*Note, while I will try to avoid major spoilers, I sometimes won't be able to help it.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

"Dangerous Desires" by Dawn Altieri

Three years after Emma Sloane's wealthy fiance's mysterious death, she's finally ready to move on and pursue her own dreams. But her plans are derailed when she's attacked outside her New York City apartment in what she thinks is a random violent incident. Then other women who look just like her start turning up dead...

Homicide Detective Jake Quinn is haunted by the one case he couldn't solve. When he's put in charge of a new high-profile murder case, he interviews a victim who escaped a similar attack—and to his shock it's Emma, the former fiancĂ©e of his unsolved murder victim.

Neither expects the sparks of attraction between them. But the killer escalates, clearly targeting Emma, and Jake's job is on the line. Can he solve this case before it's too late for both of them?

 

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c54ef9_75a2e6f0b3f54adf9492415bd73e30cf~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_272,h_436,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/Dangerous%20Desires%20Cov%20500x750.webp
I wasn't quite the target audience for Dawn Altieri’s Dangerous Desires. I have enjoyed some novels that feature the murder, mystery and a sexy detective/police officer element, but this read confirmed that my reading preference is the type of novels that are more about the humor than the suspense and romance. However, I do not regret reading this novel.

Emma and Jake are very interesting characters with complicated chemistry. The mystery was engaging throughout and the plot felt relevant to life today. There were moments where I felt very nervous, waiting for our heroes to save the day. Overall, this is a very well written book, but the content was a little to intense for my personal preferences. While I favor novels that don’t raise my blood pressure, I definitely see the appeal. Reader’s that enjoy being on the edge of their seat throughout a novel will certainly want to check this book out!  

Happy Reading!
-Melly


A lifelong resident of northern New Jersey, Dawn Altieri has been scribbling stories practically since birth. After reaching a milestone birthday (she won't say which one), she figured it was about time she took a shot at writing professionally. 
With an overactive imagination and a slightly twisted mind, she enjoys reading dark and dangerous tales almost as much as writing them. When she's not curled up on the sofa with her laptop, her latest story, a box of chocolates and a cup of tea (or a glass of wine, depending on the time of day), she can be found volunteering in the world of animal rescue. To keep a roof over her head, she works in the printing industry as a graphic production artist. She shares her home with her husband and daughter, and a menagerie of rescued fur-babies. 

https://smile.amazon.com/Dangerous-Desires-Dawn-Altieri-ebook/dp/B082GRHLR1/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=dangerous+desires&qid=1580509044&sr=8-3

 

Book Tour: "Dangerous Desires" by Dawn Altieri


Dangerous Desires 
by Dawn Altieri 
Genre: Romantic Suspense 


Three years after Emma Sloane's wealthy fiance's mysterious death, she's finally ready to move on and pursue her own dreams. But her plans are derailed when she's attacked outside her New York City apartment in what she thinks is a random violent incident. Then other women who look just like her start turning up dead... 

Homicide Detective Jake Quinn is haunted by the one case he couldn't solve. When he's put in charge of a new high-profile murder case, he interviews a victim who escaped a similar attack—and to his shock it's Emma, the former fiancĂ©e of his unsolved murder victim. 

Neither expects the sparks of attraction between them. But the killer escalates, clearly targeting Emma, and Jake's job is on the line. Can he solve this case before it's too late for both of them? 





A lifelong resident of northern New Jersey, Dawn Altieri has been scribbling stories practically since birth. After reaching a milestone birthday (she won't say which one), she figured it was about time she took a shot at writing professionally. 

With an overactive imagination and a slightly twisted mind, she enjoys reading dark and dangerous tales almost as much as writing them. When she's not curled up on the sofa with her laptop, her latest story, a box of chocolates and a cup of tea (or a glass of wine, depending on the time of day), she can be found volunteering in the world of animal rescue. To keep a roof over her head, she works in the printing industry as a graphic production artist. She shares her home with her husband and daughter, and a menagerie of rescued fur-babies. 





$10 Amazon Gift Card 
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!




Friday, January 31, 2020

"Queen of Babble" series by Meg Cabot

Lizzie Nichols can't keep a secret to save her life. Now she's graduated from college and is ready to start her new life pursuing her lifelong dream of...refurbishing old wedding dresses? The only thing is, she can't seem to keep her mouth shut long enough not to screw it up...or ruin her relationship with dreamy Jean-Luc. What's a girl with a big mouth, but an equally big heart, to do?

I have a weird relationship with many of Meg Cabot's books that are written for adults. Because I was in my late tween/early teen years, when I first started reading her books, many of her books didn't appeal to me yet. I could relate to the teenage characters in her books, but not to the twenty-somethings.  Because of this, there are still several of her books that I have put off reading. In a way, this is nice, because it gives me something to look forward to. I recently powered through the Queen of Babble series. I could not get enough of Lizzie and was a bit bummed that there are only three books in the series. Lizzie is funny and a bit chaotic. You're never quite sure what situation she is going to get into next. Throughout the three novels, we see her relationships, friendships, travels, jobs, and apartments. While these don't seem like the kinds of things that would be funny, Meg Cabot makes them hilarious.

A lot happens over the course of these three books. Lizzie's life turns upside down more than once, from traveling to France, falling in love, and changing careers. While the plots are not heavy, they are fairly compelling and quite fun. I enjoyed my time spent with Lizzie and this is exactly the kind of series that I will want to visit more than once. As a general rule, I don't read many books with heavy content. I like the kind of book that I can pick up at the end of the day and just have fun reading. The Queen of Babble series fits that requirement perfectly. I see this book appealing to fans of Emily Giffin or Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series.

Happy Reading!
-Melly

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Support Theater Ensemble Arts

I have been very fortunate to find local theater. While I am by no means an actress, I have fallen in love with working behind the scenes. My first experience with Theater Ensemble Arts was stage managing a production of An Evening of Culture. It was followed a few years later with stage managing (and last minute acting in) Drinking Habits. When the group put on Drinking Habits 2, I reprised my role as Mother Superior. This solidified knowing that I do not enjoy the acting process. But I have since stage managed another production and currently directing my first play. I thoroughly enjoy all of the extra work that needs to be done to put on a production. I have helped with sets, props, and done some light and sound execution. It's amazing to see all the moving parts and just how much time and effort it takes to put on a show. It's so gratifying to be a part of the process. 

While I have been excited for every show I have been a part of, I am even more excited for this season. I am directing the first show, a comedy called Four Weddings and an Elvis. The script is hilarious and the cast has been nothing short of fantastic. The second show Sherlock Holmes and the Sinister Trio is also phenomenal (I say this with some bias, because my boyfriend wrote it. How cool is that? My boyfriend wrote a play and it is going to be performed!?). We will finish off the season with A Midsummer Night's Dream which will be performed at an outdoor theater. Overall, it is going to be an amazing season. 

The  members of the board have been hard at work fundraising, so I am throwing the information out there in case any of my wonderful followers are in position to help us out. Below is the information about being a sponsor and we also take donations. And if you are in the area, come check out the shows (season tickets can be purchased online. Thanks everyone! 



Support Local Theater!
-Melly

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Keep Tales of Tomorrow/Cosmic Cafe Open Downtown!


I am lucky to live in a place with a great downtown. There is lots to see and do, plenty of restaurants, and some interesting shops. Unfortunately there is some necessary construction taking place and some of the businesses are suffering. Once the construction is complete, downtown will be even better, we just have to get through it. My absolute favorite place downtown is the local comic book shop/cafe. I am hoping that with the support of our wonderful community, they will be able to keep their doors open. Even though comics aren't quite my forte, Tales of Tomorrow also has a wonderful selection of reading material for kids, a variety of games (such as Warhammer), an assortment of cosplay materials and so much more. On top of that, the customer service is phenomenal. The Cosmic Cafe offers coffee, teas, Italian sodas and baked goods, all prepared on site. I always feel very welcome here, whether I am just stopping in for a quick treat, or staying to write- our theater group has even read plays here. The atmosphere is wonderful and the staff are amazing. It seems that my town isn't always the best at keeping local establishments open, so I am hoping that this will change for Tales of Tomorrow and The Cosmic Cafe. My town is so lucky to have these wonderful businesses and their staff. If you live in the area and haven't paid them a visit you are missing out. And if you are in the position to donate to them and help them keep their doors open, you will have my undying gratitude.

Cherry Italian Soda prepared by the Cosmic Cafe


Happy Reading (and coffee drinking)!
-Melly



From the Go Fund Me:

Friends and Family: Tales of Tomorrow is the only independently owned comic bookstore in the Four Corners.

We put down stakes here, Downtown, in the heart of Farmington New Mexico. We believed that the Four Corners community would benefit from our location, products, and services we provide.

For two years, we have watched as a community grew within and around Tales of Tomorrow.

Despite our best efforts, our ship of glossy paper dreams is taking on water, and we need you to bail us out.

The very best way to support us is to visit the store or the café. Providing you with comics and coffee fulfills our mission.

If you would like to assist us from afar, please consider giving us a donation.

In return for your faith and funds, we are restructuring the business. Hopefully, this will see us through the next phases of construction.

We value your inclusion in our lives and thank you for allowing us to be a part of yours.

Love,

- Steve, Derek, Joy, Nate, Kim, Heather, and Dakota

Tales of Tomorrow & the Cosmic Café

Friday, January 24, 2020

"Karen's Witch" by Ann M. Martin, Illustrated by Katy Farina

Karen Brewer lives next door to Mrs. Porter, who wears long robes and has wild gray hair. Mrs. Porter has a black cat named Midnight and always seems to be working in her garden. Karen isn't supposed to spy on her neighbor, but she's determined to prove that Mrs. Porter is a witch named Morbidda Destiny!

Mrs. Porter is getting ready to have a special meeting at her house, and Karen is sure the meeting is for witches. Are they going to cast a spell on Karen? Or will she be brave enough to send them away -- once and for all?



Once upon a time, seven-year-old me went to a garage sale and came upon a box of books: the first 19 books in The Baby-Sitters Little Sisters series and the first Super Special. It took some convincing to get my mom to buy the complete set (and if I recall correctly, the seller wasn’t too keen to break-up the set so if we were going to get them, we had to get them all). In some ways I suspect that she came to realize that this was an amazing purchasing as these were the books that would start my reading obsession. (and what parent doesn’t want their kid to enjoy reading). On the other hand, this purchase was also the beginning of a huge financial investment into the world of Ann M. Martin so she may still have some regrets. Either way, Karen Brewer is the reason I love the written word. I don’t remember how long it took me the finish these 20 books, but I know that before I was done with the second grade, I had finished every BSCLS book available in my personal collection and at the public library. I soon moved onto The Baby-Sitters Club series and have spent almost 25 years with these beloved characters. On occasion, I go through books from my childhood and clear out space by either donating them or exchanging them at the local used book store. But Ann M. Martin’s books are the books that I will never part with.

Nostagia seems to be a huge selling point right now. I tend to get turned off by this (did we really need the 2016 Ghostbusters?). But there is that special place in my heart for any content set in Stoneybrook, Connecticut so I lap up anything released with Martin’s name on it. The graphic novel release of Karen’s Witch is no exception. I think the Little Sister series works better for a re-release than The Baby-Sitters Club. Karen is only six or seven (depending on the book) so technology isn’t as much of a driving force for her books. In the 90s, it was the cool thing to be the kid with your own phone line in your bedroom, so of course Claudia’s personal line was amazing. Now, the concept of four to seven girls gathering three times a week to sit around waiting for a landline to ring is a bit odd. So while I have enjoyed the new graphic novels featuring the BSC, the books haven’t aged quite as well as I would have liked. However, Karen’s universe works really well even now.

Karen Brewer lives most of the time at her mommy’s house and every other weekend at her daddy’s house. A witch lives next door to her daddy’s, or so she believes. Everyone in her family tells her to leave Mrs. Porter alone, but Karen is determined to find out the truth and reveal Morbidda Destiny to the world. She tries to stay up all night to catch Morbidda Destiny flying on a broom, but falls asleep. When she and her best friend, Hannie catch wind of a witches meeting, she becomes even more determined to let all of Stoneybrook know that there is a witch in town.

The graphic novel (illustrated by Katy Farina) hits the same beats as the original book. There isn’t quite as much backstory and character development as I recall, but that seems to be the norm in graphic novels. The style of this book works well with the material and is easy to follow. I would say my only complaint is that some of the characters looked a little different than how they were portrayed in previous BSC books. While this makes sense as they have different artists, I could see this being a tad confusing for readers who aren’t as exposed to the material (kids reading it for the first time, as opposed to those of that grew up with the first run of the material). However, I do see this book appealing to young readers and those little details not being important. My hope is that readers do enjoy this book and reach out for other books by Ann M. Martin. The advantage is that she has written so many books, there isn’t the annoyance that is waiting for a new book to come out and the enjoyment of the material can last. I would recommend this books for girls around six to nine, and especially those that are in the early stages of reading that aren’t quite ready for things such as Dork Diaries or Smile. This book would also be good for families to read together as there is also the lesson behind the story (don’t spy on the neighbors) and can be a good opportunity for family discussion. Either way, this book is worth a read.

Happy Reading!
-Melly
 
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