Goodreads review: “Fated Mates (True Mates #1), by Alicia Montgomery

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Denise
Yeah, sometimes I’ll just rip a review straight off of what I wrote over at Goodreads. It happens.

I really love this series. Montgomery writes fun, full-blooded characters and gives each a unique and interesting personality. The mythology she spins is fantastic as well.

I actually read this after I read the 5th book, Taming the Beast, and while I knew who’d get together with whom, that knowledge didn’t hurt this story in the least. (And c’mon now y’all; we romance fans all know who’s gonna end up together. Don’t we?)

Highly recommended series from an author who I’ve now put in my “Must Read All The Things” category.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

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Con News: 170 new indie comics making their publishing debut at Small Press Expo

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Denise

Can’t wait to see what SPX has in store on the show floor?  Well, they know…and they’re giving you a small peek.  But with over 170 new titles hitting the ground running (er, lying there on the tables for you to grab for your stash), it’s just a whiff of what’s coming.

My favorite from this list?  Keith Knight’s newest, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Behind. Can’t wait to see what Keef’s got in store in his newest collection! Then there’s Shannon Wheeler’s Sh*t My President Says, which should be an absolute hoot, Laura Terry’s beautiful (and yes, adorable, if her prior work is any indication) Adorable Empire Vol. 2, and Sophie Goldstein’s blend of Sci-fi and “psychosexual drama”, House of Women.  Now that’s a combo that has me intrigued, in the very best way.

And that’s just a hint of what’s coming…the best part of SPX is walking the floor and checking out all the cool new stuff while chatting with all those talented creators. Read on for the full details!

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Con News: Baltimore Comic-Con brings Bruce and Arthur from “Gotham” to Baltimore!

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Denise

That’s right y’all. David Mazouz (Bruce Wayne) and Sean Pertwee (Alfred Pennyworth) of Gotham are headed to this year’s Baltimore Comic-Con!

I’ve been hooked on the crazy coolness of Gotham from episode one, and can’t wait to hear what it’s like to bring these characters to life, and what’s next for the show’s heroes and villains alike.  Especially as characters young and old have started to figure out what their place in the world is/should be…

Read on for the full details!

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “Crown Heights”!

Posted on August 18, 2017 by Denise

It’s almost back-to-school time (for some it already is.  So sorry about that.)  That means the Awards Season Onslaught is starting to gear up.  So why not get a jump by checking out a screening of Crown Heights, a film based on a true story that’ll surely whet your dramatic appetite.  Synopsis!

In the spring of 1980, a teenager is gunned down in the streets of Flatbush, Brooklyn. The police pressure a child witness to identify a suspect. As a result, Colin Warner, an 18-year-old kid from nearby Crown Heights, is wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Colin’s childhood friend Carl ‘KC’ King devotes his life to fighting for Colin’s freedom. He works on appeals, takes loans for lawyer fees and becomes a legal courier to learn the court system. This incredible true story is based on the acclaimed This American Life piece and adapted by writer/director Matt Ruskin, with Lakeith Stanfield playing Colin Warner and Nnamdi Asomugha as Carl King.

Ready?  Kleenex in hand for this Sundance award winning film?  Let’s go!

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Con News: Small Press Expo announces Ignatz Award nominees!

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Denise

Award season y’all! Small Press Expo leaves the gate with their Ignatz Award nominees, and they’re gonna have their work cut out for ’em picking out the best ones…

As always, it’s a bumper crop of amazing small press comics and creators. I’m particularly stoked that Woman World, My Favorite Thing is Monsters, Johnny Wander: Our Cats Are More Famous Than Us, and March: Book 3 have scored nominations.

Read on for the full list and all the glorious details!

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Pony News: #BronyCon2017 wrapup!

Posted on August 15, 2017 by Denise

Okay, so this year’s BronyCon was an amazing and awesome gathering of friends, fans and shippers (SPARITY FTW!!!) as is just and right.  But it was also a chill way to hang with some fellow FOP (Friends Of Ponies) and relax.  Great cosplay – someone even came as MLPFiM writer M.A. Larson! – from grownups to the littlest of little ones.  (Everyone say awwww.) From morning ’til way late at night, there was something for everypony.  Note to self: next year grab a hotel room and show up for a few late-night panels.  I wanna learn home-brewing!

I’d been live-tweeting through the weekend, but let’s unpack a few items that need more than 140 characters, shall we?  Fun times ahead – FUN!

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Con News: Baltimore Comic-Con brings back Wheatley and Hempel…adds even more guests!

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Denise

Walking around Baltimore Comic-Con is always a treat, but my favorite part?  Artist’s Alley.  It’s wonderful to see all the creators chatting with fans, and working on new pieces.  So I’m glad to see that Mark Wheatley (Titan’s Doctor Who series) and Mac Hempel (The Sandman, Heavy Metal) will be making another appearance at this year’s BCC!

Plus, this latest announcement brings Mike Gold (ComicMix.com), G.D. Falksen (The Ouroboros Cycle), Mark Redfield (Cult of the Nosferatu) and Evelyn Kriete (Indiegogo) into this year’s mix.  I look forward to hearing about the panels these folks will be on; fingers crossed for a crowdsourcing/DIY discussion for all you up-and-coming artists out there…

Read on for the full details!

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “Patti Cake$”!

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Denise

Crusin’ down the street in my ’64…who hasn’t thought about making it big on stage?  Well, if you’re like the rest of us (WHAT?) I’ve got a screening for you.  Yeah, you. Because I’ve got passes for the screening of Patti Cake$, and you know you want ’em. But first? Synopsis!

 

PATTI CAKE$ introduces Australian native Danielle Macdonald in a breakout role, as aspiring rapper Patricia Dombrowski, a.k.a. Killa P, a.k.a. Patti Cake$.  Fighting an unlikely quest for glory in her downtrodden hometown in Jersey where her life is falling apart, Patti tries to reach the big time in the hip hop scene with original and affecting music.  Cheered on by her grandmother (Cathy Moriarty) and only friends, Jheri (Siddharth Dhananjay) and Basterd (Mamoudou Athie), Patti also shoulders her mother’s (Bridget Everett) heartaches and misfortunes.

Ready to take a ride?  Let’s go!

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Adult Swim’s “Swim on the Green” hits the East Coast!

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Denise

Who doesn’t love Adult Swim?  It’s hilarious, it’s obnoxious, and it’s disrespectful as hell.  What’s not to love, amirite?  Well, if you’re ready to get your Swim on locally – with a few hundred (or maybe thousand) of your most non-intimate peeps – GET READY EAST COAST, because they’re coming at you.  We’re talking unaired eps, what’s next, and a whole lot more.  Oh, and food trucks, because of course y’all.  Mmmm, food.

They’ll be in the DC area (well, Bull Run is VA, but roll with me) for my local folks. Here’s a list of places, for East Coast Elsewhere folks:

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
CHARLESTON, SC
RIVERFRONT PARK PERFORMANCE PAVILION
DETAILS HERE

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
ATLANTA, GA
PIEDMONT PARK PROMENADE
DETAILS HERE

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA
BULL RUN SPECIAL EVENTS CENTER
DETAILS HERE

TUESDAY, SEPTMEBER 26
GREATER PHILADELPHIA, PA
WIGGINS WATERFRONT PARK
DETAILS HERE

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
GREATER BOSTON, MA
GORE PLACE
DETAILS HERE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3
NEW YORK CITY AREA
SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK
DETAILS HERE

Read on for the full deets from the folks at Adult Swim!

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: “The Hitman’s Bodyguard”!

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Denise

Ryan Reynolds has been showing some serious comedic chops lately.  And of course SLJ is awesome no matter what. So why not catch a screening of their latest joint, The Hitman’s Bodyguard?  I’ve got passes…but first, synopsis!

The world’s top protection agent [Ryan Reynolds] is called upon to guard the life of his mortal enemy, one of the world’s most notorious hitmen [Samuel L. Jackson]. The relentless bodyguard and manipulative assassin have been on the opposite end of the bullet for years and are thrown together for a wildly outrageous 24 hours. During their raucous and hilarious adventure from England to the Hague, they encounter high-speed car chases, outlandish boat escapades and a merciless Eastern European dictator [Gary Oldman] who is out for blood. Salma Hayek joins the mayhem as Jackson’s equally notorious wife. The film will be “hitting” your theatres onAugust 18.

Ready?  Let’s go!

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