Saturday, October 31, 2020

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on The Addams Family (2019)

 
Genre:
Animated/Comedy/Family
Rating:
PG
Release Date:
October 11, 2019
DVD/Blu-Ray Release Date:
January 21, 2020
Run Time:
1 hr 26 min

Directed by:
Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon

Based on the Characters by:
Charles Addams

Executive Producers:
Kevin Miserocchi, Andrew Mittman, Joe Earley, Aaron L. Gilbert, Jason Cloth

Producers:
Gail Berman, p.g.a., Conrad Vernon, p.g.a., Alex Schwartz, p.g.a., Alison O’Brien

Production Co.:
MGM

Distribution Co.:
United Artists Releasing

Social Media:
   

Cast:
Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, with Bette Midler, and Allison Janney

Plot Summary:
Get ready to snap your fingers!

 The first family of Halloween, the Addams Family, is back on the big screen in the first animated comedy about the kookiest family on the block. Funny, outlandish, and completely iconic, the Addams Family redefines what it means to be a good neighbor.


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*My Thoughts*

The Addams Family (2019) animated film revels in the kooky and creepy atmosphere originally presented in Charles Addams’ comics, the 1960’s, and 1990’s films, but it adds a modern popular culture twist to incorporate fans from newer generations. The beginning of the film starts with Morticia and Gomez at their wedding night and before the iconic family came together. At the wedding, they have Thing, Grandmama, Uncle Fester, and the rest of the Addams clan, but their happy night is interrupted by an angry mob. Fester, Morticia, Gomez, and Thing escape for a new home, find Lurch who would become their butler, and settle in an abandoned New Jersey asylum. It is a sweet and quick introduction. Now, skip thirteen years later, Wednesday and Pugsley are introduced going through their deadly morning routine including axes, guillotines, and living trees. This is where the film turns from just the Charles Addams’ caricature to another coming-of-age story.
 
Wednesday is not only iconic with her gloomy atmosphere and murderous attempts on her brother, but she now shows a desire for something new and rebellious. She desires entertainment away from her family. Pugsley is a mischievous and explosions expert going through the expectations of family tradition, perfectly executing the saber mazurka. After the fog and marsh around the old asylum clears away, the town below is revealed. It’s bright and happy appearance is different and strange to the curious Wednesday. While Morticia is skeptical of these new people, the new neighborhood of Assimilation piques Wednesday’s curiosity causing her to enroll in the local junior high. Wednesday chooses to start wearing pink and sparkly clothing. She seemingly assimilates into the neighbor’s lifestyle, much to Morticia’s chagrin. Pugsley, still at home with his family, is stressed because of the upcoming mazurka. Unlike Wednesday, Pugsley tries to embrace the Addams family tradition but still feels stifled. He is unable to be himself and express his passion for demolition. Altogether Gomez and Morticia struggle to raise their children instead of accepting them and their quirks, By the end of the film and after battling a mob of angry citizens from Assimilation, Wednesday and Pugsley learn to wholly be themselves and return to their kooky and death-defying lives.
 
The Addams Family (2019) enjoys the novelty of its predecessors but turned into a trendy retelling and lost its original allure. The 2019 film makes references to the recent adaptation of IT, inserts pop music, and makes the Addams seem more curious of others than a curiosity themselves. It also makes references from across the Addams Family history with Pugsley collecting road signs and incorporating a dance number like in the 1991 film, but it all felt so cliché when tied together with the pop culture from today. As the Addams family and townspeople learn to coexist with each other and the film includes references every few minutes, but it leaves behind the feeling of kooky and weird that made the Addams family so enjoyable. Nonethe ess, the The Addams Family (2019) film is entertaining and cute.

My rating:


Friday, October 30, 2020

BLOG TOUR: Sisters of the Moon by Alexandrea Weis

 

Welcome to the Official Blog Tour for Award-winning Author Alexandrea Weis' Sisters of the Moon! Today, on our tour stop, we have a review AND a tour-wide giveaway to share! So... Be sure to check it out and grab your copy now! Follow the tour, HERE!

Genre:
Young Adult
Horror/Fantasy
Publish Date:
September 22, 2020
Publisher:

Synopsis:
A monstrous fate will turn a girl into a legend.

On an island in Lake Obersee, where The Sisters of St. Gertrude abide, a destitute Moor named Durra arrives. Sold for taxes, she and her two companions tend to the nuns and their collection of cats. At night, she combs the library for details on the order, the remote island, and the beasts howling outside her window.

But when a prank reveals the sisters’ gruesome secret, Durra is forced to accept a new fate. Bestowed an unearthly power, she must choose between life as a nun or living among the monsters beyond the convent walls.

Her path is about to change the tide in the ultimate war. The war between good and evil.


   
*FREE on Kindle Unlimited*

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Praise for SISTERS OF THE MOON

"Alexandrea Weis does an outstanding job of painting succinct, hard-hitting scenes that carry Durra from a new role in a convent to a more active position confronting supernatural forces and long-hidden truths that could change not just her life, but the world. Sisters of the Moon represents a fine example of the use of the novella form at its best. It creates a superior blend of action, mystery, and evolving protagonist dilemmas and growth that will keep readers on their toes and involved up to the story's epilogue of unexpected lessons in survival and achievement. Highly recommended for those who like their supernatural mystery stories to embrace a sense of character growth where the fine line between good and evil proves more mercurial than most." —D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

"While a horror story on the surface, Sisters of the Moon is more than a simple tale of three young women sold to satisfy the debts of others who uncover a dark secret. It's more than just a fresh take on the werewolf mythos or another banal story about the age-old battle between good and evil. Stunning in its imagery and richly detailed, Weis's Sisters of the Moon blends history and religion into a tale of sisterhood and empowerment as delightfully slow-burning as it is sinister, smart, and not at all shy about probing the status quo of the treatment of women who challenge patriarchal systems--and who fight to defend what is right. Sisters of the Moon is the kind of supernatural gothic horror women readers in the genre have been waiting for." —Seven Jane, The Nerd Daily

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**About the Author**
Photo Content from Alexandrea Weis
Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author of over twenty-seven novels, a screenwriter, ICU Nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable. A member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers Association, Weis writes mystery, suspense, thrillers, horror, crime fiction, and romance. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals.

Stay connected with Alexandrea Weis
      

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*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

Sisters of the Moon is a good book for a cozy reading session at home. There is enough in each chapter of the story to keep the reader invested and curious to know what happens to Durra and the other girls next. There is mystery, diverse personalities in Weiss’s characters, and action.

Sisters of the Moon is a vivid and fluid read from start to finish. Weiss intricately describes the environment and supernatural of the story. It’s dreary, dirty, and enigmatic. With that in mind, the reader is immediately immersed in Durra’s world. The book starts with rain fall and ropes cut into Durra’s skin as she rows the oars of a boat towards an island where her fate may be sealed. She is a slave sold with two fellow slaves, Emily and Leida. The three are established in just the first chapter with just enough detail to be engaging but not wholly revealing until later in the story. Emily is a short-tempered and big mouthed girl who won’t stand for Lars Brelhoff’s abuse or being controlled by anyone. Leida is the more docile and timid one of the group and Durra is an the between as someone guarded yet curious.

Sisters of the Moon takes place in one location, but the story never becomes dull as there is more information to unravel. St. Gertrude’s, the convent that would be the girls’ new home is housed on Lake Obersee and is unknown territory to them. There aren’t many other inhabitants, as far as the girls could see, but the sisters of the convent seem welcoming enough, particularly the warm and serene Mother Amelia. As Durra learns more and the girls live their new lives, the reader cannot help but feel a sense of belonging to the convent. Even so, the convent offers mystery enticing skepticism in Durra, even though she could describe it as a sanctuary. The suspense build in the desolate atmosphere and Weiss brilliantly foreshadows the incoming fight by describing the convent’s tapestries and stonework with images of wolves, animals, demons. If I had to be critical, Sisters of the Moon offers everything you need in a supernatural horror and is worth the read.

My rating:

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***The Giveaway***


Giveaway Open Internationally | Must be 13+ to Enter
- ends November 16, 2020
Note: Not Responsible for Lost & Damaged Prizes in Your Mail Box
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Organized by

TRAILER REVEAL: With Shield and Ink and Bone by Casey L. Bond


Today, we are thrilled to share this Trailer Reveal for Award-winning Author Casey L. Bond's upcoming YA historical fantasy, With Shield and Ink and Bone! Be sure to watch it now!

Genre:
Upper Young Adult
Historical Fantasy
Publish Date:
November 13, 2020

Trailer Designed by:
Melissa Stevens

Synopsis:
A hard-earned shield.

Days before she is to take her place as a shield maiden, like her mother before her, two deaths alter the course of Liv’s future. One belonged to a witch who called her by name, the other a chieftain from the north. Vengeance for the chieftain’s death comes in a wild fury that burns her village and slaughters her family. Left for dead, Liv pleads to Skuld – norn and weaver of the future – to spare her. A deal is struck that will endow her with the dark magic needed to claim her vengeance. But this power comes at an unfathomable price…

Ink made from the ashes of loved ones.

After his home is attacked, Calder races to warn neighboring villages of the threat. Little does he know he’s traveling into the path of fate that will lead him straight to Liv. Despite being broken, angry, and overwhelmed by power she cannot contain, it’s her willingness to defend others that draws Calder to her.

Armor forged from the bones of those she held dear.

Together, Liv and Calder discover they are two sides of the same sharpened blade. Rising from the heartache and fury in their pasts, they see a future together worth fighting for. With their strengths and hearts combined, can they become a force powerful enough to defeat the fleet of darkness coming for them? Or will the thread of fate that binds them unravel?




Praise for With Shield and Ink and Bone

“An exhilarating Viking-inspired fantasy, With Shield and Ink and Bone by Casey L. Bond keeps your nerves teetering on the blade of an ax!” - Lani Forbes, award-winning author of the Age of the Seventh Sun series 

With Shield and Ink and Bone is a fast-paced, vivid, and mesmerizing tale that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. If you love Vikings or strong heroines you’ll find lots to enjoy here! Casey L. Bond has woven together unexpected twists, high stakes, romance, and bargains with gods to create this original story for readers.” - Victoria McCombs, author of The Storyteller’s Daughter

Casey L. Bond has managed to take a classic genre and make it new and fresh. A page turner that kept me staying up late just to know what was going to happen next. Excellent writing, excellent story. Well done!” – Quinn Loftis, USA Today bestselling author of the Grey Wolves series and The Viking’s Chosen 

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**About the Author**
Casey L. Bond lives in West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. She likes goats and yoga, but hasn't tried goat yoga because the family goat is so big he might break her back. Seriously, he's the size of a pony. Her favorite books are the ones that contain magical worlds and flawed characters she would want to hang out with. Most days of the week, she writes young adult fantasy books, letting her imaginary friends spill onto the blank page.

Casey is the award-winning author of When Wishes Bleed, the Frenzy series, and fairy tale retellings such as Riches to Rags, Savage Beauty, Unlocked and Brutal Curse. Learn more about her work at www.authorcaseybond.com.

Stay connected with Casey L. Bond
      


Trailer Reveal Organized by
 

Pre-ORDER BLITZ: Of Fire and Water by Cameo Renae

UPDATE:
Of Fire And Water Release Date pushed back to January 15, 2021.
Pre-order is no longer available/valid. 😢

For more information: https://bit.ly/2HPUbVm


Today, we have this Pre-order Blitz to share for Cameo Renae's Of Fire And Water, the second title in the Heir of Blood and Fire series! So... Be sure to check it out and pre-order your copy now!

Genre:
Young Adult
Dark Fantasy
Series:
Heir of Blood and Fire, #2
Publish Date:
January 15, 2021

Cover Designed by:
Jay Villalobos

Synopsis:
Calla escaped Morbeth only to find herself fighting for her life once more. Incendia seemed the perfect sanctuary of escape. The stories told of the mystical island claim all inhabitants were annihilated. Those tragic tales . . . were lies.

Desperate to keep their truth hidden, the islanders take Calla and her friends prisoner. Despite her dire situation, something about that beautiful—yet deadly—paradise speaks to Calla’s soul, whispering the powerful secrets pulsing through her veins. As Roehl hunts for her, eager to claim his murderous vengeance, Calla searches for answers she believes only Incendia can offer.

Can Calla harness the power surging within her in time to protect herself, and those she loves, from Roehl? Or, no matter where she runs, will the twisted royal continue to chase her to the farthest reaches of any realm?


   
*FREE on Kindle Unlimited*

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Start on the Heir of Blood and Fire series now with Of The Blood (book1)!
(cover links to Goodreads)

       
*FREE on Kindle Unlimited*

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**About the Author**
Cameo Renae, was born in San Francisco, raised in Maui, Hawaii, and now resides with her husband and children in Las Vegas.

She's a daydreamer, caffeine and peppermint addict, who loves to laugh, and loves to read to escape reality.

One of her greatest joys is creating fantasy worlds filled with adventure and romance and sharing it with others. It is the love of her family and amazing support of her fans that keeps her going.

One day she hopes to find her own magic wardrobe and ride away on her magical unicorn. Until then...she'll keep writing!

Stay connected with Cameo Renae
      
  



Pre-order Blitz Organized by