Jenn - Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!So if you know me by now then you should know I absolutely detested "Game of Thrones", and weirdly enough "Vikings" but I’m loving their predecessors. Well anyways this isn’t about "Vikings" or "Vikings Valhalla" which go watch if you haven’t. This is about "House of the Dragon", the prequel to "Game of Thrones", that ended like crap and pissed fans off. Sorry to those that wasted eight years, but in my opinion I don’t think "House of the Dragon" will do that. But I guess only time will tell but after only seeing one episode though I’m in love, especially with Daemon Targaryen, my heart. But anyways GOT fans get the bloodiness from that, but like Matt Smith said I think maybe with a bit more. There was one scene I think that could have been left out, but I guess we need to expect stuff like that by now. They also have Rhaenyra Targaryen who reminded me of Daenerys right away, though I knew it wasn’t her. It’s also nice to learn the history before the mad king took the throne, and to see the dragons as well. This powerful family once reigned and honestly if "Game of Thrones" wasn’t dumb, they should have again with Daenerys on the iron throne. That’s just my opinion though and here’s another. If you’re afraid to give this a chance because you were disappointed in Westeros before, trust me this at least to me lives up to the hype and that’s coming from someone again who hated its predecessor. Dave - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"So with everything being regurgitated by Hollywood, it should be no surprise that they wanted to piggyback the success of "Game of Thrones" by making another series. Did we really need another one? No, we really didn't. I am in the minority that actually liked the way it ended. I was late to the party, picking it up after the 4th season, or 5th season. I don't even remember now. But if you actually watched the series, did you really expect a happy ending and everything to turn out just fine for everyone? If you did, I don't know what series you were watching because I expected everything to fall apart for everyone. There are no happily ever afters in this land. Did you watch Dani escalate over the years and not expect any of this? Seeing the things she has done on her journey? The clues were there. I think everyone said they didn't like because they expected something different or wanted a different ending. I like being thrown a curve ball. If everything turned out the way people expected it to, it would have been bashed for being predictable. I don't think many were placing bets on that ending. Now we have this new part of the story with "House of the Dragon". The trailers did nothing for me but ended up watching it anyway. (Melanie - because Jenn wouldn't stop until you did lol) It was ok but I still don't think it was needed. Of course, comparisons to GoT will come but it's not GoT. GoT was very much an ensemble show. Different houses, and almost different worlds were brought together. This one will just focus on one family it seems. You can still expect blood, a body count, lots of naked people and probably incest at some point down the line. It's a brutal world and definitely not for the faint at heart. Time will tell if we actually make it through the entire season before giving up. If you join us for the ride, don't get attached to too many characters. If you watched GoT, you know some bodies will hit the floor. Melanie - Greg and I watched the first episode and will stick with it ... for now .... but right now the jury is out for us. New episodes are arriving weekly on Sundays exclusively on HBO Max. Pineapple code word for this article is Dragon And Now For The Giveaway Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Targaryen" prize pack featuring a House of the Dragon notebook, keychain, and Targaryen Banner from Jenn and then a dragon ring and black resin key (made by Greg) from the Melanie's Muses Prize Hoard For your chance to win- FILL OUT THE FORM and tell us: Which house would you belong to? - If you aren't sure you can take a quiz HERE! Comments about the article are encouraged - but for now only qualifying entries on the form will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question!
Winner will be announced during the Live show on September 11th (and then posted here on the blog as well on September 12th if the winner isn't at the live.) Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules Only comments posted on THE FORM will be considered. This is open internationally. If you win and you cannot accept mail due to Covid issues we will hold the prize until such time as you can. Some exceptions may apply based on Post Office Regulations. Melanie's Muses takes no responsibility for rules beyond her control. Void Where Prohibited. Sharing is always appreciated but is not required for entry. Winner Will Be Picked At Random. One Entry Per Person / Household Prize is provided via Melanie's Muses and will be mailed by her. Winner will be announced during the live on Sunday September 11th posted on this post on Monday September 12th Winner will have 48 hours to claim by messaging their address to - https://www.facebook.com/MelaniesMuses/ Or prize is considered forfeit. Failure to claim will result in a no future giveaway entry being counted for 30 days. We want people to claim their prizes! Don't get on the list! Any questions please contact Melanie on the Facebook page
Basic Info
Standalone or series? Take your pick - it works as a standalone - technically it is book 1 in the Psi-Ops series or book 6 in the entire Ops series that spans different teams. Category Paranormal Romance Official Blurb About The Book (From the Amazon Page) Paranormal Shifter Military Special Ops Romance Paranormal Security and Intelligence Operative Duke Marlow has a new mission: find, interrogate and possibly eliminate the target—Mercy Deluca. He knows looks can be deceiving, but it's hard to believe the beautifully quirky woman running around in a superhero t-shirt is a viable threat. The little biomedical engineer quickly proves she is more than he bargained for and Intel has it all wrong—she’s not the enemy. Far from it. Intel also forgot to mention one vital piece of information—she’s Duke’s mate. And this immortal alpha werewolf doesn’t take kindly to her being in danger. When Mercy accepted a position within Donavon Dynamics Corporation, she thought it was to help cure disease and to make a difference for mankind. She had no idea what her new career path truly entailed—monsters masquerading under the guise of scientific research. Unable to stomach the atrocities she’s uncovered, she reaches out through what she hopes is the proper channels, asking for help. Mercy gets more than she bargained for when a team of paranormal hotties show up on her doorstep ready to take down the Corporation. One, in particular, is able to get under her skin, both aggravating and exciting her in ways she can’t explain. How did I get this book? We decided to do a Mandy M Roth ops book for the August Book Club and Mandy's PA Heather suggested this would be a good one for me personally to start with if I didn't want to go straight to Crimson Ops (which I DID but that wasn't free and I do like a free book for book club lol) Why did I choose to read this book: Book Club And Now To The Review! First Impressions: It is no secret that I am not a big fan of shifter based anything BUT this book started strong with humor, swearing, and sarcasm, and that DOES work for me. General Review I actually enjoyed this book despite the shifter tendencies. The team was funny and worked well together. Mercy was hilarious and so unphased by the insanity going on around her, asking the sort of questions that I would want to ask, that it was not hard to get sucked into the story. Mandy, as always, has obviously done extensive research so that you don't have the moments that annoy me where I sit there and say ummmm NOPE! Final Thoughts There were a couple of lore issues I had that were my personal issues, with it being Mandy's world obviously she is free to write whatever rules she wants, as long as she sticks to them. I definitely think I will be reading more in the Ops series - but personally I think I am going to jump over to the Crimson Ones with the vampires - because that is where I know I will feel most at home. Rating A 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5 for other place posting and a strong recommendation to check out these books if you haven't already! Pineapple word for this article is Sarcasm. ** Disclosure** Any Links To Buy On Amazon Are My Amazon Affiliate Links. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases - Which helps provide for the giveaways!)
Dave - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"The comic book superhero movie has a long and storied history. Its not just a recent fad. It had a smaller impact several decades ago. There were actually Batman serials in the 1943 and 1949. I’m guessing they didn’t rake in hundreds of millions of dollars like todays batch does. So anyone saying Adam West was the first and only Batman are wrong. He didn't come along until later. Batman tackled the small screen in 1966. Colorful and cheesy wasn’t enough for a very long lifeline though. It only lasted 3 seasons before getting the axe.
Superman almost changed the superhero fate in 1978. But even that started a decline with the 3rd movie and the rarely even mentioned, blob on the mark of the franchise 4th movie. The late 80’s ignited a spark with Batman. But after “Batman & Robin”, no one was touching it with a 10 foot batpole again. Well, at least for a while. While DC had their hand in the box office with these movies, Marvel had less success. A handful of cheesy disasters in the early 90’s like Captain America movies and the ill fated 1994 version of Fantastic Four that never actually got released left things up in the air for a while. Marvel started to strike back in the late 90’s. 1998’s “Blade” was kinda unexpected. Not a huge household name but brought pretty decent bank with over $100 million. (Tame by todays standards). “X-Men” came a couple years later and things started looking up. Then along came a spider. Umm, a Spider-Man that is. The long awaited, often delayed webhead was finally hitting the big screen. Bringing in over $600 million, you know this would be the start to scrambling up every comic book property people could get their hands on. The next few years would see relaunch of the Batman franchise and a false start relaunch of Superman. (Hey, “Superman Returns” was good in my book. Way better than “Man of Steel” but that's another rant all its own). Marvel would start its MCU launch in 2008 with an odd choice if you ask me. “Iron Man” was another of those that wasn’t a main hero that everybody knew. And their choice of a lead? Try to think back. Robert Downey Jr was a known actor in the 80’s & early 90's but then had a slew of personal problems. He was virtually washed up and not really in anything big the last several years before Marvel got him. Before Iron Man came out, he was able to walk the floor of a comic con untouched. No one cared. It could have been a big risk. It could have blown up in their faces. But it didn’t. I guess Iron Man was the beginning of their Avengers idea. Introduce each one. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk (2 so-so movies, 2 different actors and a 3rd actor for this new era). Even lesser knowns like Captain Marvel and Ant-Man were getting their own movies. But everything Marvel touches turn to gold. (::cough cough except MORBIUS coughcough::) Then of course we have the onslaught of Disney+ Marvel series. I always thought lesser knowns weren’t needed. They weren’t the big household names with the potential to bring the box office. Morbius proved that flaw. But other lesser knowns like Doctor Strange still bring in the bucks. Although the DC side of things have had its issues, personally I enjoy their titles just as much as some of Marvels and maybe better than some of Marvels. It still goes by each story. If you go into a DC movie expecting Marvel, you will be disappointed. Take each movie at face value. Marvel may be disassociating fans and pushing them away by trying to tie everything together. I feel if you went into the last Doctor Strange without knowing anything about the last Spider-Man, Wandavision, and the What If? series, you could have been left more than a little confused. DC kept things a little more simple. No massive crossovers and cameos in the individual movies. A couple minor ones to bring about Justice League but they didn’t have to keep appearances in every title. (Melanie - except the damn Legends TV show crossovers that made me watch shows I didn't want to lol) While Marvel keeps cranking out hit after hit so far— except a couple— I have to think the oversaturation of superhero movies will eventually lead to an implosion as they set themselves to self-destruct. One day everyone will get sick of them and tune out. The studio will spend way too much on what they think will be the next huge hit and it will lay a big ol’ goose egg playing to nearly empty theaters. When that happens, the studio execs planning a big "Howard the Duck" trilogy will wonder what they did wrong. Pineapple Code Word For This Article Is DC
Jenn - Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!Did you ever want to be popular in highschool? I didn’t. I mean I guess having my own friends group made me not need that, Though they seem to make a lot of movies with just that theme and "Jawbreaker" is no exception. Friends try and play a prank on a friend that goes terribly wrong, like death wrong, and yes it’s caused by none other than a jawbreaker, hence the title. Well, unpopular girl gets tasked with taking this girl her homework, goes into the house and finds her dead with all the friends around. Oops! So to keep her quiet they agree to make her popular, which she happily agrees to. They pin the murder on the girls ex, and they’re home free. Or are they? Because you know in these type of movies it’s never that easy. This is a older movie but a good one, and could have easily been on the movies that time forgot list, but I for one thought it needed it’s own article. And if you’ve seen it, then you understand why but if not, well than you maybe should go fix that and watch as soon as possible, because this is a classic one in my books. Dave - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"On the cover, you would think this just the next in line of your average teen comedies. You would be wrong. This is a little closer to the darkness that lurked in the late 80's classic "Heathers" but for the next generation. (Heathers:The Next Generation? Ugh, don't give Hollywood any more bad reboot ideas!) A black comedy about a high school student accidently being killed by her friends during a fake kidnapping and the ensuing cover up/frame job. Rose McGowan, Julie Benz, and Rebecca Gayheart star. The relation to "Heathers" is kinda the same. The popular girls take an unpopular girl under their wing to make her one of their of their own. We don't see the transformation in "Heathers" but we see it here. But, of course, things are never that easy. When things start falling apart at the seams there has to be casualties. Who has your back and who is just using you for their own gain? You just have to make sure you pick the right side. Melanie -Of course, Dave makes the same observation that I was going to. This always makes me think of a 90's version of Heathers. I will admit to being a sucker for the darker teen movies, I mean heathers has sat in my favorites basically since it came out and doesn't seem to be in danger of going anywhere any time soon. Jawbreaker was another one of those movies that sort of went on to become a cult classic but even if you are not familiar with this one, I am sure most of you have seen "Mean Girls" and Jawbreaker was definitely a heavy hitting influence for that one. A dead bitch from a prank gone wrong, a team of friend bitches trying to cover it up, and a typical 90's style makeover for the lucky (or unlucky) loser that happened upon the shenanigans, this is just a fun watch (well for me - but I like dark). Plus I adore Julie Benz so having her is a plus! Check out the trailer and then scroll down to enter the giveaway! The Pineapple Code Word For This Article Is Popular And now for the giveaway Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Jawbreaker" Prize Pack featuring the a DVD, and a choker from Jenn, and eyeliners, mini jawbreakers, a hairband, earrings, and a ring from the Melanie's Muses Prize Hoard. For your chance to win- FILL OUT THE FORM and tell us: Were you popular in High School - if not would you have done "anything" to be in the popular crowd? Comments about the article are encouraged - but for now only qualifying entries on the form will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question!
Winner will be announced during the Live show on September 4th (and then posted here on the blog as well on September 5th if the winner isn't at the live.) Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules Only comments posted on THE FORM will be considered. This is open internationally. If you win and you cannot accept mail due to Covid issues we will hold the prize until such time as you can. Some exceptions may apply based on Post Office Regulations. Melanie's Muses takes no responsibility for rules beyond her control. Void Where Prohibited. Sharing is always appreciated but is not required for entry. Winner Will Be Picked At Random. One Entry Per Person / Household Prize is provided via Melanie's Muses and will be mailed by her. Winner will be announced during the live on Sunday September 4th posted on this post on Monday September 5th Winner will have 48 hours to claim by messaging their address to - https://www.facebook.com/MelaniesMuses/ Or prize is considered forfeit. Failure to claim will result in a no future giveaway entry being counted for 30 days. We want people to claim their prizes! Don't get on the list! Any questions please contact Melanie on the Facebook page
Dave - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"My introduction to the works of Neil Gaiman is probably quite different than most other people. In the early 90’s, Alice Cooper had announced he was working on his next record, a concept album called “The Last Temptation” and he was working with Neil on the story. There was also a comic book that would accompany the CD. I wanted a little preview of what I’d be in store for so I picked up the latest issue of Neil’s “Sandman” comic. Lucky for me, it was issue #51, which was starting a new story arc. I didn’t even know the stories were in arcs. Thus began my journey and backtracking through the catalog, getting all the other stories eventually. Netflix recently adapted “Sandman” for a series. However, this was not the first time Neil was approached for it. He always said studios would call him like “We want to adapt Sandman”. Neil would say “Great. How?” They didn't know and he was right. The wrong actor, the wrong touch, the wrong visuals, and the entire image is ruined. Today this is a thousand times worse. Even though Neil is closely tied to production, people continue to prejudge decisions. That is the literal definition of prejudice. Pre-judging - before seeing. Neil is constantly correcting these so-called fans who think they know more than the creator. The only downside of the casting is that I thought after Kat Dennings put in a fantastic performance as Death in the audible productions of Sandman Act 1 and Act 2, I would have loved to see her on screen as the character. But another choice was made and fans were outraged once again. She is black, not white like in the comics! Gasp! Get over it, people. Its about choosing the right person. They also want to complain about Lucifer being played by a woman. Angels are genderless. Unless we can find a genderless actor/actress with no genitalia, it won’t be authentic the way it was in the comics. The casting of Dream had to be a relative unknown. Tom Sturridge was picked to step into the role. If we had a big name actor, I feel it would have removed us from the realm and put us back in the real world. But after seeing him in action, he pulled it off wonderfully. A year ago, a sneak peek behind the scenes of Sandman was released and that started the hype. The brief glimpses were looking amazing. But no real trailer at this time. We only had small teasers until this years Geeked Week and my excitement started. The Endless. Dream, Death, Desire, Delirium, Despair, Destiny, and Destruction. But unlike most comics, the characters at the forefront of the series are others, except Dream in the first arc. The first season covers the first 2 graphic novels. That will be the first 16 issues of the comic out of the 75 issue run. The first arc is when Dream is captured and imprisoned for 100 years. His tools of power are stolen from him. Twice. After his eventual release his journey begins. First he has to see what became of his realm of The Dreaming during his century long absence. Then his task of getting back his tools after he finds out where they are now. Episode 6, “The Sound of Her Wings”, is where we first meet Death. During her meeting with Dream, she has her rounds do as he joins her. In a way it's the only true stand alone episode of the series. The in-between story between the two arcs. While the first half focuses on Death and her job, the second focuses on the deal between Dream, Death, and Hob Gadling. This episode is the perfect embodiment what this series can be. “The Doll’s House” picks up the second arc when Rose Walker is in search of her brother. Meeting an interesting group of new friends along the way and a dangerous escaped nightmare from The Dreaming with his own plans for humanity. The Corinthian was another role perfectly cast. Boyd Holbrook reminds me of a young Tim Robbins. If this series was made 20-25 years ago, I could see Tim stepping into this role and being flawless. A few adjustments from the comics aside, its a wonderful adaptation. For those interested in continuing the story before season 2, check out the audible series, Act 1 and Act II. It will cover the first 6 graphic novels until Act III comes out with the next 2. I may need to listen to these again or dig up the comics while I impatiently await Season 2 to see it all played out. Check out the trailer below and if you missed the first article (Win it Wednesday from Jenn) - You can see it here. Note of the day that this article is posting there has been a bonus episode added to Netflix that was not included here. The Pineapple Codeword For This Article Is Death Win It Wednesday - The Sandman- A (Spoiler Free) Feature by Jenn Rhodes with Neil Gaiman Giveaway!8/17/2022
Jenn - Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team! Being a huge Lucifan, I knew that when "The Sandman" dropped on Netflix I would definitely be checking it out and I did. Not knowing the history behind it because I’m not really into the whole graphic novel thing, I went in blind, which honestly wasn’t bad. I didn’t get lost like I thought I would. So if you want to watch but don’t know the history it’s definitely fine. The first half is actually a different story from the second half with episode six being like a bridge between them. I preferred the second half a bit more, but I gotta say I loved Johanna Constantine. And who cares if they gender swapped Constantine because Jenna Coleman knocked it out of the park. Also Tom, who played Dream, killed it. I was skeptical but I was wrong and honestly I’m glad I was. Whether you’re a fan of the graphic novels, audiobooks or even just of Neil Gaiman himself, then I highly suggest you check out "Sandman". Also this has nothing to do with the show but why do I think of "Enter Sandman" by Metallica every time Morpheus enters a room, that might just be me though. Check out the trailer below and then scroll down to enter the giveaway. The Pineapple Codeword For This Article Is Dream And Now For The Giveaway Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Neil Gaiman" Prize Pack featuring the Neverwhere paperback and DVD from Jenn, and the Fragile Things paperback from the Melanie's Muses prize hoard! For your chance to win- FILL OUT THE FORM and tell us: Have you seen / read any of Neil's work before - if so which are your favorites? Comments about the article are encouraged - but for now only qualifying entries on the form will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question!
Winner will be announced during the Live show on Sunday 4th September (and then posted here on the blog as well on September 5th if the winner isn't at the live.) Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules Only comments posted on THE FORM will be considered. This is open internationally. If you win and you cannot accept mail due to Covid issues we will hold the prize until such time as you can. Some exceptions may apply based on Post Office Regulations. Melanie's Muses takes no responsibility for rules beyond her control. Void Where Prohibited. Sharing is always appreciated but is not required for entry. Winner Will Be Picked At Random. One Entry Per Person / Household Prize is provided via Melanie's Muses and will be mailed by her. Winner will be announced during the live on Sunday September 4th and posted on this post on Monday September 5th if the winner is not at live. Winner will have 48 hours to claim by messaging their address to - https://www.facebook.com/MelaniesMuses/ Or prize is considered forfeit. Failure to claim will result in a no future giveaway entry being counted for 30 days. We want people to claim their prizes! Don't get on the list! Any questions please contact Melanie on the Facebook page
Dave - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"If 2022 is the Year of the Bat, it doesn't leave much room for anything else. I went to see "The Batman" and frankly I'm still waiting for the movie to start because what I saw did not resemble anything like a Batman movie I have seen before. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I should have known it would be disappointing when the concession stand didn't have Mountain Dew, Twizzlers, or hot dogs, and the pretzel bites were going to take another 10 minutes. I had my doubts when Robert Pattinson was announced as the new Batman. I thought it was a joke but no. He actually is. He didn't even know Batman was a detective. It was called "Detective Comics"! Do your research, man. I can't really blame the movie on him though. Part of the problem is it seems like they tried everyone as Batman. Even Gordon is coming out with a deeper, gruntier voice. Is he doing a Batman impression? Riddler, whose entire head is covered, is live streaming and is doing his version of a Batman impression also. Catwoman is not doing a Batman impression but is not exactly a cat burglar either. There is one reference to it but we don't see it. We see her taking back things that belong to her or to a friend but not breaking into places and stealing like we normally do. Do you know what this movie reminds me of? "Man of Steel" and "Spider-Man: Homecoming". If you know nothing about the comics and characters, everything makes perfect sense and you don't question it. They would stand good on their own but with decades of comic book history behind them, they leave people scratching their heads. One backstory made me do a deep dive. I don't know everything about the comics but I know a bit. One bit I had never heard. It was a rarely used version of Thomas and Martha Wayne. In the Earth One continuity, Martha's maiden name was Arkham (as in Arkham Asylum) before meeting Thomas. That has a dark past as well. When she and Thomas were murdered, he was running for Mayor. I guess the writers thought this version was better than repeating the same version everyone has heard and seen a billion times on screen. Kudos for that one. Some may know it. I didn't. So it left me confused until I did the research. Also they used the Riddler's lesser known birth name of Edward Nashton, instead of the more commonly used Nygma. And he knows Bruce is Batman. Not even sure how those dots were connected though. Can I get an answer on that one? Another thing I didn't like was it was too grounded in the real world. No real criminal mastermind with a lab accident type history or spandex costume. Its all mob families, corruption, dirty cops and politicians. Everything and everyone is pointing back to that. We don't even see Bruce out of the Batsuit very much at all. So, in a way, he's kind of out of place being the only one dressed up. In addition to things we have seen before like the Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, etc, we have also have Batman ask Catwoman to stay and help instead of leaving town like he did in "The Dark Knight Rises". The final stake in the coffin is the credits. Or lack of a credit scene. It's not just a Marvel thing. DC has done it too. Not here though. A question mark appears on a computer screen and types out Good Bye. That's it. They are filming a "Batgirl" movie now. It would have been perfect to drop a hint of that. If they are using the Barbara Gordon as Batgirl storyline (which they really should), they could have shown a woman making the Batgirl suit, watching Gordon and this news on TV and have her saying something like "I guess daddy will need more help cleaning up the streets of Gotham" or something like that. Some little hint or clue of what is coming but they didn't even do that. A golden opportunity/promotion missed. ***As a note - since this article was written the Batgirl movie has been axed. Despite being almost complete the decision has been made to "shelve" the movie permanently and write off the money that they had spent on it as part of the new WB / DC future plan initiative *** The Pineapple Code Word For This Article Is Batman
Jenn - Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler. The character first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929, and Popeye became the strip's title in later years. The character has also appeared in theatrical and television animated cartoons but what I want to talk about now is the movie, which actually was a musical version of Popeye. Popeye actually ends up moving to a little sea side town where he meets Olive Oyl. In the comics or cartoons she was his girlfriend who he actually took from Bluto. This movie though shows everything before that, like them actually meeting. A bit a prequel, if you will. So sit back, enjoy, and watch how this all plays out. I’m strong to the finish because I eats me spinach, I’m Popeye the sailor man, toot toot! The Pineapple Code Word For This Article Is Spinach And Now For The Giveaway Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Popeye" Prize Pack featuring DVD from Jenn, and Mini Mystery Figure from Dave! For your chance to win- FILL OUT THE FORM and tell us: What's your favorite newspaper comic strip? - Feel free to share why too! Comments about the article are encouraged - but for now only qualifying entries on the form will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question!
Winner will be announced during the Live show on August 21st (and then posted here on the blog as well on August 22nd if the winner isn't at the live.) Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules Only comments posted on THE FORM will be considered. This is open internationally. If you win and you cannot accept mail due to Covid issues we will hold the prize until such time as you can. Some exceptions may apply based on Post Office Regulations. Melanie's Muses takes no responsibility for rules beyond her control. Void Where Prohibited. Sharing is always appreciated but is not required for entry. Winner Will Be Picked At Random. One Entry Per Person / Household Prize is provided via Melanie's Muses and will be mailed by her. Winner will be announced during the live on Sunday August 21st posted on this post on Monday August 22nd Winner will have 48 hours to claim by messaging their address to - https://www.facebook.com/MelaniesMuses/ Or prize is considered forfeit. Failure to claim will result in a no future giveaway entry being counted for 30 days. We want people to claim their prizes! Don't get on the list! Any questions please contact Melanie on the Facebook page
Jenn - Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!Are you tired of the same old super heroes shows? Well me too! I like them, but dang there’s a lot, it’s why when I saw this new show I was definitely all in. Villains of valley view turns everything around and actually focuses on the villains of the story for a change. They make you root for them and boo the superhero, weird right? Yes, but I love it and can’t get enough. This villainous family is on the run from their boss, so they go to the last place anyone would think to look, wanting and trying to just be any other ordinary family. Does that really work out for them, well go watch and see. Trust me, don’t let it being a kid show deter you, because what’s that saying never judge a book by its cover, or in this case a show. Melanie - So I literally started watching this because Jenn kept going on about it, and well it's no secret that I am a sucker for a villain story. Putting the villains as the "Good Guys" well I mean kids show or not I had to check it out. Although it is obviously aimed at children it didn't stop me from enjoying it (then again I still love Wizards of Waverly place, and I loved the Worst Witch series too), and the writers definitely throw in some adult based jokes. The mom is also from England and cracks me up. Let's just say that her approach to child rearing reminds me of my own - sadly minus the super villain powers. Streaming exclusively on Disney+ if you are looking for some light distraction then this is the show for you. Pineapple Code Word For This Article Is Villain.
Basic Info
Standalone or series? Standalone Category Poetry / Rhyming Saga Official Blurb About The Book (From the Amazon Page) The tradition of Hallowe'en has eroded away over the years until it is celebrated only by the good folk of White Horse Hill. Nightfall at Hallowe'en. The elders of the clan have appointed Robert, aged just seventeen, as their "Lord of Misrule". He will light up the night sky of the dark winter months. He will lead the good people of White Horse Hill in chasing away the ghosts and demons, the witches and apparitions, that would frighten good folk and keep them indoors on winter nights. The fires are lit and the celebrations begin. But something unexpected happens. The stage is set for a cataclysmic showdown between the all the forces of evil, determined to smash Hallowe'en and all its fun and laughter, and the forces of good, represented by Robert and his folks. On the outcome depends the whole future of Hallowe'en. Even whether Hallowe'en will continue to exist. This is a short story suitable for everyone, consisting of 500 lines of rhyming prose. There are a few illustrations throughout. How did I get this book? Author requested a review via the website Why did I choose to read this book: Because I do love Halloween Legends! And Now To The Review! First Impressions: If the author hadn't reached out I would never have given this a second glance. The cover just does not work for this sort of book and I would suggest it being replaced as soon as possible if the author hopes to do well with it. General Review Poetry is definitely not for everyone, but general rhyming prose sagas (if done well) can be fabulous. They remind me of Shakespeare which again, is not for everyone but I personally enjoy it. This saga is well written, the prose is well constructed and the meter is consistent which makes for easy read. The story mixes known and original folklore in a clever way making the story interesting. That being said, the pictures inserted (obviously with the intention of breaking up the very long prose) were distracting and it was clear that they were probably used more for their free content than because they added anything to the story. Final Thoughts If you enjoy poetry then if you can get past the cover and ignore the images it is definitely worth a read, especially if you have the Kindle Unlimited option. (If you don't you can try it free for 30 days at the link above). I would highly recommend the author looks at getting a more professional cover and removing the internal images and replacing them with simple, ornamental breaks instead. Rating A 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 as my Amazon rating with a note that the Prose itself is worth 4 stars. Pineapple word for this article is Poetry. ** Disclosure** Any Links To Buy On Amazon Are My Amazon Affiliate Links. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases - Which helps provide for the giveaways!)
Jenn - Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!I’ve done so many different Harley Quinn articles. So I guess this time is no different but what I want to talk about is "Harley Quinn" the animated series which is fixing to premiere it’s third season on HBO Max. This series on Harley Quinn, besides her movie of course, has to be my absolute favorite of hers. And that’s mainly because she’s doing her own thing and kicked the Joker to the curb, who really never deserved her anyways. This series shows her, and her team as they try to prove that they’re the best villains out there. They're always getting side tracked though. The other thing I love is her relationship with Ivy, I’m a huge Harlivy shipper. They’re good together and for each other in so many ways. Are they actually together though, well maybe or maybe not. So, if you’re a Harley fan like me than I highly suggest that you check out this series as soon as possible. Dave - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"Well, the first thing I want to say is that is if you are part of the old school and think that cartoons are just for kids, its time you wake up. This is definitely not for kids. So moving on. When DCU launched its streaming service, one thing that made me subscribe is the new Harley Quinn animated series. Harley was being voiced by Kaley Cuoco. As if I needed another reason to watch! After a couple seasons, DCU was no more and merged with HBO Max. Good thing we already had that one too. Now, about the show. Harley is on her own and causing havoc and destruction everywhere she goes with a brand new team of villains. She gets a little help along the way from some unexpected guests and actually ends up saving them. Imagine that! Could she possibly be becoming a hero? Ehhhh, probably not. But she keeps crossing paths with her ex, Joker, and has to come face to face with him eventually. Can she bring him down? Tune in each week. Same bat-time, same bat-channel. Eh, actually its streaming. So you can tune in any time you want. But it has to be on HBO Max. The Pineapple Code Word For This Article Is Harley And now for the giveaway Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Harley Quinn" Prize Pack featuring the animated series on DVD, and Harley Quinn from Jenn, and random stickers from the Melanie's Muses Prize Hoard. For your chance to win- FILL OUT THE FORM and tell us: Who is YOUR Favorite comic female villain? (and feel free to tell us why too)! Comments about the article are encouraged - but for now only qualifying entries on the form will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question!
Winner will be announced during the Live show on August 14th (and then posted here on the blog as well on August 15th if the winner isn't at the live.) Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules Only comments posted on THE FORM will be considered. This is open internationally. If you win and you cannot accept mail due to Covid issues we will hold the prize until such time as you can. Some exceptions may apply based on Post Office Regulations. Melanie's Muses takes no responsibility for rules beyond her control. Void Where Prohibited. Sharing is always appreciated but is not required for entry. Winner Will Be Picked At Random. One Entry Per Person / Household Prize is provided via Melanie's Muses and will be mailed by her. Winner will be announced during the live on Sunday August 14th posted on this post on Monday August 15th Winner will have 48 hours to claim by messaging their address to - https://www.facebook.com/MelaniesMuses/ Or prize is considered forfeit. Failure to claim will result in a no future giveaway entry being counted for 30 days. We want people to claim their prizes! Don't get on the list! Any questions please contact Melanie on the Facebook page |
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August 2024
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