This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2025 the theme is a random assemblage of things that are on my mind--or that just pop into my mind. Whatever! Let's just say I'll be "Tossing It Out" for your entertainment or however it is you perceive these things.
Showing posts with label Stephen Tremp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stephen Tremp. Show all posts

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Tremp & Trump (#atozchallenge)


Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.”

― Mark Twain







Stephen Tremp

         What came to the mind of Hilary Melton-Butcher of Positive Letters...Inspirational Stories when she considered the prompt of "Manhattan"? 

 I think of Chase Manhattan ... Stephen Tremp's hero in his trilogy ... Breakthrough .... and also the land of high-rises ... 

        Like Hilary this was one of the first things I thought of as well.  Stephen Tremp was one of my earliest blogging friends and the first blogger whose book I read.  Did I like Breakthrough?   In a word--yes.   You can read more at my Amazon review (if you visit please click that the review was "helpful") or read my Tossing It Out review.



     
         Breakthrough is the first book in a trilogy that includes Opening and  Escalation.  This is an action packed series that has wormholes, international intrigue, and some interesting spiritual speculation.   I highly recommend Tremp's trilogy.   For more information visit Stephen Tremp's blog


        Change the "e" for a "u" in Stephen's last name and you get Trump as in Donald Trump.  Hope Stephen Tremp doesn't mind sharing blog space with Donald Trump, but when thinking of Manhattan these days it's hard not to have Donald Trump come to mind.  After all, over the past year anyone who hadn't previously heard of Donald Trump has heard of him now.  Donald Trump has been a huge force in shaping the direction and image of modern Manhattan as well as politics.

       Like him or not, the Donald is everywhere so he might as well make an appearance in my Manhattan themed April A to Z series.  Trump has his Manhattan Tower along with many other buildings throughout the city and the world.   The Donald first announced his presidential bid from his golden Trump Tower setting from where many of his interviews have taken place.

       Most of you have probably already heard his life story of starting out in Queens under the guidance of his father who was a real estate developer.  Early on Donald had his eye set on Manhattan as his promised land.  He achieved the success he sought in Manhattan and made a name maybe bigger than he ever imagined.  On the other hand, the man has an ego as big as the city so maybe he did see this run for president of the United States in his mind's eye all along.  Whether it's a matter of brilliant strategy, successful visualization, or whatever the case might be--Donald Trump could potentially be the next President of the United States of America and Trump Towers could be the second White House except it will be gold.

         We'll have to see where this story takes us.   As it is now, this presidential campaign of 2016 for both tickets has been one crazy ride that I don't think even the most imaginative writer could have come up with and if they had written this story before it actually happened everyone would have said, "Ridiculous!  A story like this could never happen!"

          The thing is, it has happened and seems to be getting crazier than ever.  But as they say, truth is stranger than fiction.  And this story doesn't even involve wormholes.  Not yet at least.  If wormholes do become a part of the upcoming chapters I don't guess I'll be all that surprised.

English: This photo depicts Donald Trump's sta...
 This photo depicts Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

          Have you read any of Stephen Tremp's Breakthrough trilogy?  Have you been following the presidential campaigns very closely?   Where do you see it all going?    Where would you go if you could transport yourself through a wormhole?






Monday, October 26, 2015

Stephen Tremp on Narrative Identity

      Today I'm participating in the Listing Blog Hop which is hosted by Bish Denham and Alex J Cavanaugh.  You can check out the details and list of participants by visiting their sites (links in previous sentence).   For my list post please click here.

      And now I'd like to introduce a special guest who is standing in for me today.   Most of you undoubtedly know author Stephen Tremp.  He's been a long time blog friend of mine as well as having written one of my favorite book series which includes Breakthrough, Opening, and Escalation.    Talk to us, Stephen.




"Narrative Identity is a person's internalized and evolving life story, integrating the reconstructed past and imagined future to provide life with some degree of unity and purpose." (sagepub) Often I hear writers integrating their family history and memories into their story. 

Plot, setting, characters, events, dialogue, and imagery are weaved in part or in whole into a story as a way to honor parents or grandparents, capturing a time gone by they do not want to disappear. "Narrative Identity is the focus of interdisciplinary research, with deep roots in psychology." (Wiki

The inspiration for Salem’s Daughters came from three sources. 

First the nocturnal cats at my parents’ house who learned to stand and use their paws to open doors. Sleeping in my old bedroom while visiting on vacation, all I saw and heard was the old glass style door knobs rattling, then the door opening. I didn’t see the cats because they immediately dropped to the carpeted floor. And it was night. Spooky! 

Second came as my parents drove us through the two-lane roads of southern Michigan. The scenery along the north branch of the Kalamazoo River is absolutely beautiful. With vivid imagery they told us of their childhood and their life and times as kids growing up. I wanted to capture everything and took a lot of notes and pictures. 

Third we happened onto a very old broken down dilapidated farmhouse and barn. I wondered what it would take to buy the land and rebuild. But the place looked so spooky I thought the property might very well be haunted. During that twenty-four period the cats, the incredible imagery along the Kalamazoo River, and the spooky old ramshackle house and barn was all it took and Salem’s Daughters was born. 

I wanted to describe much of the incredible countryside and events when my parents and grandparents were raised, and wrote much of what I recorded here and there throughout Salem’s Daughters. Narrative Identity; a great tool for writing a novel. 
Spooky Fun for Halloween

Question: Have you incorporated any Narrative Identity into your books? Moving forward, are there family memories you might want to include in a future work? 

Short Blurb: A four hundred year old evil is unleashed when the daughters of those killed during the Salem Witch Trials find a new generation of people to murder at a popular modern-day bed and breakfast. 

Stephen Tremp writes Speculative Fiction and embraces science and the supernatural to help explain the universe, our place in it, and write one of a kind thrillers. 

Meeting Author Dean Koontz
You can read a full synopsis and download Salem’s Daughters by Clicking Here

Stephen Tremp posts weekly blogs at his website Breakthrough Blogs

Next Stop: Friday October 30th Chrys Fey at Writing With Fey.



Thanks for stopping by, Stephen!

Now please visit my post for The Listing Hop.


Monday, March 10, 2014

WormFest!


Wormfest 2014

           Today I'm joining author, blogger, and A to Z Challenge Co-host Stephen Tremp for Wormfest 2014.   This year the theme is to name one thing where science advances mankind, and one where technology with unforeseen consequences will go too far and set mankind back.  For the rest of the Wormfest entries be sure to visit Stephen Tremp's Blog.  For my entry keep reading:





The Good Stuff

         The frigid icy realms of the Earth's polar regions are far less than a mystery than they once were.  Scientists from all nations have essentially cooperated to make new discoveries.   Modern technology has made exploration in harsh climates more bearable.  As researchers discover possibly vast sources of valuable resources such as metals and oil, technological advances may make accessing these commodities more practical in the future.   The location at the Earth's poles might provide unique opportunities for space exploration.  Many mysteries in the polar regions undoubtedly have yet to be discovered, but the possibilities they hold for our future are intriguing.

The Icy Bad Facts

         No country has yet been able to claim the polar regions and maintain that claim in the eyes of the international community.   As more discoveries of riches in these realms are made there will undoubtedly be some nation wanting to reap the benefits and possibly lay claim to the areas despite existing international treaties.   The poles have strategic importance to military forces as well.   If large bases and missile defense systems were established there, the nation who had those would be in a threatening position to the rest of the world.

          Maybe one day we'll see forces battling for domination of the poles with the victors sending in settlers to establish cities.  Eventually these regions could declare independence to become powerful nations in themselves.  Santa Claus would be removed from power in the North.   We might see a king, queen, president, or some governing power reigning in the lands of ice and snow.

A Side Note

          Not only is my post today a part of Wormfest 2014, but it also includes clues for the next Battle of the Bands which will be this coming Saturday March 15th.   In case you've never visited one of my Battle of the Bands posts you can get an idea what it's about by checking out my most recent Battle of the Bands post.  In short the Battle pits two versions of the same song for readers to vote for their favorite.   Somewhere above I have not only provided clues about what the song is, but I have almost named it.  Can you make the connection?  Be sure to join me on Saturday to find out what the song choice is.


New Book Release!


          Wormfest host Stephen Tremp is celebrating the forthcoming release of the next book in his Chase Manhattan adventure series.  Escalation is the third and final book in this series.  I've read the first two and gave them five star ratings.  It's an exciting adventure series with a fascinating concept.  Find out more at Stephen's Blog.

       Together, Breakthrough, Opening, and Escalation follow the lives of the unlikely participants from innocence to a coming of age through sacrifice, betrayal, passion, lust, unconditional love, and hope. Escalation will appeal to fans of modern-day science fiction, action, and horror.

       This series will appeal to those who know there is far more beyond our four dimensional continuum than our five senses can perceive. Escalation is an epic clash where science and the supernatural take center stage for mankind’s destiny. The setting is global and the adrenaline-charged action is non-stop.

        Be sure to check out Stephen's special offer on the first two books.  I highly recommend reading those before you delve into what is certain to be an exciting conclusion in the final installment.

        Do you foresee a power struggle at the Earth's poles?   Have you read any of the books in Stephen Treimp's series?    If you have visited any of my Battle of the Bands posts, what do you think of the event?   Did you figure out which somewhat obscure song by a very famous songwriter I've chosen?
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Monday, December 9, 2013

BlogMan Is Here!


Logo designed by Jeremy Hawkins
 at Being Retro
and other places

       As if you haven't heard enough about me already.  You've seen my photo so there's nothing to hide there.  I've even made some public appearances and have met some of you in person.   And I've certainly rambled on about myself plenty on my blogs.

       Yes, that's blogs plural.  My name shows up on eight blogs, but I don't post regularly on all of them.  In fact I only have regularly scheduled posts on three of them besides Tossing It Out.   My other active blogs are Wrote By Rote, A Faraway View, and A Few Words.  If you don't know about these blogs and are curious about them you can click on the links.  Those are my neglected children and they love having visitors.  

       Why so many blogs?  It came as a result of my wanting to cut back on the seven day posting I was doing here on Tossing It Out.  But I had so many things I wanted to write about that I instead started more blogs.  A totally self-defeating move by some estimations I suppose.  Others may consider it a good marketing move or SEO strategy.  Personally, I think it's kind of wacko, but here I am.

       And that's how I became BlogMan.   The nickname came from the post My Brain Is A Blog. You can go back and read it if you're interested.  Just more silliness from me.

       And to think I could have named myself anything at that time.  I could have proclaimed myself "King of the Blogs".   A bit pretentious I guess.  BlogMan is more generic.  More of an "Everyman" title.  After all, you too can be a BlogMan, BlogWoman, BlogBoy, BlogGirl, BlogDog, or BlogWhatever.   I am Blogman!  We are all BlogPeople!

        So I'll keep it simple and end there.  After all we need to see what you have to say on this special Cheersfest Day.

        Enough about me already--from me at least.  I'm ready for a roastin'.   Now excuse me while I go hide under my desk.

Visit CheersFest Sites:

        For the Linky List of participants and a few words from our sponsors, be sure to visit the blogs of  Mark KoopmansMorgan ShamyDavid Powers KingStephen Tremp and The Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.  The fun has already started!




 
      Oh, and not to forget the next Battle of the Bands post coming Sunday December 15th, there are some clues in today's post as to which Christmas song I'll be using in the next match-up.  Can you guess the song?



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Monday, October 7, 2013

Winners!...and those dagnab losers


         Today's post deals with a few real winners and a controversial question about what some may think of as a "win" but I'm not totally sure that this is the case.  Stay with me now as I participate in the cover reveal for the the next installment of what has been one of my favorite book series.   Then I will announce the outcome of last weeks Battle of the Bands on Tossing  It Out.  Recognition of a winning blogging debut.  And more questionable government actions where one has to wonder what exactly is the cost of winning.


ESCALATION is on its way!



         I discovered author Stephen Tremp early in my blogging career and soon became a champion of his book Breakthrough.  This contemporary action sci-not-so-fi adventure is the first of a trilogy featuring professor Chase Manhattan.  The second book Opening raises the stakes in an international intrigue that threatens the existence of the world as we know it.   The upcoming third and final book of this series has a title that indicates that we are in for even bigger things.  This book is Escalation.  The nuclear blast on the cover hints at something scary.  I'm looking forward to the release of Tremp's Escalation to see how this whole thing ends up.

Escalation Synopsis:
“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones”Albert Einstein
      In Escalation, the final installment to Stephen Tremp’s Breakthrough Trilogy, a seemingly innocent discovery in Einstein-Rosen Bridges, or wormholes, becomes a Pandora’s Box—opening doors to other unexpected and unpredictable realities such as parallel universes, time/space travel, and an evil hitchhiker from another dimension.
      Chase Manhattan has survived attempts on his life from numerous sources in his effort to destroy the technology. But he is far from safe. Now Chase and his cohorts must not only break world renowned physicist Professor Nicholas Fischer out of prison a second time, but also smuggle him across hostile borders in Europe and the Middle East to prevent events threatening to spiral into World War III.
      At stake: an end to Western civilization as we know it. The result: an epic clash where science and the supernatural take center stage, vying for mankind’s destiny. The setting is global as the world divides into an East vs. West climactic battle. The action is swift, adrenaline-charged, and non-stop. Unending twists and turns will keep the reader turning pages and wanting more.
      Together, BreakthroughOpening, and Escalation follow the lives of the unlikely participants from innocence to a coming of age through sacrifice, betrayal, passion, lust, unconditional love, and hope. Escalation will appeal to fans of modern-day science fiction, action, and horror.

    If you haven't read Breakthrough and Opening yet, you still have time to catch up to the action that precedes Escalation.   Find out more at Stephen Tremp's Blog.


Battle of the Bands Results (10/1/13 edition)


      I was somewhat surprised at the outcome of this song battle.  If you missed the entries you can listen to the songs here.  My Battle pitted Dee Dee Warwick's version of "You're No Good" against the hard rocking rendition recorded by the band Potliquor.  

      Even before Linda Ronstadt made her version of "You're No Good" a hit in 1975, I heard this song on an album by Potliquor.  This group's album blew me away with a powerhouse line up of tough rock and roll songs.  The version of "You're No Good" by Potliquor is the one I was most accustomed to hearing before Ronstadt took over the airwaves with it and essentially made the song her own.  Potliquor's version is still my favorite and that's the one I'd pick over Warwick's very pleasant and listenable original take which I'd never heard until I was trying to decide on the match up for Potliquor.

     Despite my vote, Dee Dee Warwick's old school pop version of this song wins with 11 votes to Potliquor's 10 votes.  Close but no good enough.  Three write in votes (2 for Ronstadt and 1 for Swinging Blue Jeans) might have swayed things but since I had no indication which way to go regarding the official candidates, we don't know what could have been.  One thing I'm pretty sure of though is that Ronstadt would have probably won if her version had been included.
   
     The official winner of this round on Tossing It Out is Dee Dee Warwick.

For the winners of the Battles on the other participating sites:







A Winning Blogging Debut

      If anyone hasn't heard of Alex J Cavanaugh or the Insecure Writer's Support Group then welcome to my blog.  Alex's group has been so prevalent in the world of blogging that they'd be hard to miss.  So just in case you missed it, The Insecure Writer's Support Group has it's own web site that is an ever growing compendium of helpful information for all writers. There is also a new FaceBook group that has been all abuzz since opening up.  Check it out if you haven't done so already.  

U.S. Government:  Losers!

     Lots of bloviating buffoons on all sides are claiming that they're winning the debacle of the shutdown and financial crisis that looms ahead.  They're all idiots are far as I'm concerned.   Logic and common sense are being tossed out along with the baby, the bathwater, and all of the rest of us citizens.   Nothing is making much sense anymore as smoke screens and misdirection are being used to divert our attention from what's really happening. 

     For example over the weekend we received the news about raids in Somalia and Libya where Navy Seals killed one of the alleged perpetrators of the Kenyan mall massacre and captured a high profile terrorist in Libya.  Yay!  

       But wait, how much did these operations cost the U.S. and how valuable was it all to us?   I don't know that much about all of this but it sounds suspicious to me and not very impressive when you really start thinking about the facts.  Besides, we are bringing the captured terrorist back to the U.S. to stand trial?  How much will all of that cost us in the end?  If we keep him in a prison, how does that benefit most Americans?   How many other terrorists will be shaking in their boots and deterred from other acts against those they deem as their enemies?   

      I don't know what's coming in the weeks ahead, but Stephen Tremp's Breakthrough book series is probably closer to the truth than anything we'll get out of our self-serving government.  

Winners in the Government Shutdown Fiasco

      There have been many individuals and groups who have been fighting for all of us who are not part of the elitist government.   The Obama administration has been playing politics to get their way and won't listen to reason where it comes to things like keeping parks and historic sites open.   There are places and agencies that have little to do with anything concerning this government show that have been shuttered for the rest of us.  

      Kudos to people like Ed Mitchell, mayor of my adopted hometown of Maryville, Tennessee.  He and his county government are offering to pay to keep the Great Smoky National Park open during the shutdown period.  There have been other stories out there of various entities offering to step in to keep things going where it affects the livelihoods of businesses and employees who just want to keep their own heads above water.  Ed Mitchell and others like him are the real winners during this time of American political stupidity.

      Have you read any of Stephen Tremp's Breakthrough series?   Were you surprised by this Battle of the Bands outcome?   Have you heard of any heroes trying to step up to keep open the places the federal government has shut down?    Where do you think this whole government fiasco is heading?

  
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Monday, December 10, 2012

#AlexFest: In Honor of the Ninja Captain

Welcome to the “Cheers, Cavanaugh BlogFest.” 
Hosted by Mark KoopmansMorgan ShamyDavid Powers King and Stephen Trempthe BlogFest runs from December 10 - 12.   For more details on today's fun check out any of the above links.
While Alex is an awesome blogger, he’s also an enigma. 
So, here are some questions I need to answer:
·         In +/- 20 words, what does Alex look like?
·         In +/- 20 words, who could play Alex in a documentary? (Living or dead.)
·         In +/- 20 words, who does Alex remind you of?
·         In +/- 100 words, (excluding the title) write flash fiction using all these prompts:
     ·         Cavanaugh
           ·         Ninja
           ·         IWSG
           ·         Cosbolt
           ·         Guitar
For Bonus Points:
·         In +/- 40 words, leave a comment for Mrs. Cavanaugh - thanking her for sharing.


**********************************

Here's My Take on Alex J. Cavanaugh: 
        I can't describe to you what Alex J. Cavanaugh looks like, but if I saw him I would know him.  That's what Alex looks like:  The friend I've always known and who was there when I needed him.  How could I not recognize Alex?   Besides, I've always been kind of lousy at describing people.  

       If someone were to make a documentary about Alex, who could play Alex other than Alex.  Excuse me, but it's a documentary so I want to see the real guy in the real story.  And that's a documentary I'd like to see.  I'm sure it would be more excitement than we could stand.   Maybe they could throw in some conspiracy theories to spice it up.

        Just thinking of Alex I am reminded of Don, one of my friends from younger days.   Good ol' Don could play a clean guitar lick like no one else I'd ever known.  And he was so darn meticulous and precise in everything he did that it would nearly drive me nuts because I didn't have that kind organization.  Like Don, Alex seems to be good at just about everything he does, filling me with a touch of envy, but loving him for his absolute mastery of life.

        That's Alex in a few words as seen from a faraway view of him.   I love the guy in every way from A to Z and I'm glad he's on my team.   Thanks for the friendship, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

So here's a little tale:

                             Stranger Than Science Fiction

         On a recent chilly rainy Southern California day I headed down to Stephen Tremp's place to see if he'd shoot me over to the warmer climes of Hawaii to see Mark Koopman.  You see, Tremp has this wormhole hidden away in his garage and I figured he wouldn't mind giving me a Breakthrough to see "The Madman" Koop.

         Stephen was amenable to the idea and led me to the portal of limitless possibilities.  Soon I was tumbling through an ethereal realm until I found myself in an unexpected place.  Curse that Tremp!--Always the practical joker and I was on the receiving end of Stephen's demented sense of humor.  This was not Hawaii.   I immediately recognized the desolate arid landscape as that of the distant planet of Tgren just as described by Alex J. Cavanaugh in his second novel CassaFire.

         Feeling as insecure as a writer submitting a blog post for the IWSG (Insecure Writers Support Group) I realized there was no return portal to get back to Earth.  If no one were to come to rescue me I would be hopelessly stranded on this alien sphere.

          Then I looked up with an apprehensive feeling.   A Cosbolt fighter appeared above.  Gracefully, the craft maneuvered towards me and settled onto the dusty terrain.  The door opened and a figure emerged.   It was the Ninja Captain himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh.   I would have recognized him even without the guitar he carried.
 
          As Alex started towards me with a determined stride, like clowns from a clown car in a circus, a veritable Ninja Army emerged from the Cosbolt.   Except they were not clowns.  They were clones--Alex clones.  As I had always suspected, there was no way Alex could do as much as he did without help.

        Hah!  Clones!   That's how Alex does it.   And now I'm stranded on Tgren with all of them.   Tremp!  I'll get you for this!

In Closing:

        I'll have to commend Alex's dear wife for putting up with all this blogging and everything else.  Thanks for sharing Alex with all of us.   To borrow from Jimmy Durante, "Goodnight, Mrs. Cavanaugh, wherever you are."

        As for me, I'm still here on Tgren. "Trrrremmmmp!   Get me outta here!"
   

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Monday, September 24, 2012

A Guest Hijack by Stephen Tremp

        Stephen Tremp probably needs no introduction to most of my readers, but he is among my earliest blogging friends and one of the co-hosts for the A to Z Blog Challenge for the past couple of years.  Today he's stopping by to catch up on a bit of this and that and to remind you to visit him at his blog.


Thanks Lee for letting me hijack your blog today. I'm always up for guest blogging and hosting guest bloggers. 

Thanks to Mary Pax, Brinda Berry, Ciara Knight and Alex Cavanaugh for the recent What's Your Chocolate and Genre Favorites Blogfests. Nothing like a couple awesome Blogfests to bring in the traffic after a month long Blogcation. 

And thanks to everyone for stopping by my blog. I know I haven't been around as much as I used to be, but life has been crazy busy. I set out to comment on those who stopped by my blog. I'll click over to the blogger of my first comment. But scrolling through their comments I see bloggers I haven't visited in a while and click over to their blog and comment. Then I see another long lost blogging friend and click over to comment. Repeat process. I soon have twenty different blog pages open and have commented, but have not reached out to those who commented on my post. Does this happen to you? 

Upcoming Events Be sure to stop by the A to Z Challenge Blog where lots of committed folks work to keep the site open year round. My latest post there is on NASA. CLICK HERE to check it out. You'll be glad you did! 

M. Pax
I'm happy to say I'll be a guest at Mary Pax's Spacedock 19 on October 10th. I'm definitely looking forward to that.

And I'm having my blog critiqued by Laura Barnes October 22nd. Wonder if I should go for a new look for my blog before the review. 

Free Vs. Paid: Do you download Kindle books because they're free? I have been this year. I look for books that have dozens of ratings that are four star and above. Let's face it. There are a lot of lemons out there. But there are some fun reads too. 

Example: I recently read H10N1 by self published author M. R. Cornelius (83 four and five star reviews) and loved the book. 

Synopsis: A deadly influenza virus rages out of control. There is no easy-fix vaccine. No eleventh-hour containment. Only death. 

With no workforce, power plants are unmanned so there’s no means of communication; police and fire departments have collapsed so no one is safe; looters are scavenging everything from big-screen TVs to canned peas. 

When Dr. Taeya Sanchez finds herself unceremoniously dismissed from an emergency medical facility in New York, she decides to steal the hospital’s armored van for a midnight escape. Unfortunately, Rick DeAngelo, a driver for the hospital, has already stocked the van for his own getaway. 

Thrown into an unfriendly alliance, these two must pick their way across the dangerous wasteland of America in search of a safe haven. And as the miles roll by, they discover that the living should be feared much more than the festering corpses out there. 

Question: Do you get lost while reciprocating to bloggers comments? Read any good free Kindle downloads lately you can recommend?

Stephen Tremp Author: Breakthrough Series www.stephentremp.com



Stephen Tremp
Author: Breakthrough Series










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