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For This Week's Behind The Scenes Newsletter Exclusive - I give you THE WHEEL that will be at FC3. Watch for Greg at then end - make sure the sound is on and no "Little Ears" around!  End of summer is coming up and every kid and parent knows what that means. Back to school. So it got me thinking. And I have the perfect movie to do an article on— 1986’s “Back to School”. Look at this cast Rodney Dangerfield, Sally Kellerman, Sam Kinison, Robert Downey Jr! One of Downey’s early films on his rise up the Hollywood ladder. The movie centers on a successful businessman deciding to go to college to show his son that he can do it and so his son can go too. May not be the best idea having a guy like this on campus though. He’s rich and used to getting stuff handed to him while taking shortcuts. I don’t think that’s going to fly here. This was also the start of comedian Sam Kinison’s short career. He only had a cameo in the movie but it was one of the best scenes in the entire film. A few months after the movie’s theatrical release, there was a new Alice Cooper cassette. Yes, cassette! This was 1986! Listening through the songs and “The Great American Success Story” comes on. I’m listening to lyrics and they sound right out of the movie “Back to School”. It was clearly written for the picture but never used for whatever reason. I never got confirmation on it from an interview or anywhere else but the lyrical content is too much of a coincidence. If they did use it, Alice would have had 2 songs from that release featured in major motion pictures. The other one being “He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" from “Friday the 13th Part VI : Jason Lives”. As a BONUS there is another opportunity to get auction tickets but be quick - this is ONLY open until Melanie sorts the wheels SUNDAY MORNING!
If you haven't seen my latest Book Reel you can see it HERE - but I thought you might like to see how these things come together - and the sort of thing Greg get's to do on his day off.
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"Once upon a comic con, geeks, nerds, and misfits alike would gather to geek out together at things a lot of our other friends don’t understand. A lot of my coworkers didn’t even know what Wizard World was (“is that a Harry Potter thing?”). Most of them probably probably still don’t know. Covid changed all that though. Philly had a long drought since our last one. 3 long years. The cancellations started shortly before the one in 2020 was to take place. But now, another change came into play. Fan Expo and Wizard World merged so we are bringing a new name onto our previously familiar turf. I worked the last 3 Wizard Worlds so we were about to break some new ground and see some faces we haven’t seen in 3 years. You could tell the cosplayers missed it. You can’t walk down your street wearing this stuff. Well, you could but you’d probably get some weird looks. The exhibitors were ready for the crowds stocking up on some unusual items you probably haven’t seen and the highly sought after items you’ve been looking for. This is the time to splurge. Treat yourself. Comic Con is once a year (for most of us) — unless you travel to another city.
I started my work day a little early, stuffing the VIP bags on Thursday. Friday I set up shop in Artist Alley, where I was supposed to stay. That did not last long. I was soon moved to the Family Zone. My first thought is not fit to print and was probably going to lead to a big mistake. But the kids responded well as they helped me make slime and they loved it! I got great feedback so I stayed there the rest of weekend, making slime, having a makeshift Harry Potter photo op, sorting hat ceremony, lightsaber training and more fun things for the kids. Luckily I was not responsible for any lost, misplaced, or left behind kids. The celebrity list was quite impressive. Actors from Star Wars shows, The Walking Dead, Star Trek, Clerks, Doctor Who and much more. While getting an autograph and pic with Trevor Fehrman (Elias from Clerks 2), I asked when Mewes would be around. His response was great. “Dave, we don’t know when Mewes is coming to set. We definitely don’t know when he’s coming to the table.” I didn’t get to see everyone I wanted to since I spent most of my days at my station working. But it was an awesome experience and will be even better when I get my check.
I would call Fan Expo a fantastic beginning to the relationship between this Con and this city. Next year, we need to aim for bigger and better. There is always room for improvement. Live and learn. We just got our toes wet this time. Next year, we jump in head first! Next stop, The Mini FCC3 Con in September and then NYCC in October. See you there! And Now For The Giveaway! Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Fax Expo" Prize Pack featuring a Fan Expo Bag, Map, and Lanyard holder that Dave picked up while he was there, A Superman Tupperware set from Jennifer Bollnow, and a Superman Ring and Sticker from the Melanie's Muses Prize Hoard! For your chance to win- FILL OUT THE FORM and tell us: Who's Autograph Would You Love To Have? (or do you have if you have it)
As Facebook didn't want to share it (Music issues) and then YouTube wanted to "Monetize it" for themselves - I am putting it here! If you have Reel suggestions let me know. Now taking Muser Requests!
MelanieIt's Christmas! And in this house Christmas wouldn't be complete without the ongoing debate about whether Die Hard is a Christmas Movie or not! Regular Musers will know that this is an ongoing debate in the Newton house with me (Melanie) being very much team #DieHardIsAChristmasMovie, and Greg being WRONG! (Also known as team #DieHardIsNotAChristmasMovie) As this article is written by me, it is 100% biased and I present my concrete evidence, as uploaded by FOX MOVIES - The Die Hard Is A Christmas Movie Trailer! *Mic Drop* And With That - Here Is The Giveaway! Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Die Hard Christmas" Prize Pack featuring the 5 DVD set sent in by Jennifer Rhodes & Grinch Prizes sent in by Vicky Pond! For your chance to win- FILL OUT THE FORM and tell us: Is Die Hard A Christmas Movie? 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 January 2nd (and then posted here on the blog as well on January 3rd if the winner isn't at the live.) Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
Check out my review for Her First Taste Of Fire (Shadowvale Book 5) by Kristen Painter - PLUS if you haven't started the series yet you can get book 1 for free for a limited time!
Blurb About The Book
Shadowvale isn’t your typical small town America. The sun never shines, the gates decide who enters, magic abounds, and every resident bears some kind of curse. Most people think Nasha Black lives in Shadowvale because that’s where her father, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, lives. But Nasha has another reason for staying in Shadowvale and it’s not just the bakery she owns and operates. She has a devastating curse of her own. One she’s never told a soul about. Shadowvale has given chocolatier and dragon-shifter Charlie Ashborne a refuge from the reality of his cursed life. Until now. He’s been summoned to the dragon census, where all unmated dragons will be paired off. If he doesn’t show, the dragon council will come to him. His desire to protect Shadowvale means not only will he end up with a wife he doesn’t want, but the curse he’s kept hidden for so long will be exposed. Facing certain humiliation, Charlie is about to leave for the census when an attractive woman shows up at his house, desperate for more of the chocolates Charlie sells in his shop. Nasha needs to know what magic he puts in his chocolate. She’s never tasted anything like it, literally, and it’s changed her life. Discovering he’s headed out of town pushes her to make a crazy offer. She’ll pretend to be his wife in exchange for his recipe. Seems fair enough. Making a pact with a chocolate addict might not be the right move, but Charlie will do anything to avoid the dragon census mating games, so he jumps at the chance to claim Nasha as his wife for a week. It seems like the perfect plan, until they find out the rules have changed, leaving them no choice but to compete in the games. Unexpectedly, they begin to fall for each other, amazed by what a good team they make. But as competitors try to tear them apart Charlie and Nasha wonder if they will ever taste sweet victory, or just the bitter dregs of defeat?
Standalone or series?
Book 5 in a series (but you can totally read this one first) How did I get this book? I am lucky enough to Kristen's alpha reader. Why did I choose to read this book: Because I will literally read anything with Kristen's name attached! Genre Urban Fantasy (light) And Now To The Review! First Impressions: We met Nasha briefly in earlier books - enough to know that she is the daughter of one of the 4 Horsemen, but we didn't really know too much about her. I was very excited to get a Nasha story! I do love a good horsemen related tale. General Review Honestly, with Moody and the Beast (book 4), which had a literal goblin king (which OK didn't actually look like Jareth except in my head), I thought that would be the winning Shadowvale story for me. Of course I also thought the same thing about book 2 ... and then I had book 4 .... But right now this is winning! I am actually shocked how much I loved this story. A daughter of a horseman and a chocolate making dragon shifter? Nasha is epic! I am actually loving her so much I think I need to do a cosplay! PLUS although it is a Shadowvale book - 95% of it happens away form Shadowvale and literally all the back story you need is in there to enjoy this ON IT'S OWN! (and then you can go back and get the others so you can see why you should have been reading them all along!!) Final Thoughts This fits really nicely into the Paranormal Women's Fiction Worlds out there. I am a sucker for a bookstore - and a bookstore with fictional characters working in it, magic, and food? Count me in! Rating: 5 Stars! And a full Melanie's Muses approval! As always let me know what you think in the comments - and if you think I should do the cosplay! Code word for this article is Dragon
Click the picture to snag your free copy on Amazon!
** 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!
All 3 books are available now PLUS if you haven't started them yet BOOK 1 IS FREE!!
Any 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!) Click The Pictures To Join The Events!
Pineapple Word For This Article Is Crown
And Now For The Giveaway! 
Melanie's Muses will be giving away a Mystery Jodi Gallegos Swag Pack!
For your chance to win- FILL OUT THE FORM and tell us: Have You Started The High Crown Chronicles Yet?
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 December 19th (and then posted here on the blog as well on December 20th if the winner isn't at the live.) Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
Susan Harris has joined "Vella" - which is a new serialized story app where you get a bit of the story each week. The thing is it's new - we don't really know how it all works - and so that is where You come in. Scroll down to the big picture and click it and it SHOULD take you to the story. It may only be for U.S. users - we still don't quite know all the rules lol.
Each "Episode" is only 5000 words so it's a quick read. After all 10 episodes are released and the allotted time has passed this WILL be released as a paperback - and everyone that helps will be entered to win a copy once they are available. So how can you help? 1. Click the picture and go take a look in the app. AND GRAB YOUR FREE TOKENS! 2. If Susan is one of your favorite authors click to follow the story! 3. If you read Ep 1 (and liked it) - you can read Ep 2 now for free! 4. If you like what you read "favorite it" (That option is at the end of the episode). 5. And finally TELL YOU READER FRIENDS!
For a bit of extra fun - and an excuse to use the wheel with the super fun music - sign up for a chance to win some Christmas Auction tickets on the wheel spin on Sunday's show! And that's it! 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!)  Hey Musers! Did that picture get your attention? Noah is so cheeky! Susan Harris has joined "Vella" - which is a new serialized story app where you get a bit of the story each week. The thing is it's new - we don't really know how it all works - and so that is where You come in. Scroll down to the big picture and click it and it SHOULD take you to the story. It may only be for U.S. users so please let us know what country you are in in the comments.
Each "Episode" is only 5000 words so it's a quick read. After all 10 episodes are released and the allotted time has passed this WILL be released as a paperback - and everyone that helps will be entered to win a copy once they are available. So how can you help? 1. Click the picture and go take a look in the app. If Susan is one of your favorite authors click to follow the story! 2. If you see the "Read Ep 1 for Free" we would LOVE you to read it! 3. If you like what you read "favorite it" (That option is at the end of the episode). 4. And finally TELL YOU READER FRIENDS!  For a bit of extra fun - and an excuse to use the wheel with the super fun music - sign up for a chance to win some Christmas Auction tickets! Full details about that AND the wheel spin on the 2nd part of Sunday's show! And that's it! Pineapple Word For This Article Is Vella 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!)
No new vlog today - but instead check out my review of Tomes, Scones, And Crones by Colleen Gleason
Standalone or series?
Book 1 in a new series How did I get this book? I was lucky enough to be a beta reader. Why did I choose to read this book: Because the blurb sounded good - and as I said I got to be a beta reader lol Genre Paranormal Women's Fiction And Now To The Review! First Impressions: There's a bookstore - a magical book store with fictional characters working there ..... That about sums that up! General Review Paranormal Women's Fiction is a big up and coming genre and this book fits right in. Colleen Gleason spins a good mystery across many genres and this one is no different with the clues being there if you know where to look. Magic, books, and unusual characters definitely made me wish that I could visit this store for real. Final Thoughts This fits really nicely into the Paranormal Women's Fiction Worlds out there. I am a sucker for a bookstore - and a bookstore with fictional characters working in it, magic, and food? Count me in! Rating: A solid 4 1/2 stars As always let me know what you think in the comments! Code word for this article is Scones
It's release day for Kiss Of Death by Susan Harris! Make sure you sign up for the release party, enter your codename on the wheel (even if you can't make the party), and then check out my review, and let me know if this is going on your reading list!
Click the pictures for more info!
My Review
Standalone or series?
This is book one in a sexy new paranormal series. How did I get this book? From all my nefarious connections lol (aka Susan and CTP) Why did I choose to read this book: I will literally read anything Susan writes! And Now To The Review! First Impressions: This definitely skews sexier even than the Ever Chace series. Definitely books for grown ups! (Not that that's a bad thing!) General Review Kiss of Death sets up a whole new paranormal world to get lost in. From a security team that is a secret front for a group of supernatural assassins, to the misfit band of creatures that all have "interesting" skill sets. Book 1 is a great introduction to a new cast of characters that you just know will be popping up in their own stories later on. Seriously though she had me at "sexy assassin vampires" and EVEN had me laughing at a werewolf! This book is fast paced and comes with the almost expected now emotional drama that makes me put it in the metaphorical freezer for a time out, and yet still I turn the pages! Final Thoughts I am really excited to see where this series goes. I definitely already have my favorite character (Jazz), although there is probably someone for everyone in here. The cliffhanger isn't as bad as many of the Susan Harris ones out there (BURN NOTICE!!!!!!!!), but it definitely reminds you who you are reading. Rating: An Easy 5 Stars and of course Melanie's Muses Approved! *** The Code Word For This Article Is Jazz*** Click the picture to watch my latest mail call video - Now on Facebook! 
Melanie -
Last year when Dave was going through his 31 Days of Halloween Movies this little gem popped up and I can't believe not only had I not seen it - IT WASN'T EVEN ON MY RADAR!
I am still floored by the fact that a cheesy, rock band movie about vampires, COMPLETE with Hollywood Vampire Alice Cooper himself, was just not in my collection, and after watching it last year, with the new list about to drop starting October 1st - I felt the need to give this one a little nudge - ESPECIALLY AS IT IS STREAMING FREE right now with your Amazon Prime Subscription! You can check out Dave's original post HERE! Check out the trailer - and of course let me know if you watched it based on last year's suggestion - or are going to watch it now! The Code Word For This Article Is Suck!
Any 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!) Click to watch this week's Mail Calls! 
If you were at the show on Sunday you knew this was coming! The first book in Susan Harris's sexy new paranormal series is releasing October 15th 2021 and you can pre-order your copy NOW! Be sure to let me know in the comments if you do!
About The Book
Malakai Cavanagh has been a vampire for over a thousand years and the leader of the Irish vampire Kiss for almost two hundred. Not only is he a member of the Inferna council but he is also the face of Sicarius Security, the world’s most elite security company. More importantly, Sicarius is the legitimate front for what he and his Kiss do; killing those who threaten the very balance between human and Inferna, the ones who would show humans everything that goes bump in the night.
Keeva Cross is the abomination of her Scream, a banshee who cannot predict death, the industry that earns the Scream millions each year. Instead, Keeva’s touch can be lethal. After accidentally killing her best friend as a teenager, the sentence for her crime was a hundred years of service to earn her freedom. When she is offered a contract to kill one little vampire in order to wipe out the last twenty years of her sentence, Keeva is hungry to take the seemingly easy job. Centuries old peace between the Inferna species is starting to unravel, and Malakai and Keeva find themselves caught in the middle of the beginnings of an uprising. Working together might be the only way to stop what’s coming, if only they can douse the flames of attraction that might just be the kiss of death.
The Code Word For This Article Is Sicarius!
Click the picture to watch this week's mail call video - Now on Facebook!   HERE .... COME .... THE .... ZOOMS!!! (To be exclaimed in true Master Fashion like "Here Come The Drums"/ For those of you that have no idea what I am talking about - here's a YouTube clip - but it isn't actually relevant to this other than my fandom quirkiness - so feel free to scroll down for the important stuff! So the Zoom Chats have sort of taken a back seat for a while but I am bringing them back - AND moving the videos to Facebook!
And what better way to kick this off than a chat with amazing author Susan Harris! She will be joining me SEPTEMBER 4th to answer YOUR questions and generally discuss the recently completed Ever Chace Chronicles! Now is your chance to ask about how things came to be the way they are, get the details on your favorite characters, favorite scenes, and any thing else Ever Chace related! **Questions must be posted by 11.59pm Friday September 3rd 2021 ET. Video will be posted at a future date** Click the picture to watch my latest Mail Call video - Now On Facebook!  Click the picture to watch my latest video! All Videos Now On Facebook!  Kristen Painter has put ALL her current Nocturne Falls book into Kindle Unlimited! So what exactly does this mean? Kindle Unlimited offers Amazon readers MILLIONS of books available to read with one monthly subscription. The books available change and the only limit to your reading is how many you can get through so it's perfect for binge readers. Even better - you can TRY IT FREE FOR 30 DAYS! I don't have a Kindle so how would that work for me? The great thing is YOU DON'T NEED A KINDLE to use KU! All you need is the app which is available on any smart phone, tablet, or computer! You can find out all the info on that HERE! Any other questions let me know! Click the book picture to start reading the books - click the Kindle Unlimited picture to try it for free!
Any 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!) Pineapple Code Word For This Article Is Halloween!
No thanks to Amazon and various shenanigans at their end - Of Gods And Monsters is available NOW!
Please note it you HAD pre-ordered it - those were all canceled by the evil Amazon overlords - so reclick and get reading!
Not started the adventure - you can grab book 1 for Free!!
The Code Word For This Article Is FINALE
CLICK THE PICTURE TO JOIN THE PARTY EVENT HAPPENING SATURDAY FOR YOU CHANCE TO WIN EPIC PRIZES!
Any 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!) |
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