular topic, for example, books and writing. A date is set, and we prepare our material. The idea is that our blogs operate as a networking tool to get our message across to a wider audience. People visit their favourite blogs, see the links for the blog hops their writers have joined, and voila, they hop along to your site and hopefully stick around for a while! 

I got very ambitious and signed up on my personal blog for the April A-Z BlogHop challenge. During the month of April I have to write a post every day (except Sundays), and each day you write about something relating to a letter of the alphabet, in ascending order. I joined the category of books, because I thought that would give me greater scope for the imagination.You can view the posts over at my Wordpress site, but I thought I would share the news here as well.

I have decided to write specifically about my Redcliffe novels. Every day I will talk about a different aspect of the novels, be it characters, location, settings, plot, or even the themes that crop up in the stories. I hope it will be exciting and interesting, and that if you haven’t yet read Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel), Love Kills (A RedcliffeNovel) or Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel), it will inspire you to try them out… Enjoy!

Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) - Buy the Book Now!

I am very pleased to confirm that my third novel Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) is now widely available for sale and can be purchased through the following channels: in paperback format available to order in any UK bookshop; online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. It is available in eBook format at Amazon and Smashwords.

Adjusting to life with vampires and werewolves, Jessica Stone is learning about being a witch. Love is painful. Life is difficult. It is never boring.
Life has changed forever in Redcliffe, Cornwall. Jessica Stone used to be a normal, happy human. Now she is an angry, conflicted and confused witch. It all happened when she met Detective Jack Mason and his identical twin brother Danny. Jessica almost died twice, fell into a love triangle, and she became a murderer. Now she faces the ultimate challenge as she continues the fight to save the man she loves, while simultaneously struggling with her lust for his werewolf brother and their vampire friend. Can she survive, or will love finally end her life completely?

If you would like to sample the first 3 chapters of Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel), or if you are interested in the first two novels Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) and Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel), they are free to view on Wattpad now.

Exciting Times for the Redcliffe Novels!

Hello my friends! I recently shared details of an upcoming promotion I was scheduled to take part in with Wattpad. For those who are not familiar with the website, Wattpad is an author platform that is designed to be easily accessible via mobile phones, tablet computers and other handheld devices. Authors can upload poems, novels and short stories to be viewed for free, and readers can collect the stories and make comments or vote on them as appropriate.

I first used Wattpad to share some of my unpublished short stories. They received very little interest, but they are part of my author portfolio, and this is a good place to direct people who want to sample my style of writing. I then decided to share the first 3 chapters of my Redcliffe novels Love Hurts and Love Kills. Again I received minimal attention, but they were there, and they could be seen.

This all changed when I was approached by the marketing team at Wattpad. They had seen my activity on the social networks, and invited me to partake of a promotion for my first novel Love Hurts. They proposed that I post the entire novel on Wattpad free to view, and they would schedule a day in which to direct some marketing towards it, and subsequently drive readers to my books. I agreed, we set it up, and wow, what a result!

My promotion took place last Wednesday, 12th March 2013. Up until that point I had registered 886 reads of Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel). I checked briefly on Thursday and was very excited to see the number of readers had jumped to 2,346. By Friday it reached 4,492, and late on Sunday the number stood at 7,076. Amazing! So, realistically, I could be looking at hitting 10,000 reads of Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) just one week after it was featured by the Wattpad marketing team. Thank you Wattpad!

Aside from the number of people reading my book, I am collecting a steady stream of new followers of my Wattpad portfolio, and I have received some messages from readers telling me how much they enjoyed my book and will purchase and read the next two in the series. Score! Fellow authors, check it out. Wattpad is a good place to be! And thank you to my new friends, followers and readers of the Redcliffe novels. Welcome to our world!

Lucky in Love Blog Hop for St Patrick’s Day #LuckHop

It is that time of year when we start to look forward to warmer weather and begin the process of spring-cleaning. This seems to be a spiritual ritual, even though many people probably won’t see it that way. We feel the urge to clear out the backlog of jobs, chores and clutter that has accumulated during the cold, dark winter months, and we brighten up in preparation for spring and summer.

March also sees the celebration of St Patrick’s Day in Ireland and for those natives around the world. St Patrick represents luck, and today we mark the occasion by bringing you the Lucky in Love Blog Hop. Check out some anecdotes from romance authors, share the love, and tell us about your experiences of being Lucky in Love.

I for one am very lucky at the moment. I am happily married to my soul mate, and we have been together since we were 19 years old. I won’t lie; it hasn’t been an easy ride. We are only in our early 30s and we still have a lot more to learn about each other and what it means to be married with young children. But I am happy to have a wonderful husband, a beautiful daughter, and another baby on the way (estimated for a July birth!). Oh, and did I mention I am a quarter Irish? So this day is doubly special for my family.

2013 is proving to be a wonderful year for me already as I celebrate my second pregnancy and the release of my third novel Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel). Since I am so happy and excited, I am going to offer a free signed paperback copy of my first novel Love Hurts (A RedcliffeNovel). If you are not successful in the competition, check out the big giveaway over at Carrie Ann’s Blog for Lucky in Love, or if you visit Wattpad you can read Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) free for a limited time only.

All you need to do is comment on this post and check out some of the other blogs in the Lucky in Love Blog Hop. When the event is over I will select a winner based on the content of your replies, and I will post the book out to you, wherever you are in the world. Of course, you will need to email me your address separately, but we can take care of that later…Happy St Patrick’s Day! 

*New Release* Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel)

The book is finally available! My third novel, Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) is now available to order on Kindle at Amazon. The paperback is printed and I will share sales links as soon as all the websites catch up.

 Adjusting to life with vampires and werewolves, Jessica Stone is learning about being a witch. Love is painful. Life is difficult. It is never boring.

Life has changed forever in Redcliffe, Cornwall. Jessica Stone used to be a normal, happy human. Now she is an angry, conflicted and confused witch. It all happened when she met Detective Jack Mason and his identical twin brother Danny. Jessica almost died twice, fell into a love triangle, and she became a murderer. Now she faces the ultimate challenge as she continues the fight to save the man she loves, while simultaneously struggling with her lust for his werewolf brother and their vampire friend. Can she survive, or will love finally end her life completely?

If you haven't yet read the Redcliffe novels, where have you been? Try the first novel, Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) free at Wattpad for a limited time only, and then you can read the second book Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel). You will not be disappointed!

Hump Day Hook #HDH – A Little Supernatural Chaos in Cornwall

I couldn’t resist sharing just one more snippet from Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel), especially since the novel will go live for sale this week! Look out for updates when all the various sales outlets catch up, but in the meantime you can get the first two Redcliffe novels via my website in both paperback and all eBook formats.

For now, here is an excerpt following an incident between our heroine Jessica, her animal familiar, and the Redcliffe werewolf pack:

“Are they alright, Danny?” I asked tentatively.
    Danny turned his head slowly to stare at me.  My heart skipped a beat and thudded painfully in my chest.  I swallowed again, forcing myself to hold his gaze and not back down.
    “They need to hunt,” Danny said gruffly, “The power hit them hard.  They lost control and their beasts awoke early.  It leaves them in pain and disoriented.  They need their master for support and grounding.”
    “Oh.” Was all I managed to say in reply.
    Danny shook his head.
    “I cannot deal with you at present, Jessica,” he said, “We will speak later.  I must go.”

 If you would like to see more fantastic new novels from lots of different authors, check out our dedicated Hump Day Hook website and the Facebook group. There you will find a wide range of  genres including traditional romance, BDSM, erotica, sci-fi and fantasy.

Planning and Writing my Books

My book writing schedule is at a funny stage right now. I am awaiting the public release of my third adult paranormal romance novel Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel). This is the third in a series that I affectionately call the Redcliffe novels, and it concludes the trilogy of how we met our heroine Jessica Stone and the insane supernatural love triangle that she fell into.

The story doesn’t end there, however. Love Redeems finishes on yet another cliffhanger. I won’t give it away, but suffice to say that the Redcliffe werewolf pack are in need of support and their alpha is broken hearted. I have to write book 4, not only because the series demands it, but because these characters are real people to me, and I hope they are real to a lot of other people who read my stories. So I am currently planning Redcliffe book 4 in my head, but have yet to begin writing it on the computer.

In the meantime I stepped away from Redcliffe to try something else. For NaNoWriMo 2012 I wrote a story about a vampire in Blackpool and what happened when she met a vampire hunter. I quite liked that story, and it is now awaiting editing ready for submission to publishers and/or agents. I then got the urge to begin writing another story about a vampire hunter who lives on a canal boat. That one came to me while I was out walking one day, ironically enough next to our local canal!

Well, this story is faltering. My heroine,  Dr Jennifer Worthington, has secrets to uncover but they are not coming out quite in the way I expected. I am writing this story in the third person, whereas the Redcliffe novels are in the first person and told by Jessica Stone. My muse has decided that this new vampire hunter story needs to include something about angels and demons. I have yet to write them properly into the story, and that is where I am faltering. Still, it is a challenge and I will not be defeated. No matter how long it takes, I will complete this story. But I might venture back into Redcliffe before then, because that is so much easier and more natural for me…

Hump Day Hook #HDH - Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel)

          Welcome to another weekly excerpt from the Hump Day Hook! Here is a little something from my upcoming new novel Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel), where we see interaction between our heroine Jessica Stone and one of her errant vampires, Marcus Scott...

Marcus appeared from among the trees, moving with such speed that I barely registered him at first.  I screamed again as he landed on me.  He pushed me to the ground, straddling my body and pinning my arms above my head.  I bucked and kicked beneath him, trying desperately to free myself.  Suri roared through my mouth, and I welcomed the sheer strength of her power as it flowed through me.  But the vampire was stronger.  Although I rode the power of my animal familiar, I was a newly awakened witch and my abilities were still largely undiscovered.  Marcus used his physical strength to pin me to the ground.

“Do not fight me, witch,” he hissed, “I could strike you now and drink you dry.”

For more excerpts from other fabulous authors, please see our blog page for the Hump Day Hook, or find us on Facebook.

Tag, You're It! Let's Play the 7/7/7 Game...

I have been tagged by Ciaran Dwynvil to play the 7/7/7 game. The rule is that you post 7 lines from your manuscript, and you can publish from either page 7, page 77, or page 177. Today I will post an excerpt from my upcoming third novel Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel), and this comes from page 7 of the manuscript.

            “I will fetch you some water,” Jack said, and he disappeared at an inhuman speed.

            Shaking out the duvet, I switched on my bedside lamp, needing some light for comfort in my agitated state.  I looked at the clock.  It was a little after 4:00am, and although I was desperate to phone Liz and hear her voice, I knew it was way too early.  She would not appreciate a phone call at this hour of the night, especially if she had been awake with the newborn baby.  I sighed and picked up my mobile phone, wondering if she might have sent me a text message for any reason. 

Now, for those of you who have been tagged, join the game. If you want to join in, feel free and share your links. Have fun and Happy Sunday! 

The Redcliffe Novels Author Interviews

Just a quick post to share links to a couple of author interviews I recently did as part of my promotional tour for the Redcliffe novels and my upcoming new release Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel).

For the first interview I was showcased on the prolific author blog You Read It Here First, hosted by Christina Hamlett.

And for the second interview you can find me on Morgen Bailey's blog, Morgen's Author Interviews. Two very different interviews, and I thoroughly enjoyed answering the questions posed by my hosts.