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13 Wicked Days of Christmas With Nicole Peeler

December 25, 2011 in Author Interviews

Next up we have my personal favorite author that I love to stalk, er um, fangirl over! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her twice, and am so pleased I will get to see her again at AAD in NOLA!! Ladies and Gents, allow me to introduce Nicole Peeler!!!

What’s next for you book-wise in 2012?

Tempest’s Fury is coming out in the summer, which is book five. And I’ll be writing book six! Denise Townsend has some stuff coming out with Samhain, too, so if you like paranormal erotica you should check her out. She writes the naughty selkies!
What is the worst gift you’ve ever received or given?

I think one of the odder things I’ve ever received was a huge, leather bound set of Winston Churchill’s speeches. I actually enjoy reading them, now, but what made it odd was I got them for Christmas when I was eight. Looking back, I’m thinking there was some rather desperate regifting involved in that scenario.

What is your favorite Holiday food?
I love those damned marshmallow-corn flakes wreathes. They’re like rice crispie bars but with corn flakes? I love those. I also love Christmas cookies.
What is your least favorite Holiday song?
I loathe all holiday songs. I about keeled over and died when I had to do body pump to a Christmas mix. It was torture. Well, more torturous than usual.
Do you have any Holiday traditions?
Not really, to be honest. I’m from a very secular family and we don’t really stand by a lot of ritual, of any sort. We do usually have a big Christmas party which is always a lot of fun.
Any favorite Holiday memories?
I have a lot of rather hazy holiday memories. My aunt and grandparents used to drink old fashioneds, and they’d let me eat the fruit after it had been soaking in booze for hours. So looking back, I think I was slightly sozzled for most of my first Christmases. Which probably explains a lot.
If you could share one lesser known fact about yourself with our readers, what would it be?
In case you weren’t convinced I had no soul, besides Christmas music, I also hate ice dancing and musicals.

NO SOUL!

The Jane True Series is one of my most cherished Urban Fantasy series out there. Here is more information about her books:

 

Cover for Tempest Rising

TEMPEST RISING – Jane True #1

In the tiny village of Rockabill, Maine, Jane True—26-year-old bookstore clerk and secret night swimmer—has no idea that her absent mother’s legacy is entry into a world populated by the origins of human myths and legends.  It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: vampires are not quite what we think; dogs sometimes surprise us; and whatever you do, never—ever—rub the genie’s lamp.   For Jane, everything kicks off when she comes across a murder victim during her nightly clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean.  This grisly discovery leads to the revelation of why she has such freakish abilities in the water: her mother was a Selkie and Jane is only half human. With this knowledge, Jane soon finds herself mingling with supernatural creatures alternately terrifying, beautiful, and deadly—all adjectives that quite handily describe her new friend Ryu.  When Ryu is sent to Rockabill to investigate the murder, he and Jane fall hard for each other even as they plummet into a world of intrigue threatening to engulf both supernatural and human societies.  For someone is killing half-humans like Jane.   The question is, are the murders the work of one rogue individual or part of a greater plot to purge the world of Halflings?

Wicked Lil Pixie review

 

TRACKING THE TEMPEST – Jane True #2

Peeler_Tracking-Tempest-MM2

Tracking the Tempest begins four months–and one eyebrow sacrificed to magical  training–after the close of Tempest Rising.  During that time, Jane’s been busy  honing her supernatural powers and enjoying her newfound sense of confidence.    Rockabill may  not yet be heaven, but she’s realized it’s home.  Valentine’s Day is  fast approaching,  however, and Ryu–Jane’s bloodsucker boyfriend–can’t let a  major holiday go by without  getting all gratuitous.  This time his shenanigans  involve a last-minute ticket to Boston  and a hefty dose of direct interference in her  life. But Ryu’s best laid plans inevitably create  more upheaval than even he can  anticipate, and Jane winds up embroiled in  an investigation involving a spree of  gruesome killings committed by a being of  tremendous power . . .

. . . who, much to Jane’s surprise, happens to be another halfling.

Wicked Lil Pixie review

 

 

TEMPEST’S LEGACY – Jane True #3

After a peaceful hiatus at home in Rockabill, Jane True thinks that her worst problem is that she still throws like a girl – at least while throwing fireballs. Her peace of mind ends, however, when Anyan arrives one night with terrible news . . . news that will rock Jane’s world to its very core.

After demanding to help investigate a series of gruesome attacks on females — supernatural, halfling, and human — Jane quickly finds herself forced to confront her darkest nightmares as well as her deepest desires.

And she’s not sure which she finds more frightening.

Wicked Lil Pixie review

 

 

 

EYE OF THE TEMPEST – Jane True #4

Nothing says “home” like being attacked by humans with very large guns, as Jane and Anyan discover when they arrive in Rockabill. These are professionals, brought into kill, and they bring Anyan down before either Jane or the barghest can react. Seeing Anyan fall awakens a terrible power within Jane, and she nearly destroys herself taking out their attackers.

Jane wakes, weeks later, to discover that she’s not the only thing that’s been stirring. Something underneath Rockabill is coming to life: something ancient, something powerful, and something that just might destroy the world.

Jane and her friends must act, striking out on a quest that only Jane can finish. For whatever lurks beneath the Old Sow must be stopped…and Jane’s just the halfling for the job.

Eye of the Tempest will be available from all fine retailers from August 1, 2011, onward. North American readers can click here for links to Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Chapters/Indigo, and Indiebound.

Wicked Lil Pixie review

 

TEMPEST’S FURY – Jane True #5 – OUT JUNE 2012

Jane’s not happy. She’s been packed off to England to fight in a war, when she’d much rather be snogging her new boyfriend. Unfortunately, Jane’s enemies have been busy stirring up some major trouble—the kind that attracts a lot of attention. In other words, they’re not making it easy for Jane to get any alone time with Anyan, or to indulge in her penchant for stinky cheese.

Praying she can pull off a Joan of Arc without the whole martyrdom thing, Jane must lead Alfar and halflings alike in a desperate battle to combat an ancient evil. Catapulted into the role of the most unlikely hero ever, Jane has to fight her own insecurities as well as the doubts of those who don’t think she can live up to her new role as Champion.

Along the way Jane learns that some heroes are born, some heroes are made, and some heroes are bribed with promises of food and sex.

 

 

Thanks so much for taking the time out to visit us and answer our questions! We can’t wait to see you again next year in New Orleans at Authors After Dark 2012!

 

Nicole D. Peeler received an undergraduate degree in English Literature from Boston University, and a PhD in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland. She’s lived abroad in both Spain and the UK, and lived all over the USA. Currently, she resides outside Pittsburgh, to teach in Seton Hill’s MFA in Popular Fiction. When she’s not in the classroom infecting young minds with her madness, she’s writing Urban Fantasy for Orbit Books and taking pleasure in what means most to her: family, friends, food, and travel.

You can find her blogging here, as well as at the League of Reluctant Adults and Pens Fatales. She’d love for you to add her on Facebook (Nicole Peeler), and on Twitter (NicolePeeler). If you’d like to send Nicole a message, the best way to do so is through email, at IHeartSelkies(at)gmail(dot)com. The worst way is through Facebook Messages, as they tend to get eaten, and Nicole loves hearing from all of you.

Finally, go ahead and ask Nicole a question on Formspring. She’ll eventually collate all these together for an author FAQ.

Nicole is giving away any MMPB (any author) from Amazon (under 7.99)! Just leave her a comment!

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Spaz Goes to A … NOT ANOTHER AAD POST! Philly

August 20, 2011 in Book Cons

Boy. I am still sitting here staring at my computer trying to figure out how to really describe the experience I had at AAD 2011. I told Nat I am still reeling from the event and she told me: “Pictures!” I personally am so over myself and seeing myself in pictures, but I forget that the world does not revolve around me and perhaps you, awesome readers, might not have seen any pictures yet! So, in the hopes that you are not over me yet, here is what I am able to brain dump out allll for you.

First things first, the night at registration I was lucky enough to run in to (accost) Dakota Cassidy, who embraced me with open arms and lovingly offered to give me a piggyback ride to the M•A•C store down the street. We never made it to that M•A•C store, but we’ll always have this photo:

On Wednesday, Mandi of Smexybooks picked me and Jen TwiMom227 up at the Philly airport and Mandi drove us to the DoubleTree in her Van of Fun! She even parallel parked that bitch in parking garage, which was no easy feat. The squee-hugging immediately began in the hotel lobby when we ran in to Bells of Hangin With Bells and Marq of Love To Read For Fun (she loves hugs!! no not really, don’t do it, unless you’re me of course, she let me hug her bunches:P). We met up with Larissa of Larissa’s Bookish Life, Jo Jo of JoJos Book Corner (are her fabulous Mom!), Felicia the Geeky Blogger, and Danielle of Lush Book Reviews. We all had dinner at the hotel restaurant, as seen here in a exhibit A:

The next day, I had breakfast with Mandi and Jen and then headed to the Welcome event. This was an awesome use of time, as we were standing around talking to the —- squeeeee —- authors! We REALLY got prime time with the authors to introduce ourselves and take pictures!! Lara Adrian (not pictured here, booo), Larissa Ione, Nicole Peeler, Carolyn Crane, and Jennifer Estep were a few of my favorites… I mean… DUH! This is evidenced in exhibits B, C, and D:

Oh! And I met Erin Kellison and had to get a picture with her as well! I love her books, and she was so fun! I need Shadowman like right now.

Here at the pre-Welcome event, the Bloggers all got to really meet and take pics with one another too. I can honestly say that these ladies are my Friends. It was amazing how we all just connected as if we’d already met in person before, and not just in the Matrix. We instantly became a giant Book Blogger Family. Here is me with Mandi of Smexybooks and Marquetta of Love To Read For Fun.

And here is one of my most favorite people on the planet, BELLS!! of Hangin With Bells. Seriously, Bells is a true gem and I treasure knowing her.

From the Welcome event, I proceeded to take my foot of titanium fun for the first real walk I’ve had since surgery. I discovered that the museum I wanted to go to, the Mütter Museum, was only 1.2 miles away from our hotel. So I hoofed my way on over and had a nice time walking the streets of Philly, in the NOT 110 DEGREE heat that is Texas. I took photos along the way, but could not take photos inside. For those who are not aware, the Mütter Museum is a medical museum that contains a collection of medical oddities, anatomical and pathological specimens, wax models, and antique medical equipment. It was muyyyyy coooool!

I got back from the museum and immediately got to be Nat on a panel with Larissa Sarah called “I Have a Blog, Now What?” Soooooo I had absolutely nothing to really say on this panel, but we fudged our way through it and just talked about each of our very different experiences. I enjoyed making sly faces at Bells to make her laugh. What Exhibit letter am I on now? Ah forget it, here’s the pic:

And here is where the entire rest of the AAD Convention is a COMPLETE BLUR… So I am just going to give you my Favorites and Highlights and shove in a bunch of pictures I took.

Favorite Panel: Guess the Book from the Sex Scene!

This was hands-down the most fun, most interactive panel due to the authors and the participants. And I will just have you know, Nicole Peeler gives GREAT smut reading. She is a Professional. And when that PBS documentary guy came in, camera rolling, while she was reading one of the smuttiest blurbs my virgin ears have ever heard, she did. not. miss. a. beat. I salute you, NP! Picture above was provided by the lovely PJ Schnyder, I didn’t get a pic with her. I haz a sad. But moving on…

Second Favorite Panel: Pin the Penis on the Founding Father

Do I really need to tell you why this was so fun? I think not!

But here is another shot of my BELLS!, Dren of Dren’s B-Spot, Penny of Penny Pimpin, and Jen. LOVE these ladies!!

THEN, I got to present two awards at the Bookie Awards, here we are all together getting ready to present:

There’s Jennifer Armintrout, Jess Haines, Mandi Smexybooks, Me, JuJu AKA Minx, Jo Jo, and that’s Leanna Renee Hieber in the back, who by the way, is just as gorgeous as her book covers!

Oh, and here we are on another panel, this one was “Bloggers Tell All” and it was awesome talking with each other and also the authors in the crowd. That’s Robin of Intense Whisper, Jo Jo of JoJos Book Corner, JuJu of Loose Knickers and Window Lickers, Me, and Mandi! Thank you Ava Riley for providing this pic of us!

And then there was the Masquerade Ball, and the Steampunk Ball and it was just go, go, go! I ended up getting to meet Alison Pang, and JA Saare FINALLY! I loooove their books so much and they were both so personable and warm. I was just about to say they were both awesome… this is probably where I need to look in the thesaurus for help with overusing awesome. Too late? I also got to meet new-to-me authors like Kristen Painter, Melissa Ecker, Cat Johnson, Anton Strout, Lia Habel, Stephanie Julian (What a Goddess Wants - can’t wait to read it!) Sidney Ayers, and dangit! there are too many to mention! But here is another picture I can share with you of Mandi, Jen, Danielle and meee.

Okay Okay Fine! You want to know what another one of my FAVORITE panels was? OK, well check out who was there:

Surprise! It’s another picture with Dakota in it! But look who else! Larissa Ione, Alison Pang, Dakota (does she really need a last name anymore?), Meljean Brook and Alexandra Ivy! Talking about DEMONS! It was AWESOME (er um I mean amazing! or um, awe-inspiring!) and FUN and if you weren’t there you so so wish you could have been.

Oh! And the Book Signing! Holy crap! I wish I’d taken so many more pictures with all the authors, dang it. I walked away with 22 signed books by the authors there, and actually got the famous Trish AKA Picky Me to sign the covers of two Lydia Dare books she created. I kinda went fangirl on her because her cover art and conceptual art is so freaking gorgeous. I didn’t get a picture with her, but you know who I DID get a picture with? You’ll never guess! I’m shameless in my idolatry.

The last night before the Steampunk Dinner and Ball, we were able to take a group shot of us Bloggers. Well, we are missing some :( (Pennyy!!) but this picture CRACKS ME UP so I HAVE to include it. I am looking at it now, for the millionth time, giggling. It’s a classic group shot:

Oh oh oh! and here is me with Penny, since she didn’t make it in to the group shot above. She’s one of my favorite people to talk to and sure enough was one of my favorite people to hang out with, as well.

I want to give an extra shout-out to Mandi of Smexybooks. I felt a true kinship with her, and I mean, she not only transported me to the hotel, but then she took me on the scenic route back to the airport! LOLz were had! Whenever things got crazy and I started to freak out (hellloo spoiler alert! I’m spazstic), I just looked for My Mandi and she made everything better.

And of course I have to give MAJOR L<3VE to Nat, THE Wicked Lil Pixie, who was GREATLY MISSED. I don’t want to own or run a blog, but I sure do have fun writing for this one! I just wish she could have been with me. That’s the only thing that would have made it better for me! Come to TX, Nat! We have cheetos! and puppies!

In summary, I came home with such a full heart, and a tight stomach from laughter, and I am still riding a high from being around so much positivity and enthusiasm. We all were there to share our love for our favorite books, and to learn about new books too – and that is exactly what we did. In the end, the experience is what we make of it, and I am so happy to have had this one.

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Spaz Reviews: Eye of the Tempest – Nicole Peeler

August 8, 2011 in Reviews

  • Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
  • Price: $7.99
  • Publisher: Orbit; Original edition (August 1, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0316128082
  • ISBN-13: 978-0316128087
  • Nicole Peeler’s website

Buy Eye of the Tempest at:

Nothing says “home” like being attacked by humans with very large guns, as Jane and Anyan discover when they arrive in Rockabill. These are professionals, brought into kill, and they bring Anyan down before either Jane or the barghest can react. Seeing Anyan fall awakens a terrible power within Jane, and she nearly destroys herself taking out their attackers.

Jane wakes, weeks later, to discover that she’s not the only thing that’s been stirring. Something underneath Rockabill is coming to life: something ancient, something powerful, and something that just might destroy the world.

Jane and her friends must act, striking out on a quest that only Jane can finish. For whatever lurks beneath the Old Sow must be stopped…and Jane’s just the halfling for the job.

 

I have been reborn, I thought as I got my shoulders through the hole, but I got caught on my bottom half. And I shall henceforth be known as Hips-Got-Stuck.

Eye of the Tempest, the fourth book in the Jane True series, is what I am deeming straight up Classic Jane True. It is a lot lighter than the previous Jane book, Tempest’s Legacy. While the stakes are high, they are handled with so much humor the high level tension in the previous books is for the most part absent. I spent a good majority of this book giggling my butt off over Jane’s constant cracks over No-Pants-Wearing-Huge-Schlong Caleb, and basically the narration in its entirety. As always, Jane’s libido is in full effect, constantly battling with her virtue. Here is one of my most favorite Jane narration quotes:

Where will you go? I asked her, trying not to smile when she motioned toward the beach quite a ways up the shore. After all, I didn’t want her to think that I was abandoning her—hos before bros and all that—but I did want to ascertain that she’d be well away before I launched my vagoo at Anyan’s face.    pg. 40

Our favorite selkie goes on several journeys that are just one funny after another from page to page. From fondling Anyan’s Wolf Challenger Restaurant Range to having a group Shake Weight session with some ancient crystals, this book is so wrong and right. She gets to spend a lot of time with Grizzie and Tracy, Iris, Trill and Nell, and we get to learn a lot more about the edgy blondie, called … Blondie …. because her name is so ridiculous to pronounce. Many times throughout the book I was reminded of a raunchy Scooby Doo gang with the ongoing banter. Did I mention that Caleb has a huge dong and never wears pants? Yeah. Jokes galore. And Ryu is mostly out of the picture in this one which really made me happy because he needed to get gone. I like it when he only is on the phone a couple of times, I think he makes a vocal appearance twice and I may have rolled my eyes both times. Oh and I have to include the next quote because it’s up there with Sea Code, bitch! for me:

And then I finally experienced the stuff about which songs are written: Blondie Supermanned this ho.  pg 198

While this Jane True novel changes gears and shows its fluffy side, it is also a setup for some very big events that are coming. But what about Anyan, you ask? I am extremely irritated by what DR. PEELER decided to do with Anyan!!  — buuut in a good irritated way, not bad, I promise… she is just a really huge tease. TEASE! I’ll put it this way without spoiling anything: the journey that Jane has to travel is really about figuring things out on her own, facing her greatest fears without her safety nets. With that being said, I am quite pleased with the direction things are going overall. Another great dose of writing that is addictive and engaging, you won’t want to stop once you start. The Jane True Series:

  1. Tempest Rising
  2. Tracking the Tempest
  3. Tempest’s Legacy
  4. Eye of the Tempest
  5. Tempest’s Fury (Summer 2012)
  6. TBA

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Spaz Reviews: Tempest’s Legacy – Nicole Peeler

January 3, 2011 in Reviews

  • Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
  • Nicole Peeler’s Website
  • List Price: $7.99 US
  • Publisher: Orbit; Original edition (January 3, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 031605660X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0316056601

Buy Tempest Legacy at:

After a peaceful hiatus at home in Rockabill, Jane True thinks that her worst problem is that she still throws like a girl – at least while throwing fireballs. Her peace of mind ends, however, when Anyan arrives one night with terrible news . . . news that will rock Jane’s world to its very core.

After demanding to help investigate a series of gruesome attacks on females — supernatural, halfling, and human — Jane quickly finds herself forced to confront her darkest nightmares as well as her deepest desires.

And she’s not sure which she finds more frightening.

This review is spoiler-free, so read on!

In anticipation for the release of Tempest’s Legacy, I picked up the first two Jane True books in the series: Tempest Rising and Tracking The Tempest. I found myself completely engaged from the get-go and devoured these books! Since finishing the third Jane True book Tempest’s Legacy, I have really had to sit on writing this review for almost a month so I could think on how to explain why the book knocked my socks off. The truth is, I just loved it and this review will be a gushing of love for the Jane True series, there’s no way around it.

You know you are truly engaged with a series when you feel very passionately about, and for all of the characters. The entire cast of the previous books are here! And Jane True’s first-person narration is so funny and endearing. I really giggled out loud while reading. Her sarcastic and witty inner dialog is hilarious, especially when her libido chimes in. Here is where in my review I was going to put a quote, but I can’t even decide what to place here because I have so many. I don’t want to choose and don’t want to give anything away. This is a very grown up Jane, she has gone through a lot and has absorbed all of it, driving her to identify and become her potential. Her self-confidence has come a very long way, and it’s great to see.

In my attempt at keeping this spoiler-free, I am not going to name names… buuttt one secondary character really really really irritated me and I wanted to smack him/her/it so badly. Smack! On the other hand, another secondary character him/her/it continued to enamor me {bats eyelashes}. A seemingly unlikely romantic interest continues to blossom and the overall tension is pretty intense. Fantastic and entertaining new characters are introduced and I loved them! Of the books thus far, Tempest’s Legacy is definitely the darkest. Darrrk. There are some very macabre things going on in this book that continue the overall storyline… It is gritty, gorey, and jarring! And hellooo there is a character named Fugwat the Spriggen. I giggled over this character’s name multiple times, I may have even tweeted the name with an LOL at one point. Even though he is a total bad guy, his name is Fugwat!! I die! There are also some situations Jane gets herself in to that end up going really not in her favor, but how she gets in to them is laugh out loud funny. There is an event in particular, you’ll know what I mean when you read it, that had me giggling out loud again. Okay I have to stop myself here, because I am going to drop details and I don’t want to ruin it for anyone.

To summarize, the Jane True series is one of my favorites of 2010, and will continue as one of my favorites of 2011, with this release of Tempest’s Legacy. For me, it provides all the components of a solid Urban Fantasy, with the right amount of romance to compliment the story the way I like. This really is one of those true Urban Fantasy series that gets better with each book as we watch all the characters evolve. It is truly unique and imaginative in the world and character building. The Jane True we met in the first book has come a long way, and I am certainly looking forward to how she *hilariously* evolves in the next book, Eye of the Tempest. Please write faster, Dr. Peeler!

Reading Order:

  1. Tempest Rising
  2. Tracking The Tempest
  3. Tempest’s Legacy
  4. Eye of the Tempest (future 2011 release)
  5. TBA
  6. TBA

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Nicole Peeler: Christmas UGH!

December 17, 2010 in Author Interviews

If there are two camps at Christmas—the Deck Everything In Sight Crew versus the Bah Humbug Crew—I am definitely in the latter category. Christmas never meant much to us, as a family. It was fun getting gifts as a child, but we Peelers were neither religious nor sentimental, so it was mostly about dinner and presents. Which was nice, don’t get me wrong, but there was nothing all that special about the holiday.

And now? Christmas has become a nightmare. It’s all about these crazy sales that turn everyone into carnivorous zombie hoarders, buying shit they KNOW they don’t need when no one can afford anything right now, anyway. I don’t like going to the mall to pick up a new pair of yoga pants (my drumstick thighs chafe through those bitches like I’m on fire—it’s ridiculous) and having to dodge human torpedoes diving for some ridiculous sale on crushed velveteen turtlenecks. Yes, they are cheap. But they are still crushed. And velveteen. And turtlenecks.

Christmas used to be setting some tea lights in a paper bag, and calling that a festive outdoor decoration. Now people light up the night sky like Chernobyl exploding. We’re in an energy crisis, people. We’re fighting two wars that are embedded in oil and energy, and we have an oil spill disaster on our hands…so let’s get those meters spinning!

Finally, I’m tired of all the rhetoric. There are enough stupid arguments today proliferating across the globe, often facilitated by the shitternet, and now we have to argue about putting the Christ back in Christmas? The shit’s not even his birthday! It’s a pagan holiday! With a new label slapped on it! Give me a break!

So that’s where I stand. I’m a curmudgeonly, nasty, Scrooge McScroogerson.

Wanna try to convince me otherwise? Comment on why I should, or should not be a Scrooge, and you’ll be in the running to win an MP3 CD of Tempest Rising, read by Kate Reinders, and a copy of Tempest Rising and Tracking the Tempest, in their UK editions.

And finally, if you REALLY don’t want me to be like this:

Then go buy Tempest’s Legacy, Jane True Book 3, when it’s out in North America on January first. Unil then . . . BAH HUMBUG! ;-)

All Contests for the 13 Wicked Days of Christmas end on Wednesday December 29th, Winners Announced On Thursday December 30th. US/Canada ONLY.

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