function plugin_trim_by_characters_with_html( $text, $length = 400, $append = ' &hellip;', $allowable_tags = '<b><em><a>' ) {
	$length = (int) $length;
	$text = trim( strip_tags( $text, $allowable_tags ) );
	$in_quote = false;
	// if the length without tags is less than our target we are done
	if ( strlen( strip_tags( $text ) ) <= $length )
		return $text;
	// count forward to find the $length character in unstripped $text not counting tags
	for ($i = 0, $j = 0, $l = strlen( $text ), $in_tag = false; $i < $l && ( $in_tag || $j < $length ); $i++) :
		switch ( $text[$i] ) :
			case '<': $in_tag = true; break;
			case '>': $in_tag = false; break;
			case '"': $in_quote = ! $in_quote;
			default :
				if ( ! $in_tag ) $j++;
		endswitch;
	endfor;
	// Step forward one and check for whitespace. If none, go back and find the last place we ended a word or html tag
	if ( isset( $text[$i] ) )
		while ( ' ' != $text[$i] && '>' != $text[$i - 1] ) $i--;

	// don't end with non-final punctuation
	if ( isset( $text[--$i] ) )
		while ( $i > 0 && in_array( $text[$i], array( ',', ':', ';', '(', '$', '&', '-' ), true ) ) $i--;

	// if ending at end of sentance we don't need continuation marking (i.e. &hellip;)
	if ( in_array( $text[$i], array( '.', '!', '?' ) ) )
		return balanceTags( substr( $text, 0, $i+1 ), true );
	
	// finally if we have a quotation mark, make sure it is final
	if ( '"' == $text[$i] && $in_quote ) $i--;
	
	return balanceTags( substr( $text, 0, $i+1 ), true ) . $append;
}