I am a big Michael Lee fan. His last book My Frankenstein was a real treat and now he has a brand new book out called From Russia with Blood. Very catchy and James Bond-esque, I dig the title and think it’s quite clever so of course I can’t wait to read the book. I’m happy to consider Mike a friend, he’s also a member of my writing group Scriborium, he’s a busy guy and one great writer. Lucky for me, Mike agreed to take some time out of his hectic schedule to do an interview with me. Since I’m a writer myself, I am always fascinated with the process of other writers. How do they do that thing we do? How does it all come together for them? I want to know where their inspiration comes from plus a few more things, and so now I share the answers to all these things with you.

TSD: Where did the idea for From Russia with Blood come from? What was your inspiration?

MLEE: Sometimes you get the idea and struggle to find a title. Other times a title pops into your head and you think “That’s too good to waste. I’ve GOT to jump on that one.” From Russia with Blood was inspired by the title. After I got the title I knew I had to find a story to go with it. After weeks of bouncing it around in my head I had it!

TSD: I love the title for this book. What gave you the idea to name the book after a play on a James Bond movie?

MLEE: I was playing one of my “inspiration” games. When I feel I need to find a new project I look through lists, like say great adventure films, or sometimes I play the mash-up game. This time I was just randomly combining genres. I still have a whole bunch of other ideas in a notebook that didn’t stick. But when I came to combining James Bond and Twilight it was just a natural. The title immediately sprang into my head like a bolt of lightning and then I was off to the races.

TSD: Can you tell our readers what From Russia with Blood is all about?

MLEE: It’s about Ian Redd, a 400 year old vampire and former secret agent for British Intelligence who is living the quiet life in Ohio when he discovers an old enemy from the Cold War is still alive and out to get him. It’s also about Larissa Barton, a seemingly ordinary young woman who suddenly is being chased by assassins and monsters and only this mysterious stranger named Ian can protect her.

TSD: How long did it take you to write From Russia with Blood?

MLEE: The actual writing was very fast. I used a “super synopsis” to plan everything out and built it up from there. Normally a synopsis is just a guideline, I just kept adding and adding to mine until individual chapters began to take shape. It was a good way to jump start the writing process.

TSD: How long do you wait between novels before starting another one?

MLEE: It feels like a long time. That’s because as soon as you’re done with one book you’ve got rewriting and then marketing to tackle! That can make it feel like an eternity.

TSD: How did you get started writing?

MLEE: I’ve always been writing. Well, since the word processor came along and made revisions a lot easier.

TSD: Can you describe what your daily writing routine is? What time of day (or night) is your favorite time to write?

MLEE: I tend to set aside a few hours every day. My work hours are usually pretty flexible so I can craft my schedule around a project if I’m really in the zone. I find I spend more and more time on it the closer it gets to completion.

TSD: Where do your best ideas usually come from? What inspires you?

MLEE: As I mentioned I play a lot of mental games to come up with ideas. That comes from being a long time role playing and board gamer. I love making lists. I love reading history especially recent history. I’ll mash genres together. But ideas aren’t stories. A lot of these ideas just sit in notebooks. What inspires a story is character and/or plot. If the idea leads to a character then I have something. If it leads to an intriguing plot then I have something.

TSD: What genres do you enjoy reading?

MLEE: Anything imaginative. I’m always looking at IO9 for their latest recommendations!

TSD: Which authors have influenced your writing style?

MLEE: George R. R. Martin, Suzanne Collins, and Charlaine Harris are the authors I love to read. I tend to write in a very clean, straightforward style. In that regard I’m influenced by thriller writers like Jack Higgins, Alistair MacLean and of course Ian Flemming.

TSD: What are you working on now? When can we expect Book 2 in the series?

MLEE: I’ve’ already got Book 2 planned out in my head. I hope to have it done by this Spring.

TSD: How much of yourself do you reveal in your writing?

MLEE: I think a writer always reveals himself in his or her writing whether they mean to or not. No two people are going to tell the same story the same way.

TSD: Do you prefer writing novels or screenplays better? Which is more challenging?

MLEE: They’re both very satisfying when you do them right. Both are very challenging. Screenplays are shorter but you have to make every line count. Novels are longer and can be more forgiving but they have many more pages to fill.

TSD: Have you ever optioned any of your works? Do you have anything available for option now or in the future?

MLEE: I have had a screenplay optioned before. Honestly if you’ve never been to LA, you don’t realize how easy it is. The ground is crawling with people who would gladly option your screenplay or novel. You won’t get any money unless they sell the project to a studio, but you can get an option easy. Getting a cash option, now that can be a little trickier.

TSD: Being a script judge and a movie blogger as well as an author, do you know a lot about the process of adapting a literary work into a screenplay?

MLEE: You have to overcome a pretty big paradox when you’re adapting a literary work. You have to make it your own but still stay true to the original material. If you can’t inject a new way of viewing this story then why should they hire you? If you deviate too far from the source material, what’s the point of adapting it in the first place?

TSD: Are the horror/supernatural genres your favorite genres to write? Have you written in other genres? What is your favorite genre to read?

MLEE: I have written other genres and that’s why I can say with confidence that the horror/supernatural/paranormal genre is my favorite. It just fits. I have a series of history books. For years I was pounding my brain trying to turn my love of history into a fantasy or a sci fi or even an historical adventure. I recently applied a paranormal twist to the material and it was like the sky opened.

TSD: So here’s one of my favorite questions. Could you share an excerpt of From Russia with Blood please?

MLEE doesn’t disappoint. Check out the hot excerpt below!

An Excerpt of From Russia with Blood by Michael Lee

Instantly he was right next to her. One hand gripped her shoulder and yanked her backward. His other hand held something that flashed brightly. There was a loud echoing sound.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Gunfire. He’s got a gun!
Larissa stumbled away from Ian. She saw the speeding auto tear down the center of the road. It swerved toward her as she ran.
There was a dark alley immediately behind her. She sprinted into it. It looked narrow. She didn’t think a car could follow. She hoped it couldn’t.
She was ten steps down the alley when she heard a huge crash behind her. She felt it too and half stumbled for a few steps. Larissa whipped her head around and saw the car with its hood crumpled around the corner of the alley. The headlights were flickering and the horn blared.
She slowed a little bit. The car horn stopped blaring. The driver’s side door opened with a crunch and a large man in a dark suit kicked his way out. He staggered into the mouth of the alley clutching his forehead. Larissa saw blood oozing from a cut on his scalp. Then she saw the gun in his other hand. The man raised it at her.
She stood frozen. Was this it? The moment her dreams had warned her about?
Pop! Pop! Pop!
It was the same sound as before. Sharp and loud like fireworks on the Fourth of July. The man hadn’t fired. He stumbled and then fell awkwardly to the ground. She’d never seen a dead body before but she knew that man was dead. He lay in such a twisted manner there could be no doubt.
A shadow approached the alley.
Larissa tore herself from the spot and ran.
She looked back once and saw a tall figure enter the alley. She was on the verge of recognizing him when she smacked into something large and heavy.
Two burly men had jumped out of the shadows and she had run right into their arms. She screamed with all her might as they lifted her off the ground. She kicked and flailed around.
“Is this her?” asked one man in a rough voice.
“Who cares. Shut her up!” came the answer.
A hand like sandpaper clamped down over her mouth and smothered her screams. She saw the black metal of a gun barrel. It hovered above her forehead. She bit down hard on the hand but it wouldn’t let go, even as her teeth tore through the skin.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the tall figure streaking down the alley toward them. It was Ian. He was moving faster than any man she’d ever seen. It didn’t seem real. She’d been to the Central Park Zoo once. There she’d seen a snow leopard dash across its enclosure. It moved so fast and so fluid, like lightning. That was what it was like watching Ian move. There was nothing human about it.
Her attackers dropped her. She fell on her butt as Ian collided with the two of them like a train. There was a flurry of blows. One dropped to the ground. He crumpled like the man at the mouth of the alley and Larissa knew he was dead.
She backed away from the fight. Broken glass and other bits of debris scraped and cut her hands and rear end but she barely noticed. She was too busy watching the fight. What little fight there was.
Ian seized the other man. The brute was nearly twice his size but Ian held him tight and forced him to his knees. They were standing over a sodium lamp and by its pale light she saw the fangs gleaming inside Ian’s mouth.

Thank you very much, Michael!

From Russia with Blood is available now at Amazon. Visit the Facebook page and become a fan! And be sure to visit Michael Lee at Dark Age of Geek to find more places you can sink your fangs into From Russia with Blood!

Michael Lee is a script judge, reader, creative executive, and consultant. He also blogs about stuff on the Wrap.com and has 2 ebooks out, My Frankenstein and From Russia with Blood. Michael got the writing bug early and it never left him. He’s been studying storytelling and writing ever since. “I keep studying because this is a craft you never master, there’s always something else to learn.”

Images Courtesy of Michael Lee

Hi TSD Readers! I wanted to give you a quick update on what’s in store for you in the coming months. As you know The Pooka is coming out later this year and I’m hoping my second Persimmon book will have a publication date near Christmas time though that may not happen until the new year. I’ll be taking part in NaNoWriMo 2011 and during those 30 days I plan to complete my foray into Young Adult territory and that project will have a publication date of late spring next year. Coincidentally I will be needing beta readers for my YA project in March 2012 and I will be updating you on that topic in the coming months.

However, the point of this post is to fill you in on my current project which is a short story for the 2011 Scriborium Anthology tentatively titled A Very Scary Christmas which is coming out this Christmas of course. My short story will be included with about 9 other stories from the other Scriborium members and I am so excited about it that I have to share the news with you. The theme of the collection of short stories is a Christmas story with a paranormal or horror twist. The name of my story is “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”.

Here’s the synopsis:

Elspeth Stone hasn’t been home since she left for college after high school at the age of seventeen. Her decision to leave wasn’t supported by her family and she went without their blessing.  The only person she kept in contact with after the falling out with her family is her younger sister Erin. Now, 13 years later, Erin is pleading with Elspeth to come home for Christmas. Despite her resistance to the idea, Elspeth relents only because she hasn’t met her 5 year old niece yet and if she doesn’t come home this Christmas she may never get the chance since the child is ill and may be dying. The thought of going back to her childhood home fills Elspeth with the old fear and dread. Memories of the terror she experienced there, the horrors that went bump in the night and the evil thing that lurked in the shadows waiting for her surfaced from the dark recesses of her mind. As her sense of foreboding mounts, she doesn’t  know if she’s going home to reconnect with her estranged family or to confront the demons of her past.

And that’s how it goes. I might even be persuaded to give you a sneak peek and share a short excerpt here in the weeks to come. It’s going to be an exciting couple months, that’s for sure, and I hope you’ll come along for the ride!

ΩPhoto Credit 1, Photo Credit 2

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) – This look is sooo not sexy.

With all this talk of Colin Farrell, True Blood and Eric, it’s easy to forget that there are some not so sexy vampires out there. Honestly, vampires didn’t start out as the glimmering, sparkly swoon worthy creatures we know, love and fantasize about today. It wasn’t until Gary Oldman got all spiffed up for us in Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992 that vampires started to get hot. And then of course Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt as vampires from Anne Rice’s smash hit Interview with the Vampire in 1994 made sure we would never think of vampires with harsh widow’s peaks and black capes as the norm again. Nope, suddenly vampires were hot.

Yet vampires weren’t always so sexy and attractive. In fact, in the beginning, despite all the Freudian references, there was nothing sexy about them at all. Even today not all vampires in movies are sexy. It just goes to show you that we still like our vampires mean, ugly and scary. These are the kind of monsters that nightmares are made of, and there is absolutely nothing sexy about them. Here’s a look at 5 of the un-sexiest vampires in film.

5. Nosferatu

Despite being the godfather of vampires on film, there is nothing dreamy about Nosferatu at all. It’s quite the opposite. If the way he does that Nosferatu skulk casting shadows on the walls isn’t enough to creep you out, then his exaggerated ears, long talons and decidedly rat like face and front teeth certainly will. Doesn’t he look a teensy bit like an undead Peter Pettigrew from Harry Potter?

4. Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula

Good old Vlad the Impaler had some serious glamour. He was pretty suave with the ladies too. Yet underneath his glamourous sex appeal was a beastly and ghastly creature. He could be pretty on the outside when he wanted to be, but just below the surface of his appeal lurked the many faces of death. His numerous incarnations of the dreaded blood drinker that stalked the night definitely do not rank very high on the sexy meter.

3. Marlow from 30 Days of Night

There is absolutely no relation to sexy here. This vampire inspires nothing but absolute mind numbing terror. He doesn’t even register on the sex-o-meter. He is the type of monster that evokes nightmares instead of fantasies. Absolutely ruthless, this vampire makes no bones about how he looks at humans. We are nothing but dinner, inferior, inconsequential annoyances. With a visage, demeanor and attitude like that, there is absolutely nothing attractive about this blood drinker.

2. Vampires from Daybreakers

Russell Edgington would have been proud to call these vampires cohorts in the belief that humans are food. The vampires of Daybreakers will give you a heart attack instead of a fluttering heartbeat. Humans are an endangered species in this flick and the vampires are more interested in foraging for food than finding romance. The starving vampires morph into Subsiders, rapacious and hostile creatures resembling giant bat-like monstrosities whose natures remind me of zombies. In fact, you could say it is the decided lack of sexy that has led to the danger in the vampiric food supply. No willing necks to bite! ;D Now here’s a culture that could definitely use way more than a drop of True Blood in more ways than one. There is definitely no sexy here so we might as well take our sexy scale elsewhere, since these vampires are definitely not sexy, especially when they are starving.

1. Vampires from Priest

Rabid, alienesque demons, these unsightly Korean comic book based vampires are all business. You are more likely to shut your eyes and say your prayers than dream about them buying your house in a lustful and obsessive attempt to own you. Annihilation, extermination and domination is printed in bold letters on their calling cards and an encounter with one of these bad boys is likely to only end up one of two ways, dead or as a familiar subservient to them. Unless Paul Bettany happens to be in the vicinity. These vampires are definitely not the kind to write home about and there is no sexy scale in sight when it comes to these UV sensitive demons.

Are there any other vampires that inspire shivers of horror instead of squeals of delight that aren’t on this list? Who did I miss? Who do you think should be on this list?

****AVERT YOUR EYES AND COME BACK LATER IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THIS LATEST EPISODE OF TRUE BLOOD BECAUSE THIS REVIEW IS CHOCK FULL OF SPOILERS!!!! BUT MAKE SURE TO COME BACK AFTER YOU’VE WATCHED IT AND TELL US YOUR TRUE BLOOD THOUGHTS!!!!****

Just when you thought everyone was safe in BT Marnie strikes again. A spirit herself now, she’s decided to try possession out for herself and poor Lafayette is once again at the mercy of a spirit except this time this spirit isn’t a nice one. Will Marnie be more powerful in death than she was in life? Jesus better watch his back because I’ll bet you any money Marnie’s wanting to get even with that brujo. Alcide and Debbie are through and Sam evens the score with Marcus. Andy meets another one of the fae folk, Jason’s finding it impossible to not drink Jessica’s blood, Eric’s pissed with Pam but he and Bill are seeing eye to eye for once. And Sookie? Well, let’s just say if her lovers aren’t cursing her name they’re willing to die for her. It was all about breaking the ties that bind tonight for a lot of our BT residents and the severing of these bonds will cause pain that cuts like a knife.

We pick up this 2nd last episode of True Blood with the four amigos on a mission to blow the Moon Goddess Emporium and Martonia to smithereens. Meanwhile, Martonia is neither impressed nor afraid of Bill, Eric, Pam and Jessica. Sookie, Tara, Lafayette and Holly are now also prisoners inside the shop (Martonia’s pretty good at that Harry Potter Apparating spell isn’t she?) which means Martonia now has the upper hand. Her Wiccan group aren’t happy to be trapped, and even though Martonia says they can leave whenever they want, we all know that isn’t the deal. When Casey attempts to get the heck out of Dodge she gets a knife to the chest compliments of Martonia.

Suddenly Marnie spits up Antonia and the only one who can see this happen is Lafayette who gives his pals a play by play. Tara’s blown away by her cousin’s new medium skills but they sure do come in handy. Antonia and Marnie no longer see eye to eye. Marnie’s agenda is no longer in alignment with Antonia’s. Antonia is upset that Marnie killed Casey and accuses Marnie of being taken over by the dark side. Antonia cancels their partnership and tries to take off but good ol’ Marnie won’t give up the ghost that easily. She has no intention of letting her new found power vanish back into the ether so she does what any witch worth her salt would do. She casts a binding spell that binds Antonia to her preventing the spirit from leaving her. Antonia might have started this vendetta but Marnie is sure going to finish it and then some.

Just as Bill and his gang are about to blow up the place, Jason rushes out to stop them. He fills them in on the fact that Sookie is in there and the general response is, “F***ing Sookie!” This gets Jason riled up and he goes toe to toe with both Eric and Bill reminding them that they wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for Sookie so they better not blow up the place. He even calls Eric a chump which is hilarious and makes Bill feel guilty about drinking Sookie’s blood as if she were his own “personal soda fountain”. Bill decides to abort the mission and Eric agrees wholeheartedly which drives Pam crazy because she isn’t enamored of Sookie like her maker and Bill are. Jason also tells them about the magic barrier before trying to awkwardly try and smooth things over with Jess when suddenly Martonia’s vampire zombies attack Eric and Bill. I have to say that I’m pretty impressed with Jason right now, and the way that Pam described Sookie was absolutely hysterically funny and so vintage Pam.

Sam and Alcide are trying to get the Shreveport pack member they were beating to tell them where Marcus is without much success. Alcide defends his huge defection and Luna shows up raging mad and demanding to know where Marcus is with her daughter. Sam tries to calm her down and tells her he’s at the garage looking for Marcus because her ex murdered Tommy. Alcide has burned all his bridges with the Shreveport pack. I know that Alcide is a bit of a goody goody which is something that will make him and Sookie a great couple, but his grand defection from the pack is still shocking to me. Granted he hasn’t been part of his new pack for long but he really seems to be championing Sam. What will he do without a pack? And will this give him a bad name in the lycan crowd? I wonder what the repercussions will be?

Marcus is trying to convince Debbie to leave Alcide and come with him and Emma. He’s dangling every kind of golden carrot he can think of to entice her but Debbie won’t leave Alcide. Marcus even offers to give her the one thing Alcide won’t — children. Even with that tempting offer on the table Debbie won’t go with him. Why was she with Marcus then? To get even with Alcide for being unfaithful. Marcus doesn’t believe that’s the only reason though and continues to try to persuade her. Poor messed up Debbie. She’s getting an offer of what she wants most from a man she doesn’t love while the man she loves is in love with someone else. What would you do?

Still trying to fulfill his mission to oust the spirit from Marnie’s body, Jesus easily convinces Marnie to let him help Casey who he says still has a pulse. Relieved she didn’t kill the girl, Martonia readily agrees and Jesus gets Lala to help him carry Casey’s body into the privacy of the bathroom. Clever Jesus has tricked Martonia. Casey is really dead and he needs a body for Antonia’s spirit. Martonia even unwittingly assists Jesus in her own downfall by allowing him to gather the things he needs for the spell he’ll cast to banish Antonia. Martonia doesn’t even suspect Jesus. Holly and Sookie then try to talk some sense into Marnie, but good luck with that is all I have to say. They should have gotten Jesus to try it because he would have had better luck. It always amazes me how easy deception can be if one has a pretty face and tons of charm. Marnie has probably always been flattered that Jesus looked up to her and thought he was handsome too. Jesus knows this and uses it to undermine Martonia showing that even though she seems all powerful now her weakness and insecurities still got the better of her.

Marnie’s basically getting back at everyone who ever wronged her. She’s power tripping and trying to claim self defense again to justify what she’s doing. She’s finally getting the respect she’s always wanted and likes everyone being afraid of her for a change. Sookie tries to appeal to Marnie by empathizing with her and we get another brief lesson in life according to Sookie. Good tactic Sookie but it’s not going to work out. The power has gone to Marnie’s head.

As a peeved Andy walks home in the dark he’s having a Gollum-esque moment and talking to himself. Out of no where a bright and shining light appears and poof! There’s a strange woman telling him to stay away. Before Andy can say V she blasts him with a bolt of light that knocks him on his rear. Now we all know it’s a faery but Andy doesn’t.What in the world does a faery want with Andy I wonder? Back at the garage Luna gets a call from Emma and when they check the call display Alcide recognizes his number which means Debbie is in big trouble.

Bill goads Martonia into coming out to negotiate. Knowing Sookie’s value as a pawn Martonia takes our favorite faery outside with her. Martonia orders her last vampire zombie to attack Bill and he throws the female fanger into the barrier. The poor vampire gets zapped and bursts and Martonia proudly reveals that her barrier zaps vampires like bugs because she has managed to harness the power of the sun in her protective shield. Bill and Eric demand Sookie’s release and Martonia readily agrees as long as there is a trade. She wants Bill and Eric to kill themselves. They agree and while Sookie cries Pam decides to take matters into her own hands and shoots a missile at the barrier despite Eric’s adamant command not to. It’s a move Pam is sadly going to regret but she loves Eric so much she is willing to risk his wrath. Eric should consider himself lucky to have someone so fiercely loyal to him.

Alcide arrives at home with Sam and Luna in tow. Luna’s relieved to find Emma, Sam is glad he’s found Marcus and Alcide is fuming mad. While Luna stays downstairs with Emma, Alcide and Sam head upstairs for a showdown. They enter the bedroom to find Debbie on the bed in her skivvies and Marcus standing there. Debbie loudly claims that nothing happened but we all know Alcide is seeing red and hearing steam come out of his ears instead of her voice. Sam holds a gun on Marcus but in the end they decide to duke it out mano a mano with no shifting for either of them. Marcus might be a badass but he’s never seen Sam angry and you better look out if Sam is on the warpath, and Sam is far down that path riding high on his righteous duty to avenge his brother’s death. Marcus doesn’t stand a chance.

Martonia and Sookie go back inside Moon Goddess and Martonia is still unaware that Jesus is planning to take her down. Jesus keeps preparing for the spell and warns Lala about the dark magic he’s about to use. Lafayette worries Jesus’ demon face might make an appearance and Jesus can’t guarantee that it won’t. Poor Lafayette. He just can’t get away from that face that scares the heck out of him. Jesus gives Lala the bloody dagger from Casey’s chest and dips a finger in the wound. He then proceeds to wipe some on his own chest, say an incantation and then suck the blood right off his finger. Revolting, yes, but we all know that blood is the magic ingredient that seals the deal for a potent spell.

The explosion dies down and the barrier is still intact. Bill checks to make sure Jessica is alright and she’s scolding him for so easily deciding to give up his life for Sookie. She warns him to never even think about it again when Jason moans in pain. He’s laid flat on his back his face badly burned by the explosion and blinded by it. Jessica just does what comes natural to a vampire and opens up her wrist to give him her magic boo boo healing blood. Jason’s lucky to have his very own fountain of healing but this will complicate matters even more between him and Jess.

While Andy was passed out on the ground the new faery girl was busy reading his mind. Her name is Maurella and she apologizes for blasting him explaining that she only blasted him because he smelled like a vampire hence he is one. She then proceeds to seduce Andy who is easily bewitched by her. Before they get together though she extracts a promise from Andy to protect her. She wants him to swear by the light and he does so eagerly even though he is perplexed about the light that appears in the tip of her pointer finger. They touch fingers to seal Andy’s oath and they start having sex just like that.

Now, knowing what we do about faeries I find all this highly suspicious. And even though there are most likely warning bells going off in Andy’s head right about now, he’s too enthralled by this beautiful creature appearing like magic and wanting him to care. I am surprised though that the E.T. finger didn’t phase him a little more. You should have read the fine print before you swore an oath to a stranger, Andy. If it looks too good to be true it probably is and all this ish that’s happening in the woods right now fits that saying perfectly. I have a feeling that Andy’s going to regret this one. Nice set up for next season though, yeah?

The fight is on at Alcide’s place and Sam and Marcus are throwing each other around the crowded bedroom. Alcide is keeping Debbie out of the fray and wouldn’t you know it but she’s trying to defend Marcus which isn’t winning her any points with Alcide. Sam wins the fight, proving his dominance by pressing his knee on Marcus’ throat and proclaiming that he must live with being a loser. Sam gets up and predictably turns his back on the defeated supe. Marcus’ eyes glow with a wolfy fury and he grabs for the gun intending to shoot Sam in the back. Alcide to the rescue once more. He tackles Marcus who shoots off a bullet and misses and Sam can thank Alcide for saving his life and doing the dirty work of killing Marcus.

Alcide hits Marcus in the throat and holds him down by his juglar looking like he’s barely holding onto his human form and not shifting into a wolf. Alcide manages to get a hold of himself but Marcus dies on the bedroom floor. He looks horrified just like everyone else in the room is and before Debbie can start pleading too much, Alcide severs the tie that binds them. It’s heartbreaking but Debbie must have seen it coming. I also think for Alcide this was an out for him. He saw his chance to leave Debbie and he took it. He knows what’s in his heart for Sookie and it was now or never for him to make a clean break, and this way he doesn’t have to admit to Debbie the truth of his feelings for another woman. This way it’s all on Debbie. That being said, I do think ending it with her caused him a good amount of pain. Poor Debbie. I wonder how long it will be before she blames Sookie?

Antonia divines the future in the pool of Casey’s blood that’s on the floor. What she sees frightens her. Seeing her own death prompts her to try and get the group to join hands once more and form a circle. She urges them to defend themselves against the vampires intent on slaughtering them by casting a protection spell. Yeah right, Marnie! No one is eager to join hands.

As Lafayette watches anxious and worried and a little scared, Jesus continues working his dark place magic to cast Antonia out of Marnie. He cuts symbols into his forearm then instructs Lala to tie Marnie’s pilfered scarf around his wrists. It represents the bond between Marnie and Antonia Jesus explains to his lover. Then he tells Lafayette to rub the mixture of herbs he’s put together into the bleeding markings. Yes, there is some powerful juju in the air.

Miraculously Martonia manages to convince everyone to join hands. Even Sookie joins the circle. Why they keep trusting Martonia I’ll never know. Protection spell my a**! Martonia is now able to weave a spell that controls the vampires outside like marionettes. Against their wills Eric, Pam, Bill and Jess start making their way towards the sun barrier. No matter how hard they try they are unable to resist. Jason is trying to pull the vampires away from the barrier but he can’t and is instead getting dragged towards the barrier too. He cries out in his mind for Sookie to stop this and luckily she hears him. With a blast of her faerie powers she busts the circle, stopping Martonia’s control spell.

Eric is livid. He’s so mad at Pam. I have never seen him be menacing like this to Pam and as she tries to explain that her actions were out of love for him he rages at her, telling her to get out of his sight before he kills her. Harsh words for a woman who loves you. This time Pam doesn’t hesitate to obey and disappears like her maker ordered. It’s so sad. I always knew Sookie was going to come between Eric and Pam. Eric isn’t thinking rationally, I know he loves Sookie and he’s furious that Pam’s disobedience could have killed her, but this is Pam, Eric. How can you forget that Pam would do anything to save you? Sookie is nothing to her compared to you. It was a simple choice for Pam to defy Eric in this and Eric surely broke Pam’s heart. Is it irrevocable? Maybe. It’s definitely a splintering of the tie that binds them, a moment in their 150 year old relationship that will alter the dynamic between them in some way. Just how bad it will be or just how it will change is yet to be seen.

Martonia is furious at Sookie and accuses her and everyone else of betrayal. Sookie tries to explain she didn’t do it on purpose and Tara even comes to her defense but Martonia is having none of it. She erects a circle of magical flames around Sookie.

Jesus is doing his best to work his brujo magic while Lala urges him to hurry before Sookie burns, and of course Jesus’ demon face manifests itself. Eric and Bill feel Sookie’s fear and Martonia finally feels Jesus’ spell, and it is working. Flames shoot out of the demon’s mouth burning the scarf Lala tied around Jesus’ wrists. Marnie struggles to hold on to Antonia but finally Antonia breaks free of Marnie and with a relieved look, her hands folded together as if in prayer, Antonia’s spirit evaporates. Jesus has saved the day, heroically breaking the link that bound Antonia’s spirit to the necromancer. This does not make Marnie happy. Sookie is also freed as the fire circle is extinguished.

With the shield gone Eric and Bill rush into Moon Goddess. Silly Roy stands infront of Marnie to protect her and Eric makes quick work of him, ripping out his heart and sucking blood out of one of the arteries like a straw right in Marnie’s face. It’s very scary and very Eric. Marnie is defiant to the end proclaiming that not even vampires live forever. Bill takes care of business and shoots Marnie in the chest a few times and once in the head, and with her death Marnie’s vision of her own demise comes to fruition.

Sam comes out of Alcide’s house to a waiting Emma and Luna. Emma asks where her dad is but Sam doesn’t tell her he’s dead. He and Luna just stare at each other. She probably thinks Sam killed him and even though she’s pissed at Marcus I don’t think she’d be thrilled about her new boyfriend killing her ex. Maybe.

Andy finally gets home to find everyone worried and Terry out searching for him. He tells Arlene about what happened to him but she writes it off as him being crazy because of the V. If only she knew the truth, hey Andy?

Bill has Eric glamor the recent events out of everyone’s mind, Sookie watches them and they watch her and it’s all very awkward. Jason thanks Jess for saving his life and admits that he thinks about her all the time. It’s messy and complicated and Jason knows he’s probably going to lose his best friend. Poor Bubba. Sort of. I’m still mad at him for how he treated Jess.

Lafayette and Jesus are at home in bed. Even though Jesus saved the day he lost a friend. And is it just me or does he look worried? Like his tampering with his magic that comes from a dark place might have negative repercussions? Lafayette is just proud of his partner and tries to make him feel better about everything. And just as you think everything is going to be alright who should appear hovering above the bed? Why it’s none other than Marnie’s spirit appearing out of the ether of the dead. Before Lafayette can say hooker, Marnie possesses him.

This does not bode well for anyone in Bon Temps. I can see everything going from bad to worse and to hell in a hand basket. Don’t you? I guess it isn’t over until Marnie says it’s over and something tells me that she’s going to be far more dangerous dead than she ever was alive. The finale can’t come soon enough. What do you think is going to happen?

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****AVERT YOUR EYES AND COME BACK LATER IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THIS LATEST EPISODE OF TRUE BLOOD BECAUSE THIS REVIEW IS CHOCK FULL OF SPOILERS!!!! BUT MAKE SURE TO COME BACK AFTER YOU’VE WATCHED IT AND TELL US YOUR TRUE BLOOD THOUGHTS!!!!****

Well this episode of True Blood was all about desires being fulfilled. Finally Sookie was honest about her own true desires even if it was only in her subconscious. Even so that sexy dream time fantasy will give her conscious mind a lot to ponder. It’ll be interesting to see if she’ll allow faerie Sookie to come out and play with Eric and Bill at the same time. And speaking of desire, Jason should know you can’t fight the blood. And if he didn’t before he certainly does now. And now that most of the BT crew  knows about Lafayette’s and Jesus’ powers it’s only a matter of time before L & J get involved in the war because the pair’s gifts are going to come in handy in the episodes to come. It’s a tale of 3 lovers and a man possessed and it’s the beginning of even more chaos for our favorite Bon Temps residents. So let’s get to it! The Scribe’s Desk review of True Blood’s “Let’s Get Out of Here” starts now!

We pick up right where we left off with Alcide running while cradling an injured Sookie in his arms. As luck would have it he trips and Bill is suddenly there scooping Sookie from the surprised werewolf and taking her to her and Eric’s house. The first thing Bill does is try to coax some of his blood into her to save her life. (And he’s happy to do it and not just for the healing benefits and you know it!) Alcide arrives angry as hell that Bill allowed her to get tangled up in the war. Bill feels the same way, his worry for the woman he loves written plainly across his face. Alcide wonders what else they can do to help Sookie and Bill who I’m sure hasn’t prayed in over a century suggests they do just that. Knowing that Sookie is going to be OK now I’m worried and wondering where is Eric and what has Antonia done with him?

Back at Moon Goddess Antonia reveals her Viking puppet on a string who she refers to as “blonde one” to the Wiccans. Tara questions Antonia’s actions in the cemetery clearly not impressed. Thinking she can control everyone without question, Antonia orders the group to join hands. Wouldn’t you know it though there is mutiny at the Wiccan shop. The Wiccans refuse to do as Antonia ask and Tara and Holly make it clear they want no part in the spirit’s scheme. Antonia’s Vendetta includes a plan to go to Shreveport to the Tolerance Festival and bring Eric to demonstrate her powers to vampires and what she can do to them. Roy is the only Wiccan on board so Antonia shows her true colors. She’s not letting anyone leave. What did you expect Tara? Everyone knows making deals with a devil can only lead to no good. Did you really think Antonia possessed Marnie to make nice?

Sookie wakes and her first thought is for Eric. Alcide’s pissed at what he thinks is Sookie being extremely foolish to be repeatedly putting her life at risk for fangers. He storms out washing his hands of this war business and Sookie’s desire to place herself in danger. All Sookie wants is to find Eric. She does take a moment though to thank Bill for the blood. I have to give it to Bill, he sure does love Sookie. Here she is worried about another dude and Bill just buttons his lip and tucks his pain behind his fangs. Loosing Sookie to his arch rival must be killing him. He does go to great lengths for love.

Luna’s just tucked Emma into bed but it was difficult to get her to go to sleep because of Marcus’ visit. Sam learns how scared they are of the werewolf pack’s alpha and tells Luna he’s going nowhere. He also suggests a camping trip to get back to nature. They’re not running from their problems he reassures Luna, it’s just a healthy change of scenery. I’ve got to hand it to Sam, he sure knows the way to a woman’s heart. Even knowing he’s getting mixed up in a messy situation he wants Luna and he’s not backing down. He sure is a go getter that Sam.

Debbie’s watching TV, stewing and waiting for Alcide to come home. When she hears him coming in, instead of giving him the what for she pretends to sleep but she can smell Sookie all over him. Alcide slips into bed, but not before he shares the fitness of his physique with us once again (thank you HBO), and Debbie is just steamed! Her eyes glowing and shiz. It’s kind of comical really. You know she just wants to let him have it but then she would have to admit spying on him and following him. Is this the beginning of Debbie’s downward spiral? Probably. Sookie better watch out. Sookie anywhere near Alcide makes Debbie crazy.

Back at Bill’s Jessica crying her eyes out to a unsympathetic Nan. All this crying has bored Nan to tears and made her decide to never become a maker. Bill arrives and endures Nan’s barbed remarks about his abilities as king and she learns that Eric is alive and is Antonia’s prisoner. She also has decided to stay at Bill’s since he’s so close to Shreveport where the Tolerance Festival is happening. Jess, Bill and Nan all go to ground silvered and Nan is soooo not impressed. Her and Bill have a tiff and Bill lets Nan know he thinks she’s nuts to let the festival continue in light of recent events. I’m with Bill on this one but we’ve all seen that Nan won’t let anything get in the way of her political ambitions. She is one cold piece of work that Nan and she cracks me up with her decisive and callous one track mind. Never let it be said that Nan let emotions get the best of her.

Speaking of emotion, Hoyt wakes up to his first day without Jess and he’s giving more reign to his meanness. He starts packing Jess’ stuff in a box that he labels “FOR YOU MONSTER” in big black permanent marker. It’s so mean but I can’t help myself but laugh. This is the LOL moment for me. I’m still amazed at how mean and petty Hoyt’s being though. Suddenly a still possessed Lala walks through the door with Mikey and he forces Hoyt out the door in his undies at gunpoint. Sufficiently freaked, Hoyt high tails it out of his house quicker than you can say monster. Jess would have laughed if she could’ve seen that one.

Arlene and Terry have called Jason about the missing Mikey. Hoyt calls and tells Jason that Lafayette is at his house with Mikey and a gun. While Arlene is losing her mind tossing couch cushions, Andy spots a vial of V wedged into the back of the couch and makes sure he distracts everyone to get at that V. He’s such an addict! I’m sure he thinks he’s struck gold. Using the excuse that he’s going to find pants for Hoyt, Andy slips into a bedroom to swallow down his liquid treasure. In his ecstasy he drops the pants. Poor Hoyt.

Sookie is sleeping on the couch at her home having the sweetest of dreams. She’s dreaming of sunshine and Eric and kissing her blonde Viking and… Bill. Bill? What’s he doing in her dream? Oh yes, it’s the blood. Predictably Eric and Bill start fighting over Sookie, both of them announcing that, “Sookie is mine!”. Sookie orders them to stop and to follow her into the livingroom where they can have a talk. Hmmm. This is going to be interesting, especially considering Sookie is wearing this tiny little red frilly wrap and heels.

Tommy’s at Merlotte’s writing Sam a goodbye note when Marcus walks in bold as brass looking for Sam. He leaves a card and a message for Sam with Tommy. Marcus wants Sam to meet him and is amused by the fact that shifter Sam has a shifter brother. Tommy puts on his typical show of belligerent bravado and Marcus leaves. Tommy gets that look on his face that means he’s up to something, but this time I don’t think he’s doing it to hurt Sam or cause mischief. I think this time he’s genuinely thinking he can do Sam a favor that he will be thankful for. Do you think this is Tommy’s idea of penance? Or is he so depressed that he has a death wish? I mean he has to know that Marcus isn’t Sam’s buddy? I have to hand it to Tommy though, I’ve noticed that even when he’s at odds with Sam he still has his brother’s back in his own Tommy-fied way. It’s messed up but I’m thinking that the way Tommy sees it  no one messes with Sam but Tommy.

Meanwhile there’s a stand off back at Hoyt’s. Andy’s all hopped up on V and instead of trying to diffuse the situation like Jason suggests Andy goes on a power trip and kicks the door in. And he’s the officer in charge!?! Chaos ensues with the possessed Lala shooting at the law and Andy and Jason running for cover. Arlene and Terry show up wanting to take matters into their own hands and Andy pins Terry to the ground. Terry can’t get up and wonders out loud why Andy is so strong and Jason realizes that Andy is on V. That Andy needs an intervention in the worst way. Does he really think he can keep fooling people?

Sam, Luna and Emma are enjoying their camping trip and Emma is chasing bunnies. She’s complaining because the wild bunnies won’t let her catch them and hold them. She reveals she wants to be a shifter and not a werewolf if only so she can turn into a bunny and pet herself. Her child’s desire to be a bunny causes Luna concern but Emma doesn’t understand her mother’s sudden seriousness over something she deems as trivial. Sam to the rescue. He tells Emma he’ll go and catch the bunny and he hides behind the tent and hops out as a bunny. He hops over to Emma all cute and fuzzy and lets the little girl cuddle him. It’s such a cute and sweet moment even my heart melted at Sam’s kind and sweet gesture. And I’ll say it again, Sam sure knows the way to a woman’s heart. If only he had been that kind and gentle with Sookie things might have worked out for them. Hopefully his anger management classes are working and he never loses his temper around Luna. She’ll kick him to the curb so fast sweet gesture or no sweet gesture. Although when it comes to the Marcus thing Sam’s hot head might come in handy.

Back in Sookie’s fantasy dream, Sookie’s revealing to her vampires that she’s in love with both of them. Since she’s baring her desires she also admits she’s tired of being a good girl. Finally Sookie! Throw off those chains of conformity and let faerie Sookie have some fun! She admits she wants Eric and Bill to be hers. Why does it have to be that she either belongs to Eric or Bill? Why the double standard? Why should a girl have to choose between two hot vampires when she can have them both? There would be nothing wrong or amoral with it since she loves them both. And yes, she is suggesting what we think she’s suggesting so we can go ahead and close our mouths.

Both vampires are down with a threesome. I mean, did you really think they’d refuse? Sookie is pretty irresistible, even more so in the tiny red bra and undies she has under her red wrap. I have to laugh that Sookie’s all dressed in harlot red though. Gotta hand it to that faerie, she goes all out when she’s made up her mind. Yep, no timid miss is faerie Sookie. Atta girl, Sookie.

Poor misguided, jealous Debbie has fallen off the wagon. She’s making a V score in an alley. She lets the guy who is hooking her up know that she is no lightweight. She’s drank from the source she informs the guy. She could probably tell him a thing or two about V and she does. She downs the vial in one gulp, tossing her head back like it’s a shot of tequila and goes about her business. Alcide is not going to be impressed. It’s sad that Debbie is cracking beneath the weight of her jealousy. She’s going to need company in her misery because this V business is going to cause problems in her and Alcide’s relationship. Maybe her and Andy can hang out.

Jesus shows up at the standoff and Jason asks him if when he and Lala role play if a Mavis is one of the roles. It’s a funny moment and so typical Jason that watching Jesus’ face is hilarious because you know he can’t believe Jason is actually asking him this right now. Jesus tells Jason he’s just going to ignore it which is even funnier. Terry tries to give Jesus some tips on entering the situation in army speak and Jesus is baffled by the whole convo and cuts it short. Without further ado, Jesus goes in to save his man. Lala is still possessed and on edge waving the gun around. Though Jesus is shaking with fear and worry he manages to talk Mavis into trusting him. He tells “Mavis” that she’s a spirit in his lover’s body and that he is a brujo. It’s a lot of info for Mavis to take in and though she’s overwhelmed by it she let’s Jesus and his words calm her down. Poor Mavis. I’d be freaked too to find out I’m a ghost in a man’s body causing trouble. Thank goodness Jesus just happens to be a witch who can help her.

Debbie arriving on Sookie’s doorstep gives Sookie a brief PTSD moment and the faerie has a flashback to the last time Debbie was at her house. Can you blame her? Even I’m nervous seeing Debbie standing there with her hand behind her back. Luckily she only has a bouquet of flowers in her hand and she holds them out to Sookie. So they talk over ice tea in Sookie’s kitchen. Debbie says she just wants to help Sookie but Sookie is skeptical. Can you blame her? Debbie tried to kill her. I’m amazed Sookie is even giving her the time of day. Sookie wonders how Debbie knows she’s in trouble and Debbie tells her she knows it was Sookie’s blood all over Alcide last night. How does she know it was Sookie’s blood? Well, it’s because Debbie remembers the smell. The look on Sookie’s face is priceless when she hears this. Debbie tries to convince Sookie that all she wants to do is help but Sookie needs proof. She takes Debbie’s hand and listens in. Satisfied Debbie is telling the truth Sookie accepts Debbie’s offer because she’s desperate for the help. Or does she really believe Debbie?

I have no doubt Debbie is so in love with Alcide that she would go to great lengths to prove it. But does that even extend to helping her rival Sookie for his sake? I don’t know. I want to believe it, but something in me just doesn’t trust Debbie’s good girl act. I mean how much of what we saw previously was the real Debbie and not just Debbie on V?

Jesus convinces Mavis to trust him to help her even though she is reluctant to revisit the circumstances of her death. Jesus tells her she has to tell him what happened if he’s to help her. Though it’s hard for her, Mavis tells him that Monsieur Virgil killed her and her baby and that it is these tragic events that are keeping her hear. All Mavis wants is to hold her child in her arms again. Such a simple request. Her story is so sad. Jesus knows what to do but first she needs to return Mikey to his parents.”Mavis” allows Jesus to lead her outside and she apologetically gives Mikey back. Terry and Arlene aren’t sure what the deal is with Lala but they don’t hold a grudge and are glad to have their baby back.

Trying to think of his and Debbie’s future Alcide informs Marcus he wants to take the alpha up on his offer of advancement in the pack. Marcus is pleased to find out it’s for Debbie’s sake. He jumps on Alcide’s allegiance right away telling him he needs Alcide at the “talk” he’s going to have with Sam. Alcide wants no part in a beat down and tells Marcus that and Marcus tells him not to worry about it. Word of advice Alcide. Never say to someone you will be there for them for whatever they need unless you know the person like the back of your hand. Promising stuff before you really know a person just opens the door for situations you’d rather avoid.

Tired of Andy and his addiction Jason doesn’t care about Andy’s apologies. He tells Andy to turn the headlights on so Hoyt, Jesus, Terry and Arlene can see what they’re doing. Hoyt and Jesus are digging outside where Mavis told them to and they uncover the skeletal remains of the murdered Mavis and her baby. Jesus hands Lala the wrapped child and pleads with Mavis to go and find peace and give him his lover back. Jesus places his hands on Lala’s shoulder and begins to utter the words that will release Lafayette from Mavis’ possession. The spirit of Mavis appears bathed in a golden light. She’s holding her child and thanks Lafayette. She finally finds peace and disappears. Everyone sees this too — Jason, Terry, Arlene and Hoyt — and they are all amazed at the miracle they have just witnessed.

I’m glad too because this is the proof Arlene needs not to hold a grudge against Lafayette. I just know that this power Lala and Jesus have will come in handy when the showdown comes against Antonia. If they can work as a team to remove spirits from a possessed person that means they can help banish Antonia so Marnie can have her body back and the vampires can rest easy once again. Can’t you just see L & J as the resident ghost whisperers of Bon Temps?

Debbie tricks Antonia into letting her into Moon Goddess so Sookie can slip in the back window. Debbie keeps Antonia occupied by saying she’s here to offer her pack’s services in Antonia’s cause. Sookie finds Eric and discovers he’s under Antonia’s control. He tells Sookie Antonia’s Operation Kill Bill plan. Tara finds her in the bathroom with Eric and it’s no surprise that she’s holding a gun. Just when you think Tara might betray her friend she hints for Sookie to read her mind so Sookie can hear what she’s thinking and have a chance to escape and where to find Bill. Tara also tells Sookie in her mind to charge her and get gone and Sookie does just that. By this time the jig is up and Antonia knows Sookie is there. Roy is yelling shoot her like a moron but Antonia wants to take Sookie hostage and use her against the vampires. Debbie’s taken off and Sookie charges Tara and escapes, slipping away from Antonia’s grasp. Sookie hops in Debbie’s vehicle and off they go to the Dorchester Hotel in Shreveport to save Bill.

Now here is where I’m not sure about Debbie. Did she give Sookie’s presence up on purpose to Antonia in a double cross? And was she trying to drive off and leave Sookie without a ride or means of escaping Antonia? If she hadn’t been fumbling for her keys would she have left Sookie? And why was she driving so slow? Was it to stop Sookie from getting to Shreveport in time? The clever thing is if this is what Debbie’s doing it doesn’t look like she’s not trying to help Sookie. In fact it looks like Debbie put herself in danger to help Sookie. If that is what she’s doing Debbie is a clever girl, a lot more clever than I gave her credit for.

Antonia locks the Wiccans inside Moon Goddess putting a spell on the doors to keep them from leaving and taking only Roy and Eric with her. Tara burns her hand on the door trying to leave and so does another woman who tries to leave through another door. They are trapped. I wonder when everyone is going to start blaming Tara for their predicament?

While Bill and Nan aren’t seeing eye to eye at the Tolerance Festival in Shreveport, Jason is helping Hoyt fix his door. Hoyt guilts Jason into taking Jess’ MONSTER BOX to her and Jason doesn’t want to do it. But he ends up doing it because he can’t find a way to avoid the situation. Hoyt is going to regret getting Jason involved, that’s for sure Bubba.

While Sam and Luna are rolling around in Sam’s tent, Marcus and his pack are beating the crap out of Tommy who disguised himself as Sam. Tommy intentionally provokes the beating though and if Alcide didn’t intervene the pack would have killed him. While he’s unconscious on the floor Tommy shifts back into his real form and Marcus and his crew are surprised that they just beat down the wrong guy. Alcide carries Tommy out of the garage, growling at the other pack members so they don’t lay another hand on Tommy. This does not bode well for Alcide and his pack aspirations. You do not defy your pack leader or rip him off someone he’s beating in front of the pack when you want to move up in the ranks. I’m thinking Alcide’s pack career is over. Debbie will not be pleased.

Eric appears out of no where at the Dorchester and tricks the three sheriffs to follow him. He lets them think they’ve cornered him and Antonia appears and casts her control spell over the three unsuspecting vampires. And while things are going downhill in Shreveport Jason brings Jess her MONSTER BOX at Bill’s. So that Jess won’t see the words Jason has thoughtfully blacked out the words with permanent black marker. One thing leads to another despite Jason’s best efforts to prevent it and he and Jess end up in the back of his truck giving in to their desires.

Debbie and Sookie arrive at the hotel and Sookie sends Debbie home to Alcide. Sookie runs into the hotel to save Bill before it is too late. She runs into the conference room where the Tolerance Festival is in full swing calling out to Bill. Bill stops mid speech at the sound of Sookie’s voice while Nan gnashes her teeth cursing Sookie for crashing the party. (It’s another LOL moment as I know Nan is thinking, “What is so special about this Sookie?”.) Antonia is waiting for her moment to unleash hell and her vampire zombies attack Bill’s human guards and pandemonium ensues while Bill stands at the podium searching the crowd for Sookie. Bodies are flying through the air as the vampires attack, it’s all being caught on tape by vampire haters and just as Eric descends coming for Bill, Sookie yells, “RUN!” And I think, “Run, Forrest! Run!”

It’s a disaster with a capital D. Poor Bill. it’s not easy being king. Next week’s episode should be crazy. Will you be watching? Only 3 episodes left. Enjoy the preview!

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