Artist, Writer & Wild West Woman
Wednesday, 27 December 2023
JO. B. CREATIVE!: SO YOU'VE WRITTEN A ******* TRILOGY?
JO. B. CREATIVE!: SO YOU'VE WRITTEN A ******* TRILOGY?: Yes, I've written a ******* trilogy. Some readers will know the story of my novel well, but many people won't. So I'm writing th...
Friday, 17 November 2023
JO. B. CREATIVE!: C'MON, FOLKS - LET'S DO SOMMAT DIFFERENT HERE!
JO. B. CREATIVE!: C'MON, FOLKS - LET'S DO SOMMAT DIFFERENT HERE!: Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl!, is the first book in my epic western trilogy and is currently free on Amazon Kindle. Eighty...
C'MON, FOLKS - LET'S DO SOMMAT DIFFERENT HERE!
Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl!, is the first book in my epic western trilogy and is currently free on Amazon Kindle. Eighty-one people are reading it and I'm number five in pioneer fiction on Amazon.
This novel introduces the reader to devastating and charismatic pants-wearing cowgirl Jeannie Morgan, who's the fastest gun in the west and a great lover to both men and women. Jeannie struggles with people's jealousies and her strong desire for acceptance. This is a crack shot western with a difference! Historical fiction with a western backdrop, this is the life story of a tomboy beautiful female hero who takes the old west by the shoulders and gives it a good shake - 'Cmon, folks, let's do sommat different here!'
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MY VIEW OF JEANNIE |
I've had excellent five star reviews and reviewers have said that this novel is unique and they've never read a western like it! So take a chance, folks, while it's free and see what all the fuss is about!
Here's the Amazon link;
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A charity organisation supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
(I'm supporting Stonewall & they are posting links to Amazon & Alias Jeannie Delaney on their social media posts).
Tuesday, 14 November 2023
JO. B. CREATIVE!: THE LOOK OF JEANNIE DELANEY
JO. B. CREATIVE!: THE LOOK OF JEANNIE DELANEY: (P.S. My apologies in advance for Blogger's probable different colour fonts when posts are published. I gave up fixing them after a leng...
Monday, 30 October 2023
HERE I AM, ON OUR NARROW BOAT...
Just a quick post today...
Here we are, on Dotterel, our narrow boat, in Warwickshire. Hubby is doing something dirty in the engine bay and I've just talked to son Tom on the phone about his bonkers plans, and I'm thinking about when I'm famous as an author and artist. 😊 That's my art in the pic.
Being on the boat, which is our home away from home, is a great way to escape our every day stresses. Our daughter lives only an hour away so we can visit her and the family.
This part of the country is beautiful and was a marvelous escape from the pandemic (except when we were all in different tiers!).
And here's the link to the first book of my epic western novel Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl!, the life story of a devastating and charismatic pants-wearing cowgirl who's the fastest gun in the west and a great lover to both men and women. A crack shot western trilogy with a difference!
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Monday, 23 October 2023
JO. B. CREATIVE!: DO YOU LOVE WESTERNS WRITTEN FROM A DIFFERENT ANGL...
JO. B. CREATIVE!: DO YOU LOVE WESTERNS WRITTEN FROM A DIFFERENT ANGL...: I'm re-sharing this blog post because the first book of my epic western trilogy is currently free on Kindle Unlimited, so make the most...
Sunday, 1 October 2023
JO. B. CREATIVE!: CHAPTER 1 SAMPLE & IMAGES
JO. B. CREATIVE!: CHAPTER 1 SAMPLE & IMAGES: I've had thirty five sales of Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl! and I'm very pleased but could do better! 😄 I've ...
CHAPTER 1 SAMPLE & IMAGES
I've had thirty five sales of Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl! and I'm very pleased but could do better! 😄 I've asked those who may have read it and enjoyed it to leave a review on Amazon. Just to entice possible readers, I'm posting a portion of chapter 1. I hope this sample may inspire you to read further!
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| CENTENNIAL, WYOMING, THE LOCATION OF COYOTE CREEK |
It took me a very long time and a load of research to finally decide on where Alias Jeannie Delaney would be based. I wanted the plains, but I also wanted mountains. Initially I considered the Owl Creek Mountains and the Wind River Shoshone Reservation. I wanted an area where indian tribes would possibly be located. because an indian tribe features strongly in the story later. I landed on the Shoshone tribe because Wyoming is part of their territory.
'As I write, I'm staying in Coyote Creek, a burgeoning frontier town huddled in the foothills of the Rockies. Snow covers much of the greenery and the base of the foothills reach coldly onto the plains. To the west, the southern Rockies extend into the mountain ranges. Montana lies to the north, to the east stretches this vast basin until it hits the eastern Rockies and Nebraska and to the south lies the Colorado Front Range and Colorado itself. So strictly speaking I'm dead centre of the western frontier, and I love it. I may be a city girl born and bred, but the wild frontier calls me.
I'm Kate Howard, feminist, bohemian and journalist. A bit of a rare breed I'm proud to say. I'm in my mid-twenties, by now expected to be married. My refusal to wear corset and bustle distressed my respectable, middle-class mother and sister, but the freedom this has brought is breathtaking, particularly when riding a horse. I had decided to embrace the opportunity of riding western in the foothills, because I had heard how thrilling and exhilarating it can be, and how true this proved to be. The day before, I had ridden Bella, a fine brown American Quarter horse with white splashes on her legs and face. The livery stables owner had assured me that she was reliable and trust worthy. So a feeling of delight and ease filtered through me as I broke from the trees and onto a grass covered granite ledge. Below, Coyote Creek looked like a model town built out of matchsticks and stones clustered down there and two deer nibbled on grass on the outskirts. I closed my eyes and breathed in the clean air.
Time to move on. I have a job to do. I nudged Bella back into the forest and a gunshot fractured the peace. I jerked and my shoulder seemed to explode. Birds clattered through branches and Bella reared. I don't remember hitting the ground. Bella bolted, swallowed up by the trees. I lay on my front, my cheek nestled in soft earth, prickled by pine needles. I was near to fainting, feeling dizzy, light headed and slightly sick. Crunching footsteps approached me, then stopped near my head. My heart pounded crazily. A deep voice growled.
'Mornin', lady.'
Another responded.
'Easy pickin's.'
I managed to raise my head a little. Two men leered down at me. Probably late twenties and stupid. Filthy. Dirt mixed with sweat. Rumpled cowboy clothes. Their arms hung at their sides, and each had a holstered pistol strapped to their thighs. Two horses stood nearby. My head flopped back down and the raging pain in my left shoulder registered. Their shadows shrouded me and my breathing was laboured. Oh, God... The beginnings of tears surfaced.
Another voice intercepted.
'Fer cryin' out loud...'
A figure emerged from the trees, cloaked by deep gloom. It slowly moved forward. The sunlight glazed cowboy boot toes, then, as the figure approached, slowly climbed slim, long legs clad in pale blue Levis. The light slid over slim hips embraced by a holster. Then climbed to reveal denim shirt sleeves rolled below the elbows. The light shifted north again. An open shirt neck formed a narrow ‘v' and a star glinted on the left breast. Tall. Athletic, clearly. A sheriff or deputy, obviously. My relief at being rescued overcame everything. Thank God. My curiosity had almost overwhelmed my pain as well. The sunlight melted the deep shadow veiling the face. My heart skipped a beat.
It's her.
Jeannie Morgan stood with legs akimbo and both those idiots gawped at her. She flicked her head.
'Goddamn sick, the pair o' ya, pickin' on an unarmed gal.’ Her husky, androgynous tones broke the hush.'Git outta here. Move!'
It was fascinating to watch Jeannie Morgan working her magic. She moved towards the idiots and gave the pair of them her heavy lidded, unblinking, soul destroying gaze. Her head was slightly lowered as she looked up and loaded that gaze upon them. They froze on the spot. Her right hand inched towards the grip of her holstered gun. They turned tail, scrambled towards their horses, mounted up and galloped back through the forest. Legs akimbo, she watched their escape and chuckled.
'Assholes.'
She turned and approached me. That's when the sunlight fully drenched her. My astonishment ripped through me. Her boyish beauty was legendary, and here it was. My mouth gawped open, I stared round eyed at her and my pain was forgotten. She crouched in front of me and her close proximity washed over me. My pain had been dragged into the background.
Jeannie Morgan held the look of a gorgeous youth with feminine overtones. It was well known that she was capable of leaving young women dangerously breathless, but my lengthy, mesmerised scrutiny revealed the truth of her gender. A red and white Indian bandana bound collar length, tousled fair hair. A fringe covered half her forehead. A totally unorthodox approach for a white woman.
Our gazes clashed. Hers, an iridescent, milky pale blue, won. I was anchored to the spot, frozen, and my heart thundered. She reached for my hand and, trembling with emotion, I took it. A gentle, warm, pleasant hand. She pulled me to my feet and I clutched my burning arm. It was only then that I registered my blood soaked jacket sleeve. She glanced at it, and tenderness surged those eyes which narrowed in concern.
‘Okay, darlin'? Jees – yer bleedin' badly, huh?' She studied my blood soaked sleeve and nodded towards a flat boulder. ‘Sit there an’ let’s take a look, darlin'. You're lucky Ah was on the trail back there an' heard that shot, huh?'
Honey. Her voice was like honey, with a western twang, the 'r's' pronounced. I nodded. Oh God. I fancy her like mad! I was also shocked at this longed-for encounter, because she was the reason for my visit to Coyote Creek, but I hadn't counted on this happening. I had assumed I would encounter her in town and hopefully talk to her in my role as a journalist. Firstly I'd always wanted to meet her because I've been a huge fan of hers since her fame began to burgeon. Secondly, my boss on my New York newspaper, The Evening Observer had always wanted an interview with her. He'd called me into his office and grinned at me.
'Go to Coyote Creek, Kate. Seek out Jeannie Morgan and interview her. You know you've always wanted to.'
My dream come true. How could I not?
Now I sat here on a boulder looking up at her. I dragged free of that discomforting, seductive gaze as she grinned her toothy crooked grin, Gentle dimples in her cheeks deepened. My heart hammered away. My face burned with... jealousy! What? I wanted to be her. An absurd desire had also taken root.
Her sensuality distracted me from the pain as she crouched again and helped me remove my jacket. Her warm breath bathed my face and she smelled not unpleasantly of cowboy, I imagine. Kind of smoky. She unbuttoned my sleeve and gently folded the blood soaked cotton back to expose my arm below my shoulder. The bullet had skimmed the skin, leaving an ugly ragged line. She cradled my arm in a strong, bronzed hand. Her veins were prominent, the skin a silken sheen.
That was so nice, the feeling of her hands upon me. Her presence and her voice bolted shivers through me.
‘We gotta bandage it, darlin', huh?’
She grinned at my mesmeric gaze. Her slim fingers – her nails pale against her golden skin – unknotted her bandana and used it to carefully bind my arm.
'You’re gonna have a scar, darlin'.’
I glanced at the white trail across the inside of her right wrist, and the fine golden down on her forearm, touched by sunlight. On her left wrist she wore a selection of thin leather bracelets and a signet ring on her index finger. She regarded me and I coloured. She smiled gently.
‘D’ya carry a gun, darlin?’
‘No. Perhaps I should.
Pale laughter lines crinkled around her eyes.
‘Try a small Derringer, mebbe. huh?’
‘I will. It was stupid to come out unarmed.’
She shrugged.
‘You’re okay. Jist remember fer next time, huh? Particular in these parts. You a stranger? Never seen ya before.’
'I’m on vacation. It’s beautiful here.
'Good t’have yer, darlin’, but ya gotta see the doc ‘bout that arm. Where ya from? Interestin' accent ya got there.'
'New York. Manhattan.'
'Uh-huh.' She nodded. 'Kinda busy, huh?'
I chuckled and nodded and she grinned back and crinkled her nose. She was one of those people who, when they talk to you, make you feel that you're the most important person in the world. While she crouched down there, my gaze meandered the curve of her long, womanly neck – a small Indian pendant on a leather thong hung against her smooth brown chest. She peered intently at me, her eyes slightly narrowed.
‘You’re trembling fit t’bust, darlin’. Sure you’re okay ?’ I nodded and we stood up. She was tall, approaching six foot. 'Alright t’get back? Ah’d give ya a ride only Ah ain’t headin’ that way.’
‘My horse bolted. It’s not far. I can walk.’
‘Sure. Okay. ''S'pect yer hoss went home. You take care now.’
She flashed her grin and winked – that charismatic magnetism could fill the whole forest. I managed a jocular salute and she chuckled and threw her head back, her jaw and neck revealed in all their sexuality. She touched fingertip to thumb between her lips and whistled. A soft rustling preceded the entry of a beautiful brown horse with a white muzzle into the clearing. She leaped into the saddle and returned my salute.
‘Ciao, darlin’!’
She circled her horse, nudged him into the forest and was gone. I gaped at the spot where she'd been and touched the scarf at my arm. I felt emotionally, and physically, shattered.'
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JEANNIE |
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FOOTHILLS & FORESTS |
There you have it! If that sample has whetted your appetite, here's the link to Amazon and Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl!
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Thursday, 28 September 2023
JO. B. CREATIVE!: THE EXTRAORDINARY TOURIST
JO. B. CREATIVE!: THE EXTRAORDINARY TOURIST: A long time ago - some ten years to be precise - I was 'cured' of depression - literally. By pure chance we were introduced to the ...
Thursday, 7 September 2023
JO. B. CREATIVE!: THE STORY I ALWAYS WANTED TO READ
JO. B. CREATIVE!: THE STORY I ALWAYS WANTED TO READ: I have said many times that Alias Jeannie Delaney is the novel I always wanted to read. I possibly didn't know it at the time, but that...
Sunday, 3 September 2023
THE STORY I ALWAYS WANTED TO READ
I have said many times that Alias Jeannie Delaney is the novel I always wanted to read. I possibly didn't know it at the time, but that was probably the case.
During my teens I watched various TV westerns - The Virginian, High Chaparral and Alias Smith and Jones (my westerns had to have humour) and watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid at the cinema.
But I had begun to daydream before going to sleep scenarios with a cowgirl because very few westerns at the time featured female protagonists who didn't wear long dresses and weren't martyrs, victims or wallflowers. None of them were fast on the draw. I wanted to redress that. So, during my teens, Jeannie was born.
I wanted to write the life story of this person. A Calamity Jane character, only beautiful. When people have asked what I'm writing, I tell them that I'm writing about a Calamity Jane character and they understand that! I began making drawings and paintings of her, and I was beginning to know exactly what she looked like and much of her character, which evolved over the years.
I crafted her appearance and facial features, inspired by various - usually male - images in magazines, until she was exactly how I wanted her. She looks like a gorgeous youth until you look at her smooth skin and more feminine features. Then you know she's a woman. An extremely sexy one!
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Her fashion sense is very much cowboy, but as the years passed, that evolved until she had developed a strong sense of male dressing with panache and style, whether rough and ready or very classy.
And of course she's the fastest gun in the west! That goes without saying.
Her sexuality developed too. To my embarrassment I visualized her kissing girls, and this excited me tremendously, making me wonder about myself - no issues there, essentially - until I realised that she was bisexual. That took a while to admit to hubby, who was the first person to whom I dared relate the story. 'So what?' He said.
As to her personality..
She can be overwhelmingly charismatic. She's funny and kind, and gentle towards her girlfriends, kids, animals and older people.
I wondered if she was OTT (over the top). Maybe. But I couldn't help but write her like that, and I felt extremely excited doing so. And again - so what? And that would be a great reason for others to be dead jealous of her and for men to want to kill her. Her charismatic power and phenomenal gun threatens them.
So I crafted the story and it became just as I wanted it. Jeannie Morgan is the embodiment of the female I wanted as my cowgirl protagonist who falls into fist and gun fights with gusto and sometimes wins and sometimes doesn't.
Every scenario was considered with the traditional western in mind, with one exception - my hero is a woman, and a bloody good looking one at that. Unlike Calamity Jane who looked like the back end of a hoss, bless her.
In my scenarios in my head, Jeannie is treated like a bloke, and I love it and so does she. I won't tell you how it all ends in book three, but I will tell you that I'm delighted with the result, and I'm convinced that no-one else has written anything like this. I'm not saying that I'm unique as a writer, because no-one is, but every western plot I see, with the exception of Sharon Stone in The Quick and the Dead, are not the plots I want to read.
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At the beginning of my story there were no stories like Jeannie's, and I doubt very much that she would have been acceptable back then, during the eighties, but today she's liberated. There are any number of female led westerns, and I should be jolly pleased. I am, I think, but the childish part of me thinks: 'Aww... I wanted to be unique...'
(Get over it. You're published. Be grateful)
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Saturday, 2 September 2023
JO. B. CREATIVE!: ARTIST & AUTHOR OR AUTHOR & ARTIST?
JO. B. CREATIVE!: ARTIST & AUTHOR OR AUTHOR & ARTIST?: I was always an artist first, long before I started writing. I drew and painted in all kinds of media - oil paints as I grew up, gouache, wa...
Friday, 25 August 2023
JO. B. CREATIVE!: BUT IS ALIAS JEANNIE DELANEY - BOOK 1 - GO WEST, G...
JO. B. CREATIVE!: BUT IS ALIAS JEANNIE DELANEY - BOOK 1 - GO WEST, G...: The first book of this epic western trilogy, Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl! is now available on Amazon. This is the life s...
BUT IS ALIAS JEANNIE DELANEY - BOOK 1 - GO WEST, GIRL! ANY GOOD?
The first book of this epic western trilogy, Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl! is now available on Amazon. This is the life story of a devastating & charismatic pants-wearing cowgirl who's the fastest gun in the west and bisexual. A crack shot story that blazes across the wild west!
It all feels a bit surreal at the moment. I'm delighted! I've got fans! And a lot of people have bought Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl! and some have sent me their photos with the novel! Thank you so much for all this!
😄 So tell you what - if you're reading this and have bought the novel, take a selfie with the book (or your tablet) send it to me and I'll feature it on here. That could be fun! Also tell all your friends about it.
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ON MY BOOKSHELF, NEXT TO DAUGHTER'S NOVELS! |
REVIEWS
Yee-hah! I'm enjoying this soooo much! Not just because of the story but also because of the quality of the writing, and the loving detail put into it. Clearly a lot of research - Kit Mackenzie writes as though she's actually been there. I so enjoyed reading the novel in detail, and relishing the nuances of the fab writing. Rereading it and absorbing the world and the atmosphere she's created. It's a terrific story with strong characters (to put it mildly!) and a powerful arc.
YouTube video trailer.
https://youtu.be/50nD0cruN5E
Oh blimey! - just watched the video trailer, and my goodness Kit MacKenzie does know how to captive an audience ... (Never seen anything like it. Terrific!:-)
CAROLINE, CORNWALL UK
I'm just reading the preview at the moment, it's great! I just love kit Mackenzie's descriptions of where Jeannie is, so atmospheric 😌 I've got to chapter 12 and loving it! A fascinating angle .
ANNE, WEST SUSSEX, UK
I'm already deep in Chapter 1 of the book and loving it!
JANA, USA.
I am loving the book so far !! Good on my phone too as had long break yesterday and Jeannie and her Dad are so happy to be moving West !!
This novel is a refreshing change from the usual western. Easy to read and I'm thoroughly enjoying it!
PHILIPPA, HAMPSHIRE, UK
Finally, a brilliant review from Booksprout!
A unique western read. Five stars.
This is a different take on a western and I really enjoyed it. Jeannie is an independent woman focused on living her life on her terms before it was socially acceptable to do so. It is well written and entertaining!
I've had a lot of feedback, and all extremely positive. My readers ('my readers' - love it!) are really enjoying the story and the fact that it's a western with a female protagonist and written from a completely different perspective.
Again I'm delighted, and immensely relieved! For years I worked on this thing, not knowing whether it was any good or not. Then hubby read it and told me that it was good, a bit like after God created the earth and liked it. Whether or not he (hubby, not God) personally liked it was not the point. He's been reading avidly since he was a kid, is classically educated so knows his stuff and knows a good story from a mediocre one. He told me to keep going. So I did.
But I only had his word for it that it was any good. Finally, long after our decision to self-publish on Amazon, we sent a synopsis to a professional editor. She loved the whole idea. The first time a professional had positively endorsed the story. I was over the big yellow planet that had been bombarded with meteors forever and is now covered in big craters and mountains that hangs in the sky on a clear night. We hired the editor and she read the first book. She loved my writing and loved the whole story.
We were aware that editors can be pretty brutal and return physical manuscripts (in days of old) covered in red ink amendments. These days virtual manuscripts are returned on your screen with black amendments and suggestions in the margins and it's a whole lot more complicated than it used to be. I was so pleased that there weren't nearly as many amendments as I was expecting.
After making the changes came the decision regarding the cover design. Yeah, yeah, yeah I wanted to design and create the cover myself, just to prove I could do it and to be able to say: 'Yes, I wrote the whole thing and created the cover artwork myself. Aren't I clever?' Well, yes. Yes I created a design, and it was good. Hubby took the cover artwork away with him when he travelled up to Warwickshire to do a bit of boat maintenance on Dotterel, our narrow boat, and mull over the design. On his return he suggested - bravely - that it wasn't really up to standard. He honestly thought I was going to a) hit him. b) yell at him. c) have hysterics. He's used to all of that. All at once. Really? Oh god. I hate that. 🙄 That's what depression and anxiety can do to you.
Anyway, the long and the short of it was that I calmly agreed with him. He was a little astonished that I was so calm about it. You see - I can be like that. Anyway we hired our designer, who took my ideas and polished off a fabulous cover artwork. We loved it! The result was brilliant. So you can thank hubby for that!
Weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks later hubby pressed the 'Go' button on Amazon and 'Bing!' I was published and launched. Then we had to wait. Oh crikey. I've spent my life waiting with bated breath (a nervous and excited state anticipating what will happen, so Google tells me) to see what would happen.
It happened. Loads of messages and contacts from people everywhere on Facebook who bought the novel and are loving it! A five star review on Booksprout!
I'm now marketing like a marketeer on speed and I don't mind marketing. An interesting challenge. I know that out of the umpteen zillion promotional Gmails I send to lgbtq and feminist reading clubs and groups and libraries, one of two might reply. A library in Canada, I think it was, replied saying that they would check the novel out with a view to adding it to their reading list! 😲
I know the novel is a niche within a niche (lgbtq and a western) which can make things awkward to sell, but so far so brilliant. Even the graphic adult juicy bits aren't putting people off. 'Tastefully done.' I'm told. That's good.
I'm a bit up and down. Delighted then 'Aw...'. It's to be expected. Breathing and balance, I'm told. Breathe in, breathe out... And balance. Go snorkeling. Do some artwork. A long walk. I walked almost eight miles the other day. I was knackered and crackered but fine. Physically good. That's all it takes.
So, best foot forward and all that. 🦶...
Facebook Jo Ballantyne
Facebook Kit MacKenzie Author Page
Kitty Le Roy's Wild West Saloon Facebook Group
Kitty Le Roy's Wild West
Facebook Kit MacKenzie Author Page
Kitty Le Roy's Wild West Saloon Facebook Group
Kitty Le Roy's Wild West
Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl!
Video Trailer
![Go West, Girl! (Alias Jeannie Delaney Book 1) by [Kit MacKenzie]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510n+GKXaHL.jpg)
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