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ADAM'S FALL
Traumatic Brain Injury, the First 365 Days
By Robert V. Bullough, Jr.

“This book will help physicians and nurses, as well as respiratory, physical, and occupational therapists to understand the struggles of their patients and their families. [And it] will bolster the faith of the family in the midst of dealing with a loved one with severe head injury.” —Randy Jensen, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurosurgery, Radiation Oncology, and Oncological Sciences, University of Utah

On a warm summer’s evening, while riding his bicycle with his girlfriend down a gentle slope something inexplicable happened. Suddenly, Adam flew over his handle bars, bounced on the street, and crushed the back of his head. TBI—traumatic brain injury. In that moment, Adam’s life and the life of his family changed forever. Like tens of thousands of other young people who probably rode their bikes that day, Adam was not wearing a helmet. Adam’s Fall tells a very personal story of a young man’s struggle to survive first while in prolonged coma and then to heal and to recover himself. It is a story of the heroic efforts of doctors, nurses and therapists who saved his life and of those who have since supported his healing. But mostly, it is a story of a family facing every parent’s worst nightmare, a story of faith and of hope that continues to unfold in often surprising ways.

Sample Chapter
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Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=PVLFGNpokeEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=9780865348097&hl=en&ei=7lvNTvSq

Hardcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-1-63293-592-2
248 pp.,$36.95

Softcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-809-7
248 pp.,$22.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-023-0
248 pp.,$3.99


AMERICAN BREAD
Chronic Lyme Disease and the Tao of the Open Road
By Nick Vittas

SUMMARY: A memoir that chronicles the author’s battles with Lyme disease over 14 years, as well as the cross-country adventures these battles inspired during times when he was healthy enough to travel.

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

This book chronicles the author’s battles with Lyme disease over 14 years, as well as the cross-country adventures these battles inspired during times when he was healthy enough to travel. Taoist and Zen philosophies helped him cope with the frequent ups and downs associated with the disease, and these same philosophies also prepared him to make the most of his time on the road.

Nick’s saga began in 1998 when chronic pain began to spread throughout his body. Three years later he was correctly diagnosed with Lyme disease, but the journey had just begun. Over the course of the next decade he experienced both remarkable recoveries and heartbreaking setbacks, all of which taught him many influential lessons. American Bread offers valuable insights on how to evolve from hardship to anyone coping with any chronic illness.

Dispersed between each chapter about Lyme disease is a chapter from the cross-country trips he took when he was well enough to travel the highways of North America. During these trips he had the good fortune of connecting with several captivating characters, one of the most engaging being an eccentric Mexican nicknamed Lobo. Nick experienced many obstacles and unexpected events during his travels, but met them all with an equanimity that was cultivated from years of searching for meaning while coping with chronic illness.

Nick Vittas was born in London to Greek immigrant parents. He and his family moved to the Washington, DC metropolitan area when he was eight years old. He is a committed early childhood educator who has been working in Preschools for seven years. He graduated from the Texas State University Education program in 2011 and now resides in Austin, Texas.

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Softcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-903-2
200 pp.,$22.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-142-8
200 pp.,$7.99


BROTHER BOBCAT’S JOURNEY TO HEALTH
The Right Diet for Diabetes and Dialysis
By Anna L. Schwartz and Priscilla R. Sanderson

Brother Bobcat loves to herd his big fluffy sheep and cows. He also loves to eat junk food. One day Brother Bobcat got very sick and had to go to the hospital. Suddenly his life has turned upside down. Can he learn to eat the right foods to get healthy? Will he ever be able to herd his sheep and cows again? This tale includes his struggles with diabetes and having to start dialysis and his determination to return to health. Includes Readers Guide.

Anna L Schwartz, PhD, FNP, FAAN is a professor at Northern Arizona University. She is internationally renowned for her research on the benefits of physical activity for cancer survivors and is the author of Cancer Fitness: Exercise Programs for Patients and Survivors. She provides seminars, lectures and inspirational presentations to motivate people to live healthy lives and reach for their dreams. She set three world records as a world-class bicycle racer. She lives on a ranch in northern Arizona where she raises sheep, alpaca, and horses. She is the author of Okie the Wonder Dog, also from Sunstone Press.

Priscilla R. Sanderson, PhD, CRC is an associate professor at Northern Arizona University. She is a member of the Navajo Nation. Her maternal clan is Old Orabi Red-Running-In-The-River. She was born for the Towering House clan. Her maternal grandfather’s clan is the Mexican Clan and her paternal grandfather’s clan is the Leaf clan. She was born and raised in Shiprock, New Mexico on the Navajo Reservation. Her research interests include cancer, disability rehabilitation, resilience, health literacy, and public health. She is the Principal Investigator of the Center for American Indian Resilience.


Softcover:
8 1/2 x 8 1/2 Illustrated
ISBN: 978-1-63293-214-3
68 pp.,$16.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-540-2
68 pp.,$4.99


CHIEF COMPLAINT: BRAIN TUMOR
By John Kerastas

Chief Complaint: Brain Tumor is a guide for anyone who wants to know about surviving a frightful brain surgery, but it's really a lovely and funny guide to life. The best characters, John's family and friends, show us how to support someone we love.” —Amy Marash, author of "Cancer Is So Funny"

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

At 57 years old, John Kerastas thought he was the poster child for fifty-year old healthiness: he competed in triathlons, rode in 100 mile biking events and ate a healthy diet chock full of organic vegetables. Then he discovered that he had a brain tumor the size of his wife’s fist.

His memoir chronicles the first year he spent addressing tumor-related health issues: preparing for his first operation, discovering a dangerous skull infection, having the infected portion of his skull surgically removed, learning about his substantial vision and cognitive losses, undergoing rehab and radiation treatments, and learning to live with his “new normal.” According to Kerastas, the phrase “new normal” is the medical community’s code words for “You’re alive, so quit complaining.” As his health changed, so did his sense of humor. He writes that his humor started out superficially light-hearted prior to the first operation; transmogrified into gallows humor after several subsequent operations; and leveled out as somewhat wry-ish after radiation and rehab.

This is a surprisingly upbeat and inspiring book for anybody interested in memoirs about people dealing with personal crises, for patients trudging through rehab, for caretakers helping victims of serious illnesses, or for anybody looking for an unexpected chuckle from an unlikely subject.

John W. Kerastas has worked at a global advertising agency, at several technology start-up companies and as a free-lance writer. Now, in addition to non-profit and charitable work, he spends his time blogging, speaking and writing about brain health, brain tumors and rehab. You can follow his blog or view his presentations schedule at www.johnstumor.blogspot.com.

Website: http://www.chief-complaint.com/

Softcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-908-7
136 pp.,$16.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-165-7
136 pp.,$9.99


COURT APPOINTED
A Novel
By Priscilla Audette

Order from Sunstone: (505) 988-4418

Books about death are invariably about life. In her book Memento Mori, Muriel Spark says: “Death, when it approaches, ought not to take one by surprise. It should be part of the full expectancy of life. Without an ever-present sense of death life is insipid. You might as well live on the whites of eggs.” In that vein, this book deals with the ever-present reality of death while concurrently embracing life. It celebrates the lives of the greatest generation while alerting aging baby boomers to be aware of what is waiting for them around the next corner. As the clients in this book journey through the final stages of their lives toward death and the feeling that time is running out, Hope, the protagonist, conversely journeys toward a richer and fuller life. As clichéd as this sounds, this thoughtful book encourages readers to celebrate life and to live each day as the gift it is.

Priscilla Audette was born and raised in California and received her Bachelor’s degree from UCLA in 1976 and her Master’s degree in English literature from North Dakota State University in 1990. An award-winning writer, Priscilla’s first novel, Seismic Influences, won First Place in the LuckyCinda Book Contest 2013. A gypsy at heart, Priscilla has lived in California, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Maine where she currently makes her home.

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Website: http://www.priscillaaudette.com
Email: priscillaaudette@priscillaaudette.com

Softcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-1-63293-067-5
230 pp.,$22.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-379-8
230 pp.,$3.99


DEDICATED LIVES
Talks with Those Helping Others
By Michael Scofield

Order from Sunstone Press: (800) 243-5644

This book honors the legions of people in the United States who are dedicating their lives to helping others. The representative thirteen in-depth talks with fourteen people you’re about to eavesdrop on took place in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The author has gotten to know many people who dedicate their lives to service and you’ll get to know them as well: Tony McCarty of Kitchen Angels, Deborah Tang of St. Elizabeth Shelter, foster-parents Diane Kell and Russel Stolins, geriatric psychiatrist Larry Lazarus, infant mental health specialist Jane Clarke, and eight others. These credits to the human race often involve their families in their work, and borrow evening and weekend hours to get it done. After finishing each chapter, we hope you’ll exclaim, “Thank you for doing what you’re doing!”

Yale University graduate Michael Scofield received his MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2002. Sunstone Press has published two collections of his poetry, Whirling Backward into the World and Circus Americana. Acting Badly, the first novel in his Santa Fe trilogy, was followed by Making Crazy and Smut Busters. Sand and Other Flash Fiction followed, all from Sunstone Press.

“The Santa Feans you’ll get to know, and probably love, in Michael Scofield’s Dedicated Lives represent our city’s multicultural community of good neighbors reaching out to help others—because that’s very much what Santa Fe is all about.” —Javier Gonzales, Mayor of Santa Fe

“We are blessed to be in this beautiful city of Santa Fe, with its quality of life and values, where so many people give so much of themselves. How privileged we are to spend time with some of them in Michael Scofield’s moving and important new book, Dedicated Lives. It will inspire you.” —Ali MacGraw

Website: http://DedicatedLives.com
Email: michael@scofieldonline.com

Softcover:
6 X 9
ISBN: 978-1-63293-137-5
174 pp.,$18.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-482-5
174 pp.,$6.99


FROM THERE TO ETERNITY, ALZHEIMER’S AND BEYOND
By F. Harlan Flint

This is the story of the end of life journeys of two dissimilar but treasured people. One was the author’s wife, Chris, who joined him on a path that brought them close to the community of people whose ancestors were among the first European settlers of New Mexico. The other, his friend, Baudelio, was the last of a long line of pioneers who found a home in the high country of northern New Mexico. The story had its final act for Chris and Baudelio at close to the same time but in far different ways: hers from the anguish of Alzheimer’s, his from the slow decline after a lifetime of hard work. Other characters are the people met along the way and the places where they came together. One place was Santa Rita, the ephemeral Hispano community where they built a straw bale cabin. Another was the roadside café in a small town on the way to and from the remote cabin.

F. Harlan Flint was born in Rhode Island. He attended Swarthmore College and then the University of New Mexico, where he earned his law degree after three years in the Army. He and his wife, Chris, were always proud that they met in the Triangle Bar, a student hangout on the edge of the university campus. After law school the family moved to Santa Fe, where Flint first served as an Assistant Attorney General and then as General Counsel for the State Engineer and Interstate Stream Commission. He then left for a career as a corporate executive before returning home to New Mexico. He is also the author of Hispano Homesteaders and Journey to a Straw Bale House, both published by Sunstone Press.


Softcover:
7 x 10
ISBN: 978-1-63293-317-1
134 pp.,$26.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-619-5
134 pp.,$4.99


GENESIS
A Portrait of a Spinal Cord Injury
By Stephen Thompson

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

Not long after Indiana University had won the NCAA championship in 1981, a young man of twenty was hurriedly riding his bicycle in order to make it on time for a tennis tournament. He had plans for returning to the game after having been sidetracked with the "college life." Although he expected to attend graduate school, he was hoping to play professional tennis one day.

He never made it to that tournament. A head-on collision with an automobile had crushed his dreams and also his neck, resulting in a cervical spinal cord injury. As he lay in the intensive care unit unable to move, he listened to music on his Walkman to distract him from his terrible predicament. His favorite tape, "The Lamb" by Genesis, seemed to help keep his attitude positive and hopeful. The following months are torturous and frustrating and he prays for a miracle; near-death experiences that seem too mysterious to comprehend show him that there is life beyond human existence. Then, after finally making it to the rehabilitation unit, he meets other young men in similar situations and they all struggle together to increase their functional abilities.

In this rare and candid memoir, Stephen Thompson shares his many tribulations as he experiences new beginnings, both physical and spiritual, and strives for the ultimate goal of any spinal cord injury victim: to walk again.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY said: "Chatty, honest and inspiring . . . will be welcomed by survivors of serious injury and their loved ones."

BOOKLIST reported: "This highly personal book could be quite helpful to others in similar predicaments and to their families."

Sample Chapter
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Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=a2GQw6XZa0oC

Hardcover:
6 X 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-318-4
286 pp.,$26.95

Softcover:
6 X 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-330-6
286 pp.,$16.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-999-8
286 pp.,$9.99


LET BUSTER LEAD
My Discovery of Love, PTSD and Self Acceptance
By Deborah Dozier Potter

“I'm not a dog person, but I became just as emotionally involved reading about Buster, in Deborah Dozier Potter's memoir, as I did as a youth reading Alfred Payson Terhune's books about his collie, Lad. He became a person. I felt for him. I cheered for him. I ultimately grieved for him. Buster is a dog who truly made a difference during his life, and Mrs. Potter's love for her subject matter illuminates each page.” (Dominick Dunne)

“Deborah Potter vividly elucidates a much under diagnosed illness affecting an estimated 6 to 7 percent of the U.S. population at any one time. As a physician I have witnessed first hand how Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can destroy families and relationships. I strongly recommend this book to my colleagues and to those who desire a first person account of this illness and its manifestations." (David A. Gonzales, MD)

“'Let Buster Lead' is a love story that begins in the pound, but the adopted pup is beyond ordinary. He rescues a woman who falls prey to a devastating and seemingly incurable illness and saves a marriage in the process. You will weep for joy and heartbreak in the course of reading about this creature, who must be gamboling in heaven with Lassie and Rin Tin Tin and every other legendary dog in literature." (Sylvia Chase, television news correspondent for 20/20, Primetime and NOW on PBS)

“Those suffering with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as well as their family members will enhance their own healing through this warm, honest, and poignant story. The book is a touching and vivid reminder to us all of our hidden inner struggles and can give hope to the many who learn that their recovery will be through relationships--of all kinds! Potter writes in a warm, open and easy personal style; this is a story of courage and commitment.” (Marilyn J. Mason, Ph.D., former family psychologist and celebrity author)

"Hats off to a talented new writer Deborah Potter. In her first book she spins a touching, charming, altogether winning love story, the likes of which has never been told quite so tenderly before. It will lift your spirits and make you feel good about the world at a time when we need it most." (Robert Osborne, columnist for "The Hollywood Reporter" and host of Turner Classic Movies)

Order from Sunstone: (505) 988-4418

In this newly revised personal memoir about love, courage and healing, Deborah Dozier Potter shares her relationship with her Border Collie, Buster, from the day she met him at the animal shelter until the last moment of his life. But this isn’t a typical pet love story. The author met Buster while in a state of cynicism and grief following the death of her father and her new pet helped to restore her faith in life. Buster then helped her cope with a high-powered marriage, intense stress and faltering self-esteem. When she suffered major trauma in a horse accident, Buster stayed by her side, his herding dog instincts protecting her vulnerable and broken body. A year after the accident she became too tense to be touched by others or leave her home, unaware that she had developed a severe case of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). She tells us how she discovered she had this disease and how Buster became her official service dog. She describes her struggle with PTSD symptoms, and what it was like to travel on airplanes and function in public with a disability. Buster, as a therapy dog, helped restore her mental health and self-assurance and lead her back into a normal life. This is their story.

DEBORAH DOZIER POTTER was born into an entertainment A-list family. Her mother, Joan Fontaine, her aunt, Olivia de Havilland, and her stepmother, Ann Rutherford, were forties era movie stars. Her father, William Dozier, a popular film and television executive, produced and narrated TV’s Batman series. Seeking a “regular” environment, Deborah settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she continued her international career as an actors’ representative. She and her husband raised two sons, developed a politically charged real estate law firm, and have formed partnerships that own several businesses. Among her many volunteer positions, she has served as the founding organizer of Santa Fe’s Plaza Community Stage, a member of the Kennedy Center’s President’s Advisory Council on the Arts, and as a trustee of a college, an orchestra and two museums. Her traumatic accident leading to PTSD, an often un-diagnosed disability, and a life-changing relationship with her Border Collie inspired her to write their story. www.deborahdpotter.com

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Website: http://www.deborahdpotter.com
Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=zpwfYvZmA98C

Softcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-1-63293-038-5
198 pp.,$19.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-340-8
198 pp.,$3.99


THE ROMANCE DIET
Body Image and the Wars We Wage On Ourselves
By Destiny Allison

National Indie Excellent Award Winner for Women’s Issues

“In her latest book, Destiny Allison has deftly parsed that feminist cliché the personal is the political in a fresh new way. The search for the authentic self is new for every generation and Allison's book is a valuable contribution to that quest for today's women.” —Patricia Murphy, PhD, John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Women’s Health Policy Fellow and author of “Making Connections: Women, Work, and Abuse”

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

Brave, raw, and unflinchingly honest, this book is a weight loss journey, a love story, a heart beating loudly on the page. Every day we battle against something—injustice, our spouses, our weight. Seldom do we acknowledge the real wars we wage. Repressing feelings and silencing our voices, we suffer under the surface, attributing emotional distress and unwanted pounds to the inescapable effects of hormones or age. But weight gain, anxiety, and marital difficulties aren’t always so easy to explain. In her poignant and touching memoir, Allison doesn’t offer recipes, exercise tips, or advice. Instead, she shows us how to stand up, express what we want, and develop empathy for ourselves and the people we love. In doing so, she provides invaluable insight for those seeking to lose weight, save a marriage, or make a significant life change. Includes a Readers Guide.

Destiny Allison is an award winning artist, author, and businesswoman. When an injury required her to re-envision her life, Allison did what she always does. She applied her explosive creativity and dog-with-a-bone tenacity to new endeavors such as community building efforts and developing an innovative business model that transformed a bankrupt shopping center into a thriving community and commercial center. In 2011 she was named Santa Fe Business Woman of the Year. Her first memoir, Shaping Destiny: A Quest for Meaning in Art and Life won best independent non-fiction/memoir in the 2013 Global Book Awards. Since then, she has published two novels and opened a general store. Allison believes that one’s life is one’s greatest work of art. Unafraid to make mistakes and always passionate, she lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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Softcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-1-63293-090-3
110 pp.,$14.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-430-6
110 pp.,$6.99


STILL LIFE
A Parent’s Memoir of Life After Stillbirth and Miscarriage
By Emma Mellon, PhD

Order from Sunstone Press: (505) 988-4418

The author says, “Just as the light of a new star continues through the universe long after its explosive beginning, the experience of stillbirth accompanies parents through the years. Far beyond pain and grief, the story continues.” In this touching and insightful memoir, Emma Mellon, PhD, breaks the silence that accumulates in the decades after a stillbirth, and explores those years for glimpses of her son, Zachary. The questions she asks will resonate with parents who’ve endured similar losses, and with the people who love them. Twenty-eight years after my child’s death and birth, does the relationship continue? Does his brief life have meaning for me today? Am I still a parent after all this time? How is he present in my life now? How do I make sense of what happened to us? What does it mean to keep his memory alive? The Readers Guide offers parents the opportunity to ask and answer their own questions, and to discover their ongoing connections with their stillborns.

Emma Mellon, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and has been in private practice in Pennsylvania for over twenty-eight years. She specializes in trauma work with clients who have had complicated losses. Dr. Mellon has given workshops for local and national pregnancy loss support organizations. She has appeared on television and radio to talk about loss and other clinical topics. Dr. Mellon is also the author of Waking Your Dreams, HCI, Inc., and has written clinical articles, essays, and poetry that have appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Philadelphia Daily News, City Paper and Counselor Magazine.

Website: http://www.anxietycounselingofthemainline.net

Hardcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-1-63293-191-7
88 pp.,$24.95

Softcover:
6 X 9
ISBN: 978-1-63293-134-4
88 pp.,$16.95

eBook:
ISBN: 978-1-61139-473-3
88 pp.,$4.99


WE ARE HOPE
Women Living Beyond the Violence of Ciudad Juárez
By Emma G. Bailey, PhD

“In the midst of relentlessly 'dark' news about the city of Juarez, this book provides an essential contrast. Here are the women and children of Centro Mujeres Tonantzin. They remind us that Juarez is a human place where women work to build a city within a city—a place transformed by compassion, empowerment, social justice and environmental stewardship; we learn so much from these remarkable women.” --Valerie Martinez, author of And They Called It Horizon, Lines and Circles and Each and Her.

"The simple act of claiming a neighborhood arroyo becomes a sacrament of purification and an instrument of peace in Juarez, the most violent city on earth. Dr. Bailey describes the incredible women of Colonia Plutarco, victims of abuse and violence. She writes of their sense of dignity and strength in building a community." --Bonnie Buckley Maldanado, Professor Emeritus, Western New Mexico University, award winning poet, Poet Laureate, Silver City, New Mexico.

"These magnificent photos capture everything that is beautiful, tragic and just plain wonderful about the women at Centro Mujeres Tonantzin. Edwards beckons us into this other, lesser known Juárez, and the photos capture the joy and dignity of taking control of your life, whether it's growing your own food, caring for your family or nurturing your space." --JJ Wilson, writer-in-residence, Western New Mexico University.

Order from Sunstone: (800) 243-5644

Violence. Drugs. Murder. Poverty. These words flash across headlines to describe the U.S. Mexico border city of Juarez. Left out of the evening news is the lives of the ordinary people who live in the city—those who live amidst the violence, the drugs, the murder, the poverty. We Are Hope is the story of a small group of women living in Juarez who have intentionally come together to empower themselves so they can not only face their reality, but change it. Told with poignant and emotional photographs, this book invites the reader into the lives of these women. Through the women's words and poetry, we see how despair melts away into action as the women fight for a future filled with dignity and peace. Photographs by Alicia K. Edwards. Translated into Spanish by Sor Aurora Isabel Ramírez.

Emma G. Bailey, PhD, is Professor of Sociology at Western New Mexico University, and is past-president of the Association for Humanist Sociology—a national sociological association that seeks to use sociology for people, as well as the larger needs of the planet. She is also an Associate Editor for the journal Humanity and Society. Emma’s scholarly research focuses on women's lives and how they seek change.

Alicia K. Edwards has been an award-winning professional photographer for over 30 years. Her work has been shown in solo and group shows in Colorado, New Mexico and Minnesota.

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Softcover:
6 x 9
ISBN: 978-0-86534-966-7
132 pp.,$18.95


 
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