 Who want's to win an exclusive, not for sale, proof copy of Leap Of Faith by Susan Harris?
Well there are several ways you can enter - and you get ONE entry for each one that you do! You DO NOT HAVE TO DO THEM ALL! (But if you do you will get 4 entries) ALL ENTRIES MUST BE EMAILED TO melaniesmuses.scavhunt@gmail.com Things you can do ...... 1. SHARE the cover reveal for Visions Of Destiny (The Sicarius Security Book 3) - Shares must be of the ORIGINAL POST HERE. Shares must be public so that they can be verified. Please email your FACEBOOK NAME and the DATE YOU SHARED for this one. 2. Leave a review for Kiss Of Death ( The Sicarius Security Book 1) on either Amazon -https://amzn.to/3vHmaxJ Or Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/kiss-of-death-the-sicarius-security-series-book-1-by-susan-harris (If you don't have a Bookbub account you can create one for FREE - and there are no minimum review requirements). Once your review is posted EMAIL THE LINK FOR YOUR REVIEW (If you have already reviewed just send the link) 3. Pre-Order Leap Of Faith ( The Sicarius Security Book 2) on Amazon https://amzn.to/3svQXLy - email proof of your preorder. 4. Pre-Order Visions of Destiny ( The Sicarius Security Book 3) on Amazon https://amzn.to/3BYs7XY email proof of your preorder. Winner will be announced during the party ( details coming soon) on March 19th (and then posted here on the blog as well on March 20th if the winner isn't at the live.) Full Rules Below! Pineapple Code Word For This Article Is Jazz Good luck everyone! Rules
** Disclosure** Any Links To Buy On Amazon Is My Amazon Affiliate Link.(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases - Which helps provide for the giveaways!
Jennifer Bollnow -
Another series I read and loved is The Sanguine Crown Series by Susan Harris, with a very different take on vampires. Once you start the series you won’t be able to stop. (Luckily this WHOLE series is now available and you can get book 1 for free!)
My beverage of choice is herbal tea, usually different ones, but my current fave is Bigelow Ginger Peach Turmeric. I drink from my favorite cup, a Tupperware Eco To-Go cup.
Let me know in the comments what your favorite book and beverage combination is and then scroll down for your chance to win some awesome books AND one of my favorite Eco To-Go Cups.
Jennifer Bollnow is a TVaholic with no possibility or desire to rehab. She met Melanie when they worked together on the former Voice of TV website. She especially loves sci-fi, fantasy, Christmas movies and anything with Patrick Swayze. She loves helping people find their new favorite series. Her current obsession is Outlander.
Giveaway!
I (Jennifer) and giving away THREE separate prizes to THREE separate winners!
Aged to Perfection kindle book & 1 eco to go cup Butterfly Effect kindle book & 1 eco to go cup Adrenaline Junkie Paperback from Susan & 1 eco to go cup How To Enter
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Melanie - Cinderella! It's a story that I expect everyone knows at least one version of. From the classic fairy tale, to the Disney cartoon which went on to become a live action success years later, to the various stage and screen versions of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella Musical, the list could go on, and that doesn't begin to address the "Adaptations" such as Ever After, which is what I want to talk about today.
Ever After, as the adaptations go, actually plays pretty true to the fairy tale. More so than say "A Cinderella Story', or "Ella Enchanted", as you have the orphaned girl, raised by an cruel stepmother - who is more interested in her actual girls future than Cinderella's. The casting in this is phenomenal! From the trailer you can see the big name stars such as Drew Barrymore, Dougray Scott, Anjelica Huston but there are some other stars in there too that you might not expect! Rocky Horror fans might be surprised to see Richard O'Brien in there, or Walter Sparrow. Toby Jones, Melanie Lynskey, to name but a few. The story is original enough to be entertaining while still holding fast to the classic, and the music score in fabulous. I feel this movie is often overlooked, especially since the "new" Cinderella releases, but if you haven't seen it - you should! Totally enjoyable for the whole family - and if you have seen it- well now is the perfect time to watch it again.
The Pineapple Code Word For This Article Is Slipper
And Now For The Giveaway!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away an "Ever After" Prize Pack featuring the Ever After DVD & Cinderella Funko pop sent in by Jenn, and then a tiara and an invitation to the masked ball from Susan's Defy The Stars trilogy prizes from the Melanie's Muses Prize Hoard!
For your chance to win- FILL OUT THE FORM and tell us: Which version of the Cinderella story is your favorite?
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
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!
There are all kinds of movies out there, but sometimes we just need those stupid, crazy, make-no-sense movies. You know the ones. They just make you laugh and laugh even though you’re probably just as confused as the actors were in the role. This movie is no different, and that’s "The Hangover". Guy getting married so his buddies take him to Las Vegas to have a bachelor party to remember. Well the thing is though they don’t remember it. Not one bit. Turns out they were roofied, and by one of their own party who thought the drug was ecstasy. Crazy, right? Well yes and it only gets crazier because basically this whole movie is them trying to remember the night before, and to find what they misplaced. What exactly was that, well you need to check out the movie and find out. Now, there's also two more chapters to these movies. The second one was alright, but really it was like the first movie all over again, just in a different place. The third movie, well let’s just say not a fan but who knows we’re all different so just you may enjoy it. Need a laugh or feeling down? Then check out "The Hangover" because it might just give you the pick up that you need.
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"
Every now and then a new film comes along and surprises everyone. No hype before its release. No huge names to draw attention to it. Well, not at the time anyway. Once "The Hangover" became a huge success, everyone knew the stars by name. It was the perfect alignment. The script, the cast, the timing. Everything lined up and took the world by storm. But then (queue dramatic THS theme) things were about to take a dark turn.
Some things are better left alone. Just because a movie is a hit, doesn't mean you need a sequel. "The Hangover" is a perfect example. What should have been a one-off perfect story became tarnished by Hollywood greed. Everyone knows the story of the original by now. Party. Knocked out. Can't remember what happened. Lost their friend somewhere along the way. Have to find him. Etc. The movie is absolutely brilliant but really should have been left alone. Unfortunately, you know how Hollywood operates. After it made nearly $500 million on a $35 million budget, they wanted to milk that cash cow for all it was worth. That led to me coining a new term-- "The Hangover Syndrome".
The Hangover Syndrome is when you want a sequel but have no original ideas left so you throw everything that people loved about the first one into a new movie hoping they either won't notice or won't care. I think that was the main mistake this sequel made. Yes, it made money. It actually made more than the original but that doesn't mean it was better. It just means the original got more popular after its initial theatrical release and that led to more people flocking to the theater for this one. You could have just had the same guys and a different kind of plot and see how that went. They learned that lesson with the negative feedback from this one and went in a different direction for "The Hangover Part III" to round off the trilogy. Still a success, it made 3 times the budget but also received a ton of negative feedback. Its a Catch-22. If you keep things the same, the fans don't like it because its the same story. If you change things, they don't like it because its different. Instead of this one starting with our gang waking up, not remembering anything, it ends that way in a mid-credits scene. Luckily, there was no "Hangover 4" to try to explain what happened to them this time around.
THE PINAPPLE CODE WORD FOR THIS ARICLE IS - Hangover
And Now For The Giveaway!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Hangover" Prize Pack featuring the "Hangover Trilogy" DVD set from Jenn, and then a Lei, Mardi Gras Beads, A Doug The Pug Party hat & Stickers, Earrings, A (Plastic) Shot Glass - all ready to party, and then a Mask and Ear Plugs for when you had enough - All from the Melanie's Muses Prize Hoard!
For your chance to win- FILL OUT THE FORM and tell us: Have you ever thrown, or been to, a CRAZY party?
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
What Is The Aged To Perfection Set All About?
If somehow over the last couple of months you haven't head about this - this is an anthology featuring 19 all new tales spotlighting women forty and over having the time of their midlife! It's magical paranormal women's fiction. If you enjoy my page - these stories are probably for you lol.
My Review:
I always find reviewing anthologies a little trickier than regular reviews and this time was no different. Paranormal Women's Fiction is a relatively new genre and it is nice to see more authors dipping their toes in the pool.
Aged to Perfection has 19 voices, and 19 different stories. Whilst all the stories work as standalone, it is clear that some are either part of an existing world, or they are the gateway to a world about to open up. As with any anthology, there are going to be stories that rise to the top, and for me and they included Kristen Painter, Mandy M Roth, Yasmine Galenorn, and Michelle M Pillow. Perhaps because I know their writing from previous books it just made their worlds more accessible to me. There are some new to me authors that I am curious to see where they go from here, and as always with an anthology there are some that just didn't resonate with me, but that's OK! With 19 stories at such a bargain price, the chances to find new favorites is well worth it. Overall this is a fabulous collection of stories especially for the price. If you haven't read any PWF books - you probably won't get a better collection than this. A generalized 4 stars (encompassing an average of all the stories read). Where Can You Get It?
Did Someone Say Prizes?
YES! So many opportunities for amazing prizes at events happening this week! If you join the Paranormal Women's Fiction Group #PWF (CLICK HERE), you will see they have LOTS of things going on, but in particular watch for author takeovers ALL DAY TOMORROW (Wednesday 16th). Lots of Prizes, Tons of Fun! (Make sure you answer the question when you apply to join. If you haven't read any of the author's yet you can say "Found Through Melanie's Muses" - That should get you in!
BUT WAIT - THE BEST IS YET TO COME! 
Do you see all those awesome prizes? Pretty epic right? So I am betting you want to know how you can win!
It's EASY! Join the event HERE and make sure you RSVP and FILL OUT THE GOOGLE FORM! This will get your name on the wheel - which will be spun during the live event and the prizes will be awarded! Wheel Prizes Include 8 eBooks 5 Signed Paperback Books An MP3CD Kindle Fire 8 (May differ from the one pictured) $25 Amazon Gift Card $20 Amazon Gift Card You've Got This SH*T Planner A “Do It Yourself in Your Own Cauldron” gift set Mixed Media Print Tote Bag T-Shirt PLUS One random commenter from the live event will win an Aged To Perfection Blanket! Prizes Provided By - Kristen Painter, Mandy M. Roth, Michelle M. Pillow, Renee George, Shéa MacLeod, Robyn Peterman, Jade Greenberg, Charise Studesville, & Jenna Rivers! Don't know what "the wheel" is - Check out this video for an example from one of our previous shows! - https://www.facebook.com/MelaniesMuses/videos/485160516296115/ YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE PRESENT FOR THE WHEEL SPIN! WINNERS WILL HAVE 24 HOURS TO CLAIM THEIR PRIZE! Prizes will be announced before the wheel is spun. . There will also be a Random Winner Chosen from ALL comments made while we are live. They will win an Aged To Perfection Blanket! This is open TO everyone - signed up or not - every comment counts. Winning other prizes DOES NOT exclude you from the random comment prize. ***International Prizes May Be Replaced With Giftcards / Alternatives Due To Shipping Issues*** MUSER ANNOUCEMENT - THE PINAPPLE CODE WORD FOR THIS ARICLE IS - PWF OK Who's Ready To Do This? All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
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 hate Valentine’s Day, there’s no point in it honestly. It’s just so commercial and if you need one day and only one to have fun with someone you care about, then maybe you’re not with the right person. Also roses suck and are way overrated/overpriced. I just honestly like the chocolate and that I can get myself. You don't need one day to treat someone better anyway. 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"Check out Dave's list of anti-valentines songs below: Ugly Kid Joe - Everything About You Electric Angels - True Love and Other Fairytales Alice Cooper - Burning Our Bed My Chemical Romance - I Don't Love You J. Geils Band "Love Stinks" Quiet Riot "Love's a Bitch" Michelle Branch "Goodbye to You" Veruca Salt "Break Up Song" Dorothy - Rest in Peace
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!Some shows I usually am late to the party, and this one was no exception. "Schitt's Creek" was recommended to me by Mels. So trusting her, I said why not and started to watch it. It was on Netflix so all I had to do was hit that play button and I did. I instantly fell for this down on their luck family, who for the first time in their lives had to navigate being poor. Getting to keep a town the father once bought as a joke for his son, they moved into a hotel, not knowing that this would change their lives forever. But not in the bad way that they had first thought. I won’t tell you how because of spoilers, but I will say that it has one of the best OTPs of all time and some of the best friendships as well. Moira, the mom, at times reminded me of Mels but not in a bad way. Mels knows what I mean by that, and she also does a killer cosplay of her. Moira also has a wig thing just like Mels, again not a bad thing because they’re both badass. Stevie is my favorite character and if you know me and watch the show you might understand why. So if you haven’t joined this family on their journey that ends up changing them for the better than what are you waiting for because all episodes are up for streaming on Netflix. So go, go now. 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"At first glance, the Rose family is pretty much everyone you really hate. Rich, successful, spoiled, getting everything they want, the offspring never really worked a day in their life & had everything handed to them on a silver platter. Ugh! But then it all comes crashing down. They lose everything they had and move to the middle of nowhere to literally start over. Admittedly, it took a couple episodes to hook me in completely but it was so worth it. One thing I liked most about the series is some unexpected left turns. Usually sitcoms follow certain tropes and the characters do everything the same and follow the straight and narrow path, never straying too far off. "Schitt's Creek" is different in that way. You think you know what's coming and where they are heading and then they make a sharp left turn to the opposite direction. Six seasons had a lot of great moments, a lot of tears. Some good, some bad. Its binge-tastic! I love this journey for you. Melanie - I was also pretty late to the party on this one and I felt like right when I joined it was suddenly EVERYWHERE! When we found it there were 5 seasons available on Netflix and we blew through them and then actually purchased the digital version of Season 6 because none of us could wait. I think this is literally the ONLY time that has happened. Now Em and Greg were all in from Ep 1, but I have to say that if they hadn't loved it I probably wouldn't have kept going and that would have been a real miss on my part. This is one of those shows a bit like Friends, that the more you watch, the more inside things you pick up on ....... and like with Season 1 of Friends, it's actually better the 2nd (or 3rd, or 4th) time through. This is one of the very few shows that totally NAILED the ending. You can blissfully (with the odd tear) watch all 6 Seasons, safe in the knowledge that THIS SHOW WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN AT THE END! If anything the show gets stronger right up until the epic finale - which finished with just the right tone! If you've watched (or if you do watch) I highly recommend checking out some of the behind the scenes interviews. For example Alexis has a theme song from a failed reality show - and that fact was decided WELL ahead of it actually appearing in the show. But it just makes sense. (I included the "audio only" music video and NOT the clip from the show to avoid spoilers). So much thought goes into the characters lines, the costumes, just everything, and we love it and I really hope you do too. (Except Krista - unless I can kidnap her and tie her to the couch I don't think it's ever going to happen for her - but she tried it lol)
Pineapple Word For This Article Is Bebe All Episodes are now streaming with your Netflix subscription. And Now For The Giveaway! Melanie's Muses will be giving away an "Schitt's Creek"" Prize Pack featuring Season 1 & 2 on DVD and a Moira style wig From the Melanie's Muses Prize Hoard! For your chance to win- FILL OUT THE FORM and tell us: If you have watched the show - which character would you be? (I am definitely a Moira). If you HAVEN'T Watched the show pick from the list based on the quotes listed (or watch the trailer) - Moira - "What You Did Impulsive, Capricious And Melodramatic... But It Was Also Wrong." Johnny - "Let Me Explain Something About Business. It's A Dance. And Sometimes You Lead. And Sometimes You Follow." David - "The Idea Of Me Coaching Another Human Being Should Scare You. A Lot." Alexis - "I Don't Skate Through Life, I Walk Through Life... In Very Nice Shoes." Stevie - "I'm Incapable Of Faking Sincerity." Patrick - "Unlike The Birthday Clown, I Will Be Back." Roland - "If You're Looking For An A** To Kiss, It's Mine." Jocelyn - "I'm Upset. I Don't Like What This Campaign Is Doing To Me. The Other Day, I Called Another Driver An Effing Moron. I Didn't Say The 'F' Word, But I Said 'Effing,' And That's Not Me!" Twyla - "I Have Everything I Need Right Here... It's About How You Live Your Life. You Know, Doing What Makes You Smile." Ted - "I Was Just Giving Them A Little Pup Talk."
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!When I think of one of the greatest writers of all time, I think Edgar Allen Poe. Even though he only did poems and short stories, they’re some of the best I’ve ever read. And yes, they’re dark which I’m usually not a fan of, but Poe is just different and if you ever read any of his work then you know exactly what I mean. He had a lot of famous works but by far my favorite ones are maybe also his most famous as well, "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Raven" (Dave note: "The Raven" is also the title of the excellent movie about him starring John Cusack). I remember reading those both in high school. It might have been my junior year but I don’t really remember. The man himself was shrouded in mystery and honestly not very much is known about him, but maybe that’s why I like him so much. He was different like me, and that’s alright. Sometimes being different is better than being normal. Well, at least to me anyway. Melanie - Oh how I love the writings of Poe. He actually did complete one full length novel during his life but he is definitely better known for his poetry and short stories. Leaning towards the darkness myself, I have loved his writing for as long as I can remember. By far my favorite is the poem "Annabel Lee" (which I included a reading of in a video below), but many of his works reach across the divide and influence stories even now. The influence in one case was so strong, that now I feel that for me, the show The Following (well season 1 at least) has becoming synonymous with the work of Poe. The "villain" of the piece, Joe Carroll, was a literary professor who dreamed of being an author, and was heavily influenced by Poe. The show used a lot of Poe's influence such as the Raven in its imagery, and some of the show's followers (like myself), were obsessed with following the clues not to SOLVE the cases, but to be a part of Joe's world. It was a fascinating time to be on the web, a time that I don't think we will see again, as I can't imagine a select group getting an email after the shocking season 1 finale, and NOONE mentioning it until Season 2. To give you a small insight into my weird and twisted mind I still have the emails and have enclosed a couple of screenshots. And with that I think I will leave you with those, the reading of Annabel Lee, and the trailer to season 1 of the Following. Be sure to scroll down to enter our Poe themed giveaway!
The Code Word For This Article Is Nevermore
And Now For The Giveaway Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Poe" Prize Pack featuring the coloring from from Jennifer, and the (almost) Ultimate Collection from the Melanie's Muses Prize Hoard! For your chance to win- FILL OUT THE FORM and tell us: Have you read Edgar Allen Poe? If so do you have a favorite story or poem?
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March 2023
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