2024 COVERS

2024 covers

Welcome to the Dark Side!

We are writers mainly from Australia and New Zealand who write speculative fiction with romantic elements. Be it fantasy, paranormal, dark urban fantasy, futuristic and everything in between.

Tuesday 7 September 2021

DarkSider News for September 2021!

Grab your favourite beverage, sit back and relax as we relay the news...



AWARDS

The Prism Awards by the FFP chapter of the Romance Writers of America were announced with Cassie Laelyn and Lana Pecherczyk as winners!! Congratulations.


Best Novella 
Salvation (Book 1, Small Town Packs) by Cassie Laelyn  






Best Fantasy  
The Longing of Lone Wolves (Book 1, Small Town Packs) by Lana Pecherczyk












NEW RELEASES


Drunk on Love by Mila Young (Gods of Thunder MC - multi authors) was released on 12 August. 



First my husband reveals himself as a werewolf by taking a bite out of me. If that’s not enough, I find out he's been cheating on me. Goodbye, love. Hello, divorce papers!

I go into hiding while I wait to see whether I’ll turn furry on the next full moon, not to mention dealing with new powers that decided to show up, plus it’s my 40th birthday. But this town I’m in is where a gorgeous man finds me, the most egotistical man in existence. He says he’s a God—Dionysus in retirement—that there’s something about me, and that he will not give up until he has me.

Yeah, I am so not in the mood. Who cares if he’s the God of pleasure and indulgence? This heart is staying closed for the foreseeable future…

But then again, I never saw this one coming, and especially not the grapevine grip he’d take on my heart.

Buy links:





When Hell Freezes Over by Mila Young and Harper A. Brooks (Book 5, Sin Demons) was released on 19 August.


There are enemies everywhere… But none as deadly as the one lurking inside me.

Vampire gangs, Lucifer rising, hellhounds on the loose, and an unruly shadow creature hell-bent on taking control… And no, that’s not the beginning of a bad joke. It’s a nightmare.

And it’s my life.

To get to Hell and stop the coming war, we need to find the last three relics and open the gates. But the greatest threat isn’t Lucifer. It’s the creature who shares my soul.

Hell will freeze over before my demons let me go, but with Sayah’s powers and influence growing, I’m not sure anyone can stop my greatest fear from coming true.
I’m losing myself to the darkness.

And scariest of all… I like it.


Buy links:




HM Hodgson and Melanie Pickering are in the anthology, Mermaid Kisses and was released 12 August.



Mermaid Kisses is an anthology of forbidden love, secret worlds, dangerous liaisons and the complicated simplicity of romance.

SIREN CALL by Jacqueline Hayley
She's everything he hunts. And everything he desires. How can she trust him, when the lure of her siren call will devastate them both?

A CURSE OF MOON & SEA by H.M. Hodgson
Once upon a time, a Merprince was cursed. Can he blackmail his way out of this fairytale nightmare?

ADRIFT by Melanie Pickering
The sea hath no fury like a mermaid scorned. What happens when a former merman falls for the human he was supposed to drown?

THE CROSSING by Jennifer Westgarth
She was born to protect the ocean. His heart lies with the land. When all you love is on the line, which world do you choose to defend?



Buy links






Cupcakes, Corpses and Chaos by Kelly Ethan (Book 1, Lila Harrow: Point Muse Cozy Mystery) was released 30 April.



Cupcakes, corpses and an underworld jailbreak. Let the mayhem begin.

Lila Harrow, baker witch extraordinaire stays away from Harrow-caused mayhem in the town of Point Muse, Maine. All her witchy gifts are poured into her baked goods and her bakery ‘Heart’s Delight.’

But now her cupcake-loving customers are turning up dead and minus a soul…

And Lila Harrow is the number one suspect.

Between a soul hunting Grim Reaper, bakery sabotage and a duo of demon prison escapees out for Lila’s blood, a baker witch can’t even ice a cupcake.

Lila has no choice but to investigate the murders and save her business.

A piece of cake for a witchy baker.


Buy links:






Pies, Potions and Peril
 by Kelly Ethan (Book 2, Lila Harrow: Point Muse Cozy Mystery) was released 31 July.


Pies, potions and a bake sale battle to the death…
Let the Mayhem begin.

Lila Harrow, baker-witch extraordinaire, had one hard and fast rule. Stay away from bake sales.

Because baking can be murder.

Now thanks to her hex-loving, blackmail-wielding grandmother, Elspeth Harrow, Lila’s stuck as a judge for the annual Point Muse Academy’s Founding Day bake sale.

But when the competition heats up and the body count rises, what’s Lila to do but add a little spice to the mix and solve a murder.

A piece of cake for a witchy baker.


Buy links:










The Killer Knight and the Murderous Chairleg
 by Kelly Ethan (Book 1, Point Muse Cozy Mysteries) is now in paperback.



There's a murder in the library, a killer knight stalking victims and a nosy librarian turned sleuth. Let the mayhem begin...

Xandie Meyers thought all her troubles were over when she moved to Point Muse, Maine. Instead, she inherited her great-aunt's supernatural library and a snarky, talking cat. Not to mention a family of chaos-causing witches, furry law enforcement and a card-carrying demon from hell...and a dead body.

Xandie Myers is suspect number one and she has no clue who's targeting her. Sherlock librarian needs to swing into action and sniff the real killer out before she becomes the next victim-or ends up in jail for murders she didn't commit.

Can Xandie survive long enough to navigate her freaky new world? Or will things that go bump in the night have her for a midnight snack?





The Vengeful Villain and the Cursed Treasure by Kelly Ethan (Book 6, Point Muse Cozy Mysteries) was released 31 December.





There's a murderous treasure hunt, a vengeful villain hunting prey and a nosy Librarian turned sleuth. Let the mayhem begin.

An all-expenses paid weekend away at a mysterious treasure hunters’ island paradise. At least that’s how Elspeth Harrow explained it to her granddaughter…

She lied.

Xandie Meyers, aka Librarian to the supernatural Great Library of Alexandria, and her family of nosy, Harrow witches, are back in the thick of a new murder investigation. But this one involves a ghost, a vengeful villain, a cursed treasure and a mouthy parrot screaming ‘pieces of eight’.

Xandie has no choice but to swing into Sherlock Librarian mode or walk the plank…

If you like snarky dialogue, murder and mayhem then you’ll love the next installment in Kelly Ethan’s Point Muse Mysteries, a new cozy paranormal mystery series.


Buy links




As Dawn Breaks by Imogene Nix  (Book 1, A House Secrets) was released 2 September.




Genevieve is many things, but no single title fits her quite as accurately as ‘mutt’—the one bestowed by her vicious ex-boyfriend. She’s built a life, far from the family who’ve disowned her—one she’s proud of—as a police officer with the Paranormal Liaison Division, and hiding from the world.

David is brittle from his experiences with his ex-wife Alexa, the truth his parents duped him his whole life, and he’s trying to come to terms with the fallout of those beliefs, running a nest and feeling like an imposter.

A chance meeting between Genevieve and David opens up an opportunity for hope amid the grim realities of paranormal warfare.

Trusting each other may be their only choice, but the past always bites back and this time is no different.







Pride 
by Lana Pecherczyk 
 (Book 8, Deadly Seven) was released on 10 August. 




Genius. Billionaire. Arrogant. Vigilante. Liar.

There are many words to describe Parker Lazarus. Some call him stubborn. Some call him impossible. Some call him a liar. He doesn’t care what anyone calls him, as long as he fulfills his destiny to rid the world of the fanatical Syndicate and leads his family to victory. Of his seven siblings, six have found their lifemate. But it should have been him first. He battles the deadly sin of pride, and he accepts no failure. Especially his own.

When Parker finds out his mate has been under his nose for years, an assassin masquerading as his assistant, his controlled world is thrown into chaos. Not only does he lose his arm because of his unwillingness to accept this truth, but he loses himself when she challenges him in ways he’d never thought possible. How did this woman slip past his defenses? How does she continue to defy him at every turn? Why does he risk everything – even his secret identity – to keep her safe?

Pride becomes more than another word to describe him. It becomes his downfall. And if he can’t learn to open himself up to failure, and to trust the help of loved ones, then his pride will pave the road to destruction. Not just for the Syndicate, but for all mankind.





Finis: The War to End all Wars by Imogene Nix  (Book 4, 21st  Testing Protocol) was released 26 April.



Inevitably, the end must come. But only one side can win the war.

Senna Reed—soldier and arson investigator—knows danger. She was there right beside the men in the war—a soldier. Now she’s facing an enemy the likes of which no one in their right mind could have foreseen years before.

Franklin Mann is a soldier first and foremost. Romantic entanglements aren’t his speciality, but Senna, the woman he’s been tasked to work with, pushes all his emotional buttons. He fights the emotional entanglements…until he can fight no more.

The passion between them is scorching, but there’s work to be done. Dirty tasks only soldiers can perform.

The possibility of failure in tracking down the one person who is behind the creation of the super-soldiers and neutralizing them won’t be easy. The battle will require them all to steel themselves, because never before have they seen the likes of what’s to come.

Content Warning: genetic modification, violence, and erotic content exist within this bookI







King of Eon by Anna Hackett (Book 9, Eon Warriors)  was released 7 September. 



The King of the Eon Warriors has decided to take a Terran as his bride…but finds himself shockingly attracted to the tough, beautiful Space Corps officer in charge of his potential brides’ security.

King Gayel Solann-Eon is dedicated to his people and empire. His father was a hard man and a rigid king, but Gayel is doing things his own way. That includes working with his allies to defeat the ravenous insectoid Kantos. To strengthen the alliance with Earth, he’ll put his own wants and needs aside and take a Terran bride. But as the group of bridal candidates arrive on the Eon homeworld, he’s shocked by a stunning attraction to the Space Corps officer in charge of their security.
Captain Alea Rodriguez has worked hard to escape her awful childhood and make something of herself. Space Corps is her family and her work is her life. Escorting a group of women to an alien planet so a king can pick a bride has left her feeling like she’s on a reality television show. But she takes her job seriously and will keep them safe. What she never expected was her own09 powerfu0l reaction to the alien warrior king.

Stealth attacks by the Kantos make it clear that no one is safe. Alea is sure that the aliens want to assassinate Gayel, and she’ll do anything to protect him, even as she fights to safeguard her heart. But Gayel is a king and a warrior, and as the two of them fight side by side, he will also convince Alea to risk everything: for their people, for their hearts, and for a bond that won’t be denied.

The thrilling conclusion to the Eon Warriors series.



Non Spec-Fic



High Country Kisses includes a story with Susannah Kade (Anthology 1, Write Connections) was released 18 May.



Romance, secrets, and laughter

Welcome to Emu Bend! An Australian country town where the locals, devastated by bushfires, rebuild by doing what they do best—caring for each other.

High Country Kisses brings together five contemporary short stories of life and love in a small rural community. Secrets are revealed, families are tested and surprising relationships flourish.

This is a feel-good collection of rural romance stories to warm your heart.






No More Secrets includes a story with Susannah Kade (Anthology 2, Write Connections) was released 29 June.







Welcome back to Emu Bend!

Your favourite Australian country town, Emu Bend, is restored to its once-strong community. Renewal takes more than abundant thoughts and prayers. It needs a community with the desire to rebuild. To maintain the old, and celebrate the new beginnings secrets are uncovered and past hurts forgiven.

No More Secrets brings together four contemporary m/f and f/f short stories of life and love in a small rural community.

Bonus! Includes more delicious recipes from the characters.






Stealing from Mr. Rich by Anna Hackett (Book 1, Billionaire Heists) is now available in audio. 




To save my brother, all I have to do is steal from a billionaire.

My brother is in trouble. Again. But this time he’s in debt to some really bad people, and I’ll do anything to save him. Even be blackmailed into cracking an unbreakable safe belonging to the most gorgeous man in New York. And one of the richest.

Steal from Zane Roth—King of Wall Street and one of the famous billionaire bachelors of New York—sure thing, piece of cake.

You see, some people can play the piano, but I can play safes. My father is a thief, safecracker extraordinaire, and a criminal. He also taught me everything he knows. I’ve spent my entire life trying not to be him. I own my own business, pay my taxes, and I don’t break the law. Ever.

Now I have to smash every one of my rules, break into a billionaire’s penthouse, and steal a million-dollar necklace.

What I never expected was to find myself face to face with Zane. Tall, dark, handsome, and oh-so-rich Zane. He’s also smart, and he knows I’m up to something.

And he’s vowed to find out.


Buy links






Blackmailing Mr. Bossman by Anna Hackett (Book 2, Billionaire Heists) is now available in audio. 





To save the only mother I’ve ever known, all I have to do is hack a tech billionaire. 

My foster mother is sick. The woman who gave me a home, love, a life. I’ll do anything to find the money for her surgery, including using my skills as a hacker. 

My name’s Remi, also known as Rogue Angel, and usually I work for a security company testing clients’ systems. But now a shadowy bad guy has tracked me down and given me an ultimatum. 

I have to hack Rivera Tech—the biggest technology company in the world, owned by billionaire CEO, Maverick Rivera. If I do, I get paid and I can help my foster mother. If I don’t, my family is in danger. 

Hacking Rivera is no walk in the park, and soon I find myself in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse with big, grumpy, and way-too-sexy Maverick. What I never, ever expected was for him to make me feel safe, or to threaten my closely-guarded heart, or to ignite every single part of me.  

I can’t drag him into my mess. 

But Maverick has other ideas, and he isn’t a man who takes no for an answer.










PRE-ORDERS



Immortal Consequences by Imogene Nix (Book 2, House Secrets) is expected for release 7 October.







Niamh’s banishment from Ireland is as incomprehensible as it was unfair. A fairy thrust into the world of New York; she has to learn to make it on her own. Working as a cleaner in a hospital allows her to hide who and what she is, but an unfortunate incident almost reveals her secret.When Simon, the Lord of Lycan’s first sets eyes on Niamh, he’s captivated, but he’s not the only one. Simon thinks money and power can buy her safety. He installs her in an apartment block the clan buys as an investment, aware of the restrictions she faces.When the reality of her danger comes to the fore, Simon whisks Niamh away, but whoever is stalking her doesn’t give up easily.They may both desire a life together, but danger is lurking around every corner.






Broken Wolf by Mila Young (Book 2, Savage Sector) is expected for release 30 September.




Is there such a thing as second chances?

I made a deal with four Viking Alphas to help me find my sisters. But what I found has left me devastated. Now I'm thrown into a cursed mission with four men I am just getting to know. They are forced to remain by my side whether they want to or not.... And I'm still not sure if I can trust them.


Pre-Order links






Ravenhold: Blood Legacy by LJ Swallow (Book 3, Supernatural Reform Academy) is expected for release 15 September.



Eloise, I told you we would watch the world burn. They'll start the fire, and we'll stand in the ashes of their destruction, ready to create our own.

Now I've escaped Ravenhold, what does my future hold?

Even before Ravenhold, I lived under others' control, but now I have a freedom that I've never experienced. I'm no longer the compliant girl everybody manipulated; I'm the Trinity witch whose connection to Dorian, Zeke, and Ethan has created something unique and unstoppable.

We're fugitives with decisions to make and agendas to follow. Dorian's obsession lies with revenge on those who created his life. Zeke needs to sever ties with the Tigris permanently. And I want to discover who's responsible for the 'special program'—student deaths need to stop.

But Ethan's dangerous plans could expose us. He's consumed by the need to find his sister, the girl whose life he saved the day he became a mid. If the Confederacy want to lure us out, they have the perfect opportunity because Ethan will not stop his search.

Anybody can try to take us, but nobody will ever contain us, and nothing can pull apart the bond we have.

The Blackwoods and Dominion continue their interference as they attempt to manipulate us into helping in their war with Confederacy. But Dorian wants revenge, and when he confronts a savage enemy, the consequences reach further than we could imagine.

As we move closer to the truth about Ravenhold and why the four of us were there, we discover a world woven with family feuds, secrets, and lies. But few know the ultimate secret that the Confederacy hold about me. One that will create a new future and alter our lives in a way we never expected.

Blood Legacy is the final book in the Ravenhold series.


Pre-Order links
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Winterfall Witch by LJ Swallow (Book 3, Nightworld Academy) is expected for release 6 April 2022.




Winterfall Witch is a continuation of Winterfall Magic featuring characters from the Nightworld Academy series. The books contain more adult content the the original series.


Pre-Order links





Wolf Trials by M. Young and R.A. Johns (Book 1, Shadowmate) is expected to be released 7 October.



Finding my fated mate just took a deadly twist.

When Dad dies, I’m shocked to discover my family’s lies in the secret town of Fable. It sucks to return to the Sun pack that I fled. It sucks worse to be thrown into a dangerous game, which will end in my official wolf mating with the winner...unless I’m the victor.

Of course, I refuse. I’m 17, for wolf’s sake. But wolf politics are savage, and Mom gives me two commands as cold as the snowstorm hitting town.

#1 Join the Wolf Games

#2 Win

But then, I meet them. The two gorgeous shifters from rival packs, who are entering the games. Are they with or against me?

Hunter, the scorching-hot, mysterious Moon Wolf and my first crush.

And Ri, the brooding Irish Shadow Wolf and my enemy.

They’re as ruthless as Mom and fiercely determined to win for their packs. I've found myself in the middle of a war that could tear me apart, body and soul.

Except, what if my greatest secret is the wolf inside me?


Pre-Order links



Hell on Earth by MilaYoung and Haprer A. Brooks (Book 6, Sin Demons) is expected to be released 28 October.




The journey's been Hell... but it's time to give the devil his due.

This is it. This is where it all ends.

It’s me, my shadow, and my demons against Lucifer.

With the relics stolen, the only way to get them is to go back into the hellfire--back to Hell where Lucifer awaits. Defeating him may mean making the ultimate sacrifice, but even with so much at stake, I don’t know if I can.

Things heated up fast with Cain, Elias, and Dorian, and now Maverick, but I’d sell my soul a hundred times to keep them as mine. Forever.

What if that’s impossible?

There’s so much danger ahead of us, but I’ll bring Hell on earth to save the ones I love. I just wonder that when all’s said and done, who will be the one wearing the unholy crown?

Read the hotter than Hell finale to the Sin Demons Series! Find out how it all ends today!
Except, what if my greatest secret is the wolf inside me?


Pre-Order links






A Perfectly Normal Paranormal Valentine anthology featuring Leisl Leighton and Samantha Marshall is expected for release 18 October. 


Who will get their happy ever after the night the veil to the Otherworld thins?

When Demi-Gods and Demons, Witches and Fae, Dracons and Shifters come out to play on All Hallow’s Eve, it’s a night for mischief, for revelry, for power plays. It’s not a night for love … or is it?

Anything could happen this Halloween ... and probably will.

A Perfectly Paranormal Halloween is the second offering in the A Perfectly Paranormal Anthology series by new and award-winning Australian authors, and features continuing and standalone stories that will give you goosebumps of the romantic kind. With sweet or spicy romance, action, revenge, secrets and curses, delicious chills and emotional thrills, you are sure to fill all your Halloween desires with this exciting collection of paranormal novellas.


Pre-Order links



Non spec-fic



Tia's Redemption by Imogene Nix (Book 2, Phoenix Force. The series is multi author) is expected to be released 25 February 2022.





When you need a job done, you need a woman.

Tia—codename Cat—knows all about loss. Orphaned at a young age, she’s made it through a series of foster homes, with one single aim in sight. Joining the Australian army. Now an accomplished sniper with Phoenix Force, an all-woman US black ops team, she’s found where she belongs. Or has she? 
When she’s sent to retrieve the child of an Australian diplomat, she drops into Zabuti—an unstable African country — with no illusions about her importance in the greater scheme of things. 

When Cal sees Cat’s landing, he’s unsure about the man. His misgivings are even more grave when he realises Cat’s a female. Can this slight woman do the job? He’s supposed to be her in-country guide, but though he packs a gun and is a CIA operative, he can’t keep them safe. 

The stakes are raised on the wild race across Zabuti, and nothing can prepare him for what’s to come, including the passion that rises between them.


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Tis the Season For Romance anthology featuring Susannah Kade  is expected for release 1 November. 


Tis The Season For Romance is an abundance of heartfelt wishes, a touch of Christmas magic, and a guaranteed happy ever after, all while celebrating this most joyful time of the year.

Bestselling and Award-Winning authors fill your holiday stocking with novellas ranging from sweet to sassy, bursting with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming Christmas holiday.


COVERS

A Perfectly Normal Paranormal Valentine anthology featuring Leisl Leighton and Samantha Marshall has a new cover. 



Valentine's Day - celebrating forever love with roses and chocolates, claws and fangs, and a magical spell or two ...

Whatever your paranormal pleasure, dive into these five original stories from award winning and new Australian authors in this magical anthology.

Featuring sweet or spicy romance, action, revenge, secrets and curses, this paranormal anthology will fill all your Valentine's Day desires.

Witch, Vampire, Demi-God, Fae and Shifter: who will get their happy ever after this Valentine's Day?


LOVE CURSED by Leisl Leighton

A love across time, cursed to stay apart …

Coven librarian, Juliana Stevens, jokes about being cursed at love. When an old diary that speaks of an ancient Love Curse is found, she realises it isn't a joke. To break the hex she must uncover a secret spell and travel to Rome to be in the exact spot with her unknown soul mate by midnight on Valentine's Day, or her soul will be doomed forever. No pressure – but it's going to be Happy Never After if she can't.

BAD BATCH by Marnie St Clair

Avery Lloyd does not like being a witch - it's all rules and hard work. She also hates dogs. As in, really hates dogs. So when her boss Alec insists she attend the Valentine's Day charity event at the lost dogs' shelter, Avery casts an unlawful spell to get out of it. But something's not quite right about this batch of magic, and before she knows it, Avery has ruined Alec's life. She has until Valentine's Day to fix it, or the damage will be permanent.

CATNIP by Samantha Marshall

For reclusive dragon Oaklyn Airecross, spending Valentine's Day with a stack of book boyfriends and chocolate mousse sounds like heaven - until an uninvited guest picks a fight with a bean bag, and she's thrust bodily into a mess of runaway cats, vampire intrigue and frypans. In order to reclaim the Valentine's Day of her dreams, Oaklyn must set aside her preconceived notions on true love, the perfect man, and exactly what that bulge might be when it twitches inside of his pants.

FILIGREE AND FATE by Helen Lucy Howe

Famous fae-artist, Zhulija, is asked to create decorations for a wedding, but things don't go according to plan. Infamous unseelie, Dario Eribifax, after recognizing his 'true mate,' appoints himself her personal assistant in an effort to convince her of their fated connection. What could possibly go wrong?

A BROOMSTICK BREW by Georgia Tingley

When Wysper uses a 'love potion' on Valentine's Day to make the man of her dreams fall in love, things take a turn for the worse. She finds herself falling for everyone she looks at. A hilarious witchcraft backfire!








The Weaver's War series by Samantha Marshall all have new covers.  



Sorrow's Song by Keri Arthur (Book 9, Lizzie Grace) is expected to be released 28 June 2022. 






FREE READ

Blackbird Rising by Keri Arthur (Book 1, The Witch King's Crown) is free until 15 September at Apple Books in Australia and New Zealand. 



A modern fantasy novel inspired by the King Arthur legend...

For hundreds of years, the Witch King’s sword has been buried in stone awaiting the next hand to draw it.

Many have tried. None have succeeded.

Gwen is the last in a long line of De Montfort witches whose duty it is to protect the sword of all power. But when she returns to King Island to perform the blessing, a mysterious pulse of blue light tells her that someone has attempted to draw the sword. Before she can investigate any further, demons attack. She only survives with the help of a mysterious stranger who disappears as quickly as he appears.

Gwen and her grandmother, Moscelyne, soon discover that minor gateways into Darkside—the traditional home of both demons and dark elves—are being forced open by magic.  Even worse, someone is now sending demons after the Witch King’s heirs.

As vital artifacts are stolen by Darkside and the deaths draw altogether too close to home, Gwen and Mo—with the help of old gods and an ancient order of knights once thought dead—scramble to unravel the clues and stop the murderous would-be king from claiming the crown.


If they fail and the wrong hand draws the sword of power, he can unlock the main gateway into Darkside and unleash utter hell onto an unsuspecting and unprepared England....


Buy link







SALES

Eon Warriors Books 1-3 boxset by Anna Hackett is now on sale for a limited time. 



Buy links




~~~


Congratulations to our DarkSiders.

Thanks for joining us. Until next time, be safe and well..


1 comment:

  1. Thanks for this issue, Eleni! It's so great to see what everyone's up to (and nice to find new books to add to my TBR).

    ReplyDelete

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